[Open] Chow Down

[Amane Mana]

Amane sighed in relief as she sat down in her usual place in the beef bowl place. She placed her school bag beside her seat as she made her order. School felt especially long today. Suddenly she didn't feel like visiting the dark hour...except for the fact that she could never sleep peacefully through it.

It wasn't that she had enough blankets or pillows, no, it wasn't anything like that. It was more the fact that she was all alone and the outside is filled with blood and abominations that want to eat her. Granted, even if she was living with people again, they'd likely turn into those coffins and Amane wasn't near curious enough to open them. 

"Thank you for the meal." Amane clapped her hands together and split her chop sticks. Nothing like a good beefbowl after a stressful day. Maybe she'll be in a better mood for that time than she thought. She shuddered as she noticed someone sit about a seat away from her. She sighed in relief. The dark hour has caused a lot of undue stress. Maybe she won't go out tonight...

[Jacob Peeters]

A figure carrying a shoping bag of the local computer hardware store enters the premises. His posture slightly askew and supported by a cane. Jacob had gone out to buy replacements for spare parts that had recently been used to maintain his computer. The happenings in the break room some time ago had caused a power surge, and it had done a number on Jacob's equipment. It was a good thing he always kept a box of replcament parts around for such an occasion.

Now however, he found himself rather peckish. He had simply chosen a restaurant at random. It seemed a respectable enought place. As he walked in, the scents of the japanese kitchen filled his nose. At first glance, the rice and soy sauce and all that had seemed rather different from the food back in belgium, but on closer inspection, there were many tastes that were shared. And then there was also the increasing taste for western food that came through the country. So if Jacob really wanted, he could just search for a while and probably find some place that served familiar quisine.

His mind was wandering though, in his thoughts, he had sat himself down besides some lady that was enjoying a beef dish of some sort. A waiter soon walked up to take his order. Enticed by his current neighbour's enthusiastic eating, jacob decided to order the same dish.

He patiently waited for his food, and then he saw a worrying detail out of the corner of his eye. The gun-like device that summoned forth the flaming humanoid was slightly visible from his inside pocket. He quickly and subtly stowed it, hoping no one else had seen it.

[Yuuki Honda]

There wasn't a real reason to be hanging around the shops right now other than to simply kill time. Yuuki had no after-school activities, no desire to study or work, and no functioning right hand to press keys on his piano. It sucked, all of it. He hung his head low, to keep attention away from him as he strode through the energetic crowd. The palm of his hand held up his glasses, which were constantly at risk of falling due to the position of his face.

Actually, he was pretty drained in general from having to pay attention to that whole lecture on English literature. A Midsummer Night's Dream was a much more enjoyable read in translated Japanese than in this gobbledygook and claptrap of roman characters hastily pasted together like a five year-old's science project. It was a reminder to him that he should never exert himself too much with these mundane topics.

Ugh, everything was a blur. Figuring that it was his hunger punching his punchbag of a punchbag brain, he entered the first food establishment that he could find off the corner of his eye. 'Maybe I should stop thinking', he thought. 'Crap thoughts are crap. Why am I thinking more', he thought some more. Meanwhile, the blank-eyed pianist lifted his head and seated himself subconsciously on the other side of Amane.

When it was time to take orders, he raised a finger and threw out a word that rested upon the tip of his tongue the moment he stepped inside: "Beeeeef." The confused look on the woman snapped him out of this strange trance and he realized how stupid he just sounded. He wasn't removed from his status because of a debilitation to that extent. Yuuki rubbed his eyes coughed, and smiled to the worker, composing himself in the face of shame.

"I mean... beef bowl, please."

He looked side-to-side, and noticing his close proximity to the two down from him, he gave them the same forced smile that he offered to the worker.

[Amane Mana]

Amane enjoyed her meal greatly. The beef, the onion, the few shreds of vegetables on it, the egg, and the rice. It's like these ingredients were meant to be with each other. It's what made places like this a god sent. Especially after she moved around here. It was like her private paradise...only not so private do to the fact that they're people present but she didn't care. 

