6432/Nom

Nom
Date of Scene:	03 June 2021
Location:	Ramen Empire
Synopsis:	Noriko takes Jubilation out to eat ramen before they go to Japan. There are loads of Japan ideas, minor discussion about recon, and Noriko shows off a new party trick.
Cast of Characters:	Noriko Ashida, Jubilation Lee

---

Noriko Ashida has posed:
It was decided, after all, that the Japan trip would not be immediately after school let out.  Since then, Nori picked up a courier gig which has had her running all over the place.  "It's all you can eat ramen night!" which just means all Nori can eat.  There is no special, something clear right when they step through the door.

"It's important that we find out how shit this ramen is so we can enjoy Japan that much more."  Nori might have done the scouting ahead thing instead of relying on a filthy smartphone.  Sure it's a huge waste of time to be stopping every time you get a whiff of ramen on your route or drooling at the window when you're walking by with your girlfriend not realizing that at least a solid awkward 15 seconds have gone by while you've been eyeing the plastic looking tonkotsu.

"~Booth please~" Noriko says in Japanese after greeting.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
        "Can we find out how shit the ice cream is, too, once we're done?" Jubilee asks, her brown eyes lifting to watch Noriko's reaction. With lifted eyebrows, she nods rapidly at the other girl as she walks next to her, arm linked. She hadn't prepared herself too much for this -- it wasn't really clear what this outing was, date or otherwise -- but she's Jubilation Lee and that means that, regardless of her appearance, she's fire.

    "Uhh..." Jubes smiles as Noriko handles the international diplomacy. "...Me too!" A big toothy grin is given, despite Jubilation having no clue what she just agreed to.

    "So... when we're in Japan. What should we do first?" As they're led to their table, Jubilee's eyes become unfixed. Every little fixture needs to be seen. Evaluated. Compared to the normal bullshit that gets attached to the walls at Applebees.

    "A booth!" Jubilee grins, strumming her fingernails against the table. "I love booths." From the sound of it, she has no clue that one was requested.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"Already on the agenda." A memo pad pops up in Jubilee's view, the pages settling on the back of Nori's hand.  At the top of the paper it says, "Things To Do That Are Cooler In Japan."  "See?  Number three."  The line items are in Japanese, but there is a little swirly ice cream cone drawn next to it.

Tonight has more been a rambling mashup of activities, many of them low cost.  Nori's wardrobe can't compare to Jubes'.  It'd upset the natural order of things.

"Yeah I guess she can be in my booth too," Noriko concedes with a smirk to the waiter to make Jubilation's blunder fit the context.  In contrast to Jubilee, Noriko isn't paying one lick of attention to their surroundings.  She's barely opening her eyes.  She'll just let the scent lines wafting through the air guide her.  Oh those aren't real?

"Make sure my father doesn't know I'm there which is a lost cause so...um...food.  Food and shopping.  We will be tired."  Nori?  Tired?

"Tonkotsu please.  2.  3 extra noodle," and of course there are a number of toppings, pretty much anything Nori can get them to put in it.  "Do you want to go shopping over there?"  How much thought has really gone into this trip?

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    Jubilee's face sours, only momentarily, as Noriko's father is mentioned. But then... There's that word. Shopping. Would she want to go shopping? Time seems to stand still as Jubilee reaches across the booth to lovingly caress Noriko's cheek, her voice floaty and full of sentiment. "...Oh...Nori..." she whispers. But then... Record screetch. Jubilee's eyes suddenly focus intensely on Noriko. Her hand tenses a little against the cheek.

    "Yes." She says it gravely. Yes. She will go shopping.

    Jubilee flashes a grin and then takes her hand back. She looks up at the waiter and shrugs. "Make it two," she answers with a smile. "Oh! And a milkshake. You have those, right? Are they good?" Her voice begins to pick up speed. "Wait, of course you'll say they're good -- you work here. Okay, so, don't answer. I will take it as assumed they're good, so, uh, a milkshake. Flavor? Surprise me." She nods her head rapidly, her smile sloooowly fading as she picks up on the waiter's body language. There would be no milkshake.

