[OPEN] What could it mean that we're here,

[cakebuffet]

Who: Ann & you!
Where: Coffee shop, kitchen, training center, and potential other locations.
When: May 6th & 7th
Rating: PG for now.
Summary: After having a few days to regain her bearings, Ann has decided to further explore what Wonderland has to offer.
The Story:
may 6th, coffee shop

[It's not Leblanc, but when Ann does stumble across the coffee shop during her investigation of the mansion, she gladly notes that it has something of a similar feel to it-- cozy, though it's a lot more modern than Boss' place. It's not the same, but if they're going to be stuck here for any real length of time, it's nice to having something at least a little bit familiar. She sets her bag down beside one of the chairs at the counter, reaching for her phone to fire off a quick text to Morgana, Yusuke and Futaba.]

Have you guys found the coffee shop yet? First floor, door 16! It's no Leblanc, but we should see how it measures up!

[She tucks her phone away, only barely managing it before the pastry case grabs her attention.Oh...]

Are these for real? [She reaches out to grab a cupcake from the sample tray perched on top, biting at her lower lip.] Who makes all of these? They're gorgeous!

[On top of undoubtedly being delicious. She's getting there.]

may 6th, kitchen

[It's not her first visit to the kitchen, given that it would have taken a lot more than being dumped in Wonderland to convince Ann to skip a meal, but she hasn't quite put the kitchen or the closets through their paces yet. Now that she's read all the literature on this place (the brochure had been very helpful) and learned a little but more about what Wonderland's magic is capable of?

Well, it would be a shame not to make good use of it. So far, she'd been treating the fridge and the cupboards the way she would in any other kitchen-- it had been easy enough to find the usual staples in there, but if this place is really magic, it should be able to do a lot more than that.]

Let's see...

[She folds her arms across her chest as she stands in front of the open pantry door, thoughtful.]

I wonder if this place will take care of the actual cooking part for us, too?

may 7th, training center/danger room

[It's entirely by accident that Ann comes across the training center, and she almost turns on her heel and leaves, potentially dismissing it as something of interest, but some of the equipment catches her eye and compels her to look a little bit closer. She'd seen the fitness center nearby, a gym that was full of the kind of equipment she was used to seeing in these kinds of places, but this? This was different.]

Huh. I wonder what people train here for...

[The elaborate targets that are set up in the main room make it pretty clear that this place isn't used for your everyday exercise routine. She lets out a soft hmm, propping a hand against her hip.]

Maybe we could use this place. Is there someone we can talk to about renting it out?

[Would anyone mind? It seems like the kind of place that could serve them well so they didn't fall out of practice-- there were no Shadows to fight to keep themselves sharp, after all.]

may 7th, closed to futaba

[It's not the first attempt Ann has made to coax Futaba out of her room since their arrival, and she's sure it won't be the last. She's caught wind of Futaba venturing out once or twice, but not for very long-- and while some regressions is probably to be expected, Ann knows she's going to be in serious trouble if Akira shows up and all the work they've put in with Futaba has been undone. She sighs, knocking for the third time since the start of this particular attempt, slumping forward against the door to rest her weight against it on one arm afterwards.]

Come on, you don't have to come out for long-- let's just get something to eat. You've gotta be tired of instant noodles, and a change of scene will be good for you! Just for a little while.

[They have a lot to learn about this place, and given that Futaba is their information specialist, Ann feels she should be seeing more of it firsthand. Without Akira here, someone has to keep everyone on task, and unfortunately, Ann feels like responsibility falls to her. Morgana is helpful, of course, but he's still Morgana. Yusuke and Futaba both require a delicate touch in different ways, one she's nowhere near mastering the way Akira has, and she doesn't even know where to begin with Akechi.

She's not made for this life, but damn if she's not going to do her best.]

Comments

kitchen

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji does get out of the diner occasionally, despite popular belief. He's been trying to do so more often lately. That doesn't mean that his trip to the kitchen isn't diner-related, however. His plan is to compare what the kitchen offers compared to what the closet-turned-pantry in the diner offers. If the selection is different, he might need to start making trips downstairs to get ingredients.

He arrives in time to hear Ann's question.]

If you go to the dining room, you won't have to cook anything.

c:

[cakebuffet]

[Ann practically lights up at that nugget of information-- she's not entirely useless when it comes to cooking, having learned a decent amount from her live-in caretaker over the years, but she's not exactly skilled, either, nor is she particularly ambitious in that department.]

Really?

[She turns to face him, smiling.]

You know, the more I hear about this place, the more I like it.

[Aside from the fact that it's missing far too many of her friends.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji has a feeling she won't feel that way after the next event, but no reason to ruin the moment.]

Want me to show you where it is?

[cakebuffet]

[She's just letting her stomach speak for her at this point-- he's not wrong, her tune will definitely change.]

That would be great! You don't mind? You must have come in here for something, after all-- don't let me interrupt.

