Bubba Gump Shrimp

[GGJ5]

Of course, inspired by the classic movie, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. captures the charm and American spirit that made “Forrest Gump” a smash hit, featuring down-home décor reminiscent of the movie’s setting in Alabama. Movie memorabilia and still-photos hang on the walls, along with reproductions of script pages, storyboards and costumes to create a fun and casual family atmosphere. Scrawled “Gumpisms” grace the varnished tabletops inside and guests can take photos in front of wall sized murals inside the restaurant. (from their website)

[The Phantom of Paris]

Shelby Wright

Ever since her dad had left, the house had felt suffocating to Shelby. Without him, it was just too big--she felt like the walls and antiques and expensive furniture were crushing her every time she walked through the doors. Worse though was the void he seemed to have left behind--all of his belongings vanished, sucked away by whatever black holes her mother had let into the house with her confession. Shelby's bedroom was the only exception to this rule, but she couldn't be in there today--Halina was cleaning it.

Shelby had tried to hang out in the second floor sitting room at first, but it proved too much for her. Every other place she had gone to seeking solace--Jake's room, the kitchen, the attic, the old servants' quarters--had had the same effect. It was just...suffocating her, sucking her dry just by her presence there.

So, she had grabbed her ipod and left--leaving her cell phone behind so she wouldn't be bothered--not really knowing where she intended to go but knowing she had to get out of there. She had walked through her neighborhood, past more sprawling mansions just like hers, filled with lies, history, and family secrets, and into town, hands in her pockets and headphones in her ears, acknowledging no one. Song by song, mile by mile, one foot in front of the other.

She didn't know how far or how long she'd been walking until her stomach growled, telling her she was starving. Shelby stopped, looking around and trying to judge just where exactly she was. It was then that she noticed her aching feet for the first time, and how hot and tired she was. She checked the clock on her ipod to see how long she'd been out. Geez...

Up ahead, she saw the entrance to Bubba Gump Shrimp, where Shelby had only been a few times since her mother considered it to be cheap and tacky. She had always liked it, though...perhaps because her mom hated it. Her lips twitched in an attempt at a smile. Bingo.

She shut off her ipod as she walked through the doors, wrapping the headphones around it and stowing it in her pocket. The hostess of the restaurant smiled at her and asked how many were in her party. Shelby didn't return the smile as she whispered "One," and let the girl show her to her table.

She ordered a Sprite and the Shrimp New Orleans, sitting back once the waiter had gone off to another table and looking glumly around the restaurant. I wonder if they've even noticed I'm gone.

[More than Music]

OOC: I just know it... this interaction will be WIN. :3
BIC:

Kagayaki Aidou

He didn't know what do with himself today. All day, he'd been wandering aimlessly. Nothing interested him. Nothing got his attention. Something was missing. He could barely find the strength to smile at the people he walked by who looked at him politely. He could barely be polite. For some reason, he was exhausted.

Maybe it was because he'd gotten a reminder on his phone for something that was coming up he didn't want to remember. June 18th. Yeah, he knew what that was. He didn't need to be reminded of how close their anniversary was. If they had made it this far, wow, what his mother would have done. She probably would have made a big banner, with the bright and beautiful colors she knew thrilled him, that said in big letters so Yukitokun would have seen them from Amerika: "KAGAYAKI + YUMI, ONE WHOLE YEAR" or something lovely like that.

But no. Him and Yumi hadn't made it. It hadn't been anywhere close to a year when she had given him that call. That call he'd never forget.

Her words still haunted him.

"Aidousan, I can't do this anymore."

"I'm sorry it has to be this way, baby,"

"I think we've put ourselves through enough, don't you, senpai?"

"Please... I don't want either of us to hurt anymore."

He shuddered, even though it was rather warm. And he was wearing a black t-shirt. What a day to remember. What a day to not be able to leave behind. One day, maybe, he could find someone who would help him let it go.

But, alone? It would linger with him as he slept. Like a night he could never forget.

