2026-06-27: Asking for a Friend
- Log: Asking for a Friend
- Cast: Hyousuke Suzuki, Fuuka Yamagishi, Ririka Kawase
- Where: Paulownia Mall
- OOC Date: June 27, 2026
- IC Date: Saturday, December 01, 2012
- Summary: Hyousuke has asked Fuuka to the mall tohelp him figure out a Christmas gift fr Ririka. Unknowingly, Ririka is /also/ there shopping for her own gift. Of course, the two parties collide.
(|============================== Paulownia Mall ==============================|)
-======================================= Iwatodai City/Tatsumi Port Island ====-
A great glass dome surrounds Paulownia Mall, its name displayed in great letters
on its rim. Within this circular structure, made beautiful with water features,
the mall bustles. A central fountain pours out, eternally, surrounded by benches
for weary shoppers; two more pools stand by the entrance, decorated by
well-trimmed hedges behind them. The brown patterning on the floor emphasises
the circular nature of this place, all carved to equal segments; pillars
surrounding the sides provide structure and guidance, separating each store from
the other.
And the shops one can find here are many. Game Parade is a popular arcade,
particularly amongst nearby Gekkoukan students, and its crane game has foiled
many a hopeful date. Kenneth Arnold offers music albums, while Mandragora
Karaoke Bar, up a flight of stairs nearby, offers live music experiences for
those who prefer active participation. Club Escapade is another great option for
music-lovers, alongside those seeking Fortune-Telling services or looking for
shady informants -- but it's only open at night, and technically, it's only for
people who are over 18. Practically speaking, teenagers sometimes sneak in,
anyway... but curious teens ought to be careful, because a few shops over, one
can find the Tatsumi East Police Station. Chagall Cafe, at least, is both open
during the day and open to all ages! Aohige Pharmacy offers pharmaceuticals to
cure any ailment, while Be Blue V offers an eclectic variety of items and
treatments to improve one's health and wellbeing. Finally, Mayoido Antiques
offers unique weapons and armour for those who bring in supernatural
materials... and the proprietor seems to know more than she really ought to
about that world.
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
> can you meet me at paulownia mall
> need your help finding a present for kawase-san
Despite all the time he'd known Ririka for, and how many times they'd hung out, Hyousuke found himself at a loss as to what he was supposed to get Ririka. Skating gear seemed the obvious answer, but he was a total novice - it would be like her buying him boxing gear. Well-intentioned, but lack of knowledge would no doubt make the gift something of a white elephant. A gift card was right out as well - such an impersonal gift was in poor taste, especially when he wished to thank someone for all they'd done for him throughout the year. Moriko's suggestion of workout gear had been considered - far more than it should have been - but Hyousuke eventually discarded it on no more than a gut feeling.
Thus, deprived of options and running out of time, Hyousuke decided to call in an expert - one of Ririka's friends. Fuuka, to be more precise. He still had her contact information, after all, and the two seemed to be close enough that she'd have a better idea of what Ririka liked than he did. He stressed in later messages that it was of utmost importance that they keep the mission secret, lest they commit the cardinal sin of ruining the surprise for her, and thereby ruin some of the fun of her opening the gift.
With all the formalities out of the way, Hyousuke waited in front of one of the same soft toy-selling store that he'd waited for Moriko in front of. He didn't choose it for any particular reason. Not on that day, at least. It was just one of the ones near the entrance, and the bright colours had drawn his eye quicker than the other stores nearby. At the very least, it made for vaguely interesting window shopping while he waited for Fuuka to turn up, and might potentially have held options for further gifts to other friends.
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
A secret present-shopping excursion...! Fuuka does wonder what prompted this... but then again, maybe one doesn't really need an excuse to give a gift to a friend. Still, in the face of such an event, the answer is clear...
>Yes, of course. Please let me know when you're available.
Fast-forward to the appointed time, and Fuuka arrives at Paulownia Mall. She scans the crowd for any familiar faces and, spotting Hyousuke, hurries over to him. She's wearing a black turtleneck sweater today with a floral pattern around the base, alongside a long brown skirt, black leggings, and a pair of boots.
