yumemigaoka | August catch-all ♫

[That was an easy agreement! Lisa lets out a soft breath, nodding. She'd have looked at just about anything, mind, but.]

Penguins first. I kinda remember the director mentioned something about feeding them before, so maybe we'll be lucky. Then we'll double back and see the tropical fish after? I like colorful stuff too.

[Not that she remembers which way that habitat is, so she ends up looking for a sign. In the meantime, she opens her mouth, pauses, and then more tentatively adds:]

Oh, and... I'd like to take a couple pictures tonight, too. Of the fish and everything, sure, but also of. Us? If we find somewhere fun?

Oh, that would be great. Penguin feeding sounds like a lot of fun to see. [She smiles again -- looking cheerful at the idea that Lisa wants to go see the tropical fish too. Not that she expected otherwise... but it's nice.]

That sounds like a plan! I--ah-- [Her cheeks color a little.]

Some photos of us sounds like a great idea. We'll... want the memory of it. I bet there's some photo opportunity places.

[She looks around -- she did memorize the map, that's a thing Junna just does -- and then looks back at Lisa. She holds a hand out. And she's flustered but managing to speak.]

Shall we?

[Lisa has the grace to blush again when her idea comes up. It was impulsive, and she's overly sentimental, but there's a more practical reason she won't be caught dead saying aloud right now. She should say something, though, so-]

I bet there are, yeah, and even if there aren't, we'll find a good spot. I... have some empty frames I need to fill, and I want some good memories to look back on. I should have been taking pictures long before now.

[She wonders, for a moment, if she should explain herself anyway - but then Junna offers her hand, and the nasty thoughts fly away with most of the rest as she short circuits. She can worry later. Junna's here now and that's more important, for both their sakes. So she lets out a breath, smiles warmly, and takes her hand, voice thick but steady. (It helps that Lisa was going to take off in the wrong direction anyway, judging by Junna's posture.)]

Yes! Let's go.

[Her head's slightly less on a swivel as they start down the hall; she's interested in the tanks, sure, enough to point things out as they go. But she's drawing a lot of strength from Junna right now, perhaps evidenced by Lisa glancing over to her often enough to be noticeable. She's tense enough for Junna to probably be able to feel it, but she's faking it until she makes it. Or gets called on it, whichever comes first.]

Me, too. My phone has lots of pictures of things I wanted to get a picture of... and about three of me. [Junna sighs a little. Isn't that the way of it?

She doesn't quite pick up on the other reasons. Not yet, at least. Sentimentality isn't really unexpected from Lisa... and it's nice to think that, however the date goes, it's something they'll both want to remember.

She smiles back at her, when Lisa takes her hand. And if her heart skips a beat, she can be forgiven. (She also doesn't remark on Lisa being about to go the wrong direction. This is why she looked at the maps in advance). She smiles, nods, and then starts leading the way. She doesn't go at a hurried pace, though. There's still many a tank and interesting sights on the way.

She can feel the tension, though... and she spots the glances. Junna takes her own backward -- there's that little voice, wondering if she's doing the date "right." She does her best to ignore it.

Well... maybe she can bring up something that'd been on her mind. They've got a walk.]

I'm glad. [Wait. That doesn't explain anything.] That you said yes, I mean. I... was hesitating, before I asked.

Edited 2024-08-19 14:22 (UTC)

That's how it goes, yeah. Especially if you don't really have a whole lot of people you want to share pictures with.

[Slightly ominous! But she doesn't qualify it further; she's mentioned some of her hangups to Junna before, so that's perhaps not totally out of left field, at least. She doesn't want to drag the mood down too much, either. She's already nervous enough, and that really wouldn't help her any. Her date deserves better, for one thing, but also... now just isn't the time.

Junna's statement pulls her train of thought back to the present, and she nods.]

