Hobbies and Habits
RNRPG: Hobbies and Habits
Started by: Perfume
Perfume was dressed in a black version of Ranma's typical outfit as
she walked down the streets of Nerima. Silk was running the shop at
the moment so she had some time to herself.
Unfortunately, Ukyou was keeping Konatsu really busy at Ucchans so he
didn't have much time for her today. She was bored and looking for
something to do.
That's when she noticed a new shop on the corner, it's name was
'Ko-chan Studios'. She remembered Silk telling her that she needed
some sort of Hobby, maybe this was just the place to find one.
She stepped into the shop and enjoyed the nice atmosphere. Se looked
around a bit at all the interesting items in the shop. She adjusted
her glasses and made sure that her hair was covering the right side
of her face.
When Perfume entered, she noticed that the shop had a lot in it, but it didn't look cluttered. On one side, there was a gallery full of many paintings of various subjects. Some were from Japan, some were also from various other countries. On the other side, there was a decent size art supply section. It not only featured painting equipment, but there were also items for other crafts as well. Towards the back of the studios, there was a gigantic mural of Jusenkyou, separated into three parts.
Towards the front and center of Ko-chan Studios, was the proprietor. Her name was Fujiko Tamamiru and instead of the usual black bodysuit, she was wearing a navy blue blazer, a burgundy shirt, and a black skirt. Fujiko was looking over a book that had the script for the latest play that the Drama Club was putting on. Periodically, she would look down on her cat who decided it was now time to be petted and cuddled, no matter what Fujiko thought of the idea. As it was, Fujiko would have rather read the script than pet the cat at that moment.
After quietly voicing her disapproval at Jinx, her cat, Fujiko looked back up and saw Perfume. "Good Afternoon, Miss. Welcome to Ko-chan Studios. Is there anything I can help you with today? I got a special buy on origami paper, so today it's 30% off it's normal price."
Perfume smiled at Fujiko one of her rare smiles. "Hello, I'm looking for a Hobby to do when I'm not working." she paused for a second. "I noticed the painting of Jusenkyou, Have you ever been to china? I'm from a village near Jusenkyou."
Fujiko smiled. "Oh really? Wow! I actually went to Jusenkyou about three years ago. It's a beautiful place. I painted that when I was over there. It's about the only picture that's not for sale. I don't want to part with it. I never visited any of the outlying areas, but I heard there were whole villages of women warriors. Is that true or was our Guide just telling stories? He seemed to have a lot of them about Jusenkyou."
Perfume smiled softly, not many people believed the stories of her homeland. "The stories are true, there is a mighty village of amazon warriors. I grew up in such a place. If you want stories, I live with two other Amazons at "Cures and Curses."
She thought she'd better warn the newcomer about some of the hazards. "Watch out for the Amazons that run the Nekohanten. With the exception of Rinse Chan they are dangerous!"
Fujiko nodded and then spoke. "Nekohanten. That's the ramen shop, isn't it? Yeah...I think I'll take your advice. So far I haven't had any serious troubles, but I can see that happening."
Fujiko reached below the counter and picked up Jinx. "Mrrow!" the cat howled in protest. "Now, now, it's alright." As she continued to pet the cat, she turned back to Perfume. "Jinx here, doesn't like the one in white robes. He keeps attacking the poor guy. I've been keeping him inside. I really don't want a neighborly dispute."
She put the cat down and the cat went around Perfume's legs, rubbing up against them. Afterwards, Jinx continued his prowl around the store totally oblivious to the fact that Perfume really doesn't like cats.
"So did you like any arts of crafts in your village outside Jusenkyou?" Fujiko asked.
Perfume was quiet for a second as she watched jinx go about his business.
"I never really had time for it before. I was busy reading or fighting, I never had time for a hobby until now. I don't really know what I would be good at."
Fujiko smiled and shook her head. "You don't have to be good at a hobby. The point of a hobby is to enjoy it. Tell you what, why don't we wander down the aisles until you see something that interests you? I'll answer any questions you have, although some I'll be able to answer better than others."
