Velvet Room MUSH Wiki - Recent changes [en]

2026-03-04: Bonezor the Unyielding

Bel — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 05:28:50 GMT

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	</poem>		</poem>
			[[Category:Logs]]
			[[Category:Season 1]]
			[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

Lisa Silverman

Bel — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 02:17:42 GMT

Special Skills

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	= Persona =		= Persona =

			[[File:Eros_P2.png\|100px\|left]]

	<poem>		<poem>
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	A feminine figure in a black bodysuit augmented by fluffy fur around her head, body, gloves and shoes. Heart-decorated belts adorn her torso, leg, and arm, and she has a heart-shaped red bow in one hand with a heart-shaped buckler on the other. Her face is a metal mask with painted lips and red goggles, and she has small, pink wings at her shoulderblades.		A feminine figure in a black bodysuit augmented by fluffy fur around her head, body, gloves and shoes. Heart-decorated belts adorn her torso, leg, and arm, and she has a heart-shaped red bow in one hand with a heart-shaped buckler on the other. Her face is a metal mask with painted lips and red goggles, and she has small, pink wings at her shoulderblades.
	</poem>		</poem>

			Lisa's Persona, Eros, is associated with Earth--particularly with Gravity, and the Gry line. However, she also makes great use of the Water element and has some Pierce attacks.

			Heavily physical, Eros is a protector above all, with the power to shield others from injury and wounds as well as deal out great punishment herself.

	= Special Skills =		= Special Skills =

			Lisa knows kung fu. She taught herself the basics from old martial arts movies, but now has a proper teacher--and is unlearning her bad habits to become a very good student indeed.

			She also knows how to sing and dance, and is a professional at both!

			Lisa is better than she lets on at cooking.

			Lisa... knows not a jot of English.

	=Relationships=		=Relationships=

File:Eros P2.png

Bel — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 02:12:16 GMT

Bel uploaded File:Eros P2.png Eros from P2:IS! Taken from the SMT Wiki.

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== Summary ==
Eros from P2:IS! Taken from the SMT Wiki.

Lisa Silverman

Bel — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 02:00:04 GMT

Persona

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 An ordinary life, just like 'they' agreed.  All except for one...
 = Persona =
-None yet!
+<poem>
 = Special Skills =

2026-11-07: A Hard Bargain

Talnora — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 04:45:19 GMT

Fixed Makoto's position.

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	With a quiet nod, Kazuki looked back to his planner. "Don't linger. What do you want?"		With a quiet nod, Kazuki looked back to his planner. "Don't linger. What do you want?"

	''If I had said something you would have chastised me for interrupting.'' Kazusa forced a pleasant, nonconfrontational smile to her face as she stepped closer. "Otou-sama," she started. "I won't take much of your time. National Foundation Day is coming up, and I'd like to arrange a small weekend trip for myself and some of my friends. I thought I would invite Haru Okumura-senpai and Katsuko Yoshinaga-senpai, to help keep up good relations between our families. If I'm lucky I might be able to invite our ~~class~~ president, Makoto Niijima-senpai. Her sister is the prosecutor everyone has been talking about?"		''If I had said something you would have chastised me for interrupting.'' Kazusa forced a pleasant, nonconfrontational smile to her face as she stepped closer. "Otou-sama," she started. "I won't take much of your time. National Foundation Day is coming up, and I'd like to arrange a small weekend trip for myself and some of my friends. I thought I would invite Haru Okumura-senpai and Katsuko Yoshinaga-senpai, to help keep up good relations between our families. If I'm lucky I might be able to invite our student council president, Makoto Niijima-senpai. Her sister is the prosecutor everyone has been talking about?"

	Kazusa and Makoto weren't on particularly good terms, but if Kazusa was inviting Ann, she didn't want Ann to think she was excluding one of her friends on purpose.		Kazusa and Makoto weren't on particularly good terms, but if Kazusa was inviting Ann, she didn't want Ann to think she was excluding one of her friends on purpose.

2026-10-02: Into Into

Talnora — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 03:04:08 GMT

Everything is fine for Suzume. Totally fine.

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*'''Log: Into Into'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ririka Kawase]], [[Suzume Fukura]]
*'''Where:''' Paulownia Mall
*'''OOC Date:''' October 02, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' Friday, January 18, 2013
*'''Summary:''' ''Ririka's had something heavy on her mind as of late, and she invites Suzume out somewhere where they can talk. Then... Ririka comes out to Suzume about being gay. Suzume definitely has no complicated feelings about this.''

----

(|============================== Paulownia Mall ==============================|)
-======================================= Iwatodai City/Tatsumi Port Island ====-
A great glass dome surrounds Paulownia Mall, its name displayed in great letters
on its rim. Within this circular structure, made beautiful with water features,
the mall bustles. A central fountain pours out, eternally, surrounded by benches
for weary shoppers; two more pools stand by the entrance, decorated by
well-trimmed hedges behind them. The brown patterning on the floor emphasises
the circular nature of this place, all carved to equal segments; pillars
surrounding the sides provide structure and guidance, separating each store from
the other.

And the shops one can find here are many. Game Parade is a popular arcade,
particularly amongst nearby Gekkoukan students, and its crane game has foiled
many a hopeful date. Kenneth Arnold offers music albums, while Mandragora
Karaoke Bar, up a flight of stairs nearby, offers live music experiences for
those who prefer active participation. Club Escapade is another great option for
music-lovers, alongside those seeking Fortune-Telling services or looking for
shady informants -- but it's only open at night, and technically, it's only for
people who are over 18. Practically speaking, teenagers sometimes sneak in,
anyway... but curious teens ought to be careful, because a few shops over, one
can find the Tatsumi East Police Station. Chagall Cafe, at least, is both open
during the day and open to all ages! Aohige Pharmacy offers pharmaceuticals to
cure any ailment, while Be Blue V offers an eclectic variety of items and
treatments to improve one's health and wellbeing. Finally, Mayoido Antiques
offers unique weapons and armour for those who bring in supernatural
materials... and the proprietor seems to know more than she really ought to
about that world.

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka's been doing a lot of thinking lately. (Well, she's been doing a lot of thinking for a ''while'', but... one thing in particular's stolen her focus for the last few days.)

After band practice today she shot Suzume a text.

> You wanna hang out tonight? Maybe grab dinner somewhere?

And now... they're at the mall! Ririka headed back to the dorm to change after class and take care of a few things. But she's here now in cargo pants, one of her many black band tees, a flannel shirt worn open over it, and a jacket worn open over all of that.

More walking and shopping (winow or otherwise) can come later. Right now Ririka's found a place that's out of the way for them to sit. She's got a beef bowl and a soda, though she's been a bit distant as she's been eating.

Something's on her mind, though she's trying to keep the conversation light and casual, for the moment. Her foot is tapping along to the nearest song spilling into the mall from a store.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume does not always check her phone immediately, so it's actually about fifteen minutes before Ririka gets a message back:

> sure
> Just give me a little bit to finish up

Suzume had been doing homework. Such is life when you attend high school. It doesn't actually take very long for her to be ready, though; Suzume wasn't *that* deep in her work and it's not due tomorrow so she's not under a painful time crunch. She can do it later.

Though Ririka may be surprised by her outfit, as Suzume is apparently trying a new style. She's not wearing a T-shirt but a sleeveless top that would show off her arms (toned, especially now that she's been using tonfa for months) if it wasn't for the jacket she has on overtop, because it *is* still January. It's mint green, a light colour, and goes well with her purple hair. She still has slacks, but they're not jeans, either. It looks like she actually tried, and she is clearly still getting used to the idea of trying to look good.

Nothing stopped her from picking up her usual yakiniku bowl though. She's still Suzume.

"So what's up," she asks, though she too is leaving it pretty casual. "You going shopping for anything in particular?" It's a mall. That's what you do, at least some of the time.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka's not bothered by not getting an immediate reply. She still had to take care of things and get back to the dorm, so nothing is a big rush, in this case.

When they had finally met up, Ririka had taken a moment to look over Suzume's outfit, eyes lighting up. "Wow, Suzume-chan-- Lookin' good. I like the new threads." She's smiling warmly.

Later, where they're sitting, it takes her a moment to respond. "Mmm?" She looks over. "Oh-- no. I mean, we can always go look, but I, uh..."

She'd be tapping her fingers but her hands are full. Instead she looks down at her beef bowl and counts off a few meters of that song silently to herself.

Deep breath. "I... actually wanted to talk. Well, to tell you something. It's--not bad, or at least I don't think so, but it is important to me."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"Uh," Suzume had said, back then, because this is not a compliment she is used to getting. This is only the second time she's worn some of this stuff... "...Thanks. I decided to try a couple new things, this year. You're supposed to make a resolution, right?"

She doesn't go into *why* she made that decision, but moves the topic right along on purpose.

And as for now...

"I kinda spent a lot of my budget that isn't for food," Suzume admits. "Unless we want to make a quick stop to Tartarus or Mementos." Shadows are a reasonable source of spending money... especially since one of the things she bought was from the police station here, which means it's a Shadow-related expense anyway. "At least Umiushi keeps the prices down. But I can look at things."

Or not. Suzume takes another bite from her beef bowl, looking at nothing in particular for a few moments. She's already kind of bracing, despite Ririka saying 'it's not bad', because in her experience people say that when they are trying to convince themselves as much as when it actually isn't.

It takes her about ten seconds to do that. "Okay," she says, once she swallows. "Hit me."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
They'd talked about fashion, and Ririka had offered help. Whether or not she had given any input on this, seeing Suzume in it is nice to see. "Welcome!" She pauses and considers. "... Oh yeah, that's true..." It slipped her mind a little. She often ''makes'' resolutions but has a hard time ''sticking'' to them.

She let the topic be moved on.

"Well, we'd have to wait until midnight for one of those, and I think I wanna take things easy right now anyway... we don't ''have'' to go shopping, though."

But they can probably keep discussing that after Ririka's said what she had in mind--and they may spend quite a bit of time on it, depending.

It really isn't bad, this time. There are many wider implications that ''could'' be bad, but the grander sociopolitical landscape isn't something that's on Ririka's mind right now.

... Or at the very least, it's not anything she can ''fix''.

She lets Suzume take her time to brace herself though, taking a couple of bites of her own bowl.

'Hit me.'

"Alright." Another deep breath. "So... I'm into girls. I'm a bian." She looks over at Suzume. "I figured it out a while ago, and... I haven't told that many people. But it's a part of myself I want to stop hiding, at least a little bit."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Sticking with the resolutions is *always* the hard part. Suzume is typically not very good at it either. But it's still January. She has a lot of time to fail the resolution!

Suzume had readied herself for the worst. But she doesn't get the worst. Instead, she gets something arguably harder to deal with: something confusing!

And in fact, Suzume just looks startled for a few moments, then a little baffled. "Uh," she says, like this is something she has never thought about before (because, as it turns out, this is something she has never thought about before). "Like, you mean, *into* into, like..."

She does indeed mean that.

"...huh." Suzume has no idea what to say in this situation. It's never come up before! She knows some people with gender presentations outside the usual, and she knew it was a thing - she is aware of the existence of yuri in the same way she is aware of a lot of things she never really thinks about. But nobody has ever just told her that.

There's a momentary deer-in-headlights look at her inability to come up with a good response before Suzume's expression becomes less startled. "And you decided to tell me? I'm not gonna tell anyone else, so you don't have to worry about gossip, but - "

Suzume looks away for a moment. She's seen Ririka changing, and vice versa. She's been in the *bath* with Ririka before. And *that's* a weird thing to think about now, especially given Suzume's hang-ups about her own body, and now Ririka has *seen* her - well, she saw her before but she didn't think about it this way - Suzume's train of thought chases itself in circles for a moment until she recovers.

" - uh, good for you? I think?" Great, Suzume thinks to herself, reddening slightly. Just put your foot right in it, huh.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
If it's not a resolution about music...

... and even then...

Well, Ririka tries, anyway. But in the here and now, confusion.

"Yep. ''Into'' into," Ririka confirms. "Boys aren't really... my thing."

Okay, unless they're ''really'' pretty but Ririka is still figuring that out and won't burden Suzume with additional complications.

She's aware this might come as a surprise--or even a shock--but she's hoping that Suzume will be able to keep an open mind. "Well, we're pretty close friends, so I thought... I'd take that chance?" But Suzume won't tell. "Thanks. Iiii appreciate that."

Ririka, by contrast, isn't thinking of the onsen in the moment. She can share a bath without it turning into a whole thing! (And besides, she figures the odds are against her that she's going to run into many other people who feel the same way, so... she's kind of resigned herself to not getting herself worked up over things like that.)

"Um... you okay...?" she asks after a few moments of silence.

But she smiles at the compliment. "Thanks. You can say that. Um... did you have any questions about it, or...? Sorry if I kind of just sprang this on you but I don't... really know of a better way to do it?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>It normally -

Okay. It sometimes *is* a thing with Suzume. But in this particular case it's got a whole extra layer of confusion involved that has nothing to do with her usual thoughts on the topic.

"I'm fine," Suzume says, immediately; while she says it *so* immediately that it seems like she's running on automatic, she actually does mean that this time. "Why wouldn't I be? I just didn't know. Which I guess is kinda the point," she allows. If she already knew Ririka wouldn't have had to tell her.

Questions? Does she have questions about it? "I don't even know what questions there'd be," Suzume says instead. Actually no, she can think of a whole bunch, but some of them she doesn't want to ask and others - wait, she can ask this one. "Well. Besides. When did you figure it out, I guess? ...What kind of girl do you like?" Why did she ask *that* one? "I mean, you must've decided for some reason."

Suzume waves off the 'I don't know a better way to do it'. "Neither would I," she says, and *that* one at least is completely honest and accurate. "And I mean, yeah, we're friends. I didn't have a ton before I came to SEES, and now I've got you, and Hitomi, and Iori, and - well, a bunch. You can talk to me about whatever," she says, raising one fist to thump it against her chest. "I just got surprised, that's all."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Suzume says she's fine, and Ririka notes how quick that came out but nods. "Okay. No reason you shouldn't be. You just went quiet, so... I wasn't sure if I'd lost you, or something."

A small smile. "Yep. That's the point."

No questions-- or there is one, after all. The smile grows a little wider. "I can answer that one." And she'll circle back to it in a second. "Mmm... less 'decided', more 'discovered', really."

There's a small laugh as Suzume says she wouldn't know either. "I mean, that's fair." But she nods. "I guess I had my band, but... that's kind of different, considering what we do in SEES."

There's a grin at the chest thump. "Thanks. And, so you were wondering when I figured it out. So, it was about..." She does the mental math. "... two and a half years ago. Though it kind of goes a little bit further back than that?"

"So, there was this girl I met at a music store, she was really into punk music, and she was about a year older than me. And we'd just... hang out, talk about music, or go to shows. And she'd come watch my band rehearse, or watch while I did skateboarding. We hung out... ''kind'' of a lot."

Then Ririka sighs. "Then, one summer break, she told me... her family was moving." There's a tiny sniff. "... I was... kind of heartbroken. It affected me really deeply, and for a while I didn't know why."

She sighs. "... I think she was my first major crush."

She's mostly okay. She's had a lot of time to think about it.

Ririka slowly shakes her head. "Anyway, after that some... other stuff came up, and I just... kind of kept it to myself." 'Other stuff' like her brother dying, and and getting trapped in her grief.

As for types, Ririka takes a moment to think. "I mean, mostly I think I like girls who are like, passionate about what they like? Hobbies, sports, whatever?" Ririka shrugs.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"Wait, that long? When you said 'a while ago' I figured you meant, like..."

Suzume racks her brain to think of exactly when it might have been. "I don't know, a couple months ago?" is her eventual guess. "Not that you'd known the whole time I knew you!" Does that make it more or less awkward? ...on balance, probably not much different. It makes sense that she kept it to herself, though, especially given... everything.

Since she's almost done her beef bowl anyway, Suzume finishes it before it has a chance to get cold(er) while Ririka is talking. She's listening, though; don't take a full mouth as having full ears too.

"I guess that makes sense." Suzume did not have a boyfriend until fairly recently - she has typically rebelled against what girls are 'supposed' to do, after all. She was just one of the guys in her crew until... well, she wasn't (and now she's drifted away from all of them). So she doesn't have much to compare it to, but it sounds normal. Though, does she have that sort of feeling for Reiya? She wouldn't be happy if he had to move away. She likes him, after all.

But she doesn't think she'd *mope* about it... though Suzume 'moping' tends to actually mean being prickly over every little thing and getting into a lot of arguments, anyway. Maybe it's like this for everyone, Suzume thinks to herself, and nothing's weird about me.

Best not to think about that too hard!

"And I get that. It's gotta be someone who's into *something*, right? Who wants to be friends with a brick wall?" That part, at least, is completely sensible to Suzume!
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka shrugs. "So I guess it was a long while." She looks to Suzume, and nods. "Yep! And I'm still the Ririka you knew before I told you this, you know? And... I still want to keep being your friend, just like I was before."

Ririka will not begrude Suzume her eating--she's working on her own on and off, after all. But Suzume thinks it makes sense! "Cool." She can't diagnose Suzume's relationship for her (and she won't try--it's not in her nature to assume anything like that about someone.)

But Ririka ''does'' get that desire to not be traditional--she skateboards, she fronts a band. Maybe that's why she likes Suzume so much, since they have that in common.

Ririka covers her mouth to let out a laugh and then nods after swallowing her bite. "Yeah, exactly! Like, I wanna be having fun and doing interesting things, you know? EVen if it's not the same interests as mine that just means there's more to learn and find out about."

After a beat she says. "... doesn't hurt if she's in really good shape, though."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"Right? Someone who's not boring, that's what it really comes down to," Suzume says, gesturing with her hands in a sweeping gesture. "So I get that part." She likes to try new things, too, so even the part about different, new things also makes sense.

Suzume feels like she's on steady ground here. All of her friends, pretty much, are into something, frequently with intensity. With Hitomi there's the games and bets, which after all aren't that different from dares. Reiya's dedication counts, but it's more than just work with him, too, and he has an appreciation for a lot of things you wouldn't expect out of him. Junpei, of course, is someone she can talk to about sports, Minato has a lot of hidden depths...

And there's Ririka, who is into skateboarding and music and a few other things. She's not excluded from that tally!

In good shape... "Well you want them to be able to keep up," Suzume says, before giving that slightly crooked grin. "Or almost," because she hates to lose. "Look, I don't see why this changes anything. Between us, I mean. It was just... I dunno. Something I don't think about much." By which she means at all.

Actually it feels kind of good to be someone's friend enough to be trusted with something that personal. It's enough that her smile stays in place afterwards.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka laughs softly. "Wellll, you ''could'' put it that way, I guess, but..." She's trying to be positive! "But, yeah! I'm glad you get it. I'm not, like... ''that'' different from other people I just... like a different set of people, that's all."

And Suzume's tried skateboarding with Ririka before! Plus she's athletic, and she likes repairing retro consoles. That's a cool skill that Ririka never would've thought about.

And she appreciates her other friends (and Hitomi, who actually already knows, although that one wasn't totally planed.)

To be able to keep up... Ririka considers that for a moment. "Mmmm, that too, yeah." What other reason would there be? Ririka's not gonna say. She smiles back at Suzume. "It doesn't! I'm still me, you're still you. The only thing that changes is that now when my girlfriend texts me a funny image I don't have to lie to you about why I'm laughing at my phone!"

She beams. And then a moment later adds, "Oh also I have a girlfriend."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Skateboarding is fun. Suzume has tried it once or twice without Ririka, but since she does not own a skateboard it's hard for her to do that. She kind of wants one, but there's that money thing again; she could afford it, but she'd have to actually budget for it, and so far Suzume has used her spending money on other things.

Ririka doesn't say why she prefers athletic girls, and the reason doesn't occur to Suzume. Maybe she just likes the look. Beats her! She's not going to quiz her.

"You have a girlfriend?" Suzume is surprised by that, though on a second thought she's not entirely sure why she should be. She isn't sure what she thinks about it - and she has no idea who it might be, since she's never seen Ririka *act* like she had a girlfriend.

"Someone in your band?" she guesses, wildly.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka is always happy to get someone to loan a skateboard for lessons, but... that's a bit different from having your own, isn't it? And she can't exactly give Suzume one of her old ones since, the reason she usually needs to replace them is... well, they're not suitable to use anymore.

That is, in fact, the reason, Suzume.

"Yep! I've been seeing her for about... two, two and a half months?" Ririka searches her memory. "... I'd have to check the date."

If Ririka acted like she didn't have a girlfriend, well... that's a reason for that.

It's not a bad guess, all things considered. "Nope, though, I did come out to them yesterday. She lives in Sumaru. My sister introduced us, actually."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Well, that answers that.

"Well, good for you," Suzume says, and seems to mean it. "I guess that means your sister knows, too. I was wondering if you told your family. I don't tell my family anything," she explains, and her face threatens to scowl until she fights it back. "I know you're closer with them than I ever was, though."

"Sumaru's a long way, though." Suzume frowns for a moment, but this time it's in thought rather than irritation. "Eh, I guess it's working out for you, right?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Thanks!" Ririka was a lot more anxious at the stat of this conversation, but seeing Suzume being so receptive and talking this throgh withher has really put her at ease.

"Yeah, I told them a while ago... There's a few other people that know, but... now I'm telling you." She's closer with her family... "Well, yeah, but... I've been keeping a lot from them, too..."

Suzume, though... "Sorry to hear that." Ririka won't pry, but... "Um, if you ever want to talk to someone about it, I can listen, okay?"

Ririka sighs. "It is," she agrees. "I already travel to Sumaru to see my sister though, so..." Ririka shrugs. "... and we've started meeting in Tokyo to hang out. You know, kind of meeting in the middle?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"Like I said. I'm not going to gossip, so nobody's gonna hear about it from me." Suzume can keep a secret. Mostly. Sometimes her mouth gets away from her, but when is that going to come up about this?

Suzume has... slightly complicated feelings about the whole thing for reasons she hasn't really thought about and isn't now, either. There were some moments of confusion, certainly, and the moment where her mind kind of went in circles, but the fact that Ririka is a friend is beating that out for the moment.

(No guarantees about what she'll dwell on in the depths of night when she can't sleep, though!)

"I don't," Suzume says, flatly, about her family - and that's all she's going to say about it. Ririka might know some of it already, anyway. Suzume had a sister at Gekkoukan, who would have been in third year if she hadn't died last year, and she's been pushed by her parents to do... something. Suzume doesn't talk about that part.

"Well, if Tokyo works, it works." Suzume is still kind of unsure about the logistics, but *she's* not the one trying to hold down a long-distance relationship. (She's not even sure how she would...)

"So," Suzume says. "You said it. Unless there's something else I missed." There's a LOT Suzume missed but that's probably not what she meant. "And we're still friends. So." She holds out her fist for a fistbump.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"I appreciate it," Ririka says as Suzume confirms she won't tell. "I'm... trying to get to a place where I don't have to hide this part of myself, but... I wanna take it slow."

It's fair that Suzume has complicated feelings: it took Ririka a ''long'' time to figure herself out, and unfortunately it wasn't until she faced the heartbreak of that separation that she was able to figure it out.

But Suzume does not want to talk about her family. "Okay," is all Ririka says to that. She's left the door open, that's all she can do.

"It helps cut down travel time for both of us, and..." Ririka shrugs. "Way less likely to run into someone we know that way." Not that Iwatodai and Sumaru are exactly ''small'', but...

Is there something Suzume missed? "Dunno. But... if you wanna ask me more later, feel free, okay?" She looks over at Suzume and gives her a warm smile.

"We are!" she affirms. And then she reaches her own fist out.

Fistbump!
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-07-29: STudy Break

Talnora — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 02:54:54 GMT

Talnora moved page 2026-07-29: STudy Break to 2026-07-29: Study Break Fix a misspelling in the title

New page

*'''Log: Study Break'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ririka Kawase]], [[Suzume Fukura]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory
*'''OOC Date:''' July 29, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' Monday, December 17, 2012
*'''Summary:''' ''It's finals! And after the first day, Suzume's had enough of studying for the moment, so she approaches Ririka about hanging out for a bit. They agree to head to the mall, and discuss finals, food, and maids along the way.''

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(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.

A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.

There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.

The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.

BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM

AS: Fuuka Yamagishi has readied for combat as Lucia! She is now fully healed!
Hana Fukami says, "how goes?"
Shinobu Shimizu says, "Going okay! You?"
Katsuko Yoshinaga says, "Fuunbobu!"
Ren Amamiya says, "hiii"
Shinobu Shimizu says, "Hello!"
You say, "Shinobu!"
Hana Fukami says, "today I realized"
Hana Fukami says, "Ichika was in the same year at Gekkoukan Middle as the SEES FC third-years"
Shinobu Shimizu says, "Oh, that's interesting."
Eikichi Mishina says, "Dang"
Shinichi Nagisa has arrived from Shibuya Station - Underground Mall.

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Finals! Ririka is really hoping she doesn't have to fight a serial killer and witness his death this time around, or escape from an exploding blimp. She had enough of that at midterms, and she's ''trying'' to relax more. She'll review more in a bit, but for now... tmie to relax.

She's n her room, and she's already changed into some jeans and a warm flannel shirt. And she's on her bed, phone in hand, and she's smilinig. Not a big smile, but a small one as she reads and texts.

The door's not open, but she doesn't have any headphones on, so she'll hear if someone knocks.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume survived Day One of exams. Hurray!

She reviewed (a little bit) for tomorrow but doesn't want to, as she sometimes puts it, make her head explode. So she has given that up for now and decided to take it easy (or at least, easier) for the moment.

She'd considered bothering a few people. Hitomi she'd grabbed dinner with yesterday, so probably not. Reiya, too, was busy (well, when isn't he). There were a couple other choices too, but eventually she picked someone she hadn't had much opportunity to talk to for a while.

There's a knocking on the door. "Yo," Suzume says, slightly muffled. "You studying?" She hopes the answer is 'no'.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
It's been a minute since Ririka hung out with Suzume, huh? She's been trying to rest more, but that's also involved a little bit of sulking or moping hiding in her room. (She's still kind of embarrassed she fainted at the dorm.)

There is a burst of laughter from inside the room right as Suzume's about to knock, followed by what might be Ririka mumbling something about "Oh my ''god''."

But then the knocking sounds and Ririka looks up. "Hmm? Nope. One sec!" She pockets her phone and stands up to open the door. "Oh, hey, Fukura-chan. What's up?"

Her room is as neat and tidy as ever. Bed, posters, desk, a shinai hanging on the wall over her desk. Ririka at least looks in pretty decent spirits.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume catches some of the sounds from within. She must have come at a bad time - oh, or maybe not? She thought for a moment there was someone else in there, but she must have just been on the phone.

Suzume does not look neat but when does she? She always manages to look a bit rumpled, whether it's the offhanded way she wears her clothes or her shaggy, floofy hair. Today it's more the hair than the clothes; her jeans are just fine and she has that baseball Tigers shirt that she seems to like a lot, but she needs a haircut so her hair's a bit more voluminous than usual.

"Hey," she says. "I'm done studying before my brain gives out. So I wanted to know if you were up to much, 'cause it's been a while when we weren't busy." With the festival, say. Or with SEES operations.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka herself eems fine. Her long, straight hair is back in a ponytail for ease, and under the flannel is a black band tee of some sort.

Suzume wants to know if she's busy, though. "Mmmm... not really. I was going to review more later, but..." She shrugs a little. "I've got some time free right now. And you're right, it's been a bit... You got something in mind?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"I thought I'd ask if you wanted to either hang out here or go to Paulownia," Suzume says, casually. "Like I said, I don't even want to THINK about exams for a bit... today was bad enough and tomorrow, well... there's not much more studying's gonna do for it."

She doesn't precisely invite herself in, but she does take half a step, just enough that she's in the doorway and it would be hard to close it on her. (Though she'd probably back up if Ririka tried.) "'Cause, I mean, you've kind of been hard to find lately, outside work and school." Maybe it's that whole 'embarrassed about fainting' thing. "Though I saw you at the maid cafe, so it's not all bad. Not like you've completely hidden yourself like a hermit."

Suzume grins, making it more a joke than an accusation. Hopefully. "Better you than me. I don't think I'm cut out for waitressing."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Hanging out. "Oh! Sure. Yeah, that'd be great. Uh... if we go to Paulownia, we could... check out the arcade? Get something to eat? That might be good..."

She frowns sympathetically at Suzume's mention of exams. "Yeah... I was gonna review later, but... I've got some time until then."

Ririka does not close the door on Suzume. That would be rude! She doesn't object to Suzume leaning in the door frame, either. She rubs the back of her neck a little. "Eh heh... sorry 'bout that. I've just been... trying to take things easy, you know...?" That was a little over amonth ago. She's doing a lot better, but... what she hasn't really admitted to anybody is that it's the second time it's happened. And with all the extra things on her plate (read: supernatural stuff), she's trying to make an honest go of it.

As much as she can, anyway. Duty calls, and all that.

"I mean, it was kinda fun! Busy, a little stressful, but... still fun. Takeba-san kiiiind of stole the show, though. I don't think I could do it anywhere near like she does."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"Sure, let's go then," Suzume says. Everybody likes Paulownia Mall, right? Right.

(It's certainly the closest one. And there is the option, as Ririka has pointed out, of dinner on the way; both of the stations have options, the closer one with more of them.)

Suzume holds the door for Ririka, assuming she's good to go as is - it's not like she caught her in something she wouldn't be seen in public wearing. Suzume occasionally DOES wear things around her room she wouldn't wear out, though admittedly usually later than this.

She rolls her eyes at that. "I got nothing about Takeba-san," Suzume says, which is mostly true; they get on a lot better these days than they used to. "But I can't believe they ASKED for her after that. I mean, okay, I get that she's cute," Suzume admits. "Everybody says so. But after she dumped that on Junpei-kun I figured people would be AVOIDING her. What if she flipped out again? Coffee stains and milk stinks if you let it sit."

"So it's probably better you don't do things like she does, actually. At least, in that case."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Sure. Sec." Ririka ducks into her closet to grab a more substantial jacket, and also her wallet and keys. It ''is'' winter, after all. She pats herself down really quickly after that. "Phone, keys, wallet..." she mutters to herself. "Annnd okay. I'm set."

She heads for the door and then pauses as her phone pings. She pulls it out to read it and then tries to stifle a giggle, hand coming up to her mouth. She types out a quick reply and then puts it away.

The mall ''also'' has food, presumably, so they're not lacking for options.

Yukari's cute. "She is," Ririka affirms, totally casually. "But... I mean, tsunderes are kind of popular for a reason, right? Tsundere maid is totally a whole thing... at least, that's what I've heard."

"I meaaan, Iori probably should've known better by now." Though sadly she does find herself in agreement with him on several occasions.

She must never tell another soul that, but, it still happens. Mostly about attractive girls.

