2026-04-22: Climbing the Skytree
- Log: Climbing the Skytree
- Cast: Kasumi Yoshizawa, Wakana Oosaka (Played by Kazusa Motojima)
- Where: Shibuya Station - Buchiko Exit
- OOC Date: April 22, 2026
- IC Date: Monday, October 29, 2012
- Summary: Kazusa, concerned for her senpai Wakana, takes her to one of her favorite spots to check in on how she's doing... but it turns out both girls are dealing with some heavy thoughts.
(|====================== Shibuya Station - Buchiko Exit ======================|)
-====================================================== Tokyo/Shibuya Ward ====-
Day in, day out, throngs of people choose to pack themselves inside shining
metal behemoths called "trains" that then hurtle them towards a set destination.
They then get out at these "station" nodes, acting as if it were entirely
normal! This particular one is a confusing, winding labyrinth that seeks to
distract them from escape with underground malls, juice stands, and offers of
gainful employment. Eventually, one solves the maze and ascends to see the
sunlight once more.
The square above is just as full of humanity, from down-on-their-luck teen
buskers looking for their big break, politicians in front of restored train cars
making speeches that speak to the history of this place, and even smoky booths
cordoned off by glass to make certain no one should suffer from their vice. A
statue of the loyal pup Buchiko stands here enshrined like a local god,
surrounded constantly by tourists. Go further, and you'll see the busy checkered
crosswalks and looming screens above that demand the attention from all who
pass, showing them what the powers that be demand they focus upon.
Welcome to Shibuya.
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
YESTERDAY
Gymnastics Club is going at pace for most students. However, since Kazusa Motojima and Wakana Oosaka are not speaking right now, the aura has been tense. They have been working on a joint routine up to this point. These two facts cause an issue. They cannot practice without another partner.
So, Kasumi Yoshizawa has been helping both of them, swapping each day. It's been a little exhausting... At the end of one such session, Kasumi decides to do something about it.
"Oosaka-senpai?" She asks, as they begin to pack up the gymnastics room. "Would you want to go out somewhere with me tomorrow, after school?" A beat, for Wakana to respond. "How do you feel on heights?"
TODAY
After School
Tokyo Skytree
Sumida City
Opened earlier this year, the Tokyo Skytree is the tallest building in not only Japan, but the world. Since it's completion, it's become the main radio and television tower for the Kanto region.
Just outside, a blonde girl in a Shujin winter uniform, clutching a bouquet of flowers to her chest waits. She had overheard her idol, Yoshizawa-san make plans to meet up out here. Finally, she catches a glimpse of a red ponytail in the crowd. Ah! It's her chance...! The flower girl attempts to push through and wave Yoshizawa down, but it's no use. By the time she's poking her head inside the lobby, the fellow first-year is gone.
Stepping off the elevator on the other hand, is Kasumi and Wakana. "Um... I hope this is okay, Oosaka-senpai." She says as they near the observation windows. She looks back to gauge Wakana's expression. "I've found myself coming up here fairly often since it opened, just to clear my head and all. I was hoping it'd help... And maybe we could talk over what happened with Motojima-senpai...?"
[OOC] Kasumi Yoshizawa says, "Bluray "Kazusa is trying to give Wakana some space. Kasumi has been trying her part in helping out. Expand on this later"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
To say things have been awkward between Kazusa and Wakana is... an understatement. Kazusa has still been a bit prickly towards others, but has been trying to be considerably less so towards Wakana. Wanana, for her part, has been cordial enough towards Kazusa for the matters regarding their practice... but only to those. She hasn't been following Kazusa around, taking any of her ire or criticism, and the two have barely spoken in class.
But after that practice, Wakana looks up as Kasumi approaches. "Yes, Yoshizawa-san?"She looks surprised at the offer. "Oh, did... you have something in mind...?" She considers. "I guess they're okay?"
TODAY
She does not see the flower girl, but that's probably okay.
She's still in her winter uniform, and she gasps sotly as she sees the view upon stepping off of the elevator. "Yoshizawa-san, this is..." She seems at a loss for words as she takes in the view, her eyes tracing out distant buildings or details she recognizes.
She glances to her kouhai. "So you come here often...?" She seems to consider that for a moment. Kasumi's been struggling... is this part of how she's coped with those struggles? "It's a lovely view..."
But then Kazusa is mentioned, and Wakana sighs a little. Some of the wonder and energy seems to drain from her, but she gives a small nod. "I'm glad she's back to herself, but..." She looks out the window once more. "... I'm not ready for things to go back to how they used to be."
