2025-10-13: Help
- Log: Help
- Cast: Tsubasa Seki, Ichika Kawase's father Dr. Kawase
- Where: Kasugayama High School, Hirasaka Ward, Sumaru City
- OOC Date: October 13, 2025
- IC Date: Wed, July 25, 2012
- Summary: Tsubasa shows up to deal with their exams, and gets help from an unexpected source.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa... slept in, this morning. Which really isn't helping their case as far as wanting to go to school, huh? They consider skipping school again -- it would be easier -- but they flick through some texts they shared with the Boss, the night prior, cheering her on. Considering that, anyway...
But everyone's long been herded into the jail gates and through to the exam rooms by now; it's even later than most people who came late.
So now, here they are, walking in through the admin block because everyone's locked in. (They could hop the fence, but they need to talk to the teachers, or whatever.) The woman behind the glass screen barks, "Name," without even looking up to see the person wearing the boy's uniform standing there.
"Seki," Tsubasa replies. "Tsubasa Seki." Which is at least a note in their deadnaming file.
"Hm," she hits a few keystrokes, looks at their attendance. "You finally showed up. Sign the late book --"
The late book, of course, is a doom-grasped tome where tardy students must sign their names to be recognised with partial attendance; Tsubasa's name features many times. And once more, as they angrily scrawl their signature, only to snap: "Hey, listen, I gotta talk to the boss or whatever. Someone tried to kill me, man, that's why I been out!"
"I'm sure," the secretary says, dryly. "Fine. I'll call your father..."
"Fuck off!" Tsubasa yells, and their terror sounds very much like rage, a thing expected in these halls.
"Verbal aggression isn't tolerated," the secretary reminds them, just as dry.
"Look, I just -- you're the one threatenin' to call my father, fuck!" Tsubasa thinks that's far more aggressive than the fuck word, and their frustration just leads them right back to it. "You gonna do that, may as well ring the Boss's mom! Least she said she wanted to help!" And at her withering expression, Tsubasa clarifies: "Ichika Kawase's mom, man!"
"Hmm," the secretary hits some more keys, looking up Tsubasa's contact information on file... like Hanzou's preference not to hear from them. Taking the path of least resistance, she pulls up Ichika's file, with a weary, "fine, fine..."
A moment later, she remembers Tsubasa's still standing there. "You can sit outside," she directs them, voice still dry as a bone. She suspects she'll be ringing their father the minute she rings this woman only to be chewed out for asking her about someone else's child, and that will be easier without them swearing at her.
Tragically, Kasugayama really couldn't spring for soundproof walls; while any conversations in there are likely to be too muffled to be audible, the quality is something else entirely.
But who would walk in there and start yelling?
Aside from Tsubasa, that is.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
As it happens, Mrs. Ichika's Mom does not chew out the woman behind the glass. Well, not at first, anyway. Soon, though...
The door opens and closes in the office, away from Tsubasa. A masculine voice speaks. A second masculine voice replies.
The two get quietly and then loudly heated, the deeper-voiced man insisting on something. The conversation takes a few minutes, but it's fairly clear that the man who walked in is getting the upper hand, from the way the other man gets quieter and more hesitant.
The door opens crisply, then.
The one that's next to Tsubasa's bench. A very tall man in a dark suit steps through it, with red eyes and short brown hair. He resembles Ichika somewhat, though she's told she looks more like her mother.
"Dr. Kawase--"
He pauses, and turns back towards the office. "Have I been unclear?" he inquires. "I wish to speak with the student in question now. Good day."
He closes the door behind him and steps in front of Tsubasa. He looks down at them, thoughtful. A boys' uniform; a colorful wig...
But he doesn't waste time before saying, "Seki-kun, I presume?"
"I am Dr. Kawase. May I sit with you? I would like to talk."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa can hear the argument, and they disguise their tension over it by pulling their phone out, flicking through message boards as if they aren't in deep shit. None of those voices are their father, at least -- they'd pick that out any day of the week, muffled or otherwise -- but it's still, you know...
When the door opens, their head snaps up, staring -- no, glaring -- up at the giant who steps out from behind a messy mop of neon blue hair. (Which is a different colour to what Mrs. Ichika's Mom might have described to him, but is still surely dyed, because no blunet would ever have hair that bright.)
"Ch... yeah," Tsubasa clicks their tongue to their teeth, still quite tense. "You --" and he is Ichika's father, as it happens, so they shove their phone in their pocket and look at the empty slab of bench beside them.
