2023-02-20: Coming Home
- Log: 2023-02-20: Coming Home
- Cast: Rikka Takarada, Akane Shinjo
- Where: Tsutsujidai - Junk Shop Aya
- OOC - IC Date: 0097-02-20
- Summary: Rikka introduces Akane to her mother. Akane dips her toes into coming back to Tsutsujidai as herself.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Today is a big day. Rikka's closest friends know about her relationship already(though, she doesn't notice she didn't actually directly tell Namiko who she was dating...), but with the prom coming up the number of people who are going to know will increase to... basically everyone Rikka knows.
Rikka's fine with this, of course. At any moment she's more than willing to shout her love for Akane to the heavens, with the only reason for not doing so being unwilling to cause a disturbance. She wants everyone to know!
...But, before that, there's someone she wants to make sure learns before anyone else. Introducing Akane to her mom, she realises, is... kind of a big step, but it's one she wants to take, if Akane is open to it too.
...Which, eventually, leads to now. Rikka has chosen the specific time for a reason. It's incredibly unlikely that any customers will show up at Aya for a while, which means they'll have plenty of time to talk.
Rikka stands outside the junk shop, peeking in from the corner of a window for a moment.
"...Okay, mama's just sitting at the counter watching TV." Rikka says, looking over to Akane. It doesn't look like any of the guys are in at the moment, either... They've all had their own things to deal with lately, so that's not too surprising. "Let's move."
She heads down the alleyway to the door leading into the Takarada residence proper, unlocking the door and sliding it open. The first order of business... sneak Akane into the bathroom so she can change(that is, assuming she feels comfortable enough to go through with that).
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Being introduced to Rikka's mom makes Akane more than a little bit nervous; she'd largely avoided seeing people's parents in Tsutsujidai for a variety of reasons, and she'd be lying if she said she was totally comfortable here.
... more than that, though, it's weird to be back. The city doesn't feel 'hers' in the way it used to, and while that's a relief in some ways, it's also a little disorienting. She's not quite sure how she relates to it anymore, if at all. If things hadn't changed at all, she could go more or less anywhere, be more or less anything within its limits. Now...
... well, she really can go anywhere and be anything, but only in the way humans can.
"Right," Akane says, giving Rikka a firm nod as she affirms what she's learned on recon. "Okay. I can do this. ... thanks. Sorry, I know I'm being a pain in the butt about this, I just... couldn't do walking around on the street like that yet..."
She slips in, before realizing... she's going to need to be led. She's never actually had a chance to see the residence part of this building.
... it's not a long trip, though. Assuming she makes it to the bathroom unspotted, she takes remarkably little time to change, shucking the exhausting fiction of what remains of her Godhood. ... it's getting easier each time.
... mostly.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"It's alright. I don't mind. I don't think you're being a pain." Rikka assures with a smile, as Akane apologizes. She understands. It still can't be easy for her, Rikka's sure. Akane can be open with her... but Rikka already knows all that she is. The same can't be said for everyone else. Rikka leads Akane into the house. And inside...
...Inside, there's a cozy, homey feel. It feels like a place where people live, full of signs of life - some more subtle than others. They make it through the hallway without being seen, through the laundry room and into the bathroom beyond. Rikka closes the door behind them, stepping away to give Akane some room. She smiles, watching as the facade gives way.
She'll never get tired of looking at her.
She reaches for one of Akane's hands, then, taking it in her own.
"Are you ready? We can take a second, if you need it." Rikka asks. She doesn't want to rush this. She can tell that Akane is already nervous. She wants her to be on even a footing as she can be - even if it means waiting.
But, eventually, Rikka leads Akane out of the bathroom - this time to the shop floor, where Rikka pokes her head out of the curtain separating the shop floor from the rest of the house.
"Hey, mama... you got a second?" Rikka asks. Orie pauses, looking down from the screen over to the curtain.
"Oh, Rikka, when'd you get home?" Orie asks, curious.
"Just now. There's... someone I'd like you to meet." Rikka replies. Orie watches her quietly for a moment. There's a lot of things she could say... but ultimately, the serious, but hopeful, look on Rikka's face wins her over. Orie smiles kindly, turning the TV off and standing up.
"Oh, do you~? Alright. I've got time." Orie replies. Rikka takes a deep breath, then, and looks back at Akane, her eyes quietly asking if she's ready. If she is... Rikka steps through the curtain.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane still hasn't fully fixed her hair dye situation, though a small haircut -- mostly just cleaning up breakage and split ends -- has at least reduced the proportion of dyed black to brown and made the gradient look a touch more natural, insofar as a gradient can look particularly natural.
Fluffing it out a bit, Akane looks at herself in the mirror. ... this is really happening -- she's really doing this.
Holding that hand tightly, Akane breathes in, and says, "... Yeah. I can do this. Thanks," when she's ready.
She lets Rikka take point. This situation doesn't demand she do it alone -- and indeed, being introduced is probably going to make it easier. Meeting Rikka's eyes and giving her a nod, Akane follows her through the curtain, still holding that hand like a lifeline.
"Hi," she starts, unassumingly-enough. "I don't think we've seen each other in... jeez, almost two years, and even then... I was a little shorter and my hair was a different color. I'm Akane Shinjo."
There's a beat before she says, "I've been dating your daughter for like a month and being dumb about it for like a year and a half before that," all at once -- and then immediately realizes she just threw it out there without hesitation. Her eyes widen, and she scoots in toward Rikka and a tiny bit behind her.
Well, it's out now. "... N-nice to meet you other than selling you all my junk," she stammers out.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka nods back toward Akane, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as she holds onto it tightly. She leads her forward... and then smiles encouragingly as Akane steps through the curtain. Orie watches with interest. Her eyes track from Akane, to Rikka, then back to Akane... and very briefly, a satisfied look crosses over her face.
"It has been a while. I remember you - you've really grown." Orie replies with smile. And then, after a beat... Akane lets it all spill! Rikka pauses for a moment, while Orie looks... amused, actually, and somehow, not at all surprised.
"So, you're why my Rikka has been sighing to herself and gazing longingly off into the distance this past month. It's nice to finally meet you~." Orie says with a smile. Rikka goes just a little red.
"Mamaaa..." Rikka whines. She's not going to away with this