4. Text, Action

[greatseal]

Hello, everyone! You may have already noticed from the stores, but tomorrow is a holiday called Valentine's Day. I know not everyone is from Earth so I thought that it might be good to explain it.

Valentine's Day started in the West as a religious holiday, but it's turned into a holiday for showing people you love them! In some countries, you mostly give gifts to your girlfriend or boyfriend. In Japan (and Hinoto-ri) though, it's different. On Valentine's Day, women give chocolates to the men they know, and next month, on White Day, the men give gifts in return. Giving a guy fancy chocolates means you really like them! (o⌒.⌒o)♡

[If this were voice, this is where it would turn more serious.] A lot of us are waiting for people to come home, and we don't know how we can help that to happen yet. The people you love the most might not even be in the city at all. But we can still have fun for a day. And who knows... they might even show up tomorrow in time to celebrate.

...Anyway, if there are any girls (or boys, even) who want to learn how to make Valentine chocolates, come stop by the Iwatodai Dorm today. I have some ingredients ready. [attached: directions.txt] And if you have a recipe of your own you want to try, bring what you need and we'll make it, too!

[Action, Iwatodai Dorm]

[As promised, Minako has a good amount of chocolate and related materials getting ready for use. She's got the door to the kitchen open and the stoves working melting the chocolate, but a lot of the ingredients are spread out on the large dining-room table in the lobby. She's not sure how many people will take her offer, after all.

It may seem odd to do all of this when she doesn't even know if her intended chocolate recipients will be home tomorrow. But keeping busy has always been her trademark. When she's focused on other things, or other people, she doesn't have to worry about herself. So really, this level of activity isn't strange at all.]

[Note: Feel free to threadjack in the action part! Everyone probably won't be working individually the whole time, after all.]

Comments

[greatseal]

But Valentines' Day isn't just about having someone like that. That's why I'm making these for Akihiko-senpai - because he's my important friend.

[Don't look sad, Labrys...]

[testsubject031]

Well, all of my friends are important to me, because they're the first friends I ever had.

[Sadness defeated! She's thinking about how everybody helped get her out of the TV World now. And how Kanji was half-out of it.]

[greatseal]

Then let's get to work! We can make chocolate for all of your friends.

[And honestly, it was nice to hear that some of the people she's met here and the people she was already friends with are getting along back home, too.]

[testsubject031]

[Protein bar mix is pretty thick, but Labrys makes it look easy to stir. In the process, she's probably broken down the oats and other components on a level close to that of a factory food mill.

Almost out of the blue, she pops an unusual question. But it's releated to Akihiko, and they are making him food.]

Minako-san, what's a 'pervert'?

[greatseal]

[This is the second time that Labrys has made her wear a bizarre expression. What is the robot girl going to think of her?]

Uh - what? I mean, what brought this up?

[testsubject031]

[Is that an unusual thing to ask about?]

Teddie said Akihiko-san is a pervert, but that he's a nice pervert.

[greatseal]

Teddie?

[What. Who's 'Teddie,' and what did Akihiko get himself into this time?]

Um, well... Akihiko-senpai is nice, but I wouldn't call him a pervert. Why did Teddie say that?

[testsubject031]

Teddie's one of my friends! He's a blue bear, and my knight I guess!

[She sets the bowl down and brings a finger to her chin, recalling the encounter.]

Akihiko-san asked him to take off his clothes in the TV World, and Teddie called him that.

1/2

[greatseal]

[greatseal]

[Just... setting aside the blue bear knight part entirely for now...

She shouldn't be so shocked. They are talking about Akihiko.]

Akihiko-senpai's a great person, but he can be pretty oblivious. People drag him into situations [like Junpei and Ryoji] or he says things that sound fine to him but strange to everyone else. Um... I'm sure Akihiko-senpai had a good reason to ask Teddie-san that, but I can see why he took it the wrong way.

[she hasn't exactly explained what a pervert is, though.]

[testsubject031]

Ohh, I getcha.

[Pervert must be short for 'person who has trouble expressing his/herself with words'.]

I already know he's a good guy. He wants to be a police officer like Chie-chan someday. But Mitsuru-san said he's gotta go back to school and finish his classes first.

[greatseal]

...He isn't in school?

[Akihiko wanting to be a police officer isn't a huge shock. He'd never mentioned it around her, but she can see why it would appeal to him. He always wanted to become stronger and protect the people around him - so what better job than a policeman?

But he'd also always been near the top of his class, or as close as he could be with a classmate like Mitsuru. She can't see him having trouble with university courses, either.]

[testsubject031]

I guess not. Mitsuru-san's the one who told him he should finish.

If school's anything like I think it is, he'll have no trouble at all!

[greatseal]

Well, he's always done well in school. That's why I'm surprised.

[it's not like Mitsuru would accept anything less, anyway. Which also begs the question of how he managed to stop going in the first place.]

[testsubject031]

I'm sure it was an important reason. Who'd want to miss school on purpose? It's a lot of fun!

[Important reason being traveling the world. To fight people.

And things.]

[greatseal]

Have you been going to school then, Labrys?

[Her enthusiasm sounds a lot like Aigis' when she first decided she wanted to be a student. Or, well... not quite, since back then, Aigis hadn't sounded nearly as human.]

[testsubject031]

...No. Not yet. But I want to! I met another girl like me, and she gets to go to school here. I wanna go too, and see what it's really like. Maybe even run for the real office of student council president!

[greatseal]

[Aww, Labrys...] Then you should definitely go. And I'm sure you'd make a great student council president, too! I bet Mitsuru-senpai would help you campaign. She was our student council president and she's great at writing speeches.

[testsubject031]

No doubt Mitsuru-san's got the chutzpah to run student council. You're right, I'll ask her to help with my campaign! Maybe she can fill me on these school festivals too...

I think you'd be a great student council member too, Minako-san.

[greatseal]

Well, I was a member before because Senpai asked me, but I'm not sure about running for an office.

[...that and she'd also have to go back to school? Maybe it's time, but...]

[testsubject031]

Get outta here! That's great.

I'm just happy to hear people are willin' to give their time to help out their fellow students. You really don't need to be in student council to do that.

[But it kind of helps. And getting to help with projects sounds like a blast.]

[greatseal]

No, you don't! It just gives you some extra chances.

[testsubject031]

[Extra chances? Labrys doesn't quite understand the use of the term, but shrugs it off for the time being.]

[greatseal]

[More chances to help people, Labrys. Of course that applies more if you're like Minako and fill every waking moment with Social Links.

Anyway, back to the real task at hand, which is making these protein brownies.]

I think we have our ingredients ready. Let's mix them up and get the bars in the oven!

[testsubject031]

You got it!

[Have a bowl of perfectly mixed protein bar batter, Minako.]

I wish I could taste'em.