    "A Coke will be fine," she adds, eyes lowering.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko is just looking across the way, casual, head tilted slightly at the question, and Jubilee's reaction just makes her smirk indulgently, until the refocused intensity.  She blinks.  "I think that's a y-Yes is a yes."

"Water, flat, for me."  Once the waiter has stepped away, Nori hisses across to Jubes, "No free refills," something Nori has come to appreciate in the last bastions of Americana fast food hospitality.  "And no milk shakes.  It's so un-American," which is the point and it earns the restaurant a measure of playful disdain while Noriko leans forward conspiratorially.

"So, shopping.  I think the first night we go wherever.  Do you want to do any touristy stuff?"  Noriko may have no idea what tourists do there, but she's not ready to admit it.  She was so young when she left and even younger still when she was confined away from society.  Independence and Japan are not two words that have ever coexisted for her.

Their drinks come quickly and without fanfare, as expected.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    Jubilee's mouth hangs open, her nose wrinkling, and her brow forming a deep, deep line. "No free refills?" she hisses back, her face broadcasting disgust. Her head swivels, as if looking around for someone to blame this on. Someone to hold accountable. Her eyebrows lift and her lungs fill with air noisily. Ooookay. She takes a comically small, economic even, sip of her Coke that will not be refilled for free.

    "Hmmm..." Jubes pops a piece of gum into her mouth and chews thoughtfully, briefly pretending that she hadn't been thinking about this. "Well... We /have/ to stay in one of those coffin hotels. I know they're built for one, but..." She blushes and shrugs a shoulder. "...I think we can manage."

    "Ooh! And eat at the Robot Restaurant. Oh my god, and drive go-karts IN TOKYO! And, and, and learn Okinawan karate...." Not Japan, Jubes! Still, as she keeps mentioning things, her nonchalance fades and it becomes clear that Jubes has been thinking a lot about this trip.

    "Ooh, and soak in those hot springs! We gotta get matching kimonos! Oh! Sumo wrestling. And we could get our faces painted like geishas! Kabuki theater! And ride the bullet train..."

    Jubilee's wad of gum suddenly dangles out of her mouth. She reaches down to pick up her Coke, taking a tiny, tiny sip again. The gum goes back in and she resumes chewing. Voice back to light speed. Or...speed of sound. Quick. "We can do karaoke... And learn the tea ceremony! And see how many people we can bump into in Shibuya Crossing....And, oh! See the cherry blossoms....Eat from vending machines. Oh, and I want to take a cooking class so I can make Japanese foods for you when we get our own place after we graduate..."

    Suddenly, that mile-a-minute cadence slows, stumbles, and stops. Jubilee takes a deep breath, suddenly shocked that she said that... Suddenly shocked that she revealed that their Japan trip was not the only thing on her mind.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"You can have some of my revolting tap water when you run dry," Nori promises as she oversees the delicate soda sipping.

"If we both can't fit we don't stay there.  Do you think there are like, nice ones and murdery ones?  Or are they all the same kind of," Nori does a little uneasy gauntlet wobble in the air.

Nori is more than happy to let Jubilation take the lead on the brainstorming session as she's only tried /not/ to think about the trip, which is impossible.  "Sure.  We'll do all of that...as long as I don't get busted for violating terms of service..."  Nori, has a new smartphone.  "I think they think I'm a hacker.  I had to take a two hour break the other day because I was making deliveries too fast.  Like it's a problem."

"Well we're only there a week unless we extend our stay," she says the last words like she's never said them before, just parroting back the terminology she knows is commonplace, but still doesn't suit her.  But her words are lost to the ether between Jubilee's stream of words that come to an abrupt halt.

"Oh so we're getting our own place?"  Noriko arches her eyebrows in the lightest of interrogations.

Oh and here is the waiter with their ramen.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    The softest of sighs. "...Yeah, yeah, I get it... You have powers that are useful," she drones good-naturedly. Still, there's some truth there. Even with the extra power control classes that were 'suggested' to her, it's become clear that her powers just aren't that useful outside of blinding, disorienting, or destroying. They certainly weren't going to land her a job.

