2026-01-25: Ebisu Beach Visit
- Log: 2026-01-25 Ebisu Beach Visit
- Cast: Ren Amamiya, Hibari Aoki, Ichika Kawase, Tsubasa Seki, Haru Okumura, Ryuji Sakamoto
- Where: Ebisu Beach, Konan Ward, Sumaru City
- OOC Date: January 25, 2026
- IC Date: Saturday, September 15, 2012
- Summary: Ren and Hibari bring some of their respective friends to the beach for one last summer-like activity while it's still warm out.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
While grocery shopping for a recent cooking lesson with Hibari, she and Ren talked about how it would be nice to hit the beach before the leftover summer heat fully cedes space to autumn and swimming in the ocean is still an option. They agreed to invite some of their friends to do exactly that, with Hibari specifically asking to meet Ryuji, on account of his relationship with Ichika and Tsubasa.
Ren let their friends know the place and time/date via group chat--it being last minute, they understand and accept that not everyone's going to be able to make it, though they did reach out to Ryuji in particular about it--and heads out to Sumaru City after the half-day of school on Saturday. (Sunday could've been an option, but that's the day they're all celebrating their recent victory as The Phantoms, something they can't really invite Hibari to (yet).)
Ebisu Beach is a nice place, and though it's less crowded now than during the proper summer season, there's still a decent number of people there enjoying the waning summer heat. There's a mall nearby, and... whatever else is present in Konan Ward... Ren isn't actually all that familiar. But Hibari said she'd show everyone who showed up around, so that's fine.
For their part, they arrive at the beach wearing a partially buttoned white shirt with pushed-up sleeves and dark blue swim trunks with a red-and-white waistband and black cord, a mix between their usual summer casual and their swimsuit. Their non-prescription glasses are perched on their nose and their wristwatch on their left wrist as usual, but today they've also got sandals on their feet. Their shoulder bag hangs on their left shoulder as usual, containing a pool towel, sunscreen, change of clothes, their wallet and phone and other essentials, and of course snacks. It does not contain Morgana, sadly, due to mixed company, but he prefers ~ * SUSHI * ~ to sand anyway, so he doesn't mind leaving his Sumaru outing to tomorrow.
Upon arrival, Ren looks around for any beach umbrellas that Hibari may have set up, as well of course for any of their friends who're already here. Once they spot them, they raise their hand to wave and approach across the warm (but not hot--a perk of hitting the beach on the off-season) sand with a slight smile to join them.
Kasumi Yoshizawa has arrived from Historia: The White Chronicle.
<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.
While Hibari fully supports the recent victory, she doesn't know enough to know that Ren and their friends have any reason to celebrate it - even if she is aware of Ichika and Tsubasa's involvement. So inviting her would be a little awkward. But that's fine; it just means you get TWO days off in Sumaru instead of one.
So on that note... welcome to Ebisu Beach!
Hibari wasn't kidding; Konan Ward is right on it, and a lot of the nearby businesses presumably cater to visitors during the summer months. There's Seaside Mall, and also the Sky Museum very close to the east side of the beach if you're into planes, zeppelins, and other things of that sort.
Further into the ward there's a few apartment complexes that range from nice to a little run down (Hibari lives in one with her father). As you go further northeast, there's an old industrial district that's a little run down; things get worse in that direction, but it's comfy closer to the beach, if not wealthy.
But it not being the summer months, things are winding down... even though it's still pretty warm, this is also the season when things start to get wet.
There's no rain right now, though. There's a possibility tonight, but right now it's mostly sunny, though a lot humid. It's still possible to swim in the ocean if you're interested in that.
Hibari's not much of a swimmer, though. She knows how - she's had the lessons everyone has - but she's more of a shore sitter. She got there early and did indeed set up a couple beach umbrellas, along with a towel that she was sitting on before Ren showed up. There's a bag sitting around, and a small cooler.
Hibari is wearing her own beach-style clothes. She likes beach shorts too, apparently, and an almost seafoam green top with a bit of ruffle around the lower hem. She may be wearing a swimsuit underneath; it's hard to tell.
"Hey!" she calls, cheerfully. "I'm glad you could make it after all. See, it's still pretty nice on a September day." And pretty isolated if you start heading down the beach, though Hibari picked a pretty central location - it's easier to find.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
The beach! Ichika certainly doesn't spend a lot of time at the beach, even given the heat. It doesn't really go with her goth-sukeban aesthetic. But Ichika like Konan OK, and that's good enough.
Ichika's dressed in a cyan blouse, unbuttoned over a black-and-red bikini top, her blonde hair a lot shorter than it used to be. About her lower body is a wrap skirt over her bottoms, breezy fabric in black, about to her ankles. It's good enough for walking around to get to the beach in, and not hard to change to go swimming about. She also has a bag with a proper change of clothes and a few other things over her shoulder.
