2025-09-08: Sneak Attack
- Log: Sneak Attack
- Cast: Ichika Kawase, Ann Takamaki
- Where: Smile Mall, Hirasaka Ward, Sumaru City
- OOC Date: September 08, 2025
- IC Date: July 08, 2012
- Summary: One mall. Two girls enter. Both will probably leave eventually. This is... shoppingdome.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika Kawase has had a rough weekend, starting with Friday, and she's still trying to come out of it. So what's the prescription? Shopping! Ichika is going to the MALL now that she feels up for going around, and she happened to catch some events of interest on the way over--she wasn't inclined to interrupt, but it was neat to see, and got her thinking about clothes...
Right now, though: afternoon on a Sunday, at Smile Hirasaka. Ichika's a standout figure--extremely tall, with bleached-blonde hair down her back and below her waist. She has dark, dramatic makeup--black lips, red shadow, black liner--and an outfit literally out of a magazine, since she was in one once for it. A yellow top off the shoulder, with red straps showing and a black layer beneath, along with a black miniskirt, yellow translucent tights, and black boots. She has a bag on her arm from one of the stores already, and an interested look eyeing a couple more of them across the way.
The weather's nice... but they're inside, so that doesn't matter so much anymore, except that it's a good day to take stuff home!
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Ann Takamaki doesn't know Hirasaka that well.
It's not for lack of interest, really. It's just time, and distance, and the things going on in her own life has made dedicating that much of her day to seeing what this particular ward of Sumaru is all about. She knows the rumors -- that it's the 'dangerous' part of Sumaru -- that Kasugayama is a school for delinquents and problem students. It's probably true, too, but well -- doesn't that just describe her and her friend group to a tee?
So when she finds opportunity in the form of a potential modeling gig in the dangerous part of Sumaru, well. She doesn't even have to think twice. After all...
"Wowwwww. It's so biiiiiiig."
This was Ann's first thought when she looked up at the five story splendor that is Smile Hirasaka. Let's see where we're at now:
"Wowwwww. It's so biiiiiiig."
So. Yeah.
This is where we're at.
This is the echoed wonder of Ann Takamaki as she steps out of the carefully cordoned area of convenience story brightly labeled CHEERS. The photoshoot is done, and the crew is currently at work cleaning up all the setpieces and equipment as she emerges from the store with the hiss of automatic doors, dressed down in a billowy white off-the-shoulder blouse tucked into a pair of high-waisted, red button-up shorts, all complemented by a black corded bolo-wrap necklace and a pair of dangly, oversized heart-earrings.
"Thanks for all the hard work, Ann-chan!" the photographer calls out from within the store as she leaves. Ann turns back, offering a bright smile and a wave.
"Mm-hm! No problem! Good luck with the campaign!"
The doors shut. And, with the squeak of white-and-red sneakers Ann turns towards the true inspiration for her trip out here today.
Five. Entire. Stories. Of premium, in-person--
"Shopping!
"Shopping!!
"Shopping!!!"
Yes. This is Ann, announcing this loudly to the world with a triumphant fist-pump into the air and a big, beaming eye-squinting grin. Yes, some people give her weird looks as she passes by. Yes, she doesn't notice or care.
"Hee hee, oh, oh! Where am I gonna start~??"
She has -great deeds to perform-.
But that -is- the question, isn't it? Where to start? Where to start...
Rocking on her heels, Ann realizes she does not know this mall at all, which is a surreal realization to come to when you are Malls' Mightiest Matriarch. This place is just, as mentioned, so biiiiiiig; she's not even sure if Aeon Laketown is bigger than this (okay it probably is; but this place is so VERTICAL). So where should she go--??
Struck by indecision, Ann Takamaki's face is screwing up into an increasingly look of 'just ate a lemon warhead' sourness levels, lips person, brow crunching, nose crinkling. She's about to surrender and just look for a mall brochure when suddenly--
"Whoa!"
The -tallest fashion statement she's ever seen walks by-.
Look at that top! That skirt! Those tights! That hair! That height! And, makeup game? So on point. Ann wonders over these myriad facts about the young woman walking by and past until she realizes--
"Oh! Hey!"
