Chapter Text
“Are you really sure this was a good idea, Shioriko?”
“My, it’s quite unnatural seeing you be the nervous one for once.”
The Hong Konger paced around her two suitcases on the sidewalk impatiently, taking a bite out of her In-N-Out cheeseburger as another Boeing 747 flew right above them. Shioriko meanwhile ate a small portion of her animal fries as she admired the technology that brought them across the Pacific Ocean, making its descent into LAX as it safely delivered their passengers back to Earth.
“What’s even taking Mia so long? She said she’d be back 10 minutes ago, and the sun is almost setting!”
“I imagine renting a car in the States isn’t that easy… Just be patient, Lanzhu.”
Honk Honk
Before the two young women could turn their heads to see where the honking originated, a red Dodge Challenger pulled up near the sidewalk, the driver-side window being rolled down to reveal a blonde donning a pair of aviators.
“Sup. Like the ride?”
Lanzhu stood flabbergasted with a small expression of relief, nearly dropping her burger in the process, as Shioriko had several gears turning in her head as to what she was seeing in front of her.
“Why are there only two doors? What’s the mileage like? Doesn’t it seem pretty loud? Are you sure it won’t break down?” What about the s-”
“One question at a time, Shioriko.” Mia interrupted as she turned the engine off and got out of the car. “Now, I know this isn’t the Honda Civic you insisted on.”
“Clearly.”
“Yes, clearly. But this is America, girl! You didn’t seriously think we’d take a cross country roadtrip in something as lame as a Civic, right? When in the States, you drive like the States.”
“And your idea of the States is bulky, noisy, and inefficient…? All I’m saying, Mia-san, is I’d feel more comfortable driving a car that doesn’t break down… or get us pulled over.”
“We’ll be fine, don’t worry about it.” The blonde turned to look at the platinum pink-haired girl who was still busy admiring the vehicle. “Hey Lanzhu. She’s pretty cool, ain’t she?”
“Wǒ hěn ài tā! This is definitely the perfect car for our adventure!”
Mia let out a smug grin as she looked back at the disappointed Japanese. “Two against one, Shio. I’m sorry, but it looks like Felina will be joining us.”
An eyebrow was raised by the jade-haired girl. “Felina?”
“Yeah.” Mia gave the roof of the Dodge a good pat. “That’s her name.”
Shioriko sighed. “Of course you named the car…”
“And you’ll fall in love with her just like the rest of us soon enough. Now, let’s get the luggage in the back and officially kick off this trip.”
Before Shioriko could raise any other complaints about Felina, or comment on the weird habit of Americans naming their cars, Mia proceeded to pop open the trunk as she and Lanzhu put their luggage away. With seven suitcases in total, not including each girl’s personal bag, the back of the Dodge was able to comfortably hold everything with room to spare.
As for the two door situation, the blonde pulled up the passenger seat, granting access to the backseats. Not wanting to waste time and knowing Lanzhu would want to sit shotgun, Shioriko took it upon herself to sit in the back, which was surprisingly spacious.
“So, where are we going first, Mia?” Lanzhu hopped excitedly in the leather seat as she shuffled through radio stations, eventually landing on a station that played 70s hits.
“Well, we should probably spend tonight here. I take it the jet lag is still hitting hard for you two, right?”
Lanzhu and Shioriko hummed in response, with the latter letting out a gentle, cute yawn.
“Yeah, probably for the best we stay in LA then.”
The jade-haired girl rested her head along the window. “So are we headed straight to the motel?”
“Heh.” Mia let out a grin before starting Felina up again. “Do you really think we’re gonna sleep now ? No no, I got a place I wanna show you guys that’s perfect to visit around this time actually.”
“Oh?! Is the adventure already starting?! Lanzhu can’t wait to see what you got in store for us!”
“Just have us at the motel by 10, okay Mia-san?”
The New Yorker took the comments from both her friends in stride, shifting the gear from P to D before taking Felina out of the In-N-Out driveway onto Highway 1.
“Hang on tight.”
Cruising along Highways 105 and 110 before finally arriving at W Observatory Road, 40 minutes of driving led the trio of friends to the gorgeous architectural beauty that was Griffith’s Observatory, overlooking the blinding lights of the greater Los Angeles area.
Parking was a bit of a pain, as Felina had to be parked along the road instead of in front of the Observatory, meaning the three young women would have to do some walking before being able to fully admire the view. Hey, at least the parking was free, plus the walk made for some good exercise.
It took around 10 minutes for the trio to reach the front of the Observatory, with Shioriko seeing in hindsight why her American friend was insistent on taking them here.
“Wow, this is something…” The Japanese young woman crossed her arms as she admired the art deco design, noting how much its exterior stood out from much of LA’s architectural motif of glass and steel. “I didn’t expect something like this to be in Los Angeles.”
“A lot more than just skyscrapers, sports stadiums, and highways, ain’t it?” Mia teased as she nudged the Japanese’s arm, taking notice of the disappointment of the taller girl in front of them.
“Yo Lanzhu.”
“Mmm… Oh, yes?”
The blonde walked up next to the platinum pink-haired girl. “Something the matter?”
“Ehh, I don’t know. I was just expecting something more… fun? Like Santa Monica or Universal Studios!”
