2025-12-16: Bros
- Log: Bros
- Cast: Tsubasa Seki, Ryuji Sakamoto
- Where: Wilduck Burger
- OOC Date: 2025-12-16
- IC Date: Sun, Aug 26 2012
- Summary: Tsubasa invites Ryuji out to take the Big Eater Challenge at Wilduck... only for both of them to be defeated. They talk about Ichika, and Ryuji shares some of his alcoholic father's impact when Tsubasa talks about how Ichika's father isn't like that... but he's terribly upset when Tsubasa shares details of their parents, too, including their mother's attempt on their life. Unfortunately, Tsubasa can't imagine a world where Etsuko turned on Hanzou for their sake, but Ryuji can at least resolve that Tsubasa can count on him too.
- Content warning: Child abuse, filicide
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa walked past Wilduck Burger, when giving Lance her evening walk, only to decide: hey fuck you, they can totally eat the Mystery Burger.
But there's no point in eating the Mystery Burger alone -- so they've called Ryuji out here tonight to grab dinner with them!!
And of course, if they're going to be eating here...
... they have to take on the Big Eater Challenge.
"They gon' be timin' us," Tsubasa explains, as they sit down at the booth with their trays of burgers on burgers. "We gotta eat this shit before time's up, or it's lights out." (Someone was chatting on their phone in there after eating his food -- before this terrifying thug 'accidentally' jostled the table and glared at him like it was his fault. With magenta and green hair which looks like electricity hit it, and by now another fit of checkered tank top and blazing orange board shorts, alongside that deep orange fake tan... yeah, the guy who was taking up all that space decides he can finish his call somewhere else.) Things are pretty hoppin' on a Sunday evening -- all the families are out for dinner tonight, on the one day of the week dad has off of work -- but there's a kind of anonymity in that kind of animated chatter, too.
It's hard for anyone to overhear them when they're trying to hear past ten other conversations.
Of course, before they can say anything --
It's time to eat.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
A eating contest you say? At a restaurant Ryuji hasn't been to? Sakamoto dawns the vestments of Sakamoto: a colorful t-shirt with no sleeves and red plaid pants that look either destressed or old.
Once settled, Ryuji looks between the stack of burgers and Tsubasa. "Uhhhh" The pile was pretty big but manageable.
Probably easier than that Ramen contest with Hyousuke. Still...
"I mean I'm gonna eat my ass off but dude this is nuts!" Ryuji then just digs in, double fisting the burger as he chomps down.
"Ugh..." Ryuji looks like he is struggling with his first burger, reaching for some soda to wash it down. He then goes back to just scarfing down. "Dude I'm struggling here. This challenge is no joke."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Don't think too hard about it, man," Tsubasa says, though they're saying it around a burger, so it's mostly vowels. "Switch ya brain off an' eat."
They immediately dove into the pile of burgers without a single glance back, of course, eating as if they hadn't eaten for a week. (They actually have three straight meals now they're staying with the Kawases, but, like -- their hungriness is an elemental part of themself. They are starving. ... and not just for food.) The first burger disappears in a blink of an eye; the second burger doesn't take much longer. Neither does the third.
Still, the pile of burgers doesn't seem to be getting any smaller...
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"I'm trying! Kinda hard when they are just staring at you." Ryuji is referring to the burgers as he continues to eat. He is just beginning the third when the wall hits again.
The blonde burps and taps his fist against his chest to clear his throat. After a moment, he takes a deep breath. "Sorry...Geez dude. My body is going to hate me after this. Still, you only live once!"
Ryuji dives back in, working on the third burger with renewed gusto. He makes some progress with courage to push him but the pile doesn't shrink.
Ryuji reaches for his soda, glaring at the burgers. "Damnit. Are they adding them when we're not looking?! This pile isn't moving"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Break eye contact," Tsubasa says, in one of those pauses they have to take to breathe, because their lungs are still garbage.
They just kind of grunt, around a burger, when Ryuji apologises. That's presumably code for 'it's cool, dude, I'm busy eating'.
(... they have to take a second to unobtrusively huff on a puffer when that demand feels like they're going to get slowed down by a coughing fit, but hopefully, they think, Ryuji didn't notice between all those burgers menacing him.)
