2025-08-20: Miscommunication
- Log: Miscommunication
- Cast: Tyler Gould, Ririka Kawase
- Where: Iwatodai Mall, Iwaotoday
- OOC Date: August 20, 2025
- IC Date: Thursday, June 28, 2012 (Early Evening)
- Summary: Tyler tries to do a nice gesture for Ririka... one which is *completely( misunderstood at first. There is much confusion. And then, music.
(|============================= 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> Tyler Gould has posed.
It began with a sealed letter.
Because very rarely does Tyler Gould do anything halfway. Quite the opposite, the eccentric American tends to be more of the... going overboard, scuba'ing several miles deep, and then digging towards the Earth's core.
Nonetheless, the envelope had been placed somewhere Ririka would be sure to find it, eventually. Maybe he asked one of the girls to tape it to her door. Maybe it was propped on top of the television set in the lobby so that one of the watchers of the 'tube would bring it to her attention.
Either way, the exterior had her name -- in Japanese -- on the front, and a black, wax seal on the back.
Inside? A very simple message:
I made you a promise.
Iwatodai Station. 18:00. (musical note).
Could he have been any vague-r? ...probably. This is Tyler, after all. The elaborate style of invitation might narrow things down. The... far from perfectly drawn combination of hiragana, katakana and kanji suggests foreigner or child, and given that one of these two things is unlikely to be found in the dorm (yet!)...
6:00 PM, IWATODAI STATION
On the bottom floor of the strip mall, there's a small crowd gathering around. Live musical performances are not always a common occurence out 'among the people', but today seems to be the exception to the rule. The instrument being played, to a fellow musician, should be easily identified as a saxophone -- and visual cues will back up the audio when the eyes follow the ears to the source.
Tyler, afterall, is taller than the average Japanese person. He sticks out easily in a crowd with his look, clearly foreign, all black everything -- including the trenchcoat, in the middle of summer. Sometimes, fashion is pain.
His performance? ...he's no professional, but it's clear enough that he *does* practice, because as promised he's not making anyone's ears bleed. When and where? Well. Those might be the key questions.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka did, in fact, get that letter. "Eh...?" she had said out loud to herself while turning the envelope over in her hands. That was her name, and there was that black wax seal... that's... kind of fancy, isn't it?
A letter, delivered anonymously, with a fancy seal...
... she has some suspicions of what this might be, already, and she already feels a little distressed. But she dutifully opens the envelope anyway...
'I made you a promise.'
'Iwatodai Station. 18:00. (musical note).'
Oh, oh no... she already feels a crushing sense of despair at the thought that she is going to have to Let Someone Down... and a sort of small flash of irritation at having something put on her calendar by surprise. It's really full as-is, and she's gonna have to shuffle some stuff around, but...
... Well, she can't not go. She's guessing it's probably Tyler but she can't be sure since he didn't sign it... and if it isn't she'll never know how to get in touch with them again...
LATER
Thankfully, the strip mall isn't too far from the station, so she can breeze over here from her earlier commitment, still dressed in a black t-shirt and skirt, and sneakers. Tyler is, indeed, a lot taller than a lot of Japanese folks, and for that matter--so is Ririka. So it's not really an issue at all to find Tyler...
... and the music certainly would have drawn her attention regardless. That's unusual enough that she decideds to head that way.
She stops some distance away to listen, though. It is clear he practices, and Ririka even bobs her head along with the beat for a few moments, listening. Not bad, honestly. She would have loved to play with him, but... there's the matter of the letter to settle, and she didn't bring an instrument with her.
Finally she works her away through the crowd, approaching Tyler. "Gould-san--" There's a small cringe as she catches herself. IT's weird to be so familiar in front of strangers, but... "Tyler-kun, did... did you send me this letter...?" She fishes it out of her backpack to show.
She didn't bring an instrument but she is punctual, at least.
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
Tyler, to his part, doesn't outright *stop* when Ririka comes into sight. He's mid-song, and he has too much respect for music as, well, *art* to cut it off suddenly. Waving or working a greeting into the music just isn't going to happen because the golden instrument has the very specific requirement of both hands *and* mouth in order to play.
