2026-07-14: Prowling the Plaza for the Perfect Present
- Log: Prowling the Plaza for the Perfect Present
- Cast: Hyousuke Suzuki, Ichika Kawase
- Where: Lotus Plaza
- OOC Date: 2026-07-14
- IC Date: Sun Dec 09 2012
- Summary: Hyousuke and Ichika go behind Tsubasa's back to plot something nefarious. Something dastardly. Something secret, and utterly devious. They plot... Christmas presents.
(|=============================== Lotus Plaza ================================|)
-=============================================== Sumaru City/Rengedai Ward ====-
This shopping mall offers an unparalleled view of the river that flows around
Rengedai. It boasts somewhat fewer stores than comparable malls and shopping
centers around Sumaru City, but it's only a few blocks away from Seven Sisters
High School, so it's a favored hangout for teenagers all the same. Its stores
include Time Castle, a strange antique store run by the Count, and, for those
with the eyes to see its door, the Velvet Room.
To eat, there's Gatten Sushi, a sushi restaurant run by the Mishina family; with
stone flooring for most of the store, raised bamboo flooring for tables, bar
seating for those who want to watch the sushi chef and restaurant owner Kankichi
work his magic, and a massive aquarium, the atmosphere is welcoming and
encourages one to fill up. It's a favorite of Sumaru rumormonger Kenta "Toro"
Yokouchi, a successful salesman (and Persona user).
For the weary, there's Kaori, a perfume store owned by the eponymous Miss Kaori;
its naturalistic wooden flooring, potted plants, and ivy lattice that arches
over the glass doors inspire a relaxing atmosphere. The fragrances for sale
there only underscore this--the scents are *so* relaxing that they can literally
heal customers, body and soul.
And, of course, it's not Sumaru City without a local Satomi Tadashi Pharmacy
branch. This one looks the same as all the others: aisles and walls laden with
medicine of all kinds, overseen from the back counter where magazines are
available by one of seven identical sisters. Satomi Sister #6 runs this one; the
classic version of the store's theme plays here. "The eternal ally of those who
fight: our city's friendly drug store! o/`"
(|============================================================================|)
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke had recruited Ichika for a secret mission. It was something that he had stressed nobody else could know about, for fear of word getting out and their cover being blown. It was a devious, nefarious, scheme that had to be kept quiet, right up until the very moment that all the pieces were in place. He had, of course, recruited her to go Christmas shopping with him for Tsubasa's present. It was only natural that he asked her to help him, he supposed - he couldn't very well ask them directly if he wanted to remain a surprise, after all.
So it was that he found himself striding into Lotus Plaza, looking idly around at the dizzying array of shops and stalls. Thumbs wedged firmly into his pockets, he said nothing for the first few seconds after entering, though the scrunched-up look on his face made it clear that he was deep in thought. His gaze latched onto a sign here and there, or a colourful product that stood out amongst the rest, but there was little that held his attention for long. Eventually, his wandering eyes found their way back to Ichika, and he turned slightly towards her to speak.
"Lotta choices here..." He said, stealing one more glance at the variety on the ground floor alone. "I've got no idea where to start. Tsubasa likes birds, don't they? And sewing? I don't really know much about sewing, and I don't know any place that sells bird-themed stuff apart from plushes, so I'll take any ideas if you've got 'em."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
A secret mission...!
Ichika was in the dorms this weekend as she is most weekends, so it was easy to get her for this. She's on board with the idea. Of all the ways to conspire about Tsubasa, this is one of the better ones.
So, on they go to Lotus Plaza...
"True," Ichika says to Hyousuke about all the choices. Lotus Plaza sure does have a lot of shops and such. It may be smaller than Smile Mall, but it's less likely they'll run into people who live in Hirasaka.
"They like birds a lot. But a literal bird might be a problem..." Since where they live...
Hm. "Let's look around and see what they've got?" she offers.
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke nodded firmly.
