Why Hello Neighbor - Katsumi and Asuka Wakahisa

[CyanDimitrik]

Katsumi twists around onto all fours when Asuka lifts to stand. She watches her move to the pizza, retrieve two slices, then... go to the entrance? Her brow knits. That's a decidedly unfun thing to do. Heck, she'd even have accepted Asuka whipping the food at her sooner than that. And when she hears the entry door open and shut, her heart sinks.

'Oh no. Nonono!'

She did it again. This is why it takes a very special kind of person to be friends with Katsumi - she has a tendency to go too far, and she'll readily admit she eventually rubs everyone the wrong way. But this was special. Asuka's been nothing but nice, plus she's in her federation! She feels like an enormous jerk, yet paradoxically tiny at the same time.

"A-Asuka..?," she chances to call out, hoping her neighbor is faking.

She quickly gets to her feet and rushes for the entrance, and ultimately out into the landing. Crap, which door was it!? She couldn't remember! 'Across' could mean the other side of the hall, it could mean adjacent.. dammit!

If she gets no further clue, Katsumi does the one and only thing she can: she stats knocking on doors, just going by her best guesses.

[Lark]

Katsumi didn't have to go far. In fact the moment she scrambled out of her apartment Asuka was right there. She was leaning quietly up against the railing, peering down to the parking lot below. She didn't make a move or say a thing. She just lazily leaned and ate her no longer hot pizza. If she heard Katsumi, which lets be real, of course she did, she didn't acknowledge her at all, not directly.

Asuka plucked at the collar of her shirt, finding ehr earbuds to pop them back in. leaning to the side,she reached under the hem of her shirt to turn her iPod back on. Much better. Her head bobbed softly to the music as she returned to blissfully enjoying her hard earned pizza.

[CyanDimitrik]

That's a stroke of fortune, at least. This is a dance Katsumi is extremely unused to. She was an only child, always had difficulty making or keeping friends, and generally knew only one social tactic. Indirect approaches are generally not her thing.

She steps towards Asuka, succeeding only in two steps before pausing as Asuka puts in the earbud. She takes another step forward, and the music player is obviously turned on, as indicated by Asuka's headbob. Steeling her nerve, she moves in at Asuka's side in easy and clear eyeline. She stands back a little distance, out of necessity. She bends at the waist in a deep bow, head hanging low, and raises her hands to press palms together above her head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it was really upsetting! I-.. please don't be mad at me!"

[Lark]

Life at home, growing up with so many brothers, she was often times the subject of teasing. Keep away was among the favorite, exploiting her height to steal something of hers and toss it back and forth between them. Of course there was always other things. How she dressed, when she tried makeup for the first time and looked like a horror show, nearly every birthday with her gifts. She had learned one of the most powerful tools to combat them, to combat Katsumi.

The silent treatment.

She did catch a glimpse of Katsumi in her peripheral vision, about to pull the patented "turn away of convenience after she just so happened to not see her" move. A classic. But Katsumi was doing something she didn't expect. A repentant bow. it wasn't a joke, as far as she could tell. It seemed genuine. She turned her head slightly to her neighbor, acknowledging she existed on this plain of being as she chewed on her pizza. She had her attention, but the ear buds were still in blaring music. Time to impress, Katsumi.

[CyanDimitrik]

The silence - save for the distant, dull thrum of what music leaks from the earbuds - is deafening and oppressive. Katsumi can feel the weight of it as well as Asuka's expectant stare pressing down on her shoulders tighter than any pin she's endured.

Her head lifts just enough to peek up at her through her bangs, then quickly drops her head again.

"I-.." What does she say? How does she say it? She only just met Asuka! Can she afford to be this weak in front of her? That's not even considering the fact that Asuka is a potential opponent in the ring! She could use this against her! "I didn't mean to.. to upset you..! I thought we were playing! I'll.. I'll never tease you again!" That would be torturous for her. Legitimately torturous. "I-.. please say something!"

[Lark]

Asuka reached up to pull and earbud out, stretching the cord as she offers it to Katsumi. She was going to finish her pizza before even considering dealing with this. Girl was starving. While she hadn't heard what she was saying, she could tell by her body language it was all real, possibly from the heart. For someone as terrible with social cues as Asuka was, it was a modern wonder.

If Katsumi joined her at the railing to listen to music with her, she'd remain quiet still, eating her pizza. She would however offer the second slice to the other girl. wordlessly. Today had certainly been something. From threats of violence, to new next door neighbors, to wrestling in apartments to... whatever this was. All in all she was thankful to have a new friend, so close. Someone who was also in the same business as her. She wasn't about to admit that to Katsumi, yet. Not after all the teasing. Just more ammo to use against her.

For now the two of them could just enjoy some of Asuka's retro synth music, and chill on the balcony. They both could use a small break.

[CyanDimitrik]

Emotional blackmail! Emotional blackmail!

Even with Katsumi offering to walk on eggshells for an indeterminate remainder of their friendship, she gets not a word from Asuka. It's gutwrenching. Did she cross the line that far? How could she not even know she'd hurt her neighbor so much?

She has nothing left to offer. She came with practically nothing, with nothing to go back to, and Asuka already has the food offering. Katsumi is at a complete loss. Her hands start to sag as the weight of the moment continues to wear down on her. Just when she's ready to surrender and slink back to her new apartment, proverbial tail tucked between her legs, she turns a forlorn, final look up at Asuka.

Oh, an earbud.

She blinks, instantly confused. "Ah..?" Her gaze flits from the earbud to Asuka's face, then back again. Delicate fingers lift, a little uncertain, to pinch the earbud. She straightens her back slowly, and nears the device to her ear. She still looks confused and out of sorts, but she just nudges it into her ear. Her hands link modestly before herself, head tilted down and eyes on her feet.

Katsumi is really not used to the silent treatment.

The offer of pizza is met with just as much confusion. Her mouth opens to ask, then seems to think better of it. Her hand raises to take the slice and opts to put her focus on it, taking small rabbit-nibbles from its edge.

She'll remain quiet, though.