2026-03-29: The Embers of Our Unease
- Log: The Embers of Our Unease
- Cast: Tsubasa Seki, Ichika Kawase
- Where: Hirasaka - Third-Floor Apartment
- OOC Date: 2026-03-29
- IC Date: Tuesday, October 16 2012 (backdated)
- Summary: Tsubasa and Ichika retreat back to Tsubasa's apartment, after what happened. They discuss the Black Mask's threats to Ichika's mother, the Ryouhara's presence, and Ichika's unsettling nostalgia... though Tsubasa's reassurance on the latter paints a grim picture of their own psyche.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Hey, dude," Tsubasa grunts, as they open the door to a happy bork... that soon turns to a concerned whine, as they rub at Lance's chest while they're kicking off their kicks.
"Dude, you both look like shit," Shuyo blurts out, when he comes over to investigate that whine. (Lance never lies.) "What happened?"
"We were at the fuckin' museum, man," Tsubasa fills him in -- and by now, the fire is all over the news.
"Fuck," Shuyo replies, eloquently.
There's a little debriefing, there -- their fellow gang mate is obviously worried about them -- but eventually, Tsubasa and Ichika end up in the former's room, with Tsubasa shedding their dayclothes (and more importantly, their binder) in favour of their nightclothes. It's hard to call them 'pyjamas' when it's just, like, an oversized t-shirt and trunks, but listen, it's... avant-garde. Yeah!
They want nothing more than to grab a pillow and lock up around it, especially as they take off that ticking locket and place it on their bedside table. (They're fucking dead.) But there's something more important to them than that -- and they're pretty sure she's worried about a threat to a loved one more than to herself. (She's fucking dead, too.) So they sit themself down on the side of the bed, and reach an arm out, to Ichika. "... hey."
Tsubasa keeps their voice gentle, despite the tension wound through them; they're inviting her in, after all. "How ya goin'...?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Lance!! Ichika also crouches down to scritch Lance before she steps out of her shoes. But Shuyo investigates and--
"Yeah," Ichika agrees to them looking like shit. But Tsubasa fills him in, and Ichika lets them do a lot of the talking this time--until she has to chime in to mention a few things herself.
But she's able to assure Shuyo that she'll take care of Tsubasa, and when he wonders who'll take care of her, she says he's already helping. But...
Ichika, too, strips out of her smoke-filled dayclothes in favor of a long t-shirt that she wers like a minidress. She looks to the ticking locket--and then to Tsubasa. "...Hi," Ichika greets back, and steps closer to sit down with Tsubasa.
"Tired," Ichika settles on. "But I'm... Not great. That threat... I know he meant it. Even if he won't, the fact that he could, is..." She shakes her head. "Ririka's not gonna take that well, either..."
What about her, though?
"I don't want to lose more family," she says quietly. "Other than that, it was just... rough."
"Not just the fire, or all the danger, but..."
"Seeing that."
"...Makes me glad I didn't try to kill that Shadow, you know?"
"Makes me..."
She sighs, and leans into Tsubasa. "How about you?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Guess not," Tsubasa rumbles, when Ichika thinks of Ririka's response. "... but right now, I'm worried 'bout you."
Who's going to take care of Ichika? Well, Tsubasa's certainly going to try.
They rub at her arm, pulling her in closer. "It was a lot," they say. "Woulda been worse... hearin' him say that with th' evidence right there. Like he was sayin' he had th' followthrough, that whole time... fuck, though, ya li'l sis' were right. Fucker is a bastard," Tsubasa spits, and spins out the implications of the invective as they do so, that hatred that most Japanese people have for those without two parents. "Ain't no father would claim that piece a shit. Fuckin' trash."
'Bastard'. It's not the first conservative talking point Tsubasa's echoed; their own father's influence has sunk far deeper than the levels they've been able to rip out.
Let's just say... they have a lot more work to do.
They take a breath, though, and try to step down that anger. "... me, uh... I thought it'd be easier, y'know? Th' second time? Seein' a guy bleed out. But I jus'... I couldn't even be payin' attention to him, man. Had to keep my eyes on that Black Mask prick. He was sayin' somethin', like... how it weren't gon' stop with him, or somethin'... like that freaky-ass copy said somethin', I guess. I oughta be more worried 'bout that."
So why aren't they?
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Mm."
