Meeting the new neighbour!! [Aiko]

Early weekend morning, Tammy learned that on the floor she was at someone was moving in. She idly wondered who it was, if it was someone her age or if it was someone younger. Regardless, Tammy made a significant effort to get familiar with all of her neighbours and to let them know she would be a good neighbour and help them out in case they needed assistance with anything that they couldn't do themselves or if they couldn't find help from anyone else. Tammy learned which apartment unit the newcomer was moving into from the local management and she went off to the door to ring the doorbell.

She hoped that the person moving in was actually there; it'd be rather embarrassing if he or she wasn't actually inside!

The inhabitant of the new apartment groaned as she heard the ringing of her doorbell. Ugh... What time was it? A short arm flailed out from beneath the blankets, grabbing outwards onto a nearby nightstand before finally grasping the smartphone that lay on it. A head of blue hair stuck out from the top of the blanket, gazing at the time it listed.

11:30!?

Aiko groaned. She hadn't meant to sleep in that long. Did she forget to reset her alarm on the phone? She placed the phone down on the nightstand and shuffled out of bed. A second ringing of the doorbell occurred. She briefly walked out of her bedroom and into the living room before realizing she still wasn't properly dressed. Thankfully it was before she'd opened the door too. Quickly dashing back into her bedroom, Aiko changed out of her nightclothes and into a pair of pants and t-shirt. it wasn't anything fancy, but it'd do.

Returning to the living room once more, she could hear the doorbell ring for a third time. No doubt whoever was there was starting to get sick of waiting, but Aiko just couldn't help it this time. She stood upon the tips of her toes in order to look out of the peephole of her apartment door. She could see a redheaded woman, someone vaguely familiar in fact. Had she seen her at school? Maybe one of the teachers for the older students? Well at any rate, it was rude to keep someone waiting. Leaving the chain upon her door latched still, she opened it just slightly in order to get a good look at the much taller person. The door was just far enough open to give Tammy a good look at Aiko's face as well. Once she realized where the occupant actually was.

"Greetings. Is there something I can help you with?" At least the sound of her voice would gain Tammy's attention.

Tammy saw the door open but the chain was still there. She didn't see anyone actually standing there but it wasn't until she heard the voice of the person living in the apartment that she looked down and realized it was a cute young girl! Perhaps she was a student at the academy. She asked Tammy if there was anything she could help with. "Oh, no, miss," Tammy said politely. "I just wanted to see who was the new person moving in, I wanted to get to know all of my neighbours on a friendly basis. In case you don't know who I am, I'm Tammy Mu and I teach maths at the Fukui Academy. It's nice to meet you!" Tammy continued, trying not to look rude since she was much taller than the young girl was.

Hopefully Tammy could start off on the right foot with the new neighbour. If she was a student at the academy, that would make things hopefully easier. But if she wasn't, that was also fine. Tammy was just trying to be a good friend after all.

There was a name to put to the face. Tammy Mu, a teacher at Fukui like Aiko thought. "Ah, it's nice to meet you... Ms. Mu. I'm Asagiri Aiko." It was a bit awkward having to look up at people to talk to them all the time. And given this person was probably like twice her age and a teacher at school, it made her feel a bit more awkward still. After a moment her mind clicked with another part of what a good host did when they had a guest.

"Would you... like to come in? I could... make some tea."

The young girl introduced herself as Asagiri Aiko, but did not say much other than that. To Tammy it appeared that Miss Asagiri was either shy, not that talkative, or a mixture of both. After a moment the student invited Tammy inside. "If you'd have me, Miss Asagiri, would you let me inside? As I said earlier, I'd like to get to meet and know all my neighbours. Of course, you're free to come to me if you need help getting settled in your new place." Tammy said, smiling and assuring Aiko that Tammy would be there for her in case any help with anything was needed.

Aiko nodded. She was happy to have the offer of help, even if she was already unpacked for the most part. It helped that her apartment was honestly kind of bare on anything but the essentials. She really should make the place feel more like back home at some point... But at any rate, she briefly shut the door again and unlatched the chain before opening her door entirely for the older woman. "Welcome... to my home. That's um... That's right, right?" She wasn't used to greeting people after all.

