2022-10-13: Gilded Rendezvous
- Cast: Yuta Hibiki, Ouka Nagisa
- Where: Tsutsujidai
- Date: U.C. 0096 10 13
- Summary: Once more, Yuta goes for a nice walk in the park. Once again, he has an unexpected meeting. Sitting on the swings and talking together... could anything be wrong with that?
<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.
Nothing ever changes in sleepy Tsutsujidai...
... except when it does. There has been an odd influx of new names and new faces into the normally sleepy little town. Though not all of them have made their presence known, happy as they are to remain in their personal 1 bedroom apartments while waiting for their school transfers to go through... whenever the god of Tsutsujidai decides they go through. One of those individuals is actually Ouka Nagisa.
The Boosted Child, formerly of The School, is in a park on a refreshing late-summer day. The weather it seems just cool enough for her to don a red sweater dress, worn with a pair of light tan ankleboots with short square heels. Her dark green hair, normally worn long, is wrapped tight to the back of her head with a headband keeping it secure. The only hair remaining loose and free are the pair of side tails on either side of her hair. It's an attractive look - one that makes her almost look like a woman grown, instead of a teenager on the cusp of adulthood.
Her behavior is less so though. Rather than silently watching children play in a park last time, she is now actually in the midst of the playground toys. In particular she is pushing herself back and forth on one of the swings. Sometimes sitting in a near stop, twisting back and forth idly in place, and other times swinging with such force that she can feel the tension of the chain from which she dangles briefly go limp before she goes back down for another swing upwards!! All the while making sure to keep her legs together, of course.
What's odd though is how different she seems...
Someone might be forgiven for not recognizing her, even if the different outfit way of wearing her hair was not a factor. Unlike Ouka who seemed to always have a sort of wistful sadness to her, when she was not putting on an appearance of the imperious super soldier at least, this one seems to be... free? Of her burden? An Ouka who is simply indulging herself in a pointless energetic activity - much like when Yuta pulled her down the slide with him, but this time all on her own?
Could a single act have engineered such a dramatic change?! Or is there something deeper, darker that has allowed Ouka to free herself of the chains that weighed down her heart. Even temporarily.
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
Aside from school, Yuta hasn't left his apartment in a few days. The startling meeting with Alexis is still fresh on his mind, and the things the devil of Tsutsujidai said to him are haunting. It's unlikely Alexis would try the same thing twice, but Yuta still feels safer at home.
But, just as before, eventually the quiet of his apartment gets to him. Making sure his phone is ready to call Calibur the moment trouble arises, Yuta makes his way to the park. It's a lovely day! Just getting some sunshine on his skin is enough to lull him into a safe, comfortable feeling.
Today, Yuta's tried another of his experimental outfits. Knee-length basketball shorts were a tough buy. He doesn't play basketball, but the internet assured him that wasn't an issue. He's grateful he bought them, though. So comfortable! Yuta's red shoes are ever-present, of course. A yellow tanktop completes the outfit, a nice contrast to the navy blue of his shorts. There's a glimmer of a sky-blue gemstone just beneath his collar bones -- some kind of marble-like glass hangs on a thin chain. Overall, he's feeling pretty confident in himself.
Perhaps, if someone were to look extra closely, they might see a touch of mascara on his eyelashes. It's very subtle.
Looking over the park, Yuta tries to decide on a place to set up today, but is quickly greeted with a familiar sight. Is that..? Yuta approaches, slipping his phone into his pocket. "Ouka? Is that you?"
Wow, she looks amazing. Yuta isn't psychically sensitive, but even he can tell: something has changed. Ouka's whole demeanor is... different. More peaceful. Alexis' words come back to Yuta once more. Friends moving to Tsutsujidai, without saying a word. Could it be that Ouka is upset with him, and that's why she didn't send a message letting him know?