"Yeah, 'tsundere' isn't ''really'' my type... I bet I could totally pull together some kind of 'rock star maid' look, though! That'd be way more up my alley."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume swings by her room to grab a jacket, too. She at least needs something. It's a week (okay, a week and a day) until Christmas! It's as cold as Port Island is going to get!

"Who're you talkin' to?" Suzume asks, curiously, when Ririka laughs at something texted to her. She's curious but she's not nosy, or at least doing a good job of pretending she's not; she doesn't press if Ririka is a little shy about answering. (Though she might remember for later.)

"Iori-kun *should* have known better, but it's fun," Suzume says - because Suzume also finds herself in agreement with Junpei, though not always about the same things as Ririka. The two of them had done some studying together, too, and she'd voted for the maid cafe along with him right until she realized she needed to participate...

"Anyway, it's not like he even did anything wrong," Suzume adds. "I heard that all he did was asked for, you know. The whole maid cafe thing. And it's not like he wasn't going to pay the normal amount, either, even though he was technically part of the year that did it. Not that he helped much, actually. So it was mostly her being - well. Like you said."

Suzume talked to him afterwards. Once she managed to stop laughing so hard, anyway.

As they go outside, Suzume jams her hands in her pockets, slouching forward a little bit. "What would 'rock star maid' even be? Like, you bring a guitar or something? I dunno, I can't see it. Actually I was kind of surprised to see you do the maid waitress thing at all."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Suzume asks who she's texting. "Oh, just a friend, that's all." Are her cheeks tinged a little red? Don't worry about it, she's just anticipating the cold, that's all.

Say, wasn't she hanging out with someone after her shift at the maid cafe yesterday?

"I meaaan, he keeps things interesting, that's for sure..." She was fine with the maid cafe as long as Junpei wasn't going to comment about it or the outfits. (Junpei probably commented on the outfits.) "Besides, we had butlers too, you know."

"You know I was there, right? He was being kind of pushy about Takeba-san calling him 'Master' and everything. Like, sure, that's part of the whole 'maid cafe' thing, but... I kind of get Takeba-san's reaction. Like, okay, she went overboard, but still."

Ririka catually laughs. "Okay, bringing a guitar with me might be a biiit much, but... I dunno. I figured, put my hair up in a ponytail, do some makeup, maybe add some leather, put a little bit of my stage energy into it... It's weird but I bet someone would dig it."

She doesn't slouch somuch, but she does put her hands in her pockets as she glances over at Suzume. "You were? Why?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Just a friend... "Hu~uh," Suzume says, thoughtfully. Well, she has a boyfriend now. Maybe she's not the only one. It doesn't occur to her that it might be another girl for Ririka. And that 'huh' is enough to be a little suspicious, except she drops the topic.

"I mean..."

Suzume has never been to a maid cafe for a couple reasons. And she didn't volunteer to do it this time either - she was making sandwiches - so she didn't get the whole explanation. "*Isn't* that part of it?" she says. "The whole point is that you play along with it, otherwise it's just a ... regular cafe. With girls in maid outfits, and boys in butler outfits." She saw them too!

(Junpei absolutely commented on the outfits. Suzume rolled her eyes at it and said nothing.)

Suzume probably shouldn't slouch. She's short enough as is! But it lets her put her hands in her pockets comfortably and also she's just kind of prone to doing it anyway. "Leather maid probably means something completely different," Suzume says, thoughtfully, thinking back to some things she's seen on the Internet. "But I guess. I dunno. You just don't seem the maid type."

"I mean, neither am I," she points out. "It's not like it's a bad thing. C'mon, can you imagine me doing that whole... thing?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka catches that tone and glances at Suzume again. "What?" Usuaully 'a friend' covers it, she really doesn't want to have to invent a lie or a cover story.

Ririka shrugs. "I mean, I guess, but... I dunno. He asked for her specifically? It's kind of different when it's your own team member or classmate doing it..."

Ririka hasn't been to one either! But she's seen enough in some of the manga and anime that she watches that she gets the idea, at least.

Ririka pauses, and quickly stammers, "Y-yeah, thaaat probably means something different. But I just meant, I could throw on my vest, or my bracelets or choker, you know. Stuff ilke that."

But she just doesn't seem the type. Ririka shrugs a little to that. "I mean, I guess not, but... it was fun to do for a little bit? Like, I wouldn't do it all the time, but... trying new things is fun. If you do the same thing all the time that gets boring..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"Nothin'." Suzume grins, which suggests it isn't actually nothing, but it's nothing she's going to razz Ririka about right now. "And it's DEFINITELY something else. Though if you've just got the bracelets it's probably okay. Uh... not sure about the choker."

Now that they're acually on their way, Suzume has a habit of walking backwards, or partially walking backwards, when she's going somewhere. It's dangerous - she comes pretty close to bumping into people - but it lets her keep Ririka in view without quite walking alongside her; despite having short legs, Suzume tends to push ahead rather than hang back.

"I dunno. I don't think it'd be much fun," Suzume admits. "I mean, for me. Though if you wanna do it, that's something else. You looked pretty good in it, anyway. I couldn't pull it off even if I wanted to." Her tone is a little more neutral about that, but, well... she does mean it, for what it's worth.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka quickly glances away. Nothing. She hopes Suzume means it, she's not sure what she'd have to say if Suzume pressed the matter. "... yeah. I guess I'd have to see how it lookd in real life. But it could be fun. I bet somebody's made a manga or an anime where there's rock stars who dress like maids but are ''also'' actually maids."

Ririka's keeping an eye on Suzume. She's a little concerned, but... if she doesn't hurt herself it' probably okay.

"I mean, if you don't like the maid outfits you could always try a butler one," Ririka jokes with a grin. But she brightens a little at the compliment. "Thanks! I'm glad you thought so. Like I said, I wouldn't do it ''all'' the time, but for an event like that it was fun."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume never quite hits anything (or anyone) hard by walking backwards into them. She does bump a lamp with her hip once but smoothly rotates around it as if it never happened, and she threatens to walk into someone going the other way but they dodge first, solving that problem. It is unclear if Suzume even noticed.

"Eh..."

Suzume's feelings on dressing up are a little mixed. She doesn't like being treated differently because she's a girl... but on the other hand, she also *is* a girl. She wants to be treated like one of the guys, but she's not sure she wants to be mistaken for one. It's confusing. Everything is confusing! Ririka can see at least some uncertainty cross her face, because Suzume isn't very good at hiding her feelings, though she may not be able to guess *why*.

Or maybe she can. If anyone around here could...

"If I had to I'd probably do the suit, yeah," she decides. "I'd probably look better in it... But, whatever. I made Sham onigirazu, it was fine, that was enough for me. I stole a couple of the leftovers. Still good the next day." ... "What? I wasn't gonna throw them out."

It's about this point that *another* person dodges Suzume, and while she still likes taking the lead, she actually noticed this time because she falls back to walk alongside Ririka.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka's keeping an eye out. If there's a ''real'' danger of imminent collision she'll reach out and grab Suzume to pull her from danger. After all, isn't that what being a Navigator is for? WAtching out for your teammates?

She ''would'' understand some of what suzume is feeling, as it happens. She's a girl, she just... wants to look nice sometimes and also skateboard other times. Why do they have to be mutually exclusive?

Junpei really kind of got under her skin for the comments at the beach, that one time.

But she sees that uncertainty. "Hey, no worries if you're not into it, right? You still pitched in way more than Iori did, so... it's all good." But Suzume took some leftovers! Ririka can't help but grin. "I won't tell anyone. Better than letting it get tossed out."

She winces at the near dodge, but thankfully Suzume stops walkig backwards. "For what it's worth? I bet you'd look pretty sharp in a suit."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Why indeed. Suzume doesn't get it either! If she did a lot of things would make more sense than they do!

(Junpei got under HER skin that one time, too. But for different reasons than Ririka, probably.)

"Right? YOu don't throw food out if you can help it," Suzume says, firmly. "And there weren't THAT many extra, so me and a couple of the other cooks took it. We were kind of doing it as we needed to, but it's easier to do eggs by the half dozen since we had the pack open anyway, so..." She shrugs.

Fortunately for Ririka's tension, Suzume is now walking *forward*, and at a normal pace; she's not running ahead and waiting for Ririka to catch up. (Which is a real thing that happens sometimes, but not today.) "You think so? I never thought about it," Suzume says. This is mostly true; she generally doesn't worry about what she looks like, but has a little more lately. She just has no idea what to do about it.

Maybe she SHOULD ask Yukari. Or maybe she should just ask Ririka -

She scowls, but it's more for herself than aimed at Ririka. It feels *wrong* to ask Ririka what she should wear in certain situations and she's not entirely sure why. Even though she's far closer to Ririka than she is with Yukari, it's kind of Yukari's specialty...

"So, uh," Suzume says, awkward again. "Do you think about fashion a lot, or..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Why's the world gotta make everything complicated?

"Makes sense to me. I've been taking cooking lessons from onee-chan, but... there's really only a few things I'm really practiced at, so... that probably wasn't going to be a good fit for me."

Ririka's got a pretty long stride, she wouldn't worry about Suzume getting ahead of her that much. "YEah, totally! I'm not sure what it is that makes a girl look good in a suit, but... some girls do. Maybe it's like... an attitude thing? Like, if you believe you can pull off a suit, you can definitely pull off a suit. Or something."

But there's a scowl, and Ririka looks to Suzume curiously. "... everything okay?" But at the follow-up question she nods. "I mean, a little bit? Most of the time I like keeping it casual, but... I still like to dress up sometimes. When I'm performing I ''definitely'' think about my look. Why do you ask?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"Yeah, I only know how to cook a few things. I mean, besides instant ramen and stuff, but I don't think that counts," Suzume says, waving one hand. "Oh... I mean, Aragaki-san showed me a few things. But I make that Sham stuff for me, and it's at least CLOSE to a sandwich, so I figured it'd be fine if we had one hot thing to go with the regular sandwiches."

"And - huh?"

Suzume didn't even realizing she was scowling. "Yeah, I'm fine?" And she is, mostly, though she's having some thoughts again. Mostly about that 'girl in a suit' thing. She still isn't quite sure what she thinks about it. Maybe it'd suit her? It'd suit her better than a skirt anyway... she's not a big fan of them, as people have certainly noticed by now. She basically does not wear them outside of her school uniform, where they're required.

Why does she ask? "Well," she says, "Takeba-san's kind of a jerk about it, like, 'you *definitely don't know how to dress, are you afraid of what people will think'?" So was Kiyomi, though she doesn't say that part. "And you're not. So I wanted to know. I dunno, it's just..."

"...it never used to seem important," she shrugs.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Yeaaah, even I can do that one... but, I dunno. You get to the more complicated recipes and it feels like there's just so much to keep track of, you know...? And sure sometimes it comes out great but sometimes you just wanna have the thing you like instead of risking your time on something new..."

Ririka that might be a little bit of a you thing. (Also she doesn't complain when a ''song'' is really complicated, as anyone who's seen her tackle complicated piano pieces can attest.)

Her hands are in her coat pockets but her fingers are still tapping away in there.

Ririka likes skirts! But she'll also wear jeans or cargo pants--it's jut a matter of what she's doing. (She doesn't wear the skirts to go skateboarding, after all.)

But Yukari... "Yeaaah, she's kind of intense, but... she was realy good with Aigis-chan." But she's not. Ririka looks to Suzume, considering her a little. She offers the other girl a soft smile. "Hey, if you want to experiment with something, then... we could do that sometime. I might not have Takeba-san's fashion sense, but... I can at ''least'' offer you a low-pressure experience."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"Eh," Suzume says, from the point of view of someone who will eat pretty much anything even if it's not her first choice. Or not good. Sure, she'd *rather* it be good, but... well, sometimes things don't work out, or you buy the cheap one because it's what you can afford with what's in your pocket, and then it isn't.

(Today, though, she is going to get something good. Or at least good by the standards of fast food. If you can't treat yourself when you're stressed about exams, when can you?)

"Yeah, I should have figured she was in charge of that." Suzume hadn't been able to make that trip, though she'd originally planned to. She doesn't do a lot of shopping with others - she's been with Hitomi a couple times, and that's about it - but she figured she could at least find a hat or something to cover Aigis'... ears? Not-ears?

"..."

"Maybe," Suzume says. Her slouch worsens as she shoves her hands deeper in her pockets, no longer pulling ahead. "I dunno. I've been... thinking about it a little more. And not because of what Ikeda said," she adds, and that *definitely* sounds sour. "Just for reasons."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka has a tendency sometimes to stick to stick to a handful of items she knows from the restaurants she frequents. Giving her an entirely new menu she's unfamiliar with can stress her out--as might have been observed on the Yakushima trip.

"Well, we all pitched in, but... yeah," Ririka admits of the trip.

Ririka clocks that slouch, though, and frowns a little as she considers. "Yeah...? Whatcha been thinking about?" She leans over to give Suzume a gentle elbow bump. "Hey, whatever Ikeda-san said, what you're thinking about can just be up to you, okay?" she says softly. "So... if you've been thinking about stuff, you can tell me. I promise I won't laugh or make fun, okay?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>New things do not stress Suzume. She likes trying new things. This applies to... a lot of things, actually, not just food. It might be part of why she never seems to stick with her hobbies for all that long... is she still doing that knife tossing she was trying out a month ago?

Suzume ordinarily wouldn't say anything. But she has like two close female friends - Hitomi and Ririka - and honestly that's two more than she's had for a while; most of her friends are, and have been, boys. She doesn't think that matters, or didn't; she's still not sure it does that much, but there are some things she could never ask Jiro (well, they've kind of drifted apart over the last school year) or Junpei or even Reiya.

"I know I'm not very ...girly," Suzume says, lowering her voice. "And I don't want to be, really. But... I wasn't gonna say because it's not anybody's business but mine, but I actually *am* dating Reiya-kun. And I'm like, what am I supposed to *do*? What should I wear? What do I even do? I mean, not about the dating bit. We're friends, that's not the problem..."

Suzume trails off. That's what dating is, isn't it? You should be close friends with your boyfriend... she thinks. She's never dated before. She sounds more like she's stumbling for words, not that she's trying to find an escape - she really does like Reiya.

"...but, yeah. I was looking at clothes. And I'm like... does any of that even WORK for me? Am I supposed to or what?" She looks up, sharply; "And if you DO laugh I'm going to kick your ass," she adds, and she means it. But if she doesn't -

Well, who else could she ask?
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka, sadly, is forever caught between seeking new stimulation and craving the comfort of the alreadyy-known. Not that she really stops to think about it most of the time.

Ririka's had a few male friends--maybe the closest are the two boys in her band, but even she doesn't tell them everything that's going on with her. Nor they to her. But she's never thought it mattered much as long as they were all on the same page when it came to music.

Ririka listens, and nods. Not very girly. "And you don't have to be," says Ririka. "I still think you're pretty cool even if you're not." But dating Reiya. "Oh yeah, how's that going?" But she listens. "Well... it's... admittedly been a bit since I've been on a date with a guy," she admits, and there's almost no hesitation between the words 'been on a date' and 'with a guy'.

Almost.

"I mean, what you should wear I guess depends on what you're doing, right? Like, there's a difference between... going to a movie theater or a nice dinner, right? But I think you should probably aim to e comfortable. If you aren't, you wont be able to relax and enjoy things."

"Hey, I won't laugh. We can take a look at clothes sometime if you want. Maybe we can shake things up, find you something new to try."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"...thanks," Suzume says, about being cool. "You are too. I mean. With everything and all." OK that was the *least* useful way to explain herself, but she means it! Now if only she could figure out what 'it' was.

There was some hedging there in Ririka's statement!

...which Suzume completely failed to pick up on. "Yeah, I haven't seen you go out or anything. It's hard in SEES. I don't know how I could if, you know, Reiya-kun wasn't in it too so I could just *tell* him what was going on. ...and I just wore whatever to the theatre," Suzume admits, "but I wasn't sure if I was doing it wrong." She scowls. "If I'm doing things my way I at least want to *know* when it's different, you know?" That doesn't really make sense, even to her, when she inevitably thinks about it later; isn't the whole thing supposed to be doing it her way?

...

"...That's pretty cool of you. Sure," she agrees with Ririka. "We'll do that sometime. But right now I wanna get a burger and the arcade. I need to turn my brain off for a while. You game?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka ''does'' laugh a little bit at how suzume phrases that, but it's a good-natured laugh-- it confused her too but she appreciates the sentiment, and she gives Suzume a bright smile. "Thanks! I'm glad you think so."

"Yeaaah, I guess... I dunno." There were some reasons she stopped--as far as most people know, the last date she was on would've been middle school, in her third year. But it's true, they're both in SEES. "I guess that'd make it easier, huh...?"

But she looks at Suzume thoughtfully. "You... want to know when it's different? What do you mean?"

"Burger and an arcade sound great, honestly. Iv'e spent so long just trying to rest and take it easy I'm kind of going stir-crazy, you know?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume does something between a snort and a laugh. "Yeah, can you imagine without him knowing? Sorry, I have to go out at midnight because, uh..." She trails off as if she can't think of a good answer. "It's easier just to say 'we've got Tartarus planned'. I mean, even odds he'd be going, anyway. And that's not even all we get up to, some of it would be even worse. Imagine calling out of something because there was a Full Moon Shadow and you can't even tell him why you bailed." Look at Suzume's inability to respond to Ikeda!

"And, like..."

How does Suzume put this? She considers it for a moment, then grins, that slightly crooked grin that she gets sometimes. "If I'm gonna break a rule," she says, "I'm going to do it *on purpose*." That explains it, right? ...right?

"Great," she says. "Then let's do that. And not do any work. Just for tonight."

Hopefully tomorrow's exam goes okay...
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-07-29: STudy Break

Talnora — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 02:52:48 GMT

Someday the world will know the majesty of... the rock star maid.

New page

2026-05-26: You Up for a Visitor?

Talnora — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 02:09:35 GMT

It's good to have friends who look out for you.

New page

*'''Log: You Up for a Visitor?'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ririka Kawase]], [[Suzume Fukura]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory
*'''OOC Date:''' May 26, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' Thursday, November 15, 2012
*'''Summary:''' ''After [[2026-05-19:_Crash|fainting]], Ririka's been keeping to herself. Suzume goes to check on her, the two get to talking, and then go to watch a movie together.''

----

(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.

A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.

There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.

The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.

BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka hasn't been having a great week. Probably most people in SEES aren't, to be fair, after the business in Aoba Park, but most of them didn't faint in the kitchen of the dorms.

Ririka's been emotionally exhausted since, as well as physically, and the nights where she would normally be out of the dorm, going to practice of some kind of another... she's been here, instead.

She's mostly been keeping to herself. She's been going to classes, but skipping band practice. Late last night, she slipped out of the dorm for a bit, but only into her sister's Van. They were out for a while, then Ririka came back and went right to her dorm.

And now on Thursday she is... still in her room. And she's been kind of listless. On the advice of her sister she's been trying to find something to keep her busy, but she's also been having a hell of a time trying to keep focused on any one thing. She's bounced between browing the internet on her phone, several different video games, manga, homewrk, and her computer, and nothing's stuck so far.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume heard about Ririka falling ill (or something). Rumours spread, as Suzume is *particularly* aware of right now, and that one is hardly a secret to anyone who lived in the dorm.

She stayed out of Ririka's way entirely for a day, failed to get ahold of her except at school the next (and they aren't in the same class - Suzume is in 2-E, with Fuuka and Hitomi), and after missing her for another day, this time because Ririka went out with Ichika, has decided that she's not going to ignore her friend any longer; she wanted to check on her.

Which is why Ririka receives some texts.

> I know you're in there
> You up for a visitor?
> Why did those post backwards

They're followed by a LINE sticker of a confused-looking chubby white and orange bird with a big ?? over its head. It's a sparrow. Clearly.

Suzume herself is in the dorm halls, waiting for a response. She can be over in an instant.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Yeah, it's pretty hard to miss the fact that an ambulance had to be called to the dorm... and, perhaps, people were even more on edge than normal considering the state Minako was in at the time.

She wasn't trying to avoid Suzume, except in the sense that she was trying to avoid everyone.

In her dorm room, her phone buzzed, and Ririka blinked and looked over at it, the game on her screen just still sitting at the character select. She gets up and checks it.

She stares at her phone for a moment, then looks over at her door.

> okay
< one second

The sound of Night Parade's character select music suddenly cuts off. Ririka appears at the door, hair tied back in a basic ponytail. She's bundled up in a jacket and sweats, and she looks... ragged. She tries to smile when she sees Suzume, though. "Hey, Fukura-chan. Um, come on in."

Ririka's room, as always, is neat and tidy. There are some textbooks and a notebook stacked, closed, on Ririka's desk, and her bed is made with a purple teddy bear propped up against the pillows.

"Um, have a seat," she says, gesturing to the desk chair. She's standing by the bed, ready to sit down but waiting for Suzume to sit first. "... what's up?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume is already at the door by the time Ririka opens it.

She looks exactly like usual, though she's starting to either need a haircut again or do something with her hair, as it's getting shaggy again. Beyond that, nothing unexpected: T-shirt, jeans, she's done class for the day and she is not going to spend any more time in her uniform than she has to.

"Hey," she says, as she steps inside. She's been in Ririka's room once before; she doesn't remember the purple teddy bear but she won't say anything about it - though she is trying not to grin at least a little bit. Sorry, Ririka.

The grin does at least fade when she looks up at the taller girl. "I wanted to make sure you were doing okay," she says. "You were hiding. And I mean, I hide sometimes, I get it." She was hiding on Sunday in fact, when she simply did not want to be found after getting into that fight at school. "But..."

Her face screws up. Suzume doesn't want to just *say* she was worried. But she was worried. "...you cold?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
The teddy bear's been around! Sometimes it's on the shelf, instead. But today it is not. It was in her lap a few moments prior, though. But it was a gift.

Ririka won't comment on the hair.

Ririka rubs at the back of her neck a little. "Oh. I'm... fine. Just tired, I guess." There's a blush at the mention she was hiding. "... is it that obvious? I'm not trying... w-well... I guess I kind of am. Sorry."

She might not have noticed Suzume was hiding. She was rather kind of... ''distracted'' on Sunday, as it turns out. After she got out of the hospital she went home for a good long while.

Ririka looks down at herself and shakes her head. "Oh, no, I guess not, I just... I dunno. Felt like bundling up, I guess. I mean, maybe a little? I dunno."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>There are some people, at some times, that Suzume would tease for the teddy bear, but right after someone gets back from the hospital is not one of them. Never mind that she's not *right* back and it's been a couple days, by now; it's close enough.

Suzume hates hospitals, and she never gets sick; it's worse, she figures, for someone who does. She's not going to give Ririka shit about dealing with it in her own way.

"Yeah, we can tell," Suzume says, with a bit of a glance around again. "I mean. I guess you've been overdoing it. You need to take a break now and again instead of tryin' to do everything at once. I mean..."

Suzume is also prone to trying to do everything, but in her case it's not so bad because she doesn't obligate herself with extracurricular clubs; she just tries to get involved in as much as possible on her own terms. She understands, at least a little.

"...take a break, I guess. You've probably heard it from smarter people than me," she admits. "But yeah, it's obvious when you're doing it." Hiding, she means this time.

Suzume finally does sit at the desk, belatedly, mostly so Ririka can sit down again - she actually would prefer to stand and pace a little bit but if she doesn't Ririka will never sit down and she needs it. "How you feeling now, then?" She's a little awkward about it. She doesn't andle this kind of questioning well.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Yeah, Ririka only spent a few days in the hospital but whatever made her faint, she's still going through. But yeah, she's not a fan of being in a hospital, but largely for who it is that's there.

"Yeah, that's... pretty much what the doctor said. I had piano lessons tonight, but..." She still feels embarrassed about it. "I'm sorry if I made you worry..."

And it's not like she's a slouch at the pano, not if any of her practice sessions in her room are to go by. (Her electronic piano is tucked away off to the side of the room.)

She sighs, as Suzume confirms about the hiding. "... I was afraid of that."

Ririka finally sits, then, when Suzume does, pulling her feet up so she can sit cross-legged. "Tired, I guess. Kind of..." Ririka makes a face, as she searches for the words. "I dunno. I'm... trying to relax, honest, but nothing... nothing's working."

She studies Suzume for a moment, blinking a little. Oh, right, what was that thing she wanted to ask her about..? "... are... you okay? I heard you got in a fight, or something...? At school, I mean."

They were ''all'' in a fight on Friday, but that's definitely not what she means.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume has heard Ririka play. She knows she's good at the piano; more importantly, Suzume knows she's *into* the piano. It would be different if it was something she didn't want to do that she was being pushed to. Suzume would know exactly what to say then: skip it and tell them to go to hell, though she might be a little more polite about it. (Might. To Ririka.) This is a little harder.

Which is why she scowls instead of answering immediately. "Well stop trying to do everything at once!" Suzume lets out a puff of air. "I know we have a lot on our plate. We have SEES, we have school, we have hobbies. But it doesn't do you any good if you kill yourself doing it!"

She leans back slightly. "...are you gonna stick with SEES?" she asks, more quietly. "Did they tell you you had to stop? Because if they did THAT'S bullshit... but you need to... I dunno. We can't depend on you if you're exhausted."

Suzume runs her hand through her hair, that old nervous habit. She looks down for a moment when Ririka brings up her own fight. "Yeah," she says. "Stupid rumours. I thought *I* was going to be thrown out over it. But Arisato-san says it's all right, it's not like I actually hurt her. I wanted to though," she adds, that scowl returning. "But I can't just punch someone like that."

"...I mean I CAN but I shouldn't."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka ''is'' into the piano. And music in general. It's something that almost never fails to capture her attention... even at times when it probably shouldn't.

Which is what makes it so hard to give up. There's pressure--though, honestly, a little bit less since she had the talk with her father--but... it's never been something she was opposed to.

So she kept pushing, trying to drive herself to new heights.

She blinks a little as Suzume gets a little heated. "I-- I'm..." She looks down at her lap. "... I'm trying, honest," she says, her voice soft and quiet. Though even she has to admit, the urge to ''work'' is really strong, still.

But her head snaps up. "Wha-- of course I am! I w-wouldn't-- I couldn't just... leave you guys, or let Yamagishi-san handle everything by herself." But she shrinks back again about being depended on. "I know-- I know. I just... I thought... I had everything handled..."

Evidently, she was mistaken.

She catches 'her', though. "... can I ask what happened?" She might not normally pry, but... she also kind of doesn't want to talk about herself right in the moment.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"I figured you wouldn't want to but I didn't know if you, like..." Suzume knows she's explaining things badly, and she's frustrated. "I didn't know if Kirijo-san told you to stay off duty or something," she says. "I mean, you probably should for a WHILE, but..."

Ririka wouldn't be so stressed if she wasn't doing SEES operations, probably. But Suzume can't imagine quitting herself. She's actually relieved Ririka isn't, either, but where does that leave her?

"Sorry," Suzume says, grudgingly. She doesn't apologize well. "Just... I'm glad you're doing a bit better. If there's something I can do, let me know, okay, Kawase-chan?"

But about her fight...

Suzume scowls. "So," she says, after a pause. "You know how I went to Hakone with Aomori-kun - I mean, for that Mementos experiment." Ririka was at the meeting! She'd know! "And when we all went to Aoba Park last Friday, I took the train with him too because I wanted to chat while we were going. Not like you can sit down and read on those things half the time."

"...someone saw me. Fujiko Ikeda, from 2-B. I've known her for years, we went to middle school together, and we don't like each other. She caught me and said I must be dating him, and I kinda just rolled my eyes, because whatever. But..."

Suzume feels the anger rise again, along with embarrassment; her cheeks flush red. "Anyway, she said if we were sneaking off together like that, all the way to Hakone the hot springs town - not that we went to one! - and overnight, because we didn't get back from the Park until we were really late, that I must have been out with him, and it's obviously the only way I could get a guy's attention because I'm such a tomboy - "

Suzume realizes she's getting worked up again - and saying more than she meant to - and deliberately stops, biting back what she was about to say and letting out a long, sustained, slightly shaky breath, face still red. "Yeah. So, I was going to punch her, but I didn't want to hurt her, so I just kinda... pushed her over. I don't usually talk about it," she adds, "but you're gonna hear the rumours anyway, there's some jerks who are spreading them..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Yeah, I... I still need to... recover a little," she admits looking down at her lap. "I'm... really trying to not push it, I promise."

Probably! But then again, knowing Ririka, she would probably just find excuses to keep pushing herself further.

This isn't the first time it's happened, after all. Not that she wants to admit it.

Ririka shakes her head a little. "It's... I'm the one who should be apologizing, for making everyone worry. Um, and I ''am'' sorry. I know people rely on me, I just... I feel responsible to a lot of people." Her parents, her band, her instructors, the other people she performs for or with, and of course, SEES.

She looks up to Suzume at the offer of help. "Well... Um..." Her fingers are drumming in her lap now. "You... wanna hang out? I've been trying a bunch of stuff to relax tonight, and... I dunno. I can't settle on anything. Maybe... if I have someone else around it'll help?" She gives Suzume an awkward, but hopeful smile.

"Right, I remembered. You mentioned you were gonna go at Akiket, right?" She didn't mention the Reiya part but Ririka won't read anything into it. "Yeah, right. You're lucky if you can get a seat."

She knows this pain well. She's taken that train up to Sumaru, well, a lot.

Ririka frowns. "Well, that's jumping to conclusions, isn't it?" Of course, that's easy for ''her'' to say, she knows they're not dating. Or at least, she didn't think they were.

It's not like anybody would ever try to date someone in secret and keep it from others for some intimately personal reason, right? Right.

But no, she does take Suzume at her word.

But then... "Whoa." Ririka plants her feet back on the ground so she can lean forward. It takes her a moment, but she does eventually finish the implication. "''Whoa''. That's... ''way'' out of line! Did she really ''say'' that to you!?"

"Fukura-chan, that... that really sucks. I'm so sorry. I really hope those rumors blow over quickly, that's so cruel..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume just *looks* at Ririka for a moment.

"Riiiight," she says, drawing it out in a way that could be mocking - but she's grinning, and doesn't mean it that way. "Like you need to apologize for it! Just, you know... ease up a bit. And yeah, I can hang out. I don't need to do anything tonight."

Technically she should probably do homework, but eh, it's not due until Monday. She'll do it on the weekend. No big deal.

"Yeah, I said I was going at Akiket, and then we went. That's where I got the information about Mementos in small towns at last week's meeting," Suzume says. "But I wasn't gonna go alone in case it was dangerous. He's good at sneaking and hiding, so I figured if we got into trouble we could get out... And you don't wanna go alone."

The buddy system. Not JUST for Tartarus.

"We didn't go to any of the, like..." Suzume reddens again. "I don't even always go to the baths with other *girls* I know, I'm definitely not doing it with a boy! We spent some time at a museum so we didn't look suspicious and then snuck around the train station afterwards." Which Ririka knows; she said it at the Mementos meeting.

