2022-02-02: Someone is Learning the Colors of All Your Moods
- Log: 2022-02-02- Someone is Learning the Colors of All Your Moods
- Cast: Akane Shinjo, Rikka Takarada, Sayla Mass
- Where: Tsutsujidai - A Bus
- OOC - IC Date: 0096-02-02 (2022-02-02)
- Summary: Two young ladies' worlds come back together by inches, with a tiny bit of encouragement... and a painful reminder, for one of them, of the way the world has changed.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
The downside of skipping a significant amount of class whenever you're unhappy or bored (and your default state is unhappiness or boredom): When you do go, you end up a little bit tied up. Akane Shinjo, as a direct result of this...
... is *late* getting out of the school building! Which means she's *also* on a later bus. Despite how hot her city runs -- a thing which she generally likes -- the heat is actually a little oppressive even for her, so she's taking the bus home. It's a bit cooler.
Assuming all goes well, she'll pop out of the bus at the bus stop nearest her house and Aya in the late afternoon. Under normal circumstances, this would usually be followed by some nice going home and lying in the garbage.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka Takarada, as it happens, is in a similar situation! In Rikka's case, it's been due to the exhaustion and emotional weight that comes from finding out that there's an entire other world outside your own that is similar yet incredibly different... and also, the time spent actually being there due to Circumstances.
Naturally, Hass and Namiko teased her mercilessly upon her return and immediately made plans to meet up - which was a nice return to some sort of normalcy, really.
And so, Rikka is also on the bus back home to that same bus stop, presently tapping away at her phone.
It sure is convenient they live so close to each other, huh!
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Thrice is enemy action.
Sayla has been exploring Tsutsujidai for a few days now. It's a change, being somewhere that... doesn't need help.
It would be a nicer change if the town weren't so incredibly uncomfortable to be in. The people here are... Wrong. Normally she wouldn't say it, but there's something here that is deeply unpleasant. So many people are just... off. Hollow? Flat? She can't find the words.
So she is frankly, when stepping onto the bus to get back to her hotel, happy to see a friendly-ish face that also seems to have a soul attached.
"Good afternoon, Miss Takarada." She says, quietly, before moving to sit in the seat in front of Rikka's, setting her handbag to her left and her shopping- a mix of things hard to get 'back home'. Sayla's still quite formal with the Gridman Alliance, as she feels them out. And she's keeping Sho's warning in mind. And should Rikka want to talk, well, Sayla's happy to. Eager to, in fact, even if she has to keep to general 'safe' topics.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
The crushing loneliness that lives in Akane's brain is only made louder by the stillness of Tsutsujidai. Sayla gets that off her instantly -- and compared to the dull air-conditioner barely-a-noise of everything else in Tsutsujidai, it's as loud as any kaiju.
Despite that: Akane wasn't really feeling up to talking to Rikka alone just yet. That relationship, post-drift, is still kind of finding its legs. It's not that she didn't notice she was sharing a bus with her! She's just increasingly tired and angry and upset. All the things she retreated from have started coming to her anyway. Even the very gentle, very managed intrusions are starting to exhaust her.
On the other hand: now there's two of them, one of whom is both... noticeable in a way the locals aren't, and unfamil --
-- Wait, no, that's Sayla Mass. She's older, but she hasn't changed so much that Akane wouldn't recognize a member of the White Base crew on sight. (After all -- it's one of the few historical events that *did* survive in Tsutsujidai.)
She moves from a window seat to her usual spot on the bus -- one behind Rikka's. "What's this? 'Miss Takarada?'" she asks, a smirk on her face. "Is making friends with heroes your new thing, Rikka~?" Even still seething over her interaction with the King of Braves, she can always put on the fun mode for Rikka. Even if it comes with someone from outside.
The situation forces the issue a bit, and that crushing loneliness... actually does seem to attenuate, a bit. It's not *just* an act.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka notices Akane there... but, she's hesitant to reach out. She doesn't even know where to begin - isn't sure the attempt would be welcome. It's been so long since they last spoke, after all.
