Description: Teasing, chatting, and general eating of desserts in the area of a ninja tanuki, all the while things are discussed, points made, and plans reviewed as two friends have very different ideas of what will make the other 'happy'. Also...there is cheesecake.
Cammy is just en route to Russia from America to go from oppressing Americans to Russians, and it so happens that Japan is on the way. As the Doll is travelling incognito - makes travel so much easier, especially now the Master is hogging Shadaloo' stealth bomber lately - she figured she may as well pause for some time out in her favourite Japanese cafe.
She is settled in one corner, her back to the wall just in case, her voluminous red cloak wrapped about her with the hood tugged particularly low over her face. Even her distinctive blonde tuft of hair has been tucked away to one side under the hood. She kinda doubts anybody here would likely recognise her - in fact she doubts that many here bother watching news reports about Mexico - but she is cautious, as always. A cup of tea and a tiny cheesecake slice rest on the table in front of her.
Ibuki was trying to lay low, she'd heard reports from her village about what was happening elsewhere in the world and until her clan gave her orders, she was more than happy to be just a regular teenager blissfully 'unaware' of what was going on in the rest of the world. Thus Ibuki put thoughts of conflict aside for the time being and decided to hit the mall to do some window shopping for a cute outfit. Dressed in her school uniform, though her good looks and her iconic long ponytail do make her stand out, she's still the spitting image of a 'typical' student from around Southtown.
Ibuki stretches as she walks holding up her school bag with outstretched arm as she walks into the cafe to pick up the one treat she's allowing herself from her mall visit today...a delicious parfait. The girl proceeds to order one of the most ostentatious ones the restaurant had. A wide smile breaks across her face as the extravagant dessert was prepared for her....the smile is replaced with mild concern for a brief moment as the girl notes the red cloak in the restaurant, but it is quickly replaced on her face. Her dessert prepared and handed over Ibuki makes her way to the cheesecake eater.
"Long time no see stranger!" Ibuki calls out cheerfully as she quickly takes the seat opposite of the blonde doll. She takes a quick bite of her parfait, rolling her eyes slightly with the pleasure before focussing on Cammy again, "How's it going?" She gives a playful wink as she asks her friend about her day as though expecting it to be a standard answer of someone close to their mutual ages...
"Ibuki!". The Doll is so surprised she looks up abruptly, her tuft of blonde hair escaping for a moment. She reaches up and carefully tucks it away again under the hood. She shrugs a little at the question. "It could be going better, I suppose, but it could be worse as well.". She opens her mouth, thinking of saying some more, shrounded in allegories about fathers and failing tests and stuff, but for some reason the idea of referring to Vega as father seems somehow disrespectful, so in the end she thinks better of it and just reaches for her cheesecake, and nibbles a bit.
"I am... very busy lately, anyway. A lot going on in life.". She shrugs, and looks over Ibuki with vague curiosity. "Is school going well?" she wonders. "I think the last time we spoke you had failed some exam or something - but that was a long time ago, now.".
Ibuki grins at the fact she surprised the Doll. Though she doesn't show it as she continues to spoon more of the chilled food into her mouth as she nods at Cammy's words, "That's true most of the time though isn't it?" She chuckles a bit self concsiously before another bite of parfait is taken. She raises an eyebrow as it appears Cammy is going to say more but then the Doll seems to think better of it as she takes a bite of her cheesecake instead.
"Really?" Ibuki blinks curiously her brown orbs focused on her dining companion, "What's up?" Not that she doesn't have a moderately good idea but it'd still be best to play 'typical student'. The Ibuki frowns, "Yeah, I didn't do as well as I'd hoped...though I did my best...that's all you can do sometimes right?" She lets out a little sigh at that thought though.
Cammy shrugs. "I do not know... My, um, relatives do not like to accept that sometimes I am not good enough. If that happens then I am expected to do better next time. It is high pressure, I suppose.". She narrows her eyes, though, and adds, "I believe that my own personal performance has been just fine though, it is others who let me down of late. But I am not sure that excuses are a good thing. Results are what counts.".
She eyes Ibuki for a long moment. "Maybe your parents are not quite so demanding. You seem happy enough after all. I have never seen you study once, either!" she notes with slight amusement. "You don't even have any books or anything.". She glances down at her miniscule cheesecake slice, and notes, "I have been told to cut down. Discipline, see.". In fact she probably shouldn't even be eating this tiny thing! But, addiction.
