2026-11-03: A Stop at the Mall
- Log: A Stop At The Mall
- Cast: Ririka Kawase, Ichika Kawase
- Where: Paulownia Mall
- OOC Date: November 03, 2026
- IC Date: Sunday, February 03, 2013
- Summary: Ichika picks up Ririka and the two head to Pauloownia Mall to chat and hang out for a few before going home. They talk about breakups, family, dorms, and dogs!
(|============================== 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> Ririka Kawase has posed.
It's good to make time to spend with siblings... especially with a lot of major changse of all kinds just up ahead... Or currently in the works, in the case of one girl's fashion experimentation.
When Ichika picked Ririka up from the dorm, not only did Ririka have her shorter hair styled to have the right side frame her face and the left side tucked behind her ear, she's got a dark purple ear cuff on the left ear, too.
And she's trying a new outfit, too: black leggings, a dark purple skirt, a dusty purple hoodie, and sneakers.
The ride was, presumably, pleasant, but only a short while later they arrived at... Paulownia!
"So," Ririka asks as they walk in together. "What do you feel like doing first? We could go shopping, grab a bite to eat, check out the arcade..."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
It's good! Ichika, earlier today, had time to talk to Ren and visit the festivities in Tokyo about Setsubun. Now, she's come to spend time with her little sister (not that little) and her parents before heading back to the dorm for school tomorrow.
...Well, mostly with her mother; her dad's working again tonight.
"You look good," Ichika said at the time. "Nice purples."
Ichika's in a green coat, herself--that obscures most of her outfit but for the low boots she's wearing. And as they walk into the mall area...
The arcade gives Ichika a distant look. She thinks of Ryuji, and shakes her head. "Nah," Ichika says. "No arcades for me just now. Let's eat something. It'll give us a chance to catch up on some things anyway."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
"Thanks!" Ririka is really happy that Ichka likes the outfit. (Though is more happy that Ikumi does, even if she had to share it via selfie.)
Their father always works a lot, huh? Ririka wonders what's going to happen after...
No arcade. Ririka can't guess the significance off-hand, but she nods. "Uh... sure. No arcade then. Grabbing a bite works for me. You in the mood for anything in particular?"
A short while later they're seated at Chagall, with snacks and coffee. Ririka takes a nibble, and then... "So... it's February. Kind of hard to believe it's almost..." She lets the thought trail off for a moment. "... it's been kind of a crazy year, huh?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Somehow, Ichika will recover from coming in second on that front.
But he does work a lot; probably, Suika will have to do most of the childcare on her own. ...But that's part of why Ichika will be over a lot, too. And maybe Dr. Kawase can get some more time off for this, this time...
"Coffee's good," Ichika says.
And soon, they have coffee and a little cake! Well, Ichika has a little cake. "...Almost time for Mom to be due?" Ichika wonders. "Or almsot time for me to graduate?"
She smiles. "Both are big. ...It really has, though. So much has happened... And so many 'weird' things, too."
Ichika pauses. "Like..."
"I broke up with Ryuji-kun," she says.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ichika's opinion is still very important to Ririka though! Just in a different way than Ikumi's.
Ririka is already making plans to also be over a lot... and with having had to free up her schedule some a few months ago, it hopefully won't be as much of a burden on her as it might otherwise have been.
"I mean, both? And I'll be a third year this year, too.." She nods a little to 'weird'. ".. yeah."
They don't talk about the weird stuff a lot, do they?
She sits up straighter. "Oh, dang... how'd he take it? Are... you okay? I know you really liked him..."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
It'd be the same for Ichika; it's more funny than sad.
"Mm-hm. Then you'll have to deal with entrance exams and stuff. ...It'll be a little easier for you, since you'll have all year to prep instead of just starting in the second semester and hoping it works. But then, you'll probably be going for harder schools..." Ichika 'hmms' about that.
They don't talk about the weird stuff too much, no. There's reasons for that. They both have secrets to keep.