A lot. "Yeah," she says. "He was. He did. It wasn't like... a bluff, or any shit like that." But she was right? Ah. At first Ichika nods along--but then Tsubasa continues, and Ichika finds herself just slightly uncomfortable with that explanation of why he's bad. She can't put her finger on it immediately, but...
But the anger...
"...Yeah," Ichika says. "I didn't understand all that," she admits, "So I was more focused on what I could see. It just... went over my head, I guess."
Another way of saying she isn't smart enough for all this.
"..But hey," she says. "You say you ought to be. So what are you worried about instead?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa doesn't really realise they've put their foot in their mouth with their hatred; that's the trick with something being an unexamined prejudice.
"Yeah," they agree. "Me too. Like... that fuckin' Sudou's Persona threw this horrible dark claw at me, an'... it was th' worst fuckin' feelin', man. Like -- like it weren't -- it wasn't right. That thing said 'the Joker won't die'... Suou-san said he called Sudou's Persona th' 'Joker Persona', so I'm wonderin', man. But, like... can someone's Persona even keep goin' after they die...?"
... it sure did rise up out of Sudou's corpse, though.
Tsubasa goes quiet, though, as they look over to the mirror of their closet, presently slid shut. (There's nothing lurking behind them. ... they moved their Western-style bed so it wasn't next to the window for just those concerns.)
"... that fuckin' Ryouhara was with us th' whole time," they settle on, finally. "Y'know. The lackey. Didn't even realise he was there... fuckin' stupid. Means he saw me get a clear shot at th' Black Mask an' not do shit... wouldn't be surprised if I ate shit soon as ya leave, deal or no deal. Ain't nothin' as clear a statement I ain't holdin' up my end than lettin' him go... an' that'd mean you're next, too."
They click their tongue to their teeth. "Guess that's th' whole thing that prick Black Mask was sayin'... NWO ain't jus' gon' get you, they'll get everyone ya give a shit about, too. Perfect fuckin' MO... even when they're wantin' to rip out th' competition's throats."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Joker won't die..." She looks down. Ichika isn't sure about that one. "I don't know," she admits. "What is a 'Persona', really? ...Not the kind of thing I can figure out. So why not live on?"
It's fucked up, though.
But...
The Ryouhara. "Ah..." Kurou. That guy. "..." Ichika has to admit; she feels the fear there. She remembers how they couldn't beat him before. How Shiryuu himself was able to take Tsubasa. But...
"...Scary," she says. "But it wouldn't make sense. Like, if he'd gone after that guy himself maybe you'd have been expected to help but..."
"Mm. I guess we can't expect them to make sense, huh?"
"I dunno. I guess we'll find out. But even if he comes, I'll fight. I'm not giving up."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"I got a bad feelin'," Tsubasa admits.
Though, being fair, Tsubasa would have a bad feeling regardless of the facts.
They frown, though, as Ichika points out that it wouldn't make sense. "But -- but he's makin' me do it so they don't know the call's comin' from inside th' house," they protest, trying to poke holes in their salvation. "So he wouldna started shit. He woulda wanted th' Black Mask thinkin' he was on his side... right? Like, that's gotta be th' reason he was lurkin' 'round back there without gettin' involved in th' fight, right? 'Cuz th' NWO had their fuckin' ninjas standin' by to help?"
(Let's all be infinitely grateful that Phoenix was not able to see what was going on around the beach when the zeppelin passed over.)
Ichika says she won't give up, though, and Tsubasa -- at least tries to smile, orienting their attention on her again. "... yeah. You're tough. I..." am terrified, "I ain't gon' make it easy neither."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Tsubasa's got a lot of bad feelings. But Ichika loves them anyway.
"Is that why?" Ichika wonders. "I assumed he just wanted more muscle that he didn't have to have oversight on, or something. But it's not like I know what those crazy fucks are thinking." But the reason... "Mm."
Ichika likes to hope that even the evil ninjas wouldn't tolerate kids burning up, but...
What Tsubasa says is plausible, too.
Ichika puts an arm around Tsubasa. "Cool. If that's all we can do..."
"Then we'll do that much. But I think..."
"...Well. I dunno. But fuck all of them. For sure."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Nah," Tsubasa shakes their head. "It's, like... those fucks workin' for th' NWO, most of 'em are gettin' forced into it, one way or another. Like... that Black Mask freak seems like he loves his job, but most a 'em? They ain't happy with it. So I reckon... either that fuckin' Shiryuu's lookin' for revenge, or tryin' to thin out th' competition 'cuz he hates his coworkers anyhow."