And so the bus ride continues on in silence... at least until Sayla gets on the bus and offers her a greeting.
"Oh, good afternoon, Miss Mass..." Rikka greets. She's a little surprised, though she supposes she shouldn't be - no doubt she and her people would want to investigate Tsutsujidai.
It's at this point that Akane slips into the seat behind her... and opens with some light teasing! Rikka can't help but laugh good-naturedly at that. Her phone is put away as she glances back Akane's way.
"It isn't like that... we just met the other day." Rikka replies with a smile. Somehow it feels natural, even after all this time. That said, she looks back at Sayla.
"Oh, Miss Mass, this is Akane Shinjo - one of my friends..." Rikka introduces, to be polite. It's unmistakable, though, how she feels a good bit of trust - toward both sides.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sometimes you hit a feeling that just hurts. If Sayla were a stronger newtype, she'd be at risk of getting lost in it. Even now it's... not suffocating but it certainly puts a weight in her chest. Not a unique feeling in all her work, but the sheer extent.
"It's nice to run into you again." She can feel that loneliness getting stronger, closer and then- It's source moves in behind Rikka, with a smirk and teasing. she is thoughtful for a moment- and concerned, though she tries not to show it on her her face.
But the talk of 'befriending heroes' means a flash of sadness too. Akane seems to recognize her, but she waits for Rikka to respond first rather than cut in. She feels things ease... Hm.
Sayla nods when Akane is introduced, and gives her a friendly smile before extending a hand to shake, across past Rikka without reaching over her. "Sayla Mass. It's nice to meet you, Miss Shinjo." Formal and polite, but not unkind, not closed off.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane leans forward a little, over the bus seat. The loneliness and the anger are still there -- they're not the type of thing that breaks at the first sign of treasure.
After all this time, Rikka still thinks of Akane as a friend? Even though they drifted apart? There's a split-second flash of disbelief on her face -- but one that quickly passes. She says, "Rikka lives a little ways down the street from me," without really thinking about it very hard. "She was really nice after I moved here..." Rikka has someone who cares about her -- a real person. Akane should do her best to encourage Sayla to think of Rikka as a good person, she thinks. She'll be better off with better, more real friends.
The bus has a ways to go. Akane turns her attention back to Sayla for a bit. The etiquette here catches her a little off guard, and even though she tries so hard to close herself off, to freeze her brain amid the sweltering heat... she does catch a whiff of that concern.
Which means she has to push it off, of course. "... Ahah... I don't really do handshakes," she nervously laughs out, consciously pulling back after moving a hand forward on reflex. "Nice to meet you, too, though!" 'Oh no,' she thinks -- 'I'm like five sentences into this interaction and she probably already thinks I'm a weirdo.'
She moves forward and a little to her right -- both movements that bring her closer to Rikka (or put Rikka between her and Sayla, depending on how you look at the interaction). "So why'd you come to Tsutsujidai? I'd think you'd be busy," Akane asks, trying to deflect, to put the ball in Sayla's court.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Yes, it is... You've been able to find everything just fine, right? Let me know if you need directions anywhere specific." Rikka replies to Sayla. Of course, it seems like she probably hasn't had any problems, but it's polite to offer,
If she catches that brief flash of disbelief, it doesn't show on Rikka's face. Akane explains, then, how they live close to each other. Rikka laughs a bit sheepishly as she says she was nice.
"I was surprised to find out you lived so close by... It was nice having a neighbor close to my age, though." Rikka replies. The person who lived there before Akane moved in...
...Wait, was there such a person? It's been a while - maybe she just doesn't remember...
Sayla is polite about how she extends her hand, but Rikka moves aside just a little to give her some space... but, as Akane says, she doesn't do handshakes. Rikka looks back at Akane with a smile as she moves closer, but then back to Sayla as she asks that question.