    Blink blink. Eyes down at the ramen. Oh thank god. She hastily grabs the awkward spoon and uses it to slurp up a whole mouthful of broth. Can't talk -- got all this broth in my mouth. But then... her brain circles back. Nori's deflection of her flirting -- the suggestion that they share a capsule hotel -- and then the reaction to her word vomit. Blink, blink. "Oh..." she begins quietly, taking an audible gulp to swallow all that broth. "Um, I'm just kidding."

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko squints at Jubilee as she tries to think of some kind of retort to the droning, but it's really a failed detour from the new topic of conversation.  And then the ramen.  She reaches to get some chopsticks, two sets, and breaks one apart to hand to Jubilee.

It makes her a bit too busy to realize that it's quiet.  Jubilee is quiet.  Still.  She looks back.  "Jubes.  What?  I'm just teasing you about living together after school.  I'd live with you off campus right now if you wanted..."  She reaches out under the table with her foot to nudge at Jubilee.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    The nudging gets a cautious smile from Jubilee. She looks up from her ramen and grabs the offered chopsticks before rubbing them together like she's seen people do, though entirely unsure as to why. "Yeah, well, I just meant..." She shrugs one shoulder and grins. "We live together now, but..."

    The result of a random assignment by the powers that be.

    "I meant, you know... For real."

    Jubilation manages a look that says 'don't make me say it' before she awkwardly puts her chopsticks into the correct position in her right hand. The struggle to get some noodles....BEGINS.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"Not over the soup," Noriko warns when Jubilee starts to rub the sticks together.  The secret of why will not be revealed to Jubilation today either as it never occurs to Nori why someone wouldn't know.

"I know what you meant.  Unassigned living...and yeah.  I mean, that's what I meant to...  Like.  We could have our own place together.  I mean I'd do it tomorrow but I don't really know how much I actually eat," she admits.

"So...does that mean we're living together after we graduate?" she finally ventures.  Noriko nervously tries to tackle her chopsticks but these aren't the hands she grew up eating with, not with these utensils.  The wood slips away easily.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    The stick-rubbing continues over her lap after the warning is delivered. A nod of thanks. Her eyes lower to the table as her imagination starts to catch up with the moment's optimism. "Yeah... I mean... we could stay close to the school -- the Salem Center, you know, we already work there -- or we could go. Just go," she brainstorms. "...I don't know, Gotham, or Metropolis -- ehh, no, we could never afford it. Gotham, though... I mean, yeah, it's New Jersey, but... it can't really be like they say, right?"

    Jubilation's left hand is cupped a couple inches below a wad of ramen noodles clumped up in her chopsticks. It's held out for Noriko to eat. She smiles gently.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"I don't think I should keep my bowling job.  I wonder if you could get a job with a fireworks company.  Or better yet, start putting on private light shows for dumb rich people for tons of money...Gotham?  Well why don't we just like...go see?"  Noriko has given up on the utensil battle to just talk and ignore all of her mounting frustration.

It's not the first time Jubes has helped her out with food, and it won't be the last, but Noriko offers Jubilee a sheepish grin before leaning in for the bite.  "Gotham wouldn't be so dangerous for us because I can just sprint us wherever we need to be, school, home," out of a home invasion situation.  "I'm not sure I want to live so close to school that everyone is always trying to crash our place...I..I'm going to try and keep these off..just, one sec.  I'm in the bathroom."  Which, when said so weirdly, is just code for, she's going to go let off some electricity.  Take a leak, as some of the boys like to say.

Noriko is gone for no more than thirty seconds and walks right out of the bathroom.  No, she was not in there long enough to wash her hands and no she doesn't think of it when she drops back down into her seat to take off her gauntlets.  "I hate making you do that..." she mumbles.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    Jubilee gives the wad of noodles a gentle blow before Noriko takes them with her mouth. "Yeah... maybe..." she agrees idly to the suggestions of fireworks and private light shows. It doesn't really sound like she's into it. "But it might be good to be close. You know..." Her tone suggests that more is coming. "I was sort of thinking about...Joining." The 'what' in this case is obvious to a fellow Xavier's student.

    "I mean... I know working for the 'school' is super lame, but... I mean, I was thinking that I could help new students," she explains. New students. A perfect euphanism for a young mutant at the lowest point in their life. "I mean... Who would you rather have bringing you in. Scott?" She holds her arm out, striking a pose. "Or me?"