"I can understand that, parents have certain ideas of who and what you should be when you might want to be something else entirely right?" Ibuki looks thoughtful for a moment, "Just because they're related doesn't mean they know you better than you. So if you know you did your best all you can do is get back up and try it again." Ibuki pops another spoonful into her mouth. "Results do matter but aren't the end all or be all, I think intention matters just as much."
Ibuki snorts, "They'd have me think that at times..." She raises an eyebrow, "I am happy but I don't see how that has to do with a demanding parent, I mean aren't most demanding parents trying to make sure their kids are happy later in life? Though they go about it all the wrong way by forcing them to accept what they think will make their kid happy." Ibuki sticks out her tongue at the last comment, "I do too study, just because I don't study at the /mall/ doesn't mean I don't study." She then holds up her book bag and waves it around, "I keep them in here when I'm using them." She pouts out as a furry paw launches from the side of the bag grabbing a pawful of parfait before disappearing back into the bag.
Ibuki just raises an eyebrow again, "Demanding parents making demands they /think/ will make their kids /happy/." She peers at the tiny cheesecake slice.
Cammy is normally quite unflappable but the furry paw does make her jump. "What is /that/?" she asks, pointing at Ibuki's bag, and sure that that isn't a book in there. "You have a cat?" she asks, settling a little, and smiling suddenly. Cats! Cats are awesome. "And okay, I didn't mean to be insulting about the lack of study. I guess you must do sometimes, or you would have failed by now. And... I don't think my superiors care so much about intention, they are very goal oriented.".
She extends one wrist, and consults the new watch affixed to it for a moment, before sliding it back under her sleeve. Time is precious, she has stuff to do later. She then picks up her tea and slurps at it. "It is good to see you again though." she admits. "It has been a very long time. This last year has not been all that interesting to me.".
Ibuki gets a puzzled look on her face as Cammy points at her bag, "What is what?" She looks at her bag then back at Cammy. The girl opens her bag and points the opening to Cammy, "I do not have a cat, I just have some books and stuff in here." As if to disprove the paw from a moment ago there is in fact nothing in the bag but some school books and notebooks. Meanwhile the parfait slides half a centimeter back and to the right while Ibuki is fussing with her bag and showing Cammy. Then she nods and smiles, "Well I'm glad I get some appreciation for my work."
"Achieving goals is important but if you don't care about what you're doing what's the point?" She shrugs and goes back to her parfai...empty ice cream dish...Don-chan would pay later when she caught him...she looks up as Cammy abruptly gets up to go, "Umm well it was a quick chat then...hopefully this year will be more interesting and full of change for you!" The ninja hoping deeply for the last part to be very true, "Have a great day...see you later!"
"There was a paw. I saw the paw. It had fur on it." Cammy insists. Being quite precise and certain of her senses, she isn't going to be bamboozled by empty bags! "You have hidden it. You have a cat, I am sure of it. I didn't know you liked cats. I like cats.". She slowwwwly half gets up from the table, looking almost like she's going to suddenly spring, grab the bag and start rifling through it.
"I don't really care about many things I suppose. Cats, I guess. And my friends. What few I have.". She nosewrinkles. "Really, a lot of people are not very friendly to me, even though I am friendly enough. Don't you think?".
Ibuki manages to sit there as though she's totally innocent, "A paw?" The ninja scratches her head, all the while plotting just how she was going to get her tanuki later for this and the devouring of her dessert. "If you really want to see my bag here you go, but there's nothing in there but school stuff." She leaves off the all important 'now'. Ibuki shrugs, "Cats are fine, I just don't have one. I like pets though, cute furry things of all types really." She grins at her friend.
"Well caring is important, if you don't care about something...then you won't be able to win anything." She chuckles, "Not that I even really know that that means heh..it just sounds wise." She tilts her head at Cammy's question, "Umm you can be friendly but don't take this the wrong way to some people you might come off as a little weird." She chuckles gently and very self consciously, "Not that it is a bad thing, just might put some people off being your friend is all."
Cammy roots through the bag. "It is hiding." she declares, when satisfied the bag is empty. "I saw the paw, though." she insists doggedly, as she returns the bag to Ibuki. Now she starts looking around the room, and under the table. There's a lot of legs to hide behind though, so she gives up fairly quickly. "I know you have a pet cat." she tells Ibuki, eyes narrowed. Why is Ibuki lying to her??? "You don't trust me with cats?".