By the time they've hit their fifth burger, though, even Tsubasa's feeling a shroud of regret over their shoulders. "Keep eatin'!!" They insist, around their burger.
And then they reach for the sixth. Dear God. If this is an infinitely-spawning tray of burgers, Tsubasa really hit the monkey's paw on this one.
Still, maybe it's getting a little smaller, now... could the end be in sight?
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji does what Tsubasa says, still feeling like he's fighting a losing battle. He is just getting to his fifth?...Ryuji is starting to lose track.
His jaw has hit that point where it feels weird to chew anymore. Still he pushes through it, getting to burger 6 with some struggle.
Ryuji mouths 'Keep eating' in response.
"Ughhh...I don't think I can finish. Go on without me. I think I'll die here...Tell Ichika I died doing what I love---eating delicious food thinking of her sweet----"
Ryuji's head hits the table followed by a groan. "I never want to eat again..."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Homph. Homph. Homp...
The problem is, like... these aren't small burgers or anything. Two layers of cheese, big enough to to be grasped in both hands... the real mystery is how anyone could eat this many in one sitting.
In the end, the thing that defeats Tsubasa?
It's, like, chewing. If they felt confident enough to just inhale these burgers, maybe they'd get past the seventh.
But their own hand falls to the table; half of their seventh burger rolls from their hand back to the tray, as their head comes to flop down on their outstretched arm, too.
"Fuck, man... I can't do it... gon' be... ugh..."
One of the waitresses thoughfully comes and removes the horrific tray from their booth, with a sympathetic: "Better luck next time, boys!!", because as far as she can tell that's what's going on here.
"Less'... less' not tell Ichika we got our ass kicked by... fuckin'... burgers..."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
There is a long period of Ryuji just groaning. Eventually, his head pop up and he groans a little more.
"There's a luck component to that?! Hell, you'd need to be a freakin' bear to inhale that much food." Ryuji squeezes his eyes shut to avoid looking at the spot where the burgers were...
"Right. We tell her it was a bus or guy bigger than three of us. No way we're living down this." Ryuji responds with a sigh, patting his stomach. He is going to have to work out some before school starts. Make sure he kept his physique.
"So I took Ichika to Yakiniku...That was fun." Ryuji opens and eye and turns to look at Tsubasa.
"Man, half way until school..."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Some kinda... single-minded... food-inhalin' guy..."
(Somewhere in Iwatodai, Minato sneezes.)
Tsubasa's blue eyes are still scrunched tightly shut; if they don't look at the world they don't have to acknowledge how crushed by burger they are right now. "Big guy... drivin' a bus... right into us. Yeah..."
They at least revive a little when Ryuji brings up his adventures, though, hauling themself up from the table to look to him. "Aw, sweet!" They grin, hearing he went on a date. "She woulda loved that. You guys have fun?"
They reach over to their soda to take a sip of it, hoping, perhaps, that the bubbles will soothe them. (Tsubasa, you fool.) "Yeah... man, weird to think about. Hope I can get outta th' hole I dug meself after last round's exams... totally bombed that shit since I were in lockup, even tho' Kawase-sensei convinced 'em to let me make 'em up." And they're referring to him as a master, not necessarily a teacher; it's a title that applies to doctors, too.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"Yeah...Scary to think about." Ryuji says imagining some kind of person who is probably a lot larger than Minato.
"She seemed to?" Ryuji says, remembering the after and blushing a little. "Heh...We talked about a lot. It was nice...Kind had her reassure me I wasn't crowding you two."
He sighs and straightens up in his seat, looking at them with a smile. "Thanks for always been cool...Like I know this could get messy if we aren't mature about it and she deserves that."