"okay" Perfume smiled as she browsed about the store. She found herself to the modeling clay, where some had already been shaped into cute little bunnies.
"That's it" She smiled as she spoke. "I want to be able to do that." Pointing to the clay.
She smiled at Fujiko, "Oh and If you would like to learn about Jusenkyou, you could have dinner with me and my friends tonight." It wasn't often that Perfume met someone that she might like, Fujiko was just that sort of person.
Fujiko nodded and start walking down a different aisle. "Modeling things out of clay isn't something I know a lot about," she said apologetically. "I do, however, have a great book on the subject that a friend in London recommended to me. Let's see where is it? Aha! Here we go. "
Fujiko grabbed two copies of the book in question. "It's going to take me about two weeks to get the Chinese translation. In the meantime, all I have are the English and Japanese versions. Take whichever one you would think would be more useful."
"As far as dinner goes, I am interested in learning more about your village and it's customs. I don't want to intrude if you have plans tonight, though. You are also welcome to hang out here as well and play with your new clay and book. I designed this shop to be a place where artists can relax and practice their craft."
All of a sudden, everyone in the store heard a loud "rrrrrowwwwr" followed by seeing a black blur run around the store and to the back towards Fujiko's living quarters. The black blur, of course, was Jinx. "WHAT has gotten into that cat?!?" Fujiko asked with one eyebrow raised.
Perfume jumped in surprise, she adopted a defensive fighting stance. too many encounters with Kodachi had made her wary. "What's wrong? Is something going on?"
Fujiko slowly walked towards the store door, pulling out some compacts out of an inside pocket. Looking outside she saw nothing out of the ordinary. She looked down the street and saw a figure wearing a red Chinese style shirt with black Chinese style slacks. Fujiko just shook her head in disgust. "Nooo, the cat always freaks out when that guy walks down the street. I don't know why. He's never been in the shop and hasn't done anything wrong. That cat is just weird sometimes..."
Perfume calmed down and smiled. "Startled by a crazy cat, just my luck."
She smiled at her new acquaintance. " It's no problem for dinner. Oh my Japanese reading isn't so good, so I'll take the English version of the book."
Fujiko was surprised at this. She would have guessed that Perfume would have taken the Japanese edition. "Good for you. Get as close to the original text as you can. Some of these books lose a little in the translation."
"You know, I just realized that we haven't exchanged names yet. Mine's Fujiko. What's yours?"
Perfume smiled and blushed when she realized that Fujiko was correct, she hadn't given the Japanese girl her name. "I'm terribly sorry. " She apologized with a quick nod. "My name is Perfume, pleased to meet you."
Fujiko smiled. "Pleased to meet you as well. What time do you want me at Curses and Cures? I think I know where it's at. It's down the street from the Ucchan, right?"
"Actually, it's right across the street from Ucchans. Six o'clock would be a good time. "
Smiling pleasantly Perfume purchased her book and headed out towards "cures and curses" to tell Silk that there would be company.
She only hoped that she didn't mind Perfume bringing a guest home.
Silk was in the shop front, watering the plants that littered the building. Plants was one of Silk's hobbies, "Heya Perfume, enjoy your walk?"
Scarf, who was in the back making dinner, said, "Welcome home,
Perfume."
Perfume smiled pleasantly, it felt good that her friends were so concerned about her. "Thank you Silk-Chan and Scarf-Chan, yes I did have a good walk."
She shifted nervously before continuing. "I made a new friend today, and I invited her for dinner if that's alright."
Scarf's ears perked up at the word "her". He groaned and thought --I hope she doesn't fall too hard for me.-- "Okay, I hope she likes Ramen."
Silk smiled, "That's fine, Perfume. You live here too, you know. And Scarf always makes more than enough dinner." the healer finished with her plants and pulled out her chemistry homework on the kitchen counter next to where scarf was cooking, not cluttering up the table she'd set earlier. "If you could add one more place setting Perfume, we'll be all set."
********
Time flies and soon Fujiko found that it was 5:30. After muttering under her breath, she quickly closed up shop and headed upstairs. After a quick shower, she changed into a sweater and a pair of slacks. She didn't want to look like trailer trash, but she didn't want to come off as pretentious, either.
