2025-09-11: Cool Coats and Secret Drinks
- Log: Cool Coats and Secret Drinks
- Cast: Shinjiro Aragaki, Saika Kikuchi
- Where: Peacock Silk, Shimokitazawa, Tokyo
- OOC Date: September 11, 2025
- IC Date: July 09, 2012
- Summary: In which Shinjiro visits Peacock Silk to order a new coat, vibing with the atmosphere and their leatherworker, Saika Kikuchi. He also has some beer, the horror
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
This morning SHINJIRO MET A TALKING PEACOCK. Already taking the train to Tatsumi Port Island, he decided to stop along the way at the tailors that the cop and peacock duo mentioned, Peacock Silk, to see about getting a new coat.
Walking into the shop, the boy has... a fashion sense. He's a little dusty, with a well-loved black-and-grey t-shirt and some jeans, nice but worn shoes, and a new and beloved beanie that he got from Myunghon. Saika may remember him as the guy who took her to a gun bar, and may potentially recognize his REALLY nice red coat. There's signs of bandages under his shirt, as if he's been recently injured.
"Yo," he says if no one is quite there yet. "Anyone home?"
He's eying the merchandise. He's eying the peacock stand. This is definitely the place. He hopes it lives up to the supernatural hype.
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
The shop floor is superficially empty as Shinjiro comes in and calls out and JUST as he finishes calling out, indeed almost exactly as he finishes the last phoneme in 'home' comes a thundering shout from behind the counter:
"WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!11~!!"
"I'll be out in a minute I need a seeeeeeec, please enjoy browsinnnng!"
Shinjiro has encountered this voice before.
About 80 seconds after that cry, Saika emerges from the back. She looks like she's touched up her hair recently. She's beaming. "HeLLO!" she says, putting her hands on her hips as she steps out from behind the counter and looks up at the tall man who's just breezed through. "I am SUPER sorry about the wait! Welcome to Peacock Silk! I never get tired of saying that. PEA COCK SIIIILK!" She fistpumps.
Someone's feeling genki.
"So what's up?" she continues, canting her head. "You looking to buy, to sell? I can do it all, though not *ev*erything can I do in one single swell foop, yanno? OH!" She snaps her fingers. "If you spend five thousand yen or more I'll let you have the secret drink if you want! Secret drink is optional and unofficial," she adds, tapping the air with her finger, "and in no way should be construed as anything other than a present for customers who have supported our work!"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As the voice calls out so genki and powerful, Shinjiro continues walking backwards, but he just survived a peacock, he can survive- wait, he recognizes this voice.
Saika comes out eventually, and Shinjiro nods once, having been browsing. "Oh, hey. You were at Gas Chamber's show. Small world." He grins once himself, very lightly.
"Looking to buy. Need a new coat, heard from your store's peacock- I will never get used to saying that- that you do stuff for... people in the know." He takes a glance around. It looks like it's just them.
"My last one got torn apart by a street ninja. Half the people I've told don't believe me, but fuck, whatever."
He shivers lightly. They probably have the air conditioning on! "I think it'll probably hit into that range, yeah, so I'm up for secret drink."
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"Oh yeah!" Saika says, beaming afterwards. "Now that you mention it I DO remember you. You don't happen to remember your name, do ya?" After this, though, there is a question. She purses her lips.
"Aaah," she says, when Pernelle's power of rational speech is mentioned. Her eyes half-close afterwards. She nods back, once.
"That's bullshit, but I believe you," Saika continues, easily. "I haven't ever run into one myself but that's how they get you, right? Like you think they're wearing those pajamas but, first, black pajamas are actually super obvious at night, believe it or not, AND SECOND," Saika raises her hand again, "of course they'd be in disguise."
After this, she continues. "So tell me what kinda coat you're thinking. It's summer, so, I'm sorta surprised, but it's good that you're thinkin' ahead! We don't really have clearance sales here, I'm fraid to say, though." Saika cants her head slightly while looking up. It is a serious and attentive expression, despite all that :D-faced energy in her words.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Shinjiro Aragaki," he re-introduces himself. Ninja, though... "He was like. He had a sword in a shoulder bag and seemed to simultaneously be homeless and rich in vibe. And as a guy who's lived on the street, I know that vibe. But he was definitely doing ninja flips." He's not shy about it. Who cares?
