Match of the Millennium

Description: Raiza's running late for workshop class! But she sees a dude, and they're gonna kick his ass! What would a ninja do? Time for the secret art: Squid Ink Jutsu! Teenage dude and ninja giiirl, teenage dude and ninja giiirl, teenage dude and ninja giiirl! Heroes in a high school! Taiyo power!!

[DAISUKE]
Another day in Taiyo, another whole mass of various noisy messes throughout the school grounds. The school might not be as rambunctious and unruly as a certain other school in Southtown, but with how passionate a lot of the student body is, the place isn't exactly very quiet, either.

And Taiyo is definitely not safe from it's own share of delinquent types either. And the evidence for such is quickly shown to people moving in the schoolyard by a girl from one of the earlier years fleeing away from some kind of noise originating from around the back corner of the school. The rumor that ends up spreading through is not an uncommon one around here lately, either, even if it might take someone who has just transferred here a bit by surprise. A particular troublemaking group within the school tried to hassle the girl for lunch money-- and a certain red-haired transfer student came butting in and creating a distractino for the girl to run off to Anywhere But There.

And if one were to go actually peek behind the school? They'll find the curious sight of two teenaged boys in long, black bosozoku jackets laid down on the ground, groaning in pain-- and a third leaned back against the school wall, rubbing both hands along his bruised face.

"Haaahhh... Haaahh... What's wrong...?" An utterly exhausted voice rumbles a couple paces down along the wall from the delinquent -- where a red-haired boy in a white-and-black, light jersey jacket is leaning against the very same wall with one arm; his own face bearing signs of bruising along it's sides, and blood dripping down from one of his nostrils.

"Are you... hhhh... Already done...?"

The delinquent in a biker jacket grunts irritably, lifting his head up to snap a glare at the intervening redhead with such speed that the ridicilous, waxed-up hairdo goes swaying from side to side.

"Gonna... Kick your ass... Son of a bitch..."

"Gonna have to get over here first... UGh..."

Not that the redhead really feels particularly like he has the kind of strength left to really put up a fight himself. He might have gotten better enough with all this to actually hold his own, but three-against-one? He feels lucky enough to have lasted even this long.

[RAIZA]
*huff huff huff*

"Excuse me!"

*huff huff huff*

"Waaaah!"

Careening around a corner with her textbooks in her arms and school bag flailing in the wind behind her, Liza Eddow, one of the newer students at Taiyo, breezes past a conversing couple only to nearly collide with the girl who's just come fleeing from the back of the school. She nearly tumbles over, but manages to catch herself, stopping panting for breath as she does, books clutched to her chest. The brown-eyed Japanese-American brunette swallows, then turns her head toward the girl that she nearly crashed into, putting on a friendly smile.

"Hey! Can you tell me if this is the way to shop cla-"

The damsel in distress has already moved on, though, it seems, leaving Liza speaking to nobody. She turns her head back and forth.

"Anybody?"

The couple that she nearly bowled over ignore her and carry on their chatter, while a few other girls turn up their noses at the exchange student.

Liza - or, as she prefers to be referred to, Raiza - puts on a smile.

"Oh, well! I'm sure I can still make it if I run!"

And she's off again, hustling and huffing around the next corner - only to trample onto the scene of the weary and bruised schoolboys. She skids to a halt, her shoes squeaking on the pavement, as she stops up and blinks a couple of times. Her brows lower after a moment, a stern look on her face.

"Hey!"

Her voice is commanding as she calls out. After giving the group a moment to turn their attention to her, she follows up:

"Is this the way to shop class?"

[DAISUKE]
"Whah-...?"

The red-haired boy is actually the first one to react to the Liza's - Raiza's - presence and he actually turns over just enough to look back over his shoulder to the way of the girl, scarlet brows shooting upwards in faint surprise. Not just at her presence there, but the *question* she presents to them all.

