Strangers by the Lake {Hoshi}

[Delilah Pryce]

Seeing how Sakhmet was busy with taking care of her chores around the house and making sure everyone had plenty to eat day in and day out, Delilah had been trying to give her new found friend time to find some peace by herself. It wasn't easy, but Delilah respected privacy....to some degree but especially in Sakhmet's case. Delilah also felt it was time to start contributing to the Richmond household and so had be working some jobs as a courier about town in order to earn some petty cash to buy her things and stop relying on Sakhmet.

Today, Delilah wasn't out working but instead was taking some time to get her body back into proper shape. Her ribs had almost healed fully and she was still a bit stiff, but these daily workouts were getting her back where she needed to be. The day was nice and so Delilah had chose to come down to the lake and the gardens there to work out. She wore a pair of thin cloth gray jogging pants which were loose about the ankles. A short sleeved pink shirt brought some color to Delilah and she had pulled her hair back in a ponytail to keep it out of her way. She wore no makeup as there wasn't anyone around to impress. Instead of her usual black work boots, Delilah wore a simple pair of jogging shoes.

Looking at the world upside down as she held perfect form in a back bend, Delilah thought about her life as of late. There had been some peace where none had been in a long time and she pondered if she could find a new life now. What could she really do for a living though? Continue working as a courier, forging a new life with a new name? That was a pipe dream as the sort of people Delilah typically looked for always came looking for eventually. Given her meta ability, Delilah was good at the questionable things she did and despite the peace she was enjoying, Delilah did enjoy the thrill of her darker lifestyle.

Giving a huff, Delilah brought her feet off the ground and into a handstand. She then proceeded to lower and then push herself back up and down several times. Her arms began to quiver, but Delilah pushed herself for a few more of the push-ups. Finally, she brought her feet and legs on around, standing up once more. Squatting down, Delilah put her hands palm down on the ground between her legs, extending her legs outward, leaving her holding herself off the ground with her hands only. She stared forward, mentally counting down from fifteen. Once finished there, Delilah leaned forward a little, bringing her legs back up into a handstand once more. This time, she brought her legs out to her side, holding that position for yet another fifteen seconds before bringing her legs together and into a handstand again. This time she brought her legs back down to the earth, and back into a back bend where in a show of perfect balance, pulled her torso back up into a standing position once more.

As she stood up, Delilah caught sight of a young oriental woman standing some odd feet away from her, watching her. She was dressed in a kimono which while interesting, was really out of place. "Can I help you with something," she asked, casually considering it was a woman she was talking to and not some filthy man.

[Hoshimi Aoki]

Hoshi was fairly new to Pilot Ridge. She honestly blamed her sister for introducing her to the smaller town. It was a no brainer she wanted to be the one to expand and build newspaper for the small town. She wanted to find out some truth behind the citizens and she wanted to have a place where she could help and be someone to be of service to others. Hoshi wanted to build a community up for a newspaper and have a time and place where she could report on what she wanted and do as she pleased. She turned down numerous offers to start here. She had no doubt in her mind it would be successful.

Hoshi had gotten everything moved into her small flat and had arranged everything she wanted the right way. She had chosen to arrange it in a simple yet elegant Japanese fashion. Hoshi knew many people would not understand how she was so infatuated with the Japanese culture and her own heritage. She had some clue that she was a bit odd, even for her family. Her eldest sister was completely American. She didn't trace her roots. Her second eldest sister was the party and typical middle child. She was the one to fully embrace the American culture. Even her parents didn't push the three girls to learn their roots. It seemed to Hoshi that she was the only one who supported where she came from.

Today Hoshi was out in the park, down by the lake in her blue kimono. It was one of her favorites, as it really brought out her fair complexion and her ability to act like an ice queen. She had gotten some stares coming down here but she was looking for a place to eat her bento without people interrupting her. It was something that was homemade and was completely showing of her personality. Hoshi was someone who was the person who was not afraid to stand out. She was willing to be her true self without worrying about the judging glance from others. She was showing this prominent trait of her personality with the way she just strode into the park area by the lake and sat down on the grass, after of course spreading a blanket.

The of course Hoshi spotted a younger women then herself doing some sort of exercise. She watched as she was standing on her head and bending backwards. To Hoshi it looked painful. Not something she should be doing. She supposed though that the women knew what she was doing and as she was able to successfully get up from all those bends, Hoshi knew that she had no right to judge the younger women on her choice of sport. Hoshi watched as the younger women stood straight up in the air on her hands and stayed there with perfect balance. She wondered if she was a gymnast or something along those lines. She honestly had the build and frame for it. Plus she was flexible enough.Slowly Hoshi stood ready to move if the woman required more space to move. She did not want to disturb her practice. After all it was entertaining enough to watch.

