2025-12-18: The Rest of the Iceberg
- Log: The Rest of the Iceberg
- Cast: Tsubasa Seki, Shinobu Shimizu
- Where: Paulownia Mall, Iwatodai
- OOC Date: 2025-12-18
- IC Date: Mon, Aug 27 2012
- Summary: Shinobu flags down Tsubasa to check on them, a few days after they handed Myunghon off to her -- and after Eiji was found guilty live on television, too. She learns that Tsubasa's day was even worse than she thought it was... and gives them some support regarding their parents, alongside their decision to shape up for Ichika. Shinobu can be the supporter she never had, when she was Tsubasa's age...
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa had a great night, but they're back in Iwatodai by noon -- which means that when they get a message from Shinobu, it's pretty easy for them to suggest hitting up Paulownia Mall for lunch. They say that the coffee from Chagall Cafe can make you even more attractive... and, well, Tsubasa really doubts it'd have much of an effect on a face like theirs, but there is that one little detail how Ichika likes their face.
So... you never know!!
They're sans dog when they amble into the mall and over to the cafe, a shock of cyan, magenta, and yellow hair fixed to their head; their tank-top today is checkered, and their cargo pants are gunmetal grey around their hips, with that neon blue and black binder visible beneath them. (Their tank top might have shown their belly off, if not for that.) That artificially-deep tan across their skin has a tonne of concealer backing it up, of course -- not to mention the cyan and blue makeup on their face. (And neck; they've drawn a half-circle around where their Adam's apple ought to be, as if to suggest more's there than there is. It's a habitual addition of theirs to their warpaint.)
Tragically, as Shinobu's already seen, malls don't usually allow dogs.
Poor Lance... abandoned to the backyard and her squeaky toys...
(Mrs. Ichika's Mom got her another one, since the first went over so well.)
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu wanted to check in on Tsubasa. She knows they aren't in Hirasaka right now, but that's no issue - she's more than willing to take the trip over to Port Island for them. Paulownia Mall's Chagall Cafe makes a great meeting place.
A train ride and a bit of a walk later, Shinobu's there in the cafe. She scans the crowd, and it doesn't take long for her to spot Tsubasa. She raises a hand in a casual wave, changing course to approach them.
"Hey, Seki. Good to see you again." She greets with a smile. She notes that Lance isn't here... which isn't too much of a surprise. "How's vacation been treating you?"
She looks toward the cafe itself, then, checking for an empty table.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Good!" Tsubasa even grins, briefly, and, like, uses an exclamation mark, so it must not be all bad. "Got me a girl... an' there ain't no more guillotine hangin' over me neck now." Eiji, they mean; he's safely being ushered away to pay for his crimes. "Been good out here hangin' with her, like -- Lance got a yard at Ichika's place. Even been doin' some work for Uchida-san, over at Kuzunoha's," the detective agency, they mean. "Uh, jus' like, gruntwork shit, I ain't eligible to be licenced or nothin', but..."
There are plenty of empty tables here midday on a Monday; all the adults busy at work, and most of the teenagers off on vacation have more pressing things to do in the middle of the day. (Like still being asleep. ... the only reason Tsubasa's not sleeping in forever is because Lance is real used to her before-school morning walkies.) There are nice little cakes and pastries and sandwiches they can order alongside their coffee, though, of course, Tsubasa immediately opts for cake.
When they get to sitting down -- Tsubasa, of course, sitting in their chair wrong, they just kind of sidesaddle it so they can rest an elbow on the backrest -- they get back to talking, too. "How ya been, Big Sis?" And they're still addressing her as if she were a big tough gangster. "Uh, heard from me friend you was helpin' fuck off that guillotine," they add, scratching at a cheek. "From the sounds of it, Phoenix was real relieved you showed up... sounds like you were real solid." Not that they'd know, of course; they weren't there. They're just relating what they've heard.
"Appreciated you showin' up th' other day, too," they add, a touch more evasively, as they recall the events of their birthday. "You, uh... you know if Yeo-sama's cool, or..."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Tsubasa actually grins, and Shinobu can hear from the tone of their voice that that's a genuine 'good'. It's good to hear that.