"Not... not even close... wait, no that's not important right now!!" The boy shakes his head rapidly, and his eyes both widen out with that. He manages to slide himself off the wall just enough that he can wave a hand her way in warning. "Get out of here, it's not saf--"

Not safe, no. But for whomst? Not him either, apparently. Especially seeing as the delinquent with the ridicilous pompadour 'do takes the opportunity to leap right for the redhead, tackling him down onto the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of him. Recoiled as he is, the redhead doesn't even manage to summon the strength to so much as *try* to push the thug off. And for that matter, the thug sends a quick glare of a look to Liza.

"Run along now," Pompadour urges before spitting down distastefully down at the ground... or rather, on his to-be-victim's head. "Just got some--" Down comes a fist, smacking the grounded boy right in the jaw. Ow. "--Business to handle here!!"

He genuinely seems convinced just the display of violence is enough to drive this unfamiliar transfer student to turning tail and letting this beatdown transpire uninterrupted.

[RAIZA]
Liza shifts from one shoe to the other in an agitated manner as her eyes flit between Redhead and Pompadour.

"Not important right now?! I'm supposed to be in class like, two minutes ago! At this rate I'm going to get kicked out! I'll lose my visa, and -"

The racing wheels of her mind can practically be seen spinning behind her brown eyes; she apparently has somewhere very much not here to be. When Pompadour tackles Redhead, though, her focus snaps back to her present place in time and space.

"Hey! What do you think you're -"

There's a visible flinch from Raiza as Pompadour's fist smacks into Redhead's face, then... a shift.

Raiza's high ponytail bobs as she raises her chin with a defiant scowl.

"I'm not just going to run along while you beat up my classmate, you pretending army!"

Apparently there's something a bit off about the girl's Japanese - despite her appearance, her accent definitely denotes her as not being local.

"So if you're going to be handling any business, you'll have to handle mine first!"

She digs her heels into the pavement as she stares down Pompadour, before taking a step closer, her arms lowering her books a little as her fingers tighten around them.

Somewhat abruptly, her cheeks flush red.

"I-I mean - you know what I mean!"

[DAISUKE]
The next blow doesn't come. Instead, both Pompadour and his victim end up turning their heads to send a vaguely confused look her way. ...Though in the case of the latter, it might be a bit more difficult to paint his expression as 'confused', solely on account of all the pain still affecting him.

"...The hell you talkin' about?" Pompadour, however, manages to ask in between his still faintly-panting breaths. The hooligan gives the japanese-american girl a good, long look-over, before giving a shove down at Redhead and pushing himself up to standing.

By now, Pompadour's two friends are starting to writhe and try to push themselves up from the ground, too-- though it definitely is going to be a hot second before they actually manage that, thanks to the brawl that preceded Liza's arrival.

"Did ya forget how to speak right, huh?" Pompadour drawls out as he stomps towards her, apparently still energetic enough now even in spite of all the bruises he collected just a moment earlier.

Redhead, meanwhile, rolls himself over on the ground to his stomch, writhing and pushing at the ground with his arms to work himself upwards -- though for now he only manages to lift his upper buddy off the ground proper. "Stop..."

"You shut it! I'll get back to ya in a second!" Pompadour spares only that much attention back to his original victim before focusing on Liza again, stomping further her way.

"Git! Go mindin' ya own business 'fore I decide to make it mine!"

In an awfully stereotypical fashion, he thrusts his arm out, trying to shove the (new!) interloper back by her shoulder!

[RAIZA]
Liza stands her ground as Pompadour stomps toward her, holding her tight-lipped and determined expression, but there's a slight tremble running through her shoulders that she apparently can't quite hide. Subtly, her right hand slips behind her side to fish surreptitiously inside the schoolbag that's slung from her shoulder.

"I'm warning you - you d-don't want to mess with me!"

For most intents and purposes, Liza appears to be an entirely ordinary schoolgirl. There is an increasing awareness that ordinary schoolgirls in Southtown aren't to be trifled with, but the shuddering shoulders, the tightness with which she clings to her textbook, and the subtle increase in the pitch of her voice all suggest that Liza is trying to bluff her way through this situation.