Did she really say it? "She sure did, that's why I wanted to hit her!" Suzume balls a fist, then releases it. "But I *really* didn't want to deal with... I mean, if I could've gotten away with it I probably would've." Suzume has a temper and she's not always the best at controlling it. She tried. She tried real hard!

She runs her hand through her hair again. "You're lucky. Nobody teases you like that... she's always had it for me." It's because Suzume is fun to tease, for some people; she tends to react loudly, often explosively, and she's not the sort of person to spread rumours back. She's too direct; it wouldn't occur to her, even if it was ethical. Which it probably isn't.

"And we're not," Suzume adds. "I mean. Just to be clear." A pause, a longer one: "He did ask me out though. I mean... yeah."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"I kind of feel like I should though... I know I made people worry. And after last time..." She probably didn't mean to let that one slip. Whoops. "I am. I kind of cleared my calendar for this week and next. So..."

She's trying!

But Suzume can hang out. She manages a small smile. "Cool. We could... watch something, play some games, talk..."

Right, I remember... and that's good thinking. I'm still interested in seeing if I can sense something in a different Mementos like that... when I'm feeling better, of course."

"Y-yeah, I don't blame you..." Well, they did a hot spring together in Yakushima, but they did definitely go find a non-co-ed one.

"Sheesh... how can some people be like that...." She shrugs a little about the rumors. "Yeah, well... you know, at school, I'm always trying to be... the model student, the talented pianist..." Why does just ''saying'' that make her feel tired? "... there's things I definitely try not to show at school, you know? Like my skateboarding..."

Suzume's not the only tomboy! Even if Ririka expresses hers differently and still likes skirts.

And they're not. "Oh, yeah, right, no, I didn't think..." But he did ask her out. "Oh yeah?" Ririka leans in a little, she can't help it. "... what did you say? I-if you don't mind me asking, that is. You don't have to say."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>It was different at Yakushima! And Suzume said she rarely went with other girls she knew, not never... It's actually easier for her when it's strangers she'll never see again.

"Yeah," Suzume says, sourly, because she is not the model student. Rather the opposite. If she hadn't pulled up her grades she'd be a good example for people to use of a *bad* student; as is she's just kind of there, but she doesn't get involved in the cultural side of Gekkoukan very much. And it's not like she doesn't have an interest, either - well, she wasn't inspired at the beginning of the year, and now it seems a little late to join...

What did she say?

"Uh," Suzume says, reaching up to scratch at the back of her head. "I said yes. I never really dated before - I know there people guessed that me and Yamamoto were but we never did. So I dunno much. But... I mean, he's cool." They're friends, right? Her and Reiya. Maybe that's all dating is; hanging out with your friends, getting closer...

"I don't think we're, like... keeping it secret. But we're not advertising either." Reiya tends to be a little private and, well, Suzume doesn't want to give any fuel to the rumours. And is also maybe a little private. "So maybe don't go telling everybody or anything."

Suzume makes a judgement call. Playing games might work, but Suzume tends to get a little competitive and, while that's fun and all, it probably isn't quite as relaxing for Ririka as it could be. "Wanna watch a movie?" she asks. "I've got a couple if you don't mind me running back to my room to get them. Action? I could do with something kind of mindless..."

Suzume that is not relaxing. Not physically, anyway - it might amp her up some, but at least it's mentally refreshing to just turn your brain off for a little bit...?
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka's grades took a hit during midterms... though, frankly, the fact that she had to do battle with a serial killer might have had something to do with it...

"Oh, cool." She hasn't dated before. "Oh, yeah, I... I have, but... Not in a couple years." With a boy, at least. "So... I don't know if I have that much advice to give? I mean, I... I was just in mourning, and then I was busy, so I neer really started again, that's all."

She definitely didn't have a realization about her own sexuality or anything.

"But... I can try, at least." She wants to support her friend!

Not advertising. "Oh, that makes sense. I won't make a big deal about it or anything, then."

"Movie could be good..." She considers that. "... yeah, okay. Sure! It'll probably be something new, and that'll be fun, right?" She considers. "Should we go get snacks and drinks before we start?"

She's standing up and stretching. She still looks... well, very tired. But her mood has at least lifted a little, for the moment.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2025-10-24: Learning to Ride

Talnora — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 01:59:22 GMT

Gotta learn to carve before you can ollie.

New page

*'''Log: Learning to Ride'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ririka Kawase]], [[Suzume Fukura]]
*'''Where:''' A skate park in Iwatodai
*'''OOC Date:''' October 21, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' Sunday, July 29, 2012
*'''Summary:''' ''Ririka takes Suzume out to a skateboard park to start showing her how to skateboard. And they get to talking during.''

----

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka doesn't advertise it for... a lot of reasons, but it's no ''big'' secret that she likes to skateboard. She even feels like she's pretty decent at it, though she'd never brag. (But, well, she ''did'' manage to skateboard her way through the Dark Hour long enough to be rescued by SEES, so... she must be doing ''something'' right.)

But that aforementioned rescue is why she's not ''as'' secretive about it around the dorm, but she was still surprised when Suzume approached her about learning to skateboard after exams were done. But she readily agreed, and advised Suzume to wear long pants and maybe even long sleeves if she could tolerate it in the heat--all the better to reduce scrapes while learning how to ride a board.

And the next day found them at one of Ririka's favorite skate parks (after Ken was all moved in, of course.) There's not a lot of them, but there's still a few, even if they require admission since they're smaller and more often not publically funded. Around the dorm and in school Ririka is often quite and polite, but here, much like on stage, she seemed to come alive, joking, hollaring barbs with the other skaters (most of whom seemed to be male, of course), and just generally seeming more confident.

She's dressed in cargo pants and a black tank top currently, and a pair of white skate shoes. She does have her helmet on, but her pads are in her backpack--she's saving those for more advanced tricks later. And not only does she have a board for herself, she brought a spare one for Suzue.

They're off in a quieter section of the park, one meant for practicing manuals and other basic tricks. "Alright, Fukura-san. First things first. We gotta figure out which foot's your forward foot. You're gonna be pushing with your back foot, so you wanna make sure that feels natural." Ririka gets on her skateboard and demonstrates. "Give it a shot."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume knows perfectly well that Ririka skateboards, because she's seen her do it multiple times. Not even always in the Dark Hour, even!

It may not be a particularly 'feminine' activity, but if there's one thing Suzume doesn't care about, it's that. None of her hobbies are, either. It certainly isn't going to put her off that Ririka has a similar hobby - if anything, she approves of it.

Actually, Suzume wanted to try it. All she has is a bike, which doesn't hold a candle to either a motorbike (like Mitsuru, or Moriko) or a skateboard (like Ririka). And once exams were over, she wanted to do *anything* except think about her performance in them. So she asked!

When Suzume shows up, she is actually dressed appropriately; she's got a pair of cargo pants herself, though she has a T-shirt rather than a tank top, dark purple - nearly the colour of her hair. She does not have pads - she didn't own any to bring - but she does have a black bike helmet, and she brought that, because she figures that there's probably not much of a difference (there is, but not a relevant one at the speeds she'll be going on her first day).

"Yo, Kawase-san," is Suzume's call on the approach. She's looking around, having never really come to a skate park before - it feels like her kind of place, even though she's never been and doesn't know how to board, and so even though the *people* feel comfortable she still feels like an outsider. Ririka acts differently, too. Huh, she thinks to herself.

But: "It'll be left," Suzume says, confidently. And judging by her balance she steps on the board, she's not wrong, though it takes her a few moments to find her balance on it. "Where'd you get the other board, anyway? Did you borrow it from someone? Am I gonna have to thank them for it?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka's seen some cool stuff done on a bike! But Suzume probably doesn't have the kind of bike you'd normally opt to do stunts on. But she smiles as she sees Suzume approach. "Hey, Furua-san! Glad you made it. I figured, we'd want a place where we would risk getting run off by the cops. But we'll start slow, okay?"

The skate park is pretty lively today--first day of summer break, and all. But every is is busy at the other parts, so their corner is pretty quiet. Mostly flat ground, some loosely spaced obstacles to practice steering, and not much else.

(And anybody who might give Suzume some gruff is shut down by Ririka yelling back at them.)

Suzume confidently picks Left, and Ririka watches, grinning. "Nice!" She shakes her head. "I borrowed it, but don't worry about it. Somebody owed me a favor, so this is them paying it back."

She steps onto her own board--her right foot's the front one, and she moves so she's facing Suzume. "Alright, next is pushing. You're gonna start with both feet facing the side, right? Lift off your back foot, pivot your front foot so it's facing forward, and push with the rear. Then when you're rolling, pivot your front foot back to the side and plant both feet on the deck."

Ririka demonstrates it slowly a few times so Suzume can get a feel for it. "So give it a shot. And if you don't mind my asking... what made you interested in learning to skateboard?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume's bike is not exactly impressive. It gets her around the city faster than her feet (and these days, it has the added advantage of 'works in the Dark Hour', which lets her scout around when it's a day she handles some of the lesser Shadows) but otherwise has little to recommend it. Her helmet isn't very stylish either, even by bike helmet standards.

And Suzume can definitely take care of herself if someone gives her shit. She has a sharp tongue when it suits her to use it.

"Huh," is Suzume's response to the board. Does she owe Ririka now? She will worry about it later - Suzume doesn't like letting owing people things hang for too long, but she doesn't have to deal with it now.

"I figured, if you're pushing with the back foot, I want my right foot back because it's my better leg," Suzume says. "It's my primary leg for other sports too. And arm. Are you left-handed?" Maybe that's why Ririka likes her feet the other way around. She never thought to watch while Ririka was writing or anything...

Suzume actually gets the hang of rolling pretty quickly. For all her lack of attention at school, when she cares she actually learns reasonably quickly, and especially so when it's a physical skill like this. Balancing isn't hard at all either - well, so far. It's not like she's done anything complicated yet.

"I am DONE with thinking about school for a while. Exams suck. So I want to get out and do something else, and why not? You're the only skateboarder I know. When I was younger I wanted rollerblades but I never could afford a pair." Suzume rolls to a stop, turns the board around, and kicks again - she hasn't figured out turning yet, though judging by the way she leans it's only a matter of time.

"It was that or I go down to the arcade, and I did that yesterday, right after the last exam. Went into Tokyo." Suzume got in late yesterday, on Saturday, and went straight to her bedroom without talking to anyone. It doesn't appear to be doing her any harm today, though - she's not tired-looking.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka will let Suzume handle herself if she feels like it! She's just used to doing it here, so it's a bit of a reflex.

"Like I said, don't worry about it," Ririka says with a wave of her hand.

"Well, if all you're trying to do is speed, sure, but... if you want to learn tricks, you need to think about which leg gives you better control. Because something like a kickturn..." Ririka leans back on her left leg, lifting the front of the board, and then she twists her hips, shifting the direction she's moving in. "... needs you to use your better leg to control the direction of the board." She shrugs. "But you can probably learn it either way."

"Nah, I'm mostly right-handed." 'Mostly' since, she's got a lot of manual dexterity from years of piano and guitar playing.

"Yeah, exams were rough. Trying to keep up with all of the Dark Hour stuff, studying, practice, going up to Sumaru a lot..." Ririka sighs and shakes her head. "At least we can take it easy for a bit, right?" But she nods. "Rollarblading is cool... I'll be honset, I only got into skateboarding becaue of the Bony Eagle games, sooo..."

Ririka just skids to a halt and does a kickturn to change directions to keep up with Suzume's turn. "Hey, cool. Oh, that reminds me! Did you see the message I put up about concert tickets? You should check it out, it'll be cool. I have it on good authority there'll be some Drake Adventure music in there... And ''the'' So-young Park is directing!"

Ririka, that might not mean as much to everyone else as it does to you.

"Looks like you're getting a feel for the balance, though. Wanna try some turns?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume, when challenged (if challenged) takes a somewhat confrontational stance and attitude. She's *very* used to standing up for herself, and even gets aggressive... but the attitude here isn't bad today so she doesn't really have to. Score!

Suzume takes in what Ririka has to say about kick turns. "Makes sense," she agrees. "I don't exactly have a *weak* leg though, so I'm probably okay." She used to do a lot of running, after all; she does have strong legs, even though you might not be able to tell normally. Unless you've seen her jump at someone in the Dark Hour, anyway.

"Why were you going up to Sumaru - oh, right, your sister's up there." Suzume doesn't know Ichika but she is aware of her existence and also that Ririka would probably like to visit; that Suzume never liked her owl sister is hardly universal. "Well that's not too bad - I mean, it's kinda an all-evening thing, but you can do it. I go up there sometimes, to the Cardboard Dragon, but I've been down to Shibuya and Akihabara too, in Tokyo. I was into the card games for a while, though I'm probably gonna sell my collection soon." To do what? She hasn't decided.

She can't afford rollerblades on them, though, so so much for that dream!

She scowls at 'exams were rough' - they were, for her. "Concert tickets - oh, right. Yeah, I heard, but... I dunno. It might be interesting but it's kind of weird, to hear video game music played in real life? And I know there's some NOT video game stuff too, and I don't know s - crap about fancy music. Don't you have to dress real fancy to get into one of those?"

Turns... "Yeah, I think I can. You lean, right? Like a bike?" Suzume is guessing, but she isn't wrong - though on her first attempt, she almost overbalances, because it's a lot harder to turn when you're moving slowly on a skateboard than faster and she doesn't realize it. She has to change her stance, taking a slightly wider one for stability.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Suzume says both legs are strong, and Ririka nods. "Cool! Well, then if it feels like it works, go with it." Ririka's been aat it long enough she can switch it up, but... that's experience that mostly only applies to this one activity.

"Yeah. We've been trying to spend more time together, so... I go up there quite a bit." She sighs. "Yeah, I try to get work done on the train ride up, but sometimes that's hard... at leat headphones don't take up a lot of space, but then you need to be more careful on teh train, so... sometimes not. But nee-san's moving back home for the summer, so it'll be easier to see her." She nods. "Oh yeah, I've been to the Cardboard Dragon a few times now, too! The setup's a little weird, but I kinda like it."

"Some of the card games are cool, but... I kinda have a hard time keeping up with them? Like there's always new cards coming out for whatever game, and then you gotta learn alll the new ones... Akihabara's got some cool arcades, though."

"Oh yeah? Just not feeling the card games anymore, then?"

"Maybe it's a little weird," she admits. "But I kinda like seeing how everything gets changed and transformed, you know? But then, music's my whole thing, so..." Ririka laughs a little, a bit self-deprecating. She grins a little as she catches that cut-off word, steering her skateboard closer to Suzume. "You don't have to dress ''that'' fancy, just 'kind of nice'. It's not black tie or anything. But it definitely won't be super 'traditional', so maybe it'll be interesting?" She shrugs a little. "I got the tickets for free, so it's okay if you don't want to go. I'll be there too, if that helps."

Granted, she'll be ''performing'', but she's trying to save that as a surprise.

"Yep. You can do a kickturn like I did, or you can carve, which just involves leaning. But be careful with your balance--" Whoops, too late. She zips over to check on Suzume. "You lean your body, but you have to make sure you're leaning the board on the trucks, too, like this." She demonstrates, exaggeratedly leaning the board down the long axis.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume *does* try standing on the board the other way too, but only for a few moments - she apparently decides she liked it the first way almost immediately and swaps back pretty quickly to left-forward.

"Just so long as she doesn't get in your way," is Suzume's response to Ichika coming down for the summer. It's still her personal experience with siblings talking, but... "Especially since I don't think Shadows take the summer off." SEES is probably going to have to do things even when class isn't in session. Perhaps especially when class isn't in session.

There's always new cards coming out... "That's why I'm dropping it," Suzume says. "I don't wanna keep up. Mandai-chan is too, you know, and we were the ones who played most of it. Yamamoto-san, I guess, but he stopped before we did. And yeah, Akihabara's got some cool arcades. My system's a little out of date so that's the only way I can play the new ones..."

Dress 'kind of nice'. Suzume doesn't really dress up, but talking about that gets awkward. She doesn't know a lot about girls' fashion since she never bothered to learn - she wears a lot of jeans and T-shirts when she's just sitting around the dorm, though she does wear her uniform at school (obviously) and has a couple nicer outfits. One, at least.

"When is it?" she asks, slightly non-commital. "I'll think about it." Not that her schedule is particularly full around summer - and she likes it that way! "It'd be different, at least."

As for the turn, Suzume didn't fall, but she did kind of stumble, catching herself with the stance shift and putting one foot down for a moment. She does stay on the board, other than that one foot to brake, and Ririka doesn't have to deal with her falling off (or stumbling into her).

"Oh, like, shift your feet and your weight..." Suzume looks down, leaning slightly as she examines her feet on the board. She shifts the way she has them planted a little bit, and when she kicks off, she *does* successfully turn this time, pressing down differently as well as changing her body weight. "Ha!"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"It'll probably be fine. And... it'll be nice to have her closer for a while, you know?" She pauses nad then frowns, making a face as Suzume reminds her of Shadows. "Damn... and here I was thinking I might go crash at home for the summer..." She sighs. "... maybe not."

"So it's not just you, huh? Maybe I should get rid of mine, but... it's still fun to play with Emi-chan." That's one of the people in her band--and her best friend since 2nd grade, too. "Oh, yeah... like the new Night Parade version. Have you gotten to play a lot of that yet? I'm still getting the hang of some of the new mechanics."

Ririka grins. "I'll get you the dates! I think you can redeem the tickets for any performance."

She watches as Suzume manages to successfully carve the turn, letting out a small cheer. "Yeah! There you go. And you can do the same thing in the other direction to turn the other way." She builds up some speed and demonstrates, doing some long carves back and forth, at varying turn radii.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"I mean, you can visit." Suzume can't imagine that they're trapped here FOREVER. "But - "

Well, she can't really keep talking about SEES stuff anywhere near public. 'Shadows' is easy to talk away if somebody gets suspicious. Going into details, not so much. And there are people at the skate park even if none of them are that close.

"Well, I figure you joined for a reason. I did," Suzume eventually settles on. "So you probably wouldn't want to just bail. And if you did, there's faster ways to do it." And it might be dangerous, depending - especially if Ririka tries to get involved while she's on her own.

Suzume would, granted. She's not in much of a position to say.

"The new Night Parade's pretty good. Most of the changes are good," Suzume says, as she practices some simple turns. Left, right, left but in a slower, wider arc, right in a tight near-spin... "It's getting a home release." Not that Suzume can really buy it, not having the system it's for. "So the tournaments are gonna pick up in challenge, if you do that at all."

But now Suzume is feeling a little confident, and when Suzume gets confident she takes risks. She kicks a couple times to pick up speed and tries a more complex pattern of turning - no especially flashy tricks, just moving faster, more aggressively than she has been, even daring to go over a slight slope. It's pushing and she really should take it slower than she is...

...but she manages to stay on; even if she nearly topples once she recovers in time, wobbling back upright, laughing in an authentic way she rarely does.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka shakes her head. "No, I'm not bailing. I just... hadn't thought through everyth8ing for summer break, I've been so focused on finals, and then getting my shows going..." Ririka sighs. "Man... well, at least my family lives in Iwatodai... maybe I can spend a night or two over if I don't have anything else going on..."

"Yeah, I like what I've gotten to play, but a console release, huh...?" Ririka considers that as she brings up the nose of her board for a manual before manualing, doing a shove it, and landing in a nose manual. "It's fun to try tournaments every once in a while," Ririka admits. "I main Koto Furunushi, which is kinda hard but usually pretty good at throwing people off." It's a yokai with a--you guessed it--music based mechanic, one that allows it to switch to a number of different stances.

Yes, Ririka picked the character with the music gimmick. Shock of shocks. (It's not a shock, she used it at the launch party's tournament.)

"Hey, take it easy, Fukura-san!" Ririka calls from where she's watching. "Nice moves, but you wanna ''really'' nail down the balance first. If you wanna keep pushing speed, though, you can borrow my pads, just in case."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume manages (successfully) to spin herself around not quite in place, but at least pretty close, and then come to a stop. She's still grinning, at least a little bit.

"C'mon, you don't think I'm a natural?" she says. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna do anything TOO stupid." And indeed she intends to behave - she just had to see if she could do it. Even Suzume's daredevil attitude isn't enough to try a jump when she just learned how to go left and right. "Anyway, I don't want to take your pads."

It's not a sizing thing. Suzume just doesn't want to use someone else's gear. She's already stuck using the board.

But she picks the board up to go back over to Ririka so she can try it again. There's only so much you can do on day one.

Ririka might want to visit her family, but Suzume doesn't. Her expression momentarily looks stormy; she hopes they don't send her home. "I'm gonna stay at the dorms mostly," she says, instead. "If you get a day free we can swing up to the arcades or Shibuya or something. Or I'll hook up the old consoles and we can give it a shot."

This is by way of thanking Ririka for showing her, at least the very basics, of skateboarding. Suzume, as always, has trouble thanking people directly. But... she's smiling, at least, her slightly crooked smile.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka laughs a little as Suzume mentions being a natural. "You're doing pretty good," she admits. "Annnnd I do remember wanting to keep pushing things when I was learning, but I'd hate seeing you get hurt, too."

"Oh, okay," Ririka says of the pads. "They're there if you want them, though." If they get to doing something actually challenging and tricky... Ririka will figure something out.

Ririka pauses, when she sees Suzume's expression. "... cool. Yeah, makes sense. Like you said, Sadows probably don't have the summer off, so... I'll probably still be around the dorm a bit, too."

She smiles. "That'd be cool! Both of those sound like a lot of fun, Fukura-san." Ririka doesn't think Suzume owes her anything for the skateboard lesson; she's happy enough just to be able to share it. But she'll gladly accept 'more hanging out' as a payment regardless.

"Alright. Next step, if you're feeling up to it, I go grab some cones and we set up some slalom courses."

And the lessons will keep going until they're both ready to leave.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2025-08-27: Making Amends

Talnora — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 01:57:44 GMT

Talnora moved page 2025-08-27: Making Amends to 2025-08-26: Making Amends Fix the date in the title

New page

*'''Log: Making Amends'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ririka Kawase]], [[Suzume Fukura]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dorms
*'''OOC Date:''' August 26, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' Sunday, July 01, 2012
*'''Summary:''' ''Ririka messed up at the launch party by failing to warn her teammates of the presence of a hostile Persona User. She goes to Suzume to apologize for the lapse. There are also video games.''

----

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka has had... an exhausting day. And her encounter with Niko earlier really only drained every ounce of social battery she had. She cannot figure out what Niko ''wants''. She kept chatting with her like they were friendsm, but...

... well obviously they're ''not'', right? Because that would be insane.

At least ''this'' time she'd had the presence of mind to send a message to SEES, warning that Niko was near the Tatsumi station, even if she didn't know what ''for''.

But after that she'd headed home for a bit to rest, recharge, work on homework, and visit with her parents. After ''that'', however... well, creepy Persona User woman or not, she still has to go to school tomorrow.

So it's evening by the time she drags herself back into the dorm. She's dressed in a black tank top, cargo bants, and white skate shoes, and carring her skateboard in one hand. Her helmet's hanging off her backpack, though her pads are in her backpack.

Ririka takes a deep breath. As much as she wants to go right to her room, there's something that she needs to do first. So she trudges up the stairs and approachse Suzume's room. And then, after taking a deep breath, she knocks. "Fukura-san? Are you in?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume has one of the dorm rooms on the girls' side. Ririka knows which one it is (if she pays attention to Suzume coming or going from it occasionally) so finding it is not a problem.

And when she gets there... is that faint video game music coming from inside?

Suzume is definitely in. The lights are on, and there's just the edge of sound that can be heard right at the door, but that's it. Ririka knocks, there's a beat -

"Hold on a minute!"

It actually does take most of a minute before Suzume opens the door. (The music continues unchanged the entire time.) When she does, Ririka can see inside, and the reason it probably took that long is because her room is kind of a mess; the bed is semi-made, dirty clothes have been very hastily picked up off the bit of floor where she normally tosses them and put in a basket, the desk still has papers and books scattered across it, as well as her phone...

...also the old CRT that the room came with is on, with an old 16-bit console hooked up to it with a bundle of wires, out of date as it is. That's the source of the music, some sort of cheery theme it's playing while a quartet of people march in place, townspeople wandering around them erratically.

Suzume is wearing a pair of shorts and a loose T-shirt. Her hair is messy, but in the way that suggests 'I forgot to brush it' and not 'I forgot to shower'. Her hair always looks a little messy though.

"Oh," she says, "it's you. Is this a quick thing or a long thing?" Translation: do I have to either come out or invite you in, or is this enough?
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka has, predictably, latched onto the wisps of music she can hear, and her free hand starts tapping on her thigh in tune with the rhythm. She waits patiently, not noticing the passage of time (well, okay--she could estimate it by the tempo of the music, but she's not going to hold it agianst Suzume.)

Suzume's room stands in star contrast to Ririka's--Ririka keeps her stuff pretty neat overall... or she's prone to forget stuff. Thankfully, she hasn't fogotten anything in a while.

But her eyes aren't drawn to the mess, instead they're drawn to the TV. "Hey," she asks excitedly. "Is that one of the old-school Drake Adventure games?"

She catches herself a moment later, becoming more somber. Quick or long. "Uh... I wanted to apologize for what happened in the arcade at the launch event, so... it's about that?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume is taken aback that Ririka actually recognized it. "Yeah," she says, "it's the remake of 3 they put out." (Just before she was born. It's not recent.) "It's come up so much lately I felt like replaying it. ...It's kinda been a while since I have."

She pauses for a moment, considering, then: "C'mon in. You'll have to use the desk chair." Suzume only has one chair in there, because she almost never has visitors. She shuts the door behind Ririka. "I don't wanna talk about it out where everyone can hear."

Suzume herself sits down on the bed hard enough to bounce once, which also jostles the controller upward. She snags it in a practiced movement when she does that, though she does not immediately start playing again.

"OK," she says, folding up into a cross-legged position. "I'm listening. I got your message. The new one, I mean," she adds, shooting a glance over to her phone, which is actually closer to Ririka if she's on the chair; it's sitting on her desk. (Suzume has an older flip phone. It has one sticker on it so it doesn't look the same as all the others closed: a floofy chubby bird that is way cuter than most of the stuff she likes.)

See, she *does* read her texts.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka does smile a little when her guess is confirmed. "Ohhh, cool. I've gone back to study some of the music for older games, it's really interesting how they put it together with a limited number of channels and--" She flushes and cuts herself off, looking away. "Um, sorry. I just... though I recognized the style, is all..."

Does this girl thing about nothing but music? Sometimes!

She nods and steps inside at the invitation, looking around for a moment to really get the lay of the land (she mostly doesn't want to trip on something.) She sets her skateboard down by the chair and her backpack on top, and then sits.

But Suzume is listening, and Ririka takes a deep breath. "So... I messed up, at the arcade. I got overwhelmed by everything going on and..." She looks down a little. "... I wasn't ready for the supernatural stuff to pop up in a mundane setting like that." Either then or today, honestly.

She looks up to Suzume. "But... we're gonna be on a team together, and if I'm gonna be a Navigator for SEES, then... I need to be more prepared to look out for everyone. And that includes warning people about danger." She shifts into a deep bow. "I'm sorry."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>The floor is mostly clear since Suzume picked her clothes up off it. (She missed a sock; Ririka can see it kicked partway under the bed, covered from Suzume's point of view by the dangling sheet.) There's a yellow and green rug that came with the room over part of it. That's about it.

Honestly, aside from the previously mentioned items, it's pretty empty. The shelves don't have much on them; a few mangas flopped against one side. There's a calendar up but no posters. Her backpack is up near the head of the bed. She just doesn't have many things. It's safe for Ririka to put down her skateboard and backpack without getting in the way of anything else.

"I don't know much about that," Suzume says, which actually means 'I don't know anything about that'. She knows very little about how electronic music on this system is actually made. She just knows the ones she likes. (She likes this one.)

And then Ririka gives her apology...

Suzume doesn't sit still well. She doesn't remain cross-legged, but pushes herself back along the bed, stretching her legs out a bit. The controller cord still reaches, at least. And then, eventually:

"OK," she says. "There was a lot of shit going on. Plus, if she did start something out in public, in the middle of a crowd? I don't think that'd go so well for her. I was mostly pissed I had to find out so much later. Like, if she'd invited me back for a game the next day, I would've gone, and the rest of you wouldn't've been there. You didn't tell me for a couple days."

"So, we're even." Suzume pauses, then adds, "Anyway, I'm good at taking care of myself," almost defensively.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
At least Ririka won't have to worry about tripping on anything. She's not about to judge the decoration or lack thereof... that's not what she's here for, after all.

But Suzume doesn't know about the music. "Oh, that's fair, I'm just... Eh heh... me, you know." She doesn't rub it in everybody's face that she's a musician, but... it's still pretty easy to know that she is, in fact, one.

Ririka is mostly still, but... her fingertips still drum along with the melody of the game. But even that stops when she goes for the bow.

Ririka tenses up a little as Suzume rightly points out that it took her a couple days. "... you're right, Furura-san." She drops her gaze a little. "... I don't have an excuse for that. I'm sorry." Well, she has explanations, but... that's not really the point, is it?

She lets out a small sigh of relief as Suzume says they're even. "Thank you." But then Suzume says she can take care of herself. "O-of course! I... didn't mean to suggest otherwise?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"Yeah," Suzume says, "I know." She seems more amused by that than anything else. Certainly Ririka's musicality doesn't bother her (unless she practices loud enough she can hear when Suzume is trying to sleep or concentrate on schoolwork, anyway).

Suzume finally starts moving around in the game. She does it one-handed - she's just kind of steering herself somewhere in town - and she does it while looking more at Ririka than at the TV. Which means her characters occasionally bonk against a wall or a townsperson, or she doesn't get the direction quite right and has to maneuver a second time.

"Just making sure you know you don't need to babysit me," Suzume says, while she does it. "Saying 'hey, there's a murderer around' is different. But... yeah. It's OK. I'm not as mad with you as some other people."

Suzume is prickly but apparently she's not (entirely) an asshole. Who knew?
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka tends to be pretty good at keeping the music down when she's practicing... besides, shje's also got club time and lessons for that, too.

Ririka is mostly looking at Suzume, but she does look at the screen every now and again, too. The bonking noise makes her smile just a little bit.

"R-right, but... you can't defend yourself if I don't... warn you about the dangerous things I know about, so..." Hence, why she remembered to text about Niko this afternoon.

She glances aside. Other people... "You mean Takeba-san," she says quietly. It's, well... their 'disagreement' was pretty dang public, wasn't it? There's really no getting around that fact. "I still... need to go apologize to her. But..."