But--
"He didn't take it great," Ichika says with a wince. "...He's pretty upset. Not like, violent or anything--he didn't take it badly. Just... He's not happy."
"I'm kinda down about it," she admits. "But I think I made the right call. So it's just me and Tsubasa for a while."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
"Well, yeah, I guess..." She doesn't want to brag about her own potential chances. "Though... honestly I'm still kind of considering what I want to do? I have some time to decide... I still want to keep working at Polychord but I think I still want to go to school, too..."
Indeed. But at the very least, other things have become easier to talk about over the last year.
Ririka winces at the news. "Poor guy... I hope he'll be okay." She takes a sip of her coffee. "So... what made you decide to do it? I knowyou had some concerns..."
But Ichika is also down. "I'm sorry, Sis.... if there's anything I can do to help, let me know?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Mm. I think you should go to school," Ichika opines. "It only opens up your options. But if you can handle your band, too, I think that's great."
Many other things!
"Hopefully," Ichika says. "He's got good friends--and... those friends aren't looking at me like I'm awful, or something."
"Mm, well... Part of it is that when I brought up those concerns, he kinda... freaked a bit. I could tell how hard it was on him."
"Anyway," she says, "I wanted to tell you so you knew. ...I'm probably moving in with Tsubasa, though. Once we graduate. For school, and all."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
"Yeah... I know I can do more if I do, but... I've been thinking I want to study contemporary music, not classical. I'll always love classical music, of course, but... I want to keep trying new things, too, you know?"
"Well, if I do it right, it'll give me more ideas for things to do with Polychord, right?"
"Well, that's good." She hasn't had to do a messy breakup, but she can see how that'd make it harder.
"Oof... but I guess that makes sense...and with you graduating soon, and starting college..."
Ririka nods. "Thanks, I appreciate it. And if you wanna talk about that more, we can..." But moving in! "Oh, cool. That makes sense."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Contemporary's cool," Ichika says. "Maybe a background in classical is... good? ...Yeah, I dunno, that's not the kind of thing I know about. If you think contemporary's good, I bet you're right. You should study what you want, anyway."
"Totally."
And, "Yeah..." She shakes her head. "That's right," Ichika says. "He doesn't need all that yet. But to be honest... I'd like to do almost anything but keep talking about him right now."
"I need to clear my head, move forward."
"So! We can move forward." She lifts her coffee and inhales the aroma. "Yeah. We're... really serious, you know?"
"...But I need a minute before I can talk about that. How about you tell me how you're feeling, instead? We're close to the big day--and I know you've been having mixed feelings."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
"Yeah, I'm still... figuring all that out. Trying to get some advice, that kind of thing. I'm not giving up piano, though--I'll still play it in some form, you know?"
Ririka laughs a little awkwardly. "Oh, right--sorry, then... we can talk about something else!" But as for her and Tsubasa... "Yeah, seems like it. I'm glad you two still have each other, at least."
Let's see, what's not an awkward topic...
The incoming baby Kawae. ... Nope, still feels awkward. But it's what Ichika picked... Ririka sighs. "I mean, I'm still kind of having mixed feelings..." She shrugs a little. "You're about to graduate, I'm going to be a third year, I want to help Mom with the baby but I still have my own things going... I guess... it still makes me think of nii-chan, too..."
She looks down at her coffee for a moment. "I guess I'm also a little woerried I won't know what to do." She looks up again. "Uh... how are you feeling about it?" As awkward as Ririka feels, she can only imagine what her sister thinks, considering...
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Right. Well, you can get better advice from people who know more about that," Ichika opines. Than herself, presumably. "But that's cool. You're really good at piano."
Ichika doesn't smile on that one--the topic is awkward for her--but, "Something else is good. It's fine." Pause. "We do. ...We definitely do."
"What kind of a mix?" Ichika wonders. She doesn't know if Ririka doesn't tell her, after all. "All that's true--but Mom wouldn't want us to worry too hard. Like... I'm going to help, but she wouldn't have gone for it if she didn't think she could do it. That's what I think, anyway. Otherwise we'd have had a new sibling a lot sooner."