She closes her eyes and flinches as Pompadour steps in to push her shoulder.

Then, suddenly, as contact is made, her hand whips out of the schoolbag, brandishing something right in Pompadour's face as she's rocked by the shove.

"Ika sumi bogyo-jutsu!" she calls out as she points her secret weapon - a packet of soy sauce? - at the hooligan's nose. "Squid-ink defense!"

As she's calling the secret ninja technique (?), it's already happening: salty soy sauce squirting straight into the boy's eyes and nostrils. It's surprisingly precise in hitting multiple target points at once - and while ultimately harmless, it's almost certainly annoying as hell, particularly if Pompadour happens to be inhaling at the wrong moment.

Stumbling backward, Raiza tosses the packet away into a nearby bin. Then, having regained her footing, she sticks her tongue out and blows a raspberry at Pompadour and his pals.

"By the way, you should think about showering sometime! 'Cause you STINK!"

With that dubious gambit, Liza turns tail and takes off the other direction, clutching her books to her chest - and checking over her shoulder to see if they've given chase.

[DAISUKE]
All the stories of ordinary schoolgirls turning out to be... very much not ordinary schoolgirls at all put aside, Pompadour does not appear to be particularly intimidated by this schoolgirl much at all. For that matter, seeing how she's reacting here, he might even be getting some very untoward ideas!

Though those particular thoughts probably don't last very long thanks to the defensive technique she wields!

"What th-?"

The soy sauce splatters right onto the hooligan's face! Though he does close his eyes just in time to avoid the brunt of getting a horrid sting at his retinas, he does, in fact, inhale right at the wrong time.

"Gah--! ARgh, what the hell...! Gah, gack--!"

What this results in is a lot of akward rapid wiping at his face, and plenty of coughing and choking sounds from his throat as a result of his breathways being assaulted by the salty condiment. It provides plenty enough time for Liza to turn to make her escape!

...However, it does also make for one very, very pissed off delinquent once the teenager gets his bearings back. And wouldn't you know it, when she looks back over her shoulder, there's Pompadour! With soy sauce dripping still over his face, but apparently recovered enough to come charging after her.

"I'M GONNA MAKE YA FOR THAT!!"

Meanwhile, the redhaired teenaged schoolboy who had previously engaged with Pompadour and his friends sees the results of Liza's interruption. While the reprieve from getting beaten up is a welcome one, this is... very much still just shoving the problem onto someone else now. ANd he can't have that, can he! Desperately, he forces his already-overworked muscles to pushing him up from the ground... but to no avail. He's not going to be able to get up for a bit.

...At least not without an extra bit of help. Pompadour's friends are still mostly on the ground, and no one else is there to see, so...

"Hhh--"

A brief flash of light in Redhead's eyes, and with a sudden, outright violent motion, the boy is suddenly on his feet. ANd for some reason, there's steam rising off of his body?! That at least fades away by the time he sets to stumbling off in the direction Raiza ran with Pompadour giving chase...

[RAIZA]
As Pompadour gives chase, it becomes evident that Liza Eddow's actually pretty quick on her feet - and apparently not too worn out by the sprinting she was doing around the campus in search of shop class before. She's not even giving it her all - she's carefully calculating (if doing so on the fly) her investment in order to make sure that the already-knackered numpty - apologies, Pompadour, this narrator will attempt to maintain better neutrality in the future - doesn't give up the chase. She does round the corner well ahead, and as she does so, she fishes something else out of her schoolbag.

It's a... banana?!

By the time that Pompadour rounds the corner, half of the banana is already stuffed in her mouth; she tosses the peel behind her as she runs, right into the course of the thug and his pompadour!

"Bananakarutoroppu-jutsu!" she manages to shout, mouth half-stuffed with banana. Apparently, the new girl is taking her lunch early and on-the-go?