Hoshi was surprised when the younger female took and walked over to her asked her if she could help her. Hoshi blushed only slightly realizing she was caught in her act of observing the other woman. Offering a slight smile to the other woman she bowed a very respectful bow and shook her head as she stood stark straight.” No I was... Observing your gymnastics.Very talented.”Hoshi was not quite sure to be embarrassed or not but she was sure that she was someone who was always blunt with the people who she surrounded herself with. She had no qualms about admitting why she was here. “I was looking for a place to eat some of my lunch and this area seemed nice.”

[Delilah Pryce]

Delilah received very few compliments, mostly due to her stand offish nature and her venomous speech. There weren't really many people who had ever gotten close to Delilah, Sakhmet Richmond being the newest addition to that list. Delilah craved attention, but she still had a fear of letting just anyone close enough to her to be able to hurt her. Her father had really messed Delilah up mentally and emotionally and now the rest of the world was paying the price. Delilah had done some rather unspeakable things to a great number of individuals in her life, but what was so horrible was her lack of conscience. Those she had hurt, Delilah felt no guilt or regret but rather found joy or release in their pain. This wasn't to say she was some mindless beast or murderous monster, no, Delilah had her limits and her boundaries. She never hurt children, the really young ones and she did not whore herself out.

Men had always brought out the savage beast in Delilah considering her childhood past, but women for the most part were relatively safe around her. Delilah was more comfortable around women, but not always. Most of the time, Delilah just used women as a means of sexual release, but Sakhmet had been changing that part of her just a bit. In Sakhmet, Delilah had found a close friend in a manner of speaking and had learned that there are some good people out there if you were willing to look for them. So, with that said, Delilah was willing to take a chance with Hoshi and strike up a friendly enough conversation. What could it really hurt in the long run? Maybe Delilah could finally unload some of her emotional baggage if she could learn to trust others a bit more. Plus, Hoshi was wearing a kimono, and anyone willing to wear something like that out into the open couldn't be too bad.

"Thank you," Delilah said, accepting the compliment from Hoshi. It was true, Delilah had quite the skill library of acrobatic moves, but none of them were really hers. Everything was copied or stolen depending on what definition suited your opinion. Delilah had been all over the country, fulling exercising her meta-ability and copying all manner of skills from masters of every talent out there. Quick draw tournaments, defensive driving courses, martial arts tournaments, gymnastic competitions and all manner of other skills. Delilah was a walking encyclopedia of physical talents which grew larger and larger every day. She wondered how much she could copy before her body and mind wouldn't be able to take the strain, finally shutting down as a result of too much information to process.

"I'm finished here if you want to eat your lunch," Delilah said with a smile, looking Hoshi over again. Hoshi wasn't much larger than Delilah but she held herself as a woman who knew what she wanted out of life. No doubt she was a professional of some sorts with a very impressive educational background. Her posture and hard set eyes told Delilah that much, plus the look of the kimono screamed big money. Kimonos weren't exactly your typical every day wear here in America and so, as such, this woman had to have had some traveling under her belt which meant she was probably some business executive. All this was mere speculation which in turn meant Delilah could be dead wrong on all accounts. "Your kimono is lovely by the way," Delilah said as she began to walk toward Hoshi, "Can't say I've ever met anyone wearing one so casually though, but then again, the world today is full of all sorts of surprises," she said, smiling at her hidden meaning of meta-humans. "I'm Delilah," she said extending her hand to Hoshi as she stopped in front of her.

[Hoshimi Aoki]

Hoshi was someone who rarely gave compliments to people. If they did not deserve them then there was no point in even fishing for them. She thought most people were not even talented enough to deserve her praise. If a compliment was deserved she would give it. That is just the fact of the matter. Hoshi was not someone with the best social skills, but even she knew it was not polite to stare at someone. Really the other woman was talented she would bend in ways Hoshi would not even dream of. Hoshi was not flexible, in her body or her attitude. She never budged when she was interested in something. She would find out all she could and then use it to her advantage. As a newspaper editor this was always a god thing. She wouldn't stop until she found the truth.

