2022-12-28 Santa Is Coming To Tsutsujidai
- Log: 2022-12-28_Santa_Is_Coming_To_Tsutsujidai
- Cast: Orpheus Zevon, Rikka Takarada
- Where:Junk Shop Aya
- OOC - IC Date:0096-12-28
- Summary: Orpheus in his endeavor to make sure a certain gift is delivered learns the hard way that even with
<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.
Twas the dead of night upon Christmas Eve. No one on the streets could be perceived. Yet, through the darkness of this starlit night, there was one young man with Junk Shop Aya in sight. It wasn't the first time he had been on this street, in fact now that he thinks of it, this is where he and Akane would first meet. Though such a thought had not crossed his mind, only focusing on the task with his limited time.
His intent from appearance was questionable at best, what with his attire and duffle bag when people should be at rest. And while making this post a carol would be quite the test, to save some time, I will digress...
The hour of the night was late without question as Orpheus had made his way to the shop. To say it was past the hours of operation would have been an understatement. If anything, such hours would have been when more nefarious actions came to place. And it's during these hours that the young man finds himself outfront of the junk shop. That said, he had no desire to take from the Takarada's or the shop itself. In fact, his desire for this trip had been very straightforward. He was to act as a courier of sorts as he dropped off a delivery. With that said, leaving it in person would have been complicated. That seemed to be a running theme when things involved Akane Shinjo. When it came down to it though, it was likely better for all that Akane Shinjo nor Rikka Takarada was aware of what he had done, or what he was about to do. Even if he thought the notion in mind was with the best of intentions...
Arriving at the side entrance to the shop, Orpheus had steadily begun to pick the lock of the house. On another occasion he might have been more careful of using a direct entrance. More than not he was used to having to worry about disabling alarms and cameras before even attempting something like this, "Breaking into a junk shop. Definitely not something I ever thought I'd ever need to do...I doubt there's an alarm to the door, but even if there was..." It wasn't as if a distress signal could be called out when communications around Tsutsujidai were out. Though if all went according to plan, Orpheus had intended to be in and out of this place before anyone would ever know he had made an entrance.
Thus, even as he enters he takes his time. Both for subtleness and simply because at the end of the day, he has no intention to cause a repair bill for the shop if necessary. As he enters through, he's quick to gently shut the door again. If for a reason someone came down he would have hoped to simply hide away somewhere without anyone thinking that the place has been intruded upon. Although...
While he's one who has no issues entering into the store, the fact of the matter is he's never been in Shop Aya. He's heard of it briefly from Yuta, he knows enough of its location and schematics from the time he had intended to investigate Akane Shinjo. But when it came to what actually was within this place...Well, he actually had a legitimately better idea of what Akane Shinjo's living room was like than the first floor of the place. Thus, he moves carefully around the lower floors as he looks around for a Christmas tree, or some sort of inconspicuous location. Once he had, his fingers delicately maneuvered over to the duffle bag, the zipper swift in its unfastening as he took to a knee to set what appears to be two very elegantly wrapped presents besides one another and attempting to leave a card on top of the stack. Though just as he's about to... "Tch..." He realizes something. It's nothing major, nothing significant. It's just a bow on one of the presents had come undone. It shouldn't have mattered in the scheme of things. But something about it just irked him. Irked him enough that in the darkness of the room, he takes his time to calmly tie it once more, to make it presentable. As soon as it was handled, he could simply leave the letter and leave. It would be as simple as that and none the wiser.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
This is the time of night when people should be asleep. 'Should' being the operative word, because a lot has been happening lately and so, Rikka Takarada finds herself lying awake in bed, staring up at the dark ceiling.
It's Christmas Eve. Almost Christmas. It's almost Christmas, and Akane is definitely still out there, wandering the streets somewhere. She's been trying to track her down, but still hasn't been able to find her. Hass is still missing - she doesn't even know where she went, after being spirited away by the parasite. And Tsutsujidai is still cut off from the rest of the world, so many people separated from their families - unable to even send them a message...
It's a lot to think about. It's a lot weighing on her mind.
...And then, she hears noise from downstairs. It doesn't sound or feel like any of the usual suspects. A burglar? She's been hearing about crime going on lately...
Rikka groans, shutting her eyes for a moment. Not quite what she wanted to deal with today, but... at least it makes a convenient distraction. She takes a deep breath and gets out of bed, grabbing a coat to put on over her nightgown.