Her eyes can't help but to notice an adult sitting on down not too far from him. He didn't look like he was around here. Business trip? Maybe. However, something peculiar was showing from his pocket. Did he have a lighte-? Wait...no lighter would have that type of handle. Amane tried her best not to react but her eyes did shake a little at the sight. It was amazing she didn't jump form her seat.

Why does he have a gun? Amane tried to think of numerous explanations...the worst already came to mind that he could be Yakuza. This was bad. There was a reason why she appreciated Japanese Arms Control policies that are in place. 

"Beeeeef." Amane snapped back over to the boy across the restaurant from her. Amane's eyes titled back to see that the gun was concealed again but she focused back on her food. If she is noticed the gun and the owner of it saw, she'll have bigger worries than abominations that attempt to devour people during a hidden hour.

[Jacob Peeters]

A waiter came around to deliver Jacob's order. He briefly fumbled about with the chopsticks and started eating his dish. Eating with sticks was something he had yet to master. As he ate, he noticed someone quickly looking away from him out of the corner of his eye.

It was the same girl from earlier. For some reason, she was avoiding his gaze. It wasn't hard to work out the reason for this. She had been sitting in a perfect position to see him stow away the device after all. And so, between two clumsy attempts at eating the bowl of fried beef and the like. He turned to her. "Is something the matter miss?" He said in a purposefully ambigious tone.

[Yuuki Honda]

That was a relief; they went back to eating. This was good. Ugh, his head was still spinning. In less time that he could perceive, the food was already in front of him. Easing himself to reach over and grab some chopsticks, he arranged them properly with his right hand. With the sticks in place, he grabbed at a bit of meat and slowly raised it to his mouth. Its soft surface touched the bottom of his lip, and at that point, his hand gave in he dropped beef on the floor. His chopsticks also fell, landing right on his lap. Yuuki sighed deeply and used his left hand to remove the utensils from his pants.

"What a pain," he muttered quietly to himself. He looked back to the other two in the restaurant, and noticed the short yet older foreigner speak to a girl. What was wrong with her? Perhaps for a little longer than he should have, he looked Amane over to see if she was crying or anything. Nope, she was just peacefully eating her food.

Now, Yuuki wasn't one to assume the worst. But, given that he hadn't been noticed as Honda Yuuki and asked for an autograph yet, he was relatively invisible. Even then, he didn't want to look like he was creeping on this girl even though he kind of did look like he was a few moments ago. Being a hero also wasn't on his agenda, but he still felt like he should pay attention. Yuuki lowered his head and chewed upon his first legitimate piece of beef, an eye still upon Amane and the short foreigner. If something happened, he'd be ready to help in any way he could...

...how would he do that?

[Amane Mana]

"Is something the matter miss?" Oh shit. Amane finished chewing and swallowed as she looked over at the person next to her. Great, just great. This was new. It was at this point she wondered if she should use her Persona now...but that would attract far too much attention if a chunk of ice was dropped on a guy. Amane decided to play it natural for now.

"There is nothing wrong. I just haven't seen anyone new in this place in a while." Amane said as she went back to her meal. Hopefully she'll be left alone.

[Jacob Peeters]

The girl's answer was quite plausible. Jacob was a foreigner after all. There were still people from time to time that regarded him as something of a curiosity. And yet, something about it seemed off. The girl seemed quite jumpy and wanting to avoid Jacob's eyes. Something that usually evidenced that someone needed to hide something. Regardless, it seemed impudent to ask further then and there, as the girl was a total stranger to jacob.

And so he decided to simply continue eating. He quickly finished his own meal, signaled for a bill, and made his leave. This wasn't the last the girl would see of jacob though. He'd wait around outside the restaurant, ready to fall into step besides her as he walked out. It was better to be safe than sorry, as the last thing he could use right now was being arrested for illegal ownership of a gun.