2025-07-03: A Special Outfit
- Log: A Special Outfit
- Cast: Maya Amano, Ichika Kawase
- Where: Hirasaka Ward, Sumaru City
- OOC Date: July 03, 2025
- IC Date: June 04, 2012
- Summary: Maya Amano is on the case! She finds a girl to interview for Coolest! ...And Ichika Kawase is very surprised to be that girl.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"Hey there! I'm Maya Amano with Coolest. Do you mind if I ask a few questions about your outfit?"
Things had slowed considerably with the Joker story; despite her best efforts, Maya wasn't able to generate any good leads and the article she wrote was more of a recap of events than it was a juicy exposé. She was chewed out by Editor-in-Chief Mizuno who commanded she get a new article on her desk by end-of-day.
Street Fashion articles were easy to do in a rush. Maya used to do them with Yukki when the two were still paired up together to pad out an issue when the month was slow or fill in whatever empty magazine space that couldn't be filled in with ads. Typically, Yukki would take the photos and Maya would put together the rest of the piece and they could have it done in the span of a few hours. Unfortunately, now there wasn't a Yukki to help Maya with the photos and Maya was working on a much shorter timeframe than she would be, even back then.
Let's think positive!
Maya smiled at the teenager, hoping that her enthusiasm would be enough to draw her into an interview. After all, her outfit was really fashionable -- definitely the kind of thing that other teens would want to copy themselves.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika Kawase wasn't expecting to talk to a reporter today.
She was expecting to go out, certainly. She dressed up more than she usually does, in something more like her old style instead of the delinquent tough approach she usually takes these days. She'd expected to attract notice... But not quite this notice! But how did she dress up?
Ichika is wearing a draping yellow top that does great things for her significant bust, with straps that lay along her upper arms instead of shoulders, leaving those bare except for the thin red straps beneath. She has on a very short black skirt, and shows a little thigh above her translucent yellow stockings, which disappear into knee-high black boots. No heel; she really doesn't need one at 180cm, towering over most of the street like a model.
She has a few bracelets about her wrist, long, painted nails (in red), and dark makeup that makes for a striking effect. And, of course, she has bleached-blonde hair down past her waist.
And also, a reporter talking to her.
"...Me?" she confirms, glancing around to make sure it's not anyone else.
...Well, of course her! She did work pretty hard on this one today... But she's not used to positive attention from adults.
"Sure," she allows after a moment; her voice is a little rough, but she uses a more polite mode of speech and that might make up for it.
"I'm fine with that."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"Great!" Maya tried not to let her relief show on her face, but her excitement was definitely palpable. Even though this might be a "Punishment" for not completing this issue's Joker article to her satisfaction, she actually really liked jobs like this one!
Maya fished her cell out of her bag and turned on her recording app. "We like to talk about your outfit, but our fans are really interested in getting to know the person behind the clothes, too. What's your name and year?" Maya wasn't entirely sure if the tall girl was still in high school, but if she were a college student or working, she was sure she'd let her know!
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika is pretty good at reading people. She can definitely read that Maya is excited. ...It's a little infectious. She reads Coolest, and while she doesn't always like a lot of attention...
This is the kind of thing you look forward to, right?
"Oh!" Ichika starts, and then looks a little more apprehensive. "Not sure they'll like that as much. But all right. I'm Ichika Kawase, third year high school." She doesn't share her school.
...Well, if she's already given her name... It's not like they'll use it when this lady figures out who she is.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"We'll just go with Ichika in the article," Maya reassures her. There's plenty of things that teen girls have to worry about these days and Maya knows that pretty well from talking to so many of them.
"What went through your mind when putting together this outfit? Did you put it together for a special occasion, like a date?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Okay. Thanks," Ichika says, palpably relieved. She didn't have to give her last name, but she's only gotten into the delinquent gig in the last year or so--instincts of being Good die hard.
"I was thinking..." She thinks back to it. It was just earlier this morning, after all. "I wanted to be brighter today," she says. "I usually go a little more dour," she admits. "And..." She opens her mouth and closes it, and laughs a little. "Yeah, I'm meeting a... my boyfriend later," she settles on. She's wavering a little between comfortable and nervous, like she can't quite decide what she wants to be.
"I usually don't dress for boys. But I wanted to surprise him."
A glance down, "Well, not just him. I guess I felt like being noticed in general today."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
Maya's smile is especially genuine at Ichika's answer. She's not too much older than Ichika right now, but somehow seeing teen girls answer questions like this makes her feel really nostalgic too.
"There's no way you wouldn't be noticed with a getup like that!" Maya assures her cheerily. "If I were your boyfriend, I'd be totally pumped to know my girlfriend dressed up for me!"
Maya wets her lips before continuing. "Did you have anyone help you with your hair, makeup or outfit today?" she asked, thinking of Ulala.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika may think of herself as very adult and have been through a lot of things, but she still has some of that youthful earnestness to her.
She smiles back, and this time, it's more relaxed. "Yeah!" she answers. It's what anybody would feel, isn't it?
