2025-12-30: Returning To The Scene
- Log: Returning To The Scene
- Cast: Yua Ooshiro, Ayame Watanabe
- Where: Watanabe Residence, Aoba Ward, Sumaru City
- OOC Date: December 30, 2025
- IC Date: Sun, Sep 02, 2012
- Summary: Yua comes over to visit Ayame after a brief conversation on the phone; while Ayame is unaware of Yua's hand in recent events, she is happy to listen to Yua's news--and talk about housewife type things.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Yua... is feeling much more secure now she has an Evoker, again. Kimitake delivered another one to her; it was a wedding gift. It was... a surprising revelation. But...
At least she won't need to hide her crimes from him.
Not like how it is when her victim calls her, late in the afternoon, concerned about how she's doing before her wedding. Apparently, she couldn't ring earlier because her phone needed to be fixed... and Yua manages not to sound like her stomach fell out from under her hearing that.
Still... there's something about it... which makes her ask if she can see her.
(... they say criminals always return to the scene of the crime.)
Luckily, Miho's willing to facilitate her visiting the housewife she targeted... and Yua is doubly lucky to have Miho preparing to soothe her after she gets back. Seiji Sahashi sees her safely off to another part of Aoba, and so...
Here appears a woman at Ayame's door! Her hair is done up in a nice, neat bun, exposing the eyepatch across her left eye; she's wearing a dancer's leotard with black skirt, as usual, though her shoes have ankle support and are enhanced by compression socks. (Yua thought she could get away with wearing her pointe shoes, last time she visited... but then she learned that her feet would be stuck in feet jail forever, not just for London.) She has a black handbag slung over her shoulder (with a fake bottom to hide the Evoker there), and she's carrying a bottle of fancy pomegranate juice!
"Watanabe-chan," she smiles, to her; and she looks tired, but can anyone blame her? She'll be wed in mere days. "Are you doing well...?"
Would she tell her, even if that assault's made her feel poorly...?
Really, it's probably safer if she doesn't...
What a selfish woman she must be, coming back here.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
It was quite an evening after all that. Ayame got her phone fixed and some tips on how to notice things like that in the future--and, of course, had a chance to talk with the group...
What had happened to her phone? It's hard to say; there are many places it could've been out of her sight. So there's no answer to that for now, just future vigilance.
There are questions Ayame hasn't quite managed to ask Yua about her upcoming wedding, and she's not sure she'll ask them today, either. But...
It is nice to see her.
Ayame's black hair is down, and she's in a light red dress. She opens the door with a smile. "It's so good to see you!" she says, and opens the door for Yua to come inside. "I know you must be terribly busy... But I'm glad you wanted to make time to see me."
It appears to just be Ayame at the moment. She doesn't explain that immediately. Instead she says, "I'm doing well!" It even seems true--well, mostly. She is of course worried about that Bride she met still, but, "Everything's all ready for everyone to go back to school tomorrow, of course. I'm hoping I can get Ikkaku extra-motivated today when he comes home."
She'll accept the fancy juice as well, and says, "Oh, thank you! And please, come have a seat."
Ayame has noticed different footwear, but not thought much of it yet. ...Though Yua does love her pointe shoes...
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"Oh! I'm not interrupting anything, am I...?" Yua wonders, hearing Ayame's desire to motivate Ikkaku. Given the dress... well, she doesn't actually have to wonder that hard why the kids aren't home.
Still, she's invited in, and so like a vampire she steps over the threshold to find a seat. By this point, she's visited enough to know whether Ayame prefers seating her guests at the lounge or the dining table! "You must have been quite busy, yourself," she smiles, as she folds her hands on her lap. "With everyone back to school... the quiet right now is deceptive, isn't it?"
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"Not at all! He's not due back for a while yet," Ayame explains. "Though at some point I'll have to get something out of the oven," she allows. "But that shouldn't be just yet." She has it on a timer! And Yua comes inside, led by Ayame to the lounge rather than the dining table. Busy busy...
"It is," Ayame agrees. "There was making sure everyone didn't have any last minute homework that wasn't finished, of course. Arranging outfits for tomorrow... The usual cleaning to make sure they'd have a soothing atmosphere to depart from..."
A lot of things. "But I can't think of a better way to busy myself for a little bit than by chatting with a friend!"
She takes her seat, too. "...it's going to be a bit chaotic for a while," she thinks. "But maybe you'll get to see that for yourself one day, hm? Since your wedding is so close!"
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"Of course!" Yua understands well the pull of the oven. Why, she was pulling cupcakes out herself when...
... at least Miho and Eiko said they tasted good. (Of course Eiko also gets cupcakes! Perks of her profession.)
"The atmosphere is important," Yua agrees. "I've grown a lot of plants to add more life to our home..." 'Our home', she says, though she's to be wed.
She looks a little sad, for some reason, when Ayame talks about busying herself. (No, about the friend she was busying herself with.) It's... probably nothing. Or...