"Hey," she says as she arrives with Tsubasa, her sandals pressing into the sand. "They're over there."
Ichika waves at Hibari and Ren. "Hey," she greets in return. "Wouldn't miss it. I didn't spend much beach time over the summer anyway..."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Swimsuits...
OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwH8WnCT7i8 Nobuo Uematsu - The Final Battle
And that's Tsubasa's entire line of thought about swimsuits.
Thusly have they appeared today in a pair of bright orange board shorts and a band t-shirt advertising ALICE SIX rather than anything suited for a swim. (They're not entirely sure what happens if they get salt water in their binder, anyway.) Luckily, they know Hibari's not going to suggest they go swimming; Ichika's whole gang knows a decent amount about their exciting adventures in body image.
Surely Tsubasa is more one for tanning, anyway, with that ridiculously fake deep orange tan of theirs; neither it nor the cyan and white makeup can entirely cover up the scars all across the right side of their body, but it's at least easy to overlook without a little scrutiny. Their wig, today, is loud magenta and green, matching Ichika's nails. Their high-top sneakers have a half-dozen patches sewn on them -- and this, too, is gang shit. Does this mean they're going to be shaking sand out of them for the next week?
Worth it.
They've come over to Konan with Ichika, today; there's a bag over their shoulder, too, full of mysteries. And trotting alongside them, paws sinking into the sand (so it's a good thing the sand is warm and not hot)...
... is THE WORLD'S GOODEST GIRL, Lance, a scarred and runtish Tosa Inu who immediately bounds up to Hibari, tail wagging a million miles an hour. And then to Ren! And to all the other humans! Lance loves you, humans!!
"Yo," Tsubasa calls, far less effusive than their dog. "Cool idea. Cool enough, too." You know. September!
Despite it being cool enough, though, they naturally beeline right to the cooler to see if they can dig out a drink.
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
Beach trip! Haru doesn't tend to be one for swimming, but seeing as the entire group was invited, she decided to make a trip out of it after spending some time with Kasumi earlier in the day. The power of having a personal chauffeur certainly helps make the trip possible!
Haru arrives wearing a classy flower-patterned green sundress, with a sunhat to match. She doesn't plan on going in the water at all, but sitting back and relaxing a bit is definitely in the cards. She waves over, spotting her friends. "I'm glad I could make it!" She waves, joining Ren and the others. Haru isn't particularly familiar with Hibari, but she does seem to be a friend of Ren's. "It's nice to meet you, Aoki-san. I'm Haru... one of Ren's friends." She introduces herself. Tsubasa and Ichika are here, too!
"Oh my! I didn't know you had a dog, Tsubasa-san." Haru's eyes widen, as she sees Lance pacing around the sand. And she's so affectionate too! "Awww, aren't you such a good girl?" Haru leans over, giving her some pets, should she be willing. "It's good to see you both again." She smiles, to Ichika and Tsubasa both. Ren, too... but they'd just spent time together not that long ago. She wanders over to the cooler, too, to find some lemonade after kicking back her beach chair.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Oh Ryuji got the message. He's been fretting over this beach episode for awhile now. What to wear? Who was going? What to bring.
https://youtu.be/qR6dzwQahOM?si=sGmSKtB7unRka2bF
There were many pieces in play for a beach outing. They were both the maker and breaker of relationships. The key to all of this...was swim wear. Yes, one wayward glance could lead to trouble. But if Ichika was here...then should he look more or keep it respectful. Then it hit him.
Ryuji arrives on time, checking his watch. He was dressed in something light, faded a phoenix feather man t-shirt and orange swimtrunks. He smiles confidently as he lowers his -sunglasses- to check his phone. Just as planned.
"Sorry, I'm late! Was out looking for a job!" Ryuji pushes up his mirrored shades as he throws his towel over his shoulder.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"It is," Ren says of the September day, looking up at the mostly-clear skies. It's fine if there'll be rain later tonight, because they aren't going to stick around that late. They crook a smile back at Hibari. "I barely got to go swimming this summer, so I wasn't going to miss this."
That same sentiment gets echoed by Ichika when she arrives with Tsubasa and Lance. They look over their shoulder at the three with a nod of greeting, not a lick of surprise to them at Tsubasa's whole I'm-clearly-not-getting-in-the-water ensemble.
Someone else who's running: Lance. Ren holds out a hand for her to lick when she turns from Hibari to them. They may be a cat in their soul, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to appreciate about dogs.
