<@Grysar> [Evening of Tuesday 11/25/2003. At least in Japan. It's morning in America.] <@Grysar> [Haruko and Satoshi are both in their respective rooms with their respective roommates, Maki and Paul.] <@Grysar> [Haruko has been starting to give Maki some study support, as she's promised and they've just wrapped up for tonight.] [Satoshi is in his room doing some early-morning homework, since this is one of the rare days he doesn't have a morning class. Paul is hanging out looking at stuff on his computer.] [Start!] * Haruko sends a quick note to Satohsi, noticing that he's online. "Hey Satoshi, yt?" She also looks over to her room-mate, "Hey Maki, now that we're done can I ask a favor? It might even be fun." * Paul is looking at CDjapan. "Satoshi-san? I don't want to be insensitive, but I have a question about Japan." * Maki finishes writing down the last of her notes, then looks up at Haruko. "Yeah?" * Haruko continues in a somewhat nervous excited tone. "I want to try something different with my hair. Katie, perhaps jokingly, suggested a new hat for tomorrow." She sighs. "But it's not like I've got hat money. And even if she was joking, maybe it would help to show I'm trying something new." * Satoshi finishes typing "Yep, I'm here." to Haruko, then suppresses a sigh and turns to Paul. "You don't... you don't really need to keep using honorifics. It's fine. Honest." He pauses a moment. "So, what's your question?" * Maki quirks a smile. "You realize you're talking to someone whose main criteria in picking a hairstyle is 'keeps it out of my face?'" She tugs lightly at her ponytail. * Paul looks down. "Well... It's just. I'm not judging. But why do CDs cost so much?!" Well, we can try something simple. I'm meeting with my kinda- sorta arch-nemesis and opposite. So elaborate hairstyles wouldn't help here anyways. That said... * Satoshi looks puzzled. "To ship to America, you mean?" * Haruko digs for her Tarot deck and also replies to Satoshi with her other hand. "Weird week. Been hanging out with Katie, which has been fun. And doing something with Takeuchi-san, which has been not terrible." No, I get the shipping. But man, everything's like $25 to $30 for like a single CD. Only kinda-sorta? You need a better arch-nemesis, then. I mean, if you're going to have one, go all the way. * Haruko shakes her head. "I felt that way too, until I got one." She then puts down her phone (it happens sometimes) and shuffles the deck. "So no suggestions on style then, I'm guessing." * Satoshi blinks. "That's... that's not how it is over here?" * Satoshi messages Haruko back. "Not terrible is good. How's Katie doing?" * Paul brightens. "Oh, that's actually the one cool thing about American culture. $10-$15 CDs! And that's new." * Maki shrugs. "Not really. I could look at pictures with you, but that's probably about the best I can offer. Unless you want me to try and braid, which could end up minorly disastrous." * Haruko replies. "Pretty good. Sort of. She called me dumb for hesitating to talk to her when I got lonely. Not wrong." Huh. I should go CD shopping sometime, then. Got any recommendations? * Haruko picks up her phone and checks something. She also gives Maki and odd look. "Not even simple ones? There are good diagrams you know?" She also then deals out three cards, going with a simple spread she just read about. * Satoshi messages Haruko. "Not wrong, no. Glad it's going better." * Haruko lays out the 10 of wands, the King of Cups, and the Page of Pentacles. She then flips through meanings in her little paper book. * Maki lets out an amused breath. "Wiring diagrams, no problem. Hair- braiding diagarams? Totally lost." I don't listen to that much U.S. music outside of what makes AMVs. But I know some good stores with headphone setup." * Haruko shakes her head. "Alright, I'm just going to have to teach you, at least if I'm reading this right." She holds up the ten of wands, which depicts a man holding 10 wands that seem bound together. "It's actually fun and it's helpful when you've got a bunch of cables that get spread everywhere." * Haruko eyes Maki's desktop when she makes that last comment. Hey, I know what all of them go to! * Haruko replies via text. "Yes but well. She seems lonely too." * Satoshi turns back to Paul. "Would you want to check them out later?" * Satoshi messages Haruko. "I'd like to talk w/her but I'm not sure where to start." * Haruko gives a familiar sigh. "That doesn't mean they can't also look good. Look, the cards are telling me that I should go for something practical, play down the mysterious or flirty, and that it might help me professionally too. This should be a braid that fits your style." * Paul smiles. "I'd like that Satoshi-san." Dropped honorific not happening Satoshi, give it up. "I even know one that carries a few of the soundtracks that make it out here. It's better than it used to be." So if we're braiding hair, should I get the popcorn and be prepared to talk about boys? * Haruko lights up for a moment before her sarcasm meter goes off. "I'll settle for one out of three." Her stomach growls. "Although popcorn would be nice. Mind if I find a style and diagram on your computer? You've got the bigger monitor." * Haruko one handed texts. "Well, wht hav you tried?" * Haruko 's computer also tends to load pictures remarkably slowly for 2003. Okay, so maybe we can go on Friday? You don't have afternoon classes then and I have a break between class and practice... Knock yourself out. And popcorn actually does sound good. I'll go hit up the