Asuka Yakushi

Cheesy, upbeat Italian music plays at a fairly quiet volume over the speakers inside a mid-sized pizzeria. Generic 'Italian' themed decor lines the walls painted to look like a stone balcony overlooking the sea. Though there are plenty of seats, and it's currently dinnertime, the pizzeria is occupied only by staff, and one group sitting at a corner booth at the back. Around the circular booth sits the members of Attack on Mango, alongside their plus one, Deena. Arrayed on the table in front of them is a pepperoni pizza the size of a car tire, 2 giant baskets of breadsticks, a communal salad plate, drinks for everyone, and the biggest bowl of soup for one person Asuka has ever seen. She really hopes this place has to-go bowls, because she's not finishing this in one sitting. At the left end of the table, Ruby grabs a breadstick from the nearby basket. After breaking it in half, she looks up at the others. "So, remind me why we came here? Don't you guys usually go to that Tex-Mex place?" Nar's face goes from a pleasant smile, to a pouting frown. "Shifty Sai's is under renovations. Winter storms did a number on their roof, so they're having to remodel entirely." To this, Juno rolls his eyes. "Dude. It's just a month. You act like they're closing for good." "I know, but where else am I going to get my nacho fix?" Then, Ruby chimes in again. "What about that Tino's place we passed on our way from Ponyville?" The response is a shake of the head from both of the guys. "Too expensive." Says Nar. "It's on the other side of the city. We'd have to ride the tram for like, an hour to get there." At this, Ruby blinks. "Aren't you guys practically MILLIONAIRES right now? And don't you have a van?" Juno responds first. "The van is for gigs only. Plus, Vanhoover traffic is HELL." Them, comes Nar. "And just because we're loaded, doesn't mean we've stopped being cheap." Ruby opens her mouth to argue, but she quickly realizes she'll get nowhere, and opts to simply go back to eating. From her spot in the middle of the booth, Asuka growls. "I swear to Solaris. If I hear Funiculi Funicula one more time, I'm going to KILL someone." Deena heaves a sigh as she rubs her temples. "I agree. This music is starting to give me a migraine." Then, Juno turns towards Nar to ask "How the hell do you eat here so often? The portions are huge, and the music is mind-numbing." Nar beams a smile back. "It's cheap, the food is good, and I'm friends with the owner." "Is there a restaurant in the city where you AREN'T friends with the owner?" Asuka groans. "Just the fancy ones." Comes the response. Asuka groans once more, and tries to drown her annoyance in soup. It does not work. Seeing that Asuka is growing more, and more agitated, Deena decides to lighten the mood by breaking some news to the group. Despite the fact that they all lived in the same house, the band always waited until they went out to eat to share news for some reason. "Well. I was hired yesterday. I'll be working in the gardening department for the home store near the house." This seems to instantly brighten Asuka's mood. "Oooooh! I didn't know you'd applied for a job!" Deena nods. "Ruby helped me. The website I used was not very user friendly, but we managed to get it done. My first day is next Monday." The band congratulates their friend on their success, and afterwards, Nar lifts his cup of soda above his head. "A toast, to Deena's new job!" Nobody reciprocates. Except for Ruby. Though she uses a breadstick instead of her water. Nar shoots his sister, and best friend looks before placing his cup back down on the table. He feels Asuka jab a finger into his side, accompanied by playful giggling. "You know, you're such a dork."