To her fortune (or misfortune), it looks like there's a teacher of some kind coming out the back doors to the school just ahead, likely to investigate...!

[DAISUKE]
"GET BACK HERE!!"

Pompadour is quick to round the corner himself, but... not so fast that he ends up seeing the girl toss the banana down!

Cue the hooligan cutting the corner and-- slamming his foot down almost directly into the banana peel.

The only thing missing is the comedic sound effect to go with Pompadour's foot slipping back and out from underneath him, actually sending him flipping over two times over before he lands right on his face on the ground. "HNGH!" At least the grassy soil is a bit softer than asphalt or cement though, right? Right?

But indeed, with the teacher stepping out to the yard, it will probably be only a matter of time before everyone involved with this gets into trouble with the faculty!

Unless--

"Quick--!"

A nearly whispering hiss suddenly comes out from near Liza, and a flash of red would be the first thing that alerts her to the sudden proximity of the Redhead. Wait-- where did he even come from? And when?

"Here, hide, hide--!"

ANd just as quickly as the red hair and the sound of his voice appeared, a hand is giving a quick grab at her forearm-- not rough enough to wrest painfully, but enough to tug in a leading kind of manner before letting go again; hopefully enough of a signal to urge her to moving along with him to the side. And to behind the big ol' cherry tree before the teacher turns over and sees them!

[RAIZA]
Excuses are already running through Raiza's head as she slows to a halt, brown eyes going big like a deer in headlights'. It's all a carefully calculated hastily improvised plan, after all - a hard swallow puts the banana down into her tummy, destroying any evidence of wrongdoing on her part. Not that she did anything wrong in the first place; all she did was responsibly dispose of her soy sauce packet and toss away some biodegradable detritus. She can't afford to get expelled or suspended for misbehaviour, and she also can't show off her -real- moves anyway - the Squid Ink Defence Jutsu isn't part of the Edo-Ryuu repertoire, surprisingly enough.

She's still spinning her wheels on how to spin the situation when she hears someone hissing from nearby - and she almost jumps with surprise when she feels the hand on her forearm. Redhead might find himself getting the little snap of a static shock for his trouble!

"Hey - !! Oh!"

Eyes flitting between the tree and the approaching teacher, Liza waffles for a moment on whether to confront the consequences of her actions or take the coward's way out.

What would a ninja do...???

A moment later, Raiza plonks her bottom down next to the redhead behind the cherry tree, smoothing her skirt down over her thighs and panting as she catches her breath.

"Thanks for the heads up! The shop teacher is gonna kill me, though," the girl gripes with a heavy sigh, shoulders sagging, before she looks down and notices the lower half of her banana in her hand.

"Want a banana?" she asks, looking up to the redhead as she holds it out in offer.

[DAISUKE]
The shock is almost definitely felt, but truth be told, the Redhead probably just assumes it's just a case of natural static energy. Even if it is stronger than usual!

The internal contemplation within Raiza is not taken any coutn of either, he just makes a point of guiding himself and her over behind the cherry tree -- large enough to easily accomodate the both of them when they drop down to sitting behind it. Even if the Redhead is just tall enough that he has to make a point of lifting his knees up to bundle up his legs and make a smaller profile for himself. No point in trying to hide there if your legs are poking out!

"I would... huff... Rather deal with the shop teacher than Higashikata-sensei over there..." He points out, leaning to the side just enough to peek past the tree. ANd probably see Pompadour getting a hell of a lecture from the aforementioned teacher.

"Eh...?" Turning back to peek at her, he finds himself staring out a banana with several dubious blinks. "Ah... That's... alright, I'm okay... Thanks, though..."

One hand wipes at the side of his very much bruised face, wincing lightly at the touch. "Um... Thanks for the distraction too..."

[RAIZA]
When the banana is refused, Raiza shrugs her shoulders casually and stuffs the remainder into her mouth, immediately starting to chew. She could certainly do with the extra energy herself, after all, what with all this running around.