"Sure." They pause, and hope their heart hammering isn't audible all the way up there. "Uh... sorry for the trouble."
They've never met her dad. Sure, Ichika speaks nicely of him, but...
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Blue! That's the color. But Tsubasa is tense, obviously. Dr. Kawase expected that much. ...Technically their heartbeat isn't audible to him, but he recognizes the signs; he's dealt with many a tense person in his time, knows how it looks and feels and how to deal with it.
"Thank you," he says, and calmly steps over, turns, and takes a seat. He reaches up to adjust his tie more comfortably, though he certainly doesn't loosen it in public.
He is quiet for a moment, before shaking his head. "No," he says. "I chose to come when my wife mentioned the issue."
He looks to Tsubasa, then. "First things first: your exams will be held next week." Dr. Kawase pauses. "They'll have to keep someone in-office later, so they're unwilling to hold them after that. But you have a right to take your exams, when it isn't your fault that you couldn't attend them. That's on record. If you want to make up for the trouble, then do your best to ensure that it's not wasted time."
He's a stern sort of man, but...
"But ultimately, it's your life. So you can accept, or not. But the school will not give you any further trouble on that front if they don't want to deal with my lawyer."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
He chose to come over, huh...
The stern nature makes sense -- matches the pattern -- and Dr. Kawase can probably tell when someone is threatened, even if they're trying to be subtle about it. The crossing of an arm over the chest to grasp at their opposite arm, over one of those dressings; the way their legs close together, knees tilting away.
"Yessir," they say, quietly, gaze fixed down at their knee. "T--thank you."
She said he's a good guy, but...
"Y'ain't... gonna be mad at th-- at -- Ichika-chan, yeah?" don't call her the boss around her dad jesus fuck "She din' have nothin' to do with it, it was my big mouth..."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
He sure can tell. That's why he keeps his voice even and steady; he's clearly capable of raising it, he did a bit before, but not to Tsubasa. That's intentional.
"You're welcome," he says.
But...
'The Boss', Tsubasa doesn't say. Dr. Kawase shakes his head. "I have no reason to be angry with my daughter about you, Seki-kun," he says. "She had nothing to do with this matter, as you say. And I'm not angry that you had them call my wife, either."
He considers something, and then, "I appreciate that you did, actually. There are too many injustices in this world that we have no way of correcting. This is one I can help, and I'm glad of the opportunity."
"...But even if she had been the one to ask that they call us, I wouldn't be angry with her. So she cares about her friend. That's fine. Should I expect her to use and discard everyone at this school because they don't 'suit' her?"
"...No. Insofar as she's had to act out, it's because I was unable to protect her."
"...But you don't need to dwell on an adult's regrets. All you need to know for now is that Ichika-chan cares about you, and that's enough for us."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
He insists that he isn't angry, but when he says he appreciates it, they finally sneak a glance over to him. "Seriously?" They ask, though they surely don't mean to be rude.
He talks about Ichika caring about her friends, about wanting to protect her, and Tsubasa frowns. "Weird," they mutter, in the face of his regrets.
They realise what they did a moment later, though, their lips thinning as their nostrils flare with a sharp breath. "Sorry. Jus' -- that ain't -- y'know... my father'd be way more pissed if I was actin' up." 'Acting up', not 'acting out'. It's a subtle, killer distinction.
Never mind how much shit they'd be in if one of their friends had a problem like this, back when they were still someone he even cared to pay attention to.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Seriously," he says. "I see a lot of problems I ultimately can't help, in my line of work. I can heal the body; I can't heal society. But I can argue with your Vice Principal for a few minutes."
Weird, and he lifts an eyebrow--but they explain. "...Ah, I see," he says. "Your father."
He has heard a bit about that man. He doesn't say his opinion on him for the moment. Instead...
"...There are things I'm not going to say here," he settles on. "At your school. About your and her behavior."
"However..."
"I love my daughter. And you're aware, I think, of how difficult things have been for her. So I'm more inclined to be patient than not."
"...has she told you much about her brother?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Cool," Tsubasa says; still tense, but at least able to accept what he's saying.
They do tense up, though, when he mentions what he's not saying. They can imagine -- quite clearly -- what Ichika might hear when she's behind closed doors; and Ichika's father, likewise, might be able to see the way their gaze closes off, though they don't shut their eyes.
They just shut up.
At least, until he asks them a direct question -- "No, sir," Tsubasa answers, quiet and gruff, still looking down.