Hoshi didn't have anyone she really considered a friend. She had her sister, but that was family, not a true friend. To Hoshi friendship was a sacred thing. To give it away so easily would be foolish and unproductive. It was the same sort of thing with trust. Hoshi would not and could not give it away easy. You had to earn it. Hoshi had always been to busy studying or working or earning money to really have friends. She was always the one who was the old lady in the young lady's body. Most people called her old fashioned and unsociable. Well some of that was true in the least sense, but Hoshi certainly didn't think she deserved to be called "Ice Queen" behind her back at work. That was actually a name that had been used since her elementary days. People didn't understand her. Or her Kimono wearing ways.

Hoshi just nodded as the other brown hair woman expressed her gratitude. It was true the other woman had an extraordinary talent. At least Hoshi thought it was a talent. It would never cross her mind that the other girl would be meta. Hoshi had no trouble with meta's seeing as her sister was planning on marrying one. Though Hoshi sometimes wondered if he would ever get his act together to ask Kiko. It was taking an awfully long time. Sighing at the thought she looked over at the other girl with her blanket and bento still gathered into her arms. " You are welcome." she shuffled a bit, her posture straight as she tried to keep the blanket from touching the ground. " Have you had any training?"

Hoshi smiled over at Delilah as she said she could eat if she wanted to. "Thank you." Hoshi was a bit taller then the other women. That in itself was a miracle in some ways. Hoshi rarely met anyone shorter then herself. She was small, like all other stereotypical Asians. Even then she was smaller still then the stereotyping of her nationality. Looking over Delilah she pursed her lips at the choice of clothing. She was not a fan of western clothes. She supposed though, that she had no right to judge the other women based on her clothing choice. It was suitable for the activity the woman had pursued. Hoshi had trained herself to be a proper image of a rich young lady since she was young. Her natural attitude just helped that image along. She supposed it was just herself playing princess again as she continued to wear the kimono's around town and still today. She smiled as the other woman complimented her kimono." Thank you. Most people Don't wear them... I actually got this one as a present from my grandparents." Hoshi smiled at the memory of them giving it to her as a present on the day she was leaving Japan. it really was one of her favorites. "Konichiwa Delilah-sama, Watashi no namae wa Hoshimi Aoki desu. You may call me Hoshi if you wish." Hoshi silently spread the blanket back out at her feet and smiled as she set the small decorated box containing her lunch at her feet. Standing again she looked to the other woman and shook her hand. Hoshi smiled over at the other lady. How would she react to her speaking to her in Japanese?

[Delilah Pryce]

Delilah didn't really have that much of a different social attitude than Hoshi, if you looked at her a certain way. The rough persona which she wore out in public was mostly unapproachable and rather cold and callous. Delilah would not hesitate to voice her opinion in any matter and receiving a compliment from her was like pulling teeth. She naturally wasn't like this, but traumatic background she grew up in had gave birth to the creature which stood in front of Hoshi today. The natural Delilah was quiet caring and considerate, however, abuse at the hands of that monster she called father had sent that part of her crying and huddled up into a dark corner. In the vacant place left by her natural self, a darker and highly more aggressive girl stepped forth, determined to protect that tiny mouse which was Delilah Pryce. It was almost like two people living inside one body, but both personalities were aware of the other. The softer Delilah was always there and for the most part, still in charge of her body, she just chose to stand back and let the watch dog do its job.

Hoshi needed not worry about Delilah's darker aggressive side as she had not shown any sign of aggression herself. As an added bonus, Hoshi was a woman and therefore not seen as any threat. Men were the real fear, Delilah's father being the chiefest one of them all. She loathed men, they made her want to vomit when they touched her. Her skin crawled and her stomach lurched every time she was forced to interact with them. It was all she could do to control herself when out in public and surrounded by them. The drugs helped calm her some, but she was having to increase the amount more and more anymore just to get that calming effect.

Delilah nodded, "There was alot of training involved," she said, not really stating that it was other people who had trained to develop the skills which she merely copied. Of course, Delilah had to put a large amount of time into staying in shape in order to properly execute said skills without hurting herself. Delilah was proud of her copied skills and possessed quite the library of abilities.

Delilah tilted her head to the side as Hoshi began to speak in Japanese. Delilah's sharp mind caught what words she could discern, committing them to memory. Her photographic memory didn't enable Delilah to instantly understand foreign languages, but it sure did make it easier to learn them with enough study. Delilah already spoke German and Russian but had yet failed to learn any other foreign language. Her familiarity with German and Russian was due to her many dealings with the Russian mob and several German arms dealers which were always looking for someone to connect them to potential buyers. Delilah wasn't the best sort of person to be mixed up with, but despite her rough nature, she wasn't exactly a danger to be around.