    "Oh, and Nori?" Jubes begins, grinning a little as Noriko tries to absolve her of her here-comes-the-airplane duties. "Shut up." A perfect way of reminding that Jubilee does not mind one bit.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"Yeah.  You'd be so bored," Noriko offers when she registers Jubilee's enthusiasm.  She knows Jubilee's mannerisms enough to let the girl get all of her words out and then some, to know when something is hanging in the air.

"It's not lame.  I mean you could probably help a lot of kids, help the ones who are stuck here like us too, so things feel more like a home."  Because anyone who vetos Jubilee as the perfect resident director or something or other or anything really is going to get zapped.

"Definitely you.  Always you.  And I think you'd be good at that...out there...helping kids."

When Noriko realizes she's not getting out of Jubilation's kindness, she stops removing her gauntlets.  Both of them know doing things without them isn't a walk in the park, nor is safety guaranteed.  "Well if you put more noodles in my mouth maybe I would."  She flashes a toothy grin and opens her mouth wide, only breaking the pose to speak.

"I'll go where you go.  Do you want to live at the school or nearby?"  Nori might be thinking about the mansion's kitchen, bananas, and a hundred other regular staples of her diet in the time it takes Jubes to start to reply.  Oh sweet foods, she daydreams, mouth ajar.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    Jubilation's shoulders shrug. She even looks away in an indulgant moment of embarrassment. "...Oh, it's no big deal. I mean, they probably wouldn't even go for it," she continues, reeling it all in. "...I'll probably just be a notary or something."

    And, like that, the thought is gone as quickly as it had arrived. Jubilation snaps back to reality with a sudden smile, a clear clue that she mode-shifted from Jubilation Lee back to Jubilee. Another wad of noodles is held out for Noriko to chomp at. "Besides..." she adds with a smile. "We still have a whole 'nother year..." Will they survive it?

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"Are you kidding me?  Just use me as a reference...."  Pause.  "Or don't.  I don't know what they think about me anymore."  Nor does Noriko seem to care.  "Just start talking to someone now about it in case you have to work on anything beforehand or get them used to the idea of there being a new 'best dressed' around at their level."  Another bite and sluuurp, only a polite amount of slurping.

"Ugh.  Why are you reminding me.  I can't wait till I can do whatever," Nori exclaims, sprawling back into her seat.  "Eat some of your soup," and suddenly Jubilation's soup is closer to her, moving an inch and sloshing around, though not a drop spilt.

"We still have to get ice cream!...It's cool though.  That you want to help," she admits more quietly.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    Even Jubilation's hidden enthusiasm for the idea has puttered out. Them. Noriko has reminded her of a very important and horrible detail. She would be a Them. Best-dressed, yes, but still one of Them. "Uhhh...." Mouth agape. "Maybe I..." She takes a breath. "I don't think I'm cool enough to withstand the un-cool of being one of Them," Jubilee admits.

    Jubilation blows a quick raspberry before reaching down for her bowl. "Maybe we should move to Hawaii," she mutters before slurping from the bowl.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"You wouldn't have to.  You'd make them all cool by association." Noriko pauses after the raspberry.  "Never mind," then promptly lifts up her bowl to start to uncouthly munch whatever comes near her mouth like a Hungry Hungry Hippo.  It works.  "I promise..." chomp chomp, "I'll-" CHOMP, "-still love you."

Noriko lowers the bowl and wipes her mouth.  "I can still love you in Hawaii too, but...Hawaii is so small..." she trails off, just realizing for the first time that she's like some kind of animal that needs a certain size enclosure.  It sends a shiver down her spine.

"At least you know what you want to do, or something you'd like to do.  You don't have to hang out with them.  Just work with them.  Maybe do what someone says." Nori smirks.  "I've been out on mission with them before.  Maybe you can start doing it now when the bring in kids, prove how they should have you on the team now that you're 18.

"I'll have to start taking care of Pony then money wise."  Feed the horse, feed herself.  The expenses are likely to be high.  "So I kind of need to figure something out by then.  But first...Japan, and..." there's a big likelihood that they'll run into her father there no matter what, in some way, but Nori doesn't mention that.  "I was thinking we could do some recon while we're in Japan.  To get my brother out?"