Rikka can't help but be curious too... mostly on how she'll actually answer the question, since she knows the reason.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Nothing that fierce or powerful does. But the fact that it can abate even a little is a good sign.
"That would be extremely helpful, Miss Takarada." She says, that same smile. "I see. Someone close you get along with is good when you move somewhere new." There's a little experience talking there- Sayla had a few... rough moves, after all.
When Akane refuses to handshake Sayla doesn't seem in the least offended. Instead, she places her hand to her heart with a small nod- A traditionally Muslim greeting, and her well traveled nature allows it. "It's alright." The way Sayla says it, she means it.
If only that could stop certain people sucking and dying.
She's happy to see the way Rikka and Akane interact, too. The girl had seemed rather... distant at the train station. Not unexpected, though, they were trusting the Shuffle Alliance with a big secret. But it's good to see she can smile and open up too.
"Oh, that. Work, I suppose. Talking to corporate donors, making contact with local organizations. There's a lot of work to do since-" She pauses, at the message Utsumi had sent. "The war, even now. But it's a lot better than when we started." She lets out a little sigh. "I'm glad there are more places where people are living comfortably."
She could be doing this to gather information, or interrogate Akane but- Why would she. Akane is Rikka's friends, another resident, if one who is suffering. Let the truth fit her world, for now.
Even if Sayla's gut twists a bit at the thought of what she'd be doing in the timeline of Tsutsujidai. Or who would be with her.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane hits a more consistent emotional energy at this point. For now, at least. "We're the same age," Akane says, though there's something playful in her tone as she creeps up to, "Or do you like being the older woman?"
She gives everyone a few seconds to react as they will, before deploying a playful little, "... Got you~"
She seems, finally, to have created... something like comfort, at least, if not comfort in itself. She returns the greeting to Sayla, though it's a little inexpert; she's not as precise with it because she's not *actually* familiar with the practice.
"Oh, huh. I'm kinda surprised -- there's not a lot of that here. Every day is more or less the same, and most people here kinda... they can take care of themselves." There's a bit of distance in her voice at that, a bit that's genuine and mirrored in her emotional landscape. She dwells on it more than she ought to.
There's a hint of sharpness -- just a hint -- as she adds, "... I'm really not sure who you'd be talking to, either." It might just be her flavor of emotional overdraw, or being confronted with a topic she can't participate in? But the affect is remarkably flat.
She breezes past it after several more seconds of silence. "Good luck with that, though," she says, knowing full well that this is going to become a problem in the future. Or at least, that it *could* -- someone well-connected like Dr. Mass could draw a lot of prying eyes.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka nods as Sayla says it'd be extremely helpful. Sayla already knows how to get a hold of her if she needs to.
And then, Akane delivers her retort and Rikka's brain kind of sort of... trips over itself for a moment, her train of thought coming screeching to a halt as she considers how to respond. ...But then, Akane finishes off with that 'got you~', and Rikka can't help but laugh at the tease.
"What the heck?" Rikka replies, in that good-natured way that makes it clear she's not actually upset.
She takes note of the way, then, that Sayla respectfully responds to Akane's turning down of the handshake, and her respect for the woman goes up several notches.
"It sounds like you're pretty busy..." Rikka observes. She takes note of Akane's reaction too, though.
...It's not something she never would've noticed before, but ever since it was pointed out how strange Tsutsujidai's reaction to the kaiju attack was, it's something Rikka can't help but notice now.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla- despite herself- lets out a chuckle at seeing Akane's teasing, and more giggling at Rikka's reaction. She relaxes a little, leaning against the chair. "Miss Takarada, I regret to inform you that your friend seems an incorrigible flirt and I admire her boldness." This may be a surprise for both of them, that Sayla can be 'off' with how they've seen her so far. Or at least how Rikka has.
She can notice Akane pull back, and she can pick up that sharpness. Interesting. The girl seems... Wary. Intriguing. "So it seems," she responds to Akane. "And if charity isn't needed, well that's a good thing. If no one can or will donate, that's a shame but it is it what it is." Sayla seems, honestly, very frank about it all.