She quickly went down the stairs and headed for the door when an obstacle was in her way. The name of the obstacle was Jinx. Jinx wanted to go wherever Fujiko was about to head off to and he wanted to be carried there. Fujiko looked down at her cat, totally unimpressed. "I swear, one of these days I'm going to figure out just how you know whenever I'm about to go out to eat," she said.
The cat simply said "merrow." Jinx was determined to get his way or make sure that Fujiko didn't get her way. It was Fujiko's choice. Fujiko leaned down to pick up her cat. "You are SUCH a baby," she muttered, chastising the cat. "Come on let's go."
Fujiko locked the door and headed down the street. It was now 5:50 PM and it would take Fujiko five minutes or so to reach Curses and Cures. It looked like it was going to be a wonderful evening. She just hoped that they didn't mind cats.
Seven minutes later, Fujiko knocked on the door of Curses and Cures.
Silk didn't look up from where she sat on a stool at the counter, working on what she called her 'chemistry scribbling', "Can you get that Perfume? I think you're friend is here."
"I'm on my way. " Perfume beamed as she ran by to answer the door. She opened it a little too quickly.
"Hiya Fujiko-Chan."
"Hey, Perfume." Fujiko responded. "I apologize for bringing the cat, but the big baby wouldn't let me out of the house unless I brought him along. I have no idea how he always manages to guess when I'm going out to eat. Speaking of which, I can smell dinner out here. It smells great."
Perfume smiled at Fujiko and gave Jinx a strange look. "He's an unusual feline." She let Fujiko into the shop. "Silk and Scarf do all the cooking, and they are both pretty good. My cooking is notorious back home. "
Fujiko nodded as she entered. "That's okay. My cooking skills aren't worth bragging about either. Jinx is a strange cat, though. I have only had him for a few days and yet he acts like he has known me for years. Despite his little quirks, he's a pretty good housecat. I have had no troubles with dogs and rats since I have been in Nerima."
"Hello." Scarf said from the kitchen in back. Suddenly there was the slamming open of a door from back there and what sounded to be a crowd of screaming girls yelling about something. Scarf then jumped through the door to the kitchen and looked around with a scared look on his face. He then jumped towards the nearest wall and tapped it with one finger making it explode, creating a nice exit for him. Moments later, a large crowd of girls came running into the room and out the hole after him.
Fujiko face-faulted and dropped the cat. Jinx would've landed on his head, but we all know that cats land on their feet. Either way, Jinx let out a loud "mrrroooww" expressing his displeasure. Fujiko didn't pay much notice.
She didn't catch just what all the chaos was about, but she did manage to pick up on the key points. One, the guy was drop dead gorgeous. Two, he was cooking the meal. Three, according to Perfume he was a damn fine cook. Four, instead of letting Fujiko flirt and possibly date the guy, a group of girls decided to chase him like a wild animal. All of which lead to number five, Fujiko's conclusion. There is no way I'm gonna let that happen without a fight.
Fujiko threw up a red aura of anger. Unlike most fighting aura, this one radiated heat. Jinx wanted to be held but upon getting close to Fujiko, decided it would be a good time to do something else, like explore the kitchen. Picking up some of her compacts that she always carried with her, she ran right after the mob of females.
Once she got within throwing distance, Fujiko threw some of her explosive compacts into the crowd. She screamed at the top of her lungs that hunting season is now officially OVER! She also stated that if meant she had to give every girl a trip to the hospital, she would do it. Ko-chan pulled out her quarterstaff and closed in for the kill.
Perfume stopped dead in her tracks, she was very impressed at Fujiko's speed, skill and ferocity. "wow, and people think I'm violent."
Silk was moderately pissed at the wanton destruction of her shop wall, but seeing that their guest was going to take care of the mob this time, she prudently removed the ramen from the stove to cool. "Perfume-Chan, will you go make sure Scarf and your friend make it back safely?"