"Are you second generation or were you born overseas?," Delilah asked, now curious of her new found conversation companion. Hoshi spoke her native language so well and her choice of dress indicated that Hoshi had moved here to America, but as Delilah had learned in her life, assumptions were a dangerous thing to make.

[Hoshimi Aoki]

Hoshi was someone who had grown accustomed to the personality she had presented to herself and others. She would excel, she would be the best. She was stubborn and unmoved by acts of extreme emotion. To Hoshi they felt fake and not genuine. It was worse to hide your true persona behind the face of kindness and a facade of who you really were then to be a emotional wall. Hoshi's emotions belonged to her and her alone, but she had no qualms about exposing her emotions when she felt like it. Hoshi could be the most unavailable person on the planet at times, but then in one second you could see just how much she was hurt. Hoshi knew her own feelings. It was everyone else who hadn't a clue.

Hoshi smiled over at Deliah as she appeared to be contemplating something. She hadn't a clue what was going on, but she did know that it wasn't bad. Hoshi had been too distracted by schoolwork and her deliberate ostracization of herself to have friends, or even have a normal life experience. Growing up she had very few close friends and she didn't understand people. She found it easier to ignore those who would not help her or benefit her. In a way she isolated herself on purpose.Now she was paying for that with her utter failure at socializing.

Hoshi nodded as the smaller woman affirmed that he had received training. Offering a small smile Hoshi motioned for the other woman to sit with her. Hoshi tucked her knees under her as she sat. It was the only way to properly sit in a kimono. She motioned for the other women to follow suit and patted the blanket beside her. Hoshi felt it was better to sit. " Tell me how you got into gymnastics." Hoshi was curious now, the other lady had peaked her interest , once you did that Hoshi's investigatory skills went into overdrive.She would find out more.

Hoshi smiled at Delilah's reaction to her speaking in her grandparent's native tongue. She watched her eyes full of mirth as the smaller woman moved her head to the side. She seemed to be analyzing what Hoshi was saying, eyes eyes wide and open. Smiling at the other woman she waited for her to react keeping her face plain. Often times she would sort of test people with their reactions with her speaking Japanese. You could tell a lot from how a person acts when they are presented with something new, how the person will act in real life. It was just a fact f life and Hoshi was amused by her little game, even if it confused the hell out of others.

Hoshi smiled at the question, it was justified. "My parents moved here from Japan, but I just returned from a trip to go see my Obaasan and Ojiisan. I was there for the summer." Hoshi opened the black decorated box in which contained her lunch. That was something else she had picked up. Every day that she had to go somewhere her grandmother would pack a bento, with everything she needed. Hoshi smiled at the food inside as it reminded her of her grandparents. She had made her grandmother teach her how to make the food in the box. She wanted to bring it back to America. In actuality Hoshi had excelled at making the bento by the end of the summer. When she put her mind to it she could do anything. And she could do it well. Looking over at Delilah she smiled and offered her her spare pair of chopsticks"Would you like some?"

[Delilah Pryce]

Delilah smiled as Hoshi silently motioned for Delilah to join her on the blanket. Normally Delilah was a very social person and her people skills were in a serious need of improvement, however, she wasn't totally void of social skills. Delilah was a hard person to get to know and ever harder to have tolerance for. Her brash and somewhat rude attitude and speech was more or less a defensive mechanism to protect the frightened young woman she kept safely locked away deep inside herself. Hoshi though, was one of those few individuals who put Delilah in a more positive mood. There wasn't any reason to give the other woman any trust, but her choice of dress and her polite attitude had intrigued Delilah. Sitting with Hoshi couldn't be that bad and Delilah didn't get any weird feelings of distrust from Hoshi.

Slipping her running shoes off at the edge of the blanket, Delilah then sat down across from Hoshi, sitting Indian style out of habit. The small box which Hoshi had brought with her sparked a bit of curiosity and when Hoshi opened the box, revealing the mixture of food inside, Delilah smiled once again, finding it amusing. She knew very little of Japanese customs and social traditions, but now that she had seen a bit of it in Hoshi, Delilah had an urge to learn. "That's pretty neat," she said giggling a bit, pointing to the Bento which Hoshi brought. Hopefully this Hoshi woman would have other interesting things to show Delilah in their chance meeting.