And indeed, he grits briefly about the coat and clearance sales, shaking his head. "Nah, it's fine. I have... a temperature regulation disorder, so it's always so fucking cold." Close enough to the truth. "Need something that can be warm all-year long, sturdy in combat. Leather, probably, unless there's a reason I shouldn't do leather. Maybe fur trim if you do that, is that stuff still considered unethical or do you use vegan fur?" Shinjiro doesn't know! He's seventeen and fashion-unconscious!
"Dark red, preferably. I've got materials, if you need them to make it sturdy enough for supernatural bullshit, though they're all gold and I don't know if that dyes the leather magically or something."
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"And I'm Saika Kikuchi," echoes Saika, "now that we're not in a frigging sound prison." After this, though, she listens.
The vibe, honestly, she can respect and relate to. Given that she is currently wearing a T-shirt for an obscure Italian horror movie and has three colors, all artificial, in her hair, she may respect all sorts of unusual life decisions. She nods passingly about the temperature regulation disorder.
"I can do leather," she says with a shrug of her shoulders. "I mean actually I'm pretty good at leather not gonna lie. I can do NOT leather, if YOU prefer," she continues, and is that a challenge, BUT! "Uhh... fake fur's gonna be way easier to get, unless you've got a pelt you want me to use?'
Saika scratches behind her ear. "I'll be real with you that I never processed any furs, though. But if you got it, I'll use it!"
saika does not know she is five years older than shinjiro
"Hmm... gold, huh? Lemme see if you got 'em on you. You donating them against the custom cost, kinda thing?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Nice to meet you. Leather's good. Fake fur's fine. Good to know you'll take real fur, though." Shinjiro files it away for later.
He's asked about the materials, though. "Yeah." He reaches into his INVENTORY (his pockets) for what he could bring. It's a decently-sized fine golden piece of fabric and tapestry, sparkling visibly even as it's brought out into reality. It's really trippy to watch, and is clearly supernatural to the right eyes.
"There's some more like this, I just couldn't carry it all on the train. I can deliver it later, no problem. Some of it is solid, but you can keep those as part of it even if you can't use them on my piece. Worst case, we can figure something out."
He glances around the shop. "I'd heard about this shop but I gotta be honest, it's really a vibe. The peacock kept it real."
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
Saika's eyes widen at the fabric. It seems to cast a faint golden light on her face, simply by proximity. She reaches forwards to touch it, without asking, but does say, "You mind?" before making as if to take it. "This is pretty sick... I gotta assay it before I can keep going."
Is she going to assay it mid-pose!? NO! She is letting Shinjiro *consent* first. In the mean time, she keeps talking. "Stuff like this has all kinds of uses, though. I see it's fabric, so, not exactly my super specialtiy, but you can extract the threads, you can use it to embroider, you can leach out the components... This thing seems familiar somehow."
A pause, but then she continues. "Pernelle? Yeah, he's awesome. He hit you up for fries?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro acquiesces with a nod, letting Saika ASSAY the thread. "Got it from a crime boss's Palace. There were a bunch of us, so I wouldn't be surprised if others brought it in. I can get fresher stuff if needed." A pause.
"Actually, he's the one who gave *me* food. Day-old bread. Pretty cool guy."
And then, he rolls his shoulders lightly. "I have never seen a bird bully a cop before like that, honestly. This world gets more surreal every day."
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
Saika turns and walks over and behind the counter. "... That makes sense," she says, sounding obscurely quiet for a few moments as she stretches back onwards. Then Saika looks up at the new piece of information.
"No shit?" she says, eyes widening. "I knew that little buzzard had it in him!"
what, the bread???