The thought of this certainly more painful night sent a chill up his spine, images flashing before his eyes as he walked, and nearly making him bump into someone. "S-s-sorry!" he stammered, his heart pounding. The person just waved their hand grumpily and continued. Kagayaki, eyes filled with sorrow and apology, looked around him. He couldn't live like this. He had to find something to do with himself, to get his mind off of things.

This wasn't what he wanted to be.

A sign passed before his eyes that looked strange. He couldn't read it, but it didn't quite look like English. Or, at least, not the English he was used to. Tilting his head, he looked at it with confusion and curiosity. "Ne?" he whispered to himself, unsure of what to think of the strange letters as they swirled before his eyes. He hated his dyslexia. He hated it very much. Sighing and giving up, he looked into the place, seeing it was a restaurant. Wandering in, he looked around and was struck by a familiar face.

A lady walked up and asked him how many in his party. He looked at her, not knowing what she meant and not knowing how to react. "Ah... I... I wis her." he said, pointing with a smile at... oh... Sheby? Shell... Sheby? He couldn't remember it right, but it seemed he'd never been able to pronounce it right anyway. So he guessed it at an 'l' in it. Kagayaki walked past the lady, who was giving him a strange look, and leaned over Shelby's table with a smirk. "Been saded, Shebychan?" He tilted his head again, brushing some of her curly red hair out of her face. "No been saded, Shebychan." He looked around. "All by sef, ne?" Kagayaki looked at her expression for a moment, then turned to avoid eyecontact, which made him nervous. "Tat why saded, yah!" He knocked a little on her table. "Been by sef! Been by sef maded yo saded!" He laughed gently, the sound high-pitched and hysterical. It was something he had learned from the Manager off of Ouran Highschool Host Club, and he loved how much it made girls laugh.

Maybe Shebychan would laugh too. He remembered; she was pretty when she laughed. Even if she didn't do it often. Sometimes, he just wanted to poke her and tickle her until she smiled for a while, because it drove him crazy to see someone he couldn't keep happy for long. Saikochan would let him make her happy. Cassiechan would let him make her happy.

Shebychan was the only one who seemed set on being sad, and he didn't like that one bit.

It was a challenge he would definitely attempt to overcome.

[The Phantom of Paris]

Shelby Wright

It seemed rude to listen to one's ipod while in a restaurant, but Shelby couldn't help wanting to take it out again and lose herself in her music. These days it seemed her headphones were permanently in her ears, shutting out the world with the lyrics and music--so much so that it felt strange to actually be able to hear the conversations around her. She listened to a family of tourists at the table behind her, the dad telling his daughter about the movie that inspired the restaurant while the son chatted animatedly with his mom about their trip to the aquarium. She tried to smile, hoping some of their happiness would rub off on her, but found she couldn't do it.

They're not really happy, they're just faking it. Just like we were.

She was so absorbed in eavesdropping on the tourists that she didn't realize that someone had approached her table. "Been saded, Shebychan?" said a voice above her head. Shelby looked up to see Kagayaki Aidou, Yukito Maki's friend from Japan, looking down on her with a smile. Oh, great. Company. That's exactly why I walked all this way, to socialize.

"Konnichiwa, Aidousan," she said hoarsely. "O genki desu ka?"

He reached down and brushed a stray lock of hair away from Shelby's face. She stiffened at his touch, a bit taken aback. "No been saded, Shebychan."

"I'm not--" she tried to say before she was cut off. "All by sef, ne?" Shelby nodded slightly. And I'd prefer to stay that way, thanks... "Tat why saded, yah! Been by sef! Been by sef maded yo saded!" He finished this speech with an almost-hysterical laugh, a technique that seemed rather familiar to Shelby although she couldn't quite place it. It was sort of funny though, in an awkward and slightly endearing way, and Shelby let a small smile cross her features for a second.

"I guess so," she said, wincing at the burning in her throat brought on by her speaking voice. "Would you...like to sit down?"

I'd still much rather be alone...but it's not like I can really turn him away, is it? I'd feel too bad about it...and I'd never hear the end of it from Cassie.

