Maribelle was... somewhat familiar with Lola. She wasn't sure if it was a friendship the undead woman had with her late uncle -- her late father? -- or if they were simply acquaintances, but Maribelle was apparently comfortable enough to then approach her. And with a gift, no doubt.
Through Noel, Maribelle only knew small things about Lola. She wasn't about to share too many of her own sweets, because by the twenty was it difficult to find anything sweet in the first place and so she wanted to keep them for herself, mostly, but she did have books. Lola liked books, right? The teenager was reluctant, doubtful, but nevertheless came to Lola with an expression that told otherwise. Flat and to the point.
"I got--" She stopped for a moment to keep herself from stammering too much. Lola didn't particularly scare her, but why was it so cold around here? She held the book out -- a thin piece that appeared to be only a little over one hundred pages. The front read [Poppy by Maxim Smirnov. "..This is one of my favorite poem collections, but I don't know if you would care for it. They're all mostly the same, or at least they follow the same themes... mostly. Mostly death and cultural values and reincarnation and -- really stupid things like that. But, this edition has illustrations of flowers in it, though, if you think that's better."
maribelle
"Is there an age where you get to learn how to drive?" Maribelle asked. She hadn't a clue how the whole thing worked -- as far as she knew, the steering wheel probably controlled the entire vehicle. It wasn't like she listened to those sorts of age rules or anything, though. The drinking law in Yenereth was useless to her because several old men in her life gave her wine anyways to help her sleep.
Nevertheless, Maribelle watched Nobutaka from a fortunately safe enough distance. She felt that smugness return when he failed to hit the remaining pins, the bowling ball sadly sliding into the gutter. But then, he paused, and she felt nervousness start to creep in. Nervousness, and then more specifically the worry she had done something stupid to provoke him, an instinct to shapeshift, so to speak, that she had many times before.
The girl was quiet for a moment, before reluctantly offering some of her trademark shitty comfort. "I was just messing around." she told him, "I didn't mean anything by it. It's just a dumb game--"
"Hey! Back off!" Maribelle snapped at the thugs when they grabbed her, ripping herself away from them. She glared at them, and then looked anxiously back at Nobutaka.
Hm. Yes. Never mind, they had the right idea. She shrank back behind the thugs and followed them quickly out of the bowling alley.
