(no subject)

[electro_kinetic]

Noriko--or the adult one most people know--has been in the bar for a while. Through a lot of stuff happening, too; zombies, job changes, cells, and oh yeah, cannibals. That last one was a ball of fun, no really. So it's not really a surprise when she picks up tea to-go from the bar one morning, and turns towards her door; there's no big fight waiting for her behind it, no gearing up to handle the wreck her world is firsthand. It's actually something kind of refreshing, because she knows what to expect behind the wood portal. Mostly.

It opens and shuts behind her with no real circumstance, until it opens again.

This time it's not a shock of blue hair and silver gauntlets with a fairly surly attitude that comes in, but a rather shorter girl with long black hair, clutching a pretty pasteboard box to her chest with a mile-wide thousand-watt grin. The contents of that remain secret, but she's more than happy to half run, half skip to the bar to ask for her favorite kind of candy-snack. The kits that make candy ramen and gyoza and sushi are just so cool.

Have fun trying to tear her away from those.

Comments

[cook_the_rude]

"Hello, Noriko!"

She might or might not remember this gentleman from the last time she was here. She might probably not notice the few small scratches and tiny, discreet sticking plasters on his face. Perhaps he cut himself shaving?

[electro_kinetic]

The call of her name--from a male voice and older than her, no less--does a remarkable job of getting Noriko to duck her head and look around as if she's just been caught where she really ought not be. Which, hey, she might be; Nori has no idea just where she is, but being in unknown locales has never exactly bothered her.

Nor has, it should be mentioned, meeting new people. (She really is quite friendly and fearless as a child. One of these things will not change with her growing up.) "Hello," she greets the new man, whose face does look somewhat worse for wear, but still isn't recognizable to her. "How do you know my name?"

[cook_the_rude]

"I'm quite sure I talked to you before," the man says, "but I might have been younger than myself. This place does strange things with time."

[electro_kinetic]

She's not particularly bothered by what he's saying; she's the outgoing sort, and so with a smile Noriko still offers her hand out--it's less formal than a bow, but she's already occupied and he seems to know her. And her parents aren't right behind her to enforce proper etiquette. (Yet. But she still keeps one on her box, which is carefully guarded.)

"It's okay. I don't know you, but you can stay and talk if you want. You already know my name, even."

[cook_the_rude]

"I'm Dr. Hannibal Lecter," he says. "May I sit down?"

[electro_kinetic]

"Uh-huh," she says, nodding as she gathers up the powders for her kits, making sure there's a delineation between her area and his. "That's a long name. Do I have to call you all of it all the time?"

[cook_the_rude]

"No," he says. "I think for you, dear Noriko, it's enough to say Hannibal."

[electro_kinetic]

"Hannibal," she repeats. "Okay. You can call me Nori if my name is hard," she says.

For some Westerners it is, she gets that.

[cook_the_rude]

"No, it's not," Hannibal says. "I speak some Japanese."

[road_to_calvary]

This is a face he did not expect to see again. He smiles as he sits down at the bar, and looks at her and her pasteboard box.

'Mademoiselle Noriko. Good evening.'

[electro_kinetic]

"Everybody knows my name here," she says with a happy little chuckle, swinging her sock-clad feet. (Today they're pink with yellow and green and blue dots.)

"Hi."

[road_to_calvary]

'You do not remember being here before?'

That is strange. But most things about this place are.

'That is a very pretty box. Did you make it?'

[electro_kinetic]

"Mm-mmm," she says, shaking her head. "I don't think I've ever been in here before. But it's nice," she says. "Different, but nice."

She glances down at the box, and can only shake her head again. "No, I didn't make it. It's got a present in it from my dad."

[road_to_calvary]

'It is a magic place,' he tells her, with a smile.

'Any number of strange things may happen here. My name is Monsieur Fauchelevent, but you may call me Jean if that is easier.'

He pulls a look of amazement at her words.

'A present! Well, you must open it mademoiselle, if you are permitted.'

[electro_kinetic]

Her mouth pulls to one side when he gives his last name. "I'm still learning French," she says. "I only started last year, but I'm sorry if I mess up your name."

She'll try it, but if she's allowed to call him Jean she probably will. At some point. "Oh, he showed me what it is already," she chuckles as she opens it carefully, showing little clips with fabric flowers attached. "It's kanzashi for a whole year. Little ones that I can wear through all the seasons."

[road_to_calvary]

'It is quite all right,' he assures her, and then raises his eyebrows at the clips and flowers.

'They are very becoming. Kan-zashi are...the names of flowers?'

He stumbles a little over the Japanese word himself, so he is no position to judge her French.

[electro_kinetic]

"They're the name for the decorations you wear in your hair. There are lots of different kinds, but all the flowers have special seasons when you wear them. They're usually bigger, but I don't have anywhere to go to wear the really fancy ones," she says with a soft sigh.

"I wish I did. I like how pretty they look on maiko."

[herr_bookman]

Oh, no! Autor thinks, as he spots the girl at the bar. She's too cute! He picks up his tea at the bar and places his hand on his hip. "Hello, there. What are you working on?"

[electro_kinetic]

"Food," she says with a smile. "Candy. But it's shaped like sushi and ramen, and I really love those, and the candy's yummy too."

[herr_bookman]

Autor blinks as he examines her work. "Oh, I see," he says, sipping his tea. "I've heard of sushi. It's usually raw fish, isn't it? What is ramen?"

[electro_kinetic]

"Noodle soup," Noriko murmurs, smoothing out the fish jellies so they'll pick up the imprint in the forming dish.

"This soup is salty and sweet, but it's good."

[herr_bookman]

"That sounds delicious," Autor says, nodding along. "I'll have to try it sometime. So you're making these candies look like foods? Neat. Are you from Japan?"

[electro_kinetic]

"I am," she says, nodding. "I live in Tokyo. What about you?"

[herr_bookman]

"Germany," he says, surprising himself. It's not like she has anyone to tell. "How old are you? What's your name? Oh, right, mine's Autor."

[electro_kinetic]

"I'm nine," she chuckles. "And my name's Noriko. Ashida Noriko," she says.

"It's nice to meet you, Autor," Nori smiles. "I've never met anyone from Germany."