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

He watched her gently. "Been saded, Shebychan?" he asked, curious as to why she would be sitting all alone. Yes, he hadn't seen her out of her room often while he'd been staying at her house - even with Cassie - but it seemed strange for her to be out by herself. She looked up at him slowly. She had fallen back into herself so much since the day he'd come...

But he remembered her laugh. It was coarse, and it was quiet, but it was something he wanted to hear again. He hated to see his friends sad.

And he wouldn't let her make him give up.

"Konnichiwa, Aidousan," she replied, and Kagayaki felt his head tilt a bit. He realized he hadn't heard her voice for a long time. It sounded let she hadn't either. "O genki desu ka?"

He watched her for a few moments. "Genki dayo." he told her, not knowing if she would notice his switch to informal Japanese. Maybe she wouldn't notice at all. But it made a difference to him. Kagayaki brushed a stray lock of deep red hair from Shebychan's face. She seemed to be a bit shocked by it. And maybe a bit upset. He frowned a bit. It was worse than he had thought. He had to take more desperate measures. "No been saded, Shebychan."

"I'm not--"

That he wouldn't let happen. "All by sef, ne?" he asked, looking around. She nodded. He looked at her. "Tat why saded, yah! Been by sef! Been by sef maded yo saded!" He looked at her and laughed a bit funnily - a laugh he reserved for those of his friends he didn't think would sent him off to a home and knocked gently on the table.

He saw her smile. He had. Really he had. But it was short-lived.

That had to be fixed.

"I guess so," she replied, seeming as if she didn't feel well. He remembered how it felt to talk after not saying anything for a long time. And it had cured him of all that silliness. Of course, he'd had help, but... that wasn't something he wanted to think about right now. "Would you...like to sit down?"

Kagayaki sent her a brilliant smile, excited by the fact that she wanted him to stay. "Yah, yah!" he said, slipping into a chair. He looked about like a child, thrilled by everything, tapping his fingers on the table as he looked around. He saw... shrimp. Funny looking shrimp. He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to one side dramatically.

Exaggeration was the key to a girl's heart. And he only wanted to have that key long enough to make her happy for a while. That was all.

"Whar we, Shebychan?" He pointed to one of the comical-looking pictures with a funny smile. "Ssrang."

'Please... please... PLEASE laugh! Laugh at me. It's fine.'

[The Phantom of Paris]

Shelby Wright

All of Shelby's hopes that Kagayaki would say no to her invitation to sit down with her, all of the wishes that he would remember something he had to do or some place he had to be were crushed by his enthusiastic smile. "Yah, yah!" he said, sitting down across from her. Shelby tried to give him a fake smile, but grimaced instead. First Yukito, now this. I can't catch a break. Maybe I just shouldn't go out in public anymore. Just hole up in my room for all eternity where I can't be antagonized by uber-bubbly people trying to 'cheer me up'. Either that or wear a paper bag on my head. Or a mask. Carry a sign around that says 'Leave me alone'. Or something to that effect.

She sipped her Sprite, not saying anything while Aidousan looked around excitedly, reminding Shelby of a little kid on his first trip to Disney World. It's just a restaurant, she thought petulantly. You don't need to get that excited. An idea struck her, and she reached into her messenger bag and pulled out the two manga she'd brought with her--FMA and Tsubasa--in hopes that he would see them and think she just wanted to relax and read, and would therefore leave her alone, if only for a moment.

Yeah, right. Like it's actually going to work. But it's worth a try, I guess.

"Hey, don't be like that," came Al's voice, the voice of reason as always. "He's your friend, isn't he? Maybe it won't be so bad."

Oh, Al...you have no idea...

"Whar we, Shebychan? Ssrang." His accent was so thick that it was hard to figure out exactly what he was telling her, although she guessed it had something to do with shrimp. Slowly, she nodded, feeling more frustrated by the minute. "Yep. Shrimp. It's pretty good."

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

"Whar we, Shebychan? Ssrang." he said, looking around at all the strange things here.