"...That's true, though. Nobody can replace him. And nobody will. ...We just have to try to move forward."
"Like what?" Ichika wonders, of 'what to do'. "...We can tell you most of it, you know? Some of it's natural, some of it's just 'do what Mom asks'."
"But me..." Ichika looks down at her coffee, and sets it down. She forks off a bit of cake and brings it to her lips, chewing the delicate treat for a few moments. It's rude in some respects, but in others... she needs a moment to think.
Then, when she finishes swallowing, "I'm happy for her. ...It means she and Daddy are still... you know, getting along, so that's good. But it means more than that. It means she's trying to move forward, too. And... I'm really looking forward to meeting the baby."
"Funnily, it's... helped me remember I can wait, a while, before I start a family too. Even if I admit... I am a little jealous. Mom being pregnant has made me think of my little girl from the beginning..." She sighs, and puts both hands on her warm coffee mug. Pheromone coffee... she doesn't need a lot more charm, probably. But maybe?
"But I think... It's a good thing, overall. We all have our lives to think about. We can't stay in the past. For better or worse, we can only go forward."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
"Your opinion still matters, though..." Ririka says with a small smile. "And, thanks."
"Just... the same ones I've had, I guess. We're going to be so much older, it still feels like replacing Toshi-nii a little, will we even... I dunno. Have anything in common with them?" She considers for a moment. "... I guess there's some new ones, now that we're so close. Just... worried I won't know how to be a good older sister..."
She nods a little. "I guess that's true... I want to help, too, of course, when I can..."
Moving forward. "... yeah. I... I have a lot to look forward to, but I still think about him a lot." She looks off into the rest of the mall. "... I wonder what he'd think of Ikumi-chan..."
"I mean, I dunno. Changing a diaper? Or even just... holding a baby?" She nods a little as Ichika says that they can explain. "Well, as long as I can lern it, I guess that's okay..."
Ichika needs a moment, and Ririka will let her have it. She breaks off a piece of a cookie to nibble at it, watching the mall for a few moments so Ichika can gather her thoughts.
Getting along. "Yeah... that's true." Moving forward... "That's true... I guess things have been hard for them, too, huh..." She ponders for a moment. "... and I guess we're at the point where, in a few years, we could be moving out and starting our own lives..."
A reminder. Ririka looks at IChika curiously. "Yeah?" But she draws in a breath at the mention of being jealous. "... yeah... Someday when you're ready I still think you're gonna be a great mom."
Ririka nods a little. "... we have to keep moving forward," she echos. Even when it feels hard.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"I'm glad you value what I have to say," Ichika settles on, "But I know when other people know more. ...Thanks, though. I'll help however I can, you know?"
So much older... That's true. "Mm. I can see where you'd feel that way..." About 'replacing'. "Maybe we will, maybe we won't. But if nothing else, we'll be their sisters. ...We can look after them, help them learn how to grow up." She smiles. "But you'll do great. Just..."
"Think of what Nii-san would do, and if you can get close, I think you'll do OK."
A lot to think ahead. "I think he'd like her," Ichika says, "Because she's making you happy. ...But we can't know. We just have to hope that he can see, somehow... and make him proud."
"Oh, yeah. You can learn that stuff. I'll have to learn that stuff, too. So it'll be nice to get in some practice!"
"It has," Ichika says. "We lost a brother--but they lost a son. ...Did you notice? Daddy tried to get into our lives more, after that. He realized what he was missing, as a father. And Mom's been holding us that much closer..."
"Mm-hm. We could. I'm already getting there."
A pause. "Someday," Ichika says. "...Maybe like, four or five years," she laughs. "Not yet. I'm not ready right now. I know that, now."
But forward. "Mm-hm."
"Speaking of forward..."
"I'm not straight," she settles on. "I dunno what I am, yet. But I've decided I'm not that. ...Love boys, though." She looks down. "I'm going to keep looking, when I'm ready. ...For another guy. For my and Tsubasa's life together... I still want a third, if I can get him. But if I can't..."