Hoshi extended her polite manners further, offering Delilah a pair of chopsticks and some of her food. Delilah looked at the chopsticks oddly, unsure of how to hold them or even use them. Of course, that was a problem easily solved. She glanced to Hoshi, her ability locking away the information of how to hold the chopsticks into that vast library of her mind. Without really thinking, Delilah's fingers deftly moved the chopsticks into the proper position. She would wait for Hoshi to take the first bite in order to see how to properly use the unique eating utensil. "Thank you, I appreciate you kindness," Delilah said with a small smile as she locked eyes with Hoshi. There didn't seem to be that many polite people in the world in this day and age, but lately, Delilah was coming across more and more. If she continued to keep finding others with the kindness and manners like Sakhmet and Hoshi, then who knew how much Delilah might start to find herself changing for the better.

"This Obaasan and Ojiisan, are they your grandparents or something?," Delilah asked, hoping she got the pronunciation right. From the feeling of the use of the words, Delilah's assumption of their meaning seemed right to her. The Japanese language and their customs were really a big mystery to Delilah. She had never dealt with anyone from there and while Delilah's profession left her dealing with all sorts of organized crime groups, she had steered clear of the Yakuza. They had a very intimidating reputation about them and while Delilah was more than qualified to handle those type, she didn't want to press her luck so to speak. Dealing with the Russian mob and German gun runners was dangerous enough and throwing in another ticking time bomb into the formula wasn't really the smart thing to do. "I've never really met anyone from Japan before, so all this is kind of new for me," she said, flashing a nervous sort of smile to Hoshi.

[Hoshimi Aoki]

Pleased that Delilah had decided to join her and in return she smiled up at her. Hoshi was not the most social person but she was “trying”. Was that not what her sister and boss wanted? Hoshi frowned. Both were nagging her about it and trying to get her to take a day off. She really didn't want to. She was happy working and running her newspaper. Yes it was hers. As much as she was hated and feared, the newspaper ran efficiently. It was doing great and it was becoming a really successful thing. Thinking on them she gave a small cold laugh. She gave them a reason to be unified in an area. She was the reason they worked so well. They all didn't like her, so she figured she was giving them something to ban together one. Their mutual dislike of her. Hoshi looked back at her present company. Would she feel the same after?

Hoshi gave a polite smile as Deliah sat across from her criss-cross. She watched as she saw the other woman's eyes light up. They were full of curiosity and were intrigued. Hoshi could feel no sense of malice coming from the other brunette. She did smile much more broadly as the woman took off her shoes. She knew some of the culture it seemed. This made Hoshi wonder just how much of the culture the other woman knew. When she was spoken to Hoshi looked over and contemplated her answer. “Thank you. My grandparents gave me the box. It is hard to find ingredients though.” Hoshi had to smile as the other girl laughed. There was nothing wrong here.

Hoshi waited, the chopsticks outstretched, to see what the other girl would do. If worse came to worse she could always get the fork she had. She did want to see if she would use the chopsticks or opt out though. Maybe she had learned to use them before, maybe not. Hoshi was curious though. She smiled as Delilah took the chopsticks and held them properly. Good. She had some knowledge. She took a small bite out of the bento box before glancing over at Delilah. Swallowing she eyed the other woman as she started to thank her. What exactly was she thanking her for? Hoshi really didn't know. Kindness? Hoshi was just being civil. It was not really kind, not not really. If anything at all she was being polite. In every sense of the phrase Hoshi believed that it was to be followed religiously. Manners really did matter. “ You are welcome Delilah-san”

Hoshi smiled wider as Delilah asked about Obaasan and Ojiisan. “ Hai..” Hoshi muttered almost silent thinking of them. Really they spoiled her rotten and she felt she was hoe when she was with them. If Hoshi had her way they would have come to the United states with her. Or she would have stayed there. She was the closest one to them. The closest one of the family. Others did not understand, nor did they take the time to respect their elders. Hoshi was different. She wanted to learn and grow with the two of them as her sensei's. Hoshi smiled when Delilah gave a nervous smile and admitted she had never met anyone from Japan. “ I grew up in Burlington, I just got back from a visit to see Ojiisan and Obaasan.”

[Delilah Pryce]

Hoshi took a bite of her food, using her chopsticks deftly, passing along the skill to Delilah as well. It was that simple, seeing someone perform a physical action. As long as Delilah could track the movements with her eyes, whether consciously or not, then she could copy said movements, just as long as they were not super powered. Delilah made the same movements as Hoshi, taking a small portion of food and eating it. The food tasted good, a bit different, but good. To be honest though, there wasn't much food which Delilah didn't like. Growing up, she really didn't have that much food considering her father's alcohol addiction and so now, having access to such readiness of food was heaven sent.