They set down their bag next to Hibari's cooler, retrieves their towel to set out on the sand, and sets the snacks on top of the cooler for the others to share in if they so choose. That's in time for Haru to arrive, and they turn to her. She's also clearly not going into the water, which is no issue--Tsubasa's in good company this way. "I'm glad too, Haru. I know it's a lot to travel all the way here on a Saturday," they say, nodding to her. Their smile softens as Haru gives Lance pets, though when Ryuji arrives, they raise a hand again in greeting.
"Not that late. Any luck with that job?" they ask. They might go swimming themself a little later, but right now they're content to chill with their friends.
<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.
"Neither had Ren-kun," Hibari says, cheerfully, to Ichika and Tsubasa. "Or me, for that matter. I've been busy this summer." Ichika knows why, of course, but she can't say so in front of Ren's friends. "That's what gave me the idea. I figured, I live here anyway; I may as well show off some of the local places! There's a few good spots around here not everybody knows about, especially if you want some alone time or some easy swimming."
Hibari does indeed know all about Tsubasa's adventures in body image (well, OK, less than Ichika, but more than most people) and she certainly isn't going to be the one to push it! There are drinks in the cooler to steal, too. There's a variety - some soda, a couple iced green teas, a couple bottles of just water.
Hibari isn't much of a swimmer either. It's fine.
"Hey, Lance!" Hibari greets Lance first, crouching slightly as she braces to absorb the impact of Excited Dog and then uses her position to scratch and ruffle a bit in greeting.
She straightens afterwards once Lance is satisfied enough to visit someone else. "And the rest of you too. I know not all of you have met me; I'm Hibari Aoki." She gives a little half-bow in greeting before she raises back up, a smile on her face. "It's nice of you to come down this far! Feel free to help yourself to a drink."
To those who have not met Hibari before, she's a heavyset third year with dyed hair. Right now (as it has been for the last couple months) it's ombre from her natural dark brown to a rather vivid red, tumbling down a bit past her shoulders. She has a particularly cheerful smile that lights up her face, which is visible right now.
"So, I guess you're Sakamoto-san," she says to Ryuji, "and don't worry, you're not late! It's nice to finally meet you; I've heard a bit about you from Ichika-chan and Tsubasa-kun. But I don't recognize you, I'm sorry." That to Haru - Ren used her name, but Hibari doesn't have any prior knowledge to attach it to like she does with Ryuji.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika does not expect Tsubasa to go swim, no.
But she smiles when she sees Haru show up. "Oh, hi," she greets her. "Glad you made it, too." A beat, "Lance is really friendly, huh? How's it going?"
Ichika... also has opinions about beach trips, as it happens. And she may have picked her outfit with an eye towards wondering hwo Ryuji would react. (She doesn't have to wonder how Tsubasa would react. Tsubasa saw her first! Success, probably?)
But... sunglasses, huh.
"How'd that go?" Ichika asks Ryuji about the job hunt, along with Ren. She crouches down to give Lance some pets, too. She did know why, as regards Hibari, of course.
"Hibari-cha's cool," Ichika vouches for her. She doesn't go for a drink immediately, though; she was still thinking of swimming soon.
With a grin at Tsubasa, Ichika walks over to Ryuji. "Thinking of swimming in a while? You're dressed for it."
She settles somewhere between the two of them. It's fine.
"Yeah, I've been meaning to introduce you to him, so here's the chance!"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Lance is so excited to see Ren! And Ren's going to need some hand sanitiser, because their hand gets licked so much. (As it happens, Lance gets along much better with cats than with dogs, anyway.) Getting ruffled by Hibari and Ichika somehow charges Lance's energy up even more, too...
Tsubasa and Haru are clearly both of a kind with regards to getting in the water, and Tsubasa gives her a firm nod of recognition. Beach chairs... are the superior mode of beach enjoyment.
"Yeah," they add, with a brief smile on their normally-scowling face. (It's fine, that's how they always look. Tsubasa's got the world's worst case of resting bitch face.) "Her name's Lance. It's cool, she's nice." Tsubasa really didn't need to add that part, as Lance's ears perk up and she whiiiines at Haru with a tail wagging like crazy. She is rewarded with pets!
"Yo, Ryuji-san," they call to him, too, seeing him get here. (They asked if they could address him so personally sometime earlier, of course; they wouldn't presume to do something like that.) They add, approvingly: "Sick shades."
(They definitely did appreciate Ichika's bikini. ... and then they made sure that none of the creeps on public transport got to 'appreciate' it, too.)
Tsubasa has stolen some cola, and one of the things inside their bag is a big towel which they sweep out over the sand, beside Haru's beach chair. They drop their bag down beside it, though they don't need to sit down just yet. Still, it's a clear indicator that they're going to be her ally when the others jump in the ocean.