But, "Not today," she says. "I pick this stuff myself, and it doesn't take me all that long."
A beat, "But the hair takes more than a day," she admits. "My best friend helps me keep the color. ...I could probably stand to touch up my roots, but the artificiality is kind of the point, right? If I wanted to blend in, I'd keep my natural color."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"Of course!" Maya says, again thinking of Ulala. "Do you mind if I ask what brand dye you use? I'm sure there'll be some readers who will want to try and replicate your look!"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Tsubasa has colorful hair in common with Ulala! ...A lot of differences too, though.
"Hoyu," Ichika answers. "The Hoyu Beauteen EX Mega Bleach is what works best for me--I wouldn't have guessed about it without my friend. They showed me the ropes on dye in general."
"You'll want someone for that," she says for Maya's readers. "It's not the kind you want to use alone if you've never done it. But that's how it works, right? A lot of looks are like that."
She's engaged, now, more curious about Maya herself. But she's polite enough to wait on those questions.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
Whoa, Ichika is a total natural! Maya really lucked out today!
"Do you remember where you got your outfit?" Maya asks. "If you made it yourself or were gifted it, we love to know that, too. It really gives our readers a feel for your personality and style!"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"I do!" Ichika says. "I'd waited a while to wear this one, actually--I got the pieces from a few different places. The top was in Shibuya, and the skirt was in Iwatodai that I found the other day... You can get stockings a lot of places but there's a particular shop in Iwatodai that has these that won't tear so easily--They actually--" She thinks better of mentioning that her other boyfriend was wearing the style first.
"Well, they're really good." She rattles off a store name at, "Paulownia Mall, on the island."
A beat, "It's kind of hard for me to shop most places," she admits. "Because I'm tall. So whenever I find something that might look good with something else I have to grab it right away."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"It's got to be rough," Maya says sympathetically. "Anyone who doesn't fit out of the Japanese 'norm' really struggles with clothes! It's good that it's getting easier to find western clothes. If you haven't yet, you might want to check out secondhand stores! You can find a ton of pieces you wouldn't find in normal stores and usually at a good deal, too!"
Maya's current outfit is definite proof of that! Which reminds her of another good question...
"Do you usually do your shopping by yourself or with a friend?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"It can be," she says. Doesn't fit the norm... Even with clothes, people like that struggle. She thinks about the officer she had to avoid before. "For sure," she says. "Yeah! That's where I got the boots, actually. Sometimes the clothes need a little love, but..."
She does like Maya's outfit.
"With a friend, definitely--it's more fun that way. And you can get opinions right off, if you need a second look."
"And they can turn you on to new styles, too. I changed mine a lot from last year's."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"Oh? Did your friends influence your new look?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Yes," Ichika answers. "The school I started going to... My old style wasn't really cutting it. I learned a lot."
A beat, "But you probably don't want to hear about that part. Instead I'll just say... They showed me some stuff I'd never thought about before, and I incorporated it."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"That's really great! I'd be totally lost without my best friend there to help me with my outfits." That was an understatement. "I think I've got everything I need now. Do you mind if I snap a few photos? We can delete whichever ones you don't like." Editor-in-Chief Mizuno wouldn't be happy to hear this; she always wanted a huge selection of photos to choose from. But if their model wasn't happy with what was printed, there was really no point, right? There was no way Maya wasn't going to have a teenager not have at least some choice in the pictures that might be published!
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Heh." Ichika has no idea how much of an understatement it is; she assumes Maya is being modest! "Oh..." She has to think about it for a moment. Photos. She might actually appear in...
...Is she going to let herself hold back because 'he' might see her? Is that how it 'ought' to be?
A little spark of rebellion tells her, "Sure. Go for it. Anything I need to do for them?"
She'll follow whatever isntructions, but then, "...So, Amano-san," she says. "How'd you get into this business?"
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"Nope, feel free to do whatever you want! But if you're having any difficulty figuring out good poses, let me know and I'll give you a hand." Maya gave Ichika a playful wink.
Maya stopped the recording, verified it was successfully captured, then swapped her phone for a digital camera. It was nothing compared to Yukino's equipment, but it was still much better than the camera on Maya's phone.
Maya tapped a few buttons to adjust the settings. "My father was a reporter, so I wanted to be one, too. We reported on very different things, though!"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"OK!" Ichika says. "...I'll just pose like I want someone to look at me," she supposes, and she's used to being Looked At. Sometimes that's a bad thing--but times like this, it's pretty nice actually.
Ichika's style is definitely more sexy than cute, though not all the way in that direction. Elegant might work, too. Her height helps that idea.
"Oh, really?" she asks. "My dad's a doctor... but I never had the smarts."
"But you, you seem great at getting people to open up and everything. I was nervous, but you calmed me right down." She wonders, "What kind of things did he report on, then?" Since obviously Maya's doing... this.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
Maya peered through the viewfinder and tapped a few buttons on the top of the camera. The camera lens expanded, then retracted with a mechanical whir. "Perfect!" Maya exclaimed, pleased with what she had managed. She had picked up a few things from Yukki after all!