The living room was pretty simple in appearance. A TV on a small entertainment center with a few DVDs placed neatly behind the glass doors of the side cabinet. A single couch and a recliner chair sat against the wall opposite her TV with a glass coffee table in front of them. A few pictures of what appeared to be the rest of Aiko's family hung up on the walls. And finally, a set of long black curtains covered a sliding glass door that led out to a small balcony. Overall, the room had more of a western flair than eastern.

"Um... Sit anywhere you want. I... don't have a table or chairs yet..."

After those words were spoken, she took a few steps to her left (Tammy's right) and into a small kitchen area that was practically right beside the door. It was a small area though. It seemed it just barely had enough room for the refrigerator that was placed up against a wall. With an oven and a microwave upon the counter, it seemed like she was at least pretty set on cooking.

Aiko retrieved a small stepladder before unfolding it and climbed atop it to reach the cabinets. She opened the door and first retrieved a kettle to put the tea in before closing the door and then stepping down from the stepladder. After filling up the kettle with water, the short girl placed it upon the stove and lit a burner before turning her climbing up the stepladder again and opening another cabinet. "Ah... What kind of tea would you like? I have um... Black... Green... Oolong... and... White." Aiko noted her tea leaves before looking back at Tammy once more.

Tammy nodded as the girl stuttered a greeting, 'welcome to my home,' or some such. She asked if that was right, to which the teacher nodded in approval. "That is, in fact, how you greet a visitor," Tammy said, smiling warmly. Tammy let herself inside and realized the apartment was pretty bare, but at least had most if not all the essentials. The living room was pretty simple, with the TV and all. There was a single couch and a recliner chair against the wall opposite the TV with a glass coffee table in front of them. Tammy then went over to the pictures hung up on the walls, and noticed that they seemed to be pictures of Aiko's family. Of note was that the place was distinctly more Western in design choice than Eastern. Not that Tammy minded.

Aiko offered to let Tammy sit anywhere as she pleased, so the teacher softly gave Miss Asagiri her thanks and sat on the recliner chair. "I'll sit here. Thank you." she said. The Math professor saw Aiko walk into a small kitchen area right beside the door, it was small indeed. Though it did appear that Aiko used the area or at least planned to, given there was a microwave and oven already there on the counter. She used a stepladder to reach the cabinets, a thing that Tammy found cute, but couldn't blame given Aiko's height. She was going to prepare some tea as she offered earlier.

Aiko noted her tea leaves before asking Tammy what kind of tea she'd like. "Oh, tea? Oh, dear, if you don't mind, I'd like your oolong tea. Thank you for your generosity! You've been such a doll."

Aiko retrieved her box of oolong and set it on the counter. The way Tammy spoke kind of reminded her of a nanny that she had before when she was younger. After she retrieved the small box, Aiko shut the cabinet door and stepped down from the stepladder. Folding it up again, she placed it back against the wall and glanced towards the kettle. It'd take a bit to heat up though. "It's just good manners," She replied to Tammy. "Ah uh, excuse me for a minute though..." Aiko opened a door under the sink and withdrew a small watering can before filling it up with water from the sink.

"Need to water the flowers... Real quick..."

Tammy saw Aiko get the box of oolong and set it on the counter. She patiently waited for the young girl to prepare the tea... But it looked like she needed to set the water to a boil first. Putting away the stepladder, Aiko seemed to get the kettle boiling. It would be some time before the water became hot. In any case, Tammy just sat patiently until Aiko remarked that 'it was just good manners.' She wasn't a very talkative person, was she? "Well, I suppose so. I'd have treated you the same way," Tammy said smiling at the girl. "So, what do you do here? You're studying too, right?" Tammy just wanted to make sure the girl was a student at the Fukui Academy or even at some other school (though judging by her independence it seemed the former was more likely), she seemed at that young age to be.

But as she asked her question, Aiko said she had to water the flowers. "Oh, I'm sorry - you should tend to those first. I'd like to see the flowers myself."

"Yeah. I... play guitar. First year at... Fukui." There was the confirmation that Tammy sought. After replying, she shut off the sink and began to walk through the living area and to the glass door that led out to the balcony. "Out here. More sunlight... and such." Drawing the curtains back, she tied them with a pair of ribbons to let the light of the (nearly) afternoon sun pour in, lighting up the apartment a fair bit.