For now, though, they stand beside Ichika. (They're a couple of inches shorter than her. It's fine. The fact that their wig is all wild and metalhead-like helps make up for some of that.) They crack their cola open, lifting it to indicate Hibari. "Ain't never let us down," they assure their new friends, on the heels of Ichika assuring them that Hibari is cool.
"Yeah, man," they add, looking around Ichika to Ryuji. "You guys oughta hit th' water. Ain't my thing, don't worry 'bout it." Aside from the obvious body image foibles, all their artifice would wash off in the water, their wig would get soggy!
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
Ryuji arrives! On time despite his apologies. "Hello, Sakamoto-kun!" Haru waves. "There are far worse reasons to be late.~" She replies. "But don't worry about it! There's plenty of time." She adds, and then turns her attention back to the others as Ryuji joins in with the group.
"Thankfully, I was able to get a ride here." Haru nods to Ren. "I was talking to Yoshizawa-san before I left. She's... really quite earnest, isn't she? She was asking about you, actually." It's the first time the two of them had talked outside of Phantom Thieves business. It seems she's made a good impression!
She smiles back to Ichika as she greets her. "She is! I don't have much experience with dogs, but she's an absolute sweetie." Haru giggles. She's mostly good with animals, even ones she hasn't met before. "I've been well, myself. Quite busy, really." She laughs a little. "Maybe that's a good thing. How about you, Ichika?" She pauses for a second. "Are you going for a swim?" She asks, and then turns to Tsubasa - nodding at their shared understanding. "Hehe. I'll have enough fun watching you all, too.~" She adds, when Tsubasa encourages them to take a dip in the water. She doesn't quite share the same body image issues as Tsubasa does, but she understands where they're coming from a bit.
"There's no need to apologize. We haven't yet been acquainted, I believe." Haru reassures Hibari. "...And I tend to keep to myself more than most others." She admits, taking a small sip from her lemonade. How refreshing! "Regardless, it's nice to meet you. If you're a friend of theirs, I'm sure we'll get along."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji shrugs at Ren and grins. "Think so. Might have something in Akiba. I admittedly have been doing that and some other stuff." He then laughs a little as he continues. "But I think I got this. Just adjusting to the new Ryuji."
He pauses and then blinks. "Errr....considering whats happening with Motojima, I mean that in a totally normal way."
Ryuji blinks under his shades when he hears his name, turning to look at Hibari. He smiles and waves. "That's me! Sakamoto, Ryuji at your service...or something. Errr, Nice to meet ya anyway!"
Yes, Sunglasses, Ichika. How else is Ryuji supposed to be respectful? In fact, he is respectfully looking at her now. He very slightly jolts when asked a question. "Huh? Oh...The job search is going ok. As I was saying, I had a few other things come up so it isn't as constant as I would like but you know. Trust me, you'll like what I'm up to."
He nods when Hibari is vouched for. "I mean you haven't really gotten me involved with anyone bad yet so I get it." He laughs, putting his head on her shoulder. "I mean yeah, swimming is a great workout."
"Tsubasa!" Ryuji grins, snap pointing at the fellow delinquent as he laughs. "I get the feeling people want me to swim...I wasn't going to just look--I mean I was planning on swimming."
Ryuji smiles at Haru. "Thanks Haru-san." He lowers his shades slightly, smiling slightly. "I just was told to be here so here I am."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Yeah. I'm looking forward to taking a walk around town and seeing the sights," Ren remarks to Hibari. That'll probably be after the sun sets and it's no longer safe to swim--on top of a change of clothes, they also have a change of shoes in their bag.
Tomorrow's Sunday, and their Sunday plans aren't until dinnertime; they can all afford to stay up late today, as long as they don't miss the last trains.
"Thanks for bringing drinks, by the way," they add to Hibari. The snacks they've brought are beach-friendly: chips, crackers, Pocky, and similar things that won't be ruined if they get a little sand on them. There's even a small bag of dog biscuits for Lance. Trash will have to go back into the shoulder bag for Ren to throw away properly; they might be secret criminals, but they don't litter.
They'll also grab a water later. Hibari, Haru, and Tsubasa can enjoy the turf; Ren, Ryuji, and Ichika can enjoy the surf. For now, they let everyone introduce themselves to everyone else, though they do add to Hibari, "Ryuji and Haru are a couple friends of mine from school. I invited a few other folks, but they couldn't make it."
Speaking of school friends--Haru brings up Kasumi! "Oh yeah?" they say to her, eyebrows going up--before they smile and nod in agreement. "She really is. She's gonna go far in her gymnastics." At least, they're cheering her on in that, especially in her dream of the global stage. Curiosity prompts them to add, "What'd she ask?"