She's also not mentioned the Kaiju attacks. Is she playing at being from this world? Or simply respecting the Gridman Alliance. Or just being pleasant.
"I am, to be honest. If there's nothing to be done here, then I'm unlikely to visit often. Occasional shopping, maybe." She pulls out a bag of some sort of apple gummi snack from her shopping. "Leina loves these, but I haven't been able to find them for a while. And no other brand is as good, apparently."
There's a reason for that: The factory was destroyed in the Britannian invasion, and the breed of apple was already endangered before that. Now it's extinct.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Oh god. Someone actually nudged on it being flirty. Akane turns a faint but distinct shade of pink for a few moments. She slides down in her chair a bit. 'Admire her boldness'? That's obviously just trying to disarm her. Her eyes close for a few seconds, and she actually slides a tiny bit back away from Rikka.
"Yeah, guess so," she says, on the topic of charity. That isn't really something that she gets excited about. (Actually: it kind of upsets her. But then: what doesn't?)
Then something catches her eye: treats. "... Ooh. Rikka, you should try one! I used to really like those a lot, but I kind of got sick of them," she says. She sounds very enthused, and doubly so to see Rikka actually eat one.
... there's a little bit of painful nostalgia there. Then again, maybe it's just a dietary restriction that's between her and eating them.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
It's true - Rikka hadn't expected to see that side of Sayla before. On one hand, she's been so... 'all-business' so much since she first met her that she wasn't sure she could turn it off. So it's neat to see that side of her!
But on the other hand, Rikka has to turn her head toward the window to hide her face in her long hair temporarily due to the pink that's starting to spread across her face, as she finds herself temporarily without words as she processes what just happened. ...But it was just a joke, right?
She recovers her composure quickly enough, though, nodding as Sayla explains about the charity. She notes with interest, though, when Sayla mentions a name.
"Oh? Who's Leina? ...If you don't mind my asking." Rikka asks. Judging from the treats... someone younger, maybe? Around her and Akane's age, maybe younger. A sister or a daughter, maybe?
Her attention turns to Akane, though, as the treats catch her eye - not for herself, but for Rikka.
"Oh yeah? I haven't tried them myself... But if you think so, maybe I should pick some up..." Rikka considers.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
The combination of both of them being suddenly shy and a little blushy about is... frankly sweet. Still her eyes glance to Akane pulling back. She won't push it for now. Akane isn't an open book but...
Well, very few have been at the Newtype game this long and stayed alive. Still, when Akane says Rikka should try one, Sayla nods. "I agree. They can be a bit sweet, but every so often they're nice." She tears open the bag- it's resealable, it's fine- and offers it to Rikka. "That's a shame, Miss Shinjo." These are rough feelings indeed. There's a lot she wants to ask this girl but 'on the bus on a first meeting' isn't the time. "What do you prefer now?"
Sayla scratches her cheek. "It's a little complicated. She and her brother were on a ship together, about seven years ago now, when she fell ill. I looked after her while she was recovering since her brother..." She pauses. It's hard to describe the gravity of the situation without mentioning the war. "couldn't be with her at the time." That seems... accurate, at least. "After that, he got a job with the Jupiter Energy Fleet and that's a three year trip, so the three of us agreed that Leina would stay with me for the time." There's a bit of pride, but also concern. "She's getting ready for her last year of high school now. We're looking at universities."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
The interaction doesn't instantly crash out. Akane breathes a bit. Things start to move -- and Akane takes in every bit of information she's presented with. "Yeah! They're really good... I hope you like them," she says, as Rikka muses about picking some up and then Sayla offers her one.
Then she's asked a personal preference question, and gets a bit startled. "... When I'm looking for something sweet, I usually like coffee," Akane answers. "Light roast, cherry syrup, double sugar. ... Or tomato juice." Maybe it's not a dietary restriction? The coffee probably has more sugar in it than half a bag of candy. It's kinda academic, anyway.
