lucetilogs | You're My Only Shining Star

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You're My Only Shining Star

Who: Buffy Summers, Melaka Fray, Azusa Miura
What: Azusa wants to have dinner, Buffy wants a girl's night, and Melaka is going on a mission...
When: March 20th
Where: Azusa's apartment
Summary: Azusa's made dinner. Eat up?
Rating: PG, most likely

She didn't feel pressure, but that didn't mean she didn't try, either. Ever since she went on the mission, Azusa had wanted to have dinner with Melaka's other good friend. She had heard her name several times before; Melaka had mentioned Buffy, but Azusa had only spoken to her once. That's why she took it upon herself to be welcoming and get to know Buffy more.

The idol spent that afternoon cooking. Something ancient, something Melaka had never tried before. That meant no salads or sandwiches, so Azusa decided to take a different route. Traditional miso soup was a must, and so was pickled vegetables. It took her a while to prepare, but soon she was bringing those, rice, and hamburg steak back to her room and arranging the table. She was sure Melaka and Buffy would arrive soon; it was almost time.

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Knock knock knock.

Buffy tapped out her entrance on the door with the toe of her boot. Her hands were too busy keeping an armful of drink options from clattering and smashing to the floor. She had a case of beer for the other two and a slim bottle of bubbly wine for herself. Something mild; something that wouldn't bring on the dreaded Summers-booze-face.

The older Slayer hugged these things to her chest and hoped she had the right apartment. Right next to Mel's -- she knew that much. But anxiety still settled in.

Melaka, meanwhile, was actually still at work subduing Gates next door. One might have heard the sounds of it from outside the apartment and in Azusa's, because the sounds of a young woman duking it out with a four armed demonic spider monkey who is skeeing and such do tend to stand out. Or so one might have deduced. In any case, this battle would last for some time yet.

"Just one minute!"

Azusa took one last second to make sure that the table had been properly set before humming to herself and moving to open the door for Buffy. She wasn't anxious in the least, but she also didn't know just what they'd be talking about that night. Yet, she knew that somehow, everything would be just fine. Friends eating with friends wouldn't end badly, right?

So it was with a wide smile that she opened the door. The cries of the monkey? Easily ignored. Cruel as it was, Azusa had grown used to them (and somehow fond of Gates). "Good evening, Buffy! Please, come in."

"He's kinda loud over there, isn't he?"

The corners of her mouth lifted oh-so-momentarily before she bent her effort into sliding inside and depositing these beverage things...somewhere. Useful. "This, uhm, guy I know? Used to have an undead monkey. Not quite as loud but just as....spirited."

And with one final punch, the sound of a thud, and then some sound of a heavy object hitting a thick skull, Melaka finished the fight. With that done though she ws not quite sure where to go... hm. Maybe if she-

Well.

Only choice was to do something weird, so she'd still be a while.

"Gates, you mean? I've grown used to him, I think...I even feed him sometimes. He's not all bad."

Once Azusa realized she didn't have a spot designated for alcohol, she started to take some of Buffy's load for herself and move them over to the table. There was plenty of space there for some booze.

"An undead monkey, though? What was his name?"

"Jack," she shares the burden and soon leaves her bottle of wine on the table next to the beer. "Both the monkey and the owner. He didn't name the monkey -- not that I wouldn't put it past him to name something after himself...anyway -- it's gone now."

Melaka was still en route. Or well, more like she had just opened the door to her apartment and was on the verge of opening Azusa's door. However, she was still managing to try to work out how to do this with ehr hands full.

Her hands full of Gates, that is.

"Jack is gone? Can pets leave this place somehow, then?" That was something that never crossed Azusa's mind. Once she had set down the drinks, she hovered near the table. The food was already on the table, waiting to be plated. Traditional soup with a spin on an American hamburger...hopefully there was something for everyone. That was when she heard struggling at the door.

"Ah...that must be Melaka. Just one moment, Melaka, I'm on my way to the door."

"Cute pets leave when their owners leave. This particular monkey didn't come back when he came ba..."

Oh, she heard the struggling too. Buffy turned -- stuck in that awkward space of being a guest but still wanting to help.

"Good!" Man, this monkey was heavier than he looked. Melaka stood there in a weird limbo. But once let in she'd be putting the monkey down on the couch.