Well, she doesn't think Yukari is going to be as chill as Suzume.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>*bonk* *bonk*

It is kind of a funny sound. Every time Suzume hears it she realizes she made a mistake, but it's only because she's not really looking as she finds her way toward... the inn, apparently. It's not the kind of mistake that annoys her - she hates screwing up where people can see her, but really, does this count?

The fact that Ririka is right - she really does need her Navigator's eyes, or ears as the case may be - is why Suzume agrees with her. And she did get today's message, so she knows Ririka's trying to do better. She lets out a somewhat noncommital sound, not quite a grunt but a wordless sound of agreement.

'You mean Takeba-san'.

Suzume scowls. "Yeah, I mean her," she says. "She's an asshole. I'd be happier if she just - just *quit*. Instead she thinks she gets to say that none of us should be here! I can't decide if she doesn't want the competition, she thinks she's better than us, or what. She said we don't belong here because we made the right choice to be here, and that's just - ugh! And she called me a bully, and that I hate myself because of the way I dress!"

Suzume's voice steadily raises, and she realizes it by now, letting out an irritated groan. "I mean, come on. I'm not as bad as Moriyama was. And just because I like being comfortable instead of being decorative..."
You say, "@emit
Ririka's not gonna think any less of Suzume. She's distracting the other girl, after all, kinda sorta. IT's low-stakes, anyway.

Plus you get that cute little bonking sound to let you know to change chourse. Bonk!

Suzume agrees and... Ririka won't belabor the point.

"W-well, I wouldn't go ''that'' far... but I really don't understand her, sometimes..." Well, she wouldn't *say* Yukari is an asshole. She might think it, though. "Competition for ''what'' though? Being exposed to dangerous supernatural stuff and protecting people?" She glances at Suzume. "... what's wrong with the way you dress?" Asked one tomboy to another. Ririka's sitting around in a tanktop and cargo pants, so of course she doesn't have an issue with shorts and t-shirts.

"Yeah," she agrees about Suzume's comparison to Moriyama. "I mean, I like dressing up too, but not ''all'' the time, you know? It gets exhausting going all out like that." Well, not the clothing, just... acting like she does, when she's on stage, for instance."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka's not gonna think any less of Suzume. She's distracting the other girl, after all, kinda sorta. IT's low-stakes, anyway.

Plus you get that cute little bonking sound to let you know to change chourse. Bonk!

Suzume agrees and... Ririka won't belabor the point.

"W-well, I wouldn't go ''that'' far... but I really don't understand her, sometimes..." Well, she wouldn't *say* Yukari is an asshole. She might think it, though. "Competition for ''what'' though? Being exposed to dangerous supernatural stuff and protecting people?" She glances at Suzume. "... what's wrong with the way you dress?" Asked one tomboy to another. Ririka's sitting around in a tanktop and cargo pants, so of course she doesn't have an issue with shorts and t-shirts.

"Yeah," she agrees about Suzume's comparison to Moriyama. "I mean, I like dressing up too, but not ''all'' the time, you know? It gets exhausting going all out like that." Well, not the clothing, just... acting like she does, when she's on stage, for instance.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume says exactly what she thinks and thinks exactly what she says. It makes her, especially by Japanese standards of politeness, blunt to the point of rudeness even when she's not *deliberately* being rude, such as by calling Yukari an asshole.

But even that normally doesn't make her willing to go into everything with people she doesn't know well. Once she gets going, though...

"I don't know! I don't get her at all." Suddenly, the music changes - briefly! A happy little jingle as Suzume uses the inn in-game. (Which conveniently changes a bunch of text from a dull green to white. Nobody likes the green text.) Suzume hunches forward slightly out of habit while she's controlling the characters with both hands for a moment.

"I mean she said I was a bully. Like how Moriyama used to treat Yamagishi-san. ...The last time I talked to Takeba myself it was a while ago." Technically not that long, Fuuka was rescued, but only just. "Like she's not as vicious as she can be to anyone she doesn't like."

As for her clothes... "I dunno." Suzume sounds a little sullen. Her gamer hunch turns into a slouch after a few moments. "I just don't think about that. My sister used to all the time. I hated it."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka, by contrast... isn't afraid to speak her mind sometimes, but very much still tries to live up to the expectations placed on her, as a young music prodigy and a model student. So she more often couches things a little bit more gently.

Not always, but ''usually''.

And there are definitely things that break with that image, too... like her skateboard sitting on the floor next to her.

Suzume focuses on the game as she rests up at an inn... and Ririka can't help but quietly hum along with the inn's jingle. They make those tunes catchy for a reason, right?

"What made her say that...?" Ririka asks with a frown. "I talked to her after the day after the launch event, but..." Well, it's not too hard to guess it ended up like it did at the group meeting.

Her sister... Ririka doesn't really know the story there, but doesn't want to pry, either. But that still sounds unpleasant in some fashion. "Oh, I'm sorry," she says mostly out of reflex. "But... if you're comfortable that's all that matters, right?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume has never been a model student in her life. Kind of the opposite.

Inn stayed at, Suzume starts to maneuver toward the castle at the back of town - she wants to save her game, but she has to loop around some environment to get there, so Ririka gets some more of those funny bonking sounds as Suzume accidentally hits some trees and an oasis.

"I was trying to apologize, but she can't even take an apology right," Suzume grumps. "Never mind. It's not your business really, I just... I don't like her." And neither does Ririka, so she thought maybe her griping would go better than it would with some other people.

Though, there's always the question of how *accurately* Suzume remembers - or understood - the conversation in the first place.

"And the last thing I want to talk about is my clothes," Suzume adds, grumpily - but aimed at herself, not someone else. "I already need to go shopping again and stuff costs money."

A pause as Suzume maneuvers up the castle stairs, around a pillar and toward the - oh, this one's a queen, or something. "Once I save this," she says, "you want to play a game? You're already in here and I could use a longer break from homework."

Suzume is already not doing her homework. It's open on the desk next to Ririka. She's about two thirds done. But it's something due Tuesday so she's probably fine...?
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
It's... well, it's a lot of work. But Ririka's not going to mention that to very many people.

Save points! Ririka understands this concept well.

"Yeah, me too, kind of, but..." Ririka shrugs a little. Suzume doens't want to talk about it. "Okay." Suzume definitely isn't alone. Ririka's still not entirely sure how things spiraled the way they did.

"That's true," Ririka says noncommittally. Money's never really been an issue for her, but... she knows that's not the same for everyone.

She's a little surprised by the offer, but considers it. She's got her own homework, and rehearsal, and she was working on a composition, but... after the day she's had she wants a break too. "Sure!" she says with a smile. It turns to a grin. "Got any fighting games? They released Night Parade 2 on this system, right? But I'm game to play anything else you've got, too."

She'll just say up a little later to get her work done. It's fine.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume's family is not especially wealthy, and it's not like Suzume has ever gotten much of an allowance. Is... is part of the reason she pushed to go to Mementos so she can get yen from the demons?

...It's not, right?

(It's not. That's just an added perk.)

"Must be hard for you too. Where do you get pants long enough for you?" Suzume is teasing, but she's not trying to be mean about it, judging by the slight grin. "I'm so glad we can do online ordering, it makes everything easier."

Suzume saves her game and picks 'end', which means the triumphant title screen music comes on. Because Ririka seems to enjoy it, she lets it play out instead of immediately shutting the system off. Everybody knows the Drake Adventure theme! (Well, no. Not EVERYONE. But it is remarkably well-known.)

Night Parade 2? "Nah. Not many fighting games on this one except the *real* basics. I mean, there's a couple, but they're either the really old-style ones or they got cut down real bad to fit... you can't store enough on the cartridges." Suzume says. "Night Parade's not quite that old, either. It started on the next system for home games."

She reverses herself, lying down on the bed, head dangling down. Because... She pulls out a short box from under the bed, where it apparently lives. Inside is a tangle of wires, some electronics, and some game boxes... CD game boxes. Which the system plugged in doesn't use.

"Fortunately, I got one of those too. I replaced the spindle motor last month so it even works again." It's another old system, probably bought second-hand, but Suzume seems pretty pleased by it. Even if she can't get the new systems, at least second-hand and refit stores are there for her.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka's only trip to an established supernatural space so far, Tartarus, didn't... exactly go well. Here's hoping tomorrow's trip will be better.

"Ugggh," groans Ririka at the mention of pants. "Don't even get me ''started''. Pants, skirts, shirts, jackets, shoes..." She lifts an arm, to emphasize the lack of sleeves on her tank top. "At least this doesn't have any sleeves." She's a ''little'' embarrassed by her height, but not so embarrassed she won't gripe about it a little. "That helps," she admits. "Finding the right stores, too..."

Ririka isn't humming along with the title theme (because her vocal chords are being used for talking), but she is nodding her head with the beat.

"Really?" She says as Suzume explains the availability (or lack thereof) of Night Parade for this system. "Huh... Well, I didn't start with this system. My brother and I used to share one from two generations later. Well, it was his, but he let me play it with him..."

She's never had to worry about secondhands... but she gets why someone might. "Heyyy, nice!" she says after she sees the box come out from under the bed. "And you replaced the motor yourself? That's amazing, Fukura-san!" She bumps her skateboard with her foot. "I work on my deck a little, but I don't really mess with electronics."

She grins as she looks through the collection. "So... co-op or competitive?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume doesn't go into details about what she hates about shopping. Maybe it's the whole thing. But to an extent she sympathizes with having to look around a lot to find something you both will and can wear.

Maybe not with the being tall, though. Suzume is, what, five foot zero? "A tall people shop, huh. I can see it. But I'd have to get on stilts to get in."

She lets out something that's not quite a laugh but working towards one as she slips off her bed, walking around to switch which system is hooked up. "The motor's not too bad to fix if you have a soldering iron. ...I *don't*, but they let me use one of the ones in shop when I showed them what I was going to do with it. I don't usually do anything more complicated than that, or switching the batteries in the Drake Adventure cart. You gotta do that every fifteen years or so, they run down and then it doesn't save anymore."

(Both of those are harder than she's giving herself credit for, especially if she had to take the old ones out.)

She looks at Ririka thoughtfully, then: "Cooperative. The first time." She's not going to challenge someone until they've figured out the controls and are comfortable with her controllers... if Ririka's used to a later version, it might take her a bit to settle in with it.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Yeah, and some of the international brands are better with sizing, but... it's still kind of annoying." Finding skate shoes in her size? Forget about it.

She does laugh a little at the stilts joke.

"I wouldn't even know where to start with a soldering iron. I bet Kiroshi-kun could show me, though... he works on my guitar sometimes." That's one of her band members, the drummer. "Oh, so they used batteries in the old carts... I guess it's not like the memory cards that came later, huh?"

She asks the natural follow-up question. "So where'd you learn to use a soldering iron?"

Cooperative! "Sure, I'm good with that." She will take a moment to futz with the controller and get used to it, though. "Kinda similar, but... they added a few more buttons later, huh...?"

"I'm curious to see who's on the roster. Is Koto Furunushi in this one?" That's a stance character, whose gimmick is tied to music.

Because of course.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"Yeah they are," Suzume agrees without thinking. Not that she's ever had to buy skate shoes, but... "Plus, you can get some interesting shirts if you get them from the American site."

Well, that explains a couple of her T-shirts, with English on them, or Americana. (Not the one she's wearing, though - that one's plain.)

Where'd she learn to use a soldering iron? "...around. I got pretty good at fixing things." You can get a lot more for your allowance buck (or, well, yen) if you're willing to do some repair yourself. "A soldering iron's not too hard though. It just makes things hot, and then you use the soldier to make a connection. The harder part's not using too much solder and only linking up the right things. ...I use a lot of pictures for that."

You can do a lot more than you think if you're willing to take your time about it. And while Suzume is often impatient, it's different when you're doing it to be self-sufficient. Plus, who would she ask about fixing a game console? Nobody else she knew cared about the old ones; that's why she could vanish into her room with them without complaints.

'Is Koto Furunshi in this one?'

"Yeah, but the controls are a bit different," Suzume warns. "They changed them for the next one - which was probably the one you played. Definitely practice a bit."

But at least it's going to be an interesting evening. Even if Suzume gets a little too into it later on.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2025-08-27: Making Amends

Talnora — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 01:57:10 GMT

Doing the hard work.

New page

2026-11-07: A Hard Bargain

Talnora — Sat, 07 Nov 2026 20:59:35 GMT

This is fine.

New page

*'''Cutscene: A Hard Bargain'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Kazusa Motojima]], Kazuki Motojima (Kazusa's father), Karin Motojima (Kazusa's mother)
*'''Where:''' Motojima Residence, Shibuya Ward
*'''OOC Date:''' November 7, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' Monday, January 28, 2013
*'''Summary:''' ''Inspired by [[2026-10-18:_Getting_Away|her trip to Yugawara with Kanae]], Kazusa wants to plan a bigger trip for more of her friends (and acquaintances), but to do so will require access to a significant amount of funds. She approaches her father to make her case, but finds that she has to give up something to secure what she wants.''
*'''Content Warning:''' Misogyny, verbal/emotional abuse

----
<poem>
Kazusa took a deep breath to calm herself as she made one final check in the vanity mirror. Hair brushed to a sheen, perfectly straight without a strand out of place? Check. Eyebrows perfectly shaped? Check. Teeth? Check. Soft, pleated, pastel pink dress with the lace collar that she hated?

… Check.

Kazusa sighed, stepping back from the mirror, momentarily letting a frown slip through. "Alright," she muttered. "You can do this. It's just… a small favor. It won't even cost that much." She ran through the plan in her head: who to mention, who ''not'' to mention, the benefits to her father and the family's company. How she could make all the arrangements so it wouldn't even inconvenience him. It was just… a normal social outing. There was nothing objectionable about it.

That thought didn't keep her heart from pounding.

She sighed, looking out the high-rise window of her bedroom down at Shibuya below. Inside the apartment everything was consciously arranged, meticulously considered, and carefully managed. Outside, in the cold winter night, the streets and sidewalk buzzed with motion, as colorful signs and bright lights beckoned people out. After a moment, Kazusa turned away. "… you just need his blessing. That's all that matters."

No use putting it off. Kazusa stepped outside her bedroom, slippers scraping lightly against the warm hardwood floor. A clipped conversation filtered in from downstairs and Kazusa let out a tense breath. That meant her father wasn't in his office. That was lucky, for her.

She gracefully descended the staircase, forcing herself not to brace each time she stepped with her left ankle. (It was merely a sprain from her rhythmic gymnastics practice, but to show it would be proof she wasn't dedicated enough in her practice.) She found them seated at the kitchen table, both with planners open, and two cups of tea. (Tea that her mother had dutifully prepared, no doubt.)

Karin was dressed in a simple but tasteful dress and cardigan, her dark brown hair up in a delicate bun. "… next Thursday…" She turned a page. "I've entered an ikebana exhibition. It should be quite interesting, the theme is—"

"I have a dinner meeting," said Kazuki brusquely, not even looking up from his planner. He had hard features and short black hair, still dressed in his office suit, though the jacket hung up the back of the chair. "I'll need you there."

"Oh." Karin bowed her head. "My apologies, dear. I should have realized. I'll withdraw first thing tomorrow."

Kazusa's jaw tightened. ''Say something!'' she shouted in her head. ''Don't just wilt like one of your stupid flowers!'' She forced her jaw to loosen again. It wouldn't help her.

"Good," replied Kazuki. He picked up his phone and made another annotation in his planner. Finally he looked up at Kazusa waiting by the staircase, hands clasped in front of her. "Kazusa." His eyes scanned her appearance.

With her breath held, Kazusa waited for the inspection to finish. Was he on to her? Most likely, but that was just part of how this worked.

With a quiet nod, Kazuki looked back to his planner. "Don't linger. What do you want?"

''If I had said something you would have chastised me for interrupting.'' Kazusa forced a pleasant, nonconfrontational smile to her face as she stepped closer. "Otou-sama," she started. "I won't take much of your time. National Foundation Day is coming up, and I'd like to arrange a small weekend trip for myself and some of my friends. I thought I would invite Haru Okumura-senpai and Katsuko Yoshinaga-senpai, to help keep up good relations between our families. If I'm lucky I might be able to invite our class president, Makoto Niijima-senpai. Her sister is the prosecutor everyone has been talking about?"

Kazusa and Makoto weren't on particularly good terms, but if Kazusa was inviting Ann, she didn't want Ann to think she was excluding one of her friends on purpose.

Karin smiled softly at her daughter, and reached out to place a hand over her husband's arm. "Oh, doesn't that sound lovely, dear? Our Kazusa has been so troubled recently, maybe this is what she needs to get through this rough patch."

'Troubled' in this case meant having one Homunculus hijack her life for a month, and then a second Homunculus throwing her against a wall in a very public display to demand a ''dogeza''-style apology. An incident Kazuki had blamed ''her'' for, naturally. For 'leading him on'.

"Mmm." Kazuki's frown deepened a few degrees. "That woman is doing the work of a man," he muttered.

Kazusa winced internally, but forced her expression to stay mildly pleasant. She'd hoped Sae Niijima's prosecutorial record would be a strong enough feat to impress her father, but she'd miscalculated.

"… however, we ''have'' enjoyed good business dealings with the Okumuras," continued Kazuki, regarding Kazusa critically as he set his planner down. He brushed Karin's hand off his arm and then steepled his fingers. "And Yoshinaga... her father is with that cybersecurity firm, correct?"

"Hai, otou-sama," said Kazusa with a small nod.

Kazuki's eyes narrowed. "And you will doubtlessly wish to invite ''other'' friends. And to put the expenses on your credit card."

Oh no. Something clammy clutched her heart in her chest. She had to get ahead of the narrative. "Oh, of course, I need to invite more than just them. I need to invite some of their friends along, to earn their favor. And I've already found a traditional ryokan in Yugawara able to accommodate my group. They're offering an exclusive wing and access to private facilities, though of course they're eager to finalize the arrangements…"

"I'm sure you have." Kazuki folded his arms on the table. "… but don't think you'll be getting off lightly. If you wish to enjoy the benefits of our family's success it's high time you started earning your keep."

Of ''course'' he would want something. Why did she think vague promises of familial ties or the lure of a traditional ryokan would be enough? But what more could he ask of her? Kazusa straightened her posture and forced her smile to keep from drooping. "Oh, of course, otou-sama. What did you have in mind?"

"… You lack discipline," Kazuki said after a long moment. "You missed your winter training camps, and you didn't compete in your last meet."

Kazusa knew better than to argue about the doctor advising rest; ''that'' argument would get her nowhere, and just bring up the point about 'leading on' Shinichi again. "I competed in the group category, otou-sama. It was decided to send Yoshizawa-san as a solo performer because she needed to prove—"

She instantly regretted the sentence the moment she started it. The ridiculous timing of the faculty's demands on Kasumi—not to mention the demands themselves—weren't something she wanted to reinforce. ''Sorry, Yoshizawa-chan.''

Kazuki cut her off. "Her problems are not your concern. Your sole concern is maintaining your own reputation. Do I make myself clear?"

Kazusa bowed her head. "… hai, otou-sama." So much for winning first place.

"Regardless. I see now I have to take a more hands-on approach, if you won't show the proper discipline on your own." Kazuki opened his planner again. Without looking up he said, "We're launching the new Cosmos line soon. If you want to take your trip, you'll pay for it by appearing in some of the promotional material." He leveled a flat stare at his daughter. "Dishonor our company's image, and I'll be forced to take more restrictive measures. Do I make myself clear?"

It wasn't an offer. It wasn't even a request. If she tried to back out of the trip, he'd call her unserious and flighty. If she tried to argue back against the 'payment' for the trip…

It wasn't fair. She knew how much her family was worth. A trip like this was almost inconsequential, but her father had to make everything difficult. And if she argued…

… no, it was safer not to. And besides, maybe, just maybe, if the product launch was a success, her father…

Kazusa kept her head bowed. "… hai, otou-sama," she said in a small voice.

"Good." Kazuki made an annotation in his planner. "Is that all?"

"Hai." Kazusa took a careful step back. "Thank you for your time, otou-sama. Have a good night." She turned and made her way back up the stairs, holding back the welling of emotions until she was safely in her room.
</poem>

[[Category:Cutscenes]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

Equipment

Bel — Sat, 07 Nov 2026 14:24:21 GMT

Equipment Creation

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:24, 7 November 2026
Line 48:		Line 48:
	*''2 pts per point:'' A bonus to one or more stats. (+Agi or +Vit).		*''2 pts per point:'' A bonus to one or more stats. (+Agi or +Vit).
	*''5 points per:'' level 1 Passives from the following list (Limit 1 Passive):		*''5 points per:'' level 1 Passives from the following list (Limit 1 Passive):
	** ''Apt Pupil, Avoid Dark, Avoid Earth, Avoid Elec, Avoid Fire, Avoid Light, Avoid Pierce, Avoid Slash, Avoid Strike, Avoid Water, Avoid Wind, Block Dark, Block Earth, Block Elec, Block Fire, Block Light, Block Pierce, Block Slash, Block Strike, Block Water, Block Wind, Counter Dark, Counter Earth, Counter Elec, Counter Fire, Counter Light, Counter Pierce, Counter Slash, Counter Strike, Counter Water, Counter Wind, Dark Boost, Dark Riposte, Earth Boost, Earth Riposte, Elec Boost, Elec Riposte, Explode Boost, Explode Shield, Fire Boost, Fire Riposte, Fortify Spirit, Invigorate 1, Light Boost, Light Riposte, Mind Up, Nerve Up, Pierce Boost, Pierce Riposte, Recovery Boost, Regenerate 1, Sharp Student, Slash Boost, Slash Riposte, Strike Boost, Strike Riposte, Team Player, Tough Love, Water Boost, Water Riposte, Wind Boost, Wind Riposte, Blast Boost, Bind Boost, Haze Boost, Paralyze Boost, Apply Blast, Apply Haze, Apply Paralyze, Apply Bind, Exhaust Resist, Panic Resist, Sick Resist, Rage Resist, Charm Resist, and Poison Resist.''		** ''Apt Pupil, Avoid Dark, Avoid Earth, Avoid Elec, Avoid Fire, Avoid Light, Avoid Pierce, Avoid Slash, Avoid Strike, Avoid Water, Avoid Wind, Block Dark, Block Earth, Block Elec, Block Fire, Block Light, Block Pierce, Block Slash, Block Strike, Block Water, Block Wind, Counter Dark, Counter Earth, Counter Elec, Counter Fire, Counter Light, Counter Pierce, Counter Slash, Counter Strike, Counter Water, Counter Wind, Dark Boost, Dark Riposte, Earth Boost, Earth Riposte, Elec Boost, Elec Riposte, Explode Boost, Explode Shield, Fire Boost, Fire Riposte, Fortify Spirit, Invigorate 1, Light Boost, Light Riposte, Mind Up, Mitigate Pierce, Mitigate Slash, Mitigate Strike, Mitigate Fire, Mitigate Wter, Mitigate Elec, Mitigate Earth, Mitigate Wind, Mitigate Light, Mitigate Dark, Nerve Up, Pierce Boost, Pierce Riposte, Recovery Boost, Regenerate 1, Sharp Student, Slash Boost, Slash Riposte, Strike Boost, Strike Riposte, Team Player, Tough Love, Water Boost, Water Riposte, Wind Boost, Wind Riposte, Blast Boost, Bind Boost, Haze Boost, Paralyze Boost, Apply Blast, Apply Haze, Apply Paralyze, Apply Bind, Exhaust Resist, Panic Resist, Sick Resist, Rage Resist, Charm Resist, and Poison Resist.''
	** Alternately, take one of the following lesser Passives at 3 points per: ''Equip Pierce, Equip Slash, Equip Strike, Equip Fire, Equip Water, Equip Elec, Equip Earth, Equip Wind, Equip Light, Equip Dark'' on weapons only.		** Alternately, take one of the following lesser Passives at 3 points per: ''Equip Pierce, Equip Slash, Equip Strike, Equip Fire, Equip Water, Equip Elec, Equip Earth, Equip Wind, Equip Light, Equip Dark'' on weapons only.
	A Tier 1 Weapon or Armor has 10 points to spend. A Tier 2 Weapon or Armor has 16 points to spend. A Tier 3 Weapon or Armor has 20 points to spend.		A Tier 1 Weapon or Armor has 10 points to spend. A Tier 2 Weapon or Armor has 16 points to spend. A Tier 3 Weapon or Armor has 20 points to spend.

Attack Database

Bel — Sat, 07 Nov 2026 14:03:14 GMT

Physical Attacks

Show changes

Kikuno Kisaragi

Strangeshrimp — Fri, 06 Nov 2026 23:45:01 GMT

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:45, 6 November 2026
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	\|-		\|-
	! style="text-align:left" \| Age (Birthdate):		! style="text-align:left" \| Age (Birthdate):
	\| {{ICAge\|1993\|09\|22}} (September 22nd, ~~1996~~)		\| {{ICAge\|1993\|09\|22}} (September 22nd, 1993)
	\|-		\|-
	! style="text-align:left" \| Hair Colour:		! style="text-align:left" \| Hair Colour:

2026-11-05: Striking Back

Talnora — Fri, 06 Nov 2026 05:15:14 GMT

Added a small content warning

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:15, 6 November 2026
Line 5:		Line 5:
	*'''IC Date:''' Monday, February 04, 2013		*'''IC Date:''' Monday, February 04, 2013
	*'''Summary:''' ''Arisu is back and school, and... she's a lot more confident than before. Ririka finds this out when she goes to check on the formerly-missing girl, but learns the startling truth of her disappearance: a new kind of supernatural space.''		*'''Summary:''' ''Arisu is back and school, and... she's a lot more confident than before. Ririka finds this out when she goes to check on the formerly-missing girl, but learns the startling truth of her disappearance: a new kind of supernatural space.''
			*'''Content Warning:''' Threatened eye injury

	----		----

2026-11-05: Striking Back

Talnora — Fri, 06 Nov 2026 05:10:36 GMT

Ririka's not sure if she should be more worried about Arisu or the bullies now...

New page

*'''Log: Striking Back'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Arisu Aizawa]], [[Ririka Kawase]]
*'''Where:''' Gekkoukan High School - Classroom Building
*'''OOC Date:''' November 05, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' Monday, February 04, 2013
*'''Summary:''' ''Arisu is back and school, and... she's a lot more confident than before. Ririka finds this out when she goes to check on the formerly-missing girl, but learns the startling truth of her disappearance: a new kind of supernatural space.''

----

(|================ Gekkoukan High School - Classroom Building ================|)
-======================================= Iwatodai City/Tatsumi Port Island ====-
Gekkoukan High School features a rich and lavish atrium which blends modern and
classical architecture, with wide-open windows welcoming students into an
entrance hall with massive Grecian pillars and an impressive stained-glass wall
at its other end. The Sword and Staff Statues displayed prominently here are a
popular meet-up point! Here, as well, one can find the event bulletin board,
various faculty and club rooms, the nurse's office... and most importantly, the
school store, where one can buy Gekkoukan's various popular breads. A classical
stone corridor outside passes by a beloved Persimmon tree in a garden where
students can relax on benches, before leading students to the gymnasium, where
one can enjoy the indoor swimming pool and running track available here.

Up the stairs, the halls are sleek and modern, with diamond- and square-tiled
flooring and traditional sliding doors. Corkboards on the hall walls are
decorated with a dozen club posters, advertising the many after-school
activities available to students here, and water fountains at the end of the
hall are available to quench one's thirst. Inside the classrooms, one finds more
of that square tiling, on which stand desks and chairs two a row. A raised
podium allows teachers to lecture behind a blackboard or a projector screen
which can be pulled down to display their slides, while a desk off to the side
at the front of the class gives them a place to seat themselves down. The
windows are wide and expansive, covering an entire wall; there are windows
leading out into the hall, as well, and they can be slid back for the curious to
peek into the classroom. The back of the room features a second blackboard,
alongside shelving for books. (And... manga? Who put those here...?)

AS: Hana Fukami has readied for combat as Lady Rokujo! She is now fully healed!
AS: Ririka Kawase has readied for combat as Amphion! She is now fully healed!

AS: Ririka Kawase has readied for combat as Amphion! She is now fully healed!

AS: Suzume Fukura has readied for combat as Atalanta! She is now fully healed!
Hana Fukami says, "suzume!"

AS: Ririka Kawase has readied for combat as Amphion! She is now fully healed!

AS: Suzume Fukura has readied for combat as Atalanta! She is now fully healed!
Suzume Fukura says, "I dunno, it seems fine to me this way"

AS: Suzume Fukura has readied for combat as Atalanta! She is now fully healed!

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>It has been a few days since Arisu disappeared from Gekkoukan High School. Between the police, the school, and concerned parties, no one was able to really find the girl after when she supposedly ran away. It was just one of those things that could turn into a ghost story or urban legend if given enough time to fester.

However, Arisu Aizawa came to school today, sending an uproar throughout the campus. The girl who was supposedly spirited away just arrived to school this morning like nothing had happened. The school did call her to the office to answer for her whereabouts but nothing came of the chat, leaving more questions than answers.

But there was another mystery now.

Those who talked to Arisu found something off about the once kind, mousey girl. It was like talking to a different person for many of those who knew of Arisu. She was less high strung. She seemed chipper, confident, and a lot more relaxed than she was before.

But then again, her friend Ai Sakurai was also acting strange so maybe it was just them.

As the day comes to an end, Arisu exits her classroom and begins to head toward the club rooms. She is dressed in a brand new uniform, adding to the feeling that this was a new version of Arisu. She half smiles as she moves toward her destination, stopping in her tracks when her path is blocked by two other girls.

"So you're back, Aizawa...You get tired of people feeling sorry for you?" A-ko says, snickering as she moves to knock Arisu's things out of her hands. B-Ko, the other bully, is just grinning as she continues to block the way forward.

Arisu moves her stuff out of the way of her bully swipes. She doesn't seem to be as upset as she was before. She almost seems amused by all of this.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
As it happens, Ghost stories are sort of in the remit of SEES, after a fashion. Ririka had been concerned when Arisu seemingly went missing. She'd checked Tartarus with Fuuka, of course, just in case, with no luck...

But she'd definitely heard about Arisu coming back to school today. It's a relief, though it doesn't explain where she was.

She must be going through a hard time, Ririka thinks. Would she have a lot of people fussing over her? Should Ririka add on to the pile? Maybe it'd be better to give her some space...?

... No, she should at least say hi. Show Arisu a friendly face.

Ririka leaves her own classroom at the end of the day, and makes for the club rooms, hoping to find Arisu along the way. She does spot Arisu, but then also spots a too-familiar pair of girls. Ririka starts to step forward, but then stops mid-stride, blinking.

The sound of a sewing machine, weaving through the background noise of the bustling hallways. And it's coming from...

Ririka stares at Arisu in confusion, forgetting to act for a moment as sh puzzles out the new Resonance.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>"You're in my way" Arisu says flatly as she stares at her two bullys. She doesn't seem as afraid of them. She is actually smiling, almost smugly at the two girls.

