2026-01-07: Moving In, Again
- Log: Moving In, Again
- Cast: Tsubasa Seki, Ichika Kawase
- Where: Third-Floor Apartment, Hirasaka
- OOC Date: Jan 07 2026
- IC Date: Thu Sep 06 2012
- Summary: Ichika's helping Tsubasa unpack their shit after they hauled ass out of one place and into another; the time she had to spend convincing them to unpack in the first place instead of assuming this would just happen again in a month is left implicit. But when Shuyo steps out to take care of something, Ichika and Tsubasa are distracted with each other -- and it's only after their intimacy that Ichika is able to talk about the situation with her mother that's been bothering her. When Tsubasa reminds her that her mother still wants to protect her, though, Ichika is reminded of another mom -- Ryuji's mother! And when she tells Tsubasa how cool she is, Tsubasa shares something that's been on their mind, too: what exactly Ryuji meant when he was trying to chase their own mother off, at the end of Summer holidays.
- Content warning: Sexual references, nudity, discussion of miscarriage
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Shuyo's apartment -- a plush if kind of dated 2LDK deal in the nicer part of Hirasaka -- is a little in disarray with all Tsubasa's shit, but over the week they've been working on getting it set up in his spare room, so it's mostly moved in by now.
Mysteriously, at some point when the Boss came over to help sort that out, Shuyo had to step out to go see someone. No one can explain that. He took Lance out for a walk while he was going, too!
Luckily, Watase Yoshitsu left some things behind when he moved back to Sendai -- including a Western-style bed, cupboard, and a desk with an old computer occupying it. Tsubasa, who's been cramming clothes into that cupboard, finally manages to get the bag they hurriedly stuffed with the contents of their wardrobe shoved in.
"Man, moving blows," they groan, flopping back on the bed. "How the fuck I got all this shit when I don't got no shit?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
It's not the first time or even the fifth time Ichika's been here, of course; not only was she helping Tsubasa move in with her van, but she's been in Shuyo's bedroom a lot of times at this point. They aren't hooking up like that anymore, but it still means she's pretty comfortable with the place. Moreso now that Tsubasa is here!
"It blows," Ichika agrees. "People just have a lot of stuff, I guess. It's cool, at least you don't have to sort it alone."
She takes a seat on the bed next to Tsubasa, and smiles down at them. "How're you liking the place otherwise?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Didn't reckon Shuyo-kun had a nice joint like this," Tsubasa says, reaching up from where they're flat on the bed to wave a hand into Ichika's space... and grasp her hand!! "But I guess his dad's a lawyer or some shit, huh...?"
Today, they are wearing... a new binder!! This one is neon green on black; they were working on stuff like this at Ichika's house, given her mom has a sewing machine she was nice enough to let them use, and the net profit of their works is some more binders. Thank Tsumugi's measurements.
Tsubasa hasn't been here before they moved in, but then, historically Tsubasa's attitude to people's homes has been deeply don't-ask-don't-tell; they didn't nose in on other people's places, and in turn expected none of them to nose in on theirs.
"Ain't even bars on th' windows out this end a town," they marvel, glancing over to the window. (The blinds are, of course, firmly shut; that was the first thing they did.) "Shit's weird, man. We still in Hirasaka?"
They are; not all of Hirasaka Ward is windows smashed by rocks and robbed houses. Some of it is old-fashioned and nice!
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika keeps smiling when Tsubasa takes her hand, resting her other hand on the pair of them with a little sigh. "Yeah," she says. "He's all big on Shuyo being manly... I think it's part of why he wants him to have his own place. Well, maybe he just got annoyed having him around, or maybe it's something else. I dunno."
He does go back now and then, but he definitely prefers being out here.
New binder!! Ichika likes it.
"Yeah, it's real nice," Ichika agrees. "It's all old-fashioned and stuff. It's pretty cool. I kinda wanted a place like this for a while..."
"But we totally are! And it's not too far from school, either."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Man... bet he'd hate hearin' he was hangin' out with me," Tsubasa snorts. "Prolly think I was gei..."
(Tsubasa doesn't know the half of it. They are trying to be optimistic, despite what that looks like... they're at least talking like his father would assume they're a boy.)
"Like this, huh?" Tsubasa wonders, looking over at -- the ceiling, mostly. It's pretty high, as far as ceilings go. "Pre' sure a place like this is gon' get knocked down in five years or so... unless, uh, you can get some kinda permit or somethin'?" Houses tend to be rebuilt in the greater Tokyo area after they hit a certain age; there isn't that much room for vintage homes. "Oughta look into it..."
That's optimistic, too, they're definitely not in any position where they can think about what kind of house they want yet.
"... yeah, ain't too far out," Tsubasa says, squeezing Ichika's hand. "Comin' back to grab Lance ain't too much hassle... she's okay in an apartment, man, she jus' chills out 'til it's time to run around like a moron again." Ichika would know very well that Tsubasa gets up early to walk her before school, and then gets her out after class so she can run around with them after school. She might be much less happy in an apartment if she didn't get all those walkies!!