Smile turning a little wobbly, Yuta takes a seat in the swing next to Ouka's. Despite his caution, he can't help but stare at her a little bit. Her outfit is so charming, and she looks like... a girl! Not a soldier. The way her hair sways as she plays in the swing... It makes him blush a bit.
"Um, I heard you were moving in! I guess it was true!" Yuta manages another little wobbly smile. "You look amazing, by the way. Wow, that dress! And your hair!" He doesn't quite have the words to express the admiration he's feeling for her outfit, but hopefully she'll understand. Yuta lazily leans back and forward, letting his swing carry him along. "How long have you been here? I would've been happy to help you move in!"
<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.
"Ah!!! Yuta-kun!" Ouka responds cheerfully when Yuta calls out to her. Another odd change - normally Ouka is in a constant state of hypervigilance, constantly watching for threats, always eyeing the distant rooftops for potential snipers and threats. She was fully caught up, fully enraptured, fully invested in the moment. And it seems like she still is!
As Yuta comes to sit down in the swing set to her, Ouka grinds herself to a halt by digging her heels into the sand beneath her. The square heels digging shallow trenches into the soil before she swings back just slightly with the momentum, and then falls forward again - this time to a stop. She sits now beside the young man in his yellow tanktop and navy blue basketball shorts.
"It's been a while, great to see you. I hope you have been taking care of yourself." The young woman says cheerfully. He then comments on her outfits. Ouka smiles softly, a bit happy, "Ah... thank you. It's the first time I actually went shopping for myself instead of just wearing whatever The School put out for me. The ladies at the store were really nice to me... complementing my skin and hair. I was used to having my looks complemented before, during presentations and the like, but this felt different. It felt... like they were complementing me? Not something The School did."
There is actually a faint blush on her cheeks, but then her eyes widen a bit as if to indicate she JUST became aware of how she slipped into a brief reverie in front of Yuta, her golden eyes quickly turning to look over towards him. She smiles warmly, "I'm sorry. Hm? How long have I been here? Huh... I think I've been here close to two weeks now, actually? Wow time sure has flied now that I think of it."
She ahs, "Oh I probably should have let you know, huh? Since you live here and all. I guess I still have a lot to learn about living on my own. My sister has been doing her best to help me, but she's been really busy lately. Apparently she's like... an apartment manager, or something? I wish I could help her more but... well I think it's usually better for me to try and stay out of her way, you know?"
For the first time she sounds... uncertain. Perhaps a bit unhappy? After all Ouka is someone who thinks nonstop about her siblings, their care and their concerns. Being unable to help one of them, even in a situation such as 'apartment managing'.
"But... yeah I have a lot of free time on my hands, now. Which is why I decided to come out here today, to enjoy the weather, and the swings. And now, your company. Hm?"
She leans closer to Yuta, and then suddenly her smile deepens, "Ah, a nice subtle touch! Your outfit looks really comfy by the way. Hm... maybe when Arado gets here, the two of you can go shopping? I bet he'd love to wear something like that!"
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
Despite everything, Yuta's happy to see Ouka just enjoying herself. Existing in the moment, not tense or frightened. He can't help but contrast it to their last time at a park, where he had to literally drag her just to play even a little bit. It smoothes out the wobble in his smile, and Ouka is treated to a genuine grin.
"It's great to see you too." Yuta twists his swing so he can face the young lady. "Wow, it must feel great to have that freedom. The shop ladies were right!" He says, trying to be encouraging. But -- what's this about the School? A hint of worry worms its way to Yuta's heart. The more he heard of that place, the more he dislikes it... "Yeah. This is all you!" A friendly thumbs-up.
Ouka's blush... so cute! Yuta stares, blushing a bit himself. But... she's been here for two weeks! How is that possible? Yuta blinks, then nods, trying to keep up the supportive energy. "W--wow! That's ages, for Tsutsujidai. It's okay that you didn't tell me, you don't owe me anything. But it'd be great to hang out now that you're close by. We could talk about fairy tales, maybe? There's some great movies."
