[X] Take Satsuki out for a short walk.
- [X] Find a mall or something and browse.
You smile and pat Satsuki's shoulder. "Silly people. Come on, let's go for a walk." She relaxes a little and nods quickly before looking nervously at Amy and Fate. Fate seems resigned, but Amy looks around quickly.
"Ah, a coat! Do I have a coat somewhere …?" You cock your head at her as she starts to get up.
"It's not that cold out - it's not even snowing!" She shakes her head and looks at you, trying to figure out a delicate way of explaining herself.
"No, um … I mean, your wings …. They stand out, and people here aren't used to … not-normal things happening." You giggle and shake your head and take out Patchouli's mask.
"This'll keep other people from noticing anything strange about me, at least as long as they don't already know me and I don't start doing obviously weird things like fly around and shoot danmaku." You hold the mask to your face and let go. Maybe you should have asked Patchouli how it works. Amy gives Fate a skeptical look, but the Enforcer just sighs.
"It does seem to work. And, as long as it doesn't wear off in too public a place, we can deal with the aftermath if we have to. We won't have to, though, will we, Flandre?" You bow politely.
"Of course not, Fate." You smile, but she still just looks tired, and you pat Satsuki's shoulder again. "Anyway, you stay here and stop worrying for a little bit, and Satsuki and I will go out and see what's around here. Okay?" Amy nods, back to smiling, and picks up two small cases from the table.
"Then, one more thing for you two to have for a bit." She hands the red case to you and the yellow one to Satsuki, and you open yours to find a small folding device - a small phone - in yours. Satsuki looks up at Amy, surprised. "It's easier to keep in contact this way if people can't reliably use telepathy. My number is already programmed in, and so are a few other people's, but please don't call anyone else unless it's a really major emergency or you've already met them and have permission to call them. Understand?" Satsuki nods solemnly, and you nod as well while slipping your phone into a pocket. "Alright. Then, last two things." She gets up and gestures for you to follow her to a fairly spacious room on the northern side of the building. A large bunk bed is set up in one corner, as much out of the sun as it possibly can be, and both beds have copious amounts of sheets and bedding. A small table has a microwave, and a small cooler beneath it, and the outer wall opens to a balcony. "This will be your room for the next few days. The balcony door doesn't lock, just so you're aware of that, but the second thing …." she picks up two keys and hands them to you and Satsuki. "In case I'm not awake or I had to go somewhere, keys to the front door. Welcome to Earth; I hope you enjoy your stay." She bows, then throws decorum out the window and gives you and Satsuki a hug. When she pulls away, you smile at Satsuki as she wipes at one eye.
"We'll do our best to keep out of trouble and not be a bother. Thank you for having us," you say, and Satsuki nods quickly. Amy smiles happily and leads you through the house to the front door; you snag a local-area map on your way out, but it isn't until you're well down the street that you do anything except lean into Satsuki. "… How are you feeling?" She takes the phone out of her pocket and stares at it for a while before responding.
"I … I know they're a big organization, and they're probably just following procedures or something, but … they're really nice." She wipes her eyes again and you open the map - it looks like someone was making notes on it, because some areas have circles and questioning statements about suitability for visiting.
"I don't think they're quite following procedure, though," you say, and she looks at you. "Like you said, they're a big organization, and this sort of thing probably isn't too uncommon, so they probably do have a set of instructions on what to do. But what if, say, we'd gone instead to Germany. Do they have any families in Germany that we can stay with? Probably not. What they're probably supposed to do is set us - or visitors in general, I suppose - up in an inn or some local equivalent. Instead, they're lodging us with one of their families - one with children, no less - and trying to help us find things we might enjoy. For them, this isn't just 'two employees on vacation,' this is 'two people we care about taking some time off.' They really care." You're very careful to keep emotion out of your voice as you speak, but Satsuki slows and stops anyway.
"… I … I have to pay them back …." You shake your head and poke her arm.
"Satsuki, no. The only 'paying back' you have to do is to maintain your usual activities and effort. This is a reward for what you've already done." She blinks at you for a moment, then giggles nervously and leans against a lamppost. You frown worriedly at her for a moment, but she calms down and you look at the map. "Now, where's the nearest mall …?" She peers over your shoulder.
"Mall? Ah, Flandre-sama, we're in a residential area. We'd probably have to walk for an hour to find a real mall. If you want to do some light shopping, though -" she points at a couple nearby locations that weren't highlighted by Amy, "- these are convenience stores. They don't usually have much selection, and they don't carry things like clothes, usually only food and drinks and some other small things. They're usually pretty close, and if there's a school nearby there are usually going to be a lot, because a lot of students stop by to pick up lunches, or breakfast. Hmm … come on, let's go to this one." Filled with purpose, Satsuki strides off confidently, and you grin as you hurry to catch up to her. You like this side of Satsuki; usually she's too meek, too insecure, but if you find something she actually knows, she's more confident and determined, and it's so much better to be around her then.
It doesn't even take you ten minutes to reach the store, which is not very large, but the layout maximizes efficiency. The store clerk watches you amusedly; perhaps he thinks you're some visiting foreigner, and your host is showing you around and explaining how things work. And Satsuki does sound … you giggle and Satsuki pauses, looking at you hesitantly. You sigh; you broke the spell. "I'm sorry, Satsuki. I just realized what you were doing." She cocks her head, suddenly nervous.
"I, I wasn't doing anything …." You shake your head and lean into her.
"You were imitating me, the way I talk about something I know well and the mannerisms I use," you say, and her face starts reddening. "I wish I hadn't noticed, though, because you seemed very relaxed and comfortable, and now that I've said something you'll probably stay nervous for a while." She's quiet for a moment, then her arms wrap around you.
"… Thank you, Flandre-sama. I … I'll try to relax again, okay?" You nod and return the hug.
"This is supposed to be for you, you know. If you want to see something particular - or if you don't want to do something - speak up. And make sure you relax and enjoy yourself." She chuckles.
"I will, Flandre-sama. Thank you." She isn't quite so confident and direct now, but she does back to talking about convenience stores, and she speaks more naturally. She shows you the event kiosk, but the only things you would have the time to see are sports events - the idol concert is in two weeks and the new museum exhibit won't happen until a week after that. Some of Satsuki's confidence returns when she explains what an idol is, although she goes back to 'normal' when she says that you would probably be good at it. Maybe you and Remilia can do something …?
In the end, after nearly an hour of chattering and looking around the store, you end up only getting some 'Häagen-Dazs' ice cream - Satsuki asks you what the name means and seems surprised to find out that it's nonsense - and some candied popcorn. As you and Satsuki eat the ice cream together outside the store, Satsuki seems a lot happier and more relaxed. She even sticks her tongue out at you when you try to wipe off some of the ice cream on her cheek! All too quickly, however, the ice cream is gone, and Satsuki leans back and looks up at the moon, looking content.
What do you do?
[ ] You've had fun, but you should probably get back to Amy's so she doesn't worry.
- [ ] Tomorrow, go shopping.
- [ ] Tomorrow, see if Satsuki likes dogs.
- [ ] Tomorrow, see if Satsuki likes cats.
[ ] Just wander around for a little bit.
[ ] Other?
