2025-10-12: Bonk

• Log: Bonk
• Cast: Tsubasa Seki, Ayame Watanabe, Shinobu Shimizu
• Where: Smile Mall, Hirasaka Ward, Sumaru City
• OOC Date: October 12, 2025
• IC Date: Wed, July 25, 2012
• Summary: Tsubasa gets to talk to not one but two adults! Lance gets many pets.

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<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

        Smile Hirasaka is actually a pretty nice department store, for being stuck in the middle of Hirasaka, emblematic of its rustic charms rather than its recent reputation. It has five floors! None of those floors allow dogs, though, so...

        ... there are kids skipping school and loitering out back with their mutts. Damn kids!!

        Okay, be fair: it's exams week, so there's only one brat brave enough to loiter behind Smile Hirasaka today, when they should by all rights be locked up in Kasugayama taking their exams and trying to be a functional member of society. They do have a dog, though. They also have dressings visible on their arms, shoulder, and legs, beneath their board shorts and their strappy top which is short enough to show off the binder beneath it... and neon blue hair, today.

        (Myunghon got them a new wig.)

        Tsubasa's sitting on a toppled-over shopping cart, one leg dangling out as the other's drawn up to their chest, leaning back on one hand and texting with the other. The tosa inu beside them is bounding up with a stick in her mouth, and Tsubasa leans forward to take it from Lance before tossing it back out into the carpark.

        What? No one actually DRIVES in Japan, she's not gonna get hit by a car.

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

Smile Hirasaka is great! Ayame comes here now and then for deals she can't get elsewhere. After all, part of being a good housewife is knowing where to get what for the best price. Today, she is shopping with her SISTER, or at least, that is the plan when they arrive. And--

Thunk.

A stick bounces off a fairly ordinary car as Ayame pulls into a parking space. "Oh!" Ayame exclaims, but it's fine. "Well, that wasn't nice..."

She comes to a stop, looks to Shinobu, and says, "I suppose it's an exciting day already."

Then, she gets out of the car and--

"Oh! Seki-kun!" And DOG!

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

Shinobu has a free day today! She doesn't get these often, so when she does, she tries to use them to the fullest - and today, that means spending time with one of her sisters. It's been a while! Everything is going normally, until - thunk.

"The hell?" Shinobu says. "...Yeah, I think someone's in for a talking to."

She nods.

"Looks like it." She replies.

And, that was the plan - except then she sees the person responsible, and relief takes over.

"Hey, Tsubasa, Lance. Good seeing you both." Shinobu says. It's a casual enough greeting, but she can't hide the smile. They already told her they got out, but actually seeing them safe and sound is another thing entirely.

<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

        Enter: someone driving a car in Japan. Luckily, Tsubasa whistles to bring Lance back before she can gallop right into it.

        "What the fuck, man?" Tsubasa asks, because seriously, who drives a car in this day and age? They straighten up, shoving their phone in their pocket, about ready to give this asshole a piece of their mind when --

        oh it's ayame

        Tsubasa goes from stalking over to the car to a dead stop real quick when the housewife gets out. "H--hey, Watanabe-san!" They bark out, with nervous laughter which only gets worse when someone else gets out of the passenger seat and, "y-ya got Big Sis with ya too, huh..."

        Tsubasa rubs at the back of their neck, trying their best to pretend they weren't just ripshit pissed at them for driving into the path of their dog (in the place designed for cars (shut up)). "Yeah," they nod, to Shinobu. "Woulda come out yesterday, but I was kinda beat..." Understatements! They're good for housewives. Who... probably saw the news, which might explain why Tsubasa's so nervous.

        Lance, of course, is just happy to see both of them, and obviously bounds up to say hello with a big friendly BORK.

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

A talking-to indeed! Ayame is happy to let Shinobu handle that; she's never been the biggest disciplinarian. Still...

Tsubasa and Lance!