"It's only a few days away!" Yua exclaims, her eye widening. "We were supposed to have a practice today, but... um, I wasn't well, so Kimi-san told them to come back tomorrow. So we'll do it before I'm due to go to class... it's lucky I only come in for half the day."
Why wouldn't Yua be well...?
"But in just a few months--!" She exclaims, and then her hand flies to her hand. "Oh! Mama told me not to tell people for a few weeks yet, but I keep blurting it out... ohhhh, but I can't just not tell you!" She puffs out her cheeks, gesturing with fingers touched to her palm. (They are not, distinctly, fists. It's a much more open gesture.) "I'm having a baby! I'm almost ten weeks along!!"
Well, that's certainly one reason why someone might not be well.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
(Cupcakes are very important.)
"I do love plants," Ayame says, and she has a number in the home--but most of them reside in the garden on the balcony, of course. Maybe soon they'll get that house...
Ayame doesn't catch why she looks sad, but it's awkward to go back to it, so instead she says, "I see! Well, it's not as if they can have the wedding without you! It's important to accommodate the bride a bit." She smiles.
But 'our home'...
There are a number of things Ayame remembers here.
But those go away for now--because, "Oh--?" She listens and then--
Yua is so cute about it, too!
"Oh!! Congratulations!" Ayame says, clapping. "That's wonderful! Oh, you're really in for a ride," Ayame says warmly.
That indeed would explain why she wasn't well! Or it could, anyway.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"Do they?" Yua sighs, frustration creeping into her expression a little, when Ayame insists that they have to accommodate the bride. "This is such a traditional wedding, we couldn't even do the dances we're supposed to back home... Kimi-san says it's a service to the public, since most people have western marriages, now. To show people how it was done before..."
There's none of that frustration on her face when she moves on to speaking about baby, though. "Mm, mm! I already have a name picked out, too! He'll be Hiroki," which is just 'ooshiro' with the sounds typical of a first name, does she think she can get away with that?! "We're still not totally sure what to do if she's a girl, though... I think I'd want Mimi to pick that name." She's still geting married to a man.
"It's already really been a ride," she laughs, a shade of nervousness entering her expression. "I can only eat very bland things now... you know?" People don't like hearing about the morning sickness... in Japan, it's apparently very rude, to Yua's frustration. "And I need to go in for all kinds of tests all the time, since mama's pregnancies were all high-risk... I had one just a couple of days ago, and everything was fine, though!"
(A couple of days ago, Ayame was attacked... but why would those two things be connected?)
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
'Kimi-san', again. And Mimi. Ayame has thus far not said anything because it would be terribly rude but she does notice things sometimes. But still, "Oh..." She looks sympathetic. "I see. I suppose when you're a member of a big, prominent family like that you do things in a certain way." It's diplomatic, but Ayame can't entirely hide that something looks wrong to her about that.
But, baby! "Oh, wonderful! Ahahah... Picking early is a good approach, I think." Not hers, but, "Do you think your Mimi would have more input in that case?" She's curious about that. Marrying a man... pregnant... but Mimi.
"Oh..." Her expression falls a little into something worried. "I see. It's that bad, is it?" The morning sickness. "For me it usually eases off by the second trimester, but for my first it was really bothersome, especially at first." She has had enough kids that there's a 'usually' at this point.
"I'm glad you're getting proper care, then." There's no reason those things should be connected! "While we aren't our mothers, they do offer a good signpost as to what to expect. ...Not that my mother shared much of that with me," she supposes.
Anyway!
"Either way, i'm very happy for you. Though, ah..."
"How does she feel about it?"
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"It's a bit of a show..." Yua sighs. "But it's all right, really."
... well, it's all right enough.
Yua smiles. "I knew I wanted my son to be Hiroki from the start! Since it's another reading of Ooshiro, you know? And I'm marrying in, so I'll lose my name... but of course Mimi would have input! That's very important to me!"
Her hands press to her belly, for a moment. "They said, er... it was hyper-nemesis gravity-um..." That is NOT what they called it, Yua. "You know, this whole condition... but mama had that, too, so I guess it isn't too surprising. I guess that means it might not go away... which is really a little harrowing... I really don't want them to have to put a needle in my arm so I get enough water and stuff. Oh!" Reminded, Yua pulls a bottle out of her handbag... with electrolyte-filled water. Shake, shake, the particles mist out through the fluid, and she has a drink. "Bleeehhh... feet prisons and gross water..."
feet prisons
"Oh, that must have been hard for you," Yua sympathises, with a light frown. "I'm lucky... mama's told me a lot, when she's well enough to talk about it."