"Good afternoon, Suzuki-san... I hope I didn't keep you waiting." She offers with a polite bow. "Did you have any ideas of your own to start with?"
It'll be easier to find out where they're working from than to start off by making suggestions. She needs to know how much metaphorical hand-holding she needs to supply here...
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka both is and isn't easy to shop for. Easy, in the sense that music is almost always appreciated. Not easy, in the sense that she honestly has an awful lot of it to begin with, so it can be hard to know what to get...
But that's not a concern for Ririka, at the moment. Her concern is actually thoughts of gifts for someone else she hasn't known nearly as long. She feels bad about not having been able to immediately follow up with Ikumni on another date, but... she wants to make sure to make some time over Winter Break.
... And maybe see if they can finally get that second date they've both been wanting.
She's dressed in a band tee with a dark purple flannel over it, and a jckaet on top of that, jeans, and sneakers, her hair back in a ponytail for the moment.
Right now she's in another store, trying to get some inspiration of her own... Hyousuke and Fuuka will have a few moments to chat, at least.
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Spotting Fuuka as she approached, Hyousuke gave a short bow back, pairing it with a smile as beaming as any midwinter sun. He stood as she spoke, silent and patient, before shaking his head a little.
"Nah, I wasn't here long. I've just been looking at these for a few minutes." He jerked his head a little towards the window of the shop. Behind it were a plethora of suitably soft-looking toys, some from series even he would recognise, while others were original products designed more for cuteness than for recognisability.
Hyousuke was, for his part, dressed in rather unremarkable attire. Paired with a forest-green, short-collared jacket draped over a plain black t-shirt, the navy jeans and russet-brown shoes worn beneath did little to help him stand out. That much was achieved by the fact that he stood several inches above the average mall-goer, as well as his short crop of honey-blonde hair.
"As for ideas... I'm struggling with that one." Hyousuke confessed, a little hesitant, a little sheepish. He pulled a face as he spoke, with one hand coming up from his arms' crossed position to rub awkwardly at his neck, before he continued. "I know she does music and skateboarding a lot, but I can't really think of anything I could give her that she wouldn't have picked out herself. Is there stuff that she needs to keep refilling or replacing with them? Like, I dunno, protein powder. But for instruments."
Hyousuke's sheepishness did not diminish with his explanation. Rather, it seemed to increase a little, once he processed just how awkwardly-worded his idea was. He attempted to salvage it, but was unsure of how good an attempt it even was.
"Maybe a reservation at one of those posh places that do tea and cakes and stuff? She likes tea, doesn't she? And cakes?" Everyone liked tea and cakes. Everyone with a soul and half a lick of sense, at least. It was a little generic and impersonal, but if he sprung for her to take a plus-one with her, maybe it'd be something nice for Ririka and Ichika. Or Ririka and one of her other friends.
Something like that, at least.
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
Hyousuke smiles, and Fuuka smiles back. She nods, as he assures her that he hasn't been here long.
"Oh, good..." She breathes a sigh of relief, then looks toward the shop he indicates. Soft-looking toys... She considers them thoughtfully. She even recognizes some of them. "They are really cute."
She looks back to him as he admits to be struggling with ideas. She nods in understanding, tilting her head thoughtfully as he explains.
"Yes, it is a dilemma." She agrees. "Because Kawase-san is a fan, she has quite the collection already..."
He suggests something useful, things that she'd need to keep refilling or replacing...
"Mm, instruments do need maintenance, but... that might not be the best idea for now." She knows Ririka is taking a break from performing - right now, that might just act as a reminder...
Hyousuke suggests a reservation, a posh place that does tea and cakes...
"I can't think of a person who doesn't." Fuuka agrees. "But, hm... It's a good idea, but you have to be careful with that, too. A reservation becomes an obligation, something they have to seek out to fulfill on their own... You need to find out if it's something they can fit into their schedule, or make sure it's flexible enough that they have the freedom to do so on their own."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Hyousuke might have actually stumbled upon a good idea, as it happens, especially with the plus one. Not that Ririka can comment on that...