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Maybe," Ichika allows. "But if you're getting girls too, he'd probably approve. And you are. Me!" A beat, "...When he heard Shuyo-kun had hooked up with me he was pretty approving. He's just... like that."
It's optimistic, yes. But Ichika's willing to go with it; either way, it works out well enough here. If he's living with a 'guy', that's normal; if he's living with a 'girl', well...
Best not to get into what Shuyo's dad might assume.
"Probably," Ichika allows of the place getting knocked down. "But it's nice, you know? A big apartment, living with someone you get along with... The dorms are OK I guess. But this is better."
"Yeah. We'll need places to live when we get out of high school, right?"
Ichika can't live at her parents' house forever, and she can't stay in the dorms when she graduates, either.
Ichika strokes Tsubasa's wrist idly with her free hand. "Heheh. Lance is great," Ichika agrees. "But it's because you take such good care of her that she's cool in an apartment."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa grins, when Ichika points out herself. "Sure do." Got her, that is. And then, they sigh: "Man, some dads are jus'... weird."
... man, the alternative is weird as shit. At least both Tsubasa and Shuyo would find it super awkward.
"These kinds of apartments are, like... way more designed to live in," Tsubasa admits, "not just, like, to sleep in before goin' to work an' then hangin' out at the bar before you get home." You know, the average single salaryman's day. "Like, we got space out the end for couches an' a TV..." They were, in fact, all watching the latest episode of Subsistance out there earlier. (It's an American reality show based around people getting stranded and surviving in the wilderness; there was a Japanese version ten years ago or so, but it never caught on, so Shuyo just watches the American version with subtitles.)
Their expression softens, feeling her fingertips on their wrist; on that side, at least, they can feel it quite nicely. "'Course I do, man," they smile, to Ichika. "I can't go takin' care of someone an' then jus' leave 'em in the lurch. 'Sides, ain't like I'm doin' that alone or nothin'... like, Shuyo-kun took her out jus' now, even."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Mm-hm." Ichika is pleased about that. "They are," Ichika agrees. "His mom's like that, too. It's 'manly' to pick up girls. ...No wonder he has more fun with guys."
Parental pressure!
"They are though!" Ichika says. "That's what I like about them. You need a space to like, live in. It's not natural for people to just sleep in a crate and go to work. You gotta like... have a place to hang out."
Couches! A TV! It was a fun show. ...Well, it was fun in its way. Very gossipy.
Ichika smiles back. "Yeah," she says. "That's just like you. It's real good."
"...But true, true. We all like Lance."
"...I'm happy though. It's easier to visit you like this, too."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Chyeah... least he'll be able to do his own thing pre' soon." They're all third-years; they're all facing down adult life like the barrel of a gun.
Most parents understand they're supposed to start loosening up right around now.
They grin, shifting over onto their side a little more. "Yeah, if ya wanna like, bond an' shit. I still kinda like them townhouses over these big apartments, tho'... 'least those stairs is jus' one floor." They're on the third floor. It's a war crime, probably.
And they do all like Lance. "We better," Tsubasa chuckles. "Be real dicks if she loved us that much an' we didn't like her back."
It's a lighter expression which breaks to a grin, as they reach over to grasp Ichika by the shoulder and drag her down onto the bed, too. "C'mere!", they urge her, animated enough to even use an exclamation mark. "You better be visitin' a whole lot, I got used to bein' right over from ya over Summer..."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Yeah," Ichika says. "Soon, we all gotta."
Ichika used to think of it as the barrel of a gun, or the tip of a sword, or other dire ideas; now... Not so much.
Except for the part about entrance exams. Those are pretty gun-like.
"I like bonding," Ichika says amiably. "Hmmmm yeah... That's cool too. I kinda like getting to be high up, though? The stairs suck a little but you get a better view outside."
"...Aw, yeah," Ichika says of Lance. "That's true. We don't wanna be dicks like that. She's so cute, though!"
And suddenly--Ichika is grabbed, dragged down, and she laughs in what's not quite a giggle (the Boss is too cool to giggle) as she gets closer to Tsubasa. "Mmm..."
She wraps an arm around Tsubasa and hugs onto them happily. "You bet I will," Ichika says. "But if you want to 'convince' me I won't say no..."
"Western beds are kinda nice, too."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Yeah," Tsubasa sighs. "I still got... one set a exams I can work on, at least..." Their performance last time was abysmal, oweing to the fact that the Joker Killer had just tried to kill them.
... but also, they might kind of give a shit about getting a decent score now.
"Heh, yeah," Tsubasa smiles, when Ichika says she likes bonding. "An'... ya reckon? Always get a bit nervous up here, like... ya seen th' balcony, man? What if ya fall off that shit?" Could Tsubasa, in fact... be afraid of heights?!
WHO EVER HEARD OF A BIRD AFRAID OF HEIGHTS MAN
"Mega cute," Tsubasa agrees. But guess who else is cute?!