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    Jubilee's head tilts from side to side as she considers Hawaii. "Well, I guess if hanging out on the beach isn't your idea of a good time, we can keep looking," she teases with a grin. Another wad of noodles is held out for Noriko to take with her mouth. The ongoing suggestion of what Jubilee might need to do in order to be taken seriously, predicated on the notion that she wants them to, is given no response. Instead... Her eyes light up as an idea passes through her brain.

    "Nori..." she begins, a grin forming. "You could donate Pony to Xavier's. She'll never go hungry and we won't have to pay. Plus, all the littler kids would /love/ it..." She nods her head up and down. "And you can see her anytime!"

    She takes another slurp from her soup and then puts the bowl down. "Oh! I've never been out on 'recon' before," she answers, leaning back against the soft seat of the booth. "We could totally do that. I've never done it, but I bet I'm great at it." She winks and...starts chewing on her gum again. How the heck did that stay in her mouth while eating the ramen?

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"I want to do that but-you know maybe it wouldn't be so bad.  Less electricity out there I bet," Noriko has no idea if that's true.  "I'm willing to try it.  I mean, for the beach and all," and the thought of Jubilation needing help with her lotion that kind of puts Noriko into a trans disrupted only for the incoming wad of noodles.

"Oh.  Sorry."  All of the finer implications of her communication are sliding right by unnoticed.  There's ramen, thoughts of Jubilation, and thoughts of Jubilation.  She munches thoughtfully on the noodles.  "She's still my pony.  I want to try and keep her if I can.  The kids can still ride her.  But that...that is definitely happening should I need to declare pony bankruptcy."

"Well my dad works in the government, so after this trip you'll be internationally great at it," Nori says, reflecting Jubes' infectious confidence as if she never had any doubt of Jubilation's natural ability.  The gum trick does give Noriko a little bit of a pause before she drinks more broth.

"I was thinking about maybe going to talk to a private investigator...because I really don't know how to do any of this stuff..."  Noriko watches Jubes, obviously curious as to her reaction to the idea.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    Jubilee her shoulders and smiles. "Well, she'd still be your pony -- but in exchange for Xavier's feeding her and housing her, they get to have kids ride her. Another bullet point on the brochure. Parents love that stuff, I assume," she explains. Another shrug. "But, if you don't want to, I totally get it. She's your pony."

    Jubilation's hands grip her Coke and bring it up for another careful, miserly sip. "Wait, wait, wait," she tries interrupting, though it's very difficult to interrupt Nori. "We don't need to do that. I mean, I don't wanna go all Nega right now -- barf -- but check this out," Jubes says. She pulls the collar of her shirt out a bit -- this gives Noriko a pretty nice view, though brief, as she pulls out her cellphone. No pockets in skirts. After a couple of quick taps and swipes, Jubilee turns the screen towards Noriko. A YouTube video teaching basic recon is playing. The battery symbol in the corner is dropping rapidly.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"I'll think about it," Noriko determines with a thoughtful squint.  It's hard.  Pony has a name now.  Pony has an attitude and a personality and likes the base of her ears rubbed and she has those big glossy weird sweet horse eyes.  Noriko doesn't want to think about it.

Noriko unconsciously bites her lip as she freezes for a split moment on the view.  A normal person might get away from subtle micro transitions, but Noriko glitches through awkwardly so fast it's almost as if nothing happened.

When the screen comes into view, Noriko leans to look, vacant, then down at her gauntlet's gauge.  "I'm stealing your juice.  Here.  I've been practicing charging stuff," she makes like she's going to take Jubes' phone.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    "They're called boobs, Nori -- snap out of it," Jubilee replies dryly, though her mouth is curling into a subtle smile. She likes disrupting Noriko. Thrives from it. By the time Jubilee can even perceive that it happened, the moment is over. And by the time she acknowledges it, the moment is LONG over.

    Jubilee hands the phone over willingly, though with some skepticism. She remembers the last time she handed Noriko her phone -- she swore she wouldn't do it again. But, here we are...