Ryuji listens to Tsubasa explain the academic situation they are in. He cringes a little as he remembers he isn't doing much better. Just barely passing. "Oh? Ichika's old man, right? Man, it's gotta be cool having an adult who isn't a fucking asshole on your side. That's a rarity."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Don't worry 'bout that," Tsubasa shakes their head. "You ain't, like, ancillary to this shit." Seriously, how is it that they're always swearing and using slang and then out of nowhere they drop words like 'ancillary', what the fuck does that word even MEAN? "Ichika said you're her boy, and you can trust her on that one... not that I blame ya if it's hard to get through your head sometimes, neither. Fuck, had that meself, feelin' all, like, inferior to her nice-ass shit, intimidated an' shit... uh, y'know, like... I talk a big game 'bout bein' cool, but I'm basically convincin' meself." They shrug a shoulder, looking up at the lights, past the Wilduck Mascot wandering around the children's tables and delighting the families here. "She set me right, but, y'know... if you thinkin' you the only one feelin' outta place sometimes... you ain't, y'know?"
It's a little nerve-wracking to admit they don't have it all together, but... hearing Ryuji was worried about crowding them out makes them feel like maybe they seem a little too cool. Not that it's possible to be too cool, but, you know. Situationally.
"But we was talkin' 'bout how you were when we were yellin' that prick down yesterday," they add. "Talkin' how your quips are fuckin' sick. An', y'know, every time you come up, I can see how happy she is 'bout you too... so it's like, why wouldn't I want her to be happier, man? I know she's happy with me, too, so I ain't like, thinkin' jealous 'bout it. We like... a team, I reckon? We both on Team Ichika."
Look: it's not just Ichika who has trouble thinking of words for new concepts. Tsubasa hasn't yet gotten deep enough into the 'net to dig up 'metamour'. They're doing their best.
They take another sip of their soda, as they tilt their head. "Yeah, Ichika's dad... he's kinda intimidatin', but he's not a bad guy or nothin'. Like, he invited me to come stay with 'em over now since he realised I was worried Ichika was havin' trouble at home, seein' how stern he was... but he ain't the kinda formidable," seriously Tsubasa did you eat a thesaurus alongside those burgers, "what raises a fist to his family none. He does love dogs, tho'... uh, 'least he loves my dog."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji takes a swig of his soda, chewing on some ice that came with. He is listening to Tsubasa, nodding along. "Dude, you have no reason to be down on yourself...But yeah, if she believes it about us...its true."
"Heh...I just didn't like that guy. Pissed me off what he did to the two of you." Ryuji falls back against the chair, cracking his neck as he thinks about everything. She was happy. Tsubasa was happy. He was happy. It was just a win all around. "Yeah, a team. I haven't had one of those in a long time so that feels pretty nice actually..."
"Sounds like a good guy...Trust me, if he or anyone raised a fist against her, I'd probably get in trouble again. I don't put up with that shit after my old man used to kick my ass." Ryuji gets a serious look on his face as he recalls his father. All those bad times. "...Huh. Now that I think about it I don't have a lot of great experiences meeting parents. Not ever since I became Shujin's roughest student."
"I told her I was serious so I guess I gotta figure out meeting the parents eventually, huh?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Heh," Tsubasa grins, briefly, and if it's a touch rueful, never mind that. It's nice Ryuji thinks they have no reason to be down on themself. "She totally believes it," they nod. "Said it right in front a everyone, not like they knew who we was... uh, not most a them, anyway."
They shake their head, taking another sip of soda. Urp, and they clear their throat, ha-hem. "Yeah, he was a piece a work... least he ain't gettin' outta the clink any time soon."
But, "Yeah," Tsubasa smiles, just as brief as their last expression which wasn't the default thuggish scowl they seem to always wear, "it's good shit, man." They're on a team!!
That default scowl deepens, though, when Ryuji mentions how his old man used to kick his ass. "Yeah. I... got me reasons for thinkin' maybe she were in trouble. ... my father's," and that's otou-sama, too, "real strict, too, but, like... he got a temper." Tsubasa shakes their head. "Kawase-sensei ain't like that, tho'. Like, he's scary, but he ain't... scary. Y'know?"
Tsubasa tilts their soda towards Ryuji. "Start with meetin' her mom first," they suggest. "She's, like, super nice, super invested in keepin' part a Ichika's life an' shit. Reckon if she realises you're legit, she'll put in a good word for ya... like, Ichika's dad's warmed up to me a lot, apparently, an' that can't jus' be 'cuz we had meals together sometimes.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji chews on more ice, listening more to Tsubasa. "Yeah. She says a lot about us. We're spoiled." He grins before taking another sip.