A blink. "You have a sister here?" Surely Yuta would've known that. There's not enough people living here for someone to hide. "An apartment manager... I'm sure she works hard. But I'm not sure how you would help out either. Maybe just by giving her praise and support. I did get a great cookie recipe from Ikari, if you wanna make her some. Everyone likes cookies, right?"
Another smile as Ouka says she's enjoying his company -- but that quickly turns into a deep blush as Ouka leans in. "T--thank you! I've been experimenting too. I had no idea it was so hard to put on mascara. I have a lot more respect for people who wear makeup now." Blushing still, he glances away, letting the swing spin him gently. "Is Arado one of your siblings? I'm by no means a pro or anything, but I'd be happy to go with him!"
Ouka loves her siblings. That's always been clear. If she had a secret sister here, it makes a lot more sense why she'd suddenly move. Maybe this isn't something to worry about -- maybe it's just a normal life event. Yuta sighs just a bit, relieved.
"Are you looking forward to school? I've heard you'll be in my class." Yuta swings back around to face Ouka again. "We've got a lot of great clubs. This time, I'm joining the dance club, myself."
Even though he's feeling better, Yuta has to double check. "So, why'd you decide to move to Tsutsujidai? It can be kinda... slow. A fancy lady used to big cities like you might get bored." Yuta keeps his voice light, trying to hide his worry. If Alexis knew about this... He can't shake the feeling there's more to all this.
<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.
Fairy tales? Baking cookies?! Ouka remember Yuta talking about one of those before, and knows how much Seolla enjoyed eating cookies. Both of those found exciting to her and the young woman's eyes practically shine with eagerness. "Oh, both of those sound wonderful! I ... didn't really have time to look into the story you told me about. Goldilocks and the Three Bears, right? I was wondering if it might make more sense if I saw the whole thing. And there are other fairy tales, right? They're like... stories where a princess gets ensorcelled by some evil witch, and then a brave prince has to rescue her?" Ouka sighs, idly twirling one of her sidelocks between her forefinger and thumb, "Sounds romantic. I guess that's kind of what happened to me, though it wasn't a prince after all?"
Yuta then asks Arado, to which she nods eagerly. "That's right! I don't think you've had a chance to meet Seolla yet? Well Arado is Seolla's partner! Which is to say... um... well you see, I was an Aurum class, and they're part of a Bronzo class pair. Unlike other classes, Bronzos are trained in pairs so that they could sync with one another. They are encouraged to focus on teamwork and strategies that rely on each others strengths to cover what they weren't so good at."
Her smile slips a bit, "It's been a while since I've seen Arado though. He's been having a hard time, achieving the metrics they've expected out of him, so he's been going through recalibration and remediation." Ouka pauses, and then smiles a bit guiltily towards Yuta, "Ah, sorry, I've probably shared to much. It's nothing for you to worry about after all. My sister has assured me now that I am here they'll be better off."
Ouka idly digs the toe of her boot into the sand as she pushes herself back and forth slowly. "School? Oh... yes, I'm looking forward to going to class with you and everyone else. Dance club? Ah... that would be nice, but I was worried about being asked to dance with partners. That if I got caught up in the moment I might... ah... forget ... that I have to be careful with other people." She just blushes slightly at that, again. Embarrassed by her own strength. "Instead I thought that I might join the swim team. That way we're all in our different lanes, and I don't have to worry about hurting anyone else. Plus ... I think it feels nice to swim underwater? That feeling of suspension... hearing only the muffled sounds of other swimmers, your own heart beat, and your own motion through the water. It's oddly peaceful."
"Ah! But I would love to come see you dance sometime, of course. I want to do a lot of things like that... just going to see and do things, because I want to do them. I've got a lot of catching up to do."
Finally the question is asked: Why did Ouka come to Tsutsujidai? A fancy lady used to big cities like her ... it's such a weird place for her to end up!