Though, when Ririka does work her way to the front, she can see an extra part to Tyler's ensemble; a black sunhat, on the ground in front of the musician, which has already amassed some coins and bills of varying denominations. Along with the case for said instrument. Does he know that you need a permit for street performing...?
Once the song finishes, he releases the sax to hang around his neck, lifting one of his hands in something like a wave goodbye, "And, ladies and gentlemen, that is destiny calling my name. Thank you for your patronage."
'Destiny'...? Oh dear.
Crouching down to collect his earnings into a pocket, he looks up at Ririka as now, he takes the opportunity to greet her properly. "Hey, Ririka." So casual in front of strangers! But... it's Tyler being Tyler, and they're already starting to disperse. "I'm glad you made it for the show, even if it was a bit short." That was intentional. He planned his performance to *end* shortly after the time that Ririka was arriving. The joint performance will likely come sooner than later, but she'd performed for him (and the rest of the audience!) a couple times now, so it felt important to even the ledger a bit.
"Have you eaten? If not, it's on me. There... are a few options." He motions towards the various shops in the strip mall.
...and now he's offering to buy her food?!
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka totally gets that you shouldn't stop a song in the middle of it. That kind of thing can leave her antsy if she isn't ready for it! And she can, obviously, see the difficulty in acknowledging someone when both hands and mouth are full.
She does look down, blinking and frowning a bit in thought as she sees the hat. So she got an invitation... and he's been busking, too...? She's... really not sure what to make of this...
(There is also thje permit thing--she knows about that one, having looked it up before.)
She pales a bit as Tyler declares her destiny... Oh... oh dear.
She should really cut this off before it gets awkward. Well, before it gets more awkward.
And to greet her by first name, yobisute, in front of a crowd! She makes an awkward glance around, with an embarrassed smile. "Your playing was pretty good, but..."
She pauses. She is actually a little hungry, but... No, no. That will just make things more confusing. Can't send mixed signals, she has to be clear. "I'm not really in the mood to eat but... could we maybe talk somewhere...?"
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
Granted, to *Tyler* literally everything is destiny. It's just part of his way of speaking, much like the ornate letter is far more Normal Tyler than, say, sending a text when time and circumstances allow. He is the very definition of extra.
Inclining his head to the side as she speaks, he listens to her compliment, not immediately refuting it this time -- there's tangible proof in his pocket, afterall! When she turns down the offer for food in favor of somewhere to talk? He offers her a nod in responds, taking another couple moments to secure the saxophone back in the case he brought it in.
"Sure, would you like to lead the way?"
Because she would likely know better than anyone what kind of 'somewhere' she's looking for for conversation!
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka doesn't mind people being a little extra, most of the time. Heck, she has a stage performance mode where she amps up the energy. She gets it. But this is extra... in areas that, as far as she can determine, should probably be a lot more straightforward and clear.
It's very good proof! And honestly, Ririka would probably say it was good in most cases as long as it was clear Tyler put some effort in, which he clearly does.
But Tyler seems open to talking. That's good, because it'd be a lot more awkward if she had to convince him. She puts on a brave smile. "Sure, I think I know a quiet spot..." She waits for the instrument to be secured, and then leads the way. It's nothing special, just a spot outside the normal flow of traffic, around a corner where they can talk in private.
But once there she hesitates, taking a moment to find her words. "Ano..." There is a quiet moment where she withdraws into herself, tapping her fingers rhtyhmically on her thigh. There's even a quiet hum for just a moment.
Then she takes a deep breath. "Tyler-kun, I'm... I'm very flattered, but..." She holds out the letter and envelope. "I don't think I can accept this. It was very kind of you, but... it's just not a good time for me. I'm sorry."
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
Ririka says she knows a spot, and Tyler follows after her, placing the hat back on his head to shield himself from the setting sun as he walks. He's even decent enough to give her time to gather her thoughts, get her words together, and speak her truth...
...and when she does, he stares. Directly at her, making no effort to take the letter. Face expressionless. Being hard to read is probably not the best thing right now...