It's their girlfriend!!! Who Tsubasa curls an arm around, scooping her up beside them. "I can be real convincin'," they assure her, cracking a grin.
"Honestly," they add, "I like Western beds better, these days. Like, way easier to get up offa these things than goin' right down to th' floor." With all that scarring, they can get very stiff; and while they can jump a fence to outrun the cops, when they're going to sleep they'd prefer things be easier.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Yeah," Ichika says. "You do." She worries about Tsubasa, but... nothing to be done for that last set. Not that she can think of.
"That'd be bad," Ichika agrees about falling off. She is not too worried about it; it just doesn't seem that likely to her. But Tsubasa is nervous about it...
Ichika files that away.
Cute!! Ichika is scooped up and happily leans into Tsubasa's arms. "Good," she answers.
Then she tilts her head a little. "Hmm... That's true," she says. "I kinda like it traditional, but... there's things a bed is really good for, too. Like, you know. For that kind of thing."
Ichika is so often considering 'that kind of thing', after all.
"It's cozy, too..."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa's grades aren't terrible, for having put no effort in for years; it's just this last set of exams that they absolutely tanked. The fact is, they could do a lot better than they've done, but... well, as they said, it was always just too much of a pain in the ass.
They were lazy.
And, yes, they're nervous about heights. Maybe that's just another of those things they can't help but overthink...?
"Hm hm hm," Tsubasa chuckles, and it's the kind of thing that resonates in their chest. "Yeah? You're not worried you'll fall off?" There's a certain lilt to their tone... hey, they're teasing her!
"Heh heh... but yeah, it is." Cosy! "Helps that you're in it..."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika's are definitely worse, though her recent exams were better. Maybe there's a 'most improved' category??? ...Well, her grades back at Sevens were pretty decent...
Ichika thinks it's cute.
But she laughs a little back. "Not as long as you hold me," she answers with that same kind of lilt. "So you'd better not let go."
"Mmm," Ichika agrees. "I'm told I'm very comfortable," Ichika assures Tsubasa. "...And I like having you here, too."
Ichika nuzzles in against Tsubasa, and sighs cheerfully.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa thinks there should be a 'most improved' category for Ichika. She worked hard for it.
"... oh, I think I can manage that," Tsubasa smiles, looking about as pleased as the cockatiel who just got the cuttlefish. (That's the saying, right?)
But she's comfortable... that's certainly true. Tsubasa sighs, a hand trailing up and down Ichika's back, searching out the line of her spine. "You're very soft," they say, and their voice, at least, is soft too. (All that scarring makes them a bit tougher to the touch, comparatively.) "It's nice... shit always seems brighter when you're around."
Tsubasa tilts their head, pressing their lips to her brow. "Thanks fer helpin' me out so much with this shit... I feel... safer, knowin' you're on it, yeah?" As worried as they are about what might happen to Ichika, it's hard to deny that they'd have lost hope much more easily if they didn't know she'd jump in to save them.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika's happy with that. She would be pretty sure that's not the phrase, if she cared. At the moment she thinks she cares a lot more about Tsubasa holding her.
"Ah..." Ichika closes her eyes. She is soft; she knows that. But it's nice that Tsubasa is demonstrating it in a tactile sort of way. "I'm happy that's true for you," she says. She uses that word a lot with Tsubasa...
Her eyes stay closed. "You're welcome," she says. "I want to help. ...I'll keep helping."
"I love you." In the end, all of what she's doing says that.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"It is," Tsubasa murmurs, feeling the shape of Ichika's back beneath her uniform. (They're still wearing the boys uniform, of course -- though the bottom half of their shirt's unbuttoned so the can tie it around their midsection, much like Ichika has.) "You help me... so damn much."
She can even feel it, in the way their heartbeat slows, holding her to themself, the calm measure of their breath.
Their hand trails up, one more time, to gently grasp the back of Ichika's head, urging her to tilt her face up; "...mm?" They hum, in a confirmatory moment, before they move to kiss her properly. "I love you too, babe," they say, when they part, and that calm breath is a little more unseated now.
"Hey..." Tsubasa leaves their hand at her head, though, so that they can comb their fingers through it. "There anythin' I can do to be helpin' you out more, too?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Mm..." Ichika is in her usual girls' uniform, complete with bared midriff and long skirt. "Good," she replies. And Ichika does feel it; that calm, that steady breathing...
"Mm...?" Ichika tilts her face upward, and the look in her eyes confirms it for Tsubasa; she accepts a kiss, languidly melting into it for however long she has the chance.
Ichika sighs again at the touch through her hair. "I wanna give you a serious answer," she says, and her feet shift at the end of the bed, her heart starts to race. "But right now, the best way I can think of you to help me out is..."
She reaches for Tsubasa's other wrist, and nudges it to her midriff--and then pulls slightly upward. "You could touch me?"
"...I want a reminder that you'll keep me here."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
A serious answer...