Ouka can't help but blush a bit at that description, "A... ah, is that how I come off?" She fidgits a bit uncomfortably, "I didn't know this outfit was so fancy. It's just all the ladies were complementing me on how good it looked on me, so I thought... I mean..." She takes a deep breath, "A-anyway, I'm not really that. A fancy lady I mean. I mean, I am a girl, but not really a lady and definitely not fancy! I'm just used to dressing up because The School wanted me to." She then quickly lurches to another topic, "Anyway! Yes. I came here because my sister invited me to come here. She helped me break free of the School, and is monitoring my dietary needs for me! So I'll be allowed to live freely, and so will Seolla and Arado, when they get here! We'll finally be able to live together like a family!"
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
Wow, what a change..! Where before, Ouka didn't understand or seem interested in the fairy tales, now she practically jumps at the chance. It's a little eerie, and Yuta gets a sinking feeling in his stomach.
"I've got an okay kitchen back in my apartment, but we could also go by Rikka's shop and use their professional stuff. If her family is okay with it, of course." He quickly adds. A smile, and then, "Yeah, that was the name. I don't know if there's a movie for that one, but there's loads of others. One just like you described! One is like... A princess with super long, golden hair is locked away in a tall tower, but the prince who loves her fights to reach her. He climbs up her hair and frees her from the witch." Yuta laughs a bit. "Don't you think that'd hurt, though? Someone climbing up your hair?"
Tilting his head as Ouka says she was rescued by a brave prince, Yuta swivels in the swing. "Really? Who was the prince? If I would've known an evil witch had you, I would've offered Gridman's help!"
"No, I haven't met either of them yet." Yuta listens carefully to the explanation of the School's classes. What kind of school arranged their students like this? It's puzzling. But Yuta's amnesia means there's a lot about the world he doesn't know, so -- maybe it's normal. "It must be nice to have a friend who understands you well enough to sync up like that. I hope they get along well."
Recalibration and remediation..? Red eyebrows draw together in concern. "I -- um. What does that mean? The recalibration thing..?" It sounds like something you'd do to a robot, not a child. "Is he okay?" Yuta waves away Ouka's worries with a smile of his own -- though one tinged by concern. "It's totally fine. I'm happy to listen to your worries."
"Swimming is pretty cool. I have a friend who's really good at it!" Ouka's strong and lean, she'd surely make a great swimmer. "I'm sure the team would be happy to have you. It's good to do something to stay healthy, too, right? I'll make sure to come to your competitions!" The way Ouka describes swimming sounds more spooky than peaceful to Yuta, but everyone likes different things.
A bright smile, when Ouka says she'd like to see him dance. "Then it's a promise. We'll come to each other's competitions, or shows, or however it works." Yuta leans forward, holding out his hand with one pinkie extended to the young woman. "Everyone in our class is really friendly and kind, I'm sure they'll have lots of ideas for things to see and do. The girls are always going out together and getting lunch and stuff."
"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable! You always seemed so cool and... I don't know, modern, maybe? Like a real big city woman, going to meetings or something." He laughs at himself, fussing with the sand beneath his swing so he gently sways back and forth. "I don't know what fancy ladies do. But if you don't like it, I won't think about you that way."
The School again. Ouka had to... break free of it? There's no way that's normal.
"Ouka, I'm sorry to ask all these questions, but, um. Were you not allowed to live freely with your family while you were at the School? What was it like there? I mean, we all have to go to class here, and there's uniforms, but... They never forced us to do things, not really. It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, I don't mean to pry." Yuta's worry comes through loud and clear. "You're my friend, and I want to make sure you're okay. And your family, too."
<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.
'I hope they get along well.'
Ouka doesn't immediately respond to that statement out loud. Though her uneven smile speaks volumes. After all, Arado has a bad habit of picking on Seolla and Seolla equally has a bad habit of yelling at or throwing things at Arado when he does so. It's cute, in a way, but it definitely isn't what you'd actually confuse with 'getting along'. "Well... they do their best!" Is what she finally offers.