"Yep. Shrimp. It's pretty good." she replied, not paying much attention to him. He watched her with interest, then saw her book.

His mouth fell open. "AaaaAAAaaah!" he whispered coarsely, leaning forwards, pointing at her manga. "No dat, yah!" His grin consumed his face, lighting up his entire appearance. "Fur... Fur Matar, Arkamis!" He giggled a little - maintaining the hilarious manner that he'd had when they first met up - as he leaned closer to her. "Alkun, kakkoi desu ne. Yah!" Kagayaki threw up his hands at the last 'yah' and giggled again. He pointed to the manga. "Good, ne. Good."

[The Phantom of Paris]

Shelby Wright

For just a moment, she allowed herself to think her plan had worked and that she had made Kagayaki feel so awkward as to fall silent. She felt sort of bad about it, really--it wasn't that she didn't like him or anything. He wasn't a bad guy at all--far from it, really. He was just trying to help in the only way he knew how, and the Shelby that she had once been all those months ago, before the divorce, probably would have done the same thing to one of her friends. But this was a new Shelby. And New Shelby didn't appreciate his gesture one bit.

"AaaaAAAaaah!" he yelped loudly, causing Shelby to jump out of her seat and attracting the attentions of several other tables of diners. Shelby looked around for a second, angrily wondering what could have prompted such a reaction from him. I can't handle this much longer. I swear if he keeps talking to me I'm gonna snap and break something. Or very possibly kill someone.

"What?"

He pointed. Shelby looked and let her eyes fall onto the object he indicated--her FMA manga. She looked up at him, confused. That's it?

"No dat, yah!Fur... Fur Matar, Arkamis!"

This got a little smile onto Shelby's face, although for a second she fought it, reluctant to let Aidousan know he had won. "Yeah. You know FMA?"

"Alkun, kakkoi desu ne. Yah! Good, ne. Good."

Shelby gasped. "I love Al!" she croaked as loud as her poor voice could allow, straining it to capacity. Eeep. Ow. Not wise, not wise at all... She reached for her throat with one hand, rubbing it in an attempt to ease the scratchy, burning pain. "Ow..." She reached for her Sprite and took a big sip, but the carbonation didn't do much for her voice either. See? This is why we don't talk. "Ow," she repeated. "That hurt. But I still love Al"

"Oh, thank you, Shelby."

Anytime.

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

"Yeah. You know FMA?" she asked, and he heard once more how coarse her voice was.

"Alkun, kakkoi desu ne. Yah! Good, ne. Good." he said, nodding.

She let out a gasp, and Kagayaki couldn't control his smile. "I love Al!" she cried, and Kagyaki winced when he heard the sound. Yeah, that must have hurt. "Ow..." She took a drink of whatever she had. "Ow," Kagayaki bit his lip.

“Shebychan, cahfulr, ne.” he said, putting a hand on hers. He swallowed. “Mizu.” He waved at a waiter. “Water.” Kagayaki spoke as clearly as he could, which wasn't terribly clear, but he hoped it would get his point across.

“That hurt. But I still love Al.” she said, and Kagayaki smiled gently.

“Yah.” he replied, simply. Then the man came with the water, and Kagayaki bowed with his head out of habit. “Tank you.” He handed it to Shebychan. “Preas dlink, srow...”

He could only hope this wouldn't last much longer... she was so sad sometimes. It tore him up to look at her and see... what he'd been for such a long time after his father had come back. Acting like, just because he ignored it, everything would go away of it's own accord.

But, as he well knew, 'everything' was still in his home, sweet talking his mother into thinking that they could be a family again. Even after twelve years of pain and separation.

Going a long time without talking... yeah, he'd done that, and it had been a huge shock to his okaasan for the entire time it lasted. She'd cried to him, begged him to just stop it and be himself again. Kagayaki knew how hard it was to hold onto anything after being so betrayed by the one person he'd always trusted. Of course he knew that.

But he also remembered how good it felt to just give it up and let someone in for a little while. He hoped he could be that for her...