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
They can clearly see Tokyo Tower, not even that far off. The Skytree towers above everything else, blocks and blocks of the Tokyo skyline lie beneath them. She nods brightly, as she places a hand on the railing to lean up against. "My dad works over in Akasaka Mitsuke, he's a director for Good Morning Japan." She points towards Minato City. "We've been getting tickets since the completion in May." A beat, before smiling sheepishly. "Honestly, it was only recently I started to like heights. When I was little, I used to get terrified on the ferris wheel..."
Today, Kasumi isn't as interested in the heights. She examines Wakana, and nods with sympathy. "Oh? ...I think that's normal, sometimes. Are you missing when Motojima-senpai was nicer?" She asks, gently. Trying to give off a tone like she won't judge, one way or the other.
"Do you want to talk about it, Oosaka-senpai? I might not be as good as Maruki-san or Ama..." She bites her tongue. Kasumi doesn't know how anyone else feels about the Amamiya-senpai she admires. "Bleh! One of my Senpai's, I mean... But I'm happy to listen, at least."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Wakana seems a bit distracted now that the topic of Kazusa has come up. She looks where Kasumi points, nodding a little bit. "Oh, that's really impressive, Yoshizawa-san." She considers. "... I guess heights are okay for me, but... I definitely feel better being inside right now, than out..."
She goes incredibly still, when Kasumi asks her if she misses the 'nicer' Kazusa.
Her voice is barely above a whisper, and she suddenly looks pale. "... she wasnt nicer. She... she knew about the games, she asked me but I think she knew, she..." She grips the rail tightly, knuckles turning white, and a half-choked sob dies in her throat.
She shakes her head, "I don't know. I..." Her breathing is coming in a little fast. Whatever happened seems to ahve left an impact on her.
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
"Hehe." Kasumi nods in agreement. "Inside is much safer, yes."
"Woah!" Wakana suddenly looks pale and grips the rail hard, and Kasumi feels like she stepped on a landmine. She definitely doesn't want Wakana to panic, and she goes to put a hand on her shoulder, but something stops her.
One second... Two seconds... Trust yourself, Kasumi!! She gently puts a hand on Wakana's shoulder, and a hand on her hands. "Hey, it's okay, Senpai. take a deep breath." She lowers her voice. "That homunculus can't hurt you anymore."
Oh gosh, oh gosh. Would it help to explain? Oh, she doesn't know! "That wasn't Motojima-senpai. It's gone now. You're okay, you're safe." She pauses for a moment, and rubs Wakana's shoulder gently. "You did the right thing. The others and I were able to help her because of you."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Wakana is shaking a little, but she calms down when Kasumi puts that hand on her shoulder, and she takes a deep breath. "I know, I know-- But that look she gave me-- the way she acted--" Her grip tightens for a moment before she forces her breathing to slow. But she's still shaking a little.
It takes her a while to compose herself. "I know it's gone," she says quietly. "Kazusa-chan apologized to me. A real one this time. She took responsibility, but... after... that other her..." She brings a hand to her chest and tries to take a deep breath. "She's apologized a lot in the past, but... even though I believe she wants to change... I'm... I'm not ready to go back to being her friend."
She looks down at the ground--well, at her feet, the ground is awfully far away. "... and I still feel... like I should be helping her, or doing more for her..."
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
Maybe heights wasn't such a great idea? It was helping Kasumi make hers feel so little in comparison...
"That...wasn't really Motojima-senpai." Kasumi says gently. It's easy to say at least. But she really does get it. She still thinks about that cognitive version of Motojima-senpai sometime. "I understand. I'm so sorry..."
Kasumi bites her lower lip a little. She really stepped into it. And here she was, thinking she was going to talk a bit about her sister... "Ummm. Sometimes... We just need to take care of ourselves, for a bit. I don't think that's a bad thing." She tries to offer an uneasy smile. "I'd be happy to help, while you can't?"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
"I know it wasn't her, not really, but..." Wakana closes her eyes for a moment. "... the real Kazusa-chan does that, too... she'd do something mean, or snap, and then apologize, but she'd do it again..."
So she wasn't Kazusa, but... there were still some uncomfortable similarities. Even if Kazusa never got quite so... intensely malicious about it.
Wakana shifts to carefully sit on the ground, bakc against the railing. She stares at the ceiling for a moment. "Maybe so... I... I feel so stupid, I kept believing in her all this time, because I keep thinking of the girl I knew in elementary school..."