“At this hour? Seriously? I don’t know about Santa Monica, but I don’t think you’d have fun at Universal Studios around this time.”
Mia put an arm around the taller Lanzhu as they slowly walked towards the entrance, Shioriko not far behind.
“With the things inside this building has to offer, trust me, you seriously will be grateful I took you here instead of those lame tourist attractions.”
“Ain’t this place a tourist attraction too though?” A half curious, half sarcastic jade-haired girl commented from behind, with the blonde smiling through daggers.
“Again, you’ll be grateful I took you here. It’s all part of the start of our adventure, ain’t it Lanzhu?”
Taking a moment to think, the platinum pink-haired girl let out a smile in the end. "Yeah! I guess it is.” She then hopped the steps leading up to the Observatory, making a little spin to face the other two and raising a fist in the air. “I guess we shouldn’t waste anymore time then. Let’s get a move on!”
“Mmm. You two explore for a bit. I promise there’s plenty of cool stuff to keep you occupied.”
“And where exactly are you going, Mia-san?”
“Well, someone has to get the tickets for the planetarium.”
“Woah!” Lanzhu got up close to the blonde’s face. “There’s a planetarium inside?!”
“W-what do you think the observatory in `Griffth’s Observatory` is supposed to be observing?”
“Come now.” Shioriko put a hand on her best friend’s shoulder, nudging her closer to the entrance. “There may be a gift shop inside if we search hard enough.”
The possibility of a gift shop got the Hong Konger very excited, leading her to take her Japanese friend by the hand eagerly inside without a care in the world or an idea of where they were going. The Yank meanwhile sighed to herself as she walked to the left where the ticketing booth was. Three tickets for a show in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium would cost $30 altogether, a very affordable price to admire the stars and galaxies above.
“Hi yes uh, I’d like to pay in cash, please.”
We're not doomed. In the grand scheme of things, we're just tiny specks that will one day be forgotten. So it doesn't matter what we did in the past, or how we'll be remembered. The only thing that matters is right now. This moment. This one spectacular moment we are sharing together.
“Mia-san?”
The blonde took a moment to realize someone was calling her name, turning to her left to see Shioriko looking at her with a worried expression.
“Huh? Y-yeah, what’s up?”
“I’ve been trying to get your attention for a bit, y'know.”
“Ah, my bad. I was just getting lost in the view of everything… The city lights ahead and the night sky above, even if all that lovely light pollution prevents us from seeing any stars.”
“It’s certainly a lovely sight for sure.” The jade-haired girl rested her arms along the terrace. “I take it you liked the show at the planetarium as well?”
“Mmm. It definitely makes you contemplate things about life. Just how small and insignificant we are, living on an insignificant planet like Earth in the wider universal void. Pretty scary if you think about it long enough.”
“And yet all the more reason to cherish it while we can.”
“Yeah.” Mia glanced at the jade-haired young woman with a smile, chuckling in agreement. “Being here made me think of something else by the way.”
“Did it now?”
Mia leaned against the terrace as she crossed her arms. “I watched this animated show a couple years back. It was set right here in LA, and the observatory was a location that made many appearances. A lot of depressing and… messed up stuff happened, and it was an emotional roller coaster getting through all six seasons of it.”
“Is it something you think I’d enjoy?”
“Honestly,” The New Yorker couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Not at all.”
“Fair enough.”
“Anyway, there’s this very dark episode that happens midway through the series, and amidst all the drama that happens, there’s this very sweet quote that’s said by the main character. Something they said right in the very building we’re at right now.”
“And I take it that quote is the reason you looked dead inside while I was trying to get your attention earlier?”
“Heh, did I really look like that? Oh well. But yeah, it’s a quote that fits the atmosphere of the observatory, especially at night.”
The blonde stood up as she spinned on one foot to properly face her friend. “And it makes me happy I’m able to go on this trip with you guys.”
In her typical fashion, Shioriko smiled sincerely and gave a gentle bow. “I’m glad we feel the same way, Mia-san. Thank you for taking me and Lanzhu here too, it was very much worth it.”
“Speaking of that idiot, where even is she?”
“Haha, behind you.”
The New Yorker followed the direction of her friend’s gaze to find Lanzhu dozing off on a bench, surrounded by two bags worth of merchandise from the gift shop and a blue LA Dodgers cap atop her resting face.
“Please tell me you kept track of how much she spent…”
“Oh, you know Lanzhu well by now.” The jade-haired girl giggled while playfully nudging Mia’s arm like how the New Yorker does to her. “Nothing will get between her and her souvenirs.”
“Well, you better wake her up then, cuz I’m sure as hell not carrying her to the car for 10 minutes with all that junk she bought.”
Before the two could have any further discussion, Mia made her swift powerwalk exit from the observatory’s balcony, leaving the Hong Konger to be Shioriko’s problem. Giggling, she didn’t mind being left to deal with her, as taking care of Lanzhu was something she was more than used to.
Picking up the two bags and shaking her best friend’s shoulder, the jade-haired girl couldn’t help but notice how happy she looked in her sleep. It was adorable.
Taking a few seconds to admire the sight, Shioriko smiled bright as she hoped she’d get to see her friend like this for many days to come.
“Let’s make the most of this journey across a new land, Lanzhu.”