1089/Starry Catch-Ups

Starry Catch-Ups
Date of Scene:	06 December 2014
Location:	Tomoeda-865
Synopsis:	Tomoyo pays Sakura and Kaede a surprise visit to catch up!
Cast of Characters:	172, 312, Tomoyo Daidouji

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Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo walks up to the doors of the Castle of Stars, rubbing her mitten-clad hands together. Either for warmth, or from anticipation. She has a soft, gentle smile on her face, and a large, dark blue satchel hanging from her right shoulder, the straps crossing her chest and back so it hangs from her left.

     Taking off one of the mittens using her teeth, she knocks sharply on the doors before stepping back, hands clasped before her, gently swaying on her feet as she waits for an answer.

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    The door is, currently, at the shrine - just standing by itself in empty space. Sakura tends to just leave it there when she doesn't need to put the door somewhere specifically...

    Sakura is inside the Castle! In her room. It's a -long- way from the entrance hall, so when she hears a knock at the door, she has to sprint to answer it!

Kaede (312) has posed:
    Kaede was working on something in Sakura's room. She'd made cookies the night before, and they were open on the desk. As Sakura's sprints off, the Shinki watches, then summons her flight pack to give chase, wallrunning to make the corners and doing a little aileron roll before pulling up short at the door, just beside Sakura's head.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     When the door opens, Tomoyo's face shows a complicated mix of emotions. Joy and happiness mainly, but also a little bit of regret and longing. Her eyes begin to mist up before she suddenly lunges forward, pulling Sakura into a hug! A very tight hug, with firm arms.

     She just holds the other girl for a moment before pulling back, smiling in that soft, kind way she usually does. "Hey Sakura~ It's so good to see you again. Sorry for dropping by so suddenly, can I come in~?"

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    Sakura was most definitely not expecting Tomoyo! Truth be told, she was expecting the priest, as he's the only one who usually knocks on the Castle's door... So the hug coems as a complete surprise, the young teen yelping and flailing a bit in startlement.

    She recovers after a few moments, though, staring for a bit. "..H-hey Tomoyo! Um. Sure, you can come in! You don't have to knock..." She promptly stands aside!

Kaede (312) has posed:
    Kaede's extremely protective of Sakura... so when someone grabs at her, she's quick to pull her Blaster out in reflex. She narrows to her eyes... but relaxes quickly when Sakura pipes up and reveals she knows the other girl. The blaster is gone in the same flash of light, and the little grey-haired shinki hovers a little closer. "Hi~. I'm Kaede!"

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo giggles softly at Sakura's surprised reaction, stepping into the castle proper and taking off her beanie. "Aw, you're sweet Sakura~ I just... didn't want to assume. It has been a while." She smiles again, a little sadly.

     But, then she notices Kaede! She beams and gently takes the Shiki's hand in between her thumb and index finger, shaking it! "We spoke on the radio~ Nice to meet you in person Kaede!"

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    Sakura looks from Kaede to Tomoyo, a bit perplexed. "On the radio..? Oh! Right. Tomoyo joined the Union..." She's still getting used to that idea. "Huh...? I know 've been, like, super busy lately, but I saw you at school... uh..." Pause. Think. "On Wed- no, I didn't go to..." Pause. "On Tuesday! Oh man did I really miss three days of school?"

Kaede (312) has posed:
    "Oh, Miss Tomoyo!" she finally recognizes the voice. "I brought those cookies I promised! There's a little bag for you I separated from the rest." she adds, giggling. The shinki then flits over to scowl right in Sakura's face. "You need to keep up with school, Master! It's not good for you to miss so much!"

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     "Yeah, I know~ But uh, we haven't really... talked for a while. Properly talked, not just exchanging greetings. I was hoping that we could? Unless you're too busy, of course~" Tomoyo says. She has that understanding smile on her face, but there's a little hint of worry in her voice.

     "Oh! Thank you so much Kaede~" she says to the Shiki, bowing her head in thanks. "Aw, but Sakura is gonna be an amazing mage~ I'm sure she was doing something more important than school."