"Well, there's other ways."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
"You're welcome." Ririka smiles a little, even if it's a bit tinged by the surrounding conversation. "I don't know if I've said it in a while, but... I'm really glad that we can talk like this now. ABout this, or dating, or... whatever else."
"I don't think they're doing it for that reason, but it's still... you know." It might've been easier, if they hadn't learned that Toshiaki had been killed, to really start to feel like moving forward was possible.
... well, it still is, just... harder.
"We will be, yeah..." She manages a small smile. "... thanks." But then... she nods somberly. "... I can try. He, uh... suggested I work on getting closer to you, too, and... I'm glad I did."
She manages a steadier smile, though, about Ikumi. "She is... and I hope so. He'd have been the first one I came out to, if..." Well, no need to get into that. "... anyway. I hope he is proud."
Practice! "Oh yeah, I guess you do, too..."
"I mean..." Ririka glances aside. "... I didn't exactly... make it easy for them to do that..." She lets out a weary sigh. "I'm trying to let them in more, though... um... after I fainted, Dad and I talked in the hospital." She winces a little. "... and, well... he complimented my music. He said it sounded more intricate than some of the stuff on the radio..." She manages a small smile for that. "... it was nice, to know he thought that."
"Yeah. And I'm at the point where, I guess I start thinking about it."
"Cool. Well... when you're ready, I'll be ready to support you." Ririka tries to offer an encouraging smile. "You know... I think about if I want kids sometimes... I mean, I haven't looked into what it'd take, but I still think about it."
Not straight. "Cool." Ririka raises her mug to toast her sister. "... you know, I never thought we'd have that in common. But I'm glad we do."
Mmm... "Well, good luck... and yeah, I guess there are. You deserve that future that you want."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Me, too. ...It's good to be able to confide, instead of just... not really getting along."
"It's OK," Ichika says. "It might be easier when it's not a 'thing that's going to happen' but 'a thing that's already happened.' Right?"
Ichika smiles back. "So far, so good, right?"
"Mm, yeah. "I think so."
"...It's different, our situations like that. I kind of.. I mean, I could've pulled away, but it would've been bad. But you probably felt like you didn't have room to have issues."
She smiles back. "Yeah. And we know how much Mom likes your music. ...You do know, right? She's clipped all this stuff about your showings..."
"Thanks," Ichika says of the support. "I was kinda wondering if you ever would," Ichika says. "--Oh, don't get me wrong. Like... I have a teacher who did 'IVF', which lets you use all this science stuff to have a baby... but I'd be doing it the old-fashioned way. It's just a matter of what relationship I have to the dad. ...I'd rather it be another partner situation, but... Kind of a tall order, finding someone willing to share."
She smiles back, and lifts her mug too. "Me, either," she admits. "...But it's nice."
"And... thanks. I hope so."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
"Yeah, definitely... I know it took us a while, but... I'm glad we're here now."
"... yeah, that'll probbly help. Right now I'm just... worrying but I feel like I can't do anything about it."
Ririka smiles back. "Yeah."
"I mean, I asked to move into the dorms at Gekkoukan..." Maybe that counts as pulling away in some form. "... yeah. I just... didn't want to add to anyone's problems, to just keep everything together, but..." That ended up not working out so great, in various ways.
Ririka grins a little. "Yeah... we talk music all the time." She laughs a little. "Wait, really? I know she loves seeing the videos of the shows after, but... wow." She leans in. "She should start clipping your articles, too. Oh! Maybe... that's something we'll be able to share with our baby sibling someday!"
"I mean, it's not something I'm worried about right now, but... maybe someday? Though before I have a kid... I kind of wanna get a dog." But a teacher that did IVF... "Oh, are you talking about Ijuuin-sensei?" But she nods at the matter of a partner. "Yeah, I guess that'd be tricky, huh... But I bet you won't have any problems attracting a guy."
"It's the kind of thing that's definitely easier with support..." Ririka nods and smiles. "And, you're welcome."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Definitely."