Ayame asks, though, and Yua tilts her head. "Well... it's a thing we're keeping secret, obviously, but... but you know, so I can tell you!" Yua brightens, as she says: "It's Mimi's baby! Um, Mimi's egg! We had to pay a man to be our donor, but it's our baby! Just, we're pretending it's my egg, and Kimi-san... but Kimi-san's just marrying me for show. I wanted to marry Mimi, but I guess that wasn't going to be possible... but Kimi-san is, you know, he's too busy with his work to really have a wife?" Brilliant lie! Flawless execution! "But he still wanted one so he could impress people at parties and hosting important people, you know, for promotions and stuff... so... so I'm playing that role, and I get to join Mimi's family, and we can be together!"
A light pause, and she explains: "That's why the wedding's all traditional and stuff... Kimi-san cares a lot about the past, so it's, like, a demonstration. Since it's just for show, it's okay if it's not my traditions, I guess..."
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
All right? Ayame is not so sure of this. But it's not her business. Her business, on the other hand, is what Yua shares--
"Oh, that's a lovely idea!" Ayame says. "And of course--I wouldn't imagine otherwise, now that you mention it."
Ah. Ayame knows what that is. "I'm sorry," Ayame says, and she at least understands better than most people would. "Yes, that would be terribly stressful," she agrees. "But the doctors do what's best. We can count on that, at least." Feet prisons and--
"Oh, dear. I noticed you weren't wearing your usual... is that another requirement?" The feet prisons?
But, "Thank you," Ayame says, "But I muddled through. I'm glad you can talk to yours." Well enough? Hmmm.
Yua brightens and delivers unto her sister housewife the gossip. "Oh!" Ayame says in surprise. "Oh, wow, that's extraordinary!"
And the marriage for show... She's thoughtful. "Is that how it works in those families?" she wonders. "Well, I'm sorry you couldn't marry her directly," Ayame says, "But I suppose there's nothing to be done for the individual for that."
"But it sounds like you have an arrangement that's going to work for you," she says. "Having the same name... it really is a wonderful thing. I'm glad."
A pause. Hmmm. A demonstration...
"I see," she says, and she can't say 'is that all right?' because if it isn't Yua can't fix it anyway. So it would be cruel! ...Right?
"Well, I'd like to see more of your traditions sometime," she offers instead. "And I'm sure she appreciates them, too!"
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"Mmhm!" Yua hums, happily, when Ayame agrees that of course her partner would have a say.
She nods, as well, when Ayame says that the doctors know what's best. "I knooow," and she's whining and pouting, a little, but she'll still be good and listen to the doctor. See? She's even drinking her horrible electrolyte water!! "Uh-huh," she adds, stretching her legs out. "These horrible socks... they're way too tight! And uncomfy! And... and... bad textured!! So my feet are in feet prison... I thought I just needed to wear them when we were travelling, but they said it's supposed to be all the time! Mouuu!!" Another pout. "It's because my blood might go bad when I'm pregnant, too, I guess... they said these things help the blood keep moving properly instead of getting lazy." Which... actually isn't a bad explanation of how venous thromboembolisms work, but man, Yua, aren't you supposed to be a health and physical education teacher?!
(Well, sometimes all that theoretical knowledge goes out the window when it's personal...)
"It's all because of IVF!" Yua bubbles, happily. "Of course, we had to find a doctor who was sympathetic, since it's all kind of, well, in Japan we're in a lot of grey areas..." The word Yua's looking for here is 'illegal', but when you're wealthy, illegality becomes a matter of legal debate. Technically, there are no laws around surrogacy... though few gynocologists offer the services due to agreements in the profession.
(Money gets around that, too.)
"That is how it works," she confirms, with a reassuring smile. "Actually, Father's the one who told me I was to be married to Kimi-san... it was quite a shock! Most people don't arrange their marriages in this day and age, so..." She shakes her head, still smiling. "I was upset, at first, but it really is the best solution we have. Hiroki can't grow up in an unmarried household, not in Japan... and since the pregnancy had already been confirmed, I really had to go for it, you know?" ... she's pretty sure Ayame knows.
"I'm really looking forward to having Mimi's name, though," Yua's smile warms, as she thinks of that. "I wanted that for a really long time... I used to fill up notebooks and stuff."
She leans over, pulling out her phone. "Look, look, I'll show you! I have a photo from my auntie's wedding..." And it is a photo which has phone has taken a photo of, Ayame can see the sheen of the flash over it. "That's her in her ryuso, that's what we're supposed to wear! You see how it's held around with that pin? We used to make them with bashofu, banana fibres... so they're much nicer in summer. And it's only the one outfit, so you don't have to get dressed again for the reception... haa, I'm so nervous wearing Mimi's family's shiromuku and iro-uchikake, apparently they're from the Edo period..."
Yua shakes her head. "But Mimi appreciates them very much," she adds, smiling. "Like, we've got a spider conch by the entry to the house for good luck, and a shrine in the kitchen... we celebrate our New Year all through January, too, and Mimi's always made sure I can go for my prayer pilgrimages this month. I go and see the castles... oh, and you'll get to see hachi muuchii next year! When a child's born, we have to visit our neighbours and family to give out muuchii... you live in Aoba, so you're our neighbour, right?" Technically!