    "I hope you know how much I love you, Noriko Ashida. I must be the only kid in the whole school whose phone is used less than her toothbrush..." she mutters, unable to contain a smile with her fake annoyance. She leans forward, still, to watch whatever Nori might do with her phone...curious.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"Well they were right there...are-"  Noriko sighs at herself and shakes her head.  Her cheeks flash red for a moment before she takes Jubilee's phone carefully with both gauntlets.  Nothing worse than gauntlet butterfingers.  It'd probably swan dive into the soup.

Noriko lays the phone out on the table and pushes everything away from it.  After fiddling with her gauntlets, making some adjustments that may or may not be necessary, she puts her hands out.  "Okay.  Ready?"  She places her two forefingers on the phone and closes her eyes.  The screen goes blank.

"Did it work?"  Noriko cracks open her eyes one at a time.  "Oh...I got this."

Fingers back.  This time, Noriko takes her time and closes her eyes even.  One thing pierces the silence.  "Clear!"  BZZT!  Bwoooooong.  The screen lights up at the heralding sound effect of booting up.

"Hahahaha!"  Noriko looks like she got away with something.  "Only thirty percent but, better than a fire alarm."

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    "Well, if you play your mahjong tiles right, they'll be around later tonight, too..." Jubilation replies with a playful smirk. It fades. Her eyes close. "No, wait, that's China. Um... You know what I mean!" She rolls her eyes at herself, just for a moment, and then allows her smile to return.

    Her eyes lower to watch the impending doom about to be inflicted on her phone. "Alright, Nori..." she replies softly, staring down at it. Her face slooooowly becomes a wince as the screen goes blank. And then... OH.

    "Nori!" she exclaims. "You did it!" She reaches out suddenly and snatches up the phone. It goes promptly into her shirt. Her lips curl. "It's hot," she explains before reaching into her shirt to pull it out.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"I'll let you beat me in mahjong.  I don't even know how to play," Noriko says with big grin.  "Unless we're playing for booby action in which case I win."  Because that's just how it is apparently, and so nonchalantly too.

"Oh.  It is?"  Noriko's so used to her gauntlets, it didn't occur, just for a split second.  "Oh yeah don't-" she sucks air through her teeth when Jubilee pulls it back out.  "I put a lot in it real quickly so yeah.  Lucky I didn't blow up the battery...I've been practicing that a lot."  She draws in a deep breath and lets it out in a sigh and wisely skips telling Jubilee her failure rate.

Noriko is not going to make Jubilee hand feed her all of the ramens.  It's just beyond a labor of love, so Nori makes sure to pace herself to Jubilation's eating with her whole chomp chomping routine.  "So...can you cheat at mahjong?"

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    "Ew, I don't know," Jubilee replies, her face souring on a dime. "I don't know how to play, either." Mahjong, that is. "Do I look like some chain-smoking old lady to you?" She turns her head to the side, just a few degrees, to strike a very not-at-all old pose. "My nainai used to play it. Literally all the time. All. The. Time. She was scary."

    Jubilation waggles her eyebrows, as though doing so might serve as a warning...in case her grandmother ever came back to life to challenge Noriko to a round of mahjong. After a careful moment of thought, Jubilee realizes something. "Wait, Nori..." she begins. "...are you telling me that you can simultaneously discharge, which is often...uh... necessary for...uh...certain things to take place... /AND/ in doing so you could charge up my phone?" She leans forward, staring.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"You know you could have just made up the rules and I never would have known.  You could have taken me for all I'm worth.  You could have had Pony," Noriko's eyes widen at the thought.  "Too bad!"

Noriko leans back and actually kicks her feet up on the opposing seat next to Jubes but she misjudged this 'cool idea' and has had to sink down too far so she twitches back to a semi-upright position.  "Simultaneously?  Oh yeah.  I mean.  That's like, so little juice, I kind of had to discharge before I could do that so I wouldn't fry your phone."  She cheated...for the party trick.  "Why?"

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    Jubilation's shoulders sink just a touch. "Oh, nevermind," she replies with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I just thought..." She shrugs her shoulders and reaches for her Coke again. She's taken maybe four sips of it, too scared to finish it under the threat of paid refills. "...You know, if you have to discharge for...uh...." She waggles her eyebrows rapidly, as if doing so fills in the blank. "...And...then you charged my phone..."

