[DDD | 065 | Action] Shopping Trip

[redheadcarrier]

This was, Asuka had to admit to herself, kind of exciting. She hadn't been off Iwatodai's world in a long, long time. And here she was going shopping with someone she actually sort of liked. Well, considered a friend. Ohtori itself? Kind of an odd place, but it seemed alright. Still - some strange looks from a few people, but she didn't mind. She was here to have fun and she was going to do it if it killed her!

She'd dressed for spring - colorful skirt, blouse, hat, sandals - the works. Time to show off. Just a bit.

Asuka glanced back at Utena with little lift of one brow. The downtown area seemed nice so far. A bit old-fashioned, but nice. She glanced down a side-street curiously, "So, any suggestions? This is your city, after all."

Well, not really, but Utena knew what she meant.

Comments

[quicktoreward]

Utena had just kept her school uniform on. She could have changed, of course, and probably should have but she had forgotten. Besides most people around the downtown area rarely saw her out of it except on days when there was no class.

She nods. Wakaba couldn't come today but Utena knew enough about the downtown from her and their other friends. Utena herself wasn't a big fan of shopping; her friends, however, knew the area better so she had prepared. Asuka deserved a good time.

Never mind the fact that many of the adults just shook their head muttering under their breath how "Tenjou-kun" kept such odd company recently. Kind of like how the other students reacted to Kamina but then again Kamina was...a character.

"Yeah, sure, there's a place down that way that has a decent selection," Utena said pointing north to another side street. "There's also a place that sells some cool antiques down the street you're looking."

[redheadcarrier]

"We need to buy you something," Asuka replied absent-mindedly as she turned north down the side-street, "We can check out the antique place later." She attracted attention, sure - the bright red hair tended to do that. From time to time. Of course, there were other people with more impressive hair around, but Asuka didn't think they really counted.

"You can't keep going out in a school uniform all the time! You need something... stylish."

[quicktoreward]

It was more than the hair--Juri had bright red hair and she was fairly accepted. Albeit Juri was more quiet than Juri but no less willful. Utena followed Asuka with a hand stuffed in her pocket.

"I have other clothes, too, of course but... It better not be anything too girly," she said mostly to herself. "I'm not wearing a dress."

[redheadcarrier]

"Relax, I'm not going to make you wear a dress!" Asuka waved a hand at Utena with a laugh, "There's probably plenty of jeans you'll look great in!"

It was nice to get away for a while. To forget about everything. Or try to, anyway. Her smile broke into a grin and then she dropped back to lock her arm through Utena's, practically dragging the younger girl along.

"Sheesh, you sure like to stroll."

Asuka was teasing. Really.

[quicktoreward]

"At least there's that," Utena said before being dragged along.

She didn't mind being arm to arm with Asuka. When her pace sped up so did Utena's. The teasing, though.

"Hey, I'm strolling so I don't tire you out, Senpai."

With that she's going to speed up her pace.

[redheadcarrier]

"Tire me out? I'm not that old!" Asuka retorted, "Whatever happened to respect for your elders?"

This was fun. Helped her forget. And it was nice to be able to do normal things for once.

"Kids these days."

[quicktoreward]

Utena gave a quick laugh. "I don't know! I'm just a kid, remember?"

It was just like old times with Wakaba, trading back and forth like there was nothing wrong in the world. No duels, no crazy community or a secretive student council. Just a nice day (not like the weather changed much around Ohtori anyway) and a friend.

"Besides, I run track. I can keep pace pretty well."

[redheadcarrier]

"So you ought to respect my wisdom and experience!" Asuka retorted with another peal of laughter. It was... nice. At least her mind was off of Shinji. Off of everything else at home. She shook those thoughts away as they turned a corner, heading down a side-street.

"I didn't run track, but I could compete! Easy! Down here, right?"

The sudden shift in conversation came as Asuka nodded in the general direction of the clothing store they were trying to find.

[quicktoreward]

"You haven't shared it with me yet, so how could I respect it?" Utena asked. She can't help but laughing, too.

She suddenly looked up and nodded. "Right, Senpai. It's not too far."

[redheadcarrier]

"Respect it anyways!" Asuka laughed, "Maybe then I'll share it with you!"

Asuka paused to glance into the window of another shop. Nothing good there. "This town is pretty nice. Seems... really quiet, though. At least compared to Iwatodai."

Almost eerily so at times.

[quicktoreward]

It's a normal day downtown. Quiet, yeah, but it always was. It's not like the Academy proper. Not charged underneath with something she couldn't fully explain. She looks briefly confused. "Is it? It's more busy around the Academy, I guess," Utena said.

She points to a shop across the street. "That's the place."

[redheadcarrier]

"Probably. A lot more students-"

Asuka cuts herself off as Utena points. With a grin, she starts off across the road, not bothering to slow down or give Utena a chance to catch up.

"Come on, then!"

And a few moments later, she's pushing the door open.

[quicktoreward]

"Sheesh, Senpai!"

She darts after Asuka. Utena is fast but the head start didn't help anything. So she enters the shop after her.

It's a rather small, normal clothes store. Mostly girl fashions but a corner is dedicated to the male population of Ohtori. The clerk--who probably was snoozing at the desk--looks up when they enter and nods to Utena.