A light pause, and: "... Akabane-san told me his name," they explain, at length. "She, uh... she's gettin' cooked by him, man. She's in deep... she don't even realise she's in trouble, talkin' 'bout how her boyfriend kept threatenin' to kill her then gettin' mad at her for ruinin' it. Oughta keep an eye on her... but I can't get too close. Dunno what's gon' get back to him through her, while she reckons she can handle it..."
It's something that gives them a grim expression; it might not be impossible for Ichika to tell that they're thinking of Hajime.
They lean against Ichika, a touch heavily. "... but fuck, man... we was gettin' cooked, too. Like. Literally, tho'. Hope them kids'll be alright..."
Oh, yeah.
The fire.
The fire was also bad.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"I see..." Ichika nods. So that's what he wants. "That sucks. ...Guess it tracks, though. I remember... The Shadow said if Daddy'd been 'better-connected', and all. Maybe they were trying to push him in..." She doesn't know, but it sounds plausible. Still--
"Ah," Ichika answers. "That... That sucks."
She's tense, thinking about that. "That's really messed-up."
Grim. No, it's not impossible for Ichika. But when they lean against her--
"Most of the kids didn't see all the violence that close--and thanks to everybody, they didn't get burned. It's still gonna be rough on them, but..."
it could be a lot worse.
"You were brave, right? ...Even dealing with all that fire, you kept going. I'm sorry you had to."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"They get their claws in, yeah." Tsubasa scowls. "Got 'em in me father after th' Black Mask made me light that fire, too..."
The difference, of course, is that Ichika's father has the moral uprightness to tell Satan to get bent.
"Yeah," they agree, softly. "Real fucked up. Those fuckin' Ryouharas..." There's no shades of grey to it, as far as Tsubasa's concerned: they're bad.
... for someone so selfish, they spend an awful lot of brain power worrying about other people, huh? Those kids, too.
"Nah," Tsubasa shakes their head, their voice still quiet. "It's still gonna scar 'em... even if they ain't ugly outside. You can't... go through that shit an' not get fucked up. Man, I even met one a them kids once... cute kid. Way too used to dealin' with her grandma's shit, so I guess it ain't like she ain't already fucked up, but... wouldna been like this."
They've got that far-away look in their eyes, again, as they look into the mirror. "... he got all fucked up, jus' like me," Tsubasa says, and they're talking about Sudou again, now. "Took work to save my eye... was thinkin' whether it looked like that, back then. I... I was goin' at him, an'... one a me swings, went right down over that side, over his eye. Couldn't... change trajectory that easy. I..."
They're disturbed, but they don't entirely have words for it.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Tsubasa's father... Ichika scowls, too.
"Yeah." Ichika can find sympathy in a lot of things--but she has no reason to hold it for them. Not at all. Just Tsubasa, here in the moment, and Tsubasa is still quiet.
"Mm." Ichika doesn't like the idea, but, "They'll get through," she says. "At least, I need to hope they can. Scars aren't the end." She is sure of that much. "It'll be hard, but..."
She looks to Tsubasa, then, and gives them a squeeze. "Hey..."
"You're not the same," she says. "Not the same person, not the same actions... and not the same fate, either."
"I dunno how you looked, back then. But you're not him."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"You reckon?" Tsubasa asks, looking down at their right hand, when Ichika insists that scars aren't the end.
It's hard for them to believe, right now.
Ichika will find them stiff as a board, at her squeeze -- though they try to relax, given the reminder. "... yeah. I... I weren't tryin' ta..." They heave a sigh, and lean their head against her shoulder. "... I jus' keep feelin' it," they say, quietly. "Smellin' it... I was sure the smoke was gon' get to me. Or them kids... or you."
"Woulda been real fucked if you weren't there... least I can string two words together in a fire with me mask on." Phoenix, at least, is supposed to be consumed by flame. That's the whole mythos. "Jus' fell apart..."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"I do. You're here, aren't you? Scarred, but here. With me."
"Oh..." Tsubasa keeps remembering. "I'm sorry," she says. "That's... got to be really hard."
"I was really scared," she admits. "But I could keep it together, because I had you and the kids to think about. ...And because Mark's pretty good in a crisis."
"But it's OK, to have... trouble. That's a big deal, even more for you..."
"You got it together enough to make a difference. That's more than anybody could ask. Yeah, I helped, but..."
"Of course I did, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"..." Tsubasa turns it over in their head, for a moment. "... yeah," they accept her logic, then. "An' you're here... too."