Ryuji reports he's maybe got something in Akihabara. "Cool," they say. A bit of a grimace when Kazusa comes up. "Yeah, I get you." That's the normal way to mean it, as opposed to... whatever Homunculus nonsense is going on with her.
Dog slobber gets all over Ren's hand. This is, honestly, just more of a reason to go swim--which is capped when Tsubasa encourages it. Ren gives them a nod, then turns to Ichika and Ryuji. "Yeah, let's go," they say, slipping off their sandals, shirt, and accessories to leave behind on their towel. The water's gonna be at its warmest right now, so they'd better swim while they can--though of course they'll wait for Haru's answer before they hit the waves.
It's easy to see too why they're eager to go swimming, too, once their shirt's off. One look at their lithe, toned physique reveal the slow-but-steady progress of all the early-morning exercises they've been doing in their attic room--to say nothing of any other training. Athleticism begets more athleticism, it seems.
<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.
"If you want to see the sights," Hibari says, "I can show you some when it gets a little later." She has the same idea as he does. "All of you who are interested, anyway - I don't know what your timing looks like. I know it's a bit of a trip up from Tokyo. And no problem with the drinks - I had to bring SOMETHING." She wouldn't be a good host without it, even though she's only tangentially hosting.
Critically, there are a couple places she is going to be sure *not* to show Ren and friends. Places she's heard rumours about lately. Wouldn't that be awkward to get involved with? But there's plenty of other places in Konan; it's not like it's THAT dangerous a district.
Hibari likes Lance, and it's not like she has a pet of her own she can spoil a little bit. (Though the petting isn't spoiling. That is just Lance's due as a Good Dog.)
"They are good shades," she agrees with Tsubasa. If she guesses where Ryuji's eyes are *actually* pointed, well, she's not going to give it away.
She explains to Ryuji and Haru, "I go to school with Ichika-chan and Tsubasa-san," which probably also gives away some other things; not just that she's Kasugayama but that she's probably involved in the Thorn Gang in some way or another. Which is true. "But I try to behave." She looks over Haru for a moment, then: "Well, I admit I'm a little chatty. So if I'm overwhelming, let me know." Someone who keeps to herself... well. Hibari is kind of the opposite of that.
"As for Ren-kun..." Hibari doesn't know how much Ren has told their friends about their past, and so she's perhaps a little vague. Though there's a bit of a giveaway; Ren may have been able to ditch their more country accent, but she never did. "Well, we actually knew each other when we were younger. Though he lives in Tokyo now, and I live in Sumaru." She points in the general direction of some of the apartments: "Over there. We ran into each other by accident..."
Well, Ichika actually introduced them, without knowing that they already knew each other. Close enough.
"So it's a pleasure to meet both of you. Haru-san, Sakamoto-san." Another smile. "I'm not much of a swimmer either so I'll leave you to that, but I definitely wanted to meet my friend's boyfriend." Yes, Ryuji, she knows. ~she knows~
(It's not a secret.)
As for Hibari, her body image is just fine, thanks; she's heavy but that's never really bothered her much. SHE has no problem with a swimsuit. She just doesn't particularly enjoy swimming. She's always been more into hanging on shore, sometimes with a book, though she didn't bring one today.
"And if anyone forgot sunscreen," she adds, thoughtfully, "I've got some extra."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Oh, cool," Ichika says of Kasumi. But busy... Hmmm. "Could be good," Ichika agrees. "I've been good. It's hard not to be with Tsubasa and Ryuji-kun around." Though it is a rough time of year for her, she doesn't want to bring everybody down by saying so. Instead she laughs a little. "Yeah, I figure if I'm going to the beach I might as well try to swim."
Ichika is pleased that introductions go well. Though, Ryuji mentions... "Right, some weird stuff with her. I haven't met her..."
Ichika can't see Ryuji's eyes!! That's cheating. ...Well, it would be cheating, if he weren't totally obvious, and Ichika grins at him. "Yeah?" she asks. "Cool. I'm looking forward to hearing about it, then." But true, she hasn't. "That's because all the shitty ones aren't people I bring to the beach!"
"Yeah, thanks," Ichika agrees about the drinks. And then--Kasumi will go far, huh? Ichika will have to hear more about her, she's heard and read the name a few times now. Ichika looks to Hibari and grins. "Well, I've seen some of them, but I'm down. I brought the van, so..."
They are good shades. and Hibari introduces herself properly. It's nice.
She knoooows.