She shakes her head a little. "That's kind of you to offer, Yoshizawa-san, but... I think... she needs to learn how to stand on her own two feet. And I don't want you getting stuck cleaning up after her, the way I did."
She looks to Kasumi, then. "And as your senpai, I should be looking out for you a little more, right? So... is there anything you'd like to talk about?" Part of her genuinely wants to help... and part of her wants to stop talking about Kazusa for a bit.
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
So... Even Wakana experienced Kazusa's temper, huh? It's sobering to hear that. "I'm so sorry, Oosaka-senpai..." Kasumi's quickly learning that the situation wasn't nearly as simple as she thought from an outsiders perceptive. It really was naive of her to think that she could solve it in a conversation.
Kasumi goes quiet for a while, in thought. She follows Wakana down, taking a seat next to her. She can't help but think constantly about her own sister. The rift that tore them apart. But how can she share that now? That story's moral is Don't waste time... And she doesn't quite think that it applies here.
Kasumi grapples with this for a while, and... "I don't...really know. If I can stand by." She says. She lets out a little awkward laugh, that transitions into a sigh. She tucks an arm underneath her legs. "I see the two of you struggling with this, and I..." Kasumi's the one to grasp her chest this time, wincing. "I'm sorry. I don't think I can share it right now. It's just personal to me. I'd feel awful things ended badly if I didn't help even a little bit."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
It's not that much of a secret--Kazusa's never really spared Wakana from her criticisms... at least, that was the cae before... Kazusa's still prickly but she's actually trying to be better at giving feedback.
(It's still slow progress, though.)
Wakana waits patiently, for what Kasumi does, or doesn't have to share about her own struggles at the moment. And it turns out, not, which is fine. "It's nice of you to want to help, but..." Wakana hugs her knees to her chest, resting her chin on top. "... I don't know. I guess I'd say help if it's what you want to do, but not because you feel like you owe her something."
But 'owing' might be more of a Wakana motivation.
"I want us to be friends again, but... even though she apologized, I... I need to see if it's real." She lets out a long sigh. "... or if she's going to slip up again."
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
It's still a surprise for Kasumi. Though, she may have focused more on herself, and how Kazusa has effected her.
"I don't really...think it's owing?" Kasumi struggles to think of anything she could ever owe Motojima-senpai. "...I think it might... Save me, too... A do-over for me." That's it. It's a do-over. It's so selfish.
..."Last year, my sister and I were arguing constantly. And I...really wish. I could've helped her somehow." Kasumi shuts her eyes. "It was my duty as the older sister. And I...feel that responsibility here, too."
"I understand, Oosaka-senpai." Kasumi replies quietly. "I really hope this time, things stick. For her, and your sake."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
"It's probably not like that for you, since you haven't known her that long, I just... I don't want you to feel stuck helping her, that's all," Wakana says gently. "If you want to do it to help yourself... I think that might be okay. Just make sure it's worth it for you, is all I'm saying."
But she listens, as Kasumi partially describes... She feels some tension, at the mention of a sister. "I see... I don't know what happened, but... I'm sorry it turn out how you wanted. I hope you get your do-over, then..."
Wakana sighs. "I hope so too. But... thank you for taking the time to talk to me. I really apprecaite it."
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
"Like you were?" Kasumi asks, half-joking. She's trying to lighten the mood a bit with a smile. "It's okay, Senpai. I know my limits." She's lying, but she believes in her own words. It's not a good thing.
"Thank you, Senpai." She nods, shifting in her seat. "I hope so too." A beat. Kasumi waves her hand gently in front of her face. "Ah, please forget about me mentioning that, Senpai... And please don't talk about it to anyone else? It's a little...private."
Kasumi gently rubs Wakana's shoulder in return. "I'm sorry I couldn't help anymore, Oosaka-senpai. We should probably start heading back though. It's getting late." As if on queue, Kasumi's phone starts ringing. "That'll be my dad wondering where I am. Thank you for coming out with me too, Senpai."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Wakana, sadly, doesn't really feel like having her mood lifted, at least not with jokes. She studies Kasumi for a moment as she insists she knows her limits. "If you say so... but... if I see Kazusa-chan taking advantage of you I'm going to speak up." Her voice sounds a little firmer at that.
But she nods. "It'll stay between us. If you ever feel like discussing it more... let me know, okay?"
She moves to stand up when Kasumi does, dusting off her skirt a little after she rises. "Thank you for listening, Yoshizawa-san. And... I hope your efforts to help Kazusa-chan are successful, I really do."