"Oh? We're in your way?" A-ko almost laughs before she shoves Arisu into a wall, glaring at her. "Listen here, Bitch. I don't know what you thought you were doing running away but you got us in trouble with your little stunt." A-Ko yanks on Arisu's hair, meeting eyes with the girl. B-Ko spots Ririka and frowns. "Hey that girl with the picture is back."

"I don't care. This bitch got us dealing with the police so she can stick her picture up her as---"

Arisu suddenly seizes her bully by her collar, leaning forward as she brandishes a sewing needle next to A-Ko's eye. Arisu uses her body and her reputation as an honor student to her advantage here. Who would believe this troublemaker on what was about to happen.

"So here's whats going to happen. We're going to go our separate ways. Smoke. Date Adults for all I care...Because if you don't I'm going to give you a scar. Nothing drastic because I'm not a monster. But you'll know who gave it to you. Every time you look in the mirror."

A-ko's eye widens, seeing the needle just centimeters from fulfilling Arisu's threat. "Y,you think you're some kinda badass? Maybe I go get a teacher!"

"And tell them the girl you've been messing with...the quiet one who follows all the rules...is threatening you?" Arisu smiles and shakes her head. "Now who is the tattle tale?" She keeps the needle steady, smiling darkly at her bully. "Go tell and I'll make sure they know you're smoking on school grounds."

"O,ok! Fine. Psycho."

Arisu pats A-ko's cheek as she lets her go and shoots a smile to B-ko.

After a few moments, the girls leave, leaving Arisu quickly. She spots Ririka and waves slightly. "Oh. Hey."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
The girl with the picture. Ririka stands up a little straighter as she's spotted, ready to step in, but blinks in surprise as Arisu takes very sudden action.

A needle near the eye. "Wha--" Ririka's eyes fly open in alarm. Okay that's ''way'' too much, right!? But Arisu seems to be handling herself... and they started it??

She watches as A-Ko and B-ko run off, fingers tapping out a melody on her thigh as she hums to herself, trying to sort out what she's seen.

Her attention suddenly focuses on Arisu as she says hi. "Uh, h-hey. I was... gonna step in, but... seems like you have it handled?" She studies Arisu for a moment. "How... are you feeling? I was worried, when I'd heard you went missing."

This doesn't ''feel'' like a Homunculus situation--she remembers Taro's signature clearly. But she knows Arisu's Resonance wasn't nearly this strong hte last time they talked...
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>Arisu tilts her head, a little confused by the reaction. Maybe she went too far. Maybe. She didn't really have it in her to care anymore. Stuff like this felt so minor when there were things out there like she had seen. "Thank you for your concern" She smiles at Ririka's offer, nodding as she leans against the wall.

"I'm fine...Yeah I'm sorry to have worried everyone but I had...something come up." She doesn't elaborate because how do you tell someone you were in a parallel dimension with demons and not deal with questions. All things considered, Arisu seems very calm and upbeat...something she wasn't last time.

"Thank you for last time though." She bows her head, unsure of what else to really tell this girl. It wasn't like she would understand this like Coin or Kanae....actually those two understood things more than she did so expecting that of Ririka was a tall ask.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Maybe a little too far. At least Arisu didn't actually, you know, ''follow through''. So there's that? Ririka nods a little. "You're welcome." She offers a tentative smile back.

"Yeah, I... bet you've been through a lot, huh?" If her hunch was right, that was... a definite understatement. "I'm just... glad you're okay."

Last time. "Oh, of course. I'm glad I was able to help." Ririka keeps tapping at her thigh for a moment and then takes a step closer. "Actually, there's something I'd like to ask you. Do you have a moment? Maybe we can find somewhere quieter..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>Would she have followed through? That is the question that Arisu is only sort of certain of. Not because of social norms, mind you. It was more the pain in the ass such an action would cause. Arisu's reputation could only carry so much.

"Yeah...it was a lot." Arisu says flatly, still smiling at the other girl. She watches the other girl with amusement. If she only knew the hell that Arisu had been through.

"Hmm? Sure. I don't think Bebe will be in the club room today so it will just be us." Arisu gestures for Ririka to follow her down the stairs and to the Fashion Club room. After a leisurely stroll, Arisu opens the door for Ririka before moving to her mannequin, which has a costume currently pinned to it. As the girl begins to work, she looks up at Ririka. "So what can I help you with?" She moves around the costume, pinning pieces of fabric into place as she occasionally looks up.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka would be oh so worried if she knew ''that'' was the reason holding Arisu back from following through on her threat. (She's already somewhat concerned.)

She might understand more than you think, Arisu.

"If that works for you, then, sure..." She'll follow along, and take a look around the Fashion Club room to make sure they're actually alone.

Arisu offers to help ''her'' and Ririka lets out a small, nervous laugh. "A-actually, I was going to ask ''you'' that. Aizawa-san, does the word 'Persona' mean anything to you?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>Arisu pauses when she hears the word, looking up at Ririka. It takes her a moment but she repeats the word as she sets a pin into the costume.

That word....Arisu knew it from a few places. First there were Coin and Fuyuki, who seemed to know a lot about the world she had found herself into. Next was the mysterious voice that said the word just before Arisu summoned Van Helsing for the first time.

So when Ririka mentions it, Arisu stops finally and considers the other girl.

It takes her a moment but a cool smile creeps onto Arisu's face as she meets eyes with the other girl. "Oh ho....I guess you know about it too. Well that makes things easy." Arisu says as she sets her pin cushion down and further considers the question.

"I don't really know much but I met a couple of people after I got out of the...place I was. I don't have the words memorized yet but Persona...yeah that's what they called that power I manifested. Hmmm, so I guess that means I can talk freely about this, yes?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka can be patient, waiting as Arisu considers the word. (Okay, not exactly patient. She's still drumming on her thigh some. But that's fine for a musician, right?

"Yeeep. I do," Ririka confirms. "I... well, I can sense something is different about you, so... I'm guessing you didn't exactly run away from home."

A couple of people... "Oh yeah? Who? If you don't mind me asking." But the place... Ririka frowns. "What was it like? Was it a tall tower, or... a weird subway system?" She's thinking of Tartarus and Mementos. It ''could'' be an Atelier, but she doesn't know of an open one at the moment.

"You can talk about it with me, though, I'd be careful not to talk about it with other people who aren't Awakened--that is, someone who's able to summon a Persona."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>"I never left school." Arisu adds, sitting down across from Ririka. "I just sort of ended up there...at this place."

"They called themselves Fuyuki and Coin and they filled me in on some of it. Granted, it was a lot to take in so I'm still not very clear on a lot of it." Arisu taps the side of her head, noting the tapping by Ririka finally.

She considers the next question. "No. It wasn't like that at all....It was a convention. A very dark, messed up one filled with these creatures who held me captive." She tilts her head as she stares at Ririka. "They made me sew and handle costumes....usually I'd be in my element but they worked me to the bone."

"Hmmm...So don't tell the normies about the hell convention that I got teleported to....actually not far from where you're sitting." Arisu smiles at the thought. "No I think I'll just keep it to myself unless someone comes up to me like you did. I'm guessing you have a way to detect the power?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
'I never left school.' "Wha--" Ririka straightens up, looking alarmed. "W-wait, really?" Ririka frowns, muttering to herself. "... but we checked Tartarus..." Out loud she says, "Can you describe it?"

Ririka's just keeping time to a melody, it's fine. But Arisu hasn't retained a lot, it seems. "That's... understandable. Supernatural experiences can be pretty overwhelming..." Fuyuki and Coin, though...

"A messed-up convention..." That's... puzzling. ''Definitely'' not Tartarus, then. A palace, maybe? No, but they couldn't have missed a palace at ''Gekkoukan''...

"... that sounds terrible. I'm sorry they put you through that."

"Pretty much," Ririka confirms. "Normal people normally forget about the supernatural when they've been exposed to it anyway, so... it's better not to tell them about it, i case that stops being true."

Not far from-- Ririka jumps a little, whirling around and looking as she reaches out with what little of her senses she can access right now. "Is--is it still here? Could someone else get drawn inside like you were...?"

"... Yeah. It might be a bit much to get into right now, but... my abilities help me sense supernatural things. But I'm not sensing..."

Maybe she needs to summon Amphion? But she can't do that until the Dark Hour, and by then the school doesn't... exist.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>Arisu doesn't react when Ririka seems confused by what she's saying. She takes in a sharp breath as she considers what she is learning. While Kawase seems to know some of what Arisu went through, she doesn't know everything. "Tartarus?" Arisu repeats, not recognizing the word in the slightest.

"Hmmm it was like a night club but it was definitely a cosplay convention... a weird one but..."

Arisu shrugs at the sympathy, smiling darkly at her friend. "I dunno...while the experience was terrible, it was...eye opening."

"So people forget about this...I'm guessing if they "awaken" then it is different?"

Arisu doesn't react when Ririka jumps. She just continues to watch the other girl. "I don't know....my friend who was with me. I checked on her when I got back and she didn't fall into there so I have no idea."

Arisu recalls Coin asking if her friend was acting weird. Today, Arisu confirmed that she was....way too chipper. Almost manic.

When Ririka mentions not sensing anything, Arisu sighs and taps her fingers on a table. "I guess Fuyuki and Coin might be the experts here....Hunters."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka blinks and looks a bit embarrassed at letting the word slip. "Uh... let... me... circle back to that. I don't want to ovewhelm you with too much at once. Did Fuyuki and Coin warn you about something called the Dark Hour?"

"Night club and cosplay convention... okay, that's definitely not any place I'm familiar with."

Ririka might miss social cues sometimes. But she's not sure what to make of that smile. She's pretty confident that's not a normal thing to not understand.

... she ''hopes'' it's not a normal thing to not understand.

"I'll. bet," she says of eye opening, a little uncertain.

"Your friend didn't fall in... that's good." Maybe whatever it is only wants certain people, or... certain kinds of people? She has nowhere near enough information to make a conjecture.

Ririka frowns thoughtfully. "Hunters... hmm. Do you have a way to contact them? I actually know a number of other Persona Users at this school, if there's something happening at Gekkoukan, I'm sure the others would like to help."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>Arisu smiles at Ririka slipping up. It was kinda cute that she was slipping up this much. She nods when the Dark Hour is mentioned. "Yeah. They mentioned it was dangerous to be without a Persona during the Dark Hour."

There is something dark about Arisu. It didn't seem particularly dangerous but it was definitely a feeling she was generating in people. Honestly, Arisu couldn't really care less about freaking out people with her new outlook. That said, she was trying not to put off Ririka since she had helped Arisu before.

She nods in agreement when her friend is mentioned. "Yes. Though I'm told that this might have something to do with her. I won't know until I meet them again."

"I do. Fuyuki-san gave me her number to discuss things when I was feeling better. I can see if they don't mind if you tag along. I was told there would be others coming too."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka's puzzled and trying to figure out a new thing!

... Also she's talking with a girl who ''just'' threatened to stick a needle in another girl's eye.

"Yeah, they're right about that. Just... don't be at the school in the Dark Hour either." Though the school is usually pretty good about getting things locked up after hours, at least.

"Something to do with her... can I ask your friend's name, then?" Might be worth keeping an eye out.

Ririka nods. "That's good... and it's good to get some rest, too. Can I swap phone numbers with you so you can keep in touch? And I'll let my friends know about what's going on, so they can help."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>Arisu considers what she's being told. Something happens at school during the Dark Hour. The girl can't help but feel tempted to check that out. That was a later thing though. Right now, they needed to figure out what was up with Ai-chan...Doing that would get Arisu to the excitement she now craved.

"Ai Sakurai...2nd Year like me." Arisu responds, tapping her fingers on the table as she thinks about everything. While she seemed nonchalant about all of this, her expression was somewhat concerned when talking about Ai. It was clear that despite the front she put up, Arisu was concerned about her friend.

"Sure." Arisu takes out her phone and offers it to Ririka. "Not every day some girl gives me her phone number." Arisu jokes, laughing to herself.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
It's a good thing Ririka can't read thoughts. (The Navigator link doesn't count.)

"Ai Sakurai... alright. Thanks." Ririka nods. She considers for a moment... "If she's involved in this somehow, we'll do everything we can to make sure she's okay."

Ririka puts her phone number in for Arisu, texts herself, and hands the phone back. Her own phone chimes a moment later, and sh pulls it out to add Arisu as a contact. She laughs a little at Arisu's comment. "... yeah? I guess today's your lucky day, then."
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-11-05: To Versatility

Bel — Fri, 06 Nov 2026 04:37:01 GMT

Created page with "*'''Log: To Versatility''' *'''Cast:''' Shinobu Shimizu, Miho Ijuuin *'''Where:''' Aoba Way - Parabellum Bar, Aoba Ward, Sumaru City *'''OOC Date:''' November 05, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' February 04, 2013 *'''Summary''': ''With everything going on, Miho's been very busy and under a lot of stress. Shinobu, recognizing this, invites her out to decompress; they meet at the bar, and discuss Miho's recent wedding, Shinobu's schooling, and sports.'' ---- (|===========..."

New page

*'''Log: To Versatility'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Shinobu Shimizu]], [[Miho Ijuuin]]
*'''Where:''' Aoba Way - Parabellum Bar, Aoba Ward, Sumaru City
*'''OOC Date:''' November 05, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' February 04, 2013
*'''Summary''': ''With everything going on, Miho's been very busy and under a lot of stress. Shinobu, recognizing this, invites her out to decompress; they meet at the bar, and discuss Miho's recent wedding, Shinobu's schooling, and sports.''

----

(|================================= Aoba Way =================================|)
-=================================================== Sumaru City/Aoba Ward ====-
Ample shopping can be found at the stores that dot Aoba Way, but not just the
normal kind. Aside from a door to the Velvet Room for Persona Users, one can
hear and spread all kinds of rumors at Kuzunoha Detective Agency. At the
internet cafe Double Slash, one can surf on the web to find some of those very
rumors *and* munch on various snacks served at the back bar by an apathetic
teenage boy. The blue carpeting and wall-to-wall aquariums lend the place a
relaxing atmosphere.

The bar Parabellum has a more noir vibe, with a mostly wooden interior, brown
leather seats, green glass lamps, and brick pillars along the walls. The elderly
barkeeper offers a number of unique mixed drinks, all named after weapons...
which might be a clever cover for the fact that, according to rumor, he sells
*real* weapons. The fashion boutique Rosa Candida offers the latest in trends
and (per rumor) armor, its decor stark yet stylish, with clothes and bags alike
on display for customers along the walls and on a central table. A pair of
changing rooms are naturally available; to use them, just get the permission of
the saleswoman in red first.

Etheria offers spa treatments to the weary among bright lamps, stained glass
windows, off-white decor, and an esthetician with a giant blue crystal crown.
The name of the place fuses "ether" and "materia," and the treatments are
effective: those who use this spa walk away feeling refreshed in mind and body.

And, of course, it's not Sumaru City without a local Satomi Tadashi Pharmacy
branch. This one looks the same as all the others: aisles and walls laden with
medicine of all kinds, overseen from the back counter where magazines are
available by one of seven identical sisters. Satomi Sister #1 runs this one; an
English-language piano version of the store's theme plays here. "Always in the
side of those who fight: our local... drug store~ o/`"

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>The bar Parabellum has a refined, classy sort of vibe that makes it a good meeting place for all sorts of occasions. Whether it's clandestine get togethers, strategy sessions, or just casual drinking, you can always be confident in the quality of the service.

Shinobu is already here. She's ordered a Double Action for herself, the drink she usually gets while she's here. And today... she's expecting someone.

She wasn't sure if she'd get an answer - Miho seems like she's pretty busy, usually, especially with everything going on in her personal life right now. But it's ''because'' she's so busy that Shinobu thought it would be good to ask. Everyone needs some time to decompress every now and then.

So she sent her a message asking if she'd like to grab a drink sometime - which leads to now, as Shinobu leans back casually and waits.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
It's a good bar--and not ''that'' far from where Miho Ijuuin lives, for that matter. Though she is very busy most of the time these days, a message from Shinobu is worth stopping to look at. After a little thought...

Miho agrees, and the time is agreed upon.

Miho enters the bar, wearing a purple dress shirt, slightly unbuttoned at the collar, and black slacks, with sensible shoes. It's a masc sort of look, but not quite mens'; the balance is usual for her. She drops by the bar to pick up an Angel Trigger and...

"Hello," Miho greets Shinobu. "Thank you for the invitation."

She'll sit down when prompted.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>It's easy to spot Miho when she enters the bar. Shinobu sits forward and as she approaches, offers her a nod of greeting.

"Hey, Ijuuin-san." Shinobu greets with a casual wave. "No problem. Glad you could make it! Go on, sit wherever you like."

She assesses her outfit - stylic, masc, but not quite men's...

"You look good." Shinobu offers. She's dressed pretty casually herself, as is her style - with a rock band album art t-shirt, jeans, and a pair of sturdy work boots. Her winter coat has been removed and set aside.

"How've you been? Things must be kinda hectic right now..." Shinobu offers sympathetically.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
As a rule, Miho is easy to spot in most places!

And her response is a nod. "Thank you," Miho answers. "...As do you. I like the boots."

Her coat is on her arm; she already removed it. It goes to her chair.

"I'm well," Miho says. "It's been very busy, of course. It's apparently a notable time fo year for security--with Valentine's approaching, desperate employees represent security risks."

Pause. "...But more importantly, Yua is still in the hospital." She looks down at her glass, putting both hands around it--and the ring on her left hand clinks against it. A wedding ring!

"Ah, and..."

"I'm married," she says. "We're going to do a more elaborate ceremony later, when Yua can make it."

Pause. "...It must seem strange, considering what you know."

"Still, how are you?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>"Thanks." Shinobu offers with a smile and a nod, accepting the return compliment. She listens as Miho explains that she's well - and the way work keeps her busy. She nods in understanding with a sympathetic wince.

"Yyyeah, that tracks. It don't matter how secure you are if someone just hands the goods over." She replies.

Yua is still in the hospital...

"...Yeah. So I heard. How's she doin'? She hanging in there alright?" Shinobu asks. It's only then that she notices the wedding ring - which Miho explains. She's married now... and the fact that Yua wasn't at the initial ceremony means she's probably not directly involved in ''this'' one. Miho comments that it must seem strange, and...

"...A little, yeah, but... I get it. Do what you gotta do, right?" Shinobu replies with a shake of her head. "Congrats, though. Mind if I ask who?"

She pauses for a moment to add,

"...And, do you get along alright?" She asks.

She's seen how Yua's marriage has affected her, and she knows what kind of man ''her'' husband is. There's a part of her that's worried she might be seeing a repeat of that.

"As for me... I'm doing alright. This time of year keeps me busy, too - a lotta people wanting to make sure their deliveries get to who they're goin' to in time. Sure not ''complaining'' about the extra work, though." She replies with a shrug.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
"Precisely," Miho says. The goods get handed over a lot.

"She is improving," Miho says of Yua next. "She still wishes to be anywhere else, but she's often getting visitors, at least, and her therapy proceeds well. I hope that they will release her and Hiroki-kun both sooner than later."

It does seem strange, of course. "Mm, yes. I need a husband to adopt." She glances back and forth, to ensure no one is listening. "...And that is important. Thank you."

"His name is Tomoki; he's an actor." She pauses. "We get on quite well. Though..."

She sighs. "While I would be with him gladly under normal circumstances, it is Yua who is my priority--rendering it not normal circusmtances. ...It's difficult to balance... but he understands the situation. He also has reasons to need a wife beyond simple romance."

"...I am glad, though. Busy is always preferable to boredom, I find."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>Sounds like she was right on the money, there...

"That's a relief. Can't blame her for wantin' to be done with the place... Glad to hear she's making progress." Shinobu replies with a sigh. She shakes her head. "I'll be rootin' for her, and Hiroki-kun too. Here's to hoping they both get to come home soon."

Adopting... Shinobu nods thoughtfully. So that's it. She says his name is Tomoki - an actor. She thinks it over to see if she can recall him. Miho says they get on well, though, and Shinobu nods.

"Glad to hear it." She replies. That much is a relief... but despite that, it seems like a complex situation. She nods in understanding.

"...Sounds rough." She offers sympathetically. "Seems like you're both making the best of it, at least... Guess sometimes that's all you can do."

She shrugs - but then she grins, as Miho says she's glad she's doing well.

"Right? I mean... I like to take it easy from time to time, but I've always been more of a ''doer'', you know? I've gotta be doing ''something'' with myself or I get antsy. So, it works out." She agrees.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
"Definitely. ...She has bad experiences, with hospitals." Miho doesn't elaborate on that if Shinobu doesn't know, but it's good enough for now. Instead, "Thank you. I'll tell her you said so, if you don't have the chance beforehand."

Tomoki! There's a Tomoki Hasegawa who's been in some popular movies Shinobu may have seen.

"Yes," Miho says. "He is good to Yua, as well--though... as a friend, to be clear." A 'friend'.

"I am. ...To be clear, I am attracted to him; it isn't... bad. He has been very helpful to me, very supportive in these difficult times."

"...But, he is not Yua."

Then... Doer! Miho brightens about this one. "I feel the same. It is part of why I was drawn to athletics, I think."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>"...Yeah. I imagine." Shinobu murmurs, massaging the back of her neck. She doesn't know the full story, of course. There's a lot she ''can't'' know. But from what she ''does'' know... she can easily see why that would be. She nods, though, offering Miho a smile. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

She does, after a moment, recall the name Hasegawa - and she finds herself momentarily surprised that Miho's rubbing shoulders with people like that and then almost immediately not surprised at all when she remembers who exactly she's talking to.

Of ''course'' she would be.

"That's important. Good to know they get along." Shinobu replies with a nod, as Miho says that Tomoki is good to Yua. Miho clarifies that she ''is'' attracted to him, it isn't bad... but he isn't Yua. "Yeah... Still, I'm glad he's being supportive, and that things are good between you. Less pressure on both of you, yeah?"

It's probably difficult enough as it is. If they didn't even have that between each other...

Miho brightens, and Shinobu smiles.

"Yeah? That'd do it, I bet. Keeps you active and doin' things, training your body, seeing how far you can go, that kinda thing." She replies. "My old school didn't have a real athletics program, so I was pretty much figuring things out on my own there. ...Fair's bein' fair, I've always preferred doing my own thing, so maybe it wouldn't have worked out, anyway. I just keep myself sharp."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
The full story would be very complicated to share, to say the least. ...But there's enough of it to get the message across, for now. "Of course."

Miho indeed was set up with him by her sister; that's just the sort of circles she's in. She's a rich Olympian, after all.

"Yes. ...As well as is possible, at least; I know it's difficult for her, but she's made space." Pause. "...Yes. That's true. Less pressure. I'd have a harder time otherwise."

But, "Yes, precisely. Physicality is important to me." But her old school... "That's unfortunate. I think physical education is a vital part of schooling, though some may disagree."

"...But those who are self-starting like you can often succeed despite that."

"At Seven Sisters High, of course, I was in the Fencing Club. ...Probably not much surprise," she says, with a faint wry tone.

"But I try to keep up with a variety of exercise. Lifting, swimming, running, and so on."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>"Yeah, I figure... That's good, though." Shinobu offers, and nods.

Physicality is important to her - and she nods again, as Miho expresses that it's unfortunate.

"Yeah. It really helps. Even if they don't go on to a field on the, uh, field, it's just good to get 'em used to moving? But... my old school was really more about keeping us out of trouble and out of the public eye than really preparing us for anything, so... That's what you get, I guess." She replies with a shrug. Those who are self-starting can often succeed despite that... Shinobu considers that. "You think so?"

Miho explains that she was in Seven Sister High's Fencing Club, and Shinobu laughs knowingly.

"Nope, no surprise there." She agrees. "Were you team captain?"

Miho says she keeps up with a variety of exercises, though.

"Oh yeah? So you're a real, uh... multi... thing? ...Think there's a proper word for that." Shinobu replies. "Still, that's pretty cool. Good to broaden your horizons, yeah? I do some lifting, too, helps me out at work. Some running, a bit of parkour..."

She chuckles.

"And a bit of staff-fighting, too. As you saw." She adds.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
"Ahh," Miho answers. "I see. Such schools should all the ''more'' receive focus on those things--excess energy is the biggest contributor to ill discipline, I think. ...Or, put another way, kids get into less trouble when they have healthy outlets."

"I do think so, as it happens. Because you are driven, you can push past obstacles that would stop those with less force."

"I was," Miho confirms, team captain.

Multi thing. "There are many words for it. 'Athlete' is sufficient for me."

Lifting, running... parkour. "Now, parkour is fascinating," Miho says. "The grace and adaptability it takes..."

"Heh. I did indeed. A fine weapon, too. Very versatile."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>"Yeah. Having outlets would've helped. I think things would've been a lot better for us if they thought like you did." Shinbou replies. "Handling kids is a lot harder than just tellin' them what to do... They probably figured that was enough."

She listens thoughtfully as Miho explains.

"Driven, huh...? I like the sound of that." She considers. She grins as Miho confirms that she was, in fact, team captain. It wasn't a difficult guess - she has the drive for that, too.

There are many words - but 'athlete' is sufficient for Miho. Shinobu nods. She speaks about the grace and adaptability that parkour takes. She never thought of herself as very graceful, but...

"Yeah. ...I guess it kind of goes hand in hand with what I was saying earlier, how I prefer doing my own thing. Finding my own way. Parkour's kinda like that - just you, trying to get from A to B with all the skills you've got to your name, and it's up to you how you do it." She replies with a nod.

Miho compliments her weapon, and Shinobu nods.

"Thanks. Yeah, that's kinda what I like about it. You can do a lot with it. Attack, defense... works great for mobility, too. Versatile, like you said." Shinobu replies with a nod.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
"...i have strong opinions on that," Miho settles on saying, rather than getting into ''all'' of them just now--after a few moments' thought, anyway. "Discipline, drive, responsibility... These things a number of those in charge are lacking. How, then, are they to inculate these values further in others? They will not."

"...Regardless; drive overcomes many things, even if there are some things all the drive in the world cannot accomplish."

And athlete! "Hmm. Yes, I see. There are no roads or walkways in the crush of rooftops and voids of alleys. I respect that pursuit."

"Excellent. Well, in that case..."

She lifts her drink. "To versatility, then."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>Shinobu is curious just what those strong opinions are - but it seems that for now, she's only getting the short version.

"Hear hear." Shinobu voices her agreement. "Yeah. It won't get you everywhere... but if you don't have the drive to try, you aren't gonna get very far, either. You won't find out which one it is unless you just go for it, right?"

She nods as Miho makes an observation.

"Yeah, exactly." She agrees - and then grins, raising her own drink. "To versatility."
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

Miho Ijuuin

Bel — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 22:11:37 GMT

Notable NPCs

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:11, 5 November 2026
Line 114:		Line 114:

	===Notable NPCs===		===Notable NPCs===

			*'''Tomoki Ijuuin''': Uses his professional name, Tomoki Hasegawa, for acting. He is an up-and-coming romantic lead and action star, having been in a number of films--and he's Miho's husband. (It's complicated.)

	= Soundtrack =		= Soundtrack =

Ichika Kawase

Bel — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 06:47:01 GMT

Others

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:47, 5 November 2026
Line 265:		Line 265:
	\| Ichika relies on Maya for her wisdom and coolness in general, and considers her a mentor not just in journalism but in life.		\| Ichika relies on Maya for her wisdom and coolness in general, and considers her a mentor not just in journalism but in life.
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[Yua ~~Ooshiro~~]]		\| [[Yua Ijuuin]]
	\| ~~Ooshiro~~-sensei, Sensei		\| Ijuuin-sensei, Sensei
	\| {{Arcana\|Empress}}		\| {{Arcana\|Empress}}
	\| Teacher		\| Teacher

Kasumi Yoshizawa

LeiaSkynoober — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:48:22 GMT

Social Links

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:48, 4 November 2026
Line 81:		Line 81:
	!Rank		!Rank
	!Arcana		!Arcana
			!Address
	!Description		!Description
	\|-		\|-
	\|[[Ren Amamiya]]		\|[[Ren Amamiya]]
			\|★★★★☆
			\|0. The Fool
			\|Amamiya-senpai, Joker
			\|"My beloved Senpai... Just being around them makes me feel calm. Let's give it our all!"
			\|-
			\|Morgana
	\|★★★☆☆		\|★★★☆☆
	\|I. ~~The Fool~~		\|I. Magician
	\|"I ~~hear so many rumours about them being a delinquint~~... ~~But~~ I ~~just can~~'~~t see them doing all of~~ that!"		\|Morgana, Mona
			\|"I hope you enjoyed your stay with me... And I'm so thankful that you and everyone patched things up!"
	\|-		\|-
	\|[[Haru Okumura]]		\|[[Haru Okumura]]
	\|★☆☆☆☆		\|★☆☆☆☆
	\|III. Empress		\|III. Empress
			\|Okumura-senpai, Noir
	\|"A very kind Senpai, who's allowing me to borrow the rooftop when I need a chance to cool down."		\|"A very kind Senpai, who's allowing me to borrow the rooftop when I need a chance to cool down."
	\|-		\|-
Line 96:		Line 105:
	\|★☆☆☆☆		\|★☆☆☆☆
	\|II. High Priestess		\|II. High Priestess
	\|A very kind girl from Tatsumi. She helped me with some headphones, and helped Motojima-senpai."		\|Yamagishi-san
			\|"A very kind girl from Tatsumi. She helped me with some headphones, and helped Motojima-senpai."
	\|-		\|-
	\|[[Goro Akechi]]		\|[[Goro Akechi]]
	\|~~★☆☆☆☆~~		\|★★☆☆☆
	\|VIII. Justice		\|VIII. Justice
	\|"It's ~~strange~~ to see ~~someone so dedicated~~ to ~~his masks~~. ~~Though~~, that ~~/may/ be my naivety speaking...~~ I'm ~~at least~~ a ~~little fond of him at least~~!"		\|Akechi-san
			\|"It's a relief to see that Akechi-san and the Phantom Thieves may be able to make peace. Especially, now that he knows that I'm a Phantom Thief!"
	\|-		\|-
	\|[[Kazusa Motojima]]		\|[[Kazusa Motojima]]
	\|~~★★☆☆☆~~		\|★★★☆☆
	\|XI. Strength		\|XI. Strength
	\|"It's ~~such a relief to see~~ Motojima-senpai ~~back~~ to ~~her old self~~! ~~Although~~... I'm not ~~sure how~~ I ~~feel about~~ her ~~right now~~. ~~This distance~~, ~~isn't it a little lonely?~~"		\|Motojima-senpai
			\|"I actually called Motojima-senpai a friend, and she didn't turn it down?? That's... really surprising. Let's become better friends, Motojima-senpai!"
			\|-
			\|[[Ryuji Sakamoto]]
			\|★☆☆☆☆
			\|VII. Chariot
			\|Sakamoto-senpai, Skull
			\|"Another guy who's supposed to be a delinquent... He certainly looks the part, but he can be pretty amusing. I hope we work well together."
			\|-
			\|[[Futaba Sakura]]
			\|★☆☆☆☆
			\|IX. Hermit
			\|Sakura-san, Oracle
			\|"Finally!! Someone who's around my age... Oh, I hope we can be friends!"
			\|-
			\|[[Yusuke Kitagawa]]
			\|★☆☆☆☆
			\|IV. Emperor
			\|Kitagawa-san, Fox
			\|"He's a pretty impressive artist, honestly. Maybe, if I can tap into his artistic ability for my routines...?"
			\|-
			\|[[Shinichi Nagisa]]
			\|★☆☆☆☆
			\|I. Magician
			\|Nagisa-senpai
			\|"Actually... Nagisa-senpai's a really nice guy when he's not being puppeted by a a serial killer monster. I'm... A little thankful for it."
			\|-
			\|[[Ichika Kawase]]
			\|★☆☆☆☆
			\|XIV. Temperance
			\|Kawase-san
			\|"My new comrade... Very nice beyond her scary, Mrs. Frankenstien like hair, haha. We both have dead siblings, though..."
	\|-		\|-
	\|Flower Girl		\|Flower Girl
	\|☆☆☆☆☆		\|☆☆☆☆☆
	\|NPC		\|NPC
			\|
	\|A first year and shares Yoshizawa's class. Deeply admires Yoshizawa and wishes to offer some support in the form of flowers. Unfortunately, things keep getting in her way.		\|A first year and shares Yoshizawa's class. Deeply admires Yoshizawa and wishes to offer some support in the form of flowers. Unfortunately, things keep getting in her way.
	((OOC Notes: Just a running bit I want to do, inspired by Flower Girl from Macross 7. Only interact with her if you're interfering with her.		((OOC Notes: Just a running bit I want to do, inspired by Flower Girl from Macross 7. Only interact with her if you're interfering with her.