A little while. Just a little while. That wasn't much, was it?

[The Phantom of Paris]

Shelby Wright

Shelby's throat continued to burn as Aidousan told her, “Shebychan, cahfulr, ne,” and ordered her a water. Thanks, she wanted to say, but her throat hurt too much to even think about talking. You know what this is? Karma. Isn't this proof enough that talking is not the answer? So he likes FMA. So what. It isn't worth physical pain to bond over it. I'll bet he doesn't even like it. Cassie probably told him to follow me or something...she's probably tracking me all the time. She doesn't need to freaking worry about me, it's not like I'm gonna sneak off and kill myself or something! Just drink your water, eat, pay, and get out of here--No more talking!

Apparently, though, her mouth had other ideas, for she rasped,
“That hurt. But I still love Al.” Aidousan nodded, agreeing with her as the waiter appeared with a glass of water. “Tank you. Preas dlink, srow...”

Shelby seized the glass from him, spilling a bit and gulping down the cool liquid. The pain in her throat was soothed for a few moments as she drank, her face growing hot at the realization of how ridiculous she probably looked. When the glass was empty she sat it down and twirled a strand of hair around her fingers, not meeting his eyes as she scanned the restaurant to see if her food was ready yet. "Thanks," she murmured. "That...helped."

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

"Thanks," Shebychan mumbled, and Kagayaki smiled at her with relief.

"Domo" he told her, nodding.

"That... helped."

He bowed with his head out of habit. "Gladed, am. To... helpeded." he replied, looking around. Kagayaki told himself to not ask her more about manga, but... he couldn't help it. He was curious now. "Shebychan..." He turned to her even as she avoided really looking at him. "You... likeded... Vampaia, Naito?" Trying to make it a bit less awkward, he smiled at her. "Mine... favriato, yah." He looked around, then back at her. "Wrat atoh manga you reads?" He bowed with his head again. "Gomen ne... sory... no meaned to ask so much q-q-questons."

"Demo, curious, is." He winked at her. "Cassiechan no telled me you liked manga so much."

'Cassiechan is only sad when she talks about how you're doing... but I know that's not what you want to hear, so I won't tell you that. I think you already know.' His smile - practiced to perfection for when he was hurt and didn't want to show it; he only wanted to help - never faltered. He wanted her to smile too.

Would she?

[The Phantom of Paris]

Shelby Wright

He gave her a little half-bow, and the corners of Shelby's mouth twitched in a ghost of a smile. Japanese traditions and customs rocked, to put it plainly. How awesome would it be to visit there? Maybe I can talk Mom into it...a semester there or something... Her smile faded when she remembered that her unofficial vow of silence went double when it came to her mother. There goes that.

"Gladed, am. To... helpeded. Shebychan...You... likeded... Vampaia, Naito?" he asked. Shelby thought for a second, trying to figure out which manga he meant. "Vampire Knight?" she croaked, taking a guess. "Yeah. I've read a few volumes. It's good. I haven't seen the anime though"

"Mine... favriato, yah." She nodded. "Mine's FMA."

"Wrat atoh manga you reads? Gomen ne... sory... no meaned to ask so much q-q-questons."

She shrugged, letting him know it was okay. For once she didn't mind talking a bit. "FMA, DeathNote, Fruits Basket, D.Grayman, Naruto, Tsubasa," she held up the other manga she had brought with her, "Bleach Sometimes, when I feel like it, Case Closed--I think it's actually called 'Conan' in Japan--One Piece...I read a lot..."

The waitress came then, delivering Shelby's food, which she tore into with a vengeance, discovering she'd been more hungry than she realized. She hadn't been eating much these days--not that anyone noticed, except Adele the cook, but she had been getting thinner and it was nice to be able to dig into the spicy dish. She looked at Kagayaki, swallowing a big mouthful. "You want anything?" Without waiting for an answer, she ordered him some popcorn shrimp. "It's good, I promise."

"Demo, curious, is," he said with a wink as Shelby continued to eat. "Cassiechan no telled me you liked manga so much."