"Yeah, and I dont know if Lance'd be happy about the new roommate. Still, sounds like a plan. One of these shops has got to have *something* they'd like." He hoped that was the case, at least. Lotus Plaza had a lot of shops, so by law of averages, at least one of them had to have something that was at least passable as a gift. Whatever the case was, he moved off slowly, deciding to take his time so that they could properly take stock of everything that was around them. At the very least, a walk could help narrow down their options.
"...Thinking about it, should we get something for Lance too? I don't want 'em feeling left out." That was not a joke. Hyousuke asked the question with all the seriousness he would have if Lance was a person. There was a few moments of silence as he considered what their mutual dogfriend would like before he continued on, his head turning slowly on its swivel. "We can figure that one out later. We've still gotta find one for Tsubasa-san." He glanced at a few clothing stores clustered together, and then at the ensembles displayed in the window. "No, not clothes, I can't give people that... What about threads and stuff though? I know I'd be happy if someone gave me some primo stuff to carve with."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"...Heh. That'd be cute." Lance and bird...
"Right." The shops have to have something! There's a lot of possibilities, anyway. Ichika walks along just as slowly, glancing here and there to get ideas for something.
"Yes," Ichika says. "I got Lance some dental treats to keep her healthy, and a couple toys," Ichika says. "More toys are probably better."
But later! Tsubasa...
"Hmm... Materials for shit are good," she says. "Stuff they can work with."
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke rubbed the back of his neck a little sheepishly, and let out something that sounded a little like a sigh.
"Yeah, but I don't know what good sewing stuff looks like, and I don't know if I trust the store enough to recommend me something that's *actually* good instead of what they're being paid to *say* is good." He sounded a little bitter at the notion, and for a second, even pulled a face about it. But it passed quickly enough, and he went right back to pondering, his plodding pace giving him plenty of time for it.
"You see anything bird-themed around here? I don't know anything about sewing, but I know if something looks cute when I see it." While there was nothing explicitly bird-centric on offer, there were a great many stores that potentially sold bird-themed paraphernalia. A clothing store renowned for its graphic tees was nearby - a little pricey, perhaps, but Hyousuke was willing to spend for a friend as good as them. A homewares store was across the way as well, touting no shortage of decorative items, cookware, cutlery, mugs, and other such things, some of which would no doubt have animal iconography. And he had no doubt that there were shops selling stuffed toys and other cutesy paraphernalia - a little kitschy, maybe, but overwhelming cuteness had its charm.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Hmm... We could look? I can read people OK." They can be sre! still, the matter of Hyousuke's face... Ichika looks sympathetic, hbut doesn't push it. Instead--
She doesn't see anything at first, but there.... tees!
"Oh, there's birds on this shirt," she says, gravitating there first.. There's also mugs with birds on them down the way in particular. No plushies yet, but only because they haven't gotten to the plushies yet.
"Hmm..."
Ichika starts flipping through shirts to see sizes and all.
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
"Could you? There's a craft store up one floor. I've gone there a couple times to pick up some stuff for carving." The relief in Hyousuke's voice when Ichika offered to help him with picking out craft supplies was palpable, though his attention quickly turned away from such things and towards the clothing store. It was hard not to be drawn towards it, what with with the bright red sign affixed to the entrance, and the litany of clothes that were displayed in its windows. There were some plain ones, yes, but those were not what caught his eye.
"Oh hey, check it out. They're doing a collab with Greetings Cat this month." Hyousuke pulled a top from the rack and held up for Ichika to see. The design was a fairly simple one, using bold and black lines to draw a simplified version of the series' mascots upon the front. However, simple though the aesthetic was, the characters were no less recognisable for it. The titular cat herself was on most of the tops, of course, but there were other characters too - penguins, chicks, and ducks included.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Let's check it out when we're done here." Ichika can help with that! And well, the clothing store does have a big sign...
"Cute," Ichika comments. Greetings Cat is very cute. And there... The penguin! Heropen, the brave penguin. Ichika looks at this one for a moment. "Hmmm..."