The noise came last from the living room so she heads that way. She stops, just outside, and raises her voice a little.
"Hey. I know someone's there. This shop has eyes on it - if I call for help, someone's going to come running. So if you're here for a reason, let's just talk it out, okay? I'm going to turn on the lights." Rikka warns.
In the living room, there is a Christmas tree... but it's a small one, on a coffee table between two sofas. There are places one could stash some presents secretly - but not a lot of places to hide. But there is some warning before Rikka rounds the corner and flips the switch for the living room lights.
<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.
'Hey. I know someone's there.'
Before Orpheus can even hear the footsteps of someone coming down the stairs, someone makes their presence known. A voice that's vaguely familiar to Orpheus.One that he recalls once upon a time when Yuta and Kaworu had orchestrated their meeting. "Rikka...?" He voices the name to himself in a soft tone as the name comes to the forefront of his thoughts again. It's a bit of a mixed blessing that she offers to give her burglars a warning. It's the kind of kindness to which has been attributed more than on one occasion to the girl. And at the same time, he can't help how much danger she puts herself in at the same time by doing so...
A part of him considers taking this moment while the lights are still out to leave. Though, if she spotted him near the Christmas tree, and sees the gifts from who she might expect as a burglar well...He can assume it's possible she'd simply get rid of presents altogether. At that point, there'd be no point in this whole endeavor.
%He couldn't appear as himself. Though who could she expect at this time of night that wouldn't concern her? Yuta? Even if it was possible, he supposedly had just come out of the hospital. He didn't know what his situation was. Kaworu? He didn't know if the two were enough of friends, and even then...Why would he? Then there was Akane...To have her show up in the middle of the night...It feels like it'd be the best bet. The safest person to whom Rikka wouldn't have questioned perhaps not wanting to be seen. It's also an appearance and personality he knows well enough on his own. And yet...Something about putting on such a mask for this girl, a girl who has already been through so much...It left a poor taste in his mouth. And thus as the lights turn on, and Rikka's eyes adjust to the light, there's a deep voice that calls out to her.
"Hoho, it's been a while since I've gotten to talk while out on the job. But..."
As he picks himself up off his knee, a heavy set man in all red and white can be seen. Hair as white as snow, and a beard that extends low. His eyes express a kindness to them as Rikka finds him looking back at her. "Perhaps it would be best if we had a little talk, Rikka. Though, can we speak softly? I'd rather not wake anyone else up...Hohoho..." As he makes his request she can see that he's holding in his hands the two presents, and what once appeared to be a duffle bag to a certain young man had become a sack held clutched under his arm. It was almost as if this was...
Though...No, that person wasn't real, right? Maybe this was a dream. Perhaps Rikka really had fallen asleep already? Regardless of her thoughts on the matter, the stranger made his way to the couch and took his time to sit down, waiting for her to make her way down.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
It wouldn't be the first time Rikka had put herself in danger for the sake of another - even for someone she has no reason to care for, like a possible burglar.
Rikka Takarada, as it happens, is also a very serious girl. So when she turns the light on and sees a bearded man in red standing in her living room... Her flat, unimpressed stare could drill a hole into those of lesser fortitude.
"...Alright." She says simply. She can make her conclusions. The worst part is that she can't immediately dismiss the possibility of mystical occurrences, but it's clear that she doesn't look convinced.
"...Then let's talk. I don't want to wake mama if I can help it, either. She doesn't need to know about this." Rikka says, settling into the sofa across from him. She glances to the presents, then back up to him. "So, why are you here?"
It was almost sort of funny. Orpheus' geass was one where it used the person's own assumptions and interpretations of a person to make the most realistic expression of that person. Whether it was their appearance, their speech, to even just their own mannerisms. And with that being the case, as this red-capped gentleman tries to smile in earnest as one might have expected of someone so jolly well...The true expression Orpheus has under the 'mask' is honestly red for another kind of reason. The way she stares a whole into this person only shows just how unimpressed she was at this. Which to be fair was rather understandable. Even now his flush at this was something he can't ignore as he feels as red, as the red he was 'wearing'.
Despite her disbelief, he'd roll with it. At the very least even if she didn't believe he was that mystical entity, she was willing to listen to what he had to say. Orpheus took a small breath in, though the figure Rikka saw wouldn't mirror the sign of distress.
"Because, I wanted your help."
