2026-10-22: Futures
- Log: Futures
- Cast: Ichika Kawase, Ryuji Sakamoto
- Where: Inokashira Park
- OOC Date: October 22, 2026
- IC Date: January 28, 2013
- Summary: Ichika and Ryuji find a nice, quiet spot to spend time together, but Ichika wants to talk, too. They have an important conversation about each other--and the expectations they can place on one another... or should. (CW: Teenage makeouts, implied sexuality)
(|============================= Inokashira Park ==============================|)
-========================================================= Tokyo/Kichijoji ====-
A large park just outside Kichijoji, Inokashira Park boasts a host of cherry
trees, cypresses, and red pines along its walking paths and benches with
Inokashira Pond at its center. Cherry blossoms turn the place pink in the
spring, while summer enjoys blooming magenta azalea bushes, then red leaves in
autumn as they change colors and fall. Even winter has plenty of beauty to
offer, as the park is host to many migrating birds during that season.
The park also hosts a small temple dedicated to Benzaiten, a Buddhist goddess of
eloquence, which itself hosts a petting zoo and an aquarium. Vendors, musicians,
artists, and street performers gather there, taking advantage of the bustling
crowds who gather on weekends and holidays and especially during cherry blossom
season.
The pond in particular offers boat rentals for visitors, from normal rowboats to
colorful yellow-roofed boats to swan-shaped boats. Lights among the cherry trees
illuminate their reflections on the waters at night, and wooden post fences keep
visitors from falling in.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
At of the many parks within Tokyo, Ichika's driven over with Ryuji to take up a quiet corner out of the way of prying eyes. ...They are not the only ones with this idea, but a mutual understanding keeps them from being bothered unless they get really unlucky. Ber van is big and comfortable, especially with the back seats put down and moved for some laying space in the back. It's ideal for hauling equipment... or spending some quality time with someone. A tent would be better, but isn't worth setting up if they aren't staying overnight. And 'overnight' is difficult to get int hese cirucmstances...
The night air is crisp, and the inside is warm. There are sheets spread out over the back and a couple of blankets and pillows, making a nice little nest.
Ichika's a little sweaty, her bleached-blonde hair messy. Her makeup, however, remains largely on-point; she gets the good stuff that doesn't easily run.
"Hey, Ryuji-kun..."
They've spent a little while together here already; Ichika's barely caught her breath, though, before, "Can we talk about something?"
It's dark; keeping the lights on in a situation like this is mostly an invitation to be bothered. But there are some lights from outside, so it's not pitch black.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji Sakamoto is living his best life. He is dating a freakin' amazon who made him feel like a million bucks. He was part of a rag tag group of teens taking on the dark hearts of society. He had some hardships like a job he was annoyed with, school, and still being a social pariah at Shujin. Still, it kinda ruled to be Ryuji.
He stirs when she addresses him, grinning dreamily as he rolls over to face her. "Heh. What is it, I-CHI-KA-CHAN." He taps her nose playfully, clearly in a good mood. Not that anything could really bring him down.
The blonde stirs as he checks to see if his boxers were on. They were. "What has you making that serious face?" He grins.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika would be happy to hear all of that. ...Probably, she has been happy to hear all of that, because it's not like Ryuji is very secretive about what makes him happy. Ichika likes that about him; she likes being appreciated.
"Haha," Ichika laughs back, accepting the nose boop happily as she slides the blanket up around her chest for the moment. Just in case they do get interrupted.
"Well," she says, "We're having a lot of fun," she says. "That's great. I want to have more fun with you."
"But..."
"I'm a little worried about something," she admits. "Am I, like... rushing you, by expecting it to be more than that...?"
"You're still a second-year, and I'm going on to a university. I'm thinking about like, the future. And you're not even in your graduation year yet."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji's face goes on a journey. He smiles as she mentions she is having a good time. His smile wavers when he hears 'but', wondering what is coming in that agonizing millisecond. It grows worried when she mentions being worried herself. What could there to be worried about?! Then realization that maybe there is something here. Ryuji's face settles into a quiet solemn expression
Admittedly, he is worried about this. He has thought about this as he's been driving around and thinking about the future that he isn't quite sure he can meet yet.
"I. Don't know. Yeah. Like I'm worried about the opposite end. Am I going to drag you down as a child?" Ryuji looks as his hands before looking back into Ichika's eyes. "I want to be a hardboiled man for you but I'm a little underdone."