Saika does some examination of the cloth, continuing as she does. "Peacocks are the bullies of the animal world, you know. Those big ass tails? They're not just for show." A second or two passes. Then three. Then: "OK, they ARE just for show, but a lot of that show is about signalling to the peahens that this guy is a certified badass."
"Think about it," Saika continues. "Who's the better choice if you're thinking about your future? Some boring drab guy who struggles? Constantly gets picked on by his boss bird and the other guys in the flock, even if he can bring home the seed some of the time? OR, do you want this guy with the swag who has been walking, serene, unconcerned, sedate, always alert, in control, AND is carrying around like a third of his body weight stuck on his tail?"
"Easy call, right?" Saika says, glancing up. "Anyway, this is good. So, let's review... you want a coat, ideally leather, ideally you're looking at a dark red... you want it to be something you can wear all year round and you don't want it to be just for show, it's gotta have real quality to it. And maybe fur trim if we can pull it off. Anything else? This is your chance to ask, sky's the limit, Aragaki!"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro nods about the bread, squinting. "Are you telling me he'll share bread with a stranger but not his coworkers?" Yes, he's assuming the bird is actually an employee. Stranger things have happened.
He's listening intently as Saika talks about Peacocks though. "Makes me think of Kasugayama High. They've got this whole thing where they organize into delinquent gangs and have 'Bosses' and the strongest is that guy whose concert we saw, Eikichi Mishina. He's got the vibe of a peacock for sure." He's just idle chatting.
But about the review... "Yeah. I can't think of much more. Maybe more strength for my strikes? I'm a physical kinda guy, if you can do that sorta thing. Something that'll let me break Shadows more easily."
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"I mean he never gave me bread," Saika answers Shinjiro. "To be fair I didn't ask him and I do a lot of the cooking soooooooooo I have access to bread most of the time if I want it, but." She taps the air again. "The principle of the thing."
She toys with the edges of the tapestry-cloth though. "Hmm... I think that makes sense. Pernelle's pretty fucking delinquent and I don't think he went to school at all. I mean, school's a way to move forward, BUT," and she kind of stops.
Her lips purse. "Mishina..."
But she doesn't move inwards. "Well, strength and power is kind of hard to do but I could get you like some gloves or half-gloves or bracers or something," Saika continues. "That'd be finer - do you usually like throw punches and shit? - but it can help, you know, get your grip strength up. I wouldn't like block shots with 'em unless you're interested in like, GAUNTLETS, which would actually be cool to do with leather but at that point you're kinda sacrificing the streetwear factor, right? On the other hand you could leave 'em in the bag."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"That sounds like a crime," he says about the bread. And about the school... he grimaces slightly. "School only works if you're pursuing a certain future or have the ability to." It sounds personal, coming from him."
Though, about strength and power, "I wield like, heavy objects. Axes, hammers... street signs in a pinch. So some sort of gloves for grip strength sound like the way to go." He considers still.
"Oh, and I'm going to be wearing it with this hat. So as long as it doesn't clash with this, we're good." It was a gift.
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"Yeah," Saika says, with some gravity, about school. "Yeah."
Perhaps he gets it, Saika thinks. Maybe I can tell him?
Nah, she thinks: It'd be weird.
"Yeah, alright," she says, setting it aside and reaching over to pick up... A TAPE MEASURE. "Take off your clothes."
"Haha, kidding! I am gonna be taking some measurements though," she continues, moving to walk around and behind Shinjiro. Her eyes turn up at the Beanie, turn towards Shinjiro, are silent for a full second... of JUDGMENT? ... and then she says; "Sure, gotcha."
"I think I'm getting some ideas..................."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Yeah." Shinjiro agrees, before... frowning. "I'm not-"
Oh, she was kidding. At the least, it gets him to laugh. "I was about to say, weirdest clothing store ever."% He allows her to measure him...
"Oh? Just got this as a gift, so it's important to me. Replaced an old one that got all worn out and torn up."