"That's for sure...Wonder if they'll kick his ass some. Would serve him right after being that...fucking...ugh. I can't even think of a good word for how vile all of that was. Like I've seen some heinous shit but that was one of the worst ones."
"Yeah. Should get us jerseys or something." Ryuji isn't being serious but it does sound like a funny idea. A thought of Ichika in a jersey pops into his head and stupid smile comes to his face.
"Yeah...I guess I forget there are dads like that." He listens to Tsubasa mention their dad and feels suddenly a little closer. "Yeah, mine was just a drunk. Took out all his insecurities out on us...Still a strict father is just as bad as a drunk. All just shitty adults, man."
Yet another sip. Ryuji thinks about what Tsubasa is saying on how to approach Ichika's family. "Her mom, huh? You know she's going to be meeting my mom soon too. She's nervous when she's literally perfect."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"We really are," Tsubasa smiles, briefly, again.
They shrug, "... me? I hope they put him in solitary 'til he's talkin' to th' walls." It's a particularly vicious thing for someone who's been isolated by law enforcement personally to wish on someone else, but, well... no one said Tsubasa was entirely nice.
They do snort out a laugh, though, when Ryuji suggests jersies. Tsubasa doesn't properly laugh that often, so score one for Ryuji.
It's good to get the laughter out, though, because it's all gone when they contemplate fathers. Tsubasa scowls, hearing about Ryuji's dad's drinking problem. "Tch... booze makes some people into fuckin' monsters, yeah," they say, as they make a personal note to suggest Ichika avoid underage drinking around her boy specifically.
... not that they weren't gonna try to cool it on some of those criminal acts, anyway. But, y'know. Specifically.
"Nah, man," Tsubasa shakes their head. "Normal she'd be nervous. She really likes you, y'know? She don't wanna fuck it up neither. Cool she gon' meet her, tho'... uh, ain't in no hurry to get her involved in mine."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji grins at the laugh. He did notice he got one of those rarities from Tsubasa. Between that and the blush from Ichika, Ryuji was handling all of this really well. At least in his opinion.
Still the conversation gets serious again. Ryuji sighs, thinking about his mom and how hard everything was. "Yeah it does...Kinda makes me want to avoid the stuff. Like what if it turns me into a monster like that. I mean it's in my blood." He worries about becoming like that...then again, the whole mess he was in was due to really having that in him. He takes another deep breath before looking over at Tsubasa. "Sorry, dude. Lets not drag ourselves down anymore. Fuck that. This is good feels time."
"I guess that makes sense...Just my mom is probably the easiest woman to get along with. Like she's pretty tired usually but she'll love Ichika. I'm sure of it."
"Yeah I've gathered your parents are...no good just from how you talk about them. You ok, dude?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"... yeah. Got the same kinda feelin'." Bad apples fall from bad trees, or something like that...
It would be nice if Tsubasa could tell Ryuji that of course he wouldn't become his father, but wouldn't it sound trite? Saying of course you won't, when that's not what he's seeing in front of him... telling him he doesn't know what he should even worry about, when they don't know anything about the situation.
When they know that sometimes, you DO have to worry about becoming as bad as him, because they've got the same damn worry.
... but when Ryuji apologises, Tsubasa just nods to him. "It's cool, man." They're sure not gonna make him focus on it.
"Glad ya mom's cool," they nod. "Maybe one day I oughta say hi, too... uh, let's save the advanced lessons for later, tho'." 'Hi, I'm your boyfriend's girlfriend's other partner, and no, she isn't a cheating hussy' is a lot to deal with. Tsubasa figures she can get that insight, like... after she's cool with Ichika.
Ryuji asks if Tsubasa is okay, though, and -- well of course their initial reaction is to go 'yeah man I'm cool', they've done it hundreds of times, but they're at least trying to be a bit more honest with him. That kind of ends up with them taking a long sip of soda, as if it could cover up the fact they've gone quiet. They're not quiet, see, they're drinking soda.