With that said Silk went downstairs to get some plywood and tools, erecting a makeshift wall over the hole in about three minutes flat (one does get better with practice). Adding the last of the spices that she and Scarf used when they made the noodles, she garnished the bowls with the chicken chunks and herbs, rather then the usual fish sausage the Japanese used. It was a recipe they'd developed a few weeks ago, that they'd all liked. She hoped they'd finish the fight quickly, otherwise the ramen was going to be cold.
Then she noticed that the girl's cat was still in the room, and offered him a scrap of chicken. "Nice kitty." she knelt and held out her hand for him to sniff.
Jinx looked up at Silk and then smelled the chicken. Satisfied that the chicken was safe, Jinx slowly went for the chicken, allowing Silk more than enough time to yank her hand out of the way. Jinx enjoyed the tender morsel and purred his contentment.
Perfume dashed out of the door on an intercept course for her friends. She would never figure out why that mob of women would never leave Scarf-Chan alone.
Silk sat on the ground and held another piece of chicken out to the feline. "Will you come sit with me, cat?" she asked him, not resorting to the usual 'here kitty kitty kitty' with this specimen. He seemed above that call.
Jinx wandered over to Silk and nibbled on his second piece of chicken. Purring loudly, he decided that Silk was definitely a nice lady and this was well worth the trip. He looked at Silk and saw her hands patting her lap. The cat knew that she wanted to pet him. Jinx didn't think twice. He got into her lap and stretched himself out in a nice comfortable position. Once he was situated, he looked at Silk and just said "meow."
Scarf felt a powering up of chi from behind him and he spun in midair and saw a girl he didn't recognize fighting the mob. He raised an eyebrow towards them. --Is that Perfume's new friend?-- he thought.
Amidst the cries of "Ow!," "What are you doing?," and "Let go me of, you crazy", Fujiko was still swinging her quarterstaff with no signs of letting up. When the mob of drooling females started to realize that their pastime was now dangerous for their health, several of them began to disperse in various directions. The last thing they wanted to deal with was yet another crazy martial artist.
A few of the heartier ones still pursued the love of their life. Some of the bolder ones even turned around to face Fujiko. That idea didn't last for very long. Soon, Fujiko had knocked two of them unconscious and sent four more to the hospital with third degree burns. The rest of the girls decided that a hasty retreat was the better part of valor.
To the retreating mob, Fujiko yelled the following "My name is Fujiko Tamamiru and NO ONE interrupts MY dinner date with a hunk." With her back towards Scarf, she relaxed a little bit. Fujiko's Volcanic Rage Chi attack subsided. Catching her breath, she turned to Scarf and simply said "Are you alright?"
One of the braver and more foolhardy of Scarf's 'wild woman' pack stood up behind Fujiko, intent on bringing the redhead down. She never got the chance as the butt of Perfume's Naginata connected with the right side of the girl's head.
"Don't these girls ever learn? Just once I wish that they would just Talk to Scarf-Chan!"
Even though he was less than thrilled with her choice of words (MY dinner date with a hunk.) Scarf replied with a smile "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for the save." Looking over at Perfume he said "You too, Perfume."
Perfume graced Scarf with one of her warm smiles. "It was no problem Scarf-Chan you would have done the same for me." -Hopefully I never have armies of crazed women after me.- She thought with a smile.
"Why don't we go back inside?"
Fujiko grinned. "Sure thing. Fighting like this always makes me hungry." Fujiko then nudged Perfume in the side and gave a wink. "you didn't tell me you had a gorgeous roommate, you lucky dog, you." She then turned back to Scarf and saw his face for the first time.
She turned white as a ghost, put her hand to her face and said softly "Oh my god. It's..." Fujiko then found it very hard to walk. "It's you." With that, she fainted.
Once the sound of a mob in pain subsided, Silk walked out of the shop to remind her roommates and guest that the ramen was getting cold. She looked a little odd with a cat draped over her shoulders, but she didn't care. She came around the corner just in time to see Fujiko start to fall and dashed forward a little, catching the redhead. The cat yowled his protest at the sudden movement, then sniffed anxiously at it's 'pet'. Silk looked from Scarf to Perfume, "Eh, Ok. What happened?"