dorm vending machine and microwave. * Paul nods, eagerly. "That'd be great. So do you have a favorite soundtrack?" He thinks. "Or, I guess band, that'd be interesting too." * Maki heads out on the Great Popcorn Quest. * Haruko does just that, looking for simple braids with clear diagrams and opening a few windows as she goes. * Haruko smiles on the third site and talks to herself. "Huh, this one is supposedly better for both driving and picture taking. It means no bangs for a bit." She pauses, playing with one and then double checking the 10 of wands meaning. "But I like my bangs." Hm. Well, anything Yoko Kanno does is awesome. I mean, I didn't watch that much TV, but people would play songs and so I picked up on CDs there. As for bands... Luna Sea, I guess, though they stopped a while ago. L'arc-en-Ciel, maybe. I went to a few clubs but that was mainly looking for people, not music. * Satoshi messages Haruko. "Not much, really." * Paul nods enthusiastically. "I think I may have heard something by the bands, but I'm a huge Kanno fan. They actually have some of her stuff over here." * Haruko looks thoughtful and then replies via text. "Well, I think maybe we have to." She pauses to look something up before sending the text. * Haruko finds what she was looking for and switches languages. " and listen." I'm glad to hear that. She deserves a wide audience. * Paul nods eagerly. "She was actually an East coast con a few years back, but my parents wouldn't let me go 'half way across the country for some lady who broke up the Beatles.' They just don't get it." * Satoshi reads his message. "Huh, synchronicity," he says out loud as he types back. "Okay. I'll... I don't know, is e-mail too impersonal?" * Paul looks over and notices the Japanese on Satoshi's screen. "Oh, talking to someone back home?" * Haruko thinks for a moment and then takes a quick selfie with a flirty grin and a v-symbol. "Before shot done!" She then replies to Satoshi. "Calling is so ¥. You could try. But if you open up in an email it isn't that impersonal." Haruko pauses for a moment and then follows up. "She's closer to you than me and she wanted to me, so prolly just try." Attempts to explain the difference between Yoko Kanno and Yoko Ono didn't work, I take it? And yeah, I'm talking with my friend Haruko. They did, but the answer was still no. Oh Haruko, she's, uh, the cook, right? * Maki returns with a bag of hot popcorn. "Did not set off dorm smoke alarm! Success!" She sits down on the bed and opens the bag. "They really need to tune those things better. Hm. ...nah, I'd probably get in trouble for tinkering with it." She grabs a handful and offers the bag to Haruko. * Satoshi shoots of a quick message. "Okay. I will. Soon." As he's typing, he's also talking to Paul. "Nope, Taki's the cook. Haruko is the engineering student and auto club member." He does not mention her occasionally criminal activities. * Haruko gets a mischevious grin as she shows Maki her pick of hair and diagrams, lays down a seating pillow, and turns her back to her roommate. "You only get in trouble if you screw up or they catch you doing it." * Haruko does grab a brush and does her hair quickly, pulling her bangs back for once for ease of braiding. "This can be a practice run." * Maki studies the diagram intently. "There's too many people going in and out of there during they day, and I'm not having a midnight smoke alarm-fixing escapade." * Haruko replies. "Good. So, here's what's been up..." She catches Satoshi up some on the past few weeks between talking to Maki. "Oh please, you just need a good look out." * Paul nods. "Oh, right, the scary one." * Maki sits and begins to work on Haruko's hair. "Got any plans for midnight, then?" * Satoshi blushes. Sometimes, his old reactions reassert themselves. "She wasn't that scary once I got to know her... after a while..." * Haruko smiles. "Nope, given boy trouble." She then walks the other girl through braiding, wincing occasionally and respecting her desire not to hear more about boys. That said, she totally goes for the popcorn. Oh, she just has a tough, intimidating exterior? I know girls like that. Not so much tough as... man, how to explain? She's... very vivacious, and it took me a while to learn. * Satoshi messages Haruko. "Well, I hope the photo shoot goes really well. Also, I have just told my roommate that you are 'vivacious.' I hope you find that to be a compliment. :)" * Paul takes a moment to review his library of anime tropes. "Oh, I can see how that can be scary." He then looks at his watch. "Oh, man I need to get to class. But we're totally on for Friday." He grabs his bag and runs towards the door. * Haruko smiles and texts back. "I do. :) You setting me up with your roommate? Seems kind of long distance." * Satoshi looks up at Paul. "Uh, later!" He is distracted by the text. * Satoshi messages back. "Heh, no. He apparently already has a Japanese girlfriend. Long-distance. Online. But I shouldn't get judgemental." * Haruko replies. "Huh, well, at least he has good taste. ;)" [So the braiding happens, takes a few tries, but Maki figures it out. Afterwards Haruko takes her after shot and sends both off to Satoshi who may be off doing other things now.] * Haruko adds a note. "Trying new hair style. Keeping bangs out of my face when motorcycling. What do you think, too practical?" * Satoshi messages. "Looks good. Your left side is a little crooked, but I like the style overall. It's practical but not... what's a good word? Severe?" * Haruko replies. "^_^_v" [End!]