Not all scars are outside scars, after all.
They nod, mutely, against Ichika's shoulder, when she realises how hard it must be. Hearing how scared she was, they reach over, with their free hand, to grasp hers. (One of them is still occupied around her back, of course.) "He is," they agree, quietly, when she brings up Mark. "Jus' like you."
It is a big deal, though.
"Ain't no one oughta take that for granted," Tsubasa insists, squeezing her hand. "I ain't. So... thanks, babe. But... it was hard for you too, right? Seein' those kids in trouble, or... or somethin' like that."
They could at least tell that something was up with Ichika, as they escaped up to the roof of the museum. Their best guess isn't even bad.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Not all scars are outside scars. That's true. "...Yeah," Ichika agrees. "I am."
She accepts Tsubasa's hand, curls her fingers under theirs. "Thanks," she says. "I try to be."
Still, "Then OK. Don't take it for granted. But I'd always be there." That's what it means to her. That place, though... Ah.
She remembers...
"I... It's weird. You're going to think it's weird," she says.
"But back there, before we got to the roof..."
"I just--I just got this feeling that I'd forgotten something really important. It felt like my heart was breaking. I don't... I don't know why."
"Maybe I'm just... I mean, you know. It's around that time." She sighs. Ichika is dismissing her own feelings, but... what else can she do?
They don't make any sense.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Ichika tries to be reliable, and -- "I know," Tsubasa affirms, first nodding and then verbally underlining her point after she goes on to say she'll always be there. "You even came for me when I got got... I can really count on you."
When Ichika remembers, though, and demurs on her weirdness, Tsubasa says, quietly: "Try me."
They lift their head to listen, looking to Ichika, as she talks about her nostalgia, her reminders. They shift their weight on the bed, a little, as they lift their hand from her shoulder to stroke at the side of her head, instead.
"No, man. I believe it. Sometimes shit jus'... got meanin', even if other people don't see it. Like you gettin' a warnin' from a weird angle... I didn't hear shit, but I know you did. You wouldn't get all hung up over nothin', Ichika." Tsubasa's belief in her experiences might be a little worrying, under the microscope, but... they're definitely not just humouring her.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Cool." Ichika wants Tsubasa to count on her. It's important!
...But maybe she should've known better than to think it'd be too weird for Tsubasa. It feels weird to her, even so. And when Tsubasa strokes at her hair, she leans slightly into their hand. "I..."
They believe her.
"Mm," she answers. "Yeah. ...I wouldn't just... feel that way for no reason," she agrees, if a little hesitantly. "Hormones don't make you remember things that never happened."
Not that she remembers, precisely.
"Anyway," she says, "Thanks. ...We just gotta keep going now, right? ...Keep at it."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
It is important.
And it's important to Tsubasa that Ichika doesn't feel like she's just -- weird. Whether Tsubasa's weird, themself, well... they wouldn't say that.
"It's okay if you don't know what it means just yet," Tsubasa suggests, gently. "That's how it is with me, sometimes... I know somethin' matters, but I can't figure it out. Takes a while to realise jus' why it's stickin' out... why I'm thinkin' what I'm thinkin'. Used to be it'd keep me up, figurin' out why I was seein' ads with black birds or everyone on th' news was sayin' things was shockin'... but stressin' out over that don't make much sense when I ain't on me own or nothin'."
Well, in trying to reassure Ichika about her strange and confusing thoughts, Tsubasa's inadvertently revealed that they've been using Ichika's support to better cope with theirs. That's nice!
"Yeah," they affirm, fingers still playing through her hair. "One foot in front a th' other. An' if I get clobbered soon as it's easy, guess I jus' gotta rip that fucker's nose off his face."
Can they do that?
They... probably can't do that.
Can they???
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"...Mm." She listens, and thinks about what Tsubasa is saying. Some of it makes her worry a little--after all, she never noticed black birds or shocking things... But, "...Yeah. That makes sense." She smiles softly. "Thanks."
She's glad she can help.
Still, "...Mm, yeah."
"Then we'll stomp that noseless asshole," she says instead.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa notices this stuff more and more, lately. They're really switching on, is the way they'd put it. They smooch the side of Ichika's head, as they hold the other, in a wordless response to her thanks... and worrying or not, they do really care about her.
"Right inta th' curb," Tsubasa agrees, leaning the side of their head against Ichika's. "Serve 'im right."
It's kind of a revenge fantasy, but it's better than feeling helpless.