Fuuka's insight might be key--giving Ririka a premade reservation might not be the best. ririka got more than a little stressed at the unexpected summer break trip that SEES took... even if her schedule is a bit free now, she's still sensitive about that sort of thing, due to normaly having her life so heavily scheduled.
But right now Ririka is living out her own version of this. They'd had so little time to talk in person... was it too much to give a gift so soon? Would it be too little? If a gift, then what?"
Ririka was idly flipping through CDs in a store, but even then... she was uncertain. Maybe she should give something more personal... Ririka sighs. Maybe she should just text Ichika and ask for advice.
She wouldn't even be thinking of this at all, but... she was pretty sure they'd almost had... a moment at the end, before the station announcement pulled her away.
Ririka sighs and wanders back out into the mall, starting to look from store to store as she tries to look for inspiration.
She's not near Hyousuke and Fuuka yet, but at least she's tall, so they might have a heads up before she stumbles upon them.
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke nodded thoughtfully at her responses to both his suggestions. She was right, of course. He did not know of her taking a break from performing, but his assumption led him to more or less the same conclusion.
"Yeah, Ririka probably knows better than me about what products are best. Probably knows where to get them too. Don't want to put pressure on her to go somewhere either... Maybe if I just make the offer on the day and let her pick the date? Buy one of those plushes and put a note or a card in with it?"
If one listened carefully, they might have heard the hamster wheel in Hyousuke's skull spinning so hard that it risked breaking free of its fittings. Something rare was happening, after all. Something spoken of only in legends, such was its rarity. Hyousuke had somehow managed to stumble upon an idea, and suggested what was possibly a reasonable way to go about it. Certainly not one with much finesse, but someone with more tact might have been able to salvage it. Or use it as inspiration for something else entirely. He didn't really know - his brain was busy with a million other thoughts.
"Is there anything else she's interested in? Any shows she likes, or bands she's into? There's gotta be something I can do..." Hyousuke's face scrunched a little as he considered the myriad options available. "Gah, why's gift-giving gotta be so hard? I wish I could just ask her what she wants. That'd be way easier."
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
"Mm-hm. Musicians can be very particular about what they do with their instruments, too. Understandably so, of course..." Fuuka replies with a nod. She considers his next idea - making an offer on the date and just letting her pick, with a plush alongside a note or a card? She considers that thoughtfully.
"That could work... and that would still show how much you care, even if the date itself doesn't work out..." Fuuka considers thoughtfully. "Maybe do some research ahead of time and present some suggestions for possible locations, to take some pressure off of her?"
She 'hm's thoughtfully to herself. Would a plush be the best gift for that, though...? She looks at the stores around them, considering if any of them might be better suited toward it. ...But, wait...
"...Wait, in the crowd, is that...?" Fuuka starts. It looks like Ririka...
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka does, in fact, ahve a place that she goes to regularly for her various instrument needs. It's actually near the dorm, as it happens. And she lives a lot closer to it now than she used to.
Fuuka's suggestion to present options is a good one, too. But as for a plushie being the best medium or not... that will remain to be seen.
Hyousuke stands out in a crowd, and as it happens, so does Ririka. And once Ririka spots Hyousuke it's not a problem to also spot Fuuka. She'd been deep in thought, typing out a rapid message on her phone, but her expression relaxes a bit when she spots her two friends.
She raises a hand, turning to walk that way. "Hey, Yamagishi-san, Suzuki-san!" She heads over, shoving her both hands in her jacket pockets as she arrives. "How are you guys doing?"
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke thought about what Fuuka suggested. He thought deeply about it. Enough that his hand instinctively went to his chin, stroking it while the elbow rested upon the one arm still crossed loosely over his front. His brow was even furrowed as he turned several ideas over in his head at once, trying to figure out if there was something he'd missed. It was only when Fuuka posed a different question entirely that he snapped back up and looked around, trying to see what it was that she had noticed, only to adopt another expression entirely.
Abject surprise.
Looking like a deer caught in headlights for a moment, the most he could do in response was blink once or twice, before his stalling brain finally managed to kick itself into gear.