I get that. I... hadn't even thought about it, until you went for it. [How to put this that doesn't make her sound super lame...?] I didn't want to risk the happiness I already had, you know? You're... important to me. And I wasn't sure how you felt about me, so I didn't want to push my luck. [Lisa's smile turns a little more fragile.] You're braver than I am, to work up the courage. But I'm really glad you did. You putting it into words made me think that, yeah, maybe it is okay to want a little bit more.

[...she might be squeezing Junna's hand a little harder. Please tell her to go easy if you need to, or she probably won't even think about it.]

[Slightly ominous indeed! Junna wonders about it. And it's something to keep in mind. For now, though...]

You can always share pictures with me.

[There's a longer look then. She spots the fragility -- feels it, too, with Lisa squeezing her hand like that. Junna squeezes back. She knew Lisa could be fragile. It's part of the whole package.]

I worried about messing up a good thing, too. But... I--well--I'd liked you as a friend and as something more for awhile. So...

Here we are.

I'll remember that. I'll keep you in the loop. And... please share things with me, too. It'd make me really happy.

[And even that's reassuring to Lisa. That much hasn't changed with this new step, at least, and she hopes she'll have a lot of memories to share. Enough that Junna will get tired of listening to her... well, maybe not quite that many. Still, Junna isn't tired of listening to her now, given the reassuring squeeze back. So that's a good sign, and she lets a smile drift back onto her face, honest, if small.]

Here we are. And I'm so, so glad to be here. With you. [She laughs, a little high but under control.] I sound like a romance movie, but. It's how I feel.

I will! I don't promise you won't get more photos of animals and random things on morning jogs.

[...there may be 6:30 a.m. texts of cats coming.

She smiles a little more at Lisa's laugh, as she looks at her. And her cheeks color again -- this is all still new, and it's overwhelming sometimes. In a good way. She hesitates a moment, but then she scoots closer as she walks.]

No, no! It's okay, I--well, for one thing... I don't mind you sounding like a romance movie. And, besides. I'm so glad to be with you, here, too. It feels a little... [There's a sigh, and then she sounds like she's quoting something:] '...makes heaven drowsy with the harmony.'

I wouldn't accept that promise even if you made it. [Send them. Send all the cat pictures.

Or all the Junna pictures. She's not judging. She might be judging herself, but. That's par for the course, really.

Still, as Junna shifts closer, she relaxes a little bit, at least for a moment. They've pushed farther, but she's still comfortable. And there's a warm feeling inside her that's keeping her from getting too jumpy. This is fine.]

I don't recognize that one, I don't think. Harmony, though... mm. That's a good word.

You don't know what powers you're toying with. [She smiles playfully, then. The idea of having someone to share those pictures with is nice. And pictures of herself.

She'll have a reason to remember to take them.

She smiles, a bit more, and then nods.] It's a favorite quote of mine. It's from Love's Labour's Lost, by Shakespeare. But... it fits how I feel.

[She sighs, happily.

They round the next corner -- and then there's an entrance ahead. Junna's eyes widen as she sees it; a large, open doorway, and a sign above it declaring it "PENGUIN HALL." Only a few more steps, and they'll be there.]

Lisa, look! We're here!

[A challenge, is it? Bring it on. Well, a sappy challenge. An English lit challenge was not on her bingo card for tonight, though perhaps it should have been? She smiles back a little wryly.]

Shakespeare... that's a little out of my wheelhouse. I have a feeling I'd better pick up a couple, though. Knowing my luck I'm going to miss a reference I'll really wish I'd noticed. [Her lips curl a little more.] Or at least I'll need to read that one.

[But as they come around the bend and Junna notices the door, Lisa lets out a breath. Her nerves are settling a little bit, but she's still turned around.]

Ah, awesome! And, um, I'm glad I let you lead the way. I'd probably have led us to manta rays or something by accident. [She laughs briefly at herself, before nodding.] Come on, let's get in there and see what excitement we can find, yeah? Before it closes or something.

I can definitely make some recommendations if you need them. I'm a bit of an expert.

[Granted, with Junna, she just likes quoting things. Thankfully Lisa seems to find it charming. She smiles -- then shakes her head.]