    She sighs, a blush taking over her cheeks. "Double benefit," she explains, now a little bit embarrassed. "Nevermind!" She waves her hand in the air a couple more times before taking a large gulp from her drink.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"Drink your Coke.  You're getting a second one."  Noriko insists.  "We're not that poor," suddenly?  When has Noriko ever said that?

Jubilation's coyness certainly clues Noriko in that something is being said, and yet...

"Do I just not understand something?"  Noriko asks, thinking there must be some cultural education that TV and movies have not provided her.  "I mean yeah I can...charge your phone," she says slowly as if testing the waters.

"Jubes...?"  Noriko taps the toe of her shoe against Jubilation's.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    "No!" Jubes hisses. "That's how they make all their money. It costs like half a cent for them. I won't give them the satisfaction." She takes a punctuating sip and sets the glass back down. Noriko's persistant need for clarification on what should be an obvious matter draws some bashfulness from Jubilation.

    The tapping against her foot. Eeep. Her eyes shift to the side as she becomes suddenly aware of everyone else eating at the tables around them. She leans forward and lowers her voice. "You /know/!" she whispers. "You have to discharge... after dinner but before sleep. Four...five...six times a week? Sometimes after breakfast but before class... You know, you gotta run off to /discharge/.... I'm just saying... And then you could charge my phone, too... Isn't that nice? Another benefit..." She takes a breath and waves her hand in the air, as if to move the conversation past this. BLUSH.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"Oh..."  Noriko has to discharge at other times too, probably more than other people know, but it's no doubt that Jubilee just...knows, somehow.  "I'll try to remember to give your phone a little bump okay?...but these guns aren't ready for primetime.  There was probably an eighty percent chance I was going to fry it," she exaggerates, but the odds probably were questionable at least.

"Soooo, I'll work on it okay?"  At Jubilee's blush, Noriko looks down and back up with a knowing smile.  "Have I played my tiles right still?" she says with a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    "Eighty percent!"

    Jubilee stares at Noriko, her mouth hanging open in astonishment. "...I..." She takes a deep breath, supressing the urge to scream. Nothing went wrong. It doesn't matter. Serenity now. Oh good, a distraction!

    "Well, I don't know, NORI. You /were/ playing your mahjong tiles right up until that eighty percent thing..." Jubilee begins, her eyes rising so she can squint directly in Noriko's direction. "So... how are you going to come back from this setback?" The smirk is returned.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"I mean I just threw out a number but it wasn't zero," and it wasn't 50.  Noriko should have said 50.  No...0.  Of course 0!  No that's a lie.  Seven percent.

"It was a risk but it turned out alright," Noriko says and then promptly begins chewing her lower lip.  Not being able to use electronics?  Is, well, oddly isolating in a way, on top of all the other isolating parts of her powers.  And all of these feelings roil around between moments, given much more time, stretched, to blossom than they normally would with any other person.

And this is why Noriko tries to keep her cool and looks so nonchalant at Jubilation's question.  Survival...of those minor eternities between moments.

"Oh, well.  I have some ideas.  All of them start with ice cream though."  Noriko's bravado is back in full swing.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    With her head bobbing up and down, Jubilation seems satisfied by this. "Ice cream..." she repeats, her eyebrows rising a touch. "...Not bad, not bad. I guess we can let rumors spread -- buy Jubilation an ice cream cone and she'll do anything." She grins, purposely chewing her gum noisily. Annoyingly.

    Jubes finishes off her Coke and sets it down on the table. She takes a breath and then leans in. "I do want ice cream, though," she adds with notable seriousness in her voice. No joke was worth the ambiguity when ice cream is up for grabs.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"Well if anyone asks me, I'll just tell them it's a lifetime supply with all the fancy stuff.  Is that a good enough rumor?"  Noriko leaves cash on the table and finishes her final bowl like she's finishing off a few sips of cola, one-handed even.

"Tonight, you get whatever you want.  My treat."  Noriko beams.  "Thanks for coming to get worse-than-Japan ramen with me."

And indeed, Noriko insists on Jubilation piling it on after they've tried a sufficient number of flavors (as many as they want).  In the end, they had to wait two minutes for Noriko's stomach ache to pass before they were on their way back to enjoy the very last of it in their room.