Tsubasa lets Ichika move their hand as she will; their fingers splay, against her midsection, with a deeper breath inwards.
"This is pre' serious to me," they insist, as they use that hand to push her over; as they pull their other hand up, so that they can rest their weight on their elbow, above her. "I take it real serious... every time you let me have my way."
And their eyes, at least, are locked to hers. "I want you right here beside me," they promise, quite seriously, "for a long, long time."
Tsubasa leans down to kiss her, again, and indeed: they'll be occupying her for the rest of the night.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
It's a few hours later; Shuyo came home, and when he noticed they were in bed, he made a joke and got to doing Something Else for a while. It was probably a good joke, but Ichika does't remember it.
At the time, she'd appreciated Tsubasa's manner--calling it serious... making her feel both desired and in just enough control to be comfortable. But now?
Ichika cuddles up under Tsubasa's arm, her bleach-blonde hair very ruffled and slightly sweaty.
Her uniform is... somewhere. But right now, she opens her eyes, still smiling.
"...Can we take another break?" Ichika asks. "I wanna talk about some stuff. Now that, ah..."
"Now that my head's clearer."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Y--yeah, man," Tsubasa said, in response to that joke, "why ain't ya got locks on these doors?" And for how rattled they were at the initial joke (it wasn't the joke), they manage to recover remarkably well!
"'Cuz they're sliding doors, genius," Shuyo lobbied back. "Anyway, I'm gonna go watch TV, but this one doesn't have subtitles, so you guys probably aren't gonna be into it." Shuyo... is much better at English than they are. And yes, it is a real convenient excuse. Luckily, he has treats for Lance, so she follows him out, too.
The TV's loud enough that they're not going to bother him too much, hopefully. And so --
Somewhere! It's fine, a floordrobe is a proud teenage tradition. Tsubasa might even have a clean uniform of Ichika's stashed around here somewhere, for... reasons. Right now, though, they've pulled the sheets up, just in case Lance decides to barge on in. (She's already figured out how to open sliding doors... but closing them behind her is a little too advanced.)
"Hmm?" They wonder, lying on their back; and their binder, at least, is still in place. Strictly speaking, certain activities probably count as exercise, but... well, they run from the cops in their binder, too, they're not exactly observing binding best practices here. They smile, rubbing at Ichika's shoulder. "Sure thing, babe. What's up?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Super convenient! Ichika appreciates the privacy, anyway; she's got nothing he hasn't seen, but she's not interested in sharing Tsubasa.
Still doesn't remember the joke, though.
Uniform aside, Ichika stays with Tsubasa for the moment, smiling back. She doesn't look up at their face anymore, more comfortable where she is. The binder even feels nice to be against. "So..."
"It's a few things, but..."
"Mom's pregnant," Ichika explains. "She told us the other day." Her and Ririka, that is. "She's like... 14 weeks or so along, now. She didn't tell me before in case she miscarried..."
"I'm happy for her, obviously. But..."
Idly, Ichika hugs onto Tsubasa.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
It's a lot easier for Tsubasa to look down to Ichika, particularly given how they've got the pillows. (They kind of also... are a pillow right now??) "Mm?" They prompt her, gently, as she trails into her thoughts.
And they listen, as she speaks of her mother's pregnancy. "Huh." Fourteen weeks... three and a half months, they translate, in their brain. Was there something special they read about fourteen weeks and miscarriage...? Oh, they realise, inside themself, a moment later. Oh, right. ... oh, right...
They hold Ichika closer to themself, feeling the way she latches onto them, more firmly than they had. "But?" They prompt her, voice still gentled.
There are more things they could say about it, certainly... but right now they're more occupied with what Ichika has to say.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
The pillows help! Including the big one. Ichika talks, though. Tsubasa gets it, and Ichika feels that firmer hold. But, they prompt.
"...I'm sad," she says. "That I couldn't help her through... the others." The miscarriages. "And I'm afraid, that I can't handle it. That seeing her like that will remind me too much of...her."
"And I'm kind of jealous, for the same reason. ...But I'm scared for another thing, too. What if something goes wrong for her now?"
"...Ririka-chan thinks it's a little weird," Ichika admits. "And I guess it is unusual to have a sibling so much younger. But I don't care."
"I just..."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
The others, Ichika says, and Tsubasa has already overthought the statement to figure out just what she's talking about. (A girl probably wouldn't have had to think that hard about it; it's the kind of threat they just become aware of, as they grow into considering children of their own.) "Mmm..." They hum, again, and this sound is more downcast.
"... she's your mom, y'know...?" Tsubasa speaks up, at length, sensing that Ichika might have lost track of her own words. "It's normal... for ya mom to keep th' stuff that's hurtin' her from her kids. 'Cuz th' arrangement is, she's protectin' you, you ain't protectin' her, right? She woulda been talkin' to her friends about it, to ya dad... but I get how you'd feel like you oughta helped her, tho'. Like... it's personal."