"I've got some, too," Ichika says of the sunscreen. "I also have a first-aid kit, in case we run into any jellyfish. So don't worry." She likewise starts to take off her wrap and her overshirt and sandals; she sets them under an umbrella, and stands up again, leaving her in her swimsuit. "I was looking forward to this part..."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"I ain't had nothin' t' do wit' dogs 'fore we found Lance, neither," Tsubasa shrugs, when Haru shares her lack of experience with dog. "Always been a bird guy. But she didn't got no home, an' Ichika couldn't take her 'cuz a th' dorm rules, so... learned quick, y'know?" So Tsubasa just took a cram course on dogs when they found one who needed help, huh...?
Ichika says that it's hard not to be good with Tsubasa, though, and Tsubasa barks out a laugh. "C'mon." That, and their brief flash of a grin, are the only real indication how funny it is that Ichika would stay out of trouble around Tsubasa.
They do feel bad about Kazusa, for a minute, but, like: ain't nothin' they can do 'bout that at the beach. "Only met her th' once," they add, to Ichika.
Ryuji wasn't planning to just look (AT THE WATER), though, and Tsubasa cracks a grin for an instant. "Heh. Cool." Taking a chug of cola gives them enough time to hear what has to say to Haru, and so they lower it down -- gulp-haa! -- to add: "Yeah, man. You gotta meet Hibari-chan."
Who's talking about the sights! And so Tsubasa assures Hibari: "I ain't got nothin' on tomorrow mornin', I can sleep in, let's find some cool shit." The evening, of course, is booked out for the Phantom Thieves' celebration, but that is secret sushi.
A beat passes from Tsubasa, after Hibari excuses her chattiness. And then: "It's cool. Gave Hibari-chan me convo credits." The joke here, of course, is that Tsubasa is not chatty. They're like... opposite chatty. Is there a word for that?
(Being opposite chatty, they don't verbally comment on Kasumi, but they do notice the talk of her.)
Ren decides on swimming, though, and Tsubasa ambles over to flomp on their towel. "Sweet deal. We'll watch ya stuff." (Tsubasa didn't bring anything, like a big selfish jerk; they just reminded Ichika to check her sunscreen and make sure it was all stocked.)
"So," Tsubasa asides, to Haru, while everyone's swimming, "funny thing 'bout dogs, they ain't got no shoes, so you gotta make sure you ain't takin' 'em out onto hot sands or nothin'... why we ain't run around out here, height a summer." Despite their apparent laconicness, they will continue to put some effort into sharing conversation with Haru, as the others move to the water.
Most of it will be dog facts, which really covers for the fact that they're not actually great at this.
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
"Hehe. It's good to relax sometimes, and what's a better place to take a breather than the beach?" Haru answers, when Ryuji says he was told to be here. Though, it seems Hibari wanted to see Ryuji in particular...
As for Kasumi... Haru is hoping she goes far in her gymnastics career, too. When Ren asks, she's quick to answer. "She asked me about the vegetables we've been growing, so I told her we'd been practicing with cooking them. She told me she'd be interested in joining us sometime, if you don't mind." Haru would be happy to invite her, but she'll leave that up to Ren. Leblanc is more their space than hers, after all.
"Aww. Don't worry about it, Hibari-san!" Haru shakes her head, when she admits to being a little chatty. "It can be nice to have someone with more energy to bounce off of, right?" She points out, ever positive.
"That's so sweet," Haru smiles, when Ichika says she's been doing good, thanks to Tsubasa and Ryuji. "I'm glad to hear it." Ryuji and Ichika briefly allude to Kazusa and Haru shoots them a worried look. "I spoke with her not too long ago. She seems happy...?" She shakes her head. "But it... just didn't feel like her." She leaves it there, for now. She can go over her findings in more depth when they all meet as a group. Instead, she takes another quick sip of her lemonade, trying to enjoy the sun, like they came here to do.
Once most of everyone heads out into the water, Haru is able to give Tsubasa her full attention as they explain the wonders of having a dog. "Awww, poor girlie." Haru glances over to Lance, when Tsubasa explains she didn't have a home. "It was really kind of you to take her in." She smiles. "I'm sure she must be grateful in her own way."
As everyone starts swimming, Haru watches happily from the comfort of the shade. "Oh dear, I can imagine..." Haru nods, that you need to be careful the dog doesn't run onto the hot sands. "Even now that summer's over, it doesn't really feel like it's cooled off at all, does it?" That's nice at least, for a beach trip. "How's it been for you, taking care of Lance-chan?" She prompts, closing her eyes for a moment - giving Tsubasa as much time as they'd like for dog facts!
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"Not going to swim?" Ryuji blinks at Hibari before looking back to Tsubasa. "For real? I'm beginning to wonder if there is some reason I shouldn't swim...I guess I'll see you guys!" He waves as he looks back to Ichika.
"Heh. I guess not. Meaning I get to enjoy that swimsuit...errr respectfully of course." Ryuji coughs into his hand as he moves toward the water.