-- if anyone knows how to navigate FIVE STORIES OF FASHION, it's someone who knows the fashion game!
And she's so tall!
And so, this is why a very blonde very foreign-looking stranger is excitedly flagging down Ichika Kawase, approaching her location -rapidly-.
"H-hey! Do you know some good shopping spots here?? I'm like, so lost."
ann you were thinking about it in the abstract for like all of a minute come on
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
It is big. With big glass roof letting in sunlight at the top, all five floors get a little of the brightness. It is, dare we say, full of reasons to Smile!
Ichika hears the chorus of shopping from nearby, and while she doesn't see the source immediately, she almost smiles. Somebody's excited. But soon, it is not a matter of 'hearing' excitement. It is a matter of being part of excitement, as Ichika, about to walk on by, is addressed by the most cheerful girl she has possibly ever met.
Ichika turns and blinks for a moment. "Ah?" she starts, and seeing Ann, realizes with dread that she doesn't speak any good English before--
Oh. She's speaking Japanese. Oh, that's cool then.
Ichika has to think about it a second--but once she does she says, "Sure. I live around here, so I know where stuff is."
She lifts a bag, "Just behind me's got the best shoes. I had to replace a pair, so I started there."
'NEVER DEFEETED' may be the name of this triumphant shoe store.
"But there's a lot. What're you looking for?"
Despite the dark makeup and the bleached hair, she's only a little rough-spoken.
But look at this girl! Billowy blouse, red to go with it, the heart earrings--And perfect skin!
And she's a model. Probably. Ichika saw her at the shoot as she was passing by, anyway.
So Ichika nods firmly after a moment. "I'll lead the way wherever."
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
She -is- speaking Japanese. In fact, she's speaking it very well, with all the fluency of someone who was born and raised with the language.
"Oh, you're like. A total lifesaver!"
Just. Trending dangerously close to gyaru levels of fluency.
It's quite possibly a disarming incongruity with her appearance -- but if nothing else, Ichika's newfound companion who has unilaterally inserted herself into the tall girl's life comes by and owns that incongruity quite naturally. Beaming bright, Ann Takamaki looks like a perfect embodiment of one of those beams of clear skies sunlight shining in from the glass ceilings above as she shoulders her aggressively pink handbag a little closer. Sky blue eyes squeeze shut with her mirth. She may or may not be pumping a fist in victory (this time against her side and not up into the air again, thank god).
She's just. Very enthusiastic about shopping. Speaking of which:
"Oo, good choice! I always start with the necessities, too. That way, you know exactly how much money you have left over to splurge." This is Ann, immediately engaging in Advanced Level Shopping Spree Strategy banter with a girl whose name she definitely does not even know as of yet, thumbs hooking into the pockets of her shorts as she gabs. "I always feel a little sad saying goodbye to a favorite old pair of shoes though. It's like they've seen and done so much with you, y'know?"
Yes, Ann can feel compassion for a good pair of shoes, even though she may or may not own a dozen or so of them. It's easy to get attached! A comfy pair of shoes is the difference between an agonizing shopping trip and an invigorating one!
At some point, at least, Ann realizes she's just enthusing about shopping and waylaying Ichika in the process. She is, in fact, about to apologize -- when that question, and offer, comes.
"Err, sorry, I-- whoa wait, seriously?" she says, those sky blues widening just a little in surprise. If that rougher speech, if that makeup and hair bother her, she doesn't seem to show it. If anything... she's always a little bit impressed, seeing that kind of hair. Someone voluntarily making the choice to look like that?
It wasn't -that- long ago now that she was considering dying her hair -away- from that platinum hue just to make people stop talking about it, after all.
"Eheh, well then! Hmmmmm..." And so here, Ann lifts a pale hand to her chin, cupping it between nails painted in ruby red and crispest pink as she adopts the pensive posture of the greatest of shopping sages.