They reach over, with their free hand, to grasp Ichika's. "Ain't gon' lie here an' tell ya it might not be rough," they muse through it, quietly. "Like, she's ya mom... it's different to if it's just some woman. But... you ain't gon' be handlin' it alone. Me an' Ryuji gon' be right here with ya, jus' like ya dad was there with ya mom." There are many people there for Ichika, of course; but in this context, they think it's most effective to cite her partners.
"... an' jealousy's normal," they assure her, then. "She's got somethin' you've been wantin' a lot lately... on top of havin' wanted it for ages. That's jus'... human."
Tsubasa thinks a great many negative traits are just human, but are they really all that wrong?
"Still, sayin' what if, what if... ain't you always tellin' me I'll chew me own leg off like that?" Tsubasa's fond, as they ask the question. "If somethin' goes wrong... you'll deal with it, man. Ya mom'll go to hospital, they'll try to save th' baby... an' sometimes they can, an' that means she'll have to go in for way more check-ups an' shit, I was readin' 'bout it earlier. An' sometimes they can't... an' that'll be hard on all a you. If that happens, maybe ya mom doesn't wanna try again... but maybe she does, too, an' then you right back here. We can keep followin' that thread down, but... until it happens, all these what-ifs ain't nothin', man."
Whether it's weird... is something they keep their own silence on, because Ichika doesn't care about whether it is or not.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
She's her mom. "...Oh," Ichika says, and thinks about it from her mother's perspective at Tsubasa's gentle prompting. "...Yeah," she says. "That makes sense. And it would've messed me up really hard, too... after I lost my own." She nods, thoughtfully, looking into the wall at nothing in particular. "She does have Daddy. ...I mean, they've got a good enough relationship that they still do that kind of thing. That makes me relieved, you know? ...Knowing they still love each other."
But it might be rough. "...Mm, yeah. You're right. You both will. And you're here right now."
Normal, is it? "...Mm, yeah. I can wait. I can. ...Maybe it'll be easier, with hers to help with. Or maybe it'll be so much harder. I don't know yet."
What if, what if? Ichika remembers that now. She thinks about it. "You've been studying up on this stuff, yeah," she notices when Tsubasa says they were reading about it. "...Thanks. I know you're doing it for me, huh?"
"Right. We'll just have to see what comes. That's what 'the future' is about."
"...But speaking of moms," she says, "I uh... met Ryuji's."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"I thought it was real weird when I first saw it... but it's cool, y'know? I hope you get to have somethin' like that with th' guy you marry, too." Which won't be them. ... and Tsubasa does feel a stab of jealousy, thinking about that, even though -- perhaps entirely because -- it's impossible a few times over, in a culture like Japan.
(Being human isn't always logical. Tsubasa can know that Ichika would value them as highly without any official ceremony, and still feel stifled over the homophobia and transphobia of a society which has already decided they're not a contender; both of those things can be true.
... luckily, the fact that Ichika's here right now makes that unfairness little more than a passing thought.)
"I am," they affirm, gently, orienting on Ichika again. "And you won't know until it happens... but I can always remind you to wait a little longer." It would just be one more thing to add to the list, with regards to looking out for Ichika.
Their blush, beneath their artifice, isn't very effectively disguised when Ichika is listening to them instead of looking at their face. "... o-oh, uh, yeah," and they're a little abashed to be caught out at it, apparently. "It's... important to ya, y'know? I ain't thought too hard 'bout it before now, but... I oughta know 'bout it if I'm gon' be halfway useful."
Still... the future. Ryuji's mom!! These things are related, Tsubasa thinks, and thinks of it warmly.
"You got that done, huh?" Tsubasa asks, squeezing Ichika's hand. "So, how was it? She breathe fire? Did she have ten heads upon which laid ten crowns? Was she the size of a monster truck, or are we talkin' bigger?"
Tsubasa c'mon you KNOW Ichika was scared of this don't be a DICK. (They're being a dick to break the tension; if she moves right from worrying about miscarriage to Ryuji's mom, they're worried she'll invent some reason why she's doomed.)
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Thanks," Ichika says, and Tsubasa might or might not feel her smile against them. They might hear it in her tone, "...I know I'll have it with you."
Ichika has thought about that too, of course. But for now, Ichika is right here in Tsubasa's arms, and she'd be glad to know that's something that helps.
"Yeah." She gives Tsubasa a little squeeze about the midsection. "True. And... yeah. If nothing else, Ryuji-kun's definitely not ready yet. ...And I guess maybe I'm not, either. So thanks."
Still, Ichika can tell they're embarrassed. "It is," Ichika says. "...Thanks. It's cool that you think like that. It'd be fair if you didn't want to think about it, but... I appreciate that you do."
And--Ichika laughs, protesting with a faint shove that isn't actually hard enough to move anybody. "Tsubasa!" she chides.
Then she laughs again, despite herself. "Nah, she was cool. Kinda tired... she told me she's what happens when you don't get out of the kind of life we're in." Pause. "Don't share that--she doesn't want her son to know she used to do stuff like us."