Never mind that they have heard him mentioned; it's better if they don't know anything, and it's even close enough to the truth.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
That's fine; Dr. Kawase knows how to deal with difficult youths. He's done so before; he does so regularly, now, though he's no pediatrician. And still... He asks them a direct question, and they say no.
"I see."
"I had a son," he explains. "Ichika-chan's older brother. His name was Toshiaki. He was a fine young man, conscientious and hard-working. He looked after his sisters as best he could..."
"But Ichika-chan had difficulties with him and her sister. She always felt that she was less talented than they were. I saw this, but I largely considered it their mother's problem to solve; mine was to provide for the family. I look back at the time I could've spent with them, and I regret that now."
"Regardless, Toshiaki decided to right this, and started reaching out more to Ichika. For all that they'd have difficulties before, they began to grow closer. She relied heavily on her big brother."
"...And then, he died. It was almost two years ago... on a camping trip with just Ichika. She watched him fall, and couldn't do anything about it."
"...Maybe that's why she leaned on that Kamiya boy so much. Because he was there for her, when she felt her family would blame her. We didn't, of course. ...No, that's not an 'of course', I suppose, but we didn't. We don't."
He looks to Tsubasa. "I won't lose another child," he says simply. "So if Ichika-chan decides to stay out past curfew or be some places she shouldn't be... I'll deal with that. But not by throwing her out, and not by betraying her trust and harming her."
"Do you understand? Now, I've heard the way she talks about you to her mother. She cares about you a great deal. But that's not, ultimately, everything on its own."
"...Hearing how much safer she feels around you, though..."
"That tells me something."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa's free hand rotates, pulling up to grasp at their opposite elbow as they rub at their arm, not quite all the way to folding them. They listen to Dr. Kawase's story, and when he gets to the sharp stop at the end, they bite their bottom lip -- though they offer no verbal comment.
'Of course'... huh.
Sure isn't.
Tsubasa tightens up a little more, hearing that, and they're quiet for a long moment longer. The question is at once 'can they trust him' and 'HOW can they trust him'; but ultimately, here's what it comes down to:
Ichika trusts him, and if she's lying to them about that, they can't trust anything in their perception to start with.
So, "... sorry," Tsubasa grunts out, glancing back to him again. "I'm a dick." And they'd think better of swearing in front of Ichika's parents, except their heart is going about a million miles a minute. "Jus'... my father ain't... he threw me away already," they admit, and they sound embarrassed, even if it's impossible to see their face flushing under all that tan and concealer. "It's stupid, was right after my asshole ex, too... jus' cared more 'bout me not bein' a girl, I guess."
Their gut twists. Even with their own code of ethics, they still feel like they're handing him a knife, even if their read doesn't matter for shit to them. "So... stern guy like you starts talkin' 'bout her behaviour, I think... y'know, I ain't sayin' bad shit 'bout mine neither, not most times... always seemed like you guys were stupid nice, but you don't know, y'know? If it's too good to be true, usually is..."
... which, reading between the lines, means that Tsubasa was worried about Ichika's safety here, too.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Dr. Kawase continues until he is done, and then he waits. He waits for Tsubasa's eventual reply, and then apology, as it turns out.
He nods. "That's fine," he says of being a dick. But... Their father...
He frowns, but he isn't looking at them anymore at the moment, glancing away to give them time to collect themself. And there, he hears it. A knife...
"I see."
He shakes his head. "...No. I simply mean that I'm not blind. I know she gets up to things out here, that students here aren't always... the most law-abiding. And if I could have gotten her into a better school, I frankly would have. Even Akiyama wasn't as bad as this."
A sigh. "...But that's less important, right now." He finally does look back to Tsubasa. "I promise you this: you have nothing to fear for Ichika's safety under our roof." He pauses, thoughtfully. "But what if you didn't just take my word for it?"
"You're alone here for the summer, aren't you? While Ichika-chan is coming back to our home until school resumes. Why not come along? We have the space, and you could see for yourself what her situation is."
"No strings. You'd be welcome to leave whenever you wished. But until then, you'd get a chance to stay with her."
"...You'd be more to my preference than some of her guests," he admits.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"I didn't do it," Tsubasa interjects, when Dr. Kawase brings up Akiyama, their tone strained and harried.
(Given the arson they were just blamed for, can anyone blame them for being sensitive about the last arson they were blamed for?)
Still -- he promises them, and Tsubasa is a little chagrined as they reply, "Yeah, I know..."