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    Tomoyo knows Sakura well enough - even after all that's happened - to recognise the look of guilt that spreads over her face, for a moment, before it's replaced by a smile. "Oh! No, I'm not busy at all! Come in, come in!" She practically drags Tomoyo further in.

    Sakura looks kinda... awkward. "...Um. I really -should- be paying more attention to school..."

Kaede (312) has posed:
    Plopping herself on Sakura's shoulder, Kaede hugs the girl's cheek. "You work too hard on being a good mage... I think you should spend some time being a good friend to the people who love you." she says gently. "I think the others can pick up the slack for a little while."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo beams with clear delight when Sakura pulls her further into the castle, walking along with her. Although, her smile falters a little when she sees how guilty Sakura is looking.

     "I, uh... I agree with Kaede a little. But you have a lot of responsibilities Sakura! I understand that sometimes you're too busy, and I'm sure everyone else does too, okay? So don't feel sad. A smile suits you best after all~!"

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    Sakura leads Tomoyo in, further, hand around the black-haired girl's wrist! "...Have you had dinner yet?" Sakura asks, suddenly - avoiding further talk about her various responsibilities! "Dad's working and Touya's out with Yukito so I was planning on just eating here instead of going back home tonight..."

Kaede (312) has posed:
    Kaede rides along on Sakura's shoulder. "Oh, oh! If we're cooking here, I can try out that new recipie I found online! I have the ingredients in the bag I brought with me~!" she chirps happily.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     "Oh, that would be lovely! As long as you're sure I won't be a bother," Tomoyo says sweetly. But, her smiles starts to fade when Sakura talks about how she's alone tonight. "I know you have Kaede here, and probably Kero too, but... are you by yourself a lot Sakura?"

     "Aw, thank you Kaede. Would you like some help?" she offers to the Shinki.

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    Sakura tilts her head. "..Yeah, Kero's here. He's upstairs playing... Dragon Mission XI, I think. He says he wants to beat it before getting the new one..." She then pauses mid-stride. "..." She raises one hand, and snaps her fingers.

    Suddenly, cards fly out of her pockets! They form a wall behind her, with their backs to Tomoyo for a moment, before, they all turn around to reveal their faces. "I'm never alone, Tomoyo~"

    Pause. "N-not that I don't enjoy the idea of spending more time with you!" she says, quickly!

Kaede (312) has posed:
    "I hope he's still wearing that ribbon I got him~. I still need to sort out the other presents too~." she chirps, then lifts off Sakura's shoulder to flit over to Tomoyo. "I'd love some help! It's hard cooking for someone like me. Master's dad is really nice when he helps out."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo gasps with glee as Sakura conjures her cards, smiling and waving to them. "Of course, you're right~" She giggles when Sakura gets flustered, shaking her head. "No, I understand! We've both been busy~"

     She smiles and nods to Kaede, holding out a hand for the Shinki to hop on to. "Then let's do it! I may be a rich girl, but I know my way around a kitchen, don't worry~"

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    The cards just hover there for a while, before neatly arranging themselves back into a deck and vanishing into Sakura's surprising amount of pockets. "Hey, I'll help too! You're my guest it'd be terrible manners not to..." she says, with a playful little grin.

    "...Of course he's still wearing it. Kero -loves- to dress up~"

Kaede (312) has posed:
    Kaede lands on Tomoyo's hand, and perches there with a big beaming grin. "Yeah! Three Friends Cooking Team! Lets go~!" she chirps happily. "Oh, Oh! Master! I have a present for you! I kinda lost a target battle against the Confederate Fubuki, but I took something from her as a trophy before I left~." she smiles just a little bit manicly. "Her arm popped off, so I stole it!"