"Uuuusually when I'm done with a shoot, I beeline straight to the closest dessert place..." she admits, without prompting. Should models (is she??) be indulging in the carb-laden dangers of dessert--? "Mm. But this is my first time in Hirasaka, and I got some great news kinda recently, so I'm thiiiiiinking I should get something awesome to commemorate all that, right? Sooooo, maybe... hm. What's the hands-down best clothing store here?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
It's almost, almost too much. Ichika definitely doesn't feel like a beam of sunlight at the moment. But it's kind of nice, too.
Someone who's really into something...
"Oh, ho. You are advanced," Ichika notes with some respect. "I feel the same--but these kinda got really beat up after the last time I had to run from the co--" Pause. "Run... fast!"
Don't get too comfortable, Ichika!!
Ichika doesn't mind; she frankly was just going to be alone for this trip anyway, and she hates being alone, even in a big crowd. So besides...
"Why not?" Ichika asks of her offer. "Sounds fun."
Thennnn...
A shoot!! That means probably a model! But more to the point, dessert places! "Fifth floor crepe stand," Ichika says immediately. "To die for."
But great news? "Hmmm... If you want the best..."
"Gotta be Sneak Attack," Ichika says with a nod. "Fourth floor--started with jewelry, but got into street fashion later. When I want something really killer, that's where I go. And unlike most of the nicer shops, they've got stuff for tall girls. Whether you like cutesy or skulls, they've got either one." A beat, "I usually go for the skulls. But this is kind of a lucky outfit for me."
Ichika starts off towards the escalators. "First time in Hirasaka, huh? Well, you're in the nice part. Like I said, I live around here, in the school dorms--the mall's a bright spot."
"Oh," she says, because there's a question she wants to ask but it's rude, "I'm Ichika Kawase. Might as well know who you're walking with, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
--but these kinda got really beat up after the last time I had to run from the co--
There is Ann Takamaki, listening with rapt, wide-eyed attention.
Run... fast!
"Run... fast?"
Her head tilts, puzzled.
"Huh."
Is she onto Ichika, or is she just trying to figure out if Ichika meant she was literally running fast, or they somehow got beat up due to neglect while she was on a fast from running?
It is... deeply unclear.
(how would a run fast even work though--)
Regardless, she seems to accept the pivot for what it is for now, especially because-- "Ohmigosh, they've got a crepe place here??" She has discovered Far Greater Priorities. "I love a good creme crepe soooo muuuuuch. We are -so- going there. Have you ever had the ones at Million Sweets, off Shibuya Central? Hands. Down. Best. Ever. At -least- in Shibuya."
Yes. The canny crepe talk seems to divert any questions Ann might have; soon enough she's joining Ichika on her journey to the escalators, one hand on her purse strap, the other swinging to and fro with her every jubilant step.
"Sneak Attack, huh," she repeats, weighing the name as it forms around her lips. "I don't think I've ever heard of it. That's a definite plus!" Making new shopping discoveries is one of the -best- parts of the shopping experience! Now -that's- something you could never get with crude, online shopping! Stepping onto the escalator, she wiggles in excitement, her arms swinging this way and that with the sway of her hips. "Hee, I can't wait."
Still -- she does listen to Ichika explain the gist of the store; she even grimaces with sympathy as they descend. "Ugh. Tell me about it. Finding a place that doesn't treat women's fashion like a one-size-fits-all is such a pain in the ass." Ann, at least, doesn't have the curse of tall; maybe relative to the average, but she's still a solid six inches shy of -Ichika's- mark. "That's why you gotta pay it forward whenever you find one of the good ones, y'know?"
Cutesy or skulls. Ann considers this for a moment; as they get off the escalator, she turns to take Ichika in with that critical fashion eye, even taking up the painter's portrait gesture she has brazenly stolen from Yusuke and everything.
"Hmmmm. Yeah. You could definitely rock a good punk look," she surmises, thoughtful, "or even a goth one. Like, elegant and dangerous all in one? Such a great combo. Not a lot of people can pull that off."
Excitable as she was, she's pretty confident in moments like these. Well -- it probably makes sense enough. She is a model, after all.
Of course, she has to ruin it a second later when she just kind of does what she always does best: "Oh, you go to Cuss High??"