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Horrible, horrible electrolyte water. And socks! Ayame listnes sympathetically. "Ahhh, yes. I see. There is that risk," she considers. It's so nice that Yua has such a down-to-earth explanation, though! "It's all right; I'm familiar with most of the usual difficulties. And a number of the uncommon ones." She assumes Yua was just being nice in explaining.
But IVF! Ayame is pretty surprised by this, but it makes sense in explanation. "Right," she says. "I'm a little surprised you got it done for the two of you! But that's wonderful, all the same. That way you both have a part in it."
But it is how it works. "Oh..." An arranged marriage, then. "Yes," she says then, "I understand entirely. You know, my parents wouldn't even give us permission to marry--if I hadn't turned twenty first, I'd have been in big trouble."
But Mimi's name... "That's sweet. I'm glad for you."
But show? Ah! Ayame rises from her seat nearby and moves to sit next to Yua so she can see. The ryuso... Hmm. "Oh!" she says. "Oh, that's lovely. Yes, I'd be nervous too!"
The Edo Period. Wow, this is a moneyed family.
"Oh, you keep a shrine in the kitchen?" Ayame asks curiously. And then she brightens. "Lovely! I'll get to see for myself, then. I'm happy to be your neighbor!"
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"There sure are a lot," Yua sighs, on the difficulties. "I guess that's why they say it's hard work...?"
She smiles, when Ayame expresses happiness over her IVF. Even if it's illegal... "Mmhm! I'm still carrying her baby!!"
Yua frowns, though, when Ayame talks about her parents. "Sounds like your mother's very stubborn," she huffs. "And you were marrying for love, too...!"
Somehow, Yua seems to sparkle when Ayame says it's sweet how much she wanted to be Yua Ijuuin.
"Mm!" Yua nods. "To the Hinukan -- he's our hearth God. Since he's visiting our homes, he needs a place to stay! Our bathroom has a guardian, too, since Fuuru nu Kami lives there... if we don't keep his space clean, we'll be troubled by all kinds of evil influences. Oh, and Yume-chan inherited our butsudan when mama moved back home, but she gave them back to me when I came back... that's our ancestors' altar." It's in a closet in the living space!
She smiles, sparkling again. "That's great! Neighbours were always really important when I was growing up... I guess here in the city people don't always know theirs, but that's a little sad, don't you think? If you live together, your lives are connected!"
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"It sure is," Ayame agrees.
But she smiles. "Yes," she says.
But her mother... "She is," Ayame agrees. "It's... a long story," she settles on.
The hearth God... Hmmm. "I see!" Ayame listens, and smiles. "Yes. That's very interesting. I'll have to learn more sometime."
But Ayame sees Yua sparkle, and it's much better than how she was before. "I find that our connections often don't really need us to realize them--they're true whether we do or not. ...But it is nice to know at least a few neighbors. I suppose it's different because in the city you're looking for what privacy you can eke out..."
"But I know the people in the units next door, of course."
"When you stay at home, it's important to understand what's around you!"
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"I remember," Yua says, sympathetically, "you said your parents were no help, when you were first pregnant." ... she remembers more than that, of course. But that is what Ayame told her, rather than Para-Mind telling her the gossip. Apparently, even if it's a long story, Yua can guess...?
"That's great!!" She adds, brightly, when Ayame expresses interest in learning more.
"It's true that connections are connections, seen or unseen," Yua allows, "but sometimes things can really change, when we realise things about the people around us." And her smile dims, for a moment, relating that; though it brightens again, in the next beat. (Don't think about it.) "It is really important! Part of me wishes we had neighbours on our floor... but the living space of the top floor's just for us and our maid, really." The living area of the top floor isn't all there is up there, of course, it's a whole apartment building; there needs to be space for the kinds of infrastructure they need to keep up top, too, mechanisms and the like.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"Right," Ayame says, reminded of what she's already said. "They thought I should be focusing on my studies, instead. I... didn't choose that, in the end."
But great! Ayame smiles.
And, "Hmmm... Yes," she agrees, "That's true. I found especially when I was pregnant with my first, it was... a big deal, the people I had around me; they were so helpful in so many cases. It is important."
A pause. "I see... Well, that must be nice in its own way, all that space and privacy!"
She did get to see the place; it was... impressive.
"I'm hoping that Ikkaku and I can get a house, myself. Though..."
"Will you still be living with her, once you're married?" she wonders, a bit concerned.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"Studies aren't everything!" Yua insists. "You just wanted something else, what's wrong with that?"
And Yua's hand presses to her belly, as she thinks of the people around her. Because of course there are friends like Ayame, but... then she puts on her veils, and has to make her her enemy. Gretchen really does seem to be protecting her when she's fighting, but... all that conflict... is it really good for the baby?