"Higashikata-sensei, huh?"

The girl leans over from the other side of the tree to peer around it and spy on Pompadour and the teacher who's now chewing him out. Realizing abruptly that she's probably exposing herself just a bit overmuch, she quickly leans her head back against the cherry tree, wiping her banana hand off on the grass.

"Oh, no problem. I mean, I would have tried to help out more, but I don't want to get in trouble for fighting on top of getting in trouble for being late! Why were those guys so mad at you, anyway?"

Raiza turns a questioning look toward the redhead, one eyebrow raised. The expression softens and brightens a little as she flashes a smile.

"I'm Raiza, by the way! I guess it's kind of lucky that I still haven't figured out my way around here, yet, huh?"

[DAISUKE]
"WEll, uh..." The redhead quickly takes on a much more sheepish look, and casts his eyes away from the half-foreigner with a low cough. "They were kind of harrassing someone else... and I might have kind of maybe butted in? Dunno where that girl ran off to, though..."

She may or may not realize that the girl in question was the one that just ran past her before she stumbled upon the scene with the delinquents and the redhead.

Emerald eyes move back to her after she introduces herself, however, and now the boy's scarlet brows lift up curiously while he regards her from right next to her. "...Raiza, huh...? Uh, I'm Kubo Daisuke. I guess so..."

Leaning briefly to the side there, he peeks past the tree again, to see the teacher more or less dragging Pompadour away -- and Daisuke himself lets out a breath of relief.

"Okay, the coast is clear... Come on..."

WIth a groan, he pushes himself up-- though that is clearly a painful effort at that, after his little off-screen brawl, and he has to take a moment to lean against the tree with one arm after the fact.

"Agh... Damnit... Uh, anyway... Did you just transfer here, or something...? I can show you to shop class if you just, uh... give me a second here... huff..."

[RAIZA]
Raiza pulls a face at Daisuke's explanation, her nose crinkling distastefully.

"Ugh, that's so lame. I'm just glad that that guy got caught. It's just too bad Higashikata-sensei won't know the whole story. Bullies are the worst."

There's a slightly distant look in Raiza's eyes for a moment, as if there's a deeper thought being processed behind them - but it soon fades.

"I think that was one of the girls from my math class, but I don't know her name yet. We almost had a head-on, but last I saw, it looked like the coast was clear... maybe she's the one who summoned the teacher!"

If that's the case, then it ups the odds that Pompadour will get what's coming to him - a thought that brings another smile to Raiza's face. It shifts to a somewhat apologetic expression when Daisuke asks her about the transfer.

"I just started here a week ago, actually - but I still feel like it's a maze sometimes, when I'm running late. I guess I should have stopped to make sure where I was going sooner, but I figured it was better to keep moving..."

She takes in a deep breath, then exhales, before looking over at Daisuke and frowning.

"Are you sure you don't need to show yourself to the nurse's office, first? Here, you can lean on me if you want!" she says, offering her shoulder. "Do you always get into trouble like that?"

[DAISUKE]
"I guess that makes sense..." Daisuke muses over Raiza's hypothesis. He can't help but chuckle faintly over the notion that for once, there was actually a bit of fortune on his side there too-- even if that, too, ends up ultimately causing him to wince and bring his hand to clutching his probably-bruised side.

"It... It's fine, really... I've gotten used to this sort of thing..."

Well, that probably answers her second question too, then, doesn't it? Though the fact that Daisuke used to *getting beat up* might be a bit concerning. But even having said that, he's perfectly happy to take advantage of the offered support, too, draping his arm over the girl's shoulders to help keep him steadied up on his feet. And apparently not at all mindful of how that might look to an outsider. It's probably fine though.

"Aheh... I've bothered you too much as is to make you drag me to someplace like that, too... I already owe you a bentou or something as is. Though I guess transfer students like us gotta stick together or something, too..."