Says the first thing on her mind, immediately and without thinking. Luckily, she realizes her gaffe.
"Is it true that the students totally took over the school? To be honest, that sounds -so- nice. I wish my school could learn a thing or two from that."
But not right away.
"--Err. W-wait, you probably don't want some stranger calling your school some lame name like Cuss High, huh?"
There it is.
At least she can -fix- one part of that -- as Ichika introduces herself, so too does Ann -- by clapping hands together and bowing in a little apology ritual. "I'm so sorry about that! I'm Ann Takamaki. It's good to meet you, Kawase-san!" A second passes. "Again, sorry!"
She knows a thing or two about how ugly rumors can be.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika looks at Ann. Her head is tilted. Ichika opens her mouth and closes it. Then--
Crepes! Much better. "Yep!" Then Ichika listens. They are going there! It's definitely an Outing now. But Ichika laughs a little at the suddenness of it anyway. "Nope, haven't. I'll have to next time I'm out there."
Ichika keeps her bag on her arm, the opposite arm to where she's walking with Ann, so she doesn't hit her with it or something. The little things! But, "You like new stuff, huh?" she asks. "Yeah I think they're just here in Hirasaka."
"Seriously!" Ichika agrees with Ann at her sympathy. "And it's like, it's so individualized, or it should be." Pay it forward. "Yeah! Besides, people get down on Hirasaka. There's a lot of good stuff here, too."
A portrait? Ichika blinks a little at the squared gesture, reflexively stopping in place as if being photographed. But, "Oh!" A smile. "Thanks!" she says. "I'm usually leaning more that way these days, but sometimes you want to mix it up, right?" % r
Then--
"Ah."
it does ruin a moment; Ichika's whole body language shifts. She becomes a little more closed-off, a little more hesitant--a little taller somehow, even. She's more the Boss now than just a shopper. Except--
Ann does realize it, and Ichika relaxes about half the way back. "Yeah," she says. "We like to call it Kasu High. Or just say the whole name. ...A lot of people get down on it, but we do our best with what we've got, you know?" With that, "But that's pretty much true. The teachers mostly gave up, so we organize stuff ourselves. It's harder since it was a boys' school until this year, but..."
She smiles, now that the introductions are done. "Likewise, Takamaki-san. Don't worry about it." She's back to casual again. "It's what a lot of people call us. And it does get people to leave me alone when I want them to." A pause. "But if we're talking what we do..."
"Shoot. Like, a photoshoot, right? Were you modeling there? I passed by and thought I saw the photographers and stuff." A beat, "I'm kinda... thinking about looking into journalism...? So how people get into fields like that kinda interests me."
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
She likes new stuff?
"Mm-mm," Ann denies, shaking her head. A second passes. "Well... sorta? I mean, new stuff is nice. But so is vintage. Like undiscovered gems, right? I dunno. I guess if I had to find a way to put it..."
Blonde brows screw together, as Ann puts serious thought into this than was ever probably warranted by so simple a question.
"... the world's such a big place, but sometimes it feels so suffocatingly small, and finding a new store kinda reminds me -- there's so much more to the world than whatever I'm feeling right now, you know?" Pink lips pull into a frown. "Err. Though I guess that's kinda weird, huh."
She'd blame Yusuke for waxing poetic so much but really -- he's just helped equip her with the words to describe a thing she's felt for a long time now. Finding a new store. Finding a new friend.
There's always new connections to make, and she takes a lot of hope in that.
Not that she can't compromise it by putting her big dumb foot in her big dumb mouth.
She can see it, the way Ichika's body language shifts. She recognizes it instantly, because it's the exact same way she used to wall herself off when people would approach her with their superficial assumptions of what or who she was. Ann grimaces; and even if Ichika tells her not to worry--
"Uh-uh," she once more denies with a -much firmer- shake of her head, twintails bobbing with the sheer commitment. "Don't let me and my dumb mouth off the hook that easy. Whatever people think about your school doesn't have a damn thing to do with how it really is. Trust me." Her brows furrow. "Up until a few months ago, if you talked to anyone, you'd think my school was, like. The creme of the crop, or whatever." Her hand clenches on that purse strap a little tighter. "But it's always just pretty lies."
