[21:26] <@Bando> [Date: Thursday June 3rd. What looks to be from the clouds to be another warm and rainy June day.] [21:28] <@Bando> [The Bando and Kyoko are heading off fairly early in the morning, taking a shipment down to the Osaka warehouse as they go for efficiency sake. Bando has told Kyoko she just needs to be there a bit before departure time, he'll arrange the rest.] [21:29] <@Bando> [He's been pretty busy with the last few arrangements, such as choosing which files to take with him and instructing the staff. There's not really much of a chance to talk until they're both in the cab.] [21:31] <@Bando> [Thankfully the last box is in, the manifest signed off, and the back closed, he gives her a nod and heads to the driver's seat. He didn't do the whole prior ship, but he's probably been up at least a few hours before this early morning meeting.] [21:31] <@Bando> [Start!] 06[21:34] * Kyoko sets her umbrella under the passenger seat before settling in, bag on her lap. She covers her yawn before stretching her legs in front of her as best she can. She's wearing a standard outfit, for her - skirt, light top, steel-toed boots, ponytail - though Bando rarely sees her out of uniform. 06[21:38] * @Bando gives her a nod and double checks that he has his commercial license one more time after buckling up. He goes through the departure check list and then pulls out of the lot with that done he glances over, blinks for a moment as he processes her non-work uniform, and then after returning his eyes to the road comments, "Thank you again for taking on this extra assignment." [21:41] Thank you for offering it to me, sir. 06[21:45] * @Bando makes a soft grunt. When they reach the next light, which doesn't take long. "So, six and a half hours if the gods overseeing traffic and weather bless us. If you don't want to spend all that chatting or listening to me ruminate, there's some CDs in the glove compartment." 06[21:49] * Kyoko rubs at her eyes with another yawn. "Thanks." 06[21:49] * Kyoko pulls out her phone and sends texts to Satoshi and her brother, letting them both know she's on her way to Osaka, and then another to Kira, telling him the same. 06[21:53] * @Bando despite his comment is mostly quiet for the first stretch. They're leaving early in part to keep the Tokyo traffic manageable, but he's definitely on guard navigating the city in this truck. He lets out a relieved sigh when as he gets on a limited access highway. They'll still be urban for a while through Yokohama, but fewer pedestrians to look out for. 06[21:54] * Kyoko is looking through the CDs. "Do you trive the truck often, Bando-sama?" [21:54] (s/trive/drive) 06[23:01] * @Bando shakes his head. "License renewal and business meetings. Main office will expense the tickets, but..." He shrugs. The CDs are a somewhat ecletic mix. Music is mostly from groups that if Kyoko remembers their latest real hit, it was from her time in grade school. There's some recent rock but a larger selection of enka. There's also a business phrase disc for Korean, Cantonese, and a 06[23:01] * @Bando several books on tape including great books (mostly fiction) and business books. 06[23:04] * Kyoko picks out a CD from one of the old school groups; she doesn't really care which one. She slips it into the CD player. 06[23:08] * @Bando sits up a little straighter as an opening electric guitar riff comes in. His own early morning yawns are a less frequent. [23:08] <@Bando> (-a) 06[23:09] * Kyoko settles in and closes her eyes. It's going to be a long trip, and she doesn't know how to small talk at her boss anyway. (Which isn't to say they won't end up talking.) [23:19] <@Bando> [Some time later, Kyoko jolts awake to a flash of lightning followed immediately by a roar of thunder. The surrounding forested hills are still visible, but a steady rain limits view much beyond that. Traffic is still moving but anyone smart has their lights on and is slowing down a little. What were you dreaming about before the interruption?] 06[23:24] * Kyoko was reliving some half-forgotten memory of when she was young and traveling in a rainstorm with her brother and great-aunt, only she's her actual age, and so is her brother, and he's scared but she's trying to calm him down because really there's nothing to be worried about - only their great-aunt turns around and there's a flash of light, and the thunder crashes, and she yelps, eyes 06[23:24] * Kyoko wide. 06[23:27] * @Bando starts slightly, tapping the brakes and quickly glancing checking the road ahead and then his mirrors. He curtly inquires "Problem?" without sparing her a glance. 06[23:32] * Kyoko starts, looks at Bando, remembers where she is. She groans and tries not to die from embarrassment. "Just startled." 06[23:36] * @Bando nods. "Storm came up fast. Might add an hour if it holds." His face gets a familiar calculator processing twist. "We should still be safe to hit the hotel before the meeting." [23:38] I hope so. Do I need to dress more nicely for it? 06[23:43] * @Bando thinks. "I've seen a mix. You don't have any official duties after the introductions. Most meetings will be higher ups." He grunts, "Depends some what tact you want to take to talk to the staff." [23:47] Uh... 06[23:47] * Kyoko looks down at what she's wearing. She hadn't thought about that at all. "Okay." [23:48] <@Bando> [As Kyoko ponders, the same opening guitar riff plays as when she first put in the CD.] 06[23:48] * Kyoko reaches over and pops out the CD. "Do you have anything you want to listen to, sir?" 06[23:50] * @Bando grins slightly. "Whatever you can tolerate. I meant to take the time to pick out a more diverse selection, but..." He shrugs again. 06[23:52] * Kyoko nods, still trying to figure out what to do about the clothes situation. Maybe she could ask Kyon? He's probably too busy. She guesses she could ask Takuya. 