"Oh that wouldn't have been necessary." Ouka responds softly, and almost automatically, to Yuta's offer of assistance and offering Gridman's help. "My sister came to rescue me after all. She woke me up to what was going on, and I was able to make it here."
When Yuta seizes on the recalibration, once again Ouka looks a bit uncomfortable. Her swinging back and forth slows down, her toe digging deeper into the sand at her feet. "Arado is tough, especially for a Bronzo. And he tends to have good luck at the weirdest times. I'm sure if anyone could surive remediation like this... he could."
"Anyway, there's no point worrying about it." Ouka says suddenly, trying to brighten up. "My sister told me that once I left it would be easier for the others to leave to! So I'm sure things will turn out right. We just have to have a little trust right?"
She starts to warm up again, smiling some as Yuta talks about her joining the swim club and his plans to come to her competitions... and vice versa!! Then he reaches out to offer his pinkie to her. Her golden eyes blink in confusion, staring at the extended digit in wonder. And so she mimics the gesture - just holding out her hand with her pinkie extended. Her eyes looking up into Yuta's, looking to see affirmation that she she's doing it right.
Regardless of what happens next though, when the discussion turns back to the dress. Ouka just smiles a bit shyly at his description of his impression of her. "That's... well that's the way I was instructed to act. I needed to be professional, beautiful, and deadly. That's what the people they showed me to wanted to see. It was a lot of pressure, honestly. I'm kind of glad I don't have to do it anymore."
Then the conversation turns back once more to The School. And once again Ouka's expression droops. Her gaze turns back to her foot digging into the sand beneath her. She finally shakes her head, "I'd rather not talk about it. There's nothing that can change what happened, and everything else is being taken care of. Let's talk about other things instead. Like clubs... and clothes... and fairy tales. Like I said, I have a lot of catching up to do, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
"I'm thankful to your sister, then." Yuta says, his smile turning a little wobbly again. "And that you were able to make it. I'm always impressed by you, Ouka."
Survive... remediation..? That settles it. Wherever Ouka came from is not a normal school -- and no place anyone should have to be. Instead of responding verbally to her faith in Arado, Yuta simple nods in what he hopes is an encouraging manner. He's got to talk to Gridman and Sayla about this as soon as he can.
"Y--yeah! It's important to have faith in the people we love. Sometimes it's hardest for the first person who ever does something, too." Yuta has no idea how to navigate this conversation. "Once they arrive, I'll be sure to help give them a warm welcome. We can have a party over at the Junk Shop!"
Ouka holds out her pinkie and... holds it there! Oh, she must not have heard of it before. "This is called a 'pinkie promise'. It's a special type of promise between friends. You link your pinkies like this..." Gently, Yuta wraps his pinkie around Ouka's. "And it's done. It's kinda fun, right? Now we'll both be sure to make it to each other's club events."
"I'm sorry you were under all that pressure." Yuta's voice goes soft, as he lowers his hand. "I'm glad you're free of it. What kind of person do you want to be now?" A little pause as he swings back and forth a bit, looking away. "It's something I've spent a lot of time thinking about. I want to be someone who can protect the people he loves, but I also want to be kind and openhearted." An embarrassed smile, and Yuta digs his toes into the sand. "I tried to be funny, too, but I'm not that good at it."
Inclining his head in apology, Yuta nods. "Sorry. I won't ask again." Worry and confusion eat at him from the inside, but that's no reason to go against a friend's request.
"Let's see, as for clubs... Rikka's got a friend in the tea ceremony club! I don't know much about it, but it looks like they have a good time together. Oh, and Kaworu! He plays the piano for the dance club. He comes to school here now and then, I'm not sure how he worked it out. But it's always nice to see him!" Yuta swings a bit more, thinking. "You'd be welcome to help us with the next big GUTS event, too. Tsutsujidai was chosen to host it, and everyone's thrilled." Then, more quietly, "I hope Akane won't mind that many people coming to visit..."