Hoshi was few on words, her answers were short and got her point across, much like Delilah. This suited Delilah just fine, it meant no real emotion was needed to convey their words. "I'm from Virginia myself," Delilah added, keeping her hometown out of the small revelation, "Daughter of a coal miner," she added with a slight sigh, her southern mountain accent showing through a bit. "I never knew my grandparents....on either side of the family. My mother's parents were already dead by the time I came along and my father.....He never talked about his parents and they never came around," Delilah said, rambling on about things she had never told anyone else before. She wasn't sure why, it just all came rolling out. Might have been the effect Hoshi had on her or just Delilah's subconscious trying to unload some emotional and mental stress.

Clearing her throat, Delilah pushed forth a fake smile as she had so many times for so many others, "Anyway, tell me more about Japan. You seem to have a real love for the lifestyle," she said, trying to deflect the moment back to Hoshi. Delilah realized she might have opened a door that didn't need to be opened publicly, but maybe Hoshi wouldn't catch on.....Then again, it might have been the opening someone with a desire to dig for truth would need to get them digging.

[Hoshimi Aoki]

Hoshi smiled slightly as the brunette took a bite of the food she had. Hoshi was surprised. Most people did not know how to use chopsticks, so it was a rarity for her to find someone who could. She smiled at the thought and happily ate some more before pulling out a thermos with some green tea. Delicately she poured herself a cup and her companion one as well. She always kept extra cups plates and all in the basket when she went on picnics. It was just a good thing. Smiling she held out the offered cup. “ Would you like some?”

Hoshi kept silent as Delilah started to talk about various things. She liked to keep her answers short and to the point. Less confusion and less amount of emotion to go in them that way. Hoshi set down her chopstick and just listened as she was told about Delilah. She acknowledged the fact that Delilah was from Virginia with a nod and sat perfectly still listening. Her face flicked just the tiniest of frowns as she was told that Delilah had never known her grandparents. Delilah was revealing so much of herself she figured that it was only fair to reveal apart o herself as well to her dining companion. “ I really only started to get to know my grandparents in middle school.” Hoshi kept silent as her companion started to talk again. She had given an appropriate response she had thought. As she continued Hoshi smiled as her accent came through It was pleasant enough to listen to and it aws not at all taxing on the ears. She looked over to the other and simply nodded.

Although she was curious, really she was, Hoshi raised a single eyebrow as the other female started to deflect the conversation back to her. Sighing she answered the question as simply as she could. “ The culture is amazing. It is easy to adapt to and I respect where I came from greatly.” Hoshi's deeper truth signal was going off in all direcctions but it was all pointing back to Delilah. She contemplated saying more about her grandparents and more about her friends she had made over there, but she realized that she needed to know what else was under that truth That fake smile that her eating companion was utting up Hoshi slowly sipped her tea before setting it down and acing te other girl straight on. “ What as it like growing up as a coal miner's daughter?” Hoshi didn't know what there was but there was something. She would find it out.

[Delilah Pryce]

Delilah took another bite of the odd flavored food, this time chewing a bit more slowly as she knew she had said far too much about her personal life. Delilah hoped she hadn't spooked Hoshi with this sudden outburst of her private history. It wasn't everyday Delilah found someone she enjoyed keeping company with, then again, it wasn't everyday that Delilah just blurted out things about her personal life. She frowned a bit at that thought and then shook her head, letting an odd confused smile slip. Delilah had become far too social lately, or too social by her standards anyway. She wasn't hanging out at the mall with other young woman her age, but she was putting forth some effort to make small talk. Sakhmet Richmond had been having a larger effect on Delilah than Delilah had really known.

Looking Hoshi in the eye, Delilah smiled and nodded her head in silent reply to let Hoshi know she would like some green tea. Usually, Delilah spiced up her tea with other liquids to give it that extra kick, but she could manage to drink it normally this time. She took the small cup of tea and cautiously took a sip. The tea was still very warm and tasted quite delicious. The flavor of the tea complimented the food which Hoshi had brought and had been kind enough to share with Delilah. Delilah would have to make sure to repay Hoshi in some manner or another and before she could give it proper thought, Hoshi was asking her about growing up as a coal miner's daughter. It was a frightful question as it meant memories of Delilah's father would have to be stumbled through.