Her fork slowed. That's because Cassie thinks I'm seriously delusional and stupid for reading it, or something. I don't know, you'd have to ask her. Since I certainly won't. She gave another shrug. "Guess it just never comes up in conversation."

As if she cared anyway.

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

"You... likeded... Vampaia, Naito?" he questioned, waiting eagerly. He ended up waiting a while, because she didn't seem to understand. Kagayaki felt his cheeks grow warm. He hated how bad his English sounded...

"Vampire Knight?" she confirmed. He nodded fervently. "Yeah. I've read a few volumes. It's good. I haven't seen the anime though."

He smiled. "No me eitr." he told her, becoming a bit more comfortable. "Mine... favriato, yah."

She nodded. "Mine's FMA."

Kagayaki watched her thoughtfully - a look that would seem strange on the round, happy, careless face most of his friends saw. "Wrat atoh manga you reads? Gomen ne... sory... no meaned to ask so much q-q-questons."

But Shebychan just shrugged - a gesture he knew very, very well - and he relaxed a little more. "FMA, DeathNote, Fruits Basket, D.Grayman, Naruto, Tsubasa," she named, holding up a volume he recognized from the stores he'd been to. "Bleach Sometimes, when I feel like it, Case Closed--I think it's actually called 'Conan' in Japan--One Piece...I read a lot..."

He had to laugh. "You do!" he said, leaning back a little in the chair. "Toh... Good, ne. If, you maked happy, good is." He nodded, confirming this thought in his head. "Demo, been calfur." Kagayaki pointed at her in a joking manner. "Pretty shoujo, no shouded have has kareshi-boyflend, manga." Kagayaki laughed softly. "Kid you, ne."

Then someone came up with Shebychan's food. Kagayaki looked around, hoping he wouldn't make her feel awkward. He hadn't been eating well - which he'd cleverly disguised, so he wouldn't worry anyone - and he didn't want her to go and get him anything. Besides, there was no need to waste money on him. "You want anything?" she asked. Kagayaki jolted a little, looking up at her with surprise.

"Iie, iie! Is, okay!" he assured her, hurriedly, but not before she ordered something. He sulked back into his seat. "No needed dune tat." he added in a whisper. "I... I okay." He put on a smile for her. "See, ne? O.K."

"It's good, I promise." she told him, obviously meaning the food she'd gotten for him. He sighed, deciding to talk about manga again, so he could recover his zeal.

"Demo, curious, is," he asked, sending her a wink. "Cassiechan no telled me you liked manga so much."

She paused for a second, and Kagayaki watched her. What was wrong? He didn't understand... Just then, Shebychan shrugged. "Guess it just never comes up in conversation."

"Mm," he began, pulling up a hand, resting his chin between his pointer finger and thumb, the rest of his fingers curled under. "Cassiechan tarked bout you... demo... no say said you liked manga." He let out a thoughtful 'hmmmm' sound. "Very siry. Siry neesan." He smiled at Shebychan, his hand falling from his chin. "You... no tarked wit Cassiechan very?"

'If I had a sister, I would talk to her lots! I must be wrong. I'm sure they talk all the time.'

[The Phantom of Paris]

OOC: Sorry, MtM-chan...suspicious!Shelby is here. I couldn't stop her.

BIC:

Shelby Wright

"I read a lot..." she said, trailing off. Yes, I read a lot, but talk a lot I do not. Why am I doing this now? People will hurt you. We have learned this. People can and will do everything in their power to hurt you. Therefore, we don't talk to people. I don't know why we're disregarding this rule of thumb now...stop it! Wake up from whatever daze someone actually taking an interest in your life has put you in! Just shut up, eat, and retreat!

Aidousan laughed. "You do! Toh... Good, ne. If, you maked happy, good is." Well, look here. Someone who gets it. Magical. Can you go explain this to...well, just about everybody I know, please, so they can understand it too and finally leave me alone about it?