And also a duck! "Nice little guys..."
"Hmm, they're not gonna wear the cute stuff," Ichika reflects, "But if there's a collab, there might be things they'd use."
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
"Use? What do you mean? I don't come in here much, so if they do more stuff than just clothes, I wouldn't know." Hyousuke asked, tilting his head a little as he pondered what she meant. Hyousuke certainly didn't look like he knew. Though Remarclo sold a variety of basic clothing items - jeans, vests, shirts, and the like - his were cheaper items from cheaper stores. Nothing that bore the label of a brand like them. He turned the shirt towards him when Ichika was done looking it over, but his eyes lingered on it for a second more than someone just casually looking it over.
He then hatched a devious plan. A terrible, no-good, secret, and nefarious plan that sparked an uncharacteristically devilish glint in his eyes, before he finally placed it back onto the rack. When he turned back, the look was gone, and he was his usual sunny - if slightly dull - self.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Oh, just--Like, not clothes but other stuff with the patterns on," she says. "But not here maybe. The clothes though..." Hmm. "Well, maybe one of these vests..."
But Hyousuke gets an idea.
Ichika tilts here head, seeing that devious plan. "...Hm?" she wonders.
GAME: Save complete.
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke shook his head softly.
"No, nothing, just thinking about something else." He said. Like a liar. At the very least, it didn't seem too be anything to worry about, though there was an argument to be made that Hyousuke having an idea was a worrying thing in and of itself. Either way, he seemed content to dropt he subject and move onto other things, stroking his chin a little as he considered what Ichika said. "You're right though. If they're doing clothes like this, they might have other stuff like it. The home goods place probably has some stuff, and there's that place that sells all the merch... Gah, can't remember the name."
Whatever the case was, it seemed like they had options, though his gaze still lingered on the available options for clothing scattered around the shop.
"Want to keep going? Or was there anything you wanted to get while we're here?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Something else...? Well, Ichika isn't going to press for the moment if he doesn't want to talk about it. Hyousuke having ideas is something to encourage! Especially when thinking about gifts. But, "Yeah, let's have a look. It's just down the way anyway, we don't have to remember what it's called."
But clothes? "Nah, I'm good," Ichika says of that. "I've got the staples covered right now. ...Trying not to overdo it on stuff."
"But there's next door?"
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
"Might as well since we're here." Hyousuke said offhandedly, at the mention of the homeware store right next to them. While it was perhaps not as trendy as Remarclo, or as charming as some of the independent shops, there was no denying that the place had its own kind of appeal. With the furniture sectioned off to one part of the store, cookware and dining utensils off to the other, and other miscellaneous homeware at the far end, the place sparked a feeling of homeliness. Like he was being invited to turn his room from mere quarters into an actual living space, such as the dorm would allow for.
As lovely as the various chairs, couches, and tables looked, he did not suspect them to be particularly good gifts for Tsubasa at present. Instead, Hyousuke made for the smaller items. Mugs and glasses, cutlery and cookware, cushions and bedsheets - all were at his fingertips, and all could have cases made for being presented as gifts. However, two things stood out to him the most, and he seemed to have a little trouble deciding between them. In one hand, he bore a set of four mugs, each one in seasonal hues with a simple illustration of a seasonal animal upon them. What really drew his attention was the winter one, however. Pale blue on the top half with a smattering of white snow below, a shima ennaga - the 'Snow Fairy,' as Hokkaido's long-tailed tit was known - could be seen bobbing around. The other hand clutched a blanket with an owl woven into it, no doubt part of a larger night-themed pattern across the whole thing.
"I could just get both..." Hyousuke said, smiling a little sheepishly at Ichika.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Yes," Ichika answers, and lets the shirt go, instead following Hyousuke out. She looks around at the other pieces as she goes; stuff there isn't room for in her dorm, but that might be nice when she moves out for...
Well, whatever she does after high school. She isn't sure yet.