"Sounds like things have been really good." Shinobu notes. "Happy for you - glad you're finally catching a break. More than a few. So, what's she like?"
She's never met Ichika directly(as far as she actually knows, that is), but it all started to help her... Hopefully she's resting a little easier now, too. And Lance, has a yard! Shinobu actually grins, at that.
"I'm sure she's ecstatic about that." She comments.
Gruntwork at the Kuzunoha Detective Agency, though... Shinobu nods approvingly.
"Hey, someone's gotta get the gruntwork done, right? That's good, steady work, and you can count on Kuzunoha." She hasn't talked with them much personally, but she's heard a lot of good about them.
Shinobu, herself, orders a nice big muffin to go with her coffee, and takes her seat. Shinobu herself just sort of lounges in her chair, and the cafe is empty enough that she can get away with leaning it back casually in a way that definitely isn't safe.
Somehow, she still isn't bothered at all by being addressed like a gangster.
"You heard about that, huh...? Yeah, did what I could, anyway. Mostly gettin' stuff to other folks so they could deal with it, but..." Shinobu shrugs. She's not going to downplay how important gathering information is. Tsubasa brings up Phoenix. She does remember them talking her up... and how strongly they felt about the people supporting Tsubasa. "Oh yeah? Next time you talk, let 'em know I appreciated the help, too. Team effort, you know?"
Tsubasa brings up the other day and Shinobu nods, expression softening a little.
"...I don't know if I'd say 'cool'," She admits. "But I think they're out of the danger zone for now. Right now, it's just about supporting them how we can. They've got a good group watching out for them, at least."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"She's Ichika!" Tsubasa connects the dots, with a second exclamation mark, dear God Ichika what did you DO to this guy. "Y'know, th' Boss?" And theres another dot connected, because Tsubasa's definitely talked about their Boss in glowing terms before. "She goin' steady with me now... me an' Sakamoto-kun, but that's cool, man, it's jus', like, she wants a boyfriend an a partner what's none a th' above. But man, she's great, like -- super level-headed," compared to Tsubasa, anyway, "clever an' tenacious as hell, she'd go right down to Hell an' punch a guy if one a her crew were fucked, but like, she's super carin' too? Like, way considerate. An' she looks amazin', man... she's tall, too, like a goddamn model."
Tsubasa has so many nice things to say about Ichika as they're getting coffee ordered. One might get the feeling that they could talk about her this whole time and not run out of things to say.
Some of them might even be emphatic.
They at least do finally get to Kuzunoha, to say: "I was surprised... I didn't reckon bein' all obsessive woulda been useful nowhere, but when Uchida-san asked me to comb through EDINET, like, I guess I rule at that shit?" Tsubasa never expected to have skills that people need, except if they needed crimes done.
"Yeah," Tsubasa nods. "Uh... that fuck Eiji were after me too, so... people been tellin' me stuff here an' there. Plus, Phoenix is kinda a huge recluse, so, like... I was handin' over th' shit they found." It's a totally plausible excuse! "I'll let 'em know, tho'."
They rub at the back of their neck, drumming the fingers of their other hand against their backrest-come-siderest. "Cool," they nod, though they grow quiet. "So long's they got that." They divert their attention off, though; and maybe it's just that coffee and cake's arrived, so they need to mumble, "cool, thanks," to the waitress, but that doesn't really explain how they look more sad than hungry.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
It's delightful just watching Tsubasa talk about Ichika. It's clear they're head over heels for her, and seeing that excitement puts a smile on her face. There's no judgment, either, when they mention that she's going steady with them and someone else at the same time.
"She knows what she wants, and sounds like she's made sure you're all okay with it. I can respect that." Shinobu comments with a nod, and listens as they continue.
"Sounds like you're really into her. I'm happy for you two." Shinobu comments. "I think I'd like her. I can stand by anyone who'd go to hell and back for one of her own."
Much the same could be said for her, after all.
Tsubasa admits to being surprised, and Shinobu chuckles good-naturedly.