Tsubasa was stalking, but Ayame practically sparkles with flowers over her head as she sees them. "Hello!" she greets again.

But nervous? Well, that's fine.

"You look like you've been terribly hurt," Ayame says. "I can't believe they'd think that someone in your condition was..."

She frowns. "Well, regardless, I'm happy to see you safe and free. I saw the news and I was very worried..."

She crouches down, then. "Why, hello there! You're a good girl, aren't you?"

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

Tsubasa greets them both. And if Shinobu notices that they're trying to pull back their anger, she doesn't call them out on it, because she's trying to pull her own back, too. It's fine - sometimes these things happen.

"Yeah, we're hangin' out today." Shinobu confirms with a nod. Tsubasa explains that they were 'kinda beat' and she takes a moment to look them over before nodding again. "No kidding. Be surprised if you weren't after everything you went through... How are you holding up?"

She looks toward Ayame then with a shrug.

"Easier than admitting who actually did it. They care more about their image." She replies... but nods her agreement. "...Yeah. Me too, Tsubasa. Sorry you went through all that."

Lance comes bounding up - and much like Ayame, Shinobu kneels down to greet her. She reaches out to give her a pet and a scratch behind the ears.

"Hey, girl. Bet you were real happy to see them again, huh?" She greets.

<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

        "I--I didn't do it," Tsubasa insists, a touch nervously, which luckily Shinobu backs up just the same. "Y, yeah. Uh... I'm cool, tho'," they rub at an arm, a touch self-consciously. "Burnin' buildin'... whatever, yawn, it's old by now, oughta get a new trick."

        The news did mention that there was someone caught in the burning art house, though most reports declined to mention that it was the same person they were all trying to pin the crime on.

        (And Tsubasa might just laugh the whole thing off as stupid, but they do look a little disturbed, even in the middle of their tough guy act.)

        "Haven't heard from my folks since then," they add, glancing to Shinobu, who knows very well who actually wanted the Joker Killer to strike. "... uh, that's pretty normal, tho'."

        Lance wriggles happily with the attention she receives, and Tsubasa says: "Chyeah, she was happy. Even forgot the thing 'bout not lickin' people's faces... gross." They don't sound that bothered, though. "... was cool how the Cardboard Dragon put her up."

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

"Of course you didn't," Ayame says, waving her hand as if to dismiss the very idea. What evidence does she have for this? Woman's intuition! Don't worry about it. She is no longer worried about the stick either--besides, it bounced off. No harm done.

"I don't think that's how it works," Ayame says with a frown about the burning building, "But you're well enough to be out and about, so..."

But still, their image. Shinobu points that out, and Ayame sighs. "True," she says. "And it's not the first time they've covered up for that individual..."

Sorry. "Me, too."

From their folks. Ayame frowns sharply. "There's no excuse for that," she says.

But at least Lance is happy. "Hm hm. I suppose so," she says. "That would be an issue, the face-licking..." Ayame pets Lance, and then stands up again.

"Did they?" Ayame asks. "That's very good. They're very reliable over there, aren't they?" She smiles at Shinobu.

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

Tsubasa insists they didn't do it - and Ayame doesn't believe it, either. Not that Shinobu thought for a second that she might - she has a good head on her shoulders... and as she says, it isn't the first time she's seen the cover-ups.

"Cool, huh?" Shinobu replies consideringly. They don't seem cool, but she's not sure if pressing it would be any help right now. "Good, good. ...But if that changes, let someone know, alright?"

Ayame sighs, and Shinobu nods.

"Seriously." She says about cover-ups.

Their folks, huh... Shinobu meets their glance. She remembers well, in fact. It isn't surprising... but it's a little dissatisfying, too. After all that, they won't say a thing...? She shakes her head. It's probably for the best.

"...Figures." She mutters.

Lance wriggles and Shinobu can't help but smile - and the mention of their reunion gets a chuckle out of Shinobu.