"Kawase-san! Didn't expect to see you here." Hyousuke's attempt at sounding natural did not, in fact, come off as sounding natural. The fact that there was a somewhat sheepish lilt to his voice as well only underscored this fact, and he was all too aware of it. "I'm doing alright. Just out doing some shopping. For things."
One might have thought that Hyousuke would have been a better liar, given how often he brushed over his own feelings, but Ririka's sudden appearance put paid to that notion quite handily. Nevertheless, he attempted to keep the charade up, all the while hoping that Fuuka had some way to salvage the situation.
"I just figured I'd try to find some gifts before the place gets *too* busy and they run out of all the good stuff."
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
...Sure enough, that's Ririka. Much like Hyousuke, she's hard to miss.
...Fuuka, conversely, is very easy to miss without a landmark like Hyousuke. She's very small. Especially compared to the two of them.
"Oh, hello, Kawase-san." Fuuka replies, offering a smile and a light wave. Hyousuke, meanwhile... seems to be a jam. She's not the best actor, but it seems she might have to carry her weight today...
"Yes, that's right." She confirms with a nod. "I'm doing well... How about you?"
She considers for a moment before adding,
"Are you just browsing today, or did you have an objective in mind already?" Fuuka asks. She is curious - but it might help give them ideas, too...
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Hyousuke wasn't expecting to see her. "Well, I live in Iwatodai, so... I'm kind of more surprised to see you here, Suzuki-san!" Ririka says that with a smile, to make it clear that she's joking. But he's there to shop. "Ohh, cool. Any luck so far?"
She's a bit in her own head. She doesn't really notice Hyousuke's awkwardness that keenly. Or have the wherewithal to hunt for flaws in his lies.
She looks to Fuuka next. "Glad to hear. I'm... alright. Still... thinking about the other day. Trying to take things easy still, you know?"
But when it comes to her, Ririka pauses for a moment. "Oh, I was just trying to do some shopping, too. Um... not really having a lot of luck yet, though. What about you, Yamagishi-san?"
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Silent though it was, Hyousuke's gratitude to Fuuka for covering for him could not have been overstated. Just the chance to breathe and reorient himself was enough to stave off the worst of his awkwardness, and slowly, he began to settle into a posture and expression that seemed markedly more natural. There was still a hint of trepidation at the thought that Ririka might have picked up on their true purpose there - and that she herself seemed a little out of it - but it was enough that he could at least try to hide it.
"I just wanted a change of scenery. There's... a lot going on in Sumaru right now." The rest of Hyousuke's awkwardness seemed to evaporate upon stating that, in response to Ririka pointing out how it was stranger to find *him* hanging around Paulownia. It was only part of the truth, but it was enough of *a* truth that Hyousuke felt like he could barrel through and say that it wasn't technically a lie. When it came to the question of if he'd found anything, the same logic applied. "I found a few things. I gotta look around a little longer though." Again, not technically a lie. He'd hung out with Moriko the other day, and picked a few things up then too. Just not for Ririka. Thus, it was technically a truth.
"What're you looking for?" Hyousuke asked gently. Ririka had only seemed to confirm his suspicions that she wasn't doing too well, and he blunted that usual boisterousness of his enough that he hoped he could serve as at least a somewhat comforting presence. "You looking for some presents too?" An innocuous enough question, he supposed. 'Twas the season, after all.
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
A lot going on in Sumaru. That's understandable, really. Fuuka smiles back at Ririka as she mentions the other day.
"Yes, that was... harrowing, wasn't it?" She replies. She didn't participate in the fight itself - her priority at the time was trying to keep other people safe and out of the crossfire. "I hope you've been able to relax a little since then..."
Hyousuke explains that he's found a few things, and Ririka explains that she was trying to do some shopping, too.
"I see... I hope you can find something, in that case." Fuuka offers. Ririka asks about her, though, and Fuuka shakes her head. "Oh, I'm just here to provide support..."
It's better to go with the truth - just as long as they don't say specifically why.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka, at least, readily seems to accept Hyousuke's excuse: wanting to avoid Sumaru. "Oh, yeah... Iiii get that..." Ririka offers Hyousuke a sympathetic smile. "Oh, cool. Well, I hope you find the rest of what you're looking for, then."