A second passes. And then she snaps her fingers with her free hand in a sudden eureka moment. "Oh! I know! I'll pay for the crepes -- whatever you want, it's my treat! Okay?"
Is this the second time she's had to deploy Apology Crepes within as many months? ... Man, she's really screwing up lately.
Still; Ichika brings up her modeling, and Ann pauses in their trek to Sneak Attack with a lash-flutter of a blink. "Huh? Oh, yeah! I got called over to replace someone who had to no show. It happens sometimes. Modeling is more like... a side gig for me, I guess, so it frees up a lot of time for me to fill in for others at the agency if there's a jam."
But Ichika's interest isn't in modeling -specifically- is it. It's in a field somewhat adjacent to it. "Oh, like, real for real journalism?" she wonders, curious. She continues walking, but with a smooth pivot, about faces to face the taller high schooler as they walk and talk. This means she is, in fact, walking backwards. This may, in fact, not be a great idea. But she looks pretty okay with it, so it must be fine. R-right?
"Well... my parents are fashion designers, so for me, I just kinda fell into it," she admits as she backwards-walks, scratching her cheek. "We'd travel to a lot of different places, and eventually, they asked me to fill in for one of their shoots. It was kinda like. A good way to connect to them, you know? See this whole other world of theirs I only knew about in passing."
Not have to sit alone at home, with only a caretaker for company.
"Um! But," she pushes on, offering a small, pink smile. "I -do- know a few writers for some local magazines. We kinda work in similar circles, so I run into them occasionally, like doing shoots for their articles or whatever. It's not, like. Hardcore journalism, but maybe I could get you in contact with some?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"...Huh." Ichika listens to Ann's perspective, and she wonders about it. The world is big...
"I hadn't thought of it that way," she admits. But she says it in a way like now she is thinking about it.
However... Ichika was definitely walling herself off. And Ann insists that she worry about it, which gets a little surprise out of Ichika. Not for hthe first time in this conversation. And--apology crepes! "Yeah," Ichika says after a moment. "Shrugging that off's not like me. Watch yourself next time." She nods firmly. "...But crepes sound good to me. You didn't mean anything by it, so that'll do."
Pretty lies, huh? Ichika figures she doesn't want to talk about where she goes. But, "I used to go to a really nice school... But I like Kasu better, anyway."
But modeling! She just replaced someone? It's that easy? "Oh, yeah?" That's not what Ichika expected, either. A side gig... Ichika while Ann walks backwards looks over her shoulder as much as at her to make sure she's not about to run into somebody. But Ichika doesn't comment at first on that surprise--instead...
"Yeah," the taller girl answers. But her parents... "Hm. I guess that happens a lot, going into things your parents do. This reporter I know--her dad was a reporter, too." A way to connect...
"That's cool," Ichika says. "I can't connect with my dad like that. I'm not smart enough to be a doctor or something."
But... She knows? "Really?" Ichika asks. "That'd be really cool. I mean--hardcore journalism sounds cool, but I'd wanna... work my way up, you know? Like that reporter I met. She's working for Coolest. I think... the kind of thing that reaches other girls like that, brings us together... It sounds nice, even if some people think it's no big deal."
"...It's not covering warfronts or whatever, but when I'm stuck in my room reading fashion magazines, it made me feel like I wasn't alone, you know?"
Sneak Attack looms ahead!!
"Oh uh, you might hit the pillar if--"
Hopefully Ann will be fine.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Watch yourself next time.
"You can really lay into me if I forget."
...
"Um. But not too bad, okay??"
Look. She's like a rose. She's got thorns.
but also she's a rose and flowers are so delicate man
She feels a bit better, at least, now that they're on the same page. That grin returns in full force, even if it doesn't last especially long before she dips her toes into heavier subjects. Ichika talks about the fact that she went to a really nice school -- and Ann's brows furrow in faint thought.
"Mm," is all she says at first. A second passes. And then: "... Yeah, I know how that is. When I got back to Japan, my parents got me into a place like that -- you ever hear of Shujin Academy?"