He places the presents on the table between the sofas. On one of them there's a card for Akane Shinjo, and another addressed to Rikka held in his hand. "I had hoped to just explain this through a card. But, now that we're here..." Even through the facade, the expression of the old man turns solemn. It's because I think more than anyone, you believe that Akane Shinjo isn't bad. No...Maybe it'd be better to say that I think you believe she deserves a chance to be better...To live better." It was likely odd to hear notions such as 'I think', from such a mystical entity if they were real. Though, at the same time, saying anything else felt like it would have been a true fallacy to say. Perhaps these were his own thoughts being expressed, and perhaps they were only assumptions made from the brief time he has seen her. And yet... He still recalls that August day. When Kaworu and Yuuta brought so many together. The earnest desire in the girl's words. Her desire to help Akane, to acknowledge her actions but still want better for her. Even now, as Tetsuya, he's sure he had told her that she reminded him of another person of the sort. And maybe it's simply because she reminds him so much of this person, that he believes she's the right person for this job... It's funny, right now, I could bring this to Akane Shinjo tonight, maybe tomorrow or the day after...And yet...There would be no magic to it. No joy would come to that child. Maybe even now, it's not possible for you. But... I'd like to believe that one day she will find a path towards happiness. And because of that, I'd like to entrust these to a person who I think more than anyone believes that she does deserve it. To someone who will be by her side to help her reach it..."
Again, it likely sounded off. Even if this person was a fake, to have an entity based on belief tell you that they believe in you. It likely felt as unusual as it sounded. Though the words did come off still sincere.
"That's all the reason I'm here...Because no matter what I do, it's simply not a delivery I can do...So I wanted to ask...If this was something you think you can do? "
<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.
It was almost sort of funny. Orpheus' geass was one where it used the person's own assumptions and interpretations of a person to make the most realistic expression of that person. Whether it was their appearance, their speech, to even just their own mannerisms. And with that being the case, as this red-capped gentleman tries to smile in earnest as one might have expected of someone so jolly well...The true expression Orpheus has under the 'mask' is honestly red for another kind of reason. The way she stares a whole into this person only shows just how unimpressed she was at this. Which to be fair was rather understandable. Even now his flush at this was something he can't ignore as he feels as red, as the red he was 'wearing'.
Despite her disbelief, he'd roll with it. At the very least even if she didn't believe he was that mystical entity, she was willing to listen to what he had to say. Orpheus took a small breath in, though the figure Rikka saw wouldn't mirror the sign of distress.
"Because, I wanted your help."
He places the presents on the table between the sofas. On one of them there's a card for Akane Shinjo, and another addressed to Rikka held in his hand. "I had hoped to just explain this through a card. But, now that we're here..." Even through the facade, the expression of the old man turns solemn. It's because I think more than anyone, you believe that Akane Shinjo isn't bad. No...Maybe it'd be better to say that I think you believe she deserves a chance to be better...To live better." It was likely odd to hear notions such as 'I think', from such a mystical entity if they were real. Though, at the same time, saying anything else felt like it would have been a true fallacy to say. Perhaps these were his own thoughts being expressed, and perhaps they were only assumptions made from the brief time he has seen her. And yet... He still recalls that August day. When Kaworu and Yuuta brought so many together. The earnest desire in the girl's words. Her desire to help Akane, to acknowledge her actions but still want better for her. Even now, as Tetsuya, he's sure he had told her that she reminded him of another person of the sort. And maybe it's simply because she reminds him so much of this person, that he believes she's the right person for this job... It's funny, right now, I could bring this to Akane Shinjo tonight, maybe tomorrow or the day after...And yet...There would be no magic to it. No joy would come to that child. Maybe even now, it's not possible for you. But... I'd like to believe that one day she will find a path towards happiness. And because of that, I'd like to entrust these to a person who I think more than anyone believes that she does deserve it. To someone who will be by her side to help her reach it..."
Again, it likely sounded off. Even if this person was a fake, to have an entity based on belief tell you that they believe in you. It likely felt as unusual as it sounded. Though the words did come off still sincere.
"That's all the reason I'm here...Because no matter what I do, it's simply not a delivery I can do...So I wanted to ask...If this was something you think you can do? "
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
The man explains that... he wanted her help. That he'd hoped to explain it through a card.
"...I see." Rikka murmurs. His phrasing... It's a little familiar. "...To be honest - if that was the case, then you should've just asked me directly. You didn't need to go through all of... this."