"I... do a lot more standin' on me own two feet than most guys 'round our age," they settle on, after a moment. "Got, uh... other adults keepin' an eye on me, so I ain't, like... I don't got nothin' or nothin'. But I... told me father to jus' leave me alone, like... ain't really legal or nothin', but I don't ask them fer nothin', they don't bother me... y'know, it's like that." They pause, gnawing on their bottom lip for a moment. "They... got their own priorities, like... my father was chasin' a promotion, so... when him tellin' me to neck meself didn't cut it, mom sent th' Joker Killer after me. Guess that didn't work, tho'... still out here embarrassin' 'em. Reckon they figured out killin' me won't work, so... y'know, guess they jus' figurin' out how to make it so I ain't so fuckin' embarrassin'. One way or another."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji just listens to Tsubasa explain their situation. He sips his soda, which turns into a chug as the story gets more dire.
Suddenly the grip on the cup tightens as the drink gets further and further inclined until...
Ryuji gasps for breath, leaning toward Tsubasa with a mixture of rage, concern, and everything in between. "FOR REAL?! The hell you mean they called the fuckin' Joker on you! That's...Grrr..." He crushes the cup as he lets out a frustrated 'gah!"
"Man not only did they try to kill you but they are using..." Ryuji looks around and continues. "All this freaky shit on their own kid? Yeah, dude. I don't want to meet your folks. I'd definitely feel like swinging on him....I know I talk like I throw a lot of punches but adults like that piss me off. And your parents, dude..."
After a moment, Ryuji calms down some. He sits back down in his chair and looks at his ruined cup. "Well, tell 'em they need to figure out how to be less shitty if they want anything outta ya." Ryuji turns to look at Tsubasa. "Look, I'm behind whatever you want to do and I talk a big game but we got others who are counting on us. So whatever we do, we gotta think about how it effects the Phantoms and Ichika...But whatever you're gonna do, I'm with ya. Know that. While aren't like that in this--we're bros."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"It's not her fault," is the first thing Tsubasa says. "She's jus'... keepin' the peace, man. Keepin' him happy."
They have not crushed their cup. They haven't really done anything, since hearing Ryuji get upset on their behalf. They've just kind of -- stopped. Frozen up.
"Bros... that's cool, bro," they say, quietly. "But I ain't... gon' do nothin'. Like... I'm lookin' into it... but jus' so I know what he's dealin' with. Who I'm in with. Don't.. want him punched, or... nothin'. Don't want nothin'," they insist, again. "He ain't hurtin' everyone... an' oniisama's fine, they both love him. Jus' me bein' a disappointment... an' my father carin' 'bout appearances too much. If I make him look bad, he'll really get mad, so... ain't gon' do nothin'."
It's a kind of collapse he likely hasn't seen from them, so angry at Eiji's crimes, but... if they don't want anything to happen to him, what can he do?
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"KEEPIN' DA PEACE?" Ryuji almost goes red when Tsubasa defends their mother. Is he going to have to defend his friend? His bro? A-yep.
He does however turn his head to see the nasty look he's getting from the waitstaff. "Aheh...Sorry. My friend is explaining something very important...Right.."
"Look, I know how that is." Ryuji's eyes are dark as they almost seem obscured by shadow. He looks up with a ferocity that is probably why he's feared by some. "But if my dad woulda told my mom to put a knife to my neck....she would've put it to his instead. -Fuck That- Your mom called the fucking Joker Killer not knowing if you could even survive it."
Then he sees how Tsubasa almost shuts down when dealing with this fucking monster. He shrinks a little, feeling so crestfallen at this turn. Ryuji sighs and shakes his head. "Alright dude. But don't let him win either. Remember I got your back."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa is just... very still, very quiet, except to say, "... sorry," when people start looking their way.
They can't quite bring themself to explain that it's not as simple as saying 'no' to a guy like him.
... or how it's normal for the black sheep to be sacrificial.
They nod, though, straightening up out of their slump when Ryuji says he has their back. "... thanks, bro. Don't worry, I ain't..." ... it's a thing which leaves them trailing off, again, shaking their head. "Helps that people give a shit," they settle on, after a moment.
"Now... c'mon. Let's talk strategy for meetin' Ichika's mom..."
Tsubasa might be a little quick to change the topic -- but they at least have some excellent advice on how to approach Ryuji's upcoming boss battles.