Things have been pretty hectic for the Yakushi family ever since Asuka returned. Many people have had questions, but none of the 4 people involved in her return are willing to give any concrete answers. Asuka won't talk about her experience at all, which her father is adamant everyone respects. Nar will only give small snippets on answers that usually just leave more questions, Ruby is following Asuka's example, and not talking. Then there's their new friend, Deena. When she's asked questions, she gives vague, cryptic answers, and won't elaborate. Needless to say, it's been nearly impossible for anyone to actually know what happened over the last two months. This morning, the family sits together to enjoy a hearty breakfast. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, toast, and almost any other breakfast item you can think of sits in the kitchen. Each member of the family, and their friends loads their plate before heading to the dining room. The usual table that seats 6 has been replaced with 2 folding tables to sit the family of 5, and their 3 friends. Once everyone is seated, conversations begin. "I cannot thank you enough for watching over Asuka. I am immensely relieved to know she did not have to go through this alone, Ms. Deena." Kisho bows his head to the zebra woman sitting opposite of him. In response, she smiles. "And I cannot thank her enough for extending such a kindness to me in return. Were it not for her offer to come back with her, well." Deena pauses for a moment. She gets a sympathetic look from the other 3 who were involved in the recent events. Asuka leans over to give her a side hug. "Let's just say that the alternative was not preferable." During the meal, many topics are brought up, but beyond the questions about recent events, only one manages to stop other conversations at the table. "So." Hiari begins, turning towards her brother. "You guys were on tour before all this started right? What's going to happen with that?" To this, Nar, Juno, and Asuka share a look. Juno decides to answer. "We're probably going to refund all the shows we didn't play, and plan another, bigger tour to make up for it. Probably play the last show at Vanhoover though. I've been keeping up with our social media, and the news over there. The news has been covering Asuka's disappearance ever since she was reported missing, and Iceberg Magazine published an article on her return yesterday. Thankfully, nobody's tried to pester us for comments or anything, but they certainly know we're in Ponyville." To this, Hiari poses another question. "So. What are you going to tell the press when they DO decide to pester you for comments?" "Simple." Says Asuka. "Tell them to shove it." "In nicer terms of course." Nar adds. "We may be the number 1 band in the city, but the media is vicious, and they could tank our credibility if we just told them to piss off." It's then that Nar appears to remember something. "Oh yeah!" He then turns towards Ruby. "What about your band Ruby? You were just about to leave to go back to them before we met up, right?" Ruby heaves a sigh. It seems she had some bad news to share. "Yeah, about that. The band broke up while I was gone. Not that it surprises me. The drummer, and lead guitarist had a falling out a few months back, but only tolerated each other because I was there to smooth things over. I wanted it to work out. I really did, but without me there, they just started fighting, and ruined it for everyone. Sooooo. I don't exactly have a reason to go back now." Before anyone else can make any sort of comment, Nar surges with excitement. "Hey! Why don't you re-join Attack on Mango?" The rest of the table turns to look at Ruby. She takes a few seconds to ponder her response before replying with a simple "Sure. It'll be fun." Later that day, the garage door of the Yakushi residence opens to reveal the now 4 members of Attack on Mango all arranged to play. In the driveway, four chairs have been placed for the rest of the family, and Deena to get front row seats. A few of the neighbors have come over to see what's going on, with some bringing their own chairs. As a small crowd gathers in front of the garage, a cry comes from within. "Live from our parents garage! " There's a brief moment of drumsticks being smacked together before Nar, and Asuka begin to play, shortly followed by Juno, and Ruby. (https://youtu.be/1YSmThbrUpw?si=_wRi0FOGam21CW3l) For the next 30 minutes, the usually quiet suburbs of Ponyville are filled with music. Some residents take a moment to investigate, others go to social media to complain, and some decide to listen for a while. For those 30 minutes, nothing else matters to Asuka. She's getting to play music with her friends, and nothing else could make her any happier. Well, except for the fact that her family is getting front row seats. She knows how much her dad loves their music. After the impromptu show, claps and cheers are given, and the band huddles to revel in their another successful show. The four are joined by friends and family as they share their joy together. During the group's celebration, Nar's head pops out of the crowd. He appears to spot something nearby, and excuses himself. Asuka breaks away from the group for just long enough to catch a glimpse of Nar approaching a certain red haired loser. The man locks eyes with Asuka for just a moment, but it's enough time for her to tug on her cheekbone to expose hey eye, and stick out her tongue. Then, Nar places his hand on his shoulder, and the man swiftly turns to leave. The next morning, the family says their goodbyes as the band, and Deena load into their tour van for their trip back to Vanhoover. They could work out the specifics of housing on the ride back to Vanhoover, but for now, it was time to take Deena to some of their favorite spots in Ponyville.