"Demo, been calfur. Pretty shoujo, no shouded have has kareshi-boyflend, manga. Kid you, ne." At this, Shelby just gave a shrug, not caring enough to decipher what he had just said. Something about having a boyfriend, that she got, and being young...Boyfriend? No thanks. Got that covered. You've met him. He's tall, strong, and handsome, and just happens to be a soul sealed inside a suit of armor. I can't wait to bring him to meet the parents!

Yeah, right.

Shelby's food came, and she dug in, remembering her manners just long enough to order something for her guest to eat before reverting to the cave-woman days, gulping down her shrimp and coke as if it was her last meal. Maybe I've been skipping more meals than I realized...hmmm. I'll weigh myself when I get home, I guess. Can't turn into a skeleton, there's no way I could hide that from anyone. Aidousan protested her getting him food, though, insisting, "Iie, iie! Is, okay!No needed dune tat. I... I okay. See, ne? O.K."

Weird... "It's good, I promise. Really. But you don't have to eat it if you don't--" her sentence was cut off as the last word turned into a rough squawk, and Shelby's hand flew to her throat. See? This is nature's way of telling me to stop being social. Listen to the throat. Listen to it. "--want to."

Aidousan said then that Cassie hadn't ever talked about Shelby's love of manga and anime. Shelby narrowed her eyes and looked away. I don't blame her, I wouldn't either. We're Wrights. In our family, if there's an issue, you just ignore it, no matter what. "Guess it just never comes up in conversation."

"Mm, Cassiechan tarked bout you... demo... no say said you liked manga. Very siry. Siry neesan. You... no tarked wit Cassiechan very?"

Shelby froze, fork inches away from her mouth. What was he doing asking whether she and Cassie talked much? Wasn't that just a bit of a strange question to ask someone? Butting into my life, just like Yukito did...hey, wait a second!

It all made sense now--Aidousan, too, had been recruited by Cassie to try to talk Shelby out of the mood she was in. Who does she think she is? Why can't she just worry about herself for just once in her miserable life, instead of being a freaking mother hen all the time?!

Shelby glared at Aidousan. "No. No, I do not talk with my sister, and I don't plan to. Or to anyone else, for that matter." She stood up roughly, throwing her books into her bag and slamming some money down on the table. "I have to go," she said, turning and running out of the restaurant, running to the streetcar and jumping on it. Take me far away. Anywhere but here.

Shelby has fled Bubba Gump Shrimp.

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

"Mm, Cassiechan tarked bout you... demo... no say said you liked manga." he told her. "Very siry. Siry neesan. You... no tarked wit Cassiechan very?"

For some reason, Shebychan froze. Kagayaki watched her, not sure what to do now. Then she sent him a glare, and he turned his head a little to the side. 'I don't understand.'

"No. No, I do not talk with my sister, and I don't plan to. Or to anyone else, for that matter." she said, standing up, setting money on the table, and putting her books into her bag. "I have to go,"

Then she was gone. Kagayaki found himself jumping up with shock, looking at her with hurt in his eyes. But then he looked around at all the people, and his other side kicked in. The side of him that came from, not his mother's side, but his father's. To make everything still seem okay. He bowed to the waitress that came, questioningly to the table. He managed to tell her that his friend had had to leave, and to calm her down a bit, so she continued on to other tables.

Settling back into his chair, Kagayaki wondered if he should have just left her alone.

'No. She left because she's upset. Maybe she'll go home and talk to Cassiechan after all... Oh, I hope she does...'

He reached over and took one of the small shrimp Shebychan had ordered for him into his hand. These looked familiar. He popped it into his mouth, trying to not let out the hurt. He knew well distraction was his easiest way to happiness. He'd given that to himself. He'd learned that by himself. 'These are pretty good... They taste different from the ones at home though...'

Realizing they would just go to waste if he didn't eat them, Kagayaki found himself silently devouring these things. He was more hungry than he'd thought, and something that reminded him of home was something to not be wasted.

'If only Kaachan were here, she'd know what to do. She'd be able to help everyone. Why can't I help them like I want to? Why can't I be like that?'

Kagayaki is done here