With a nervous sigh, Delilah lowered her cup to her lap but still held it gently. She let her gaze drift down from Hoshi and stared blankly at the blanket they both sat on. "I wouldn't say it was a life I enjoyed. The coal companies preyed on small towns like ours, buying up everything they could get their hands on which didn't leave many options for employment open to people like my father. Like it mattered anyway, our neck of the mountains wasn't known for the intelligence of its inhabitants. Neither one of my parents graduated high school, just like most of the other losers who had moved to our town, which meant the coal company didn't have to offer high wages," Delilah said, never once looking up from the spot she stared at on the blanket. "Shit hole of a house, ragged worn out clothes from thrift stores, and food I wouldn't feed to a dog," she went on, clearing her throat before looking back up to Hoshi. "Not a glamorous life by any means, but that's all way behind me now," Delilah added, smiling that phony smile once again. "What about you Hoshi? What did your parents do for a living?," she asked, shifting the spot light one more time.

[Hoshimi Aoki]

Hoshi ate some of her bento while she had waited for the others thought and emotions. She was delighted at how well the rolls and the rice balls had turned out. It was nice to eat this type of food. If there wasn't an option of eating Japanese, Hoshi would eat a salad. Even then it wasn't a thing she did willingly. Hoshi tried to stay with the roots as much as she could. Hoshi really didn't spook easy. She was a bit glad the other had opened up to her. It meant she could trust her. It also meant her story sense was tingling. Not of course she would follow it. Some things were better left unsaid. This really was one of the most social conversations Hoshi had in a while. She was someone who wasn't able to talk about something with people other then at work and other then her family. She wasn't the most social person herself so don't worry Delilah, you're not alone in this.

Hoshi managed to maintain eye contact with Delilah when she nodded about the tea. She had carefully handed over the still warm cup to the other girl, following her own rules about tea almost religiously. She was very happy with what was going on and she really did like her tea. It was her favorite kind, not to mention it went with the food very well. She smiled as she watched her companion take a sip. She really was glad that she liked it. If Hoshi prided herself on something it was that sh could make a good green tea. She slowly waited for the other to answer her questions as she knew she would.


Hoshi set down her cup when Delilah did. She would let the other woman know she had her full attention.Sitting stark straight looking at the other woman Hoshi watched as she began to tell her story. Hoshi sat quietly and listened all throughout out her speech, She would give Delilah the respect that she was due and be quiet.She would expect nothing less form her if he was int return telling her her story. Hoshi listened intently to the entire thing pausing to give Delilah a chance to rest before she spoke, her voice soft and caring, much unlike her normal voice. “You surpassed them you know. You are an intelligent woman who has a good head on her shoulder and has learned the hard way how to live. Don't know what you went through, I wont show you the disrespect by saying that, but I do know what you have become. Someone amazing.” Hoshi watched Delilah carefully as she finally looked back at her and talked with her looking her eye in eye. “Both of my parents are retired.” Hoshi didn't really know what else her parents were up, in all honesty she was closer to her grandparents. Hoshi had never really connected with her parents like her two sisters. It just didn't happen. “What do you yourself do Delilah?”

[Delilah Pryce]

Hoshi gave Delilah what Delilah craved most from those she allowed to be around her and that was praise. Denied such a simple thing from her parents in her childhood, praise from those around her was more valuable than any diamond or gold trinket. Underneath the outer facade, Delilah was rather simple and easy to manipulate. She operated simply, and did her best to achieve whatever she craved. Delilah might have known better than to be swayed by such flattering words, but the little girl in her arose to life and pushed away all caution. Hoshi had a bit stronger hold on Delilah right now than she might have known or she might have been right where she wished to be.

"Th-thank you," Delilah said with a slight stutter, glancing down to the blanket she sat on with Hoshi. She blushed slightly, shaking her head just a bit to let a few loose strands of hair fall over her face. Delilah had to admit, aside from the incident between the Hammel swat team and the MSAD, things in Pilot Ridge hadn't been too bad for her. Delilah had met a few interesting people, mostly Sakhmet Richmond, and now she was meeting another. Maybe her stay in Pilot Ridge would become permanent if things continued in this manner?

Looking up again, Delilah sighed at the question of her employment. Delilah held no legal job and that lifestyle was starting to become less desirable with each passing day. "I do all sorts of things, but my all sorts of things aren't really in high demand in the job market lately," she replied, being more truthful than Hoshi really knew. "Lately I've been doing some courier work about town and one of the pizza places around here let's me make delivers for them two or three days a week if they're busy," she said, sighing again, slightly embarrassed by her lack of serious employment. There was a time not too long ago, Delilah made some serious money doing all sorts of dirty work. Mob hits, protection duties, drug running, all those nice activities.