"Couldn't contain yourself, huh, girl?" Shinobu says, giving her one last pet before standing up. She nods toward Ayame, then, a fond look on her face. "...They really are."

She shakes her head, then, looking back toward Tsubasa.

"It's alright. We were just trying to do right by you, is all." Shinobu replies. Someone ought to, at least.

<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

        Give them some credit: Tsubasa tries to be subtle about the relieved breath they let out when Ayame decides out of hand that they're innocent.

        They think they're pretty subtle!!

        (Teenagers always do.)

        "Sure," Tsubasa nods, to Shinobu's concern, and somehow manages to avoid following up with a tough statement about how they're cool actually, because Myunghon just gave them a big speech about helping each other last night!!

        "Uh, was in hospital for a bit," Tsubasa explains, when Ayame comments about them being out and about. "It's cool, tho'. Ain't need no grafts or nothin'."

        They rub at the back of their neck, again, thinking of the Joker Killer. "Yeah. I, uh... met him twice. Think he mighta felt bad for me..."

        They shrug a shoulder, though. "Uh, prolly a good thing, considerin'," they mutter, when Ayame gets offended that their parents haven't called. "Last time my father came to visit me when I was like this... weren't great." And the way their tone lowers on those last two words suggests that they're an understatement.

        "It's cool," they add, gesturing to Shinobu. "I got Big Sis an' the others over there keepin' an eye out. Suits me better, anyway."

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

Subtle. ...No, not so much. But Ayame doesn't call them out on it for the moment. Instead, she looks to Shinobu. Let someone know... Hopefully let one of them know, too. But seriously about coverups indeed.

But Tsubasa explains, and Ayame nods. "I see..." She nods. "Well, that's good. I'd hardly say it's 'cool', but if there's no permanent injury..." Oh, well. And the Joker Killer, Ayame frowns. "What a terrible man. ...Do you think so, though?"

And a good thing. "Ah. ...Well, I'm sorry."

But they're keeping an eye out, and Ayame smiles. "That's good," she says. "You deserve someone to look after you. You and Lance both."

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

Tsubasa nods, and Shinobu nods back. She doesn't call them out on acting subtle, either.

"...Yeah. That's a relief." Shinobu agrees, as Ayame comments on the lack of permanent injury. She was concerned about that, but it's good to know that isn't the case.

They've met him twice - but he felt bad for them...? Shinobu frowns, just a little. It's difficult for her to give him the benefit of the doubt, but... she isn't going to second-guess them if that's the way they feel, either. And as for family, well... it probably really is.

"We do our best, anyhow." Shinobu replies with a shrug, as Tsubasa says they have her and the others - and she nods, too toward Ayame, with a slight smile. "...She's right, though. You do."

<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

        "Uh, yeah..." Tsubasa shifts, on a foot, as they try to figure out if there's a way to explain why the Joker Killer was going easy on them without trashing everything.

        Nope, full destruction it is. "When he said my mom called him on me, he wanted me to ring him and name her so he could go kill her instead... uh, didn't go for it, tho', so he kinda locked me in the exhibit as it was goin' up."

        Tsubasa certainly seems to think he was offering the only option he had open to him, but Ayame might notice how their immolation is now keyed to the choice they made instead of his enemy action.

        "Uh... I mean, we gotta look out for each other, right?" Tsubasa asks, glancing between Shinobu and Ayame. "Or somethin' like that..."

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

Yeah? Ayame waits patiently for Tsubasa's response. She listens, and hears--

"Your mother?" she says, and it's only the fact that Tsubasa has more to say than that that prevents her being stuck on that exact point. "That's--"

Of course. "...That's monstrous. Of her, and of him, for that matter. He seems to enjoy giving sadistic choices like that, but the result is always that he sets something on fire."

She continues, after a moment, "...When he came after my husband, he offered me the chance to have him kill someone else, too." She doesn't have to go into those details. Affairs and other women and that not being the case and...

Well.