2026-11-04: Don't Mind the Demons

Talnora — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:29:51 GMT

No, seriously, don't worry about them.

New page

*'''Log: Don't Mind the Demons'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ririka Kawase]], [[Lisa Silverman]]
*'''Where:''' Giga Macho, Yumezaki Center
*'''OOC Date:''' November 04, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' Monday, February 04, 2013
*'''Summary:''' ''It's been a moment since Ririka and Lisa hung out, so... they do! They meet up at the Giga Macho to go CD shopping. They chat hair, music, bands, forming alliances, sisters, and missions. There might be demons, but it's fine.''

----

(|============================= Yumezaki Center ==============================|)
-=============================================== Sumaru City/Yumezaki Ward ====-
Yumezaki Center is unmistakable: countless bright billboards invite and welcome
in people of all walks to walk down its indoor and outdoor shops. One of those
doors leads to the Velvet Room--but that's only for those who can see it.

One of the more casual stores is Tony's Shop, which is really just several
tables on the sidewalk set up with various rings, necklaces, bracelets, and
other accessories. Tony, the stoned-looking blond foreigner who runs it, is
supposedly a smuggler for the Sicilian mafia, if you can believe it--but he does
have some rare goods for sale at times.

One can chow down at Peace Diner, which offers a variety of burgers, fries and
shakes; the part-timer who works the register is infamous for being a big fan of
period dramas and so talking like a ninja. Sevens rumormonger Chika "Chikarin"
Ueda, a first-year, likes to hang out here too to swap info for her school
newspaper.

A burnished bro in a Hawaiian shirt runs Bikini Line, a tan salon with a
tropical aesthetic, including palm trees, tiki totem poles, and an abundance of
hibiscus flowers. Though it might seem a little shady--literally--the tanning
booths here work wonders, leaving clients feeling healed in mind and body.

And, of course, it's not Sumaru City without a local Satomi Tadashi Pharmacy
branch. This one looks the same as all the others: aisles and walls laden with
medicine of all kinds, overseen from the back counter where magazines are
available by one of seven identical sisters. Satomi Sister #7 runs this one; a
techno remix of the store's theme plays here. "The eternal ally of those who
fight: our city's friendly! drug! store!! o/`"

AS: Arisu Aizawa has readied for combat as Van Helsing! She is now fully healed!
You say, "Nice."
You say, "Also congrats on PErsona."

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
It's been a bit since Ririka's gotten to talk or hang out with Lisa. The last hangout they had was... let's say, interrupted.

... things worked out, more or less.

But Ririka recently remembered she hasn't really had a hang with Lisa in a while, so... she reached out! (There are things Ririka needs to be doing, like preparing for the Full Moon Shadow tomorrow, but she was going to be in the area ''anyway'', so...)

And now... they're here! At the Giga Macho! Because Music is always worth getting, even if there might also be demons.

It's fine.

Ririka is here with her ''new haircut'', her dark hair is cut short, right side framing her face, left side tucked behind her ear, and she's wearing a dark purple ear cuff on her left ear. She's dressed in a dusty purple hoodie, a dark red skirt, black leggings, and sneakers.

"Alright, so... are you looking for anything in particular, Lisa-san?" Ririka asks as the two step inside.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.
<poem>
Lisa hasn't gotten to talk to Ririka in a while, either! There was the matter of messaging her about the music--but they've both had a lot to do...

They're here though! Lisa was happy to be called out, and so:

"Your hair looks great!" Lisa enthuses now that they're together, and they haven't seen any demons ''yet'' but--

Oh, wait. There's one down the way. "Hee-ho-ho, Hee-ho..." Jack Frost is going through CDs.

Lisa's in a fur-lined coat and pants. "Not really," Lisa says. "I just thought I'd broaded my horizons a little, right?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Thanks!" Ririka is beaming about the compliment to her hair. "I got it cut short... wow. a week ago. Feels like longer. I like your coat!"

She pauses, her eyes following her senses as she notices-- a demon. "... huh." Well as long as it's only just browsing CDs, it's... probably fine?

"Oh, definitely!" she agrees about the music. "Gotta see what's new, what you've missed... speaking of music, how are things with MUSES?" Beat. "And... how are things with you? I haven't seen you since winter finals..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.
<poem>
Jack Frost throws up the horns as he lifts an American 'Steelica' CD. Don't worry about it.

"Thanks!" Lisa says, and smiles. "It's nice what you can do with hair, right? I thought about getting mine changed... but they'd just comment on it more."

Demon. "Oh, don't worry about it," Lisa suggests.

"Great! We're releasing a new album soon--aiyaaah, it's some pressure... But I think it'll go great!"

"I'm good. Just normal stuff for me. Ami-chan, my little sister, has a class trip somewhere upcoming..."

"Right! I've been super busy, and I bet so have you. Speaking of..."

She looks left, looks right.

"SEES stuff, right?" she asks. "I'm working on gathering up some people to work on stuff here in Sumaru, too..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka blinks, and then she grins a little and throws up the horns back.

"Welcome!" Ririka laughs a little. "Yeah, and I haven't really changed it in... forever, so..." She considers Lisa for a moment. "Yeah? What would you change it to?"

"But yeah, if everyone's just gonna comment online... kind of tricky, huh?"

"Oh, I won't, it's just... hard for me not to notice, that's all."

"Awww, good luck! I bet it's gonna be great! I'll be first in line to buy it." Ririka smiles. "But... I get it, though. I've been working on a new setlist and some other songs, too... new material is tough..."

"Oh, cool. Going new places is fun, even if there's a lot to keep track of..."

"Yeah... lots going on..." Ririka blinks a little, taking her own look around when Lisa mentions SEES. "Oh, yeah. So you've heard of it?" But gathering people... "Oh, cool. Well, if you ever need a Navigator, give me a call. I care about what happens in Sumaru, too... My sister lives out here, and I have some other friends here, too..."

Specifically she has a ''girlfriend'', but she'll keep that one close to her chest for the moment.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.
<poem>
"It looks good," Lisa says again. "But... Nah, I wouldn't. It's kind of a badge of... something, now. And it's part of my 'image'. But back a while ago, I thought about dyeing it balck to fit in better. In the end, though... it wouldn't matter. I'll get by on who I am, not who I'm not."

Online!! Jack Frost says, "Hee-ho!" and goes off to the next asile.

"That's OK," Lisa says, and then smiles. "Thanks. If you guys get more music out, I'll go for it too!" New material.... "Meepo is writing a lot of the lyrics now," she says. "She's getting really good at it!"

And--SEES! "I have! I know a couple of your friends in it. ...But really?? Thanks! I'll give you an invite to the meeting I'm setting up. We're mostly focusing on people here in Sumaru, since..." She gestures expansively. "Iwatodai's a while away, we can't ask you to come fix stuff for us."

Sister, and friends... And a girlfriend! Wait, Lisa doesn't know that one yet.

"It's important to look after your sister, right?" Lisa says. "Cool."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Thanks." She listens, and lets out a little 'ahhh' when Lisa mentions dying her hair. "Ohhh, yeah... that makes sense... But if you've made it part of your image, that's cool, right? I was thinking of dying mine a crazy color, but since I go to Gekkoukan..."

She can push her look in certain ways, but she still has to obey the dress code.

Ririka grins. "Rad! I'm not sure when our next show is, and that'd be when we were likely to try and sell some CDs, but... I'll let you know when we figure something out. And I have a demo I recorded if you wanna hear." Lyrics! "Oooh, cool. Can't wait to hear them then. Mori-chan usually helps me a lot with the lyrics, but I'm trying to do more of my own, at least for certain songs."

"Sure! I don't mind--I've come to Sumaru to help with stuff before, and SEES has come out this way, too. For missions." Though the last SEES mission in Sumaru... well...

"Cool! I'd love to show up. Can I ask who else is in the group?" Mostly Sumaru people, since... "Oh, yeah, that makes sense. Still, I don't mind coming out, and SEES has also taken an interest in some of the goings on out here, like that first Joka curse..."

"Yeah. She's graduating this year, and... she got accepted into PIC, so it looks like she's going to be out here for a while, so... still plenty of reasons to come out this way, right?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.
<poem>
"Hmm. I guess so! At least mine's natural." A laugh; a lot of blonde delinquents have theirs dyed, of course. But, "Ohhh, yeah. Your school probably wouldn't like it... Sevens wouldn't be happy about mine if it weren't natural, too."

And then, "Cool, let me know!" She nods then, thinking. "I'll take the demo--but... Ohhh, yeah?"

Missions! "It's crazy that you're so organized," Lisa says, impressed. "We're... probably not going to be that organized. We don't have a leader, exactly, unless you count me and Mishina-san." Pause. She rolls her eyes. "He's such a dork. But he knows his stuff on this. Don't tell him I said so, though."

Who else? "No need, you'll meet them! Well, whoever shows up, anyway."

But... "PIC, over by Narumi and Aoba? That's cool." Pause. "Waaaaait. Kawase... Your sister used to--"

Pause. "Neevermind, that's not a nice story. But I remember her from when i was a first-year..."

"Anyway! We can go check out whenever, too, I think... I got some stuff." She awkwardly works to change the subject.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Natural! "That makes sense..." Ririka says with a nod. And a small laugh. "Yeah, probably not, haha. But it's fine. Maybe after I graduate..."

"Will do! I had to take a break for a while, but... I'm cexcited to see what we can do next. Since we don't really have an agent, exactly, we kind of have to do everything ourselves, and balance it around our school schedule..."

"Cool! I'll send a recording of the demo to your phone later."

There's a self-conscious laugh. Ririka doesn't normally get into specifics. "Eh heh, yeah... it's... kind of a whole thing..." That's what happens when you're funded by a really rich company (but also somehow still have to provide your own gear.)

"Well, you're getting people together, that's a start, right?" Ririka's trying to look at the positive side. "Heehee. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

"I guess so."

"Yep! That's the one. I'm really happy for her that she got accepted." But she used to go... Ririka sighs a little. "Yeah. That's my older sister. Ichika-nee."

Not a nice story. "No, but... she's moving forward. I'm happy for her. After everything, she's looking forward to the future, you know?"

"Sure!" Ririka's rifling through the CDs. "Ooh, I haven't grabbed this one yet... or this... Oh I don't know ''that'' band... Oooh! Ikumi-chan would ''love'' this!" She snags one last CD, and that one she glutches to her chest. "Okay, I'm good. Let's check out."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.
<poem>
"That's another year! ...I think what you've got looks good right now, though."

"Hmmm, yeah... That's good and bad," Lisa says. "The business side is something I'm glad not to worry about, but we also have to fight a little harder for creative control. Well, a lot."

A whole thing! Hmmm. Yes.

"Oh, yeah. I think we'll do fine."

But, "Cool. I heard the stories and all, but only later. She always seemed... busy."

"But I'm glad she's doing better!"

CDs... Ririka clearly likes music a lot. It's nice. So does Lisa, of course.

"Always nice to pick up something for a friend," Lisa says, and smiles. "Here we go!"

Pyro Jack peeks around the corner. "Hee-ho..."

Lisa doesn't notice.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka reaches up to retuck the left side of her hair behind the ear, giving Lisa a smile. "... thanks. I'm glad you like it."

"Yeah... I can see that. I guess if you're an idol group, too, they want you to have a certain kind of image, huh...?" She nods. "Creative control is good to have..."

She considers. "I've kind of been deciding between two things ofr a while, but... I think I'm gonna pursue something with Polychord. Dunno who's going to sign a rock band with a frontwoman, though."

"Yeah, I think the important thing is, you have people who want to watch out for each other."

"Yeah... I'm really happy for her, too."

Ririka definitely likes music.

Right. Friend. "Mmmhmm. Totally. Let's go."

She'll give a tiny wave to the Pyro Jack as she passes.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-11-04: Giving Credit

Talnora — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 00:56:30 GMT

There's really no one who knows her like Wakana does...

New page

*'''Cutscene: Giving Credit'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Kazusa Motojima]], [[Wakana Oosaka]]
*'''Where:''' Kazusa's Studio, Akihabara, Tokyo
*'''OOC Date:''' November 04, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' Sunday, February 03, 2013
*'''Summary:''' ''Kazusa is alone in her apartment, again, working on some homework. Then, who should come along but her currently-estranged friend Wakana. They haven't really spoken in four months, but Wakana apparently has a reason to reach out. But what is it?''

----

<poem>
Cold cup ramen filled the subdued studio apartment, accompanied by low J-pop music. Outside the windows Akiba was submerged in inky darkness, though further out the bright lights of the main strip still shone like a beacon to the night sky. Kazusa sat at the wooden table by her kitchenette, textbooks spread out around her as she studied. Every so often she would pick up her phone, tap out the PIN, and check for new views or comments on the latest ''Let's Eat'' video that had gone live earlier that day. Another tick of the counter made her smile briefly. It had been a lot of work, but… it had been worth it.

A knock at the door wiped the smile from her face. A flash of heat erupted in her chest as she turned to stare at the door, frowning. She hadn't made plans for anybody to visit—if this was Isabeau or Kasumi making a surprise visit… Kazusa scowled as she slipped out of the chair, dressed in a soft pink hoodie, purple joggers, and pink house slippers, already feeling the vein starting to throb in her forehead. "I swear, whoever it is is getting a piece of my mind," she muttered as she crossed the small studio apartment.

But the sight on the other side of the peephole made her gasp, and all her nascent anger evaporated. Kazusa hastened to open the door, freezing as the visitor came into view.

It was Wakana. Her oldest… well, they hadn't quite been friends recently, had they? In fact, Kazusa had been doing her best to give the other girl space—a feat made infinitely more awkward by how they shared both a class and a club together. But here she was, short brown bob, and those large, vulnerable eyes that Kazusa just wanted to—

She wrenched her gaze downwards, staring at the floor instead as she tried to ignore some very traitorous thoughts. "Uh… hey, Wakana-san. I wasn't… why are you… " She risked a peek up. "… is… everything okay…?"

Wakana was more composed, though there was still a current of uncertainty evident in the way her clasped hands tightened. "Everything's fine, I just… wanted to talk."

''Was'' everything fine? Kazusa replayed the recent weeks in her head. Had she said anything to Wakana in class? During Rhythmic Gymnastics practice? A sideways look? An off-handed remark? She'd tried to be so careful, but she also kept slipping. "Oh, okay, uh… would you like to come in?" Kazusa took a step back, opening the door wider.

"Thanks." Wakana offered a small smile as she stepped in, and Kazusa closed the door behind her. The studio apartment had a small unfinished concrete section that served as the genkan, and Wakana paused as she looked at the house slippers lined up by the door. "… you kept my slippers," she noted softly as she slipped her shoes off and slipped into a pair of yellow slippers with sunflower designs on them. "And…" Her eyes swept over to a blue pair and a number of beige pairs. "… you've added some more."

"Oh, yeah, uh…" Kazusa rubbed the back of her neck. "The blue ones are Kazuhiro-kun's, the rest are…" She looked away. "… you know. When people come over sometimes. It's a little annoying taking care of them, but… less annoying than cleaning the floor more, so…"

Wakana studied Kazusa for a long moment and then smiled. "… so you're opening up some more, then."

Kazusa shrugged a little. "… yeah, I guess. Just a few people, you know? Do you…" She glanced over towards the table, that still had her textbooks spread out over it. "… do you want to sit? Something to drink? I have canned coffee, or…"

Wakana slipped off her peacoat and hung it up in the closet, revealing a long blue dress and black tights. "I'll make some tea. Would you like some?"

"Oh, you don't—" Kazusa looked at her friend and then glanced towards the kitchenette. "You're my guest, I should probably…"

"It's okay," interrupted Wakana gently. "I know you don't really like making tea for others, right? I don't mind."

"… Right. Okay." Crossing the room, Kazusa called back, "I still have my canned coffee, but everything's more or less in the same place." She began to tidy up the table, making sure to mark where she was.

Meanwhile, Wakana wandered over to the desk that made the heart of Kazusa's studio, observing the art pinned up to the wall. She hummed quietly as she looked over the bookshelves, and then back to the desk. "Oh, that's a cute owl," she remarked. Where once there had been only a stuffed rabbit placed between the two monitors on Kazusa's desk, it had been joined by a stuffed owl.

"Oh, yeah, that was a gift. From…" Kazusa hesitated for a moment, regarding the owl from across the room. "… a friend, I guess."

Wakana turned to regard Kazusa curiously. "You guess?"

"It's…" The other girl shrugged uncomfortably. "… complicated." She hadn't exactly been the best to Roger in the past, but… she still relied on him, too, when things got dangerous.

"I see…" Wakana continued her tour of the studio. Three corners were taken up by the genkan, the loft and desk underneath it, and the kitchenette. The last corner had remained empty, but now there was a folding table. She hummed softly as she looked over the contents: tools for ikebana and calligraphy. "You're letting your brother use your studio…?" she wondered aloud.

Kazusa had just finished discarding her cold ramen cup. "… yeah. He, uh… helped me save the studio, so… you know, I figured…" She rubbed her arm. "… yeah."

"That's good that you're both looking out for each other," Wakana remarked as she turned to head for the kitchenette. Kazusa leaned against the wooden table while she waited for Wakana to make tea with the electric kettle, and only took her seat again when Wakana moved to sit down with her mug.

Kazusa cupped the mostly-empty can of coffee in her hands, staring down at the table. She wanted to ask Wakana why she was here, but she was too afraid to pop the delicate bubble of tranquility suspended oh-so-briefly in the air between them.

Wakana regarded Kazusa as she sipped her tea, before setting the mug down. There was a brief, playful smile, though Kazusa missed it, staring at the table as she was. "So," Wakana began. "… you know Sakamoto-san from our class, right?"

Sakamoto-san!? Kazusa straightened up, body tensing as she tried to keep her expression calm and disaffected. It wasn't working. "Uh, s-sure? Hard to miss the guy when he refuses to dye his hair back. What… what about him?"

Taking another sip, Wakana hid her smile behind her mug before she spoke again. "Did you know he has a food vlog? And it seems like he just got a new editor…" She unlocked her phone and placed it on the table. It was paused in the middle of a video.

Kazusa stared at the phone, a cold, clammy weight sinking in her chest. 'NightPrincess', listed over and over again, in Kazusa's attempt to accurately categorize her contribution to the video. (It was probably too accurate, the video ending should be snappier, but that was a problem to sort out later.) "I…" She let her gaze drop to her lap. "… so you saw. Look, I can explain, it's just… just so I can get some practice editing videos for my portfolio, that's all."

Wakana kept watching Kazusa steadily, though her expression stayed warm, a light smile playing on her face. "Mmhmm. And that's why you put your name on it?"

A light huff escaped Kazusa's throat before she could stop it, as she glanced out a side window. "W-well, you know… if I'm going to start building an online presence…"

"Kazusa-san, relax," said Wakana gently as she set her mug down. "I think it's a good thing. You're getting your art out there. You've let more people into your studio. You…" Her smile faltered for a moment. "… it seems like you went through a lot, trying to help Nagisa-san, and he seems like he's back to his old self now."

"… yeah. That was…" Kazusa gave a small shrug. "… kind of a lot." She let her fingers tap on the cold coffee can for a moment before looking up. "… how have you been? Are… you taking care of yourself…?" She studied Wakana for a moment, eyes tracing over her dress. … did you make that dress? It looks good on you."

Wakana smiled, sitting up a little more and holding an arm out to show off more of the dress. "I did! And thank you. I'm really pleased with how it came out." She lowered her arm again to hold her mug once more. "And as for me…" Her voice quieted for a moment. "… I've been okay. I joined some cosplay forums, I've met some new people. School is… school."

Neither of them needed to elaborate about Shujin.

"That's… good. I'm glad." Kazusa tried to smile, but it was an unsteady, uncertain thing. She lapsed into silence, rolling her can on its base. "So…" She wanted to ask why Wakana was here, but she was too afraid to pop the fragile bubble.

"… you're probably wondering why I'm here."

Kazusa nodded.

Wakana fixed a look on her former friend, studying her for a long moment. "… I'm still not ready for things to go back to how they were. But… it seems like you're making changes in your life and I…" She looked down at her mug, hands tightening around it. "… well. You're doing some of the things I was hoping you'd do, right?"

An unspoken thought hung in the air, and Kazusa sat up straighter, her own hands tightening and dimpling the can. "You don't… you don't have to do this, Wakana-san. You don't… you don't owe me anything, okay? I ''am'' trying to change, but… it's… because I don't like the person I turned out to be. I…" Her throat tightened for a moment. "… I miss you, but I know I hurt you, so I'm not… doing any of this to try and win you back."

The silence stretched out between them, until Wakana slowly nodded and looked up. "… okay. Thanks for saying that. I guess a part of me did feel like I owed you, but the truth is… I've missed you, too. I don't want things to go back to how they were, but… maybe we could start small? Like talking at school?"

"I mean…" Kazusa forced her hands to let go of the can, which crinkled a little as the pressure was released. "My reputation at school isn't exactly… you know. I don't want to drag you down with me."

Wakana pursed her lips for a moment, humming in thought. "You've got a point," she conceded. "Then… how about we do something small outside of school? There's a new cafe we could try out. Maybe this weekend?"

"Oh, um…" Kazusa winced a little. "I would, honest, but I already have plans this weekend. I, um… arranged a trip to Yugawara for some people I know. Since it's a holiday on Monday, and all…"

The other girl stared in mock disbelief. "You arranged… a group trip? Did you suddenly come up with a bunch of friends while I wasn't looking?" There was a playful lilt to Wakana's voice, but the surprise still dominated her tone.

"Oh, no, they're not all…" Kazusa shrugged awkwardly. "… A few of them are my friends, some of them are like.. friends of friends? I just thought… well… I'd try to do something nice? Uh… you'd have been invited, but we weren't… I think I have some space available?"

Wakana shook her head. "No, that's… that's okay. I don't think I'm ready for a whole weekend. But…" She managed a small smile. "… thank you. Maybe… we can find some time before or after your trip?"

That smile made Kazusa's chest tighten in a way she hadn't been prepared for. "Sure—if you're okay with that, that is. I—" She looked away again, studying the blacked-out skyline out her window. "I'm trying, but I still slip up. I'm… kind of a mess," she confessed with a disbelieving laugh. "So if I—if I get to be too much, if…" She looked to Wakana, her expression somber. "… if you want to step away again, that's okay. I won't blame you."

The offer hung in the air between them, and Wakana took a long moment to study the other girl. After a long moment to consider, she nodded. "… you really are trying to change, huh? Okay. Then… I'd like to try."

Kazusa nodded slowly, her throat suddenly dry. "Okay. Um… if you want to, then I'd like to, too. Um… want some plums from Yugawara? They're supposed to be in bloom…"

Wakana tapped her chin for a moment as she considered the offer. "Mmm… sure. As long as you're not going out of your way."

"I'm not, I…" Kazusa picked up her phone and quickly unlocked it, adding Wakana's name to a list. "I'm already bringing some back for other people, so I'll just… get a little more, that's all."

"Good! Then… I should go." Wakana stood up, and Kazusa hastened to follow suit.

"I'll get your mug," said Kazusa, reaching for it and carrying it to the sink. "It was… nice to see you." She quickly joined Wakana at the door to see her off. "You've got my number, right? We'll… plan something."

"I do," confirmed Wakana as she retrieved her jacket and slipped her shoes back on. "Have a good night, Kazusa-san."

"Good night, Wakana-san." Kazusa saw the other girl out the door and then closed it, slumping against it as she looked to the ceiling. She replayed the conversation in her head several times before she forced herself to stand up and head back to her homework.
</poem>

[[Category:Cutscenes]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

Inscrutable Region: Mizunagi

Tanyuu — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 00:13:40 GMT

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:13, 4 November 2026
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	(OOC: This is an archive of posts and ~~infomation~~ relating to the Mizunagi Monad.)		(OOC: This is an archive of posts and information relating to the Mizunagi Monad.)

	New Monad: The Inscrutable Region: Mizunagi		New Monad: The Inscrutable Region: Mizunagi

Inscrutable Region: Mizunagi

Tanyuu — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 00:13:31 GMT

Created page with "(OOC: This is an archive of posts and infomation relating to the Mizunagi Monad.) New Monad: The Inscrutable Region: Mizunagi ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The initial disappearance of the Mizunagi is the subject of some scandal and rumor, as by all mundane accounts it was there one minute, gone the next. Co-incidental to the disappearance is a spate of loosely connected rumors concerning..."

New page

(OOC: This is an archive of posts and infomation relating to the Mizunagi Monad.)

New Monad: The Inscrutable Region: Mizunagi
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The initial disappearance of the Mizunagi is the subject of some scandal and rumor, as by all mundane accounts it was there one minute, gone the next. Co-incidental to the disappearance is a spate of loosely connected rumors concerning ninja princesses and shrines that syncretize the whole affair into one weird, bizarre knot of fate.

"To enter the ship and find the shrine, one must first write a chant to the Oni on the back of a kifuda, then paint the entire kifuda black. Walk around a torii gate three times with this talisman, and you'll be able to see through to the world of the morning mist, and the final resting place of the Mizunagi." Entering the Mizunagi via supernatural means is possible via walking around any torii gate leading to a shrine with a specially-made kifuda.

However, mundane individuals will occasionally be drawn into the Mizunagi on accident: "It is said that if a question burns in your heart long enough, you will sometimes see a red thread tied around your finger. This thread will lead you to a lonely place not far away from where you are now. Whether it be in an alley or an abandoned shop, in the center of that lonely place will stand a torii gate. Step through that gate and you'll fall into nothing, passing through nine more to a place where your question might be answered... or you might meet a grisly fate."

**********

A new monad has opened up called The Inscrutable Region: Mizunagi! Situated in a completely new cognitive area, a wondrous automata of rooms full of secrets awaits! Seek the secret of the shrine or the forge at its heart, rescue civilians and crewmembers who have been caught in its depths, find new treasure, and try to understand the mysteries of this strange place where demons and shadows seem to be incredibly absent.

Beware the many mechanical constructs inside that shall try to protect its innards from outsiders, as well as the many rooms that point a finger back at you and ask what you're made of. Expect and rejoice in failure (it is rated H for Hard), and try again and again, if not for yourself, but for the normal people beginning to become trapped within...

Page Shiryuu or Umie for details!!

============================= IC News And Rumors =============================
Message: 7/11 Author: Umie Akabane Wed Jul 15 2026
Dark Side thread: ELI5 Kifudas 18:18:15
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the Dark Side forums:

BalloBallo1>> ok so explain this to me like i'm 5: wtf are kifudas and what do we do with them to find this cursed shrine or w/e
aoichigo2323>> wat u srs
BalloBallo1>> im transfered from US last year, i dont know wtf all this means
aoichigo2323>> olololololol
TENSHI1999>> ok, so: kifuda are those wooden tokens you can get at shrines. like the paper ones, just wooden.
BalloBallo1>> okay, so I got that now what
TENSHI999>> The 'prayer to an oni' like in that RPGmaker game. Usually you put a prayer to the kami on it but here you're doing the opposite. Like upsidedown crosses in retro US horror movies. then paint it black, and go to a red torii gate.
BalloBallo1>> The h-shaped gates??
aoichigo2323>> lol h gates
TENSHI999>> the red gates. you'll see them outside shrines and sacred places. walk around it three times with the kifuda.
BalloBallo1>> sick. okay gonna try now
TENSHI999>> let us know if you get anywhere. just don't go in if you see anything

Two days later:
aoichigo2323>> lol he's committing to the bit

[[Category: Locations]]

2026-11-03: A Stop at the Mall

Talnora — Wed, 04 Nov 2026 05:17:42 GMT

Keep moving forward...

New page

*'''Log: A Stop At The Mall'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ririka Kawase]], [[Ichika Kawase]]
*'''Where:''' Paulownia Mall
*'''OOC Date:''' November 03, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' Sunday, February 03, 2013
*'''Summary:''' ''Ichika picks up Ririka and the two head to Pauloownia Mall to chat and hang out for a few before going home. They talk about breakups, family, dorms, and dogs!''

----

(|============================== Paulownia Mall ==============================|)
-======================================= Iwatodai City/Tatsumi Port Island ====-
A great glass dome surrounds Paulownia Mall, its name displayed in great letters
on its rim. Within this circular structure, made beautiful with water features,
the mall bustles. A central fountain pours out, eternally, surrounded by benches
for weary shoppers; two more pools stand by the entrance, decorated by
well-trimmed hedges behind them. The brown patterning on the floor emphasises
the circular nature of this place, all carved to equal segments; pillars
surrounding the sides provide structure and guidance, separating each store from
the other.