Maya readied her camera for her first shot. "He was a war reporter." Snap. "It's much easier to maintain a work/life balance with a job like this, though." Snap. "I'm sure that's got to be a big problem for you dad, too."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Pose! Pose! Ichika's an amateur at posing for a camera, but she's had a little practice as an artist's model.
"Great!" Ichika answers, pleased. Now that she's committed to the idea, she's going all-in on it.
She smiles.
"Oh!" she says of war reporting. "Wow." She wonders; Maya's dad was a war reporter, but...
"It's not as hard-hitting as war maybe, but your magazine helps me feel connected to other girls," Ichika admits. "That's what I like about it."
Another pose!
"It is," she agrees. "I'm the dorms anyway, but even on weekends I don't always get to see him."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
Maya fights back a frown. "When do you get to see him, then?" Snap.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Some weekends I do!" she answers, "Holidays and stuff, mostly. We still take a trip for Golden Week, and he can always get that off." Ichika doesn't seem too weighed-down by it--but Maya might see that it's not something she's totally casual with, either.
"But I live far from where they are, so most of his days off I'm here in Sumaru."
The melancholy of that moment fades in the next picture, and comes back after.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
Maya can get the sense that this turn of conversation is making her model sad; there's no way she's going to let things continue on like this!
"That must mean you're pretty independent!" Maya said cheerily, in an attempt to shift the mood in a more positive direction. Snap. "That's going to be helpful when you're an adult!" Snap. "As for me, I have to rely on my roommate for everything. I'm lucky to have someone who can help me with my clothes and hair and cooking and cleaning." Was there _anything_ Ulala didn't help with?
Snap.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Oh," Ichika says, and when Maya puts it that way, it is more positive. "Well... It's important to me to be able to stand on my own. Not that I live alone. ...But you pretty much have to look after yourself."
A laugh, then, and the next smile is more genuine--it might be a better picture. "That's pretty lucky!" she agrees. "I don't mind cooking for the other girls," she says, finding a bit of herself in Maya's roommate. "But really? You look so together, I assumed you did it all yourself!"
Pose!
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
Maya's face was hurting from smiling so much. She really liked this girl. Snap.
"Okay!" Maya exclaimed with one last snap. "I think I got all the shots I need. Did you want to take a look?" She offered Ichika the camera. "You can scroll back and forth with these buttons. If there's anything you don't like, you should be able to delete it with this one. Don't forget to confirm it by hitting the button again!"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika wouldn't usually be quite so smiley herself--but a little encouragement does a lot to bring her out of her shell. It doesn't take much.
"Sure!" Ichika answers, looking at the camera and carefully holding it as Maya shows her how to do it. "...Wow," she says, looking at some of them. "This is me? You really are good at this." She finds that she likes looking through, "...I've never really posed for photos before. The closest I got was when Sei-kun wants to draw me..."
"Oh, this one's nice." Pause. "Are you sure about this one, though? I think you caught me lost in thought."
It's actually a good picture--Ichika's just a little self-conscious about showing that particular emotion.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"I think it looks great! It's definitely a 'Mona Lisa' moment. When I look at it, I can't help but want to know what you're thinking!" Maya punctuates this with a firm nod. She's 100% genuine when she says it. No lip service here! "It's actually one of my favorites. But how do _you_ feel about it?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Really?" Ichika wonders, and smiles a little more softly, as if she's really thinking about it. "Well," the teenager answers, "If you like it, I'm willing to go with that." How does she feel? "I don't think I look bad, I just... wondered, if anyone would want to see me like that."
"Thanks. ...You're sure you wanted me for this?"
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"Really sure! I couldn't have gotten luckier." Maya's smile says it all. "Here's my card," she says, fishing it out of her pocket. "Feel free to email me and I'll send you the photos. It might be a nice memento!"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika decides not to give Maya the litany of reasons she shouldn't have picked her. Maybe she'll figure it out later, but Ichika isn't going to be the one to break this particular glow.
She smiles back. It's more hesitant, but still genuine. She accepts the card with both hands. "I will," she says. "That'd be really nice. And if your magazine actually runs this, will you let me know?"
A beat, "Thanks, Amano-san. It's nice to..."
"It's nice," she settles on.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"Of course! Just make sure you email me so I have some way to contact you!" Maya tucks the camera back into her bag. "And be sure to let me know if you ever want to do it again!" Another wink.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"I will!" Ichika assures Maya. "Today, even." She's going to make sure of it. But Maya's next statement--
Ichika blinks. "...That's..."
That's an option?
"Ah, I mean--right!"
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"I'll look forward to it! But make sure you're not late for your date. I'm sure your boyfriend can't wait to see you!"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Oh, right!" Ichika says, and laughs. "I almost did forget. It'd be a shame if he didn't get to see me in this, right?"
She nods back, and that roughness earlier to her voice is gone--she doesn't sound very delinquent at all! "Talk to you then," she says, and starts down the way where she'd been going to walk in the first place.