"But nah, she was cool. She told me... I'm still young. And I dunno how I feel about it. It's hard not to think of the future now that I know I get to have one..."
"But we got along pretty OK. We had chicken. We had kind of a talk, while Ryuji-kun was out getting it?"
"It was... different. it wasn't creepy like it was with Eiji's dad and all. She wasn't expecting me to be his mom all over again or whatever."
"She's cool."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"You will," Tsubasa promises, and in this they are quite serious.
When Ichika thinks through and realises she's not quite ready yet, Tsubasa leans down, to lay a smooch upon her forehead. "Yeah," they agree. "I'm thinkin' the same way... an' like... I ain't ready, neither." They're a little more nervous inserting themself into the equation, but... it's not like they're just here to protect Ichika, right?
"I didn't wanna think 'bout it when people was talkin' 'bout me," Tsubasa explains, "but if it's for you, like, that's different. Uh, tho' like, you ain't up for it yet or nothin', I know that... but there's so much shit here, y'know? Feels like if I don't start learnin', I won't have time to get it all in my head when you wanna go." H--hey, exactly how much does Tsubasa think they need to know about this stuff?!
(Well, if there are so many ways for a pregnancy to go wrong...)
It's a good thing it isn't too hard to move them; this might be a king single, but it is ultimately still a single bed, Ichika absolutely could dump Tsubasa's ass on the floor if she actually wanted to. "Heheheheh..." They're laughing, too, flashing her a smug grin. They sure look happy with themself, despite being a JERK!
It fades to a warmer smile, though, as she talks about a woman who is not in fact a terrible monster. "Huh... she ran with a gang? Maybe that's why Sakamoto-kun's cool about it. Even if he didn't know, mighta rubbed off on him..."
Still... they wonder, privately, what she'd think about Ichika dating one of her gangmates, when her drunken husband was... well, presumably also in the life. ... questions for later, and not for Ichika, because as much as Tsubasa would tell their girlfriend anything, that doesn't extend to the things Ryuji's told them in confidence when they're not sure if he's also told her.
... especially if he's thinking about them more like a partner now, too... but that's still something they need to ask him about, later. It might have been a heat of the moment thing..? Their mother wasn't exactly making a comfortable environment for him... it would've been reasonable for him to resort to anything he had to get her to stop.
(... and they do appreciate that, more deeply than they can really get around to admitting. Their own mother might not want to defend them, but Ryuji and Ichika sure do.)
Tsubasa's expression grows thoughtful, there, for a moment, as they think of Ryuji and his mother. But then they look back down to Ichika, and smile, again. "We are still young, man," they point out, gently. "We in high school. Jus' 'cuz we eighteen now don't mean we got everythin' figured out already... jus' means we're gettin' somethin' outta theorycraftin'." Tsubasa is that -- is that more nerd shit.
God damn it, Tsubasa.
"Still... glad she wasn't weird about it. Didn't reckon she would be... Sakamoto-kun regards her real highly. An' he's pre' sharp." Tsubasa smiles, again. "So maybe you got, like, one potential in-law what ain't a fuckin' nightmare. That ain't nothin'."
... they don't immediately explain why they were lost in thought, though.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika hears those nerves. "Cool," Ichika says. "That's good to know," she assures Tsubasa, of them not being ready either. "We gotta like... get stable, and stuff. And I should probably be at least 20..."
"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense," she says. "And like... Yeah, there's a ton to learn about. A whole lot to do." A pause. "...You're gonna like, come with me to appointments and stuff, huh?" she asks. "...That makes me feel better."
But Ichika is happy to laugh with Tsubasa. And that woman? "Mm-hm," Ichika says. "She had a bike. Not quite the same as ours."
But Tsubasa gets awfully thoughtful, and Ichika goes, "Hey." Softly, "You getting far away on me? What's on your mind?"
But she can wait for an answer; because, well... Theory... crafting. "Yeah. We gotta start thinkin' about it, but we don't have to have it all done, either." That's about where she thinks it is.
"He is. ...Cool. That's nice. He kinda..."
"He was worried we were talking about embarrassing shit," Ichika says fondly. "But nah. She just wanted to make sure I wasn't gonna drag him down. ...Told me to worry less."
"Anyway, like I asked. What's on your mind?"
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"At least," Tsubasa cracks a grin, briefly. "C'mon, give it to twenty two, you gotta give us a chance to start makin' decent money first." Children are expensive, Ichika!!
They nod, though, when Ichika asks if they'll be coming to appointments. "Yeah. An' if I'm gon' do that, I oughta know what they're sayin'... if you ain't quick on th' draw, doctors an' shit can just tell you a bunch a shit you don't even get." Particularly in Japan, where asking questions of one's doctor is nigh unthinkable, perhaps it's reasonable that Tsubasa would want to make real sure they understood the risks and all the language.
Still... "Biker gang, huh?" Tsubasa muses, thoughtfully. "Cool."