"I hope to have a lot of kind people around me," is what she says, though she's troubled. But --
"We do have a lot of space," Yua smiles. "It's really nice... I can grow a lot of plants! Oh, if you get a house, you'll have much more space for that too... if you have a yard, but also with all the windows, you know? Flowerbeds in the windows are a wonderful trick!"
She sighs, though, looking down at her fancy ring. "Officially, I'll be living with Kimi-san, I guess...? Since everyone will expect that... but he said I only need to go to his house when he's having guests over for dinner and stuff like that, and the rest of the time, I can still stay with Mimi. He said that's fine, since he has maids who take care of the home... I guess he has more than one? Maybe he makes more money than Mimi, or something..."
Or maybe he just has different priorities about who he's surrounding himself with.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"Yes," Ayame says. "...Thanks."
They were everything to her parents, anyway--and yet none of their children have gone into the sciences. Hmm.
It is assuredly not good for the baby, but will it be the worst thing? It's hard to say. Ayame doesn't know about it, though. She smiles. Kind people... "That's a good hope."
But, plants! "Yes!" Ayame says, "That would be especially nice," she says. "Aaah yes... and so many windows!"
But the fancy ring. Yua of course will 'officially' be...
"I see," she says. "Well, I suppose that would be sufficient for a man like that. It seems a shame though. It sounds lonely. ...But if he's all right with it, then I think I'm gladder that you two," Yua and Miho, "Get to keep spending time together."
Hmm. "Maybe as an athlete she just lives more ascetically?"
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Yua shouldn't know as well as she does why she should be sympathetic, but she is, anyway.
Having unsupportive parents... it's a hell she's never had to go through.
... and it's nice to hope for things.
"It's so good for heating the house up in winter," Yua smiles, of the windows. "Natural light is better for your health, too!" (Her folk wisdom isn't even entirely wrong, though she doesn't know about things like seasonal depression, per se.)
"It's all right," Yua shakes her head. "He's told me why he won't be lonely, so I'm not worried about him!" ... mistresses, maybe? Clearly Yua isn't terribly bothered, and if he prefers having less committed relationships, a cover marriage certainly would be convenient... "And I really didn't want to leave Mimi."
She laughs, lightly, fingers veiling her lips. (They're unpainted, now.) "It's strange... none of the Ijuuins seem to enjoy much excess?" She asks, with a hint of wondering. "They're quite wealthy, but Mimi's home is mostly utilitarian... most of the decorations are things I added in! Well, I heard that's common with, like, really rich families, but... it's another thing to see it. Like, when we go out, it's to places fancy enough that we can have private dining, and we have a driver, and a maid... but they don't really care about displaying that kind of thing? It's not like when someone would get a new car back home... they'd be showing off to everyone. People were always so proud when they afforded something like that..."
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"Oh, true," Ayame agrees of natural light. "I find winter kind of stressful," she admits, "Especially these days. So having more light around, more green things, it's very nice!"
Why would she take issue with winter? Well, don't worry about it.
But he won't be lonely... Maybe mistresses, yes. That would be a logical answer. "Right," Ayame says. "That's the most important thing for you."
Though... the more she sits with it, the more it sits uncomfortably, that kind of marriage. Rich people really do things quite differently...
But when Yua laughs, Ayame smiles. "Hmmm. You know..."
"I hear things about that," she says. "I imagine it's how they stay rich, isn't it? If you aren't spending all the time to show off your wealth, you're more likely to keep hold of it!"
A pause. "...But you know, I find I like showing off our happiness too. If we get that house we'll certainly be inviting our friends over to see it!"
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"Mm, mm! Grandmother always told me that getting to spend time outside was important when we were sad in the winter, even when we thought it was too cold... when mama got really sluggish, she'd take her out to the beach and tell her how great-great-grandmother would dive in the reef, and how she always could tell when the weather was going to turn, because she knew the sky very well... and when she could walk barefeet in the sand, she really felt better!"
And even if Yua's attributing it to her ancestors and their ancestral stomping grounds, the simple act of getting outside can't have hurt, either.
Rich people... do do things differently, and Yua's clearly an implant to the fine life. But how can she protest it, when she's getting what she wants?
"Mimi said it has a lot to do with, ummm, interest...? I guess since they've been well-off for a long time, that wealth all built up, and they have a lot of accounts earning money... oh, and there's, um, stocks and bonds and stuff...? Mimi made sure I had this, um, portfolio, so I'd be taken care of if something happened to her, but I don't really understand how it works... just that it's going into a savings account, so I don't need to touch it unless something bad happens?" Yua sounds completely lost trying to navigate that financial world, though. And perhaps that's because: "They have accountants and stuff taking care of all those things..."
Yua shakes her head. "Anyway, I think it's fine to show off! You worked hard to get a house, right? So you should get to be proud of it! That's how most people work... rich people are just a little weird." Is she allowed to say that when she's a rich person too, now?! Yua, the wealth cops want to know your location. She smiles, though, as she insists: "I'd love to see what you do with a whole house, Watanabe-chan. It'll be like your canvas!"