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"So what I'm thinking," Saika continues as she goes to measure shoulders ("spread out your arms, T-pose for justice") "is that we're gonna do something with a couple of PARTS, which are gonna be your responsibility but should be badass. I'm thinking we have the outer SHELL -- hold on, I gotta get under your armpit here --"
"And that's going to be good solid leather but I'm gonna put in some mesh vents over your kidneys," Saika continues. "There's gonna be snaps so you can button them up if you do get chilly, but like I imagine even if you get cold a lot sometimes you're gonna sweat, right? If that's not your vibe, I'm totally making this shit up so just tell me nah."
"Now here's what's gonna be sick," she continues, crouching down, "and I gotta get your inseam so don't make this weird -- OK done, is that I'm going to give you this *detachable lining*. That's gonna be extra insulation if it's for-serious cold in like Feburary or something BUT ALSO, it's going to be padded lining, AND! And."
Saika pops back up. "I'm thinking the coat on its own? Mandarin collar," she says, gesturing at her own neck with her hand. "Kinda low kinda sporty, you know? Stands out, but it's low key. Then we get the liner *and* it's got this big faux-fur collar so you not only get head and neck comfiness - you know what I mean, right, comfiness? - but you also look fuckin' sick. How's this sounding? I can kinda doodle it if you want."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As Shinjiro T-POSES FOR JUSTICE, he's actually a pretty cooperative customer. He listens as Saika talks, nodding about the snaps. "No, keep going, that sounds really fucking cool." He lets her get to the inseam, and does NOT make it weird, rolling it in his head. "Clever, yeah, I don't always need it *that* warm so that's perfect."
When she gestures at her neck, Shinjiro's shoulders roll once. "Mandarin collar, I think I know what you mean, like those dresses from China? Yeah, I'll take a doodle, try and picture it with my eyes instead of my brain, but..."
"This sounds great. Definitely came to the right place."
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"Standing collar, Nehru collar," Saika says. "Actually hold on." She ducks behind a counter and pulls out -- two shirts?! They were just there!? They look kind of old.
She waggles the black one. "You see this? Lapels, like business wear. Maybe you can skip it on Cool Friday or only unbutton the top one, right? You see here, lots of space for the Man to put a tie around your neck and YOKE you to the system of CAPITAL? Yeah!"
Saika tosses the black one over her shoulder. "And here! Nice, flat collar," she says, holding up the blue shirt, which seems to be, indeed, chinoiserie -- maybe not actual silk but something trying to be silk. "Rests easy on your neck. Looks awesome! No space for the hangman's noose to stick, you know?"
She then picks up a charcoal sketchpad and a -- well - charcoal and begins to... doodle vigorously. At first she seems to be drawing a paired top-facing L, but this is quickly revealed by a head and a symmetrical pair of beanies to be a Shinjiro. Scribble scribble.
"You absolutely did! If this thing saves your life on some strange journey, remember Saika Kikuchi," says the artisan with pride. "OK, here you go, this oughta get the idea. I want to ask, though, cuz I punted - button up? Zipper? You got a preference?"
GENERAL SHAPE: LIKE THIS! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1902888689/genuine-leather-gothic-trench-coat-for
but it's like a size large! Reinforced padding at elbows and shoulders!
FUR COLLAR! Inner lining is black! Quilted inner lining - warm AND fluffy for impact padding!
Back has a duster cape - HIDES VENTS!
"Oh! And do you want it like knee length, calf length, ball length, what? That's actually important for the quote here, I think I'm gonna have to get the hide... you alright with like, burgundy or oxblood? I can get brighter red but they're gonna stand out, might take a little longer..."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro glances over the shirts, nodding. "Right, right. Don't want that." Hangman's noose, huh... he's too familiar with that.
He peers over at the doodle, nodding, clearly impressed. "Yeah, alright, this is totally fucking it. Button-up, let's say. And let's do knee length, that should be perfect." He has never heard the size 'ball-length' in his life but is just assuming that's a thing.
"Oh, oxblood is fine. I'm not a big fan of the brighter colors." A pause. "I think I'm going to be the coolest looking person in my circle now, so, props."
He does not know about Mitsuru's evil fashion plan, having not actually returned yet...