I don't think getting lost with you would be a bad thing, necessarily. [She laughs, then she hurries up -- with a nod. They don't want to miss the penguins.

Inside, an entire wall is made of glass and looks onto their enclosure. It's obviously cold inside -- there's rocks with ice on them, though a full half of it is water. The tank is deep, with toys for them to play with.

And of course, penguins. Several species -- and they're walking, sitting, squawking, and swimming like jets through the water. There's a small crowd, but still a good view.

Junna makes a delighted noise.] A-aw... look at them!

[Lisa sees a tragedy or two in her future. Uh, to read. Not the other way. That'd be bad.]

We could probably make a fun time out of it, yeah! But tonight is your show, Junna, and I'd feel bad. You worked hard for tonight. [She squeezes her hand again, more confidently this time.] I want to make sure it goes the way you had in your head. [...a sly grin, as they get moving again.] Or better. Better would also work.

[Yeah, she's a little too serious about it. But it's important to her. Junna puts too much effort into stuff like this for Lisa to come along and casually make a mess of things. If she's going to screw things up, it's going to be big and it's going to either be on purpose or unavoidable.

Speaking of unavoidable things, Lisa can't help but shivering a little bit as they come in. The glass helps with insulation a lot, but penguins are still arctic animals and it's still summer outside - and that's what she's dressed for. But it passes after a moment and her excitement pushes to the front as the two of them do, and her expression softens.]

Hehe. Yeah, they're definitely cute. And they make fun sounds. I always forget how much I like seeing them.

Don't worry, Lisa. [She squeezes her hand back. She could get used to this, holding hands like this. Being able to do this is... nice.

More than nice, really.

She smiles, too, though. She thinks she can see some of the anxiety in her -- and the seriousness. And... Junna gets it. She has her own fears; her own worries about somehow disappointing Lisa, making things awkward, making the date go badly. But she doesn't have to think hard to realize: no, it's going well so far.]

This is what I wanted. I know it's just started... but it's what I was hoping for.

[She does feel the chill, though; even behind thick glass walls, she can feel the hint of the literally polar temperatures of the enclosure. Thankfully, outside, it's not that bad. She smiles at the glass, leaning forward -- and she waves at a penguin, who just looks at her and Lisa both.]

Don't they? And how fast they are underwater. I know they are, but it's different to see it...!

[It's not that easy... but it is a little reassuring to hear that it's going to plan so far. And it's just as reassuring to be able to feel that in a way she didn't have access to before. So she calms down a little more, cheer coming back into her.]

Then let's keep having fun, yeah? [She giggles, trying not to press her face to the glass.] I can't decide if I want to be on that side of the glass to get out of the heat, though. I know it's not a petting zoo, but still! [She raises her free hand and waves back to the penguin looking at them, grin wide.] I can't swim half that fast. What about you?

Mn-hm. Lots more to see and do. Including... [She looks back at the glass.] More penguin.

[Oh yeah, she's excited about this. She waves again at the penguin looking at them. It's tilting its head, the way that only birds really can. Junna laughs, then looks at Lisa again. For a second.

Penguins.] Maybe for a second... okay, maybe longer. It would be a chance to be with the penguins. I certainly can't swim that fast, though. Maybe someone at the Olympics could...?

[Lisa nods, even if Junna isn't looking at her to see it.] More penguin is good!

[...for a moment, as it turns its head at them, she cants her own head sideways trying to match it. It doesn't turn out right, of course, so she just looks silly, but that's perhaps not a bad thing. Laughing again as she sees Junna look back to her, she straightens out.]

I'd freeze for that! But yeah, you'd have to be pretty in shape to keep up... eh. It's more fun to watch anyway. The rest of us can swim at normal speed like normal people. [A beat.] Which reminds me, I still need to figure out what I'm wearing to the waterpark next week...

They're just the cutest, aren't they?