He tosses off the loose t-shirt, revealing his lean athletic frame. He isn't where he was during his prime but he isn't far from that either. He slides his feet out of his sandals, stepping into the water. "oooo...That's nice!"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It's for the best that Hibari plays it safe when it comes to sharing about her shared past with Ren. Ren hasn't hidden their past from their friends--indeed, they know about Ren's arrest and what led up to it--but they don't bring up personal things unprompted. Point in fact: their only contribution is a simple, "Yeah." They do track Hibari's gesture towards her apartment complex out of curiosity, though.
Ichika's down for swimming--and even brought a first aid kit in case of jellyfish! That didn't even occur to Ren. "Smart," they praise her. She is looking good in that bikini, especially once she takes the wrap off, but Ren doesn't ogle. It'd be disrespectful to her and to Ryuji. Ryuji hiding his ogling with his shades, well... as long as it doesn't bother Ichika? And it sure looks like she doesn't.
Tsubasa volunteers to watch their stuff. "Thanks," they reply with a slight but grateful smile.
"Not at all," Ren reassures Haru of Kasumi joining them sometime. They nod to Hibari and add, "Actually, Hibari-san's been teaching me to cook non-curry things too, so maybe all four of us could cook together sometime. If you're interested, of course," they add, as much to Haru as to Hibari. Ren and Hibari can always be about learning, while Ren, Haru and Kasumi can be about practicing.
They're already sunscreened up, so they're ready to hit the water once Ichika and Ryuji are ready. They snort a bit at Ryuji's remark on Ichika's swimsuit, but it's in humor. The water is nice--warm after a season of summer sun heating it up--and they're quick to walk and then dive in the rest of the way.
Being a bit quicker on jumping into the waves means Ryuji and Ichika can take their time together, too. They already got to admire Minako and her swimsuit at the pool, and Ren knows what's up.
Plus, they've got to admit: there's something about the way the waves crash on their body that they really enjoy. Maybe Ren is into things that could kill them if they make just one misstep...
<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.
"Oh, well, I know you and Tsubasa have seen some of them," Hibari says, "but I bet I can find a few you haven't. If nothing else, there's some nice places further down the beach... you might enjoy a walk. Especially if you like to collect shells; there's a place where they tend to wash up, you can sometimes find some interesting ones there."
Hibari doesn't actually know that much about shells. All she can really say about them is 'wow, that looks neat'. But hey, maybe someone else does.
Ichika does look good in the bikini, but she's really not Hibari's type, so it's only a thoughtful look, the same way any girl might. Ryuji *is* more her type, especially when he ditches the shirt, but, well. She's not going to get between him and Ichika AND Tsubasa. That would be awkward at best! Plus, she's making a judgement call.
It comes up in his favour. She can see at least a little of what Ichika and Tsubasa see in him (and not just the physical), even if she doesn't know him well yet. They don't need her looking out after them, anyway. "No reason you shouldn't," she says to him. "It's safe around here." During the day, anyway - best not to swim in the dark, but it's not that late yet.
Secret sushi remains secret from Hibari.
Ren's history also remains unspoken. Hibari has given away all she intends to on that front; it explains why she's familiar enough with them to use Ren and not Amamiya without going into much detail beyond that. And while she likes to gossip, she's not malicious about it, and doesn't intend to hurt Ren or make them uncomfortable around their friends (or vice versa). So, that's all. On that topic, anyway.
Hibari does grin a little bit in response to Haru. "Oh, of course," she says. "I've always had the energy. Just ask anyone." That's a bit of a joke, because - well, almost everyone at Kasugayama knows her, as the rumourmonger. Someone to talk to. It probably falls a little flat with the Tokyo students, though.
Hibari does not recognize Kasumi's name. If she ever visits Shujin maybe she'll meet them, but so far, Hibari has stayed very far away from the actual school; she's only ever spoken to Ren other places.
She has her reasons. And they're not the kind of reasons she wants to dwell on during a perfectly nice (after)-summer day!
But with Ren bringing it up... "I'd be interested," Hibari says. "I didn't know you were growing vegetables either..." She glances over to Haru. Hmm. "Your contribution?" She didn't peg Haru has a gardener, but that's okay; she didn't really identify Ren as one either.
Hibari settles down near Tsubasa and Haru. Tsubasa is leading with dog facts, which admittedly Hibari *also* doesn't know a whole lot about, either. "I never guessed you were a bird guy, but maybe I should have," Hibari says, and then realizes she probably shouldn't have said that because she *can't* bring up Phoenix. "Well, maybe not; you're so good with Lance!"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Hibari-chan's a great cook," she agrees with Ren, and nods at Hibari. "I'd like that." And, "Growing vegetables," Ichika says thoughtfully. "That's pretty nice."