Ririka, for the moment, mostly just seems tired. "Oh, yeah, just... trying to do some shopping, decide what to get, you know, that kind of thing..." She rubs the back of her head. "Trying not to let it wait until the last minute, and I've freed up some time recently, so..."
Ignore the fact that she's blushing faintly. That's probably just a trick of the light.
Ririka was glad to ahve Fuuka protecting others during the hectic battle. She'd shared her findings with Fuuka afterwards, of course--namely about how the Joker Persona seemed to be the same one that Sudou had. No sense Fuuka being surprised by that one if she runs into it again.
"Thanks, Yamagishi-san." She nods. "Oh, support, okay..." She looks at Hyousuke and nods. "I guess this kind of thing can be easier with a friend, huh? Or even just someone that knows all the stores..."
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke looked to Ririka, quietly observing her while she spoke. Part of it was concern for a friend, but he also swore that he saw something quite unusual. Surely it was just a trick of the light though, or a figment of his imagination. He eventually concluded that it was nothing he needed to think too deeply about, however. A lot had happened recently, after all. Few people would have blamed Ririka for feeling a little under the weather, or otherwise seeming a little out of sorts.
"Yamagishi-san, you've already been a big help." Hyousuke said, canting his head a little towards Fuuka in response to her saying she was 'just' there for support. He smiled warmly, but not beaming quite as wide as before, then turned to Ririka once again. "I'd still be trying to figure out what to do if it weren't for her."
It was the truth. Perhaps not the whole truth, but it was as much as Ririka needed to know. He paused for a moment, wondering how best to follow things up. They couldn't just wander off or dismiss Ririka now that they were all there. Even if dismissing her wasn't obscenely rude, he was just about smart enough to believe that it might raise suspicions. Taking her with them would delay plans, however - though there was still time to enact them, and the conversation could be continued via text if it came down to it. Or he could ask Ichika for help.
In the end, Hyousuke decided to do what he did best, and just attack the matter head-on. It was perhaps not the most socially acceptable approach, but it was all he could think to do.
"Kawase-san, are you alright?" He asked, as gently as he could, but there was only so much that could be done to soften the blow of such a blunt question. "A lot's happened. If you need help or anything..."
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
Is Ririka... blushing? Fuuka considers that thoughtfully.
Not letting it wait for the last minute... Well, Christmas Eve is coming up. Maybe she has someone special in mind... It's a big day for couples, after all. Whether she does or not, though, it really isn't her place to pry...
"Yes, I find it's better to take care of things sooner rather than later. It can save you a lot of stress and worry." Fuuka empathises with a nod. Hyousuke says that she's already been a big help, and Fuuka looks pleased. "Well, I'm glad I could assist... Yes - I think even just having someone to bounce ideas off of helps in the decision-making process."
Hyousuke asks if Ririka is alright, though, and Fuuka looks toward her.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
"O-oh, I'm-- I'm fine, I'm fine," Ririka says with an awkward laugh. She's trying to wave off any concerns. "Just, tired, like I said."
Ririka will deny that she was blushing. And she will definitely deny being a couple with anyone.
There's surely no way she could explain, right...?
"I guess I am a little stuck, though..." she considers. "But I don't think either of you know them, so..." She's being careful to elide any pronouns that might give the intended recipient of her gift away.
She's mostly talking to herself, but the other two can still hear her as she says, "... maybe what I want is to do something with them, instead, not just give a gift..."
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke didn't believe Ririka. He, perhaps better than most, knew well how being tired was an excuse for a great many things. He opened his mouth some fraction of an inch to retort, but clearly thought better of it as he closed his mouth again, and let the words die in his throat. Instead, he just nodded, keeping that friendly expression plastered across his features.
"Yeah, I get that. Anyone would be, with everything that's happening, and finals coming up. Just make sure you get some rest." Bold words, coming from someone that clearly had not been getting enough of it himself, but there they were.