Well, that's not quite true: they know that Ichika knows that, and they've decided that Ichika's opinion is what matters in this situation, so what they think is at best ancillary to the point. But they seriously don't have the time or will to explain philosophy to an old guy, so they're just dumbing it down a bit.
Their eyes widen, though, when he starts asking questions. "You serious?" They ask, as if expecting some kind of rug-pull the minute they believe him.
"I-I mean, yeah, uh... ain't welcome back home or nothin'. Was jus' gon' move to this new place my friend offered me, quit bein' my father's problem..." Or, in other words, they'd rather have insecure housing than be indebted to their father for accommodation. (Because what kind of housing from a friend of a teenager is secure?) "... uh, might be good to not jus' be there 'til he forgets he's pissed at me, tho'. Ain't like I'd tell 'im where I went, but he'd figure it anyway... not that I wanna bring you guys problems or nothin'."
Great!, they think, bitterly. Just talk yourself right out of it, Tsubasa!
"But I... I ain't doin' nothin'," they add, glancing about. "Uh. 'Cept this exam shit, I guess. Uh, you sure you want someone like me hangin' around...? I ain't... proper..."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Dr. Kawase nods when Tsubasa interjects, but doesn't stop to interrupt himself otherwise.
Philosophy or not, Dr. Kawase continues, and he nods when they ask if he's serious.
"Well, that's certainly an option," he says. "And if your friend can still get you something local when it comes time for school again, that would be good." After all, Iwatodai is a long way from Hirasaka. "...But I think you're right. Better not to rely on your father's goodwill."
Since it doesn't exist. He wishes he could just say that, but as the adult, he has to hold his tongue.
"I'm not worried about your father bringing me problems," he says simply. Not Tsubasa bringing them; their father bringing them.
But...
"Yes," he says. "I do."
"More to the point, I'm sure Ichika will."
"I won't ask you to protect her, or to do anything other than live. That's my job, after all, and while I haven't been able to do it as well as I should, it's still work I'm not giving up on."
"But think about my offer. Besides, if I cared more about propriety than my children, would I have come here at all?"
"I think not."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"That ain't really his kinda thing," Tsubasa says, a touch petulant, and they don't know they're saying the exact thing Dr. Kawase is thinking about Hanzou's goodwill.
Still... he calls them their father's problems. Not... their problems?
That's... weird, but... it's kind of nice. (And, indeed, Dr. Kawase might be able to spy the way Tsubasa at least manages to relax a little hearing that.)
Their own feelings on protecting Ichika -- that of course they want to, but they can't very well fight for her when it's that very conceit which brings her pain, so the only way they can do that properly is to fight beside her -- go unsaid, given how Dr. Kawase isn't asking. (Though they're not about to contradict his feelings, either. ... does he even know about all the fighting his daughter gets up to?! Even beyond 'that' kind of fighting...) He does pose them a question, though, and they shake their head. "Prolly not..."
Tsubasa takes a breath, turning to him, then, and bowing their head shoulders down. "I'd like to come," they ask, "s-so long's Ichika-chan's cool with it."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Yes."
He does spot it!! A little relaxation is a victory. But...
Does he know? He only sees her on visits, and on most of those, he's at work for the most part. ...Yes, he knows. It's just easy to imagine he doesn't. He doesn't like it much, either.
But the question...
It was mostly rhetorical, but only mostly.
"Good," Dr. Kawase answers. "That's the question, isn't it? I've discussed it with my wife, but not yet with..."
Ichika turns the corner, and looks over. "Tsubasa-kun?" she asks, and then blinks. "Da--I uh, I mean, Dad?"
She's too cool at Kasugayama for 'Daddy'.
She starts to walk over, and Dr. Kawase stands up as she does. "Hello, Ichika-chan. I was just talking to your friend here. We had something to ask you."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"B--"
Tsubasa is so surprised to hear Ichika's voice that when they whip around to look at her, they almost blurt out the one thing they absolutely can't blurt out around Dr. Ichika's Dad. "-- b-boy, uh, didn't reckon it were that late already!" NICE SAVE, TSUBASA.
They rub at the back of their neck, glancing back to Ichika's father. "Ya dad were jus', uh... talkin' to 'em. Since they wanted to call mine, and I kinda... uh... freaked out a bit..." Which explains why Tsubasa told them to ring Ichika's parents, even if her father doesn't quite have... all the context she does. "It's whatever," they shrug, because of course they can't be seen cringing about their father when everyone's pouring out of the exam rooms. "Anyway, uh, yer dad said I could come stay over for summer, jus' -- that cool with you?"