[RAIZA]
Raiza gives a sympathetic wince as she notices Daisuke's chuckle causing him to do so, the grimace lingering for a moment. For her part, she doesn't appear to be especially concerned with how it might appear to onlookers.

"Gotten used to it? Really? Are you secretly Batman or something?"

The laugh that accompanies the notion suggests that the idea is more amusing to the girl than it is plausible.

"Or maybe more like Kick-Ass. You don't hang out with any short girls with potty mouths, do you?"

The brunette seems to be waxing more contemplative with that theory, as she actually studies Daisuke's face with an eyebrow raised thoughtfully.

"I'm already banking on helping you walk where you need to go as my get out of detention free card in case anyone asks, so I don't mind taking you to the nurse's office first if you need it. And don't worry about the bentou - I always have extra soy anyway."

Raiza's attention shifts to where they're heading as the pair continue walking.

"So, you're a transfer student too, huh? Where did you transfer from? I'm actually on an exchange program, but I guess you could probably tell that already. I mean, I probably sound really weird."

[DAISUKE]
"W-what?" Daisuke blinks several times over when he's momentarily compared to Batman (even if jokingly), and... he lets out a low, akward laugh, his face flushing red suddenly. "N-no... Nothing like that... Or that... other thing? What's a Kick-Ass?"

He does actually make a point of trying not to put too much weight on Raiza while they walk, though. Even if he might actually need the help, he's just... too stubborn, like that.

"Oh... I came from Chiba, so it's not quite like that..." He explains to her with a slow shake of his head, now momentarily pausing to let out a few pained coughs. "I just transferred because I moved to live here is all. Uh... I mean, it's not that weird I guess, except for that... one bit back there."

You know, where she called the delinquent a pretending army.

"You looked local though... Where are you from, exactly? ...Uh, just in the front door and left down the hall... I think we're gonna be in the same class here... ow, ow, ow...!"

Daisuke's knee buckles slightly underneath him just then, and he wobbles to the side, probably ending up steering the girl along with him. "Sorry..."

[RAIZA]
"Oh, uh..." Liza looks a little sheepish and self-conscious when Daisuke doesn't recognize what a Kick-Ass is. "It's an American comic, about a guy in school who tries to be a superhero - except he doesn't really have superpowers. They made a movie of it, too. Two movies, actually. Sorry to say it, but you got rescued by a geek."

The girl herself doesn't seem to have any problem with handling whatever demands Daisuke puts on her while they're moving steadily along; she seems to have a fair bit of enthusiasm, even if her own legs are a bit sore from all of the running.

"At least there was only one bit," she says, looking a little relieved. "I think I slip more when I'm stressed, or excited. I'm from Sunshine City; my parents are both Japanese-Americans. They don't even speak Japanese or anything, though - ah!"

When Daisuke's knee almost gives, Liza herself stumbles, grimacing as she has to regain her balance before smiling.

"Oh, no need to apologize! I'm just glad for the help finding the classroom. Are you gonna be okay with whatever today's shop project is? Maybe if we're lucky it'll be woodworking, and I can make you a new pair of crutches..."

Raiza gives a friendly little wink as she adjusts her shoulder to give Daisuke a bit more support after his near-fall, hitting the button to open the front door before carrying on inside.

[DAISUKE]
"Do I look like I'm judging?" Daisuke pointed out pretty quickly over the admission of geekery, even flashing a wry smile back to Liza. "I just, uh... know anime and manga more than... american comics, you know?" Well, that probably isn't too shocking, all things considered.

Well, either way. Not much time is given for the redhead to dwell much on the truth behind the girl's origins and ancestry in the wake of his own stumble. No matter how much she might try to give assurances to him, he does still flush red with a significant measure of embarrassment even while he's steadying himself in an effort to not inadvertantly bring the girl down on the ground.

Though he *does* roll his eyes at her more teasing words. "Ugh. Come on, I'm not that bad off... I'll be okay in a few minutes, I'm sure... Probably..."