That thoughtfulness isn't something Ichika misses, though, and Tsubasa blinks, looking back down to Ichika. "Oh, sorry," they say, squeezing her hand. "I'm here." They don't quite get to explaining where they were immediately, though.
"Yeah, man. Ya parents ain't gon' be pushin' you none... we got time. An' thinkin' ain't no crime or nothin'." Tsubasa, of course, likes thinking about the future, which really informs the way they're defending it.
Tsubasa smiles, though, hearing what Ryuji was worried about. "Oh, yeah? Heh. Sounds like him. Glad she could see you ain't draggin' him nowhere, tho'... sounds like she's cool."
Still, Ichika has one weapon on her side: persistence. And Tsubasa blinks, looking down to her again. "Oh... I was jus' thinkin'," they say, lacing their fingers through Ichika's. "Jus'..."
They look over to the wall; they've put an Alice Six poster up, there. "Back when... you guys met my mom. Sakamoto-kun, he were tryin' to get her to piss off an' leave me alone, yeah? But, like... when it was all boilin' over... he said somethin' 'bout how she was makin' his partners uncomfortable. Like... plural. An' I didn't think much 'bout that 'til I was runnin' the whole thing back in my head -- like -- like I run shit back, like, analyse that kinda situation -- an' I realised I ain't misheard him. So I was jus' thinkin'... 'bout that whole thing, like. We had a whole lotta trouble figurin' out what to call ourselves... but me an' Sakamoto-kun, we got th' same problem, y'know? An' I'm not sure, like..."
They breathe out; they shake their head. "... I dunno. Prolly won't 'til I talk with him 'bout it. But it's still in my head."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Oh, but..." Ichika's face falls a little as she contemplates going that long. "I guess that's... worth thinking about..." They are expensive!! But there's three of them!! Maybe it's fine?
"Oh... OK." So Tsubasa wants to know for more than just knowing. "OK, thanks. And Daddy'll look out for me too, I'm sure."
But biker gang. "Yeah."
Ichika lists some more. "They aren't," she agrees. "But it's nice to think about it... And even Ryuji-kun seems up to think about it."
"I guess what she actually said was I had to figure out myself first. And that's true, but..." Well. Thinking about it!
Ichika does persist, as it happens. She accepts Tsubasa's hand, and then listens. "Oh... yeah, I remember that," she says. "It was cool of him."
"Right, I know you do." Run shit back. Analyze. "You should talk to him," she agrees. "I dunno... how you two'll shake out with each other. But it's not like I'm connecting two people who don't have any connection to each other, right? ...You two have stuff to work out, too. And I support figuring out what that looks like, Tsubasa."
"Just lemme know how it goes, OK? I figure... Other than 'you're both with me', I don't really have much of a say in what you are to each other. That's on you guys. So I'm happy to see it shake out."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Jus' think 'bout it," Tsubasa suggests. "You got a couple years to twenty anyway, right?" No need to make her mind up yet!! Just, you know, maybe don't have baby the minute you become an adult, Ichika. Maybe...
"Cool," Tsubasa nods. "... be weird to bring ya dad to ya antenatal appointments, tho'." Right? That's weird, right? ... is that weird? They don't even know.
"... I like thinkin' 'bout it, too," Tsubasa says. "Gives me... somethin' to focus on what ain't the shit goin' on right now. But yeah... ain't so bad to figure yourself out, too."
Of course Tsubasa would think that's good advice, though; they're always overthinking things. For instance --
"It was weird, but like... it weren't bad," Tsubasa admits, teasing out their own feelings from the gnarled mess of their brain. "I get, like... I get worried, like... how there ain't no model for me. Can feel like I'm kinda... on th' outside. But th' way he was actin'... he really gave a shit, y'know? I was... I mattered, too. It was... cool," and it's more impactful than cool, but Tsubasa's trying not to get weird about it. "Like... we were a unit or somethin', not jus'... both seein' ya."
Because of course, two boys seeing one girl doesn't necessarily mean they mean anything to each other, as Ichika would know.
"Jus' a bit... scary, too, y'know... someone givin' a shit. Uh, I been better 'bout that, but it's still sometimes, like..." Their brow knits, and they shake their head. "... anyway, that's why I ain't chased him up yet. Nothin' he did, jus'... gotta man up about it. Admit it matters when someone ain't want me axed. An' there's... some way I matter to him, y'know. But I been worried I shove me foot right in me mouth about it, I can get like that..." They don't want to mess it up.
Tsubasa sighs, as they add: ".... oughta ask him what he wants me to call him, too. I jus'... ain't wanna be rude."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"I'll think about it," Ichika assures Tsubasa, and it's even true. "Yeah, I got some time."
Pause. "That would be pretty weird," she admits. "Definitely weird."
But Tsubasa likes to focus on other things... and Ichika nods. "Yeah," she says, "Me, too. And like... it's good."
Weird, but not bad. "...yeah," Ichika agrees. "I know you do."