And the shops one can find here are many. Game Parade is a popular arcade,
particularly amongst nearby Gekkoukan students, and its crane game has foiled
many a hopeful date. Kenneth Arnold offers music albums, while Mandragora
Karaoke Bar, up a flight of stairs nearby, offers live music experiences for
those who prefer active participation. Club Escapade is another great option for
music-lovers, alongside those seeking Fortune-Telling services or looking for
shady informants -- but it's only open at night, and technically, it's only for
people who are over 18. Practically speaking, teenagers sometimes sneak in,
anyway... but curious teens ought to be careful, because a few shops over, one
can find the Tatsumi East Police Station. Chagall Cafe, at least, is both open
during the day and open to all ages! Aohige Pharmacy offers pharmaceuticals to
cure any ailment, while Be Blue V offers an eclectic variety of items and
treatments to improve one's health and wellbeing. Finally, Mayoido Antiques
offers unique weapons and armour for those who bring in supernatural
materials... and the proprietor seems to know more than she really ought to
about that world.

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
It's good to make time to spend with siblings... especially with a lot of major changse of all kinds just up ahead... Or currently in the works, in the case of one girl's fashion experimentation.

When Ichika picked Ririka up from the dorm, not only did Ririka have her shorter hair styled to have the right side frame her face and the left side tucked behind her ear, she's got a dark purple ear cuff on the left ear, too.

And she's trying a new outfit, too: black leggings, a dark purple skirt, a dusty purple hoodie, and sneakers.

The ride was, presumably, pleasant, but only a short while later they arrived at... Paulownia!

"So," Ririka asks as they walk in together. "What do you feel like doing first? We could go shopping, grab a bite to eat, check out the arcade..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
It's good! Ichika, earlier today, had time to talk to Ren and visit the festivities in Tokyo about Setsubun. Now, she's come to spend time with her little sister (not that little) and her parents before heading back to the dorm for school tomorrow.

...Well, mostly with her mother; her dad's working again tonight.

"You look good," Ichika said at the time. "Nice purples."

Ichika's in a green coat, herself--that obscures most of her outfit but for the low boots she's wearing. And as they walk into the mall area...

The arcade gives Ichika a distant look. She thinks of Ryuji, and shakes her head. "Nah," Ichika says. "No arcades for me just now. Let's eat something. It'll give us a chance to catch up on some things anyway."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Thanks!" Ririka is really happy that Ichka likes the outfit. (Though is more happy that Ikumi does, even if she had to share it via selfie.)

Their father always works a lot, huh? Ririka wonders what's going to happen after...

No arcade. Ririka can't guess the significance off-hand, but she nods. "Uh... sure. No arcade then. Grabbing a bite works for me. You in the mood for anything in particular?"

A short while later they're seated at Chagall, with snacks and coffee. Ririka takes a nibble, and then... "So... it's February. Kind of hard to believe it's almost..." She lets the thought trail off for a moment. "... it's been kind of a crazy year, huh?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Somehow, Ichika will recover from coming in second on ''that'' front.

But he does work a lot; probably, Suika will have to do most of the childcare on her own. ...But that's part of why Ichika will be over a lot, too. And maybe Dr. Kawase can get some more time off for this, this time...

"Coffee's good," Ichika says.

And soon, they have coffee and a little cake! Well, Ichika has a little cake. "...Almost time for Mom to be due?" Ichika wonders. "Or almsot time for me to graduate?"

She smiles. "Both are big. ...It really has, though. So much has happened... And so many 'weird' things, too."

Ichika pauses. "Like..."

"I broke up with Ryuji-kun," she says.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ichika's opinion is still very important to Ririka though! Just in a different way than Ikumi's.

Ririka is already making plans to also be over a lot... and with having had to free up her schedule some a few months ago, it hopefully won't be as much of a burden on her as it might otherwise have been.

"I mean, both? And I'll be a third year this year, too.." She nods a little to 'weird'. ".. yeah."

They don't talk about the weird stuff a lot, do they?

She sits up straighter. "Oh, dang... how'd he take it? Are... you okay? I know you really liked him..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
It'd be the same for Ichika; it's more funny than sad.

"Mm-hm. Then you'll have to deal with entrance exams and stuff. ...It'll be a little easier for you, since you'll have all year to prep instead of just starting in the second semester and hoping it works. But then, you'll probably be going for harder schools..." Ichika 'hmms' about that.

They don't talk about the weird stuff too much, no. There's reasons for that. They both have secrets to keep.

But--

"He didn't take it great," Ichika says with a wince. "...He's pretty upset. Not like, violent or anything--he didn't take it ''badly''. Just... He's not happy."

"I'm kinda down about it," she admits. "But I think I made the right call. So it's just me and Tsubasa for a while."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Well, yeah, I guess..." She doesn't want to brag about her own potential chances. "Though... honestly I'm still kind of considering what I want to do? I have some time to decide... I still want to keep working at Polychord but I think I still want to go to school, too..."

Indeed. But at the very least, ''other'' things have become easier to talk about over the last year.

Ririka winces at the news. "Poor guy... I hope he'll be okay." She takes a sip of her coffee. "So... what made you decide to do it? I knowyou had some concerns..."

But Ichika is also down. "I'm sorry, Sis.... if there's anything I can do to help, let me know?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Mm. I think you should go to school," Ichika opines. "It only opens up your options. But if you can handle your band, too, I think that's great."

Many other things!

"Hopefully," Ichika says. "He's got good friends--and... those friends aren't looking at me like I'm awful, or something."

"Mm, well... Part of it is that when I brought up those concerns, he kinda... freaked a bit. I could tell how hard it was on him."

"Anyway," she says, "I wanted to tell you so you knew. ...I'm probably moving in with Tsubasa, though. Once we graduate. For school, and all."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Yeah... I know I can do more if I do, but... I've been thinking I want to study contemporary music, not classical. I'll always love classical music, of course, but... I want to keep trying new things, too, you know?"

"Well, if I do it right, it'll give me more ideas for things to do with Polychord, right?"

"Well, that's good." She hasn't had to do a messy breakup, but she can see how that'd make it harder.

"Oof... but I guess that makes sense...and with you graduating soon, and starting college..."

Ririka nods. "Thanks, I appreciate it. And if you wanna talk about that more, we can..." But moving in! "Oh, cool. That makes sense."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Contemporary's cool," Ichika says. "Maybe a background in classical is... good? ...Yeah, I dunno, that's not the kind of thing I know about. If you think contemporary's good, I bet you're right. You should study what you want, anyway."

"Totally."

And, "Yeah..." She shakes her head. "That's right," Ichika says. "He doesn't need all that yet. But to be honest... I'd like to do almost anything ''but'' keep talking about him right now."

"I need to clear my head, move forward."

"So! We can move forward." She lifts her coffee and inhales the aroma. "Yeah. We're... really serious, you know?"

"...But I need a minute before I can talk about that. How about you tell me how you're feeling, instead? We're close to the big day--and I know you've been having mixed feelings."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Yeah, I'm still... figuring all that out. Trying to get some advice, that kind of thing. I'm not giving up piano, though--I'll still play it in ''some'' form, you know?"

Ririka laughs a little awkwardly. "Oh, right--sorry, then... we can talk about something else!" But as for her and Tsubasa... "Yeah, seems like it. I'm glad you two still have each other, at least."

Let's see, what's not an awkward topic...

The incoming baby Kawae. ... Nope, still feels awkward. But it's what Ichika picked... Ririka sighs. "I mean, I'm still kind of having mixed feelings..." She shrugs a little. "You're about to graduate, I'm going to be a third year, I want to help Mom with the baby but I still have my own things going... I guess... it still makes me think of nii-chan, too..."

She looks down at her coffee for a moment. "I guess I'm also a little woerried I won't know what to do." She looks up again. "Uh... how are you feeling about it?" As awkward as Ririka feels, she can only imagine what her sister thinks, considering...
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Right. Well, you can get better advice from people who know more about that," Ichika opines. Than herself, presumably. "But that's cool. You're really good at piano."

Ichika doesn't smile on that one--the topic ''is'' awkward for her--but, "Something else is good. It's fine." Pause. "We do. ...We definitely do."

"What kind of a mix?" Ichika wonders. She doesn't know if Ririka doesn't tell her, after all. "All that's true--but Mom wouldn't want us to worry too hard. Like... I'm going to help, but she wouldn't have gone for it if she didn't think she could do it. That's what I think, anyway. Otherwise we'd have had a new sibling a lot sooner."

"...That's true, though. Nobody can replace him. And nobody will. ...We just have to try to move forward."

"Like what?" Ichika wonders, of 'what to do'. "...We can tell you most of it, you know? Some of it's natural, some of it's just 'do what Mom asks'."

"But me..." Ichika looks down at her coffee, and sets it down. She forks off a bit of cake and brings it to her lips, chewing the delicate treat for a few moments. It's rude in some respects, but in others... she needs a moment to think.

Then, when she finishes swallowing, "I'm happy for her. ...It means she and Daddy are still... you know, getting along, so that's good. But it means more than that. It means she's trying to move forward, too. And... I'm really looking forward to meeting the baby."

"Funnily, it's... helped me remember I can wait, a while, before I start a family too. Even if I admit... I am a little jealous. Mom being pregnant has made me think of my little girl from the beginning..." She sighs, and puts both hands on her warm coffee mug. Pheromone coffee... she doesn't need a lot more charm, probably. But maybe?

"But I think... It's a good thing, overall. We all have our lives to think about. We can't stay in the past. For better or worse, we can only go forward."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Your opinion still matters, though..." Ririka says with a small smile. "And, thanks."

"Just... the same ones I've had, I guess. We're going to be so much older, it still feels like replacing Toshi-nii a little, will we even... I dunno. Have anything in common with them?" She considers for a moment. "... I guess there's some new ones, now that we're so close. Just... worried I won't know how to be a good older sister..."

She nods a little. "I guess that's true... I want to help, too, of course, when I can..."

Moving forward. "... yeah. I... I have a lot to look forward to, but I still think about him a lot." She looks off into the rest of the mall. "... I wonder what he'd think of Ikumi-chan..."

"I mean, I dunno. Changing a diaper? Or even just... holding a baby?" She nods a little as Ichika says that they can explain. "Well, as long as I can lern it, I guess that's okay..."

Ichika needs a moment, and Ririka will let her have it. She breaks off a piece of a cookie to nibble at it, watching the mall for a few moments so Ichika can gather her thoughts.

Getting along. "Yeah... that's true." Moving forward... "That's true... I guess things have been hard for them, too, huh..." She ponders for a moment. "... and I guess we're at the point where, in a few years, we could be moving out and starting our own lives..."

A reminder. Ririka looks at IChika curiously. "Yeah?" But she draws in a breath at the mention of being jealous. "... yeah... Someday when you're ready I still think you're gonna be a great mom."

Ririka nods a little. "... we have to keep moving forward," she echos. Even when it feels hard.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"I'm glad you value what I have to say," Ichika settles on, "But I know when other people know more. ...Thanks, though. I'll help however I can, you know?"

So much older... That's true. "Mm. I can see where you'd feel that way..." About 'replacing'. "Maybe we will, maybe we won't. But if nothing else, we'll be their sisters. ...We can look after them, help them learn how to grow up." She smiles. "But you'll do great. Just..."

"Think of what Nii-san would do, and if you can get close, I think you'll do OK."

A lot to think ahead. "I think he'd like her," Ichika says, "Because she's making you happy. ...But we can't know. We just have to hope that he can see, somehow... and make him proud."

"Oh, yeah. You can learn that stuff. I'll have to learn that stuff, too. So it'll be nice to get in some practice!"

"It has," Ichika says. "We lost a brother--but they lost a son. ...Did you notice? Daddy tried to get into our lives more, after that. He realized what he was missing, as a father. And Mom's been holding us that much closer..."

"Mm-hm. We could. I'm already getting there."

A pause. "Someday," Ichika says. "...Maybe like, four or five years," she laughs. "Not yet. I'm not ready right now. I know that, now."

But forward. "Mm-hm."

"Speaking of forward..."

"I'm not straight," she settles on. "I dunno what I am, yet. But I've decided I'm ''not'' that. ...Love boys, though." She looks down. "I'm going to keep looking, when I'm ready. ...For another guy. For my and Tsubasa's life together... I still want a third, if I can get him. But if I can't..."

"Well, there's other ways."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"You're welcome." Ririka smiles a little, even if it's a bit tinged by the surrounding conversation. "I don't know if I've said it in a while, but... I'm really glad that we can talk like this now. ABout this, or dating, or... whatever else."

"I don't think they're doing it for that reason, but it's still... you know." It might've been easier, if they hadn't learned that Toshiaki had been killed, to really start to feel like moving forward was possible.

... well, it still is, just... harder.

"We will be, yeah..." She manages a small smile. "... thanks." But then... she nods somberly. "... I can try. He, uh... suggested I work on getting closer to you, too, and... I'm glad I did."

She manages a steadier smile, though, about Ikumi. "She is... and I hope so. He'd have been the first one I came out to, if..." Well, no need to get into that. "... anyway. I hope he is proud."

Practice! "Oh yeah, I guess you do, too..."

"I mean..." Ririka glances aside. "... I didn't exactly... make it easy for them to do that..." She lets out a weary sigh. "I'm trying to let them in more, though... um... after I fainted, Dad and I talked in the hospital." She winces a little. "... and, well... he complimented my music. He said it sounded more intricate than some of the stuff on the radio..." She manages a small smile for that. "... it was nice, to know he thought that."

"Yeah. And I'm at the point where, I guess I start thinking about it."

"Cool. Well... when you're ready, I'll be ready to support you." Ririka tries to offer an encouraging smile. "You know... I think about if I want kids sometimes... I mean, I haven't looked into what it'd take, but I still think about it."

Not straight. "Cool." Ririka raises her mug to toast her sister. "... you know, I never thought we'd have that in common. But I'm glad we do."

Mmm... "Well, good luck... and yeah, I guess there are. You deserve that future that you want."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Me, too. ...It's good to be able to confide, instead of just... not really getting along."

"It's OK," Ichika says. "It might be easier when it's not a 'thing that's going to happen' but 'a thing that's already happened.' Right?"

Ichika smiles back. "So far, so good, right?"

"Mm, yeah. "I think so."

"...It's different, our situations like that. I kind of.. I mean, I could've pulled away, but it would've been bad. But you probably felt like you didn't have room to have issues."

She smiles back. "Yeah. And we ''know'' how much Mom likes your music. ...You do know, right? She's clipped all this stuff about your showings..."

"Thanks," Ichika says of the support. "I was kinda wondering if you ever would," Ichika says. "--Oh, don't get me wrong. Like... I have a teacher who did 'IVF', which lets you use all this science stuff to have a baby... but I'd be doing it the old-fashioned way. It's just a matter of what relationship I have to the dad. ...I'd rather it be another partner situation, but... Kind of a tall order, finding someone willing to share."

She smiles back, and lifts her mug too. "Me, either," she admits. "...But it's nice."

"And... thanks. I hope so."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Yeah, definitely... I know it took us a while, but... I'm glad we're here now."

"... yeah, that'll probbly help. Right now I'm just... worrying but I feel like I can't do anything about it."

Ririka smiles back. "Yeah."

"I mean, I asked to move into the dorms at Gekkoukan..." Maybe that counts as pulling away in some form. "... yeah. I just... didn't want to add to anyone's problems, to just keep everything together, but..." That ended up not working out so great, in various ways.

Ririka grins a little. "Yeah... we talk music all the time." She laughs a little. "Wait, really? I know she loves seeing the videos of the shows after, but... wow." She leans in. "She should start clipping your articles, too. Oh! Maybe... that's something we'll be able to share with our baby sibling someday!"

"I mean, it's not something I'm worried about right now, but... maybe someday? Though before I have a kid... I kind of wanna get a dog." But a teacher that did IVF... "Oh, are you talking about Ijuuin-sensei?" But she nods at the matter of a partner. "Yeah, I guess that'd be tricky, huh... But I bet you won't have any problems attracting a guy."

"It's the kind of thing that's definitely easier with support..." Ririka nods and smiles. "And, you're welcome."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Definitely."

"Worrying is hard." But Ichika smiles. Then, the matter of the dorms, well, "You did, but it's not just for that, right?" SEES, she means, is also a factor. "Well, you know now that we want you to lean on us, too, just like we want to lean on you."

But Ririka and Mom! "She does. And you know? I think she has! She asked me for a copy of the last paper..." She smiles. "Yeah, we could. That'd be great."

And not right now, but, "That's a good idea. Dogs are great, and... you wanna see if you can take care of something living before you go for the big step, right?" A beat, "Mm-hm. But you can only do that if you're married and stuff, so..." Legally, anyway.

"It would be--" Ichika laughs. "True. Like, I don't think ''that'' part's gonna be a problem--and like... even if he didn't want to be with ''me'', I'd be willing to negotiate on other stuff. But like... Yeah. I'm not willing to lie to a guy about what to expect, so it's tricky."

She nods back. Support... "It is. ...But hey, right? This cake is really good."

It's her way of passing the baton for a minute, if Ririka wants.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"It is..." More than just that. "Mmm... yeah, true..." SEES is kind of a special circumstance... But leaning on them... "I'm trying, honest... I've actually thought about moving back home, but... there's other things I need to be responsible for, too..."

Not that she's explained too much about her SEES duties to Ichika, but mysteriously she might know more than Ririka suspects.

"Awesome! I bet you're gonna be a great reporter."

"Yeah! Dogs seem fun. Suzuki-kun's dog always seems so, anyway. Our dorm kind of helps take care of Koro-chan, but... getting my own dog might be nice. Oh, yeah. How's Lance been doing, these days? I have't seen her in a while..."

IVF, but you have to be married. "... yeah, that's true. Annnd that's another reason for me to not think about kids, you know?" Since there's so much extra stuff that goes into it.

Tricky... "Well, you know what you want though, right? So... that's at least something... but still, good luck."

"And these cookies are good, too..." She takes another bite, in fact. Nomf. "... so, after this, what do you want to do?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"...Right," Ichika says, looking at Ririka. "Other things." SEES mostly? all? live in that dormitory...

Ichika does know a little more. And she smiles at Ririka's assessment. "Thanks," she says.

"I think you should," Ichika says. "And Lance is great. She's as playful as ever."

"Mm-hm. It's a complicated issue; no need for you to be worrying about it yet. You've got time."

So doesn't she? Well... it's complicated.

"I do," Ichika says. There's more she could say... but she wants to work it out with Tsubasa before she shares it with anyone else.

"The coffee, too. I totally feel more charming." She considers that, then. "I'm not sure," she admits. "We should probably head home after a while, check in on Mom."

"But we don't have to rush."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Yep." Ririka looks back at Ichika. "... Other things." That she won't elaborate on.

"Welcome!"

"You think so? But... I probably couldn't keep him in the dorm, and... if I keep him at home then that's... well, more work for Mom, right?" But she smiles about Lance. "That's good to hear."

Ririka will wait to hear about more, then.

She grins a little, about the coffee. "Gotta use that charm to find a guy ''and'' get those leads, right?"

"Yeah, that's true... well, if we've got a little time I wouldn't mind checking a clothing store or two. Maybe I can get your input?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ichika doesn't ask; she's not going to reveal what she's thinking here at the cafe. Maybe another time...

But, "Mm. Well, Mom would also probably like the company," Ichika points out. "I know Daddy would. So it's worth a thought. Of course, you could always wait, and get one later when you're living on your own."

"Heheheh," Ichika laughs. "True. Find the right guy, get people to talk... It's all skill."

"Hmm. OK," Ichika says. "That'd be fine then."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Another time, then.

Ririka considers that. "That's true... And Dad likes dogs, doesn't he? Maybe... that'd be something we could bond over?" She can bond with Mom over music, so...

But later, when she's living on her own... what happens if she graduates and SEES' mission isn't finished?

"Yep."

"If you don't mind, but... I promise I'll keep it quick so we can go see Mom after."
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-11-01: Falling With Grace

Tanyuu — Wed, 04 Nov 2026 00:10:03 GMT

Created page with "*'''Log: Falling with Grace''' *'''Cast:''' Kurou Ryouhara, Umie Akabane *'''Where:''' Meiji Shrine *'''OOC Date:''' November 01, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' February 02, 2013 *'''Summary''': ''Sparring can be medium for conversations usually left untouched. How does someone learn to fall? How does someone learn what it means to relate to someone else? Two hearts marred by the insincere efforts of outside forces learn from each other how to fall and rise with grace and..."

Show changes

Ichika Kawase

Bel — Tue, 03 Nov 2026 21:55:05 GMT

Relationships

Show changes

2026-11-03: A very special episode of Let's Eat with Ramenboy87

Ashlikesnow — Tue, 03 Nov 2026 17:10:22 GMT

Created page with "*'''Cutscene: A very special episode of Let's Eat with Ramenboy87 ''' *'''Cast:''' Ryuji Sakamoto *'''Where:''' Shibuya, Tokyo *'''OOC Date:''' 2026/11/03 *'''IC Date:''' 2013-02 *'''Summary:''' ''The latest in the Let's Eat series! This one comes from the heart'' <poem> There is a shot of Ryuji being followed by a camera. The delinquent turns, shooting the camera grin. As he talks, a speech balloon appears and his words are made text. "Let's Eat!" The speech bubbl..."

New page

*'''Cutscene: A very special episode of Let's Eat with Ramenboy87 '''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ryuji Sakamoto]]
*'''Where:''' Shibuya, Tokyo
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026/11/03
*'''IC Date:''' 2013-02
*'''Summary:''' ''The latest in the Let's Eat series! This one comes from the heart''

<poem>
There is a shot of Ryuji being followed by a camera. The delinquent turns, shooting the camera grin. As he talks, a speech balloon appears and his words are made text. "Let's Eat!" The speech bubble cracks open and two balls fall toward the bottom of the screen. The first ball is orange in color and unfurls into "Let's Eat". The second ball is yellow and smaller than the first. It unfurls into "with Ramenboy87". The screen star wipes to it's opening shot. The result is a clean and inventive opening that appears way too good for the show's previous production methods.

There is a tight shot of meat sizzling on a grill with some pleasant music playing. It is immediately obvious that the video quality and editing are now professional and clean. It would also seem that the videos are shot with a great camera. Said camera pans up to Ramenboy87, using tongs to flip his yakiniku as he turns to the camera. He is dressed in streetwear: a black t-shirt with a skull spray painted on, loose pants, thick framed sunglasses with blue frames, and a backwards baseball cap. Ryuji's smile looks forced. "Hey, diners! You know, sometimes life kicks you in the teeth...but you can always count on a good meal to fuel you forward."

A text box melts on screen, reading 'Ryuji: Ramen Connoisseur, Rebel, and Food Critic'. It appears to be made up of cut up magazine letters, giving it a very punk rock feel. The text box disappears after a moment. Ryuji continues. "It feels weird to do an episode on Yakiniku. I mean technically if it sucks, its on me...Heh--just like--"

There is a hard star wipe cut to a graphic that tells the history of Yakiniku and various popular spots around Tokyo. It then narrows it's focus to the specific restaurant Ryuji is at, talking about specialties and the history of their founding.

A shot of a table of various raw meats is in front of Ryuji, looking over his bounty with an eager eye. A graphic 'WOW' appears over the food. "Glorious protein. You always count on it. So Yakiniku is pretty pricey depending on what you get."

"So always pick your meat in your budget because its all on you. You overcook it and you're stuck with the result..."

"Hell there are parts of the cow I didn't know you could eat...All marinated in their own spice and sauce." A giant 'Yum' graphic appears over the meat, flashing as Ryuji reaches for some of the cow tongue and places it on the grill. It sizzles and Ryuji looks really somewhat ecstatic as the crackling begins. He frowns reflexively as he stares into the fire, flinching as he realizes he is missing his window. He flips the meat, revealing a browned piece of beef. A WOW appears on the screen.

"So how do we rate something we cook ourselves." Ryuji finally talks again, smiling again. "We look at the ingredients!"

A colorful star shower cuts to graphic of Professor Ryuji pointing at a chart. The graphic begins talking about meat cuts and various vegetables, rating their freshness and appearance. The Ryuji grins as he points to various facts on Japanese beef, beef in general, and the types of vegetables you can find at a Yakiniku restaurant.

Finally, the camera cuts back to Ryuji taking a bite of the piece of cow tongue, groaning in enjoyment. "The miso marinade on that really hits the spot!"

"So things might suck but you can always fight on with a good meal. Remember food is the fuel that your body needs to take it on. Even when stuff sucks, you need to eat to go on."

There is a star wipe to an animated sequence of Ryuji standing on a cliff in a very artistic ending sequence. A rather emotional piece of royalty free music plays as he stands, watching the ocean waves as wind runs through his hair. On the right side of the screen, an impressive amount of credits play...most of which are thanks to someone called "NightPrincess", who worked on the editing, effects, mastering, animation, etc. Ryuji Sakamoto is listed as on screen talent and creator. The credits end as Ryuji looks up at the sky and a shooting star goes by.</poem>

[[Category:Cutscenes]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-11-02: Mother Knows Best

Ashlikesnow — Tue, 03 Nov 2026 17:03:27 GMT

Created page with " *'''Cutscene: Mother Knows Best''' *'''Cast:''' Ryuji Sakamoto *'''Where:''' Kinshicho, Tokyo *'''OOC Date:''' 2026/11/02 *'''IC Date:''' 2013-02 *'''Summary:''' ''Ryuji's mother comforts her son after a breakup.'' <poem> The apartment in Kinshicho is quiet as Ryuji enters. It was a hard day...It was going to be a hard for a long time. At least work was kind enough to give Ryuji a few days off to figure it out. His job at the model store didn't need their securit..."

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*'''Cutscene: Mother Knows Best'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ryuji Sakamoto]]
*'''Where:''' Kinshicho, Tokyo
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026/11/02
*'''IC Date:''' 2013-02
*'''Summary:''' ''Ryuji's mother comforts her son after a breakup.''

<poem>
The apartment in Kinshicho is quiet as Ryuji enters. It was a hard day...It was going to be a hard for a long time. At least work was kind enough to give Ryuji a few days off to figure it out. His job at the model store didn't need their security looking like he was getting soft and the Butler cafe was just concerned and sympathetic enough to give him a few days. He sighs as he removes his sunglasses, looking around the apartment before heading into the kitchen with a sigh. Just one moment at a time. Exactly like anything else.

Ryuji opens the door the fridge, immediately grabbing his water bottle before just staring into the open ice box with a vacant expression. He doesn't see any food he wants...He shuts the door with a sigh.

From behind the door, a solitary voice finally makes themselves known. "Ryu-kun" Ryuji's mother takes a drag of her cigarette as she looks over her son with a concerned expression.

Ryuji looks over to his mother with a forced smile. "You scared me, mom."

"I live here too you know...You ok?" The woman raises her brow despite knowing exactly what this was. She could see it from a mile away and while she wanted to give the cause a piece of her mind, it didn't ultimately matter like comforting her son.

The boy says nothing as he just hugs his mom, feeling tears run down his face. He lets go even more when his mother held him softly, placing her cigarette off to the side as she embraced her son.

"Oh hun. You finally felt the sting of first love." She smiles as she looks at Ryuji, stroking his hair. "Look at my little man."

"Tch. The problem is I'm not a--"

"Oh, please. You're standing up. You aren't laying in bed. Just because some girl tramples over your heart, doesn't mean you're some kid. I met a thousand tough guys who'd be blubberin louder than the little girl who lives downstairs. Yet here you are: going out and trying to move. I didn't even need to tell you that trick."

"I feel terrible." Ryuji leans against his mother, sobbing softly.

"Heh, yeah. It's gonna like that for awhile but you're my boy and you're gonna get back up and meet this pain head on. Just like I did so many times before you." Ryuji's mother looks up at her son, stroking the back of his hair. She sighs as she thinks about the girl in question. While she wasn't particularly thrilled with her, Ryuji's mother saw the writing on the wall from a while away. Too ships passing in the night, drifting in two directions.

"Hey, Mom..." Ryuji looks down at his mother, frowning as he scratches the back of his head.

"Hmmm?" Her train of thought lost, she looks back to her son. "You want me to wipe up your favorite for dinner?"

"I really loved her. I thought nothing could touch us and it just all went to hell...I.. Did this ever happen with you?" Ryuji looks off to the side.

"Heh..Go sit down at the table and I'll tell you about my high school days, sweetheart." She lets Ryuji go and reaches for her cigarette, taking a long drag as she ties her hair back. "You know I haven't seen you cry like this since you fell down at the zoo--"

"Mom! Come on! Punching a guy while he's down is like---the worst." Ryuji sighs, sitting at the table as he watches his mom start to prepare to make dinner. Just like it was supposed to be. Funny how nothing else felt like that.

"Oh you'll live. Hmmm" She turned to look back at Ryuji, beginning to work on the meal. She could see that her son was fretting over a closed door when there were so many open still. Not as many he had in the beginning but still many more than she might've had. In that, the girl had her thanks.

Even if the current way she left Ryuji wasn't idea. He would grow into the sort of man that his mother could be proud of. Which was why she said what came next.

Ryuji's mother looked toward her son. "You know when I was your age, I had the road to comfort me when my heart was broken. I think I'm going to look some of my girls up and see if we can track down Hanashobu. You have some money right?"

Ryuji, who was mostly just listen, looked up. "Eh? Yeah. I have a little. Do we need some for the household or something?"

His mother pressed her lips together as she began to handle the chicken from the fridge. "No. We're fine. I just mean I'm going to check on buying something back for you. It won't be pretty but Hanashobu was a big part of my youth and I think it's time you stood on your two feet."

"The hell is Hanashou? You getting me into flowers?...Mom, I--thats not really my style. Plus I got no girl-"

"Hush. Just let your mom take care of you for the first time in awhile...Hanashobu will serve you well. Just let me find her."

"Uh, sure..."</poem>

[[Category:Cutscenes]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-10-21: Stepping In

Talnora — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:47:08 GMT

Surely nothing can get worse from here, right?

New page

*'''Log: Stepping In'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ririka Kawase]], [[Arisu Aizawa]]
*'''Where:''' Gekkoukan High School - Classroom Building
*'''OOC Date:''' October 21, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' Monday, January 28, 2013
*'''Summary:''' ''Arisu is being bullied (again), this time pranked with a bucket of water in a bathroom. Ririka happens along and tries to offer some assistance. The two get to talking for a bit before heading to their clubs.''

----

(|================ Gekkoukan High School - Classroom Building ================|)
-======================================= Iwatodai City/Tatsumi Port Island ====-
Gekkoukan High School features a rich and lavish atrium which blends modern and
classical architecture, with wide-open windows welcoming students into an
entrance hall with massive Grecian pillars and an impressive stained-glass wall
at its other end. The Sword and Staff Statues displayed prominently here are a
popular meet-up point! Here, as well, one can find the event bulletin board,
various faculty and club rooms, the nurse's office... and most importantly, the
school store, where one can buy Gekkoukan's various popular breads. A classical
stone corridor outside passes by a beloved Persimmon tree in a garden where
students can relax on benches, before leading students to the gymnasium, where
one can enjoy the indoor swimming pool and running track available here.