[eatsyourscience]

I can always come back.

[The kitchen, unlike some rooms, is definitely not going anywhere.]

Come on. It's on the second floor.

[cakebuffet]

[She nods-- people here have definitely been friendly, she'll say that much for them.]

Thanks-- that's really kind of you. I'm Ann Takamaki, by the way.

[eatsyourscience]

Souji Seta.

[He leads her out of the kitchen, but walks beside her as they head for the stairs.]

It's nice to meet you, Takamaki.

[He dropped suffixes a long time ago, but he still feels odd calling Japanese people by their given names when he meets them. Americans...not so much.]

[cakebuffet]

[Being that Ann is a bit of both, the lack of honorific doesn't bother her at all. Spending most of her youth abroad meant that they were something she'd had to get used to using on a regular basis later on in life, after moving back to Tokyo.]

You, too. You seem like you know your way around here pretty well. I'm guessing you've been here awhile?

[eatsyourscience]

Yeah. A long time.

[He starts up the stairs with her. He still has no idea why the dining room is on the second floor.]

When did you get here?

[cakebuffet]

[It does seem like an interesting architectural choice.]

Not too long ago. Almost a week.

[It feels a lot longer, without anyone to help her keep an eye on both Yusuke and Futaba. Of course she's here with the two members of the Phantom Thieves that need babysitting.]

I'm, ah-- the one that drove a car into part of the hedge maze at the beginning of the week. Oh, but it seems to have fixed itself!

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji looks at her curiously.]

It always does fix itself.

[But that is not the important part of what she just said.]

Are you bad at driving or...?

[cakebuffet]

I'm great at driving! Probably.

[Look. She doesn't get to do it a lot.]

But Morgana-- isn't exactly a normal car. I think it was a two-person accident. But nobody was hurt!

[eatsyourscience]

[Wait wait wait.]

The car has a name?

[They've reached the dining room by now, but Souji's just standing in the hallway with her because what is happening in this conversation.]

[cakebuffet]

Oh--!

[She probably shouldn't be talking about that with strangers just yet. Huh, how to cover...]

Yeah! Everyone names their cars, right? Makes it more personal!

[There is nothing convincing about that explanation.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Yeah, he's not buying it.]

...If it's just a car, how was it a two-person accident?

[cakebuffet]

Uhh-- I had a friend along for the ride?

[That could be legit, right?]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji eyes her for a minute.]

It's fine if you don't want to tell me. We just met.

[He turns and pushes the dining room door open.]

This is the dining room.

[cakebuffet]

I mean, I might as well-- you've probably seen way weirder things while you've been here.

[Plus, this seems like the kind of place where secrets might be hard to keep. No doubt Morgana's going to draw plenty of attention all on his own before too long. She pauses when they reach the dining room, however, eyes widening.]

Whoa. Fancy!

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji moves over to one of the tables. He'll come back to the bad driving story in a moment.]

All you have to do is think of what you want.

[He looks back at Ann, considering for a second, before looking back at the table. A serving of tiramisu appears on a plate there.]

Try it. It's as good as if someone had made it.

[Better, depending on who the "someone" was.]

[cakebuffet]

[Oh. Tiramisu...]

Wow, just like that? Alright, let me try!

[She exhales briefly, closing her eyes for a moment as though it will help her to focus-- and when she opens them again, there's a cup of crème brûlée sitting in front of her.]

Oh my God, this is amazing.

[eatsyourscience]

[He smiles a little.]

It's pretty useful.

[He shifts the plate of tiramisu toward her for her to have that as well.]

It seems like you've had some pretty exciting stuff happen and you haven't even been here long.

[cakebuffet]

[Ann lights up as she helps herself to a seat, settling in comfortably as she prepares to sample what the dining room has to offer. Really, she shouldn't even pretend she's not going to eat the whole thing.]

It's been a busy week, that's for sure.

[She's had weeks that have probably ranked as crazier, but none of them involved interdimensional kidnapping-- the dimension hopping was always by choice, otherwise.]

This definitely helps to take the edge off. [Dessert doesn't fix everything, but it sure helps.] Aren't you going to have some?

[eatsyourscience]

[He does take a seat, sitting sideways in his chair to face her.]

I'm good for now. I...eat a lot of pie.

[It's important to taste test things you make, okay?]

So, about that car accident...

[Now that he has wooed you with sweets, he expects more info, Ann.]

[cakebuffet]

[Souji, she would never even think of judging you for unnaturally high pie consumption.

She swallows a bite of her tiramisu a little too quickly, following up by clearing her throat.]

Oh, uh-- right! With the hedge maze, and the fountain. I mean, everything's fixed now, thankfully. I'd hate to think of what kind of trouble I'd be in if it weren't.

[eatsyourscience]

You're in luck. There isn't really anyone to get into trouble with.

[He's still hoping to get more out of her, but he's also not going to push it.]

Everything here is like that, really. It fixes itself one way or another.