"Man, why to catch me with my pants down." He grins again, flicking her forehead gently.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
A journey! Ichika travels with Ryuji through each leg of it, her face at first soft and wondering and then worried and then relieved when he seems to take it seriously, too.
She's been thinking a lot about it, herself.
He doesn't know... Ichika looks thoughtful too. She reaches up, when he seems so worried, to brush a little of his messy hair back behind his ear. "A hardboiled man, huh..."
"I don't want you to be something you're not," she says. And then she laughs despite herself. "Aah... I guess I did, huh? Well, tell you what."
Ichika leans in. "Whatever happens in this conversation, I'll make sure you have a good memory of tonight. I promise. Mm?"
"But..." She considers. "Well, I guess we just have to figure it out. What we want to do... and what we can do."
"You're not dragging me down right now," she clarifies then. "Nothing like that. But I'll be 19 soon. ...And..."
"With my... pregnancy, back then... I kinda grew up faster than most girls. I'm already thinking about marriage, family. Not like, now, but... in the next years."
"I don't... think that's fair, to you. But I don't know what to do about it."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji smiles when she leans in, laying his forehead against hers. "Mmm, you're too good to me. If you keep that up, people might think I'm mega cool or something."
Ryuji sighs again, listening to her with a slight grunt of affirmation as he is focused on the problem itself. What could they do?
"I don't know what you can do but you're right babe. If I'm gonna be honest? I've been trying to figure out how to give you that and I don't know. Even if I can get my legs back, It would be years before I could have a kid. Everything I do is just holding onto the distance of that future but if I'm not ready when I get there...it isn't fair to you."
"I want to figure it out." He smiles, looking at the ceiling for a moment. "I'm not very book smart but I know my mom had me young. I know what life you want but am I guy who can give you that?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"I like to be good to my guys," she says, and she doesn't just mean Ryuji or Tsubasa this time; Ichika prides herself on being good to people she's involved with. ...She wants to be good to Ryuji because she cares about him, too. "You're a lot cooler than you give yourself credit for, too."
She stays with him like that for a few moments, forehad to forehead.
Then, "...That's cool," Ichika says. "I appreciate that you're trying, that you're thinking about it. That you care what I want."
"...Hmm." Ichika nods back, thoughtfully. "Yeah, I have that impression of your mom... I don't want to start a family before we're both 20, or anything. But how long am I willing to wait after that..? Well, i don't think it's fair to expect to land you with a whole family when you're just trying to start out with what you want in life."
"If it helps... You don't have to do it all yourself--that's part of what Tsubasa wants to do for me. To help me out with stuff like that. To be part of all that."
Ichika thinks. "It's hard," she says. "It's hard to figure it out. ...I'm..."
She thinks some more. "...I think..."
"I think I won't ask that of you yet."
"I think that while I appreciate that you're looking for a way to give me what I want, it's just too soon for you. I'm not sure what that means for us, yet."
"...I know I care about you. And I like you. And we're having a great time. ...is that enough?"
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"Heh. If ya say so, I'll believe ya." Ryuji pokes her nose again, grinning.
He settles back into a neutral expression as he listens to her, smiling a little. "That's just it though...guys with families have careers and stuff. One of those requires high marks in school. I suck at school so a lot of things are closed to me."
"That would help some but like Ichika...I don't know what I want to do yet." Ryuji blinks as the rest of it happens. He looks crushed as just moments ago he was on cloud 9. Now everything is in turmoil and he can't even say it is his fault. He suddenly grabs the pillow and yells into it before collapsing limp. "Damnit. Why can't life work, man. Like if I had just worked harder."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Cool," Ichika says, and half-giggles at the nose poke.
"Mm... Not necessarily," she says. "The career thing is true, but there's like--trades and stuff that pay well. Mahiro-kun's going into construction to support his Mom for a while. --Remember him? Spike Boss, one of the guys I used to be with. Though... even then, you'd have to heal up for a physical job, yeah..."
he doesn't know what he wants. "That's totally OK," Ichika says to Ryuji. "You're not supposed to know yet."
Just work...
"Nah. You're already working really hard. I've seen it. School isn't your thing, but you've got other stuff you're good at. ...Maybe Phantom Thievery can't pay the bills, but I could work, too. Definitely at first I'd rather."