...at least... until his brows furrow, his eyes squeeze together almost as if he'd tasted something terrible, and when they open again his expression is *confusion.*
"I..." he trails off for a moment, trying to consider his own words. Is it a language barrier thing? "...would it have been better at seven o' clock, or eight?" He, admittedly, would prefer to hang out later in the day himself, but given What They Do the later they're out the more likely it is that they'll run into the Dark Hour before getting back to the dorms he figured six would work for a happy medium.
...and he still has no idea what's *actually* going on here.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka really wishes Tyler were easier to read right now. (Sometimes it's hard even on a good day, but no expression makes it harder.) She's smiling apologetically, still awkwardly holding the envelope and letter out. She's... almost hopeful that this will be a gentle let down and taht they can move on.
This... does not happen.
Then there is movement, and then... confusion. She is also considering the language barrier. She tried to speak clearly and plainly, and get right to the point. She's already replaying what she said in her head, just to make sure. It all seems okay...
She thinks. Maybe she should've texted Ichika to get some advice first, workshop a rough draft or two...
Seven or eight... now Ririka is confused. (Which is okay, she doesn't actually know what's happening either.) "It's... not really about the time, and you should honestly really check if someone is available before asking them out, but I was able to rearrange some things so it kind of worked out this time--well, sorry, I guess maybe not for you but--"
Oh dear, she's rambling. She catches herself, though, and takes a deep breath. She lets her hands fall to her sides, one still clutching the letter and envelope, but the other tapping her thigh. There is humming again.
"Sorry," she says after a moment, offering an apologetic smile. "I'm trying not to make this too difficult or awkward. But... I'm sure you'll find another girl who's interested, okay?"
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
There's more staring. A couple blinks, approximately a good five seconds apart. They are just... *not* understanding one another right now and he's not entirely sure why.
...though he's suddenly a lot more concerned about his test scores for his last Japanese class...
"I mean, you didn't have to, I just thought..." she'd like to get out of the dorms for a bit, since at the last meeting she looked like she wanted to be anywhere *but* around the other SEES members. This part goes unspoken, and probably would've helped to clear things up.
...and 'another girl who's interested'? "Why would I invite another girl...?"
Somehow, he feels that might have made it worse. Unless it was someone like Hazuki, anyways!
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka is trying her best, but... to her it seems clear. Maybe a bit unusual in some of the specific details, mind you, but... not completel;y out of line with other experiences she's had.
She stands out for her talents, after all. This isn't the first letter she's gotten.
"You just thought...?" prompts Ririka. That is actually a thoughtful gesture. She's still embarassed for the argument she got into, and knowing someone was trying to support her would be a huge help. (Even if she's already resolved to apologize for her outburst.)
Hazuki's cute. That might've worked, but definitely not in the way Tyler might've thought. But as for why, Ririka just kind of stares at Tyler for a moment. She starts to speak, pauses, and then seems to just... stare. It's possible some cogs have gotten jammed somewhere by the way she stares.
"... Because... a different girl might be interested in going on a date with you...?"
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
'You just thought...?'
Right now, Tyler's not entirely sure *what* he was thinking given the way this particular conversation has gotten derailed. So rather than answer immediately, he just continues to stare.
Because Tyler Gould is not adept at social situations.
He makes a mental note: If you want to help someone in the future, just go after their enemies. It's much *easier* and he's got far more experience in that realm.
Of course, then she starts talking about 'dates' and...
His mouth moves, no words come out.
It moves again. He pauses. He squints. Then, he finally speaks.
"You thought I was asking you..." Beat. "Why would I..." Beat. "...I mean not that I'm..." Beat. "I mean you're..." Tyler.EXE has encountered an error. Please restart.
"I... just figured you could use some time away from people." he finally says. Whoops.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Was this conversation ever on the rails to begin with? Things got derailed pretty much the moment Ririka saw the letter.
Ririka would like to think she doesn't have 'enemies' per se... though admittedly she's not terribly fond of Yumi and Miyu, or Strega... but they're not part of the issue she's having at the dorm. (Not directly, anyway.)
But Tyler seems confused. That's okay, Ririka is also confused. She thought... "W-well, you sent me an anonymous letter--" she holds up the envelope and letter. "And it said something about a promise, y-you called me your destiny, you offered to buy me food..."
See? Perfectly rational.
Some time away from people. Ririka blinks. And now, suddenly, she sounds a lot less certain. ".. but spending time away from people, alone with a boy..."