As might have been expected, the few students that do still linger in the school halls give... very obvious looks to the way of Raiza and Daisuke, complete with some conspiratiorial whispers. Some are... uh, a bit more suggestive, but then other whispers from people who are much more familiar with Daisuke and his... dubious reputation within the school tend more towards "Oh look, Kubo got beat up again..." and the like.

Daisuke probably doesn't mind the latter too much, but he *definitely* gets self-conscious over the former, and his face gradually grows redder the further into the school they get. "H-h-hey, uh..." He mumbles akwardly soon enough, and tries to push himself away from her already. "M-maybe it's better for you if, I, um, walk myself from here..."

[RAIZA]
"Oh, cool! What kinds of manga and anime are you into? I'm looking for some new stuff to watch or read, and I bet you know some I've never even heard of," Raiza says enthusiastically as she helps Daisuke along. "I mean, assuming I can find time for it, with school and studying and practice..."

She just smiles at his reaction to her joking words. The girl doesn't seem to pay much attention to what any of the kids in the hall are saying - though, she does appear to be avoiding eye contact, looking slightly embarrassed about something or other. Maybe it's the same reason that Daisuke is?

When he tries to push himself away and says that he should walk himself, though, she blinks a couple of times, looking surprised.

"Oh? I thought that you were going to be my alibi - ah, I mean..."

Liza's eyes shift around the hallway, catching a few of the looks in their direction. Her own cheeks flush a little, and she lets Daisuke slip away, using her freed arm to clutch her textbooks against her chest. She flashes him a smile awkwardly.

"Nevermind! I understand..."

She wraps her arms a little tighter around her books and dips her head slightly.

"It's been nice meeting you! If you want, I can wait a minute or two before I go into class, so it doesn't look like we arrived together..."

[DAISUKE]
"A-ah..." Well, didn't this just turn awfully awkward. After the seperation, Daisuke *is* still left to needing to rest himself against the wall to gather himself, but the pain's probably forgotten mostly while he just processes the little social faux pa they've unintentionally brought themselves into.

"Uh... It's alright, really, I mean... Up to you," he suggests, with a nervous little sound of laughter, waving his hand briefly in a sort of dismissive gesture before pushing himself off of the wall. It comes with a sharp grunt, but... at least he doesn't stumble further from there! Hey, maybe he can walk afterall, then.

"I'm gonna be your, uh... 'alibi' either way though. I mean, look at me..."

He grins - a bit forcefully, maybe - with a single finger pointing up at his bruised face. At least he's *trying* to maintain a cheerful disposition in spite of it all!

"Least I can do, right? ...And I can, uh, bring you some manga to borrow later, maybe... As thanks, and all that... Aheh..."

Well, as well-intenioned it might have been, that probably still doesn't help make things any less akward right at this moment.

"...Uh, come on, let's go before we miss the class all together."

[RAIZA]
The red tinge to Liza's features starts to fade a little as she shifts her posture to a more relaxed one, stopping to wait for Daisuke to gather himself against the wall. What's left is a pleasant, if slightly more subdued, smile.

"Alright! Well, as long as you don't mean that it's supposed to look like /I/ did that," she says, laughing a little nervously. She puts on a more light-hearted expression as she adds, "And as for the manga... sounds good! Maybe you can meet me after school sometime. We could both wear disguises, if you want..."

It's possible that there may be some misunderstanding - or is it a weird level of insight? Whatever the case may be, there's no time left to waste - so Raiza hurries along, heading for the door to the shop classroom with the intent of holding it open for Daisuke.

"Good luck in class!" she calls out in a stage whisper, so as not to be heard in the shop room itself - though from the sounds coming from inside, there's a good chance she wouldn't have been anyway. Who knows? Maybe they'll manage to sneak in undetected.

Not that that would help with attendance records.

Log created on 21:59:06 06/14/2021 by Raiza, and last modified on 03:42:20 06/16/2021.