"Worrying is hard." But Ichika smiles. Then, the matter of the dorms, well, "You did, but it's not just for that, right?" SEES, she means, is also a factor. "Well, you know now that we want you to lean on us, too, just like we want to lean on you."
But Ririka and Mom! "She does. And you know? I think she has! She asked me for a copy of the last paper..." She smiles. "Yeah, we could. That'd be great."
And not right now, but, "That's a good idea. Dogs are great, and... you wanna see if you can take care of something living before you go for the big step, right?" A beat, "Mm-hm. But you can only do that if you're married and stuff, so..." Legally, anyway.
"It would be--" Ichika laughs. "True. Like, I don't think that part's gonna be a problem--and like... even if he didn't want to be with me, I'd be willing to negotiate on other stuff. But like... Yeah. I'm not willing to lie to a guy about what to expect, so it's tricky."
She nods back. Support... "It is. ...But hey, right? This cake is really good."
It's her way of passing the baton for a minute, if Ririka wants.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
"It is..." More than just that. "Mmm... yeah, true..." SEES is kind of a special circumstance... But leaning on them... "I'm trying, honest... I've actually thought about moving back home, but... there's other things I need to be responsible for, too..."
Not that she's explained too much about her SEES duties to Ichika, but mysteriously she might know more than Ririka suspects.
"Awesome! I bet you're gonna be a great reporter."
"Yeah! Dogs seem fun. Suzuki-kun's dog always seems so, anyway. Our dorm kind of helps take care of Koro-chan, but... getting my own dog might be nice. Oh, yeah. How's Lance been doing, these days? I have't seen her in a while..."
IVF, but you have to be married. "... yeah, that's true. Annnd that's another reason for me to not think about kids, you know?" Since there's so much extra stuff that goes into it.
Tricky... "Well, you know what you want though, right? So... that's at least something... but still, good luck."
"And these cookies are good, too..." She takes another bite, in fact. Nomf. "... so, after this, what do you want to do?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"...Right," Ichika says, looking at Ririka. "Other things." SEES mostly? all? live in that dormitory...
Ichika does know a little more. And she smiles at Ririka's assessment. "Thanks," she says.
"I think you should," Ichika says. "And Lance is great. She's as playful as ever."
"Mm-hm. It's a complicated issue; no need for you to be worrying about it yet. You've got time."
So doesn't she? Well... it's complicated.
"I do," Ichika says. There's more she could say... but she wants to work it out with Tsubasa before she shares it with anyone else.
"The coffee, too. I totally feel more charming." She considers that, then. "I'm not sure," she admits. "We should probably head home after a while, check in on Mom."
"But we don't have to rush."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
"Yep." Ririka looks back at Ichika. "... Other things." That she won't elaborate on.
"Welcome!"
"You think so? But... I probably couldn't keep him in the dorm, and... if I keep him at home then that's... well, more work for Mom, right?" But she smiles about Lance. "That's good to hear."
Ririka will wait to hear about more, then.
She grins a little, about the coffee. "Gotta use that charm to find a guy and get those leads, right?"
"Yeah, that's true... well, if we've got a little time I wouldn't mind checking a clothing store or two. Maybe I can get your input?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika doesn't ask; she's not going to reveal what she's thinking here at the cafe. Maybe another time...
But, "Mm. Well, Mom would also probably like the company," Ichika points out. "I know Daddy would. So it's worth a thought. Of course, you could always wait, and get one later when you're living on your own."
"Heheheh," Ichika laughs. "True. Find the right guy, get people to talk... It's all skill."
"Hmm. OK," Ichika says. "That'd be fine then."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Another time, then.
Ririka considers that. "That's true... And Dad likes dogs, doesn't he? Maybe... that'd be something we could bond over?" She can bond with Mom over music, so...
But later, when she's living on her own... what happens if she graduates and SEES' mission isn't finished?
"Yep."
"If you don't mind, but... I promise I'll keep it quick so we can go see Mom after."