He had other things to concern himself with in that moment anyway. It took Hyousuke everything he had not to give the widest, smuggest, grin in the history of grins to Fuuka when he caught the tail end of what Ririka had said, and it was only through sheer force of will that he settled instead for a sideways glance at her.
"Well, what kinda things do 'they' like?" He asked, doing his best to restrain his eagerness to learn more in favour of maintaining a softness to his tone. "It's like Yamagishi-san said. Sometimes you just gotta have someone to bounce ideas off."
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
Ririka insists that she's fine. Fuuka studies her carefully. ...Given what's already happened she's a little hesitant to just accept that on its face... but I wouldn't be good to pressure her, either.
"Yes... And don't be afraid to reach out, if you need anything." Fuuka agrees with a nod, as Hyousuke prompts her to get some rest.
Ririka is stuck, though. Someone she doesn't know - someone she wants to do something with, not just give a gift...
She pointedly does not look at Hyousuke - but it definitely seems like he was on the right track with his idea... That sideways glance tells her he feels the same way.
Hyousuke asks the most immediately relevant question - what do they like? Fuuka nods.
"Yes, that's important to consider..." She agrees. "You also have to consider what kind of message you want to send. Different locations say different things..."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
"Y-yeah..." Ririka honestly is just tired, more or less--but she's covering up for that fainting spell she took, which has left her drained. But she is genuinely dong her best to take things easy. "I am, honest. Yamagishi-san can vouch for me, right...?"
She shoots Fuuka a hopeful look. 'Please back me up?'
Fuuka says to reach out, and Ririka hesitates. That's perhaps the thing she struggles with the most, not taking everything on herself. "I... I'll try. Honest."
But she blinks as she realizes she'd been talking out loud to herself. "O-oh, um, wellll..." She rubs the back of her neck a little. "I know they like pool, card games, um... we went to a concert once, that was pretty fun..."
Okay, there's definitely a blush as she starts thinking of the type of message she wants to send. But she tries to keep her cool as she looks to Fuuka. "Different places send different messages... like... what kinds of places? I'm not really sure... what I'm trying to say."
She knows what she wants to say, but she so doesn't want to come on too strong.
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
If Ririka was anything like him, Hyousuke would have doubted her. He hoped, with all his heart, that she was not like him, and that she would not give him reason to doubt her. Though he kept that much to himself. In response to her, he simply nodded, letting the matter rest with as little pushback as he could stand.
"If you're sure. But just call if you need anything." He still remembered the offer she'd made when he visited the Kawase household. That summer break felt like a lifetime ago, but the gesture yet remained in his mind, and he was as grateful for it now as he was back then. The least he could do was return the favour.
Hyousuke nodded sagely when Fuuka spoke of messages, as if he had a full understanding of what she meant. He didn't quite get the finer points of it, but knew enough to know she was right. There was a world of difference between a casual gathering at a pricey - yet still consumer-grade - cafe and afternoon tea at some classy establishment with a dress code, after all. It was only when he noticed the blush on Ririka's face that he began to suspect there was more at play than he realised, however.
Rather than feel like he'd made a breakthrough, Hyousuke wondered if he'd wandered onto a minefield. He was self-aware enough to know he had all the tact of a battering ram, and the topic seemed somewhat sensitive. But he couldn't just stand there and say nothing. It was quite the conundrum, but the conversation turned to him, and he had to give *an* answer, lest the lull in the conversation fester into an awkward silence.
"What about taking them somewhere quiet?" He eventually asked. "Somewhere you can sit down and figure out what you want to say to them. Something that says you want to hang out with them, and get to know 'em better."
The tea shop serving seasonal blends that Ichika had showed him, and the izakaya near Kasugayama, were his usual haunts for such things. They might not always have been quiet, but they at least gave him a chance to breathe, and speak freely. Perhaps, he ventured, the same might do Ririka some good with her... friend.
"Yamagishi-san, what do you think?"
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
Fuuka meets that hopeful look. She hesitates and tries to just power through it. ...Unfortunately, she's vulnerable to that...