06[23:52] * Kyoko looks through the CDs and picks out another grade school hits album, slipping it in. [23:57] <@Bando> I tend to overdress. That gets some eye rolls in the main warehouse, but means I don't stand out in the meetings. Apparently open collar, no tie is now some sort of power move but I don't really get it. Your shoes mean you'll be safe, that's the important part anyways. [00:00] My shoes? Why? [00:03] <@Bando> I don't care how fancy their systems are down there, stuff still falls sometimes. Especially a risk if they try to rope you into carrying something. 06[00:05] * Kyoko blinks, then laughs. "Yeah, okay. I think I'm pretty good at avoiding falling stuff." 06[00:06] * @Bando laughs and then thinks about that for a moment, recalling a few near disasters Kyoko managed to minimize. "I suppose you are." 06[00:10] * Kyoko smiles and looks out at the rain. She falls into silence for a while before she says, "So, um... once we're there, what am I supposed to do again?" [00:14] <@Bando> Frankly snoop around a bit. Ask some questions, watch their processes. If my guess is right, the supplies are disappearing before they leave this place. But whereever the gaps might be, no one's going to talk about about in front of Tokyo mid-boss guy. [00:16] Okay, I can do that. [00:22] <@Bando> [And the drive proceeds. Bando gives some more background on the company, a few of the key people, some history. He doesn't suspect the higher ups of anything worse than overconfidence right now and doesn't really know much about the staff below that, but depending on what she retains, she might be have a feel for who gets along, who Bando is trying to avoid saying was promoted above their [00:22] <@Bando> ability, and the like.] [00:24] <@Bando> [The conversation has a number of lulls and wanders some, though the rain dampens things. By the time early afternoon rolls around Bando is trying to exploit clear skies while he has them, though he's started stiffling some yawns. In the past hour Kyoko, what more casual topic were you comfortable bringing up when Bando ran out of books to talk about?] 06[00:27] * Kyoko tries to figure that out, because... small talk...? Uh, let's see. There's the weather, she guesses. 'Wow, that rain sucks.' 'Sure does.' Guh, that's awful. There's her brother! No, nope, never. There's... Final Fantasy 9? She sneaks a sideways glance at Bando. Nope, he's too old. Maybe something about Tomoyuki? Or Takuya? She'd like to maybe talk up Takuya; he does good work when he 06[00:27] * Kyoko works but- eh, he's been so... yeah, she doesn't want to go there right now. 06[00:29] * Kyoko blinks. Wait, Takuya, right. He'd get it. And he's great at talking to people in the warehouse! She fumbles out her phone and sends him a text message: 'Help I think Bando's falling asleep while driving. I need to talk to him about something that isn't my brother or Final Fantasy or arcana stuff!' [00:31] ['ask him about sports,' Kira says.] 06[00:32] * Kyoko brightens at the speedy reply, then her expression darkens slightly and she types, 'I don't know anything about sports!!' Two exclamation points! [00:32] 'also how's it going' [00:33] 'oh i thought you did for some reason i guess because you know kyon sorata, which is a dumb reason?' 06[00:34] * Kyoko nearly laughs. She covers her mouth and bites her hand before she actually does, because shit, she does not want to explain that she's texting her... boyfriend...? Is Takuya her boyfriend? Uh, she doesn't want to explain that to her boss. 06[00:35] * @Bando reaches for a mostly empty 7-11 coffee cup and downs what remains. [00:35] 'you don't need to know about sports dudes like that just like talking about their teams and stuff' [00:35] 'or uh business stuff. like what's going on in the neighbourhood. like that cat cafe they're opening' 06[00:37] * Kyoko peers at what Kira said, then looks up at her boss. "So um... I guess they're opening a cat cafe near the warehouse?" 06[00:37] * Kyoko 's phone buzzes with another Kira message. She glances at it. [00:38] 'you like cats? we could go' 06[00:38] * Kyoko peers. Is he... telling her to ask her boss to go to a cat cafe? 06[00:41] * @Bando own phone buzzes, as it does every so often. He's largely ignored it but with the coincidental sudden flurry of activity he glances over to Kyoko. "Trouble back at the warehouse?" 06[00:44] * Kyoko blushes and then curses at herself for blushing. Silently! She silently curses. "Uh, no. Sorry. I just... sorry." 06[00:48] * @Bando blinks. He probably hasn't seen Kyoko blush before either. The part of him that wants to ask if she's okay loses out, but there's a moment of uncomfortable pause before he holds up a hand making a dimsissive gesture. "I need to trust that they can handle themselves for a few days." He returns his eyes to the road. 06[00:52] * Kyoko lets out a breath. She can't quite relax, but he's watching the road. It should be fine? "So um... how do you think the baseball season is going?" Sports! Yeah. A specific sport, even! [00:57] <@Bando> Giants are doing alright. *Osaka* Kinetsu Buffaloes are not looking like playoff contenders. You have a favorite team? 06[00:59] * Kyoko thinks. Which team was Kyon on. Oh. "The Lions, probably?" She decides not to mention that she knows a pitcher for them. Session Time: Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 2020 [01:02] <@Bando> [And there's some awkward baseball small talk until they hit a town about an hour out from Osaka with an appealing place to pull over.] [01:02] <@Bando> [Pause!] 06[01:05] * Kyoko , once they stop, shoots Takuya another text: 'He didn't seem to care about the cat cafe! Why would I invite him anyway??' Sure, he's working, and she wouldn't expect him to check his phone during his shift, but he'll get that afterwards. That done, she climbs out of the truck. 01[00:07] <@Ciara> (I will swap place in log!)