When he yells, Ichika winces, but her voice stays smooth. "...I'll think about what it means for me, OK? For us."
"For right now..."
"If you still want to, we can still have fun. But... I understand, if I kinda ruined the mood..."
"I just..."
"Meeting your Mom made it really real for me. I don't want to play with your heart or your future. ...That's not the kind of 'playing' I like at all."
"So let's think about it? I don't know... what we can come up with. But I'm happy to keep on, even if we're not sure where it goes. I just have to... think what that means to me, too."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji kinda just lays face down for a bit. He acknowledges that he is listening but seems pretty shellshocked. Finally, he tilts his head to look at her, trying to remain strong. "Yeah...we can figure it out. Maybe there is some way to make some money. Plus I'm pretty popular at the cafe so I could get more shifts....Maybe downgrade that camera some so I can do both."
On the topic of fun, Ryuji just throws his arms around her waist and snuggles to her. "I just want to hold my lady for awhile but later I'm gonna give you some reasons to stick around." Ryuji wiggles his eyebrows.
"Yeah. My mom makes a lot of things real..." He looks up at her, sighing. "She just has that effect on people I guess."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika... thought that might happen, when she brought it up; she'd been thinking for a little while now. But eventually, when he looks at her, he'll spot her own worry--her fear that she's said something that'll ruin everything for him. But...
"I can help pay for dates," Ichika offers. "We don't have to go totally traditional. It's not very stylish to be predictable all the time, right?"
But Ryuji throws arms around her and Ichika laughs in relief. "I'm glad to hear you say that."
"Mm... I like reasons like that."
Ichika reaches down to pet through Ryuji's hair, sighing once and leaning her head down back against the pillow again on her side.
"Yeah. ...That's good, though. It's how I know she cares about you."
"Mm..."
"Yeah. I think I'm happy to just be here for a little while, too..."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"I mean...I want to pay though." He bites his lip and then sighs. "Fine. For now, It might be good to try the modern way of doing things."
Ryuji snuggles his head into her abdomen, smiling as he just enjoys being with this girl so much. Part of him worries about what happens when this is over.
"Yeah...I guess I owe her for putting up with my hardheaded ass, heh."
"I want to do something with my reviews. I think they could be something if I get the right eyes on them."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"I don't have to," Ichika says. "...But i want to see you, even if you don't have a lot of money."
Ichika is very soft to snuggle with, and she's happy to keep her hands about Ryuji's head and shoulders for now. She has some worries herself, but...
"Mm, yeah. Though I don't get the impression she'd complain too much. You're a great guy. ...Probably because of her, at least partly."
but something with the reviews? Ichika nods. "Yeah," she says. "You're seriously on track with them, too--an editor and everything. ...Heh. That girl. I thought I was going to have to hit her," she says.
"But you'll do great. You have the passion for it, and that goes a long way."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"Ok...we'll work it out." Ryuji relaxes some, hugging to her tighter.
"Heh. Some of that is just my innate personality though but yeah I owe her a lot for being there, ya know? Plus I gotta take care of her cuz she doesn't have anyone else." He sighs, running a hand playfully along her back. "I think you've grown me up some too...like I used to be kinda a mess now that I reflect on it. Sure I'm not Niijima or Renren but I like to think I'm pretty mature compared to where I was. Heh. That's all you."
"Yeah I think so too. I think if I can figure out a way to get on TV or get money off of it, we'd be set. I could pay Motojima and get the top of the line equipment we oughta have." Ryuji runs his hand down her back again. "Yeah. I just know a lot about food. Back during my track days, I'd pick out the places we'd stop. Used to make a point of looking up reviews or anything that was out of the ordinary." He pokes her. "If I can get those old guys on board, I think we could make it into a guide for tourists or travelers. But I gotta get some geezers to realize the potential in trusting me to show them in a good light."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Cool," Ichika says, and strokse through Ryuji's hair more, idly as she listens. "Hmm, yeah... You do. it's important. Caring for your mother is one of the big things you can do. ...You know? I'm looking after mine right now, too. She's due soon..." Her new baby sister.
She smiles back. "Yeah," Ichika agrees. "You really have. I always thought you were charming... but you step up more than you used to, too. I think it's more you than you give yourself credit for though. Though you do have good taste in friends, too."
But if he can get on TV... Hmm. "If you can get to be respected for it, places will want your reviews--that goes a way."