It feels so strangely normal to sit here chatting in the park. Despite how worried Yuta feels about this School and what it's put Ouka and her family through, it feels really good to talk with her. It's comfortable, as though they were old friends.
<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.
Having people being impressed by her is nothing new. Her role was always to be Impressive, after all. To erase the misgivings, rumors, and snide remarks being leveled towards The School and instead impress upon them a new view: One of excitement and wonderment. Imagine if you could transform the unwanted, the unwashed, the huddled and hungry masses into professional super soldiers capable of performing at levels meeting or even exceeding many cybernetically enhanced combat vets! It was like a dream come true...
... or a nightmare made real. Looking at the First Boosted Child, somehow freed from her programming and allowed to act and react naturally, it's easy to see that underneath it all was a girl... and now a young woman, who was horribly traumatized and asked to do and see things violent and terrible. But she's still a young woman. And a young woman who, it seems, is desperately trying to put her own past behind her.
Which is why she wants to focus on clubs, and clothes, and fairy tales. It's why she stares in wonderment instead of fear as she allows Yuta to link their pinkies together. Ouka's eyes go wide in confusion when he says it's done. Perhaps she was expecting him to utilize some special code word, or impress upon her some sort of conditioning to ensure she'd do as she is told. Instead... it's a simple linking of pinkies. It's enough to make the woman blush slightly, and raise her other hand to her mouth to laugh.
"Such a silly thing..." Ouka muses, softly, "... ah, not that I think it's stupid, or something like that! Just... silly, and a bit weird, but fun."
She draws back her hand and stares at her pinkie for a bit longer. Contemplative in expression. When Yuta's voice rises again to ask what sort of person she wants to be that contemplation deepens. Who does she want to be? What sort of life does she want to live? It's... it's really a question she's never had a chance to consider before. Before now every attempt to even think about a life outside of The School would cause her brain to seize in horrible pain. But now, much like the circlet she used to wear, the pain is gone... missing. She once again laughs softly at Yuta talking about how he's not good at being funny - not a cruel or mocking laugh, but one of genuine amusement. Then she sighs before speaking:
"I don't know." The emancipated Boosted Child speaks solemnly. "I guess I haven't had the chance to think about it much before. I had often dreamed of Seolla and Arado finding a place in this world where they wouldn't have to fight anymore. But I never thought it would be possible to find that for myself."
She stands slowly from the swing set and looks off towards the late Summer sky. Her hands raise, grasping one another, and held in front of her chest. She bows her head in thought. It's such an important question she feels - she has to get it right.
Finally she turns back towards Yuta, and says softly, "I want to be the sort of person who can be there to see her family find peace and happiness. To see them start their own families, if they want, and live the lives they want to lead. I want to be able to be there - to help them when they are struggling, to be a shoulder for them to cry on when they're sad. I want to be there... to live with them, in a gentle and peaceful place."
Her tone grows more wistful, her eyes watery, as she intones the words. With her hands still clenched in front of her hands it is very much like she is whispering a prayer - and perhaps she is doing just that. To the god of this place and whatever power she might hold.
Once she is finished though, her return to a sharper focus and settle directly on Yuta's face. Her blush deepens again, "I guess that's really vague?" She just shrugs helplessly. Her face then lights up when Yuta mentions Akane, "I'm sure she'll be fine. She does seem to be a bit nervous around new people, but I'll be there to support her the best I can!"
"After all... what else is a big sister for, if not for emotional support?"
She blinks, glancing off toward the position of the sun in the sky. "Ah! Which reminds me, I need to head off to see her. She's testing out a new recipe!! I'm really looking forward to seeing what this one tastes like! Anyway, Yuta-kun, look forward to seeing you in class!" And with a cheerful parting wave, the girl who was Aurum-1 dashes off to meet her dear 'sister'.