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     "Oh gosh, when was the last time we cooked together?..." Tomoyo asks, mostly to herself, eyes staring off into the distance. But then she snaps out of it and giggles. "Well, I'm glad that Kero has stayed the same~"

     She looks a little disturbed when Kaede speaks so candidly about stealing the arm of another robot as she sets the Shinki down on the kitchen counter. "Well, that's very nice of you Kaede. Eheheh~"

     With the three together, no meal is safe! They all sit down with chicken yakiudon, Tomoyo having shed her mittens and warm dress, revealing a plain white top along with some brown shorts. "Goodness, this looks really good~ Thanks for the recipe Kaede!"

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    Sakura, for her part, -also- looks pretty weirded out by Kaede's 'gift'. "I, uh... o-oh..." is all she manages to say, a look of mild horror on her face.

    Sakura and Kaede have obviously cooked together before - they seem so in synch! This must be what it's like to own a Shinki. She's gotten better at cooking, as well! No longer is she afraid of hot oil. She hums to herself as she works - Tomoyo might recognise the tune as 'Fruits Candy'.

    The table they sit down at is... small! Big enough to seat four people. Not like that huge banquet table in the main hall - this is obviously where Sakura and her family actually eat when they spend time here. It's a small, cosy dining room. Fancy, but not so much that Tomoyo would be uncomfortable eating in it~

Kaede (312) has posed:
    Kaede can't eat human food, so instead she settles down with a jellycan, sitting crosslegged at one of the edges, looking between the two humans. "Anytime Miss Tomoyo! I like helping expand people's knowledge of cooking!" she chirps happily. The reaction doesn't seem to faze Kaede at all. "She sent me a package with a nasty present in it as revenge!" she pulls from her Slipway a burned and damaged Watery card. It's obviously a fake, since the real one was seen before now, but it's a pretty good replica. "I'm gonna beat the circuits outta her next time, for sure!"

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo claps her hands together. "<Itadakimasu>!" She takes a couple of mouthfuls of noodles... before solemnly putting the back down, looking across the table at Sakura. "Um... I guess I'll go first."

     She clears her throat and begins to talk in an even tone. "When you disappeared, I knew that you would come back someday. Sakura can do anything, after all~ But, I tried to help Oka fit in so people wouldn't miss you."

     She looks down at her lap, where her clenched fists sit before continuing. "But, when all this Multiverse stuff started to happen, I began to think... Sakura is just going to become more and more amazing. Before, when you were catching the Clow Cards, I just stood to the side, making you outfits and recording everything. But things are more... dangerous now. I don't want to be a liability."

     She looks back up, steely determination in her eyes. "So I decided, I won't let that happen. I'm going to become incredible too. I've been taking aikido lessons, and Li's family loaned me a magic item I can use... and my clothing store, of course. I'm going to build my capital, use it to become stronger and become as big in the mundane world as you're going to be in the magic one!"

     Exhaling sharply, she looks over to Kaede and giggles, quietly relieved at someone to help break the tension. "You can do it Kaede~!"

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    Sakura calming eats her noodles, while peering at kaede for a few moments. Sometimes she worries about that Shinki...

    And then Tomoyo is talking! Talking about... something quite serious, in fact. Sakura continues to eat while listening, not wanting to interrupt. "Mmh..." She nods her head. "Okay," she says in response. "There's not really anything I can say to change your mind, is there?"

Kaede (312) has posed:
    Kaede beams up at Tomoyo. "I believe in you too, Miss Tomoyo! Any friend of Master is sure to be amazing!" she says with a childish giggle. She even pumps a fist into the air.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo makes a show of eating some noodles slowly, looking like she is deep in thought as she considers Sakura's question. A few awkward seconds pass, until she has swallowed. Then she smiles, and simply say:

    "Nope~"

     She giggle, covering her mouth and shaking her head. "Don't worry Sakura, I'm getting better by the day. And I'll still have my bodyguards, of course~" She nods to Kaede, her statement warming her heart-and her cheeks. "Thanks Kaede!"

     She then leans forward, eyes filled with wonder. "But! You two must have some really amazing stories. Mind sharing some~?"