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"That sounds lovely," Ayame says. "I've always been more of a city girl, so the beaches were a lot more crowded when we went--and not generally in winter at all." A smile. "Diving in the reef... It sounds so nice."
But rich people!!
"Ohh. Yes, that would make sense." She listens, though, curiously to the matter of--"Oh!" Ayame is surprised, but, "I suppose since she can't marry you directly, she'd want to ensure she could still provide for you... That's very thoughtful. Especially since you're so reliant on her for such things at the moment, it's a good thing she's doing."
"I think so," Ayame agrees. "It would be nice." Yua is totally allowed to say it, though. "Haha, thank you," Ayame answers. "But..."
She reaches over, and offers her hand. "Would you like to use my given name?" she wonders. "We've become such good friends, I don't mind if you call me Ayame. After all, you told me your secret!"
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"It really is!" Yua chirps, excitedly. "If you ever get out to Okinawa, you really should find someone who'll take you diving! It's a way of fishing for us, we can catch things much more delicately by hand..." Her people are much better about maintaining their marine environment than the soldiers who they have to share space with or the commercial fisheries which trawl everything indiscriminately, that's for sure. "Just be careful if you try to catch a crab," she advises, with a wink. "They're very pinchy in front!"
She has a faded scar on her left hand from a crab reminding her that she wasn't the Queen of the Reef when she was just seven years old. It's a much better story than some of the scars on her hands.
"Mmhm!" Yua nods, smiling, when Ayame notices how thoughtful it is. "We're dedicated to each other for life, but there are other bad things that could happen... I'm really lucky she's so good at thinking about this stuff. I have my work as a teacher, but since I work so few hours at each school, I really don't make that much money... though I at least try to use my own money when I go out on my own, you know? So I'm not just relying on Mimi for everything. Even if it's not that much money, it's enough to get lunch and things like that..." Or to get her students lunch, which is something she does all too often. Yua wants for nothing, she can buy her students a croissant!!
"But I'm very lucky I can use my salary that way," she adds, thoughtfully. "And that I'm in a position where Mimi can support me, so I can run the program I'm running without worrying about paying rent or the mortgage... I think that's why my dad was happy to let this go forward, too." Even if it's weird rich people business which feels a little suss, it also means his daughter's taken care of...
Ayame reaches over, though, and Yua takes her hand. "Oh!" She exclaims, and -- and it breaks her heart, because how can she call herself Ayame's friend when she betrayed her so easily? She didn't even fight them, when they told her what she was going to do... she didn't say a single word in Ayame's defence. (Indeed, she said little words at all.) Perhaps the tears misting in her eyes are gratitude, though, because she's still smiling. "Aha, e--excuse me," she sniffles, wiping at her eyes with her free hand, "I really get so emotional these days... haha..."
Yua manages to get ahold of herself, thought, squeezing Ayame's hand. "I," don't deserve any of this, "would love to! In fact, you know what... what about Ayawata?" Nicknames combining first and last names are a common choice for expressing affection, but in Ayame's case, it might very well be a little comment on how central Ayame's family is to her innermost life.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"Oh! Diving, really?" Ayame hadn't considered doing that herself. "My. I'm kind of intimidated by the idea," she admits with a laugh. "Even before pinchy crabs!"
But Ayame does notice that. Many bad things can happen, that's true. "Right," Ayame says. "It's difficult... When you don't work outside the home, or don't work much outside the home, you don't really have a chance to build up that kind of money. So I'm glad you have that to fall back on--though I hope you never need to!" And, of course--her own money. "Yes, I understand."
Lucky! "Yes," Ayame says. "But there's nothing wrong with a bit of good fortune. I'm happy you can have those things. ...And I'm glad that your father will support you, in this. It'd be... difficult, otherwise."
Ayame just assumes it's baby brain making Yua cry, and she smiles, her free hand sliding over a package of tissues. "That's so cute!" Ayame answers. "I'd be happy if you did, Yua-chan. May I call you that?" She isn't as good at nicknames as Yua is, but Yua is already super-cute on her own.
"It's hard when even nice things set you off, isn't it? I understand completely." She does not. How could she?
"..To be honest," Ayame admits, "I'm a little jealous. I've been thinking that maybe things are stable enough for us to have another baby one of these days..."
A smile. "I'm just lucky he's still interested in me that way. I hope things stay that way for you and yours, too."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"You just need a little practice! And there are snorkels and things visitors use, too... we don't use that stuff as much, though," Yua laughs, a hand to her cheek. "Eheheh... I can hold my breath for five minutes, you know!"
(That's pretty impressive. Ayame would know from countless temper tantrums that the untrained human maximum is somewhere from thirty to ninety seconds.)
Yua has certainly heard about the woes of housewives who have no chance to build up their own retirement... though she's heard most of those concerns from Miho, paranoid of an unfortunate end for her partner.