[She makes an 'awwww' sound softly. And it's a lot to resist the urge to tap the glass. But... that's not polite. She does look sideways at Lisa -- then there's a giggle when she sees how Lisa has tilted her head. She looks silly...

...but cute, too.

Then, she turns a little red. R-Right... swimsuits. She nods, quickly, though.]

Me too. I'm not sure yet. It's indoors, right?

[Yep, that's Lisa! Silly and also cute. When she's not having a badbrain ~~month~~ day. Or overthinking things. So only sometimes... well, she'll get there. She's getting there. Little moments like this - don't think she doesn't see you laughing at her penguin impression, even if she's not feeling silly enough to add an audible wark to go with - help her a lot.]

Yeah, it's indoors. So less sun but also less hot. And with a nice, wide variety of activities. I do wanna swim... but part of me just wants to relax for a bit. [She glances back at Junna... wait, why's she- oh. Right. That'll be a lot of skin to show someone she's interested in, and to see in return... to say nothing of all her other friends... and Ai... oh, she's going to be struggling, isn't she.] Maybe they'll have a crazy slide we can go down together, and we can scream in terror the whole way.

[Junna looks thoughtful for a second. (And tries to not think about the cute penguin impression from a moment ago or the question of the swimsuit.) She looks down at the penguin while she talks... because she can do two things at once.

And also, penguin.] I like less hot. I feel like I tend to melt in summer. But... [She looks sideways at Lisa, still a little red-faced. But only a little. It's easier when there's something to focus on.] I do love crazy slides. And screaming in terror. [...wait.

Her eyebrow twitches.] Th-that didn't come out right.

I know how that feels. Ask me how much I've baked in the last month. Actually, don't, I think you already know the answer.

[Lisa hears that - sees that, briefly - and laughs lightly, before leaning over to bump Junna's shoulder softly, returning her gaze into the penguin enclosure too as the one they've been watching starts to waddle back toward the water. Junna's reactions are dangerously cute. Maybe cuter than the penguins, and that's stiff competition.]

It's okay, I know what you meant! We'll see if we can find something exciting, so they can hear us anywhere in the park.

[Junna laughs a little, before she nods.] It's too hot for it... though, hopefully, in a couple of months, it'll be better weather for that.

[Then she flushes a little at the bump on her shoulder. She hesitates a second, before she returns the bump. Her eyes go back to the penguin though -- and as it starts to waddle back to the water, Junna lifts her hand and waves goodbye.]

That sounds like a lot of fun. Screaming our hearts out while we go down a slide... [She laughs.] I think we have a plan.

Oh, I'm looking forward to that. I have a lot of pent-up emotions I need to express in flour and sugar and icing.

[The statement sounds like it should come from a place of frustration. Instead, it's clear as a bell, light and easy, with a hint of a breezy laugh. So she has... positive emotions to channel into her baking instead? Probably? She's not entirely sure either, and so she shakes her head softly. The return bump makes her grin, happy she hasn't been completely leading their date off the emotional rails.]

It does sound like fun, yeah? We can go all out, and then maybe take a break in the afternoon and just. Chill. [A beat.] Well. As much as you can chill in the middle of August.

Well... I think I want to help out when you expression your emotions with flour and sugar and icing. [She laughs, and it's a little goofy.] Especially the icing.

[She looks sideways -- and she smiles a little bit more. Go all out with the slides... then find some place to just chill. She considers for a moment, and then nods. And she does her best to resist the urge to pull out her phone and research what places at the park might be good for chilling.]

I like the sound of that! Besides... I relax around you. And I bet after all the socializing and being around people... I'll really appreciate a chance to just chill for a bit.

[Baking together with Junna sounds really fun, and she makes a mental note to pick up some extra butter and eggs to just. Keep around for a cooler day.]

Icing is important. But yeah, we should definitely set aside time. [She grins.] A cookie date, even.

[Don't get ahead of yourself, girl, you have to get through this one still! But she nods happily in agreement.]

Recharge your batteries, yeah? Our batteries. I can only go full extrovert mode for so long.

August catch-all ♫

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