"Well, she has been looking after herself more..." Fuuka vouches. She nods, though, as Ririka says she'll try. Hyousuke asks her to reach out, too, and she sends him a quietly appreciative glance before looking back toward Ririka.
Pool, card games, a concert... She nods thoughtfully...
...Fuuka definitely sees a blush now. Maybe she was right before...
"Mm, well..." Fuuka pauses for a moment, folding her arms in front of her and tapping a finger against her cheek.
"If someone invites you out to Wilduck or Big Bang Burger, that feels more casual than going to a more upscale restaurant, right...?" Fuuka comments. "The atmosphere says a lot, too. Some places are designed to cater to couples, for instance..."
She unfolds her hands, clasping them in front of her.
"So I think... the first thing you should consider is what message you want to send. You don't want to confuse them, and make them think you're trying to say something you don't mean... And you have to consider their comfort, too." She advises.
Hyousuke offers a more specific suggestion - taking them somewhere quiet. Fuuka considers that for a moment, and then nods.
"Yes... I think that would be a good start. A low pressure environment, where the focus is still on both of you..." She agrees.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Hyousuke, we ahve some bad news for you. (On the plus side, fainting in a semipublic way may have embarrassed Ririka enough to actually try to take things easy this time...)
"I will, I will..." she promises of reaching out. "And, let us know if you need help too, okay?" Which, to be fair, he had, when Jun went missing.
If it was a minefield, it was a minefield of Ririka's own making.
"W-well, I don't-- necessarily want to say something--not in a way that I need a quiet place for-- but the choice of place is the type of saying I'm thinking of." Ririka frowns. "... I think that made more sense in my head."
Fuuka does, indeed, back her up. The next look says 'Thank you!' "See?"
But Fuuka has more thoughts, and Ririka definitely doesn't tense up a little as Fuuka mentions palces that cater to couples. "R-- r-right. Some places are like that." Her fingers are tapping on her thigh now, and she's now trying to stave off the topic.
"I'll... think on all that. So... thanks, both of you. Um... w-what about you, Suzuki-san? What are you looking for? Maybe I can offer some help-- N-no offense to Yamagishi-san, of course, just.. if you guys want some extra input."
Anything to change the topic away from herself.
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke saw nothing, and Hyousuke said nothing. There was no blush, there was no reaction to the mention of couples, there was nothing that even someone thicker than a two-by-four could have picked up on. There was only Hyousuke nodding thoughtfully along, seemingly trying to think of potential ideas for where Ririka could take her friend. It was a train of thought that didn't last for long, as Ririka unknowingly offered her assistance in helping to pick out a gift for herself. Fortunately, Hyousuke had yet another truth to tell her.
"Actually, Kawase-san, I think you've already been a big help. I've got some ideas on what to get my friend, I've just gotta look into some things." 'Some things' being places that might suit Ririka's interests. It took him all he had not to sneak a sly and knowing look at Fuuka, though something did spring to mind.
"There *was* someone else I wanted help with though. They like sewing and makeup, but I don't know a thing about either of those. Oh, and birds. They like birds too. Maybe some bird-themed makeup?"
Again, the sheepish smile returned.
At least he hadn't attempted to hide something that time.
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
"I think I understand what you meant." Fuuka assures with a shake of her head as Ririka frowns. She watches as she works through what she said - and then nods, as Ririka thanks them both.
"You're welcome. I hope it goes well, Kawase-san." Fuuka offers with an encouraging smile.
And, naturally, this has helped Hyousuke, too. He has something else he wants help with, though - and Fuuka will do her best to provide advice there, too.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka has, somehow, already helped! "Oh! Cool. Um... glad to help?" She'll accept that at face value and not read into it at all.
"Sewing, makeup, and birds..." Ririka considered who that could be. Nothing familiar off the top of her head."Um... bird makeup miiight be a bit much, but..."
She nods gratefully to Fuuka. "Okay, as long as it made sense... and thanks. I... hope it goes well, too."
But turning back to the matter of makeup. "Well-- since it might be a bit awkward if you want to go looking at makeup by yourself... I'd be glad to come along. If you don't mind the extra help."
Either way, she'll be glad to have something else to focus on for a bit.