She's getting the impression she might have misread the situation but she's not quite sure exactly how.
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
Tyler, for his part, is starting to put things together in his head. It's starting to make sense. He's not entirely sure whether or not that's a *good* thing at this point, but...
"I wasn't trying to be anonymous." he shakes his head slightly. "I mean, I promised you that I'd perform for you sometime." he taps the saxophone case. "...and I invited you to come out, so your arrival *was* destined." Beat. "...and I just made some money playing, so..."
He raises his hands up to chest level, now, palms out. "I'm a boy, sure, but I'm not, uh, *a boy*." Creature of the night is far more appropriate. One of those hands moves up, brushing back the purple streak in his hair. "Look. You're cute, sure. But." Beat. Is everyone in the Kawase family destined to put him in these situations? "Girls..." he trails off, trying to figure out exactly how he might put this. "...they don't... you know." She probably doesn't. "Like *that*. With me." He shakes his head. "Not unless they want something." And that's the way he sees it. Which might explain the reaction to Ichika's flirting the time he met her!
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Not trying to be anonymous. "You... didn't sign your name, though." She takes the letter out and unfolds it. "See?" Saxaphone. "... true, but I also thought we wanted to play together..." She arrived on time. "W-well, you planneed for my arrival, destiny is kind of... well it's a cool word, but..." The money. "... right..." Beat. "... you have a license, right...?"
A boy but not... "Oh, sorry!" Ririka says very quickly. "I didn't mean it like that, just, you know, how it looked..." She does blink a little as something isn't said. "Like... what...?" She has no idea. Most of her exposure to dating has been a few dates that she got asked out on, or hearing about her sister's. She's not entirely sure what the dynamic with Tyler might be, and especially so with him being an American here.
She completely missed that reaction that day. She was a bit busy trying to reconcile her sister also being supernatural. (And also the Demons thing. Definitely also that.)
"So..." She looks at the letter again. "... you just wanted to follow up on your promise to play for me... and you thought I would want to get... away..." Blink. Blink. "... from... the dorm...?" she ventures a guess. Slowly dawning realization. "Was... it because of the other night...?"
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
Now, Tyler reaches for the envelope. Taking it in his hand if she lets him, turning it around to show off the black wax, "I figured this would be a giveaway."
Because who *else* would send so formal a letter? Maybe Mitsuru, but she'd almost certainly use the traditional red wax, he suspects.
"...and, yeah, my, uh. 'Uncle', I guess. Told me about that." his other hand moves now to pull the permit from one of the trenchcoat's outer pockets; all official and everything! Then it's put back away. "I keep it on me when I play in public. Just in case the authorities try to eliminate me."
A flair for the dramatic words, for sure.
'Like what?'
Here, he actually makes a face of distaste. She's probably seeing more emotion out of Tyler than most people in Japan have tonight! "In America," Thankfully not in Japan, so far. "...after my parents were murdered," Wait, what? "I became kinda famous." Why? Say WHY, Tyler! "And girls suddenly liked me, but not *me*." He shrugs a bit. Acceptance. He'd say he'd be surprised it hadn't happened to *her*, but she's also, in his eyes, *normal*, so there were probably people into her because, well, they were just into her!
"Yeah." Regarding her summation! "You looked like you wanted to be anywhere else." Another shrug. He might not catch a lot of social cues -- at least not the way they're intended -- but that one? He knows that one on a personal level.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
She does let Tyler take the envelope. And she looks at the wax seal. "That's... not exactly common, though...?" she points out. "If you do it again I'll know, but the first time..." After a beat she adds, "A-also, being more specific would be better, next time."
Specificity helps her out a lot, actually.
Mitsuru probably would use the traditional red wax... but she'd probably also sign her letter.
Ririka doesn't try to question 'Uncle' in quotes. She's not about to police someone with a non-biological relationship or some other arrangement. "Oh, good!" she looks pretty relieved when she sees the permit.
But she gasps when Tyler reveals what happened to his parents. "Tyler, I'm so sorry to hear that, that's awful." But he became famous... why... That question is burning, waiting to be asked, but... maybe that's something she shouldn't press too much. Not right now, at least. But she thinks she gets the issue, now. "Well... most girls here probably won't know about that, at least...?" she offers, with a faint note of hope.