"What about you Hoshi? Do you work or maybe your a stay at home wife.....girlfriend?," Delilah asked, her sharp eye looking at Hoshi's hand to see if she could spot a wedding band or engagement ring. Why she was looking for a relationship tie which Hoshi might possess was really up in the air. Delilah was lonely, but establishing a relationship right now wasn't really wise.

[Hoshimi Aoki]

Hoshi was someone who was a person who was always able to sense a story. She may not know who was the center of the reason behind it but there was always a story of some sort. To Hoshi finding a story was something that was not only fun, but by now second nature. She never would have expected what was to come out of Delilah's mouth, but it was out in the open now. Maybe Delilah just needed to vent? Hoshi was okay with this,as she was happy to help be someone for others to vent in. In truth Hoshi had never been the one for people to vent to. She was always the one people avoided because they didn't know what she would think or say in response. Although this hurt when she was young Hoshi had grown accustomed to people hiding things from her. Unfortunate for them that made Hoshi want to try harder to uncover the truth.

Hoshi just nodded at Delilah's thank you. She did raise an eyebrow at the stutter however. Hoshi really hadn't pegged Delilah as the type to stutter. It just didn't seem to fit. Oh well there was always a difference in perception and reality. Hoshi of all people knew that and lived on it. “You are welcome Delilah.” It couldn't be all that long since the other had gotten a compliment right? It seemed that to Hoshi, Delilah was acting as if it was a one time thing or a very rare occurrence. Hoshi honestly hoped it was not. It would be a shame if the girl only got compliments every once in a while.

Hoshi watched very much intrigued as Delilah just sighed at her question of employment. What did she do to make her sigh so? She slowly and quietly listened as Delilah started to talk waiting until she was completely done to look at the other girl. “There is nothing wrong with doing odd jobs to make ends meet.” Hoshi did wonder what she meant when she said her sorts of things were not on the job market. Hoshi could have chalked it up to a bad job market and all that but there was something else wasn't there? Hoshi could tell. “What sorts of jobs are your sorts jobs?” Honestly Hoshi was curious.

Hoshi almost laughed when she was asked if she was a stay at home mom or girlfriend. She bit back her laughter as she listened to Delilah. Had she perked up just the slightest? When she caught Delilah eying her hand for evidence for a ring Hoshi just smiled and shook her head setting down her tea. “I am afraid not Delilah. I am the local newspaper editor.” At the question of the relationship Hoshi just held up her hand to show her. “I am not taken either.What about you?”

[Delilah Pryce]

How could Delilah answer Hoshi's question about her 'skills' without causing worry in her or even causing her to run off? There was also the issue with Delilah being a meta-human, but oddly enough, that problem wasn't really much of a worry. Delilah had never really worried about her status as a meta-human, it just seemed trivial really. To her, there were other more life threatening issues to deal with in the world and worrying about genetic status was just ridiculous to her. Picking sides on the meta vs. human debate wasn't a decision Delilah was ever going to have to make as watching out for herself took front seat. Whichever side could offer her the biggest paycheck or bounty was the side she fought with, it was all killed or be killed in her book. Living in Pilot Ridge also took some pressure of having to worry about meta haters out there. The population of meta-humans in Pilot Ridge was high and the locals here were pretty cool with having metas walking their streets with them.

Biting at her bottom lip as she thought, Delilah finally gave in and answered Hoshi. "I used to work in the private security business. Protecting political leaders, business CEO's and a few celebrities here and there. Of course, that sort of business all moved direction into the Middle East with the war and all," she said with a small shrug of her shoulders, letting out a bit of truth while omitting the rest. Delilah had worked as personal security for several people over the years, however most of them being less than desirable individuals. "I've been thinking about a job change lately though. I'm kind of tired of all that stress. Not sure what I'm gonna do though," she added, smiling to Hoshi. That smile sort of wavered though with the knowledge of Hoshi's job. The media was a scary thought for those like Delilah, but if Delilah watched herself throughout the conversation, she should be alright. "Impressive," said Delilah, her tone actually for real and not just an act now. Newspaper editor was a note worthy title to have on a job resume.

Hoshi was single, not a big surprise considering her profession. Becoming an editor at such a young age probably meant that she didn't have time for much of a social life. If Hoshi traveled back and forth to Japan to see her grandparents much, then this also no doubt would have a huge impact on a private social life. "At the moment I'm sort of single....Looking though, but still single," she said with a slight blush.