GAME: Ichika Kawase flips a coin! The coin comes up heads!
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Boss! That'd be a problem, wouldn't it?
"Uh-huh," Ichika says, and recognizes what could've been a problem. "Right! Sure didn't!"
It does explain a bit. Ichika has more context, and hasn't shared it, but, well--
"Oh. That's cool," she says, of them talking. "Just surprised..."
Then she blinks, and her eyes widen. "Wait, really?" she asks.
She lights up. "That'd be great!!!"
Tsubasa gets not one but three exclamation points, and Ichika rushes over. She--almost hugs someone, and then pauses, lowering her arms. "I mean, uh."
"Yeah, that's cool," Ichika says. "I don't want you being stuck out here alone and all..."
But she can't hide being excited.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Ichika -- is delighted!!! And Tsubasa hears those exclamation points, and they smile as they perk up too, which might be a grave shock to Dr. Kawase who might by this point have been wondering if they've been diagnosed with an inability to be happy at all.
Except she's going to hug them in the middle of Kasugayama so Tsubasa blinks and waves their hand and goes "Y-yeah, it's cool, right?" Translation: boss you've gotta be cool about it
"Yeah," they nod, rubbing at their shoulder, when Ichika realises the damage to their rep and pulls up. "I mean, you'd be doin' me a solid... so it's cool."
Because it is, of course, important that any stickybeaks listening in get to hear how this is something the Boss is doing for her underlings and not a total surprise sprung upon her.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Dr. Kawase smiles, too. But he notices how serious and cool they're trying to be, and decides... not to wreck that, this time.
This time.
"Yes," Ichika says. "I mean. Yeah, cool. I was gonna be annoyed if you said no."
A solid. Of course.
"Right," Dr. Kawase says. "Well, I have a hospital to get back to. I had a few meetings today..."
He nods. "Tell me if they give you any more trouble."
"Take care."
Dr. Kawase smiles, and starts back through the doors to leave.
"L-later!" Ichika says, biting back her initial response, and then looks coolly at Tsubasa.
(Not that cool.)
"Uh, right."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Wouldn't do ya like that," Tsubasa assures Ichika. "It'd be downright disrespectful." As if Kasugayama cares anything for respect!! (Well. It does, but don't tell Dr. Ichika's Dad how it works.) And speaking of Dr. Ichika's Dad --
"Uh, sure," Tsubasa nods, standing alongside him. "Thanks, Dr. Kawase." And then, since Ichika just demonstrated the right address, they echo: "Later."
It's okay. She's SO cool.
"Kinda blows out here," Tsubasa declares, "wanna swing back to our joint?" Their base of operations, the old greenhouse, of course.
Because back there, they can get a little privacy, so Tsubasa can ask Ichika without tanking her reputation a few more points: "... how'd ya do today?" With her exams!!
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Yeah," Ichika says. And Ichika will go 'later' instead of what she might've said because it's here, and he is glad to have a normal teenager problem instead of a difficult one.
They're very cool.
"Yeah," Ichika agrees, "Let's do that. I wanna get some air, anyway. Stuffy in here."
Privacy is good. As for exams...
"I think I did OK," she says. "I mean, I'm sure I got at least some of 'em right, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Normal teenage problems!! Tsubasa still has some of those. They're great.
Once they're safely in the greenhouse, though, Tsubasa nods firmly. "For sure, Boss. Ya put the effort in."
They rub at a shoulder, which is, to be fair, kind of hurting under that dressing, but it's cool and they're normal about it. "Was gonna skip out today too, but... uh, tried comin' in an' tellin' 'em what happened, but they just wanted to ring my father 'bout it, so... told 'em to ring your mom instead. But then your father showed up and yelled at 'em... so they said I could take 'em over the first week of summer instead. Kinda lame, but... better'n just missin' 'em, prolly."
They pause, and add: "... you still wanna hug me, huh."
Now they're safely obscured by the greenhouse, Tsubasa actually opens their arms. Just like magic!
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
The effort! That's important. Ichika smiles, and they head over. She worries a little about Tsubasa's shoulder on the way, but does listen to the explanation. "...Cool," she says. "Glad you tried." She pauses, then. "...Yeah? So my mom must've told him..."
"I'm glad. ...I didn't think I'd be able to do anything about that. But he could, I guess."