She gestures in his direction - at what appears, to her, to be a man who dressed up as Santa to break into her house.
"This isn't the sort of thing you should just ask through a card." She says. She frowns, as he continues... and, she would like to at least believe that he believes what he's saying.
"...She's been through a lot. Pushed into a corner, and forced to take desperate actions." Rikka murmurs. "I hate that she was pushed into this position to begin with. She deserves better than this."
Her gaze drops back to floor for a moment, but she looks back up quickly.
"...I think she will, too. But she might need help to find it. But she does deserve it." He says he believes in her. She doesn't know who he is. "...I can't promise I'll be able to do it right away. Even if I knew where to find her, I'm not sure she'd be in a position to accept them right now. But I will, when she's ready. Who should I tell her this is from?"
Again, Orpheus truly feels the miracle of this night taking effect that his expressions don't translate one-to-one. Red on his face that he honestly can't recall someone making feel so silly than this moment. If you had just been sleeping like a normal person this wouldn't be... Another sigh escapes his lips as he speaks up, though ultimately the old man simply nods, a hand at the back of his head...Albeit now his rosy cheeks seem a bit more flushed with a bit of a smile and even a laugh to it. "Hohoho, perhaps it would have been simpler. Though...perhaps I'm like that girl as well... A person who's more comfortable pretending to be something they're not... I don't like admitting when I want help either."
He sees her lowering her head, and he hears the pain in her voice as she talks of Akane's struggles. There's a moment where he feels ready to console, to acknowledge her own beliefs. Though...She raises her head just as quickly, and with such assurance in her voice tells him she does deserve it. That's enough for him to hear. "Mmm, she does. And thankfully, it seems like she has someone more bright than those pillars of light to help guide her out of the dark."
He slowly gets up from his seat as he starts writing something down, only beginning to speak to her from the corner of his eye. "It's fine, I know that for that girl it'll take time. My only regret is that I won't have the time to see what future opens up for that child. So that present will have to be enough. As for the name..." A grin comes on his face as he folds up the letter he'd been writing up, and pulls out a letter from the sack. He seals the note within before writing on the note. "You don't have to worry about my name. It's on the card for Akane's present. Though...This present is for you..."
He passes the envelope over to Rikka. It's clearly addressed to her, with the sender's name on it appearing as... Santa...Cloz? He couldn't even spell the name right?
The old man slowly picked himself up off the couch as he started walking. "It was a pleasure seeing you, Rikka. Maybe one day we can have a proper talk. But for now..."
He slowly starts heading towards the stairwell, his hand reaching for where the lightswitch she had messed with a moment ago. "I believe after everything you've gone through...It's not a present you need...Though, if you ever start doubting yourself...Open it. Merry Christmas, Rikka."
And with that, the sound of the switch flickers and the living room goes dark. Perhaps this was how this fake intended to make his escape? But at the same time, it's very clear of one thing...There's still the shadow of a silhouette at the bottom of the stairs. The outline of a figure in the darkness. Had that person still not left yet...? Was he just...Standing there?
<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.
Again, Orpheus truly feels the miracle of this night taking effect that his expressions don't translate one-to-one. Red on his face that he honestly can't recall someone making feel so silly than this moment. If you had just been sleeping like a normal person this wouldn't be... Another sigh escapes his lips as he speaks up, though ultimately the old man simply nods, a hand at the back of his head...Albeit now his rosy cheeks seem a bit more flushed with a bit of a smile and even a laugh to it. "Hohoho, perhaps it would have been simpler. Though...perhaps I'm like that girl as well... A person who's more comfortable pretending to be something they're not... I don't like admitting when I want help either."
He sees her lowering her head, and he hears the pain in her voice as she talks of Akane's struggles. There's a moment where he feels ready to console, to acknowledge her own beliefs. Though...She raises her head just as quickly, and with such assurance in her voice tells him she does deserve it. That's enough for him to hear. "Mmm, she does. And thankfully, it seems like she has someone more bright than those pillars of light to help guide her out of the dark."
He slowly gets up from his seat as he starts writing something down, only beginning to speak to her from the corner of his eye. "It's fine, I know that for that girl it'll take time. My only regret is that I won't have the time to see what future opens up for that child. So that present will have to be enough. As for the name..." A grin comes on his face as he folds up the letter he'd been writing up, and pulls out a letter from the sack. He seals the note within before writing on the note. "You don't have to worry about my name. It's on the card for Akane's present. Though...This present is for you..."