"Yeah, that's pretty handy. Me, you put a whole bunch of stuff in front of my face and it all melts together," Shinobu shrugs. "So being able to pick out all the little details others'd miss? That's valuable. Use it where you can."
She nods, then, as they continue.
"They are, huh?" She considers. ...It makes sense, when she thinks about it. She only sees them when something big is going on. She nods, too, when they say they'll pass it on. "Cool."
She sees the way their expression shifts, though - and its partially that, and partially the arrival of the waitress that causes Shinobu to lean her chair forward again, folding her arms in front of her so that she can look at them more directly.
"...Yeah." She replies with a quiet nod. "...I know it's hard. Especially for you. We'll get through this."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Super into her," Tsubasa agrees, firmly, with all the excitement of a teenager who finally has a real girlfriend. "She made sure everythin' were above-board. Reckon you'd like her, yeah. She's reliable as hell." ... though, they don't get as far as saying that Ichika used to handle relationships a lot like it sounds like Shinobu does, because it's still kind of uncomfortable they know that now.
Shinobu says that that orientation to detail is valuable, though, and poor dumb Tsubasa still looks like that's news. "Always jus' figured I was weird... it's cool, tho'."
Tsubasa does briefly wonder if they'll regret insisting that their alter-ego just hates socialising, before deciding it's fine, actually. They can be a hermit no one will judge them for that (oh god is this super cool woman judging them for that --) TOTALLY FINE, see, she said it was cool, that means it's cool, bro!
... some things aren't quite so cool, though.
They're quiet, for a moment, as they pick up their coffee and take a sip. (They don't... feel any different. Well, no way coffee was going to make them more charming, anyway, right?) "... it was my birthday, y'know?" They advance, finally. "Had some trouble with it, so... I thought..."
Tsubasa shakes their head. "It's cool," they say.
It's still not cool.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu grins when Tsubasa agrees that they're super into her. The excitement of a teenager who finally has a real girlfriend... It's nostalgic.
"Sure sounds like it." Shinobu agrees, then nods. "Do right by her. ...Though, I probably don't need to tell you that. Sounds like you've got things handled pretty well already."
There's a sympathetic smile as Tsubasa admits that they figured they were weird.
"Nah. Everyone's got their things they're good at, yeah? Glad you found one of yours." She encourages.
It's okay. Shinobu definitely isn't judging Phoenix for that. She's read comics before. When you're a masked vigilante you have the right to be a bit of a hermit, it adds mystique.
Shinobu takes a sip of her own coffee, too - but then they tell her something she didn't know. Shinobu winces.
"Shit, I'm sorry." She apologizes. "Hell of a thing to see on your birthday..."
They say it's cool. She knows it's not.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"I ain't never wanna hurt her," Tsubasa promises, taking it all deeply, DEEPLY seriously.
(It's a good habit to have by your last year of high school, though... at this point, you're at least looking at your future.)
Tsubasa looks real happy that Shinobu's affirmed their orientation to detail as something they're good at, though. They'd be happy if they knew she was deeming Phoenix as steeped in mystique, too.
But... "I-it's..." Tsubasa starts, and the hitch in their throat has them coughing, again, a fist curled to their face; embarrassed, they grab their puffer from their pocket and huff on it. "Uh," they grunt, shoving that proof that they're not quite bulletproof back into their pocket. "Ain't -- ain't like I told Yeo-sama or nothin'. Ain't... told no one, don't... celebrate or nothin' these days. Mostly." When it slipped out in front of Ren, they made sure they took them out for lunch, even when that lunch was interrupted by the Joker Killer.
... not that Tsubasa can mention that happened that day too, since 'they' weren't there.
Tsubasa takes another swig of coffee, and they're really glad it's so black and bitter, right about now. "... jus'... me mom knows," they add, cautiously. "Uh... she, uh... called me up. That's... why I went over, so..."
This would be the same mother who called the Joker Killer on her child. That mother. The child-assassinating mother.