"That's a lovely idea," Ayame agrees, of looking out for each other. She looks down. "...Well, I'd like to look out for you, too."

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

Shinobu looks toward Ayame as Tsubasa reveals what happened. ...It's no wonder that it would come as such a shock to her.

"I'm glad that you didn't. Nothing good could've come of that. Can't trust him." Shinobu replies with a shake of her head. She's not sure why he offered it. Maybe he just wants people on the hook. She listens as Ayame explains that she was given the choice, too.

Tsubasa says that they have to look out for each other... and a fond smirk crosses her face. She can already feel everyone's influence.

"That's right." Shinobu agrees with a nod. "Folks like us gotta stick together."

<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

        "It, uh -- I don't reckon it were her idea," Tsubasa assures Ayame, hastily. "It ain't like -- my father prolly put her up to it. Tho'... mightn't a told her straight up..." They'd thought he had, but Akechi had a pretty good argument as to why he might have just made the atmosphere conducive to murdering them.

        (At no point in reassuring Ayame of this does Tsubasa realise that actually, that's worse.)

        "Still, uh... he did it to you too, huh?" Tsubasa asks, scratching at their cheek. "I mean... yeah," they add, nodding to Shinobu, "guy like that weren't never gon' be on no up-and-up. But Niko-chan sounded pretty sure of it... uh, the chick what was helpin' him," they add, for Ayame's benefit.

        (But if they're calling her 'Niko-chan', does that mean they were friendly?)

        "But it's cool," they shake their head. "Kinda past the point I need parents anyway, so it's whatever... an' it ain't like I don't got, fuckin', roots in the community or whatever," they kick at the asphalt, a little self-conscious over the whole thing.

        "Uh," they add, with a deep shrug as they shove their hands in their pockets, "you're cool, tho'," with a shade of apology towards Ayame for slagging off parents in their last breath. "Like, we're cool... you can do what you want. Yeah?"

        Apparently, it's still hard to just spit out 'yes, I am an abandoned child and I desperately need a hand up.'

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

It does come as a shock. But so does the 'reassurance' Tsubasa gives them. "That's..." She says, "I don't think that makes it less bad," she says, and is still a little pale at the entire thought of it. But, he also did it to her. "Mm-hm. He was awful about it." Niko-chan? "...Hm."

It's cool though. They don't need parents. Ayame can't help looking sad at that thought. She just kind of looks down and her shoulders slump very very slightly. "...of course," she says to roots in the community, but--

"Ah," she says. "You don't have to reassure me," she assures them. "But I appreciate it all the same. I think I will do what I want in this case, in fact!"

Of course, now what she wants is... to feed Tsubasa!!

"Oh, may I have your number?" she asks Tsubasa. "I'd like to invite you over sometime. I think Isamu would love to see you again."

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

Tsubasa explains the situation - how their father was likely the one who put their mother up to it. Shinobu can barely hide the distaste that crosses her face as she thinks about it again, listening as Ayame processes it. As if she didn't have enough reasons to hate the guy already.

She nods as Tsubasa nods at her, and Niko... Shinobu frowns, just slightly, thinking back to her.

"Yeah, well... she seemed like she was goin' through stuff of her own." Shinobu says with a shrug.

Tsubasa says it's cool. Frankly, she can't blame them for reaching that decision.

"...Yeah, don't worry. You've got us right behind you, ready to come running." Shinobu says. And she smirks when, despite that, Ayame reaches out, deciding to do what she wants anyway. It's just like her, and Shinobu's glad for that.

<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

        "Oh," Tsubasa says, a touch awkward, when Ayame tells them it isn't less bad. "Sorry." As if the story being that fucked up is their fault!!

        "He sucks," they affirm, when Ayame says the Joker Killer was awful. "An'... yeah, guess Niko-chan's deep in it," they sigh, looking to Shinobu. "Gonna have to kick her ass next time I see her, anyway."

        Tsubasa she just tried to kill you, put some battles back.