"Cool. You can do it."
Pause.
"...Yeah, I do," Ichika says, and moves in for a gentle hug.
Gentle, because those dressings didn't go anywhere!!!
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
They'll take some tablets for it later, probably. Or maybe they're too tough for that!!
"Guess so," they shrug. "Uh, he sounded pretty mad... said somethin' 'bout his lawyers." Which Tsubasa sounds a little freaked out about, and whether that's about a stern dad being mad or about Ichika's family having lawyers is anyone's guess.
Tsubasa of course would have toughed out a squeeze, see above note about how tough they are, but they do kind of appreciate Ichika being lighter on it right now. Still, she gets her hug!!
"Cool," they're smiling, when they step back.
"Fuckin' A, tho'. Gonna kick ass. Ain't never done somethin' like that before, to be honest..." Staying over with someone else for the summer, that is. As far as Tsubasa is concerned, that's rousing excitement.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"...Yeah," Ichika says. "I guess he was then. He said stuff like that when..." She shakes her head. "Well, I'm glad his lawyer could help you, anyway." It could be either way, but apparently, Ichika knew this fact. And well, she is being light. And she does get her hug! But, seeing a smile, Ichika smiles too.
"Yeah!" she says. "It's gonna be fun. ...I can show you around Iwatodai, too. There's a lot of stuff we can do. And I'll have next week to get stuff ready, I guess? Since you've got exams and all..."
"I already mostly packed my stuff, so... That's easy."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Cool," Tsubasa nods. "I gotta pack my stuff up, too... uh, not just for that," they add, rubbing at the back of their neck. "I thought Yeo-sama was gonna be mad I burnt their safehouse, but, uh, turns out the cops were already kinda sniffin' 'round it, so they, uh... asked if I wanted to live there now it ain't no good for hidin'. Pretty wild..."
Tsubasa looks happy about it, even as they're talking about how unbelievable it is, though.
"Reckon it's, uh, better for my health if I ain't doin' nothin' what tugs on my father, so... gonna haul shit over next couple days. Oughtna take long, ain't got that much in there... an', uh, guess I'll ask Officer Shimizu or someone for help tellin' my father I'm out." Or someone!! Mysteriously, Tsubasa has more than one adult they can ask for help these days. That's so weird.
"Iwatodai's cool," they add, smiling again. "We moved there after bein' in Tokyo wasn't workin' out, actually... uh, but I don't reckon I'll run into my folks or nothin'," they add, shaking their head. "Y'know, so long's I avoid the flower shop. ... but I weren't really up to explore the joint back then, y'know? Kinda... more 'bout stayin' in... since I hadn't figured out how to show my face back then. Be cool to see what's up..."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Oh!" Ichika says. "Oh, that's cool," she continues. "That's not gonna be a problem, right? I mean, that'd be cool for when you came back, if it'll still be there... Since when we start school again..." It'd be a big commute.
Still, uh. "Yeah," Ichika says about their health. "That's better. And we got space for Lance, too. It's not a big yard or anything, but it's better than what you've got."
Some help... Yes.
But Iwatodai. "Oh, yeah?" Ichika asks. "...OK." She nods. "Well, we can do it together, now. I don't get around there as much these days, so..."
"...It's really gonna happen, huh? Wow..."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Don't reckon Yeo-sama'd offer if they thought it was gonna get yanked," Tsubasa says, with a bit of a shrug. "They, uh... they're real nice to me, y'know? I dunno what to do 'bout that sometimes, but... ain't like my parents are lookin' out for me none." They're too busy looking into their gravestone. "An' like, Big Sis, too..."
Dumping a youth into the gutters officially makes them the local community's child, apparently.
"Cool," Tsubasa nods. "I can't leave Lance. She'll prolly go nuts for a yard..." Lance is of course used to sleeping in a tiny kennel, which is, for those keeping track at home, Tsubasa's apartment. Pretty much anything is bigger at that point.
(Lance is, at this very moment, napping in said 'kennel'. It's fine, she'll get to run around all night with Tsubasa.)
"Together, huh...?" Tsubasa smiles. "That's real cool... we can go check out the mall an' shit. Heard there was a cool club out there..." A cool club which teenagers aren't allowed in, but of course that's the point.
"Yeah it's gonna happen!!" Tsubasa echoes her, and they even exclaim it with two exclamation points, which is two more than the amount of exclamation points they're usually ever caught using for anything other than yelling at a guy.