She slid the door open and stepped out onto the balcony. A small rose bush was growing off to the side, which Aiko visibly smiled at before watering the bush in earnest. She then turned to a pot of white lilies before watering them as well and returning inside after a moment. As she did so, she looked over at Tammy. "Ah... If you want... You can have one of the flowers. I... have extra vases." She awaited Tammy's answer before dumping out the extra water in the kitchen sink and then replacing the watering can back under the sink.

So she was a student there after all. Nodding, Tammy smiled and watched Aiko walk through the living area and to the glass door that showed the balcony. Tammy stood up and followed Aiko, who pointed out (obviously) that there was more sunlight outside and such. She drew the curtains back and let some of the sunlight pour in which gave the apartment some extra light. Tammy could see the small rose bush and the pot of white lilies which Aiko seemed to enjoy watering, the teacher saw her smile. Tammy ended up grinning too. "Mmm... You'd let me have one? Well, my place is kinda dark..." Tammy frowned. "But maybe having a white lily to brighten up my place would be nice~" she exclaimed as she followed Aiko back inside and sat on the recliner chair again as she saw the young girl put the watering can back under the sink.

Aiko went towards another of the bottom cabinets as Tammy confirmed that she'd like one of the flowers. "Just... a moment." She pulled out a small vase, placing it upon the counter before opening a drawer. From the drawer she withdrew a pair of clippers and then filled with the vase with water before stepping outside once more. She returned inside a moment later with two of the lilies in a vase, placing it on the glass coffee table for the time being. She then put the clippers away before noticing that the water in the tea kettle had finally begun to boil.

She went about the motions of preparing tea for herself and her guest, pouring two cups with a bit of extra tea leftover in case either wanted refills. After she was done preparing, she walked over towards the living area, offering one of the cups to Tammy before seating herself on the couch.

"Please... enjoy."

Tammy simply watched Aiko as she mentioned that the teacher should just wait for a moment. She pulled out a small vase, placing it on the counter before fetching a pair of clippers. She filled the vase with water and stepped outside to snip two of the lilies off and place them in the vase. The kettle had finally begun to boil, so at that point (after Aiko had placed the vase with the flowers in them on the glass coffee table) she began to prepare the tea. Once that was done, Tammy received a cup for herself and Aiko got her's, seating herself on the couch. Tammy gratefully nodded back. "Thank you very much," Tammy said softly. "For your hospitality. And the flowers, too. They look very beautiful. Do you enjoy gardening aside from your musical endeavours?" Tammy asked.

"You're welcome."

Aiko responded politely before taking a sip of her tea. "Mmhm. Gardening is... really nice. Flowers... are really... beautiful." The young slightly disheveled looking girl gave a thoughtful smile after speaking. "They always... make places nicer. And... sweet meanings too. Usually." The "language of flowers" was always something that had interested her. All the mixtures of symbolism and meaning were intriguing.

"Um... What do you like?"

Aiko was very kind and polite, though Tammy couldn't tell if her slow manner of speaking was just how she naturally was, or if she was just very shy. However, Tammy nodded in agreement when the student said flowers were really beautiful, mentioning how they made places nicer. Also, she was into the language of flowers. Maybe Tammy would look into that some time. "Hmm? What do I like? Well, I'm quite into martial arts, and I teach math at Fukui, which is one of my biggest passions," Tammy said. "When I'm not busy, I usually spend some time to do some training in martial arts as a form of exercise and to make sure I don't get rusty. Otherwise I do some higher research in certain fields of algebra. Not too many people are interested in maths, but I hope to be able to change that."

Math and martial arts, huh? Well, she didn't know much about the former. That's part of what school was for, after all. Though truth be told, she didn't know much about the latter either. Sure, she'd seen a few kung fu movies. But that was definitely it as far as her knowledge of martial arts went. The mention of Tammy's "higher studies" for the former was kind of interesting though. Aiko began to wonder what that actually meant.

"Um... I don't... know much... about math," She began, "But um... What sort of... higher research?"