        "Yeah?" Tsubasa asks, glancing back and forth in a squirrelly manner before determining they're clear to look Shinobu in the eye. They actually smile!! "Thanks, Big Sis. I'll count on it."

        And speaking of counting... numbers. "Oh, sure," Tsubasa says, pulling their phone out. "Here..." Their phone's a few years old, but it still works. Beep!

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

"No," Ayame says, "You don't need to be. It's bad for you." Maybe explaining it will help.

But it sucks and, "I guess that's... how it works?" Ayame wonders, the question marks pactically visible above her head.

Ayame wasn't there, after all.

But, "Mm-hm!" Ayame agrees. "I'll help, too!" And then she smiles back. "Great," she says, pulling out her own phone, and exchanging numbers. "Well... I'd invite you to go with us, but they wouldn't accept Lance..." Hrmmm.

"Are you going to be here a while? I could bring you and Lance a snack if you are..."

She looks to Shinobu.

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

Shinobu listens as Ayame assures Tsubasa they don't need to be sorry about something that's bad for them. And about the Joker Killer...

"He sure does." Shinobu echoes her agreement - and considers them for a moment as they say they'll have to kick Niko's ass.

"Sure, but uh - be careful, alright? She's tough." She says. Niko has a Persona, and she could tell by fighting her that she was pretty strong... and as far as Shinobu knows, Tsubasa still doesn't.

Tsubasa actually smiles, and Shinobu can't help but smile back.

"You got it." She replies with a nod. Ayame and Tsubasa trade numbers - and Shinobu frowns thoughtfully as Ayame points out that they probably wouldn't accept Lance.

"Oh, yeah, they probably wouldn't, huh..." She comments with a frown - and then nods, meeting Ayame's look. "Yeah, we'll bring you something back. Next time, you oughta come with us."

<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.

        "Oh, uh... yeah, guess so." They rub at the back of their neck as they explain, awkwardly: "Already embarrassed myself cryin' to Yeo-sama, tho', so..."

        They're trying to explain why they're not crying about it, and accidentally reassure the adults that they've been able to express themself somewhere in the process.

        "Pre' much," they nod, to Ayame, who doesn't really understand how youth crime works. Shinobu warns them, though, and they fold their arms. "It's cool," they assure her. "Ain't gonna lose my head or nothin'."

        They don't want to just say out loud in front of the housewife 'obviously I'm going to bring a whole gang and jump her in a completely unfair beatdown'. Normal people get squeamish about that for some reason.

        But the mall doesn't accept dogs! And Tsubasa shrugs, arms still folded, because they're cool. "Ain't got nowhere to be," they say, and if they're trying to be cool hopefully it's working and not completely obvious they're puffing themself up. "Not like I can go start exams halfway through the week or nothin'..."

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

Be careful. Of course! "Yes, don't take any undue risks," Ayame says, because she doesn't get it even a little bit. ...She doesn't call Tsubasa on crying about it though; they already went to someone reliable... so that's all right. Instead she says, "Wonderful." About the number. And Shinobu seems to agree with her idea!

"Oh," Ayame says of finals, "I suppose not. ...but I hope they'll let you make them up."

But then, she decides, "...But if you want to know a secret..."

"The snacks you eat while your peers are all doing difficult tests and you're not are especially delicious." She winks.

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

They cried to Myunghon, huh...? Shinobu is assured by that, and she's not about to comment on it and make them feel self-conscious. And they assure her that 'it's cool'...

...but even if they do bring a gang, Shinobu isn't sure it'll be enough.

"Alright. Just as long as you don't." She replies with a nod.

Exams, huh...

"...Oh yeah, guess it is around that time." Shinobu considers. It's not her concern and hasn't been for a long time, thank goodness - but she does nod, to agree with Ayame. "Yeah. Here's hoping."

...And then Ayame offers them a secret, and Shinobu smirks.

"It's true." She agrees.