Once she shut the door behind her, she moved over to the couch, completely ignoring Gates. Her time with him had gotten her completely used to him, and she was more interested in Melaka at the current moment.

"I hope he wasn't giving you too much trouble, Melaka."

Buffy...hadn't realized that the monkey was coming to dinner. She took it in stride, however, and smiled.

"What? A primate like him? Must be like lugging a toddler around. A...many-armed toddler.

Hi Mel."

The monkey, at least, was out cold. Melaka set him down with little fanfare before she turned to solute Buffy.

"Hey Summers."

Well, Azusa assumed he wouldn't be out cold for long. She knew he was coming, so she at least had food to bribe him with if he behaved. She'd have to wait and see.

"I'm so glad you both could make it, Buffy, Melaka."

"Who'm I to turn down a dinner date with two lovely ladies, huh?"

"Never turn down you, Azu."

Hell, she ate here most of the time, honestly.

"You're just as lovely, Buffy. I hope both of you are hungry, I made some food I thought Melaka had never tried before."

She gestured to the table. Pickled vegetables, soup...at least the hamburg steak looks meaty.

A nod of her head.

"I could eat. Absolutely. Saved up my appetite for this -- oh, what kinda soup is that?"

BRB -- investigating.

No, of course she hadn't had this. But... she'd gotten very used to having alien things in Luceti. Fact is, it happened all the time. But. Hey, these vegetables at least looked interesting.

After serving a bowl for everyone spot at the table, Azusa explains that the seaweed in the bowl is for flavor, not eating.

"It's just a traditional miso...it's nothing very fancy," she says modestly. "And those are tsukemono, Melaka. I pickled those vegetables myself."

"Wait. Waitwaitwait. You're not supposed to eat it?"

She peered at the soup. "And all these times I've done sushi bar lunches...they're very fashionable in So-Cal. But there I was, slurping up the seaweed and making a fool of me."

Buffy sat down -- smiling. Her faux-pas clearly didn't bother her too much.

Melaka blinked at the miso, hearing out Buffy's reaction and Melaka's explanation. There's a pause involved as she sniffed it. That's such a strong smell... huh. Not sure if she was supposed to go to eat or not though, she instead settles in to just waiting and watching this play out.

...And sniff again.

"I think it depends on the type of seaweed, Buffy. Some are too strong to eat but add flavor, and some are fine to eat."

Thinking it would be easier for Melaka and Buffy, she did leave out spoons, but her smile fades as she turns to face her neighbor. "Melaka, is something wrong?"

And she did indeed reach for the spoon.

"I'm guessing seaweed isn't a staple in the diet of the future."

"Nah, just sniffing."

She does that - it was a habit she'd developed. She knew other people thought it was odd, and she did not care. That said, she had no reason to doubt Azusa's skill, just if her own taste buds could handle this. She took the spin, stirs it in the bowl a moment, and then took it to her lips.

...Wow that's weirder than she thought.

Azusa quietly takes a spoonful as well. It's very plain-tasting...to her, at least, but that's what she was hoping for. In the back of her mind, she wonders if Melaka's ever had tofu.

"How is it, you two? Have you ever had miso soup, Buffy?"

"Like I said -- trendy LA lunches. But I probably haven't had it in, oh, five years now?"

"...It's neat."

Tofu is a strange, alien creature. However, it tasted a little like most meat in Haddyn, just textured different.

"I've never been to LA before, Buffy, but I hope you enjoy my version all the same."

She takes another sip. She's using her hands, not spoons. "It's very common where I come from, Melaka."

"No fears; it's delish."

Common would mean...

"Taste of home?"

"I'm glad. And yes, Melaka. It's a Japanese dish."

She sets down her bowl. "Ah, so how did the two of you meet, exactly?"

"Here," was the simple answer. "Our wheres might be the same but our whens are different. I'd have to grow pretty old to meet Melaka back home. O-or learn how to travel through time."

Pfft, time travel. She actually laughed at that.

"Time travel! That'll be the day."

"Time traveling would be nice, though, wouldn't it...?"

Of course, being Azusa, she'd end up completely lost in time. It's a silly thought, though. She cracks open her beer.

And so Buffy and Melaka became the dynamic dramatic irony duo.

"I dunno. What about all the paradoxes?"

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You're My Only Shining Star

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