Akane listens to the story of Leina, and frowns. "... it's good that she has someone like you taking care of her," Akane says, a little limply. Without really thinking, she pushes the bus buzzer.
This is not Akane and Rikka's shared stop coming up.
"I realized I have some things to pick up before I go home," Akane explains. There's still a minute or two before they get to a bus stop, but... "Have fun with your new friend, Rikka! She seems like she stayed a really good person after the war!"
The loneliness level is spiking into the ceiling -- yet Akane is fully committed to getting off the bus.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Sayla opens the bag! Rikka looks between it, Sayla herself, then Akane, then back toward Akane. Rikka accepts the offered gummi and then... gives it a try! She seems to like it.
"Oh, that is good... It is a bit sweet, but they got the apple taste just right... that part's difficult." Rikka praises, making a mental note to pick some up herself. ...And, when Sayla asks what Akane prefers, Rikka listens attentively.
Her attention turns to Sayla, though as she explains who Leina is.
"That's sad... but, I'm glad she has you there for her. You obviously care a lot." Rikka observes with a smile. She notes Akane's limp tone... but doesn't really get to think about that for long as the buzzer is pressed.
"Oh... okay. And, thanks. See you tomorrow?" Rikka replies. She's a little disappointed to see her go, but she doesn't make a motion to stop her. It was nice having a conversation with her again, at least...
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla waits for Rikka to try the gummi, while noting both what Akane says, and how she reacts. Surprise, discomfort. She notices Rikka listening too. Interesting. "They're nice, right? I'd try to make sure there was a bag in the pantry whenever I could."
And then it's there, and Sayla has to bow her head to conceal a wince, but moves her hand up like she's covering a burp. "Pardon me." She says to cover it up. She looks to Akane and... nods, calmly. "It was very nice to meet you, Miss Shinjo. I'd love to talk to you again some time, if our paths cross." Non-committal, indirect, but the option is there. The girl is already fleeing, don't apply pressure now. Just let her know it's an option. "I hope you have a good night."
Rikka seems surprised too, but. Hm. This is... not a time for indelicacy. Sayla picks up the conversation that Akane has exited, but is careful, in case she wants to jump back in. "Actually, I was wondering, can you recommend anywhere for dinner? I'd like to try something different from the restaurant in the hotel?"
There's a few beats, until Akane is off the bus, when she speaks a little quieter, with much more concern. "...Is everything alright with your friend?" She asks, perhaps suddenly. But Rikka hasn't been privy to the messages Sayla has been getting.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"... yeah, I should be at class," Akane says, nodding to Rikka. She can give her that much, at least -- and she seems actually a bit more okay with that part. Not enough to salve whatever nightmare is going on in her brain, but it's at least a reason to...
... well, Akane doesn't wake up, really. But it's a reason to get out of the trash.
Akane is also *fully* in her own head now; she doesn't notice the light deception from Sayla a bit, despite being canny on every axis under normal circumstances. "Iii guess that'd be fine!" she says, to Sayla -- and then the bus comes to a stop, and she's off like a *shot*.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka nods. Yeah, that's definitely a good sign. It's the small things like that that really matter.
Akane says she'll be at class... and that does get Rikka to smile a little. She listens as Sayla says her own goodbyes, noting the way she does, and the way she carefully restarts the conversation just in case.
"I figure I should probably at least suggest my place... It's just diner fare, though. Other than that, I can think of a few places..." Rikka replies.
Akane leaves in a hurry and Rikka goes quiet, not quite looking Sayla's way or speaking just yet - looking out the window until Akane's gone from view.
"...I don't know." Rikka admits. "She seems cheerful enough at school... but I know that doesn't mean everything. And she skips every so often... but I guess I'm guilty there too."
Rikka is quiet for a moment longer before continuing.
"...That's just another reason we have to look after Tsutsujidai. For Akane's sake, too..." She murmurs... but, it sounds more like she's telling that to herself.