He passes the envelope over to Rikka. It's clearly addressed to her, with the sender's name on it appearing as... Santa...Cloz? He couldn't even spell the name right?
The old man slowly picked himself up off the couch as he started walking. "It was a pleasure seeing you, Rikka. Maybe one day we can have a proper talk. But for now..."
He slowly starts heading towards the stairwell, his hand reaching for where the lightswitch she had messed with a moment ago. "I believe after everything you've gone through...It's not a present you need...Though, if you ever start doubting yourself...Open it. Merry Christmas, Rikka."
And with that, the sound of the switch flickers and the living room goes dark. Perhaps this was how this fake intended to make his escape? But at the same time, it's very clear of one thing...There's still the shadow of a silhouette at the bottom of the stairs. The outline of a figure in the darkness. Had that person still not left yet...? Was he just...Standing there?
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
He's like Akane in that way, huh...
"I get it. It isn't easy... but it's a skill that takes practicing just like any other." Rikka replies with a shake of her head. "You should work at it."
She nods, then.
"She has a lot of people. Not just me. Someone's just made it difficult for her to see that." She replies. He says it's fine, though - but that his regret is that he won't be able to see it for himself. He pulls out a note and passes an envelope over to her, signed...
"...This is what you're going with?" She asks, and then nods, as he stands up. "...Yeah. One day. You don't have to dress up next time - I want to talk to you."
She doesn't know who he is, but he seems to care, at least... even if he shows it in strange ways.
If she starts to doubt herself, though...
"...In that case, I probably won't need it. But I'll hold onto it. ...Yeah. Merry Christmas." She says.
The living room light turns off, and Rikka stands up. She watches as he reaches the stairwell, staring at the silhouette. ...She wants to make sure he leaves, at least - even if only to make sure he doesn't accidentally wake her mother on the way out.
<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.
There's only one final smile on "Santa's" face as the lights go out. He's sure that when the day comes that Akane's able to live a proper life, that when Rikka is able to pass that message on, she'll know who he was talking about. She'll have a good laugh about it, maybe she and Rikka could look at it together about how silly it is. But for now...The stranger had returned into the darkness just as he had come.
The lights go off, and for a time there's silence as the silhouette doesn't move...The darkness lingers for a while, enough where it almost feels like her eyes will adjust. Enough where she'll be able to see him again. Though just as her vision is about to refocus...The lights are hit again, and this time Rikka feels it blind her for a moment. Her eyes now have to readjust for the excess of light instead of the lack of it.
A soft yet familiar yawn can be heard now. "Mmmm...Rikka...That you?"
Before her hitting the light switch is a person all too familiar to her. Albeit there's a groggy expression of someone having just woken up, and more sleep attire than the usual clothes she'd have while working the shop, there's no doubt from her appearance, to her voice, to her mannerisms this was her mother. She'd gently rub her eyes again as she tried to get accustomed to the light. "Hmmm? What are you doing up so lat--" She'd stare down at her daughter seeing the envelope in her hand, the presents not under the tree and her daughter in the middle of it all. There's a little sigh that escapes her lips before a slight smile escapes, "Guess you're at that age where you don't wanna wait anymore... Rikka, go back to bed and I promise won't tell Santa you tried to sneak a peek, okay~?" There's a smirk on her face as she moves to the side to give her daughter space to climb up the stairs. She waits patiently, wordlessly as she waits for Rikka to head up the stairs and when she finally passes her...Her eyes gaze back towards the living room. Near the side of the room taking notice of a picture on the wall of Rikka and her mother hung up. That smile from before only stays contently smug before hearing the sound of Rikka's door closing shut, and then...The lights turn off once more, and only the silence within the dark can be found.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka keeps an eye on the sillhouette, waiting for him to make a move or to leave... and then, the light is turned suddenly back on, after she'd gotten used to the dark, and Rikka actually swears a little under her breath, shutting her eyes tight and massaging them.
She hears a familiar voice, though.
"Mama? Sorry, did I wake you?" Rikka asks, and then pauses, continuing dryly. "...You're hilarious, mama. Good night."
...It feels like quite the coincidence, but she's fine letting it go for now. Was she in on it, too? But then again, how would she be...?
...She's too tired to process this. Fine, back to bed. She turns, moving to head back to her room.