"Mm..." The hand on her back is nice. "Oh, that's how?" she wonders. Then she laughs. "I think that's a great idea!"
"Sounds good to me. How to get them to trust you... I guess you just put out the best quality you can, and hope it speaks for itself."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"Oh yeah. She is having another kid. Man you Kawase women are big into having kids. Is your sister like this too?" Ryuji asks idly, just wondering how deep this baby thing goes.
He purrs as she strokes his hair, settling into his embrace. He doesn't really want to move right now. "Yeah, well, don't rub it in. I might lose my limited street cred." He grins mischievously, tickling her back further.
"Yeah...actually I know a place. I ran into a fan and she told me about this Izakaya to try out." Ryuji turns to look up to Ichika. "Might be a good pilot for the new way of doing things with Motojima. Like if I can get a good episode, I'm sure it will catch on."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Haha," Ichika laughs. "We kind of are. But in her case I think it's at least as much that she and Daddy stopped using condoms again... Kind of a 'if it happens again it happens again' sort of situation." Ichika is remarkably calm about the idea of her parents having sex--though that doesn't mean she lingers on the details. "But no, Ririka-chan might not ever have kids, knowing her. I'll just have an extra one or two for her sake, right?"
Ichika doesn't move yet, either--well, she didn't, until she's tickled a little, and her abdomen--soft, rather than musclular-hard--presses back into Ryuji's face. "Haha, OK. I'll keep it secret."
But, a place? "oooh..." She nods. "That'd be really cool. Let me know if I can help, OK?"
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"Huh...I guess your sister is too busy trying to be a rock star, heh." Ryuji is a little weirded out she is so calm about her parents having sex. Then again, Ryuji is in a very different situation with his parents so how could he relate. He sighs before spitting. "Eh?! An extra two?!" His voice cracks as his eyes widen. "Come on. I dunno how I'll afford two or three. Tsubasa and I are gonna worked to the bone!"
Ryuji grins as he relaxes against her. "Good. I can't have the gang having anymore dirt on me. Skull is a master fighter and stealer of hearts!" He grins proudly, pointing at his chest before pointing at the ceiling.
"I don't think so. But it's gotta mean something that I have fans. Maybe I can do this!"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Probably," ichika says, and doesn't comment for the moment that her sister is also dating a girl at the moment. Instead, well--Ichika is a lot more comfortable discussing sex frankly than most of her peers, so that may just be part of it. Then--
She grins. "Not immediately," she clarifies, though she doesn't relent!! "Don't worry, I'll be working hard too." A beat, "...But that is what I mean. You don't necessarily ahve to worry about it yet, OK? I want a big family one day... But we'll see what it all looks like later, OK?"
Master fightr, master heart stealer! "He's pretty great at both of those," Ichika agrees. "...And unlike some people you slow down enough to let me heal you..."
But fans! "OK, cool. Well, I'm still a big fan! You can totally do it!"
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji nods, looking up as he lays head against her legs. He sighs as he laughs.
"Fine. Fine. 2 or 12 kids! The Sakamoto Dynasty will be massive and powerful!" He jokingly thrusts his fist into the air, twirling it once in jubilation.
"Hey, I get to see you when you heal me. Otherwise, I'd be up in front getting busted up." He seems rather proud of that fact, laughing as he reaches up to cup her face. "But seeing you is enough to get me back to normal."
"Yeah but you're my girlfriend. I think you count as double or something."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"...Maybe not 12," she allows, looking into the distance for a moment as she contemplats quite that high a number. "We don't have twins in the family so much..."
She smiles. "Could be, you know." But then, "...But it really is fine that..."
"I do like being seen," Ichika says. "Besides, now and then some lightning is good to throw, too!" Ichika leans down at Ryuji, when he cups her face. "...Back to normal, mm? I can hold you to that."
"I am," she says. "And I do."
"...Thanks. For listening. I still need to think..."
"But I'm happy you didn't run off."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji grins and strokes her face. "Come on. You wanted kids. Maybe 13 so it's the unlucky 13th child, Damien. He's coming to get his Mama. Rawr" He laughs at how corny hes being before settling down. "Nah. Lets just see."
"Oh? Heh. I'll take that under advisement, Boss." He salutes.
When she mentions running, Ryuji laughs a little. He pauses before adding. "I couldn't run if I wanted to." He holds her tighter, sighing as he experiences everything.