But it is sweet, isn't it? Ichika is obviously happy about it. Still, Tsubasa explains Lance, and various dog facts, and they head for the water!
"She just doesn't want to," Ichika says of Hibari, but when he mentions the swimsuit, Ichika grins at him. "So that's why the shades," she reflects. It doesn't bother Ichika at all, mostly because she's actively invited him to ogle. Ren's instincts are good!! Anyone looking at Ichika could probably fail to notice her various imperfections in the face of her great figure--but those who know her history might be able to put together some of the details.
Either way, Ichika does a twirl for Ryuji on one foot, and then keeps walking for the water. She does take her time, though, and her eyes track over down from Ryuji's face, too.
It's a pretty good day so far.
"Oh, water's great so far!" She's only about knee-deep, but she's almost there for swimming!
Ichika also likes birds.......
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Reckon Kitagawa-kun'd be inta paintin' shells," Tsubasa muses, when Hibari talks about finding cool ones. "We oughta bring some back for him..." Tsubasa presumes, of course, that Yusuke got distracted by his ART and that's why he didn't see the message prompting them to come. Tsubasa might even be right.
"Nah, man," Tsubasa shakes their head, when Ryuji feels doom over his head. "Jus' ain't my scene." Maybe they can't swim, somehow...? It's pretty hard to avoid learning, in a water-locked country like Japan, but there's always kids who fall through the cracks.
(It's kind of true, but not because they never learned: they're just real bad at it now their lungs are this wrecked.)
Tsubasa... does not volunteer for learning to cook, though. Not in a group setting, at least; they've told Hibari they're trying to figure it out privately, but they're just not the kinda guy who deals well with being bad at something where everyone can see.
They got a rep to uphold, y'know? They got an image.
They wisely elect not to bring up their flower beef around Haru, though they certainly think about it with the gardening talk. Maybe they'll get into it, one day...
Conveniently, though, they've got a pretty good view of the waves from their towel. If they're watching Ichika's antics more than anyone else's, well...
... they'd probably still notice if Ren fell beneath the waves and didn't come back up, right?
But Lance definitely seems grateful in her way. Or, at least, very happy, which might be even sweeter to see hearing how she's a rescue pup. "Reckon so," Tsubasa nods. "Wouldn't be too bothered if she weren't, but she's like, nicest critter ya met."
They settle into dog facts, though, as the shore-dwellers watch the surf. "Been cool," is their first response to how it's been taking care of Lance. "Hibari-chan here's been helpin' me out -- Ichika, too, an' th' rest a her crew." Is that a more neutral way to describe them than a gang? Hopefully. "'Cuz a Hibari-chan Lance gets a lotta her real meat meals, actually..."
They grin, though, when Hibari realises they have bird affinity. "Yeah, man!" Oh my GOD, Tsubasa knows how to use exclamation marks. Being fair, they've used them slightly more than usual ever since coming back from staying in Iwatodai with Ichika, but a small increase over nothin' is still NOT A LOT. "Fuckin' love birds. Had one growin' up. Cockatiel, name a Matcha. Lotta shit ain't transferrable 'tween dogs an' birds, tho'. Like, birds got real delicate health, can't be usin' teflon or some other kinds a saucepans..."
Oh, no. Now their dog facts are being supplemented by bird facts.
There's one thing that becomes clear here, amidst all the cool facts: Tsubasa loves their pets so much. They might act tough, but every time Lance trots up for attention they interrupt themself to squoosh her face and scratch her chest and ask her who the good girl is.
(It's Lance. It's always Lance.)
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji laughs nervously. "What? I didn't want to be too obvious." He scratches the side of his face, grinning to himself. He looks her over, taking in some of the imperfections and just sort of admiring them. They were like battle scars and that made his girlfriend kinda cool.....most he had was a scratch on his arm from a cat who smacked him at age 6.
His eyes follow Ichika's form as she spins and takes her time. He leans down his shades and lets his jaw sort of hang open.
Tsubasa snaps Ryuji out of it, looking over to the fellow delinquent with a smile. "Man, you really should. Really low resistance training. You can build a lot of good muscle." He nods sagely, completely forgetting about the things that would keep Tsubasa from wanting to.
After a moment, he turns to everyone gathered and claps his hands together. "OOO! We should get a pic! Something to capture the moment!"
With that people are corralled into some form of picture at some point.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
A photo definitely happens--and so too does a beautiful sunset, later, to round out the beach experience, before the group heads into town to take in... well, at least the mall. Nobody's going to the abandoned factory, especially late at night. But it's a good and fun experience all around, all the same.
Ren and Haru will have to explain about their involvement with gardening to Hibari later, though.