The weird thing causes her to be taken aback a bit. "I am? I am one of the kindest, most gentle, most diligent, hardworking, calm and patient people I know." she tells Ibuki. And this is all true, too! Admittedly perhaps due to the company she keeps. "Is it not obvious?".
Ibuki raises an eyebrow, "Well it wasn't in the bag at the very least was it?" She chuckles slightly again. Then ninja tilts her head and nods her head, "That's possible." Ibuki admits after a moment about the paw, there is a part of her amused by the fact that Cammy is having such a reaction to Don-chan. The tanuki for his part seemed to enjoy messing with the blonde as while she looked under the table he sat on the tableand vice versa. "Cammy, I'm being completely honest. I don't have a pet cat." There is complete honesty in her words and from her expression, "Why would I not trust you with my pet cat if I had one?" She blinks a few times taken aback by the accusation.
Ibuki nods her head slowly in response, "While you are all those things, you're also a bit stiff at times and very....percise, that can be a little off putting for some people." She shrugs, "You also seem to be a bit on the tense side, ready for something bad to happen at any moment. I'm your friend so it doesn't bother me but I could see how for someone meeting you for the first time it could be....off putting."
"Maybe it's a dog..." Cammy says slowly, on some level aware that she is being fooled with. She slowly peers over the edge of the table, hands flat on the surface, to try and manage to look under it and above it at more or less the same time. She seems quite able to have a conversation at the same time, however.
"Precision is a virtue." she points out. "And I am not tense, I am very calm. I almost never get angry. I am just paying attention, is all. Like now... with the furry paw. There is something around here. You are playing a joke on me.". She sounds almost aggrieved. But also determined. She /will/ find out the truth behind the paw! Unless she has to go to Russia first to beat up Turkish soldiers, so tiresome.
"It could've been a dog...of a type." Ibuki hints playfully but totally does not admit to anything yet. Don for his part is using his training as a ninja, his dexterity, and his ability to compact his body to full effect, having clung to the bottom of the table just out of eye sight if one was trying to look both at the top and below at the same time.
"It can be, it can also make you so focused on one thing you might not notice something else..." Ibuki saying this after using the time Cammy had been looking under the table to switch Cammy and her dessert dishes, "It makes you calm but you can do it without being so intense about it...I think that's what might make people edgy, your intense observation makes them tense."
Ibuki finally lets out a little chuckle, "Okay Don-chan come out...it's not nice to play a trick on a friend like this for too long." The girl knocks on the top of the table as the tanuki swings out lands in Cammy's lap and stares up her with his soulful devious little brown eyes.
Cammy definitely doesn't notice any dessert switching, as suddenly she gets a tanuki in her lap, making her abruptly flop back down onto her chair. Her red cloak also gets quite undone too in the process, revealing a few hints of blue Shadaloo uniform where the tanuki's arrival has rumpled the buttoned up front. "You do have a pet... just a pet dog.". She stares back down into the tanuki's eyes with her soullessly blank ones. "I'm not really a dog person..." she admits, but strokes Don-chan anyway, happy to know who was responsible for the paw if nothing else.
"I do have a tendency to focus on one thing at a time." she admits, as demonstrated by her fixation with Don-chan now. "But I believe that that is as intended.".
"Don-chan isn't a dog...he's a racoon dog, totally different animal despite the name." Ibuki even manages to sound offended for Don when he's called a mere /dog/. Ibuki notes the Shadaloo uniform but it wasn't something she wasn't already aware of but she can't help but frown just slightly at the thought that she's being used by that organization. "You can also call him a tanuki, same thing." She grins as Don slides into the strokes and continues to mess with Cammy by trying to slip into her cloak with her.
Ibuki spins the plate of cheesecake slightly as she looks at how little is left of the tiny thing, "I'm just saying you need to relax, smile, and joke a little more from time to time." She looks at Cammy, "We'll work up to the joking eventually though." She then shakes her head, "Like I said focus can be useful but you need to step back at times and look at the big picture too. Even if that isn't intended."
Cammy doesn't really want her blue uniform on display here, so when the tanuki starts trying to burrow into the cloak, lifting it up even further, she starts to struggle a bit, gently at first. But as Don-chan does not plan on giving up, eventually she forcibly tugs the tanuki off of her, holding him out at arms length, and then carefully placing him on the table. She then swiftly brushes the cloak back into place, pretending that nothing is wrong, on the hope that Ibuki, who is any other schoolgirl after all, won't realise it's significance anyway.