Up the stairs, the halls are sleek and modern, with diamond- and square-tiled
flooring and traditional sliding doors. Corkboards on the hall walls are
decorated with a dozen club posters, advertising the many after-school
activities available to students here, and water fountains at the end of the
hall are available to quench one's thirst. Inside the classrooms, one finds more
of that square tiling, on which stand desks and chairs two a row. A raised
podium allows teachers to lecture behind a blackboard or a projector screen
which can be pulled down to display their slides, while a desk off to the side
at the front of the class gives them a place to seat themselves down. The
windows are wide and expansive, covering an entire wall; there are windows
leading out into the hall, as well, and they can be slid back for the curious to
peek into the classroom. The back of the room features a second blackboard,
alongside shelving for books. (And... manga? Who put those here...?)

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
It's Monday! And Monday means classes. Ririka's having a decent day, overall. She has been enjoying the looks and questions about her ''new haircut''--after keeping it long for as long as she can remember, the day before she finally got it cut short, and she's still riding the high of that change in her appearance. It's in a bob with the left side tucked behind her ear, and the right side pulled forward to frame her face. It stands out on her!

... Of course, she ''also'' stands out for the mere fact of being a girl who's 172 cm tall, matching a lot of the boys, and with red eyes. She's dressed in her school uniform, of course, with dark purple tights for the weather and a leather bracelet on her right wrist.

Once the classes ends, Ririka pcks up her things and slings her bag over her shoulder. She's humming a tune to herself as she walks through the halls. She's heading for the practice room to meet the rest of her band, paying attention to her surroundings but not expecting any trouble.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>There is a loud commotion from the girl's bathroom, followed by a girl throwing herself out the door. Arisu catches herself on the other side of the hallway, glaring up at the door way. Her uniform is soaked through as her hair drips down her face. She looks down at her uniform and frowns as two voices laughs from within the bathroom.

Arisu sighs and grumbles to herself. "Damnit. I know this is going to go away. They will get sick of it eventually..."

From within the bathroom, two voices loudly carry on. 'Did you see her face?'

'So shocked each time. L-O-L'

'Serves that tattling bitch,right.'

Arisu sighs and looks at her uniform. At least it was just water this time.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka blinks as a girl is all thrown out the door, drawing to a sharp halt. "Wha--" She looks between Arisu and the door for a moment, frowning in worry-- "Um..."

But when she notices Arisu's condition, that pushes her into action. She quickly rushes oer, kneeling carefully beside the other girl. "H-hey, are-- are you okay? What happened to you?"

And then she hears the voices, looking over. "... Oh." From the sound of it, there's two girls picking on this one. She frowns, looking at Arisu with concern. She should do... ''something'', right?

... If Ichika were here she'd probably headbutt them. That... might be a bit too extreme for Gekkoukan. But maybe she could do something else...

"Hang tight," she says, standing up again. She turns to face the bathroom door, and gets her phone out and the camera ready.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>Arisu winces when she hears Ririka. Great someone else is involved. This was just going to turn into a thing that won't go away now. The dark green haired girl turns to look at Ririka, frowning slightly. "I'm so sorry. You don't have to---"

There are two girls just hanging out in the bathroom. One of them, A-Ko is trying to smoke out the window. The other, B-Ko, is washing her hands as she looks over to a thrown over bucket and evidence of it's contains thrown in one direction.

"Tch...nice looking out. You think she got someone involved?"

"Tattling, Bitch. Whatever." A-Ko tries to hide her cigarette as she smiles at Ririka. "Hey, stay out of this."

"Trust us. That girl is not worth it."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka doesn't even really wait to process the scene when she pushes the door open, she just hits the button a few times to take shots with her primed camera.

"That'll do it." She quickly pockets the phone again, frowning at the two girls. "If she's not worth it then there's no reason for you two to mess with her again, is there?"

She reaches for a handful of paper towels and then steps back out the door to check on Arisu. "Here. Let's see if we can find an empty classroom or something and get you dried off a bit. I'm Ririka Kawase." She's hoping whatever was in that bucket was just water.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>'Hey!'

'What the hell!'

'Forget it. We got her enough.'

Arisu holds her arm as she stands behind Ririka, mostly letting the other girl lead her through everything. "Aizawa Arisu...you really didn't need to...I deserved it kinda." She adds that last part with a certainty that isn't just blaming herself for what is happening. The dark haired girl sighs but finally nods again.

Once they find the safety of a room, Arisu takes a look at Ririka. Her eye darting around her outfit almost reflexively. As for what Arisu is covered in, it was definitely just water today but you might've heard last time they loaded it with cleaning product.

Arisu curls a locke of hair between her fingers, frowning as she looked more embarrassed than anything else.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka doesn't know what she's going to ''do'' with the photo yet--but there's no way she's telling those two girls that. She just leaves without saying anything else. Let them wonder.

Ririka is, of course, just wearing the standard Gekkoukan uniform--it's a school day, after all. Though Arisu might notice that Ririka's swapped her red ribbon out for a slightly more purple one, and the leather bracelet tucked under her right cuff. "I don't think anybody deserves to be bullied... what happened?"

She hands the paper towels over. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want, but... I'd feel pretty bad if I ignored someone that needed help, you know?"

Ririka's been known as an extraordinary piano talent since she was little, but in the last few years she also started a rock band, Polychord.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>Arisu notes the cuff immediately. She had seen those around but never developed the urge to check into why some students had this on their uniform. She holds her arm, looking off to the side when Ririka asks what happened. It was safe right? No it could probably come back and bite her. Maybe this was a trick. She keeps her mouth shut, looking back as she is handed a paper towel.

"It's better if I don't involve you. I'm pretty tough." She forces a smile that is clearly not genuine.

After drying herself off, Arisu looks over at Ririka, finally recognizing the musician from in passing. "Thank you. I don't deserve it but thank you."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>@emit
Ririka's worn it for a while, though her style outside of school is... well, a little counter-cultural, as some might put it. (Not that she lets that bleed into her uniform that much.)

Ririka might be the best at reading people sometimes, but in this case, that smile looks pretty fake to her. For her part, she's sincere in her concerns (even if she doesn't have a clear plan yet.)

"Yeah, well... I'm pretty tough too, you know?" Ririka sits back against the edge of a desk. "... you sure you don't want to talk about it? You kinda look like you could use someone in your corner..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>Arisu sighs as she lets her shoulders fall. What was the harm? She looks over to Ririka and finds somewhere to sit. "I...told an adult something I shouldn't have...according to them. Honestly if I didn't and something happened, it would've been on me."

She finds her spot on another deck, sitting down gracefully almost on reflex.

"Those girls were friends before...I was the one that betrayed their trust. Even if it was for the right reason." Arisu makes eye contact with Ririka, nodding affirmatively. She seems to be settling down some but there is a part of her that still seems anxious.

"That's a nice leather bracelet."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
So she tried to do something responsible... and now she's getting bullied. Ririka frowns a little. She's drumming her fingers on her thigh now as she thinks. "Hrm... was it the smoking, or... something else?" She pulls her phone out of her pocket to look at the photos she took.

"If you were worried for their safety, then it sounds like you did the right thing... right?"

But friends before... "That sucks. I'm sorry... but it seems like they're the ones betraying you if theyve resorted to picking on you..."

While she has her phone open she sends off a quick text to her friends to let them know she's running late.

"Oh?" Ririka smiles and holds her arm up, pulling the sleeve back. "Thanks!" she says with a smile. "It's kind of one of my favorites--one of the first ones I bought."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>"No, it was worse." Arisu sighs and shakes her head.

"Yeah. That's why I was toughing out their abuse. Like if I did that...then things could go back to normal eventually."

Arisu nods as Ririka offers condolences. "Its fine. I mean they will either get it out of their system or...well they will probably just leave me alone now."

"It's nice. Though it's probably one of many though. If you want, I can customize it for you. Add something to make it all your own."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Worse than smoking in a school bathroom?" Ririka looks worried by that. "What could be so bad that it'd result in all of this?"

"Back to normal, like, the way things were before? I don't know..." She doesn't want to tell Arisu to just make new friends--Ririka has a hard time with that herself sometimes, after all.

"I hope they get it out of their system quickly, then..."

Ririka looks at her bracelet. "Oh, it's--it not being unique isn't a problem, it's more what it represents..." But she looks at Arisu curiously. "But, do you make clothing or something?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>"Yeah." Arisu sighs and looks around. There was no one else. She takes in a sharp breath before continuing. "They were going out late with two college guys. Real scuzzy boys who I knew would probably do something. Like I know I probably shouldn't have but I got a bad feeling from them the one time I met them."

"I guess. Regardless they'll forget about it and I can just go back to what I do." Arisu sighs and frowns as she looks at her outfit.

She looks up when Ririka explains the bracelet, finally smiling with a little pride. "Yeah. I'm in the fashion club actually."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka winces as Arisu explains what started all this. "They looked like second eyars..." she mutters to herself. "I can see why you told someone... I'm sorry that they're taking it out on you for doing that."

Well, things look... even murkier, now. Ririka frowns. She could tell an teacher, but the teachers can't be everywhere... "Well, uh... until they do, let me know if I can help?"

But she'd rather talk about happier things. "Fashion Club? Oh, that's cool! What kinds of things do you like making? What's your favorite style?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>Arisu shrugs in response to Ririka's words on what happened. There wasn't much else she could do with this.

"I'll let you know." Arisu says, fully unsure if she could follow through with this. She was already getting Ririka more involved than she should be. The dark haired girl looks toward the window, wondering if it was going to rain on the way home.

"Oh yes. I love Fashion...I do cosplay with another girl in my class when she is up to it. As for favorite style, that's pretty hard but I do like the Lolita style a lot."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka's just as stumped for answers at this point.

"Cool. Even if you just, I dunno, want someone watching your back in the bathroom or something." Ririka chose to get involved! She can at least offer the advantage of safety in numbers, that's not too hard for her to do.

"Hey, cosplay is really cool! I've never ''really'' done it before--" She pauses to consider. "Well--I guess I dressed as a maid for our grade's maid cafe thing at the Christmas Village, so I guess that counts?"

She continues. "But yeah! I know how much work those outfits can take, that's really cool, and it's cool that you have someone who does it with you." She nods. "Oh, nice. Lolita styles are really cute, though they're not really my thing to wear."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Arisu Aizawa has posed.
<poem>Arisu smiles sadly. "Thank you...I think what you did will probably help for now. They aren't the type to take threats well." She hoped that would be the end of it but Arisu has no way of knowing.

"Cosplay is fun. I don't know everything about the stuff I make but when it comes to costumes, I'm pretty good."

She checks her phone and frowns. "I'm late to club..." She sighs and finishes making herself presentable again. "Thank you for your help, Kawase-san. I'll make it up to you somehow." She bows her head and then starts for the exit.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka laughs a little, rubbing the back of her neck. "W-well, I didn't exactly ''threaten'' them... but... let's hope they chill out a little."

"Well, as long as you enjoy it, and you're excited by it, right?" Ririka says with a smile.

She nods, though. "Yeah, me too." Ririka stands up, pulling the edge of her jacket sleeve over her bracelet again. "You don't have to make it up to me, Aizawa-san, I just... wanted to help." She stands up again, pocketing her phone. "Can I walk with you to your club? I think we're going the same direction."
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-10-28: Distractions

Talnora — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:28:38 GMT

Reiya has some good advice, as it happens.

New page

*'''Log: Distractions'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ririka Kawase]], [[Reiya Aomori]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Station
*'''OOC Date:''' October 28, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' Thursday, January 31, 2013 (Dark Hour)
*'''Summary:''' ''Reiya and Ririka are doing some training in the Dark Hour, but Ririka proves distracted, and Reiya calls for a break. They sit down to talk, and Ririka opens up about some of the things on her mind, and Reiya offers some advice.''

----

(|============================= Iwatodai Station =============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
The intersection of high speed rail along the coast of Tokyo and Tatsumi Port
Island's monorail line from the mainland across the sea to its artificial
island, Iwatodai Station is the cornerstone of daily life to the inhabitants of
this place. Even the most jaded salaryman could get lost in the experience of
looking out upon the glittering sea as they ride across it to their daily life.

A multi-story strip mall across the street from the station offers students such
selections as Wakatsu for sushi high in omega-3s to increase that brain power,
Hagakure Ramen with all the collagen you could desire for skin care, or even
Wilduck's infamous Mystery Burger for those who desire an impromptu test of
courage. Net cafes selling some of the latest releases and hole-in-the-wall
bookstores give people endless options of what to do with their evening.

With this blend of local flavor and modern convenience, Iwatodai Station truly
is the ideal option to stop by whether you're coming or going home.

BGM - Tranquility - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvvwVzA1z44

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
The Dark Hour casts its pale glow on Iwatodai. It's still unnerving to Ririka, even all these months later, despite having had plenty of exposure to it for SEES' repeated forays into Tartarus. The coffins definitely play a part in it, of course, as do the mindless Shadows that roam around.

But what bothers Ririka most of all is the ''sound'' of it. Like there's something slightly off-kilter in the baseline hum of reality that continually gnaws at her.

Tonight's agenda, however, does not include a trip into Tartarus, at least not for her. Instead, she is at Iwatodai Station, Amphion summoned, the cognitive headphones placed on her head to help her focus.

She has her eyes closed, casting her senses out into her surroundings. She can track the mindless Shadows easy enough, and there aren't any other people--Awakened or not--out and about that she can detect...

Ririka frowns in concentration as she probes deeper, fingers drumming on her thigh. "Where are you..." she mutters to herself. There's something concealed... but she can't quite pinpoint it yet.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
The Dark Hour is unnatural, of course; it should not be. So it makes sense that it would be unsettling. For Reiya it is... slightly different; it sets his senses on edge, makes him more alert. ...And it is physically rigorous; training in the Dark Hour seems to have so much more effect than training in the regular hours, for all that it has greater costs as well.

But he isn't training physically just now. Instead, he is crouched behind a coffin, waiting. He has concealed a few small objects about the plaza, using his anti-navigator abilities to keep them concealed. Then, of course, there's also ''him''.

...But today isn't her day.

Reiya eventually rises him his hiding place--and is abrubtly beside Ririka. "Ordinarily," he says, "I would expect that you would have found them by now." It is a strange sensation, Reiya failing to appear in Ririka's senses and yt appearing to her ''mundane'' senses just fine--until her Navigator senses catch up, and pierce the shield.

"You seem distracted," Reiya reflects. "Is there something on your mind, preventing your focus?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
It is definitely a strange dichotomy, to have an extra awareness on top of her more customary senses. Of course, how they work is instinctual, but they still need refinement and practice.

And who better to train against, than an Anti-Navigator? Especially when they seemt o keep running into at least one that works for the NWO...

But try as she might, she just can't pull her thoughts together. She startles a bit when Reiya is suddenly right ''there'', but a quick visual check calms her again. "I almost have it," she insists. "The first one is right..." She points at a planter box across the street. "There! In that planter box!"

It is not there. Ririka stares at thye spot for a long moment and then sighs, pulling her headphones off to hang around her neck. She takes a moment to stretch her arms over her head. "Yeaaah, I guess so... it's almost February, so my Mom's due any day now..."

It's surely come up in passing, though Ririka probably hasn't mentioned her complicated feelings in depth (though they're present in her voice.)

"I've got some of the new songs I'm working on stuck in my head, and..." She regards Reiya for a moment. "... something kind of personal I've been thinking about, too... mind if we take a break? There's... something I've been thinking of telling you."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
While Reiya's abilities are nowhere near the Bride's, perhaps it will help; if nothing else, it will give Ririka more precision.

"It is not," Reiya confirms when Ririka says. Then he says, "Behind the vending machine, there; under the bench. Inside the phonebooth... and there, at the strip mall, behind the bike rack.

her confirms each. Then, he considers what she actually says. "I see... another sibling is a big responsibility. I remember when Yuzuki-chan was born..." Though of course, he was younger than Ririka is now, back then; Yuzuki is about ten years old, now. "All the more, becuase you are older."

Pause. "...I suppose that doesn't make you feel less nervous," he realizes. "I apologize."

but there's something else, and something personal, no less?

"We can break here," he says. "Come." He gestures to a nearby bench. "What is it that you wish to tell me?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Maybe not yet, but... that's what the practice is for, isn't it? For both of them.

Ririka frowns and slips her headphones back on for a moment as she focuses on the spots that Reiya points out. "... dangit, she mutters. "I thought I checked that vending machine..." She taps the side of her head with the heel of her palm after taking the headphones off again. "Man... still, this is good exercise, Amamiya-san."

"Yeah, it's that... being older part... that's kind of the whole..." Ririka shakes her head a little. "I'm gonna help out, of course, but... I don't suppose you have any advice for a first-time older sibling?" Ririka asks hopefully. She's not sure there is a clean, magical answer, but you never know.

She smiles a little at the apology. "It's fine. It's... I'm probably gonna be nervous no matter what."

But she nods when Reiya agrees to a break, and goes to sit with him. (She leaves Amphion summoned, though--they ''are'' still in the Dark Hour, they can't afford to be caught unaawres by Shadows.)

She settles in, fingers still drumming on her thigh. "So... this is something I've known for a while, but I haven't told a lot of people yet. But some stuff happened recently that's... made me want to be more open with the people around me."

She looks to Reiya. "So... here goes. I'm into girls. I'm a bian."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
It's true. They are trying...

"I'm gald it's helping," he says. Then, he listens to the matter of her being older, and that being the issue. "Mm, yes. At this age, your younger sibling is almost more like your child than your brother or sister. ...Well, in addition to supporting your mother--she will need your support, especially as her daughter--I believe the best thing you can do is set a good example and help them where it is possible. ...you must be careful not to coddle, but to support is valuable."

Then... "I suppose that's true. I would be." Reiya does not sound like he's ever been nervous a day in his life.

Reiya turns, leaving his hand free in case he needs to draw a weapon into it, resting the other. He waits. And...

"..."

Reiya blinks slowly. It takes him a few moments. Then, "Oh," he says.

"...I see." He is thoughtful then. "I did not expect that."

"...Hm. You know, there is a long, storied tradition of homosexuality in Japan, before the Christians came and discouraged us in it. I am primarily aware of the history of love between men, but I'm sure it's true between women, as well."

"...That's unrelated, I suppose. If you are wondering my personal opinion, then it makes no difference to me. I hope that you are happy being so. Do your parents know?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
More like her child. "Iiii wouldn't go... ''that'' far..." Ririka looks a little uncomfortable at that. She's not ready to think about being a mother yet , and with her sister's history, well...

It's way more complicated for Ririka than for herself, at the moment.But the rest of it she nods along to. "Yeah, nee-chan and I have been doing our best..." She turns that over in her head for a moment. "Not coddle... okay. I can remember that. Thanks."

"Yeah? That helps to hear." Reiya may not show it, but Ririka has no reason to doubt him.

Ririka managed to surprise a ninja! She laughs a little. "Yeah, well... I don't exactly advertise it, so..."

"Really?" Ririka takes a moment to consider that. "... I guess that makes sense... I never really thought about it before, but I guess it's not exactly new..." But also women! "Probably."

She muses to herself. that could be a good research topic for some song material...

"Maybe, but it's still cool to know. You're really into history, huh?" But she smiles, "I am pretty happy, yeah, thanks. And I'm glad you don't have a problem with it." She nods. "Yep. I came out to them a while ago... my sister was the first person I've told. And I've told a few people in SEES, but please don't go spreading this around before I'm ready."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Ririka is uncomfortable!! Reiya considers that and amends, "Insofar as you are less a child yourself, that's all." It might or might not help. However, he does listen. "You're welcome. It will be tempting, of course. But the balance is important."

She doesn't advertise it! "I suppose not."

Reiya is fairly still; he maintains the overall posture of a great cat, coiled calmly and ready toa ct at any given moment. "Indeed. Most activities and habits of human people are not new to the world. This included."

Cool to know... "I am," Reiya says. "I was taught much of history as part of what I needed to know to lead the clan one day." He then actually smiles, though it's vry small. "I am pleased that you are happy."

"That's good. ...I know that some parents are not supportive, but for me at least, it would be a priority to talk to my family."

"I will keep your secret. Is this, then, what has been distracting you?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Yeaaah, that's true..." It helps a little bit. "Tempting, huh... is that speaking from personal experience?" She considers for a moment. "I think my biggest worry is just... being able to be there. My sister is graduating this year, we're almost third years..."

Ririka ''can'' be still, but left to her own devices she is often fidgeting in one way or another. She tries to keep that clamped down, though.

Not new to the world... "One of the things that's helped is just... getting to know other people who are the same way. Remembering that this has happened before feels like another version of that? Though I know... the histories aren't always... great. But still."

Ririka smiles back. "Thanks. So... taking over the clan one day... that must be a big responsibility, huh? What does it mean to be charge of a ninja clan like that?"

"Yeah... I'm pretty lucky my parents accepted it. They're concerned, but, I mean, it's not like I don't worry about it, too." Hence the not advertising.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." She nods a little. "Part of it, yeah. It's... hard, always worrying about hiding this part of myself, or not being able to talk about things like... going on a date with my girlfriend." Beat. "... Also I have a girlfriend. She goes to school in Sumaru."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"Yes," Reiya answers calmly. "In wanting to care for my sisters, I was always tempted to let them rely on me overmuch. ...But we must all learn discipline." He considers her worry. "Yes... I think that's a natural concern. I suppose you won't be able to, all the time. That will make what time you can spend more important."

Getting to know others... "I do not know of any offhand," he says, and his old friend Kouya may have a reason to pull at his own hair for no apparent reason. "So I cannot help except to mention the history." Pause. "...No, history is not always pleasant. But neither is the present."

Taking over the clan? "It will mean that my decisions shape lives, for good and for ill. Whatever I decide will matter to those affected--and it may require that I or others spend our lives in order to achieve what must be done."

He nods then, of her parents. "I see. ...Your parents seem kind, from what you have told me. They supported your sister, as well."

But, "Hm... Yes. It would be difficult. Society does not often accept what is different. Deception of others is one thing; deception of one's friends and close acquaintances is different still."

"is that so?" A girlfriend. "Congratulations. May you have good times together. ...What is she like, may I ask?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Reiya clarifies on coddling. But discipline... Ririka gets how that'd apply for a ninja, maybe, but it doesn't seem like it'd be the same kind of problem for her and her family. Still.. "Well, I'll do what I can, then..." It still seems like good advance. "Yeah... I'm trying my best to help out, though."

She's been spending what time she can helping her mom... though unlike before, she's actually reduced the amount of demand she's put on herself, so it's not burdening her as much as before,.

Poor Kouya! Hang in there! "That's okay." She smiles a little. "I appreciate the thought, at least. But I know more people now, and... telling my friends and the people in SEES helps, too." She nods somberly about the present. "... yeah. That's... why I've tried to be so careful."

She's silent for a moment. "But that's a big part of why I wanted to go help Fukami-san so badly. In that Kingdom? Turns out... we're not ''that'' different, at least in some ways."

But she listens on the matter of running the clan. Spending their lives... "Sounds like a pretty heavy responsibility, then... Do you feel like you're ready for that?" And here she was just worrying about what version of music to pursue.

Ririka looks outwards for a moment, making sure to sweep her senses around to stay aware of the surroundings. She focuses on a Mindless Shadow ambling down the street... but it turns the corner and she looks back to Reiya.

"... yeah, they are. I worried for a really long time about telling them, and some other things, but they took it really well." She nods. "They did."

"Yeah... someday, it'd be nice if I didn't have to hide at all, but... I'm not really ready to be out to the whole world yet. But I ''am'' ready for smaller steps."

"Thanks!" Ririka brightens. "I think we are. Oh, she's really cool, like, she's got this really cool grin? I love her laugh, she's always doing like, these little wagers to try and make things fun and interesting, and she's a pretty good singer, too." Beat. "''Great'' kisser. But most importantly she just... likes being in the moment."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Discipline is for everyone, Ririka.

"That's vital. To do what you are able. I think you will do well."

but, "Hm... yes, I see. Friends and allies supporting you would make it easier."

Fukami... "Ah," Reiya says. "I see. But you do not prefer masculinity," he notes, looking to her new hairstyle that he complimented (platonically) earlier. "I suppose one's gender is not necessarily the same as one's preference..." Reiya is aware of Hana distantly, but has not personally made her acquaintance.

"Whther I am ready or not, the day will come. Instead of questioning whether I can, I have chosen to prepare for when I must." Somehow, he say this in a calm, straightforward manner. "...There is pressure," he admits, "But there should be. When you are responsible for others' lives, you should feel that weight."

Reiya glances towards where the Shadow is--but does not pursue it.

"Good."

It would be nice... Butit is not there yet. Instead, "Heh. I see. You're clearly fond of her. You seem to be quite compatible, from the way you look when you mention her."

Wagers... "She seems exciting. Perhaps I will meet her one day."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
That's true. Ririka needed a lot of discipline to get as good at music as she has.

"Thanks. And... yeah."

Ririka's got her hair short now, in a sort of bob, with the left side tucked behind her ear. She's been very excited about the new change. "I don't," she confirms on masculinity. "Well... not in the same way." She can be fairly descried as a little tomboyish. "Yeah, those are two different things, but... I still think her situation is similar enough to mine that it makes me want to support her, you know? Her being herself is still something a lot of people don't approve of..."

Preparing instead of questioning... "I guess that's a good way to look at it... and if it's what you want to do, then... good luck." She considers pressure for a moment. "I feel a lot of pressure to make sure everyone is okay, when I'm Navigating for SEES... so I guess I cant argue with that."

There's a happy laugh and a little bit of a blush as Ririka realizes one of the things she said. "Heh... thanks. I am, yeah. It's been... really great, so far."

"Yeah, maybe so. Fuuka-chan asked about meeting her, and we've been talking about it, so... maybe you will." She perks up. "Oh! You know what, maybe you and Suzume-chan and my girlfriend and I could go on a double date sometime? If everyone's up for it. Also Suzume-chan knows, too."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
It's a good change! "Hmm. I see." Tomboyish is something, but apparently not ''the'' thing. "I see. Well, as I recall, you were able to help her." There were reports, presumably. "So that's good."

"Thank you," Reiya says. To his mind, it's not a matter of want, it just 'is'. Still, "As well you should," he agrees. "But you do well. It is a pressure that you can handle."

Reiya is pleased, if quietly so, to see Ririka happy about this. "How long have you known?" he wonders. "I am curious about how people realize such things of themselves."

Then, "I see... So Yamagishi-san also knows." He nods thoughtfully. Then, "That would be fun. If all involved are willing, count me in."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"I was--well, me and a lot of other Perosna Users, of course!" Ririka did report on it--and other SEES members may have been helping hold off the Legionnaires in the background. She did not mention Hana remaining aware of the experience, though.

Ririka had trapped herself in a conception of what she 'had' to do for a time, though she's slowly working her way through that. Still, Reiya hasn't given her any reason to doubt it's what he wants. "Welcome." There's a relieved smile at the compliment. "That's good to know." She nods. "Yeah... it's felt a bit easier, since I lightened my schedule up..."

She really doesn't want a third fainting spell.

Ririka ''is'' really happy. And happier so that her teammates have been suportive. "Oh, well... I figured it out over summer break in 2010. There... there was this girl that I had a big crush on, but I didn't really realize it at the time? But when her family had to move, it..." She looks down for a moment. "... well, I was kind of heartbroken, you know? And in trying to figure out what I was feeling, I looked around online, and... yeah."

And then her brother died a month later--only now they know he was killed.

"Like I'd been on dates with guys before, and I just assumed I hadn't found someone that clicked? But I didn't really realize what my feelings for Yuki-chan were until I found something else to compare it to." She shrugs a little. "But I think some people just figure it out directly, too..."

But she smiles again. "Yep. So does Mandai-chan. And great! I'll talk to my girlfriend and Suzume-chan about it."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"Of course," Reiya recalls from the reports. He wasn't there personally--he had to fight a strange Shadow that looked like an eel.

For Reiya it's different from with Ririka in a few ways, not least of which is how he approaches it. 'Duty' is very important to him--he'd say more important than 'wants'. And, "Yes, clearing one's schedule of less improtant matters allows us to focus on that which matters most." Like family, he might say.

But Ririka explains...

"I see," he says. Some time ago, but not as slong ago as it could've been. "So you were able to determine the nature of your relationship by its absence... There is poetry in that."

He nods. "So you are exclusively attracted to women," Reiya guesses. "It makes sense, though. There would be a variety of ways to come to understanding of the self."

He nods, then. "Good."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Pesky eels.

Ririka was also burying herself in tasks just to avoid dealing with some other issues. "I mean, it was all important... or... I guess I thought so. But definitely too much..." She still feels embarrassed about it. "Anyway, with how seriously you take your duties and your training, I'm sure you'll do great as the head of your clan. When do you take over?"

"Yeah, there is..." Ririka regards Reiya for a moment. "... that's kind of beautiful. I have to remember that for for something. Maybe a song lyric..." She'd take her phone out to jot it down, but Dark Hour. "But, pretty much."

Only attracted to women. "Mmmm... basically, yeah." There might be some nuances there she's still thinking on, but it's a good enough starting point. "And, yeah... it's not always simple or straightforward, especially when society doesn't exactly support it..."

"Was there anything else you wanted to ask me? I think my head's a bit clearer now, so we could reset and try again." She pauses a moment "... but first we should clear our 3 o'clock."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"Everything's important to somebody," Reiya says. The corollary that he doesn't say is that it's important to find out what is specifically most important to ''you''. Instead, he says, "It is natural to want to hold everything." A pause. "Thank you," he says. "It will be no later than my 20th birthday. ...There are circumstances that could move it up, but I don't expect them to take place. I must discharge my duty to the Kirijo Group first, after all."

He narrows his eyes. "...And to my father."

But it's gone a moment later, and instead, "A song lyric... yes, that would be good." There could also be poetry about it! But, "Indeed... But I believe your situation won't require you to go against your desires, in that respect. That's good. Those with such freedoms should take advantage."

He considers that, next. Anything else?

"I think it is too late to try the exercise again," he says, "But I would be glad to show you some of my new skills in clearing the enemy."

"...I have no further questions for now. But I may at a later time." He starts to rise to his feet. "Come. I'll take the van."
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-10-11: Finishing Touches

Talnora — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:17:38 GMT

Talnora moved page 2026-10-11: Finishing Touches to 2026-10-10: Finishing Touches Fix OOC date in title

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	*'''Cast:''' [[Hyousuke Suzuki]], [[Remi Ryuuja]]		*'''Cast:''' [[Hyousuke Suzuki]], [[Remi Ryuuja]]
	*'''Where:''' Le Chat Marron		*'''Where:''' Le Chat Marron
	*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-10-11		*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-10-10
	*'''IC Date:''' ~~Wed~~, Jan 23 2013		*'''IC Date:''' Tuesday, Jan 22 2013
	*'''Summary:''' ''In an effort to conceal his identity at the butler cafe, Hyousuke calls on Remi for help with some makeup.''		*'''Summary:''' ''In an effort to conceal his identity at the butler cafe, Hyousuke calls on Remi for help with some makeup.''