"It would be," Yua says. "But I'm lucky, in that way... my parents have always supported me. Some other things were hard," she's told her one version of her past, anyway, "but both my family and Mimi's family are really supportive of me, you know?" She sighs, and adds: "I really hope your man's parents are nicer to you, at least..."
People always talk about in-laws as if they're terrifying, but really, Yua's new Mother and Father are only terrifying the normal amount for being the heads of an ancient samurai clan. They're actually very nice when you get past how imposing they are!
"Mmhm, mmhm!" Yua hums, happily, as she takes a tissue to make her face stop leaking. "That's... really great! Really, it's great," and she has to take another tissue, as her cheeks puff up, and she goes, "Ohhhhhh!!", and even her frustration is cute.
(She's frustrated because she can't tell Ayame the truth, but she's also just frustrated because she legitimately is so emotional why is this happening.)
"It's so hard," Yua agrees, shaking her head. "Mouuuu..."
But her frustrated little noises (why does she have so many noises) brighten up when Ayame admits her jealousy. "Oh, that would be wonderful!" She gasps, clapping her hands together. "You could have a really big family...! If you have a house, you'll have room, right?"
Yua laughs, a hand clapping to her cheek. "Hey, hey, I'm qualified to tell you you still look great, don't count yourself out like that! I'm super super taken, but I still know when a woman's put effort in, you know?" Yua isn't the kind of bian whose sexuality begins and ends at Miho; just, you know, Miho's the only person she wants to be with. She wags her finger, as she insists: "And he can tell that, too! So don't say it's luck, it's all your hard work! And his, too," she adds, "though the home's your business, right?"
Yua sighs, looking over at Ayame's loungeroom. "Part of me worries a little... what if me and Mimi grow more distant now I'm playing a role like this? But I put a lot of effort in, too, so... I've got to have faith in myself! Especially if I'm really going to give Kimi-san a child after this, too... since that was one of the things he asked for." Is that a little uncomfortable...? Anyway. "He wants an heir of his own, and Mimi's okay with us having a big family... um, it would all be through IVF too, of course, so I wouldn't have to deal with anything untoward!"
Isn't that whole thing untoward? ... anyway, if she has a son, wouldn't he be Kimitake's heir...?
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"Wow!" Ayame says. Five minutes... That's quite a while!
Ayame has obviously heard of such things. Obviously. But Yua's parents... Well. "I'm glad to hear that," Miho says of Yua's parents, and then smiles. "Oh, yes. Ikkaku's parents are wonderful. They really let me lean on them and learn from them, when things were starting out for us. I learned a lot from both of them--but especially her." Her mother-in-law.
And great! Frustration is adorable. On Yua, anyway. "Yes..."
But, that? "Yes," she says. "I'd really like to. And most of my pregnancies have gone quite well, so I think I could..." And with a house, "Yes, we'd have the room."
But Yua... is qualified! Ayame laughs cheerfully. "Is that so?" she asks, and sounds more flattered than anything. "Well, all right," she allows, and straightens a little. As it happens, she looks very good in this dress; it shows off her figure very nicely. "I try to keep a good home for them," Ayame says, "And for it to be a good home for me, part of that is definitely keeping his interest..."
She smiles back. But worrying? "Oh... I admit, I'm concerned for that for you. But if she loves you, and I'm sure she does, she'll put in the work! ..besides, when you aren't sick, being pregnant certainly doesn't have to mean the end of affection."
But a child... "I suppose it's natural he would want an heir," she admits, "Though... Won't Hiroki be that, legally?" She remembers the name, of course.
"But I see... Well, if that works for you, then wonderful!"
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"That's wonderful!" Yua chirps, when Ayame talks about her in-laws. "I'm really happy they were so supportive... Mother's taught me a lot, too. She also married into the family, so she kind of knows where I'm standing, though she wasn't country or anything..." The distance between Miho's mother and Miho's father was far less than the distance between Yua and Miho, socially speaking... but it was still a considerable distance.
"I'm glad they've been easy for you!" Yua's excited about that, too. "This one is high-risk, they said... I guess my body's just like that. But I'm tough! I can take it!!" Yua hasn't even properly made it to ten weeks, yet...
Yua isn't hitting on Ayame, of course; but she figures being told that, yes, she looks good to people who like ladies is the kind of boost she needs when she's sounding like that. (It's something of a unique skill she has amongst housewives! Most of them could only tell her husband he looks good, and that's entirely the wrong message for her...) "That's right! You should get to enjoy your home, too! You're the one who told me mom mattered too, you know!!"
She does look a little worried, hearing about Ayame's concern, though... she does have to laugh, hearing her advice about affection. "Ehehe... actually, I think it's increased it!" She says, spreading her hands. "They said it has to do with some hormones, or something like that... but at least that means one thing is good!" A lot of things about this experience, right now, are... not good. Bad! But Yua's managed to stay strong about them so far...