"... she wanted to... say congrats for gettin' to eighteen, I guess... but... she told me to come home," they relate, and a chill's fallen over their tone, all their fidgeting stilled. "Guess father's sayin' it's beyond a joke now... she said I can't stop talkin' to 'em like this, said... they jus' wanna work shit out. Uh..."
But whatever they could say to that isn't something that springs to Tsubasa's lips.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"Good." Shinobu replies with a nod and a smile. She can tell they're taking it seriously, and that makes her feel all the more that her initial assessment was the right one. She can tell they appreciate her comment, too.
Tsubasa starts - but is interrupted by a cough. Shinobu glances to the puffer but doesn't comment on it, instead focusing on that they say. They didn't tell anyone, huh...
"...I can relate to that." She replies. She doesn't do much for her own birthday, either - if she does, it's just a small thing with her sisters.
...But, their mother called. Shinobu grimaces, at that - she remembers quite well who that is... and why that might lead them to seek someone out. She can see the way Tsubasa stills... and a sympathetic frown crosses her face, as they recount everything.
...Shinobu exhales.
"...You don't gotta." She says. "It's your life. You've got every right to get yourself out of a bad situation. If they really wanna 'work shit out', they oughta do it on your terms - and if those terms are 'go to hell', no one'd blame you."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"I was thinkin'... I was thinkin', maybe..." Tsubasa sighs, gazing at their coffee cup. "... jus'... I been stayin' with Ichika's folks over Summer, yeah? They're... together. An' they been real nice to me -- an' they don't like what they heard 'bout me folks, neither, but -- when mom said she wanted to work things out, I jus' had this thought, like..."
They're talking around the point, circling the drain. They're a touch miserable when they finally manage to spit it out: "... I wanted it to be okay."
Being on the outside of the family like that... it's hard. Ayame would know, too.
"... but she never even... mentioned what she did, man. Jus'... how my father was pissed off 'bout it. 'Bout how far I was takin' it, prolly..." Even though they declined to call the Joker Killer on their own mother, even facing a horrific death. "... she said... her special little girl was growin' up. Didn't even bother, uh... tellin' her she was wrong, now... guess I couldn't say nothin'. Hung up on her... rude a me... I dunno."
Tsubasa shakes their head. "Even tho' she jus' told me she ain't changed a bit, still thought maybe I oughta give her terms... but I don't, like... like, it's complicated?" They make a frustrated noise, finger tapping at the edge of their coffee cup. "But I don't -- like, I ain't -- they ain't good to me," and the frustration's audible in their tone, too. "I don't... really need that shit, like... like I was gon' get sold off 'cuz me family don't give a shit, but, like -- uh, like, Phoenix was tellin' me how you was goin' off to him or somethin', weren't gon' let that fly... an'... I don't need it," they insist, again, shaking their head. "I -- I got Ichika. We gon'... have a family, like... later. Like -- I'm gonna help. That -- that'll be my family, not... me mom or me father. Oniisama can have 'em..."
... Tsubasa doesn't often mention an older brother, though.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu listens as Tsubasa airs their feelings. They've been staying with Ichika's folks, and when their mom wanted to work out, they thought they wanted it to be okay...
...Shinobu nods sympathetically. She might be thinking about Ayame now, too.
But Tsubasa continues and Shinobu keeps listening, sipping at her coffee. She doesn't interrupt, but she does interject briefly, when they mention hanging up might have been rude of them.
"Think you've earned a bit of rudeness." She comments.
It's complicated, though - that definitely gets a nod. There's a lot of feelings mixed up into it. She nods to confirm, too, when they bring up what Phoenix told them.
And ultimately... they say they'll have a family with Ichika, that they're going to help.
...They're thinking that far ahead, huh? It's kind of impressive... When was the last time she seriously thought about her future?
And didn't try to run away from it.
She smiles, though.
"That sounds good to me. That'll be the family you chose. I'm rooting for you two, you know? You deserve it." Shinobu says with a nod.
The mention of an older brother definitely catches her ear, though... she can't recall if they've mentioned him to her before.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Mm," Tsubasa nods, when Shinobu cuts in. It's right, isn't it? Their mom tried to have them killed, they're allowed to be a little rude...