Okay, there are other issues, but... as for her, well... the mourning period provided a good excuse for a while, not to accept dates. And being too busy covers the rest, now.
But she actually smiles as she finally gets to the real motivation. "Oh, well... thank you, Tyler-kun. That's really nice of you." She hums for a moment, thinking. "Well, I wanted to play with you, but my instruments are back at the dorm..." Then she grins. "Buuuuut... I have an idea. Follow me."
She takes off, heading to a store in the strip mall with a sign that reads "The Soundworks."
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
"I guess I'm just used to people knowing my signatures." Tyler replies -- meaning his signature behaviors -- but he offers a nod, ultimately. "I'll try to be more verbose."
...you may have just created a monster. Next time, it'll be a novella, not a couple sentences.
To his parents? He shakes his head. "They knew what they were doing, just like I do, now. Before it caught up to them, they helped a lot of people." Which is exactly why he tries to do the same, now. Because he has the tools. He has people who *let* him, rather than try to keep him away from it. As for girls? "Nobody so far. That I *know* of, at least." Mitsuru almost certainly knows, because she knows everything. Others who look. With the internet in existence, and the continued usage of his surname by the group that (sort of) carried on what his parents were doing? It's not that hard to find out a *lot* about Tyler. "It's... kind of like the past is six feet below, here." Which is exactly where he wants it for the most part.
Then she's calling his actions *nice* and, well, he's going to look *over there* for a moment. Getting sincere compliments is not a normal part of his wheelhouse. Backhanded ones, sure. Real ones feel... odd. Of course, then she has her idea, and Tyler bobs his head once in response. "Sure."
He's not entirely sure what she's got in mind, not exactly, at least, but that doesn't stop him from following in her footsteps at his more casual pace!
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
"But I didn't see a signature...?" That might be more literal than he meant. But he'll be more verbose. Ririka offers a tentative smile. "Okay!"
... The novella might have to be a bridge they cross when they get to it.
But more leaboration comes. "Oh..." She's... not really sure what to say. Losing parents, even after they've helped someone or several someones... She looks awkwardly down at her feet. "... I lost my brother a year and a half ago," she offers quietly. "It was just... some medical thing, but it was still sudden."
"Well... I hope you can find someone.... if that's what you're looking for, anyway." It's also fine if he doesn't.
Sorry, Tyler, Ririka's pretty direct sometimes.
The Soundworks is a small little music store, smelling like old wood and polished chrome. There's three corners, one roughly dedicated to normal and bass guitars, one for keyboards, and one for drum kits and a few synthesizers and drum machines. There seems to be a healthy selection of second-hand gear, too. The last corner, by the front door, has the counter and accessories stocked there. There's an older looking gentleman there, with medium-length pushed back black hair and stubble, and wearing jeans, an old band t-shirt, and a red flannel short worn open on top. Totally "old rocker" cibes.
He's sitting on a stool and flipping through a catalog, though she glances up when Ririka comes striding through the door. There's a gruff, ut not unkind, "Hey, Kawase-san. What can I do you for? I just got in some new sheet music."
Ririka seems to shift a little, becoming more confident as she strides in. She's more energetic and enthusiastic. This is Show Energy Ririka, that Tyler got to see a couple of Sundays ago at Sumaru TV. "Hey, Harada-san!" she greets, with a formal mode of address but still a familiar tone to her voice. "Harada-san, this is Tyler Gould, a friend from school. Tyler-kun, this is Kanato Harada."
Kanato looks to Tyler and nods, then his eyes drift to the saxophone case. "Saxophone, huh?"
Ririka grins. "Yep. We wanted to jam together, but I don't have my keyboard with me. Can I borrow one of yours for a bit?"
The older man scratches at the enderside of his chin, grunting in annoyance. "You know, just because I have demo models set up, doesn't mean you can walktz in here anytime you want, kid."
"Come on, I'll buy something. And I brought you a new customer, too!" Hey wait, maybe you shouldn't be committing Tyler to buying from this store...!
Another grunt. "Well, if you're vouching for him... but cause a racket and I'm tossing you out."