Yua looks surprised, though, when Ayame points out that Hiroki would be his heir. "Huh? But Hiroki is Mimi's heir!" Give her a minute... you can see the gears spinning in her head... "... oh, but they wouldn't be able to tell with his name on the birth certificate, would they?" Yua sighs. "Well... I bet they have a solution for that! Like... Mimi can just adopt him when he becomes an adult, right?"
She bets they have a solution for that... that's a far cry from Yua coming up with all her solutions about how they could get married.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"Oh? That's good," Ayame says. "That you have someone who understands a bit."
"Not always," she admits. "I've had my share of issues. ...But for the most part, I've been fortunate that way." She thinks of her last, and... well, if Ayame looks distant for a moment, it might just be thinking about that. She brings herself back to the moment and smiles. "Well, I'm rooting for you, Yua-chan. Do your best!"
And of course not! But it is a nice boost. Someone actually interested in women telling her she's attractive is nice, rather than strange. "Did I?" Ayame says, and her expression is warm. "Well, I'm happy. Because I think it's true."
But his 'interest' does appear to be important to her; after all, finding time for that kind of thing today, just before school starts...
Well, the oven will go off soon, and that might be a cue. But not just yet.
Instead, Ayame laughs a little. "Is that so?" she asks. "Good! It varies," she says, "I'm told anyway. For me, it certainly made me more interested, rather than less."
But Hiroki... And hmm. "Right," Ayame says. She is glad one thing is good, but, "That might work. I'm not an expert in the law, or anything. But they're family; surely it won't be too contentious."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"Mm!" Yua hums, smiling. "And I'm glad you had someone who could help you with learning how to mom, too!" L--learning how to --
HOW IS SHE SO CUTE
Yua doesn't press on the issues Ayame has had, though; she doesn't want to make her sad. (She already made her sad, just a few nights ago.) "Yeah!" She chirps, instead, clasping her hands together and waving them merrily beside herself.
"You're full of wisdom!" She smiles, on Ayame's advice, and she says it quite genuinely. Ayame... is Mom Senpai.
And Yua thinks it's entirely fair for her to get a little attention from him after she worked so hard to set things up for the start of the school term.
"Yeah, me, too..." Yua sighs. "Things were a little hard recently... mm, since I wasn't feeling well... but I'm hoping something good will happen after I get married! Even if it's for show... well, especially since it's for show, I want to spend a lot of time with her!"
Is that what the kids are calling it these days?
"Mm, mm," Yua nods, when Ayame talks about family. "Father will be able to figure something out, I just know it! And Mimi wouldn't let it be a problem, either!" ... and she's still relying on them, huh?
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Learning to mom! SO cute. Ayame beams. "I really did! They say it all comes naturally... and to a point that's true, but don't underestimate the value of hard work at it!"
Ayame was sad the other day. Very sad. Instead, she is called full of wisdom, and Ayame blushes faintly. "Oh, hardly," she says, "But if I'm able to help you, I'm glad."
She did work really hard, as it happens.
But things were hard... "I'm sure. Sometimes the realities of pregnancy just are what they are... and even moreso when it's difficult like yours." A smile, though, at the matter of good things. "Yes. I hope you get that chance!"
Yes. That is what the kids are calling it these days. But Ayame wants the same, so she's happy to wish it to Yua, too.
"Mm! Well, it's good to have a reliable family," she says.
...She notices, but... Well, hopefully it all works out.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"It's such hard work," Yua agrees.
And, "You help a lot!!"
Still... the realities of pregnancy. Well, that's also true. "Reality can be really tough," Yua shakes her head, "but Mimi makes that a lot easier!"
(Reality?
Yeah, this entire reality.)
Yua wishes them both a very happy getting to spend a lot of time with their partners, and be careful, she's the kind of person who would put that on a greeting card and somehow get away with it. Yua gets to be viewed as quirky instead of weird and offputting, these days, she's rich by association.
"It is!" Yua smiles. "And I'm going to be reliable for them, too... I can't wait to make Hiroki cute little bentos, too! Aaaah!!" She squeals, happily stimming --
-- which is when the oven goes BEEP --
-- and Yua blinks, looking up. "Is that Oven-san?" She asks, tilting her head. Her cheeks flush, as she claps her hands together. "He sounds so cute...!"
Oh yeah, no, that's totally the baby brain.
Ayame had better stop her before she tries to adopt her oven.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Reality... That's true. But it's a strange way to say it. Mimi makes reality easier...? Oh, well. Yua's a little quirky. It's fine.
(It's already started).
She laughs softly, but before she can answer--the oven! "Oh, yes!" Ayame says, and rises to her feet. Yua is welcome to go with her, of course, but--
"Hmmm. You definitely have baby brain," Ayame says with a fond laugh, and starts for the kitchen. "Next I have to..."
She has a Plan for this evening. ...But one that will take long enough that Yua doesn't have to excuse herself just yet.