... but for all that Tsubasa's a no-good punk, they've always been remarkably respectful for their type. It's almost certainly something to do with coming from a family which would do something like that.
Some people have to demand respect, after all.
Tsubasa rarely mentions Kiyoshi, the golden prince of the Seki household, though... it's notable, the addresses they use. Otou-sama, onii-sama... kaa-san. Not only are they more comfortable using a more boyish, fonder address with their mother -- they're also markedly less formal about her. ... which suggests the strict respect in the Seki household is structured along gender lines, too.
"Thanks," they nod, firmly. "I... ain't managed to tell her mom called me, or nothin', but... she promised she'd come rescue me if anythin' ever happened, y'know? So... so if they tried anythin', she'd..." 'Kick their ass' is the phrase that goes here, but Tsubasa finds themself feeling a little too nervous to say it.
"... they ain't gon' try nothin'," they settle on, instead. "Like, if they sayin' we should kiss an' make up, they musta realised killin' me ain't workin'? And it's like, good work, idiot, yain't got no place to escalate from there." It sounds real tough. Does Tsubasa realise that swinging back to a honeymoon and convincing them to give them a chance gives them plenty of room to escalate from murder? ... maybe not. Murder's like, the worst thing, after all. There's nowhere to go but down from there, as far as they can tell. "Officer Shimizu would like, toss me father in lockup if he tried anythin' by now, anyway... like, she was so cool about it when I told him I was movin' out with her, man, she totally told him off, said he wasn't gon' yell at me or she was gonna make shit hard for him."
Tsubasa, who has no idea how hard Reiko's job is for her lately, says: "Lucky she's on my side, man, he can't do shit to me when she's watchin' him."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu's noticed that respect... and the implications, in the way the lines are drawn. It certainly leaves her room to draw her own conclusions.
She offers a small smile as they thank her, and they explain they haven't told Ichika yet. Her promise, though, even if the don't finish the sentence...
"She sounds like a real keeper." Shinobu comments with a smirk.
Tsubasa concludes that they won't try anything. Shinobu lets out a small laugh at their comment, which shifts to a fond smile as they recount how Reiko came to Tsubasa's defense.
"That sounds like her." She comments. Reiko's on their side... "...Yeah. Reiko-chan cares about you. Something happened, she'd do what she could for you."
...She doesn't tell them about how Reiko is struggling - the weight her workplace has placed on her and keeps placing on her. She doesn't speculate, either, on other ways their family could retaliate.
...Sometimes, being the adult means letting the teenager keep having hope for a bit longer, when they need it.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"She really is!" Hey, look, Tsubasa found their exclamation mark again! It magically appeared when they started thinking about how great Ichika is. They are so head over heels they even smiled for a second there it's adorable. (Tsubasa... might just be a larval Wife Guy, huh?)
They even smile again, briefly, when Shinobu says Reiko cares about them too. "She's real cool... y'know she even put me up when me father first kicked me out? Man, she didn't gotta do that... like, lotta cops are jus' sadists, but then ya got Officer Shimizu, like... Sergeant Suou too, y'know? He's a real stick in the mud, but he doin' right by folks... so it ain't jus' Officer Shimizu, at least."
Tsubasa scratches at the side of their cheek. "Thought there was somethin' might make her happy, actually... like... y'know how I said I was doin' shit for Uchida-san? Uh, looked into what I gotta do to get licenced... you gotta get a clean record for five years, or somethin' like that. Since I wanna be supportin' Ichika, I was thinkin' I'd need some kinda flexible job like that... so I talked with her 'bout cleanin' our act up a bit. Y'know? Uh..." They pause, with a furitive glance. "... not that I'm plannin' on becomin' borin' or nothin'. Like... we ain't gon' be able to stop fightin', we'd eat shit at school. An' th' taggins' art, man. But I figured, like... I could try an'... be more careful. Like, quit stealin' shit, throwin' rocks into windows an' shit..."
Pause.
"... uh, not like I didn't total a car when I left you guys couple days back, but I grabbed a big rock an' it was lookin' at me funny."