"He does," she says. "I think he took it seriously--that we're a package deal. That it's not just me he's signing up to give a shit about. Because you do matter."
It doesn't necessarily mean that; but... it does, in this case. Whatever that looks like.
"Right," she says. "...It's OK to be kinda shaken up," she thinks. "But he keeps telling me he's worried he'll screw stuff up, too."
"...It's cool. It's not rude to ask. At least..." Well, sometimes it is.
"We don't care if you're a little rude," she settles on instead. "We're a bunch of punks, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Oh, good, it IS weird. Tsubasa is so relieved that's actually weird.
"Yeah, like... I always thinkin' 'bout how shit goes wrong. Who's workin' against us, threats we up against, what they gon' do next... shit gets bleak, man. When I thinkin' 'bout what kinda house we wanna live in... it's brighter, y'know?" Like when Ichika's in the room.
But Ryuji's taking it seriously... "Yeah," Tsubasa says, and a smile flicks over their face, briefly. "He can be pre' serious when he gets into shit, even if he likes messin' around." Honestly, Tsubasa could probably take a few notes from him with regards to fucking around doing normal teenage activities. Sometimes it's good to get serious about your hobbies, too, Tsubasa!!
(Being fair, if they're throwing around words like 'theorycrafting', they're probably like that with their hobbies, too...)
"Heh... it's funny, like... we're pre' similar, y'know?" Tsubasa smiles, again, shaking their head. "Like, every time I talk to him, it's like... yeah, dude, I get it. So it ain't that weird how we both worried 'bout it... fuck, man, we prolly both worried 'bout bein' th' third wheel up in this." Tsubasa's not a real boy, and Ryuji hasn't been Ichika's best friend for ages, and between them, their concerns can power a small nation!
... Tsubasa has enough insight to realise that, at least; it's why they're always giving him hot tips about her family, and other little details they've only gleaned through knowing Ichika a while.
"Ahh... guess that's tough for you, too..." Tsubasa shakes their head, giving Ichika another little squeeze. "... but you're real good to us anyhow, y'know? You a real steadyin' force." Guys can get kind of hot-headed and stupid, but Ichika, who enjoys being a girl, is good at balancing those extremes out...
(Well, Tsubasa's not immune to a little heteronormativity, too, especially when it actually affirms their gender.)
"Heh... and you right, we a bunch a fuckin' punks," Tsubasa grins. "Jus', y'know -- I respect the guy. Gotta do it right... but you right, I better do it. Gettin' weird to call him Sakamoto-kun like we acquaintances, by now..."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"You can't do just that," Ichika agrees. "It'll mess you up. ...But I like thinking about that stuff, too."
Ichika smiles back. "Yeah," she says. "He can. ...And like, maybe he's right to mess around a little more than we usually do. In ways that aren't just breaking into old places."
Still... similarity. "You do," she agrees. "You both told me so. He's worried we've got this connection he can't ever have, and... You're worried 'cause you're not a boy."
It's more complex than that, but that's at least a way to refer to it. But Tsubasa--Tsubasa gets it.
"...Thanks," Ichika says. "It's worth it. To keep my guys happy. To make my guys happy." She nuzzles into Tsubasa's shoulder. "Steady... I like steady."
Ichika's definitely not immune to it.
"Yeah," Ichika agrees. "I'm not saying you need to be anything other than what you are--but you should definitely talk about it."
"But..."
"I kinda want to focus on just 'us' again..."
"...Unless you think we should go see Shuyo-kun if he's still up. But I'd be happy enough staying here with you."
"...If you're up for it?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"I know," Tsubasa admits, lashes veiling their eyes, "but I can't help it." And maybe that's why they like having something else to overanalyse, instead...
"Yeah..." Breaking into old places... man, but Tsubasa's good at that. Gonna be hard to give that up...
They both told Ichika that, though, huh? Tsubasa chuckles, hearing that. "You're all over it, huh? That tracks... you're good at figurin' this social shit out. You're pre' smart 'bout that." Is this another instance of their guerilla warfare against Ichika's insistence that she isn't smart? ... yeah, actually, Tsubasa absolutely has ulterior motives for framing being good at navigating social questions alongside being able to figure shit out, and calling it smarts.
... they're not very secret or evil ulterior motivations, though, they're like, directly telling her the thing they're doing. They're still machinations, man!! They got SO many machinations!!!
"Well," Tsubasa leans down, to lay another kiss against her forehead, "I appreciate it, babe. Bet he'd say th' same. An' you make me real happy..."
They nod, when she encourages them to talk about it. "I will." But...
Well, Tsubasa can be greedy, too; Ichika suggests focusing in, and that avarice reaches their eyes, alongside something else intense, as they unlace their fingers from Ichika's to stroke her hair back instead. "You're askin' me if I want a beautiful girl who I love real bad to focus all her attention on me again...? Ichika... ain't nothin' I'm more up for than that."
Hungry as they are, Ichika's never let them go unfed, and that's something particularly special.