She gives the tanuki an apologetic pat, and then looks down, staring at her plate in confusion. "There are many jokes going on here already I see." she says slowly, looking up, and spying her cheesecake across the table! Cheesecake is no joking matter! She promptly snatches it back, and huddles with it protectively. "This is all I am going to eat before I catch a plane." she mutters defensively.
Don chitters happily as he tries to weasel his way into her cloak but the tanuki almost pouts as he is pulled away and put back on the table, then Ibuki reaches over and ruffles his hair playfully and he flips on his back to paw at her hands in playful defense. Ibuki looks across the table at her friend and just gives an apologetic look to her like she had to Don-chan, "Well I did have to prove my point." She then ruffles Don some more before she smiles at Cammy, "You don't have to make up reasons why you want it, if you want cheesecake have it...I'm a friend...if there is something that makes you happy, then I'm happy you can have it."
Cammy nibbles on it. It's soon gone. It was only a tiny slice! "I'm going soon. I have a plane to catch." she tells Ibuki when she's done. "I'm hoping I might see Hakan soon, the Turkish oil wrestler. I am one of his biggest fans. He is great. And such a nice man. But I've not seen him for a while, I'm starting to get a little worried... maybe he's just busy, but Turkey is invading Russia, so maybe he'll be helping out.". If she has to fight him, she will go gentle on him, of course. But if she does, that'd be great!
She looks down at her watch again. "Do you know Hakan? He's this huge red guy, and he sells olive oil, when he's not covering himself with it. And he has a great accent.". Her Shadaloo mission briefing that mentioned Turkish forces, which she may soon be tangling with, got her thinking of her old friend.
Still playing with Don, Ibuki doesn't at first respond at first but then she focuses back onto Cammy as Don bats at her hand, "Have a safe trip!" She enthuses though at the same time having to hope her friend isn't too successful in her mission when she gets there. "Umm I think I've heard a little bit about him." She admits just because he's a fighter but she's not super familiar with him either but he might be someone to look into if he could help her with Cammy. "He sounds like he could be a busy guy and even when he goes out in public like he might not have much time to himself." She smiles at her friend, "I hope you get a chance to see him soon."
Ibuki tilts her head at the now empty plate, "Are you sure you don't want more? If it's the only meal you'll get before you head out you should probably eat a little more." She gives Cammy the once over, "Don't wanting you gettting so tiny the wind will blow you away or anything."
"No. I am fat enough as it is." Cammy says, without irony. She's not exactly thin, though... Small, but muscular. The scary muscles are well hidden at least thanks to the cloak. "I spent a whole year overindulging, and this is my new, more disciplined and more focused self. I think it has had an effect. Also I'm a lot more focused than last year, I was distracted by all that Quon business.". She gets up off her chair, and waves a hand dismissively. "I see now that that was all an error on my part. All part of growing up though I suppose, I am sure you will agree, and I don't hold anything against him or anything, it was nothing he did, it was all my fault. You have to know your function in life, and I was confused then. I will do better, this year.".
She pats down her cloak, looking over it carefully, and brushing her blonde tuft under the hood. Somewhere along the line it escaped, again. "I like your pet though. Next time we meet, I hope you bring him along. I'm sure we will meet again - don't worry about this Japan invasion thing, I'm sure nothing bad will happen to you in the aftermath, no matter what happens.". Cammy will be sure to recommend Ibuki be spared for Dollification - she's already imagining how awesome the Doll Chambers will be with a few new additions!
Ibuki looks at Cammy, "I wouldn't call you fat..." Her voice halfway between friendly and bemused, "So I don't think you had much work to do in that department." She doesn't comment on the Quon affair at all though instead just sitting quietly and thinking that was the most normal and honest the Doll had been and this 'focus' was her brainwashing taking over. "Functions change though, don't close yourself off from something because it didn't work the first time."
"Sure...I suppose we'll hang out again soon. I hope." Ibuki smiles wanely at Cammy, the ninja already trying to decide what the best way of really helping her friend would be. Hopefully it would change her a great deal once she was free from Shadaloo, "Umm...yeah lets hope not."
Ibuki then gives her friend a quick wave as the Doll leaves. She then turns her attention to the Tanuki, "You ate my parfait...you little fink...come here!" With that Ibuki would spend most of the rest of the day playing 'tag' with Don-chan.
Log created on 05:47:34 02/29/2012 by Ibuki, and last modified on 09:38:16 02/29/2012.