Still, they go for small items, and Ichika glances at a number. There are many possibilities! But Hyousuke sees...
"Oh," she says, "That's really cute." She doesn't say 'adorable' because that doesn't suit her cool image. But it's adorable. "That mug's nice."
Pause. Then the blanket... "Oh..."
"You could," Ichika says. "But that could cost a lot. Tell you what--if it's too much to get both, I'll chip in for the blanket too."
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
With a warm - if somewhat bashful - smile, Hyousuke shook his head gently at Ichika, before pulling the items just a little closer in towards himself.
"It's fine. You guys have been... You've helped me a lot ever since I got here. Buying a blanket and some mugs is the least I can do to say thanks for everything." Simple though his words were, he still struggled a little to get them out. Not because they were anything less than genuine, of course. It was the fact that they were nothing *but* genuine that made it difficult for him to say.
He let the words hang in the air for a moment, then followed up with something a little more lighthearted.
"Besides, I've been making good money at my new job. Before you ask, it's a real job, not like the, uh... other stuff."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
No? Ichika waits on that for a moment, until Hyousuke confirms it's fine. She won't push the matter--but it's true that she likes the blanket too.
"...All right," she says. "I respect that. You don't owe me," she says, because it's hers to say, "But if you want to give a gift for them..."
She smiles. "That's cool with me."
"oh, yeah? That's cool." She's curious what he's doing... but Ryuji was weird about telling he what he's doing...
"Cool. You wanna talk about it sometime, I'm interested," she says. "If not, that's cool too. But a job's a good thing for a guy to have."
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Again, Hyousuke took on a bashful look, but not like he had when speaking from the heart. It was closer to embarrassment. Not heavy or intense enough to come anywhere close to shame, but more the kind of expression someone would have when giving a wildly incorrect answer when called on by a teacher.
"Eh, maybe another time. It's, uh, kinda difficult to explain." It was not, in fact, difficult to explain. Though the minutiae of the job were difficult to master, explaining the broad strokes of it was not.
Partially in an attempt to distract her, and partially because he'd forgotten up until that point, Hyousuke offered something else up to her.
"But there *is* something I need you to do for me." He said, before drawing something out of his side-slung bag. It was an envelope, red in colour with gold - or, at least, some approximation of it - embellishments upon the front. "Could you give this to your sister when you see her? I don't know if I'm gonna be going by Gekkoukan before Christmas. It's a gift card. Good for a reservation at any date for two people at this teahouse I've been to a couple times. It's a real nice place, and she mentioned wanting to do something with a friend of hers, so I figured she might like this."
From the way he said it, it seemed quite clear he had no idea who the 'friend' was.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Embarrassment! So many guys seem to be weird about that lately... (Well, two is a lot!)
"OK," Ichika says, and doens't pry further. It's fine.
But instead--something to do? "Sure," she says, and then takes the envelope. Two people...
Ichika grins. She gets it.
"Sure," Ichika says, "I'll do that. I bet she'll enjoy it, too."
"Thanks on her behalf. I'll let you know what she says."
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
What had she grinned at? Did she know something he didn't? Ichika knew many things that Hyousuke did not, but something told him there was more at play there than a simple mismatch of knowledge. He blinked quizzically at her for a moment, giving her a stare to match, before deciding to drop it. It was probably nothing, and he still had things to do that day.
"Thanks. I wish I could give it to her myself, but I've got a lot going on right now. Guess I'll just have to meet up with her afterwards."
He flashed a quick smile at Ichika, then turned to wards the counter.
"Anyway, I'm gonna go pay for this. Want to grab lunch after we're done here?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Tell you what," Ichika says, "If she comes out to visit, I'll see if she's got time to drop by to see you, too."
Ichika does not explain the grin!! Instead, she smiles at her friend. He's done good today!
"Sounds good," Ichika says. "I'm into lunch."
She'll walk along with the counter--probably pick up something small while she's here, just because.
But it'll be fun!