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"Sure," Saika says. "Do you want metal buttons or something weirder?"
Saika was serious about ball length, but hey: Shinjiro's the customer here.
She nods slightly then. Her lips quirk up for a moment, and she says, "Just two questions, then. First've all, what kind of fur you want for the collar?"
Saika rests her elbows on the counter.
She folds her hands.
She rests her chin in her hands.
"Second of all, how much are you gonna put down now versus pay on delivery?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Metal sounds fine, I think." Shinjiro says. But it's fur time. There's a long considering looking as he puts a hand to his chin.
"Wolf? I'm not sure what kind would fit best. I more or less trust you at this point on it, though." At least it's an idea!
And then... here comes the quote. "I'll pay now as much as I can. Don't like having debts. Anything I can't cover, I'll pay on delivery."
Shinjiro doesn't seem rich, and he's not. But he stopped paying for his own drugs and so he's able to dip into his Deep Savings and spend it on the thing that matters most: warmth.
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"Wolf style, sure," Saika says with a thumbs up. (She even makes a note.)
"Sure... lesse... I have to get the calculator," she continues, walking over.
The price, when quoted... isn't that bad. "But," Saika says, raising a finger, "I'm gonna need the same again when it's done. Gloves are included! Do you want texts or do you want to just swing by innnnn a week... ish?" Saika says, looking upwards, then glancing back, no doubt towards a storeroom. Her lips purse. Perhaps she's already thinking of something.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro gets the damages. It's... not that bad! He nods. "Worth it for designer. I can hit that now." He starts reaching for his cash, though he's slow in order to finish the conversation.
"Texts are fine, I'm usually not in Tokyo proper. Live in..." Oh, right, he's moving, "Tatsumi, so."
Though, as her head glances from him to the store room, he tilts his head. "Hm?" he asks, trying to figure out what she's thinking of.
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"Oh, huh," Saika says, blinking once. "If it's a pain we can ship, but... you come up to Tokyo a lot? What's it like down there? You must have a great view've the bay and stuff, right?"
("I forgot if I still had the right hide for the gloves," Saika adds. "That's a Kikuchi problem now! Don't worry, there's plenty of stuff around.")
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"I cross over to Sumaru regularly, so often enough, no need to ship," Shinjiro reassures. "It's pretty nice, except for the back alleys. And except during the Dark Hour. The school becomes a giant death tower, you know?"
He pulls out his wallet, taking out the proper amount of yen that he had stored within.
"And then my number..." Once Saika's ready, he rattles it off. "Thanks. Looking forward to the finished result."
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"Haha! Right?" Saika says about the giant death tower.
She moves along. "Uh huh... Oh! You want the drink?" she says, after accepting the money and making a note - she tears off a strip of the sketch pad, signs it with a pen and a quick note ("half paid half on delivery --saika*tan") before handing it over. "If I'm out but it's done, any of the others can get it for you. Even Pernelle. Threaten him if he refuses, but you might have to dodge his attacks..."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Yeah, I'll take the drink." Shinjiro nods. "Secret drink, right? Let's see what it is."
Though, Pernelle... "I think I can defeat a bird in a battle of survival. It's fine."
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"K, stay put," says Saika, before turning and going... upstairs?
She returns with two mismatched plastic cups (one light green, the other purple) which are containing something fizzy. It smells pretty refreshing, and when Saika hands one over to Shinjiro, she raises hers up: "Kampai!"
Then she downs it.
The beverage is a mixture of a pretty-good bottled lemonade with something that's got a certain subtle dry maturity to it, even if it's definitely refreshing. And a little relaxing.
Because it's beer.
TSUMUGI KUJAKU DID THIS
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro takes the drink. He does not suspect. So he downs it himself.
And then the taste hits, and...
"Oh, that's good. Weird lemonade taste. I like it." He'll have to get some somewhere.
He will never be able to recreate it. And also, his liver hates him.
But then, he gets an alert on his phone. "Ah, I've gotta be back in Tatsumi for a meet-up. Thanks again, I appreciate it."