"Ummm... That's sorta what I'm wondering." Scarf replied. "She just looked at me, said 'It's you.' and then passed out. And I don't know her so I don't know how she can recognize me."
"Silk-Chan, you don't think one of these girls got a lucky hit in on her?" Perfume asked as she looked at her new friend in concern.
Just then Fujiko was coming to. She looked around at her surroundings and muttered "my uncle warned me that Nerima was going to be a strange place. I guessed I shoulda paid more attention to him. No, Perfume, those girls didn't touch me at all. No, your roommate just surprised me as all. I didn't expect him to look like that. Not like that at all."
She looked at Silk. "Well, I see the cat approves of you. He usually has good taste in people. Is it alright if we go back inside and eat dinner? I'm starving. That little surprise took a lot out of me." Then looked back at Scarf, completing the circuit. "You look like a very old friend of mine and threw me for a loop, I'm sorry if I caused you any embarrassment." she said with cheeks flushed.
Silk had let go of the redhead when she started to come to, and the cat had decided that hands not busy elsewhere were best employed petting him. So she was scratching behind one of his ears. "Ramen is getting cold. What's your name, by the way?" she asked Perfume's friend. "I'm Silk, owner of the Curses and Cures." she led the group back towards the waiting dinner.
Perfume followed the rest of the group. She kept an eye out for any more of Scarf's girlfriends that they may have missed. She was also mentally berating herself for not doing proper introductions.
"I'm Scarf." he told Fujiko while he examined her, and you didn't, just sorta surprised me."
Fujiko nodded, then pulled out a picture and handed it to Scarf. The picture had someone who looked just like Scarf, except that the figure in the picture was wearing a leather jacket and fedora, straight out of Raiders of the Lost Ark. "You see why I was surprised. You look exactly like him, minus a change of clothing. I just wanted you to know that wasn't a come-on line."
Perfume glanced over Scarf's shoulder and compared Scarf to the picture. "She's right Scarf, he could be your twin."
Silk glanced at the picture and did a double take. The guy in question was absolutely gorgeous. Then she looked at Scarf. --Damn...-- her mind stalled for a moment. She'd been friends with the older boy for so long that she never really looked at him. He was, as the Furinkan girls put it TAIHEN BISHOUNEN! which meant 'extremely cute'. Her mental voice screamed at her to move, say something... anything, but she just stood there, staring. "Bishou..." she mumbled.
"Huh?" Scarf said having heard her mumble.
Fujiko looked at Silk and snickered. "Yep. and for a short time he was mine."
Silk shook her head to clear it, tearing her eyes away from both the picture and Scarf. "Let's go eat, or else we'll have to use the microwave to heat it up, and you know what happens then." she made an expansive gesture with both arm arms, "BOOM! explosion, Silk shaped ramen sculpture, the whole works."
Perfume had to smirk at Silk's comment. She was polite enough not to laugh about it, no matter how many times it happened Silk still tried to use that infernal device.
"Why don't you let me operate that thing next time? It would be much less messy."
Fujiko just raised an eyebrow. Her uncle was right. Nerima is a strange place. At least, Fujiko could go with the flow.
Perfume smiled at Fujiko as she sat down. "There's never a dull moment in this town."
"I guess not," Fujiko said. "Then again, that's one of the reasons I moved here. This place seems to have an energy that other places lack."
"Second law of thermal dynamics. Things tend to get more chaotic. Nerima has it on a cube or a square of a normal town." Silk said as they entered the shop and sat down to eat. "I imagine the energy of the martial artist's probably bleeds into the atmosphere. We're all so full of hot air." She smiled depreiciatively.
Scarf went into the kitchen and picked up the perfectly cooled ramen, and by the time he came back to the table everyone was seated. He began serving portions to the diners. "Enjoy." He said.
Fujiko smelled the ramen. It did smell tasty. "Thank you," she said as she began her meal.
"Itadakimasu." Silk smiled, "Welcome to Nerima, Fujiko."