Damn, so that's where all the reactivity they were buttoning down went.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
There's that excitement again. Shinobu can't help but smile, herself - it's good to see just how happy thinking about her makes them. And she keeps smiling, when they talk about how cool Reiko is.
"Yeah. She really cares about people. That's why people like her so much around there..." ...And, probably, why her workplace is giving her so much trouble. "Suou, too. He's a real stand-up guy, yeah."
They have something that might make Reiko happy, though. Shinobu listens - and smiles, as they give the good news. She laughs a little, too, when she mentions the incident with the car.
"Sounds like it had it coming." She decides. "But, seriously, getting licensed? That's great. Gonna be hard work, but I can tell you've thought a lot about this already."
That's another way in which they're thinking about their future... What was she thinking about, at that age? It felt like she didn't have a whole lot of options...
She's glad that it's different for them, though.
"I'm proud of you. Gonna be rooting for you to make it. Might be more Reiko-chan's territory, but if there's anything I can do to help you with that, just say the word."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"She's a real good person, y'know?" Tsubasa says, about Reiko. "Like, all three a ya, really..." and here Tsubasa thinks something mean about how the goodness must have just skipped a generation with the Shimizus, but, like, they're not disrespectful enough to diss Shinobu's mom to her face like that.
... plus, they're pretty sure they're not supposed to know her mom is a nightmare. They just kinda... saw it with their own eyes one day. Oops.
They nod, though, when Shinobu insists the car had it coming. "Totally." Did they give some poor random guy hundreds of dollars in a repair bill because he came back to find his windscreen busted? Man, that's his fault for parking in Hirasaka. "But yeah, I -- I been thinkin' 'bout it," they nod. "Dunno if I can really keep me nose clean," especially not now they've committed to a different kind of thievery, "but if I'm good at it, worth a try... yeah?"
They didn't think they had any options when they met Shinobu, that's for sure. Indeed, it was Shinobu who first made them consider they might have options aside from prison...
... man, though, if they knew that, they'd definitely think it was too bad Shinobu didn't have a Shinobu when she was their age.
But Tsubasa does have a Shinobu, and they smile, again, when she says she's proud of them. "Thanks, Big Sis! Glad you don't think I ain't cool, hearin' that," and they even chuckle a little, as if it's a joke and not a very real worry they had. (They're eighteen. Being cool and accepted is, like, life and death, man.) "Yeah... you bet I'll call ya."
Shinobu's someone they're really relying on, too.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"She really is." Shinobu agrees with a nod - and a small laugh, when they say that all three of them are. "Even me? But... thanks."
She doesn't know they know. She wouldn't know how to react, she wouldn't blame them if they did have something to say about her.
They don't know, but it's worth a try... Shinobu nods.
"Never know unless you try, right? It's worth seeing how it goes." She agrees.
That's what's adulthood is about, perhaps - the opportunity to be the you you needed for someone else who does.
They thank her, and she nods.
"Nah. Nothing wrong with wanting to make something of yourself. Especially if you're doing it for someone else's sake, too." She assures with a smirk. They assure her they'll call her, though, and she nods. "Cool."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Hell yeah," Tsubasa nods, firmly, "you too." No 'even' about it, apparently. But it's fine, they can like... pretend they never saw that. (Even if it still kinda tells them something about why all three of the Shimizu sisters would be invested in them...)
But Shinobu says they'll never know until they try, and they nod, again, turning that over in their head. They can just... see how it goes!
"Thas' right," they nod, again, when Shinobu says they're doing it for someone else, too. "I gotta be a reliable guy for Ichika, y'know? Can't jus' be sweepin' her off her feet." Not that they can't also do that. "I'm serious about this stuff!" What is that, like, four exclamation marks? Dear God, they're going to overdraft their account, at this rate.
"Tho', y'know what, I better get serious 'bout this cake, too..." Tsubasa finally rounds on snacks, and now they're looking at it like they're hungry, which is the normal expression for teenagers to have around cake, actually.
... and that must mean Shinobu's done some real good, today.