Probably. All things considered. The news cycle might have moved on to the latest Tokyo scandals, but it wasn't -that- long ago that Shujin was the disgrace of the academic world.
"I never knew how lonely you could be in a room full of people until I got put in that school."
She's happy, at least, for a distraction. And on a topic she (kinda) knows, even!
"Pfff, I could never be a doctor, I'd so get someone killed!"
no wait not that part the other thing
"Oh! I love Coolest! I've got so many back issues at home!" -That- thing. Ann's gushing is a force of nature unto itself in pure enthusiasm; her eyes shut again as she bears up, excitedly, which really isn't the -best- idea when you're -already walking backwards-. "Right? Who cares what those people think? It's so a big deal. A lot of their articles have been super helpful for me. Like, they get it, y'know?"
... it made me feel like I wasn't alone, you know?
"... Yeah. I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes... it's been hard not to feel like there was no one who gets it. Sometimes you just need something to hold on to to remind you that's not true. That there's people who understand."
It's another possibly deep little statement that at least gets to linger for one entire second before--
"What pilWAH"
Ann just kind of knocks her whole ass into a pillar and goes stumbling like she suddenly discovered she has two left feet. It's okay. She's fine.
"Wh-where'd that come from??"
Just -mad- at -stealth pillars-.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Heh," Ichika answers Ann at 'not too bad'. Flowers are so delicate. ...Notably she doesn't actually confirm it. But maybe her general mood helps with that, even as they do talk more serious things because Ichika can't help but be serious laterly. But--Shujin? Ichika looks surprised by that.
"Huh," Ichika says. "...Sucks." Not what she expected to hear about Shujin, but she's sort of built up in her head the academy where one of the bad teachers actually saw justice.
Still--Ichika laughs about the doctor part. "Right?"
And then--Back issues! Pure enthusiasm is great, even if it might be ill-advised timingwise. "Me too!" And Ichika is glad that Ann agrees with her about the articles. Especially since she knows what she means. Ichika would answer it except--
Oops.
"Ouch," Ichika says of the spill, and reaches out a hand if Ann wants something to hang onto to steady her. "We can pretend it came from the Pillar Dimension," she assures Ann seriously.
...Still, they have reached Sneak Attack.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
"Yeah. ... Sucks is definitely what it is."
Ichika's surprise on Shujin is met with good grace, at least. But it all goes back to that same idea:
What people think of your school - or you - reflects very little of what either is actually like. If it weren't for Ren -- no, if it weren't for all four of them getting justice for Shiho...
Ann doesn't want to think about where she'd be.
What matters in the moment is where she is right -now-, which is currently: testing the sturdiness of her coccyx as she bounces (mildly) off a pillar with a (not as mildly) yelp of surprise. She's only whimper-whining a little as Ichika offers a hand, rubbing at the small of her back with a grimace.
"Ugh," she mutters, "this is gonna leave such a bruise. Stupid Pillar Dimension...!"
She's all in on this Pillar Dimension Conspiracy Theory now. The mad schemes of the Pillar Men must be stopped!!
For now, though, Ann takes Ichika's hand, drags herself back up into a semblance of good grace - for Ann - and huffs out a breath. "Okay!" she announces, bouncing back into top, cheery form like someone who may or may not have gotten used to semi-frequent brushes with the Pillar Dimension. "Where are we -- oh! There!"
And here she points - if it's dramatic it's jsut because of her enthusiasm - towards -- SNEAK ATTACK. That Ichika is -fully aware- of where Sneak Attack is and does -not- need it pointed out to her -because she's the one doing the tour guiding- makes no nevermind to Ann Takamaki.
"Okay! Plan of attack: we spread out, and try to find the best deals for the best looks. I'm not gonna be ready to move on to the next store" n-next store? "until we find a whole ensemble" e-ensemble?! "for both of us!"
Yes. This is Ann, giving Ichika's hand a tug, fully intending to drag the girl who's got like half a foot of height on her along for a ride on the Ann Express towards Fashion Kingdom.
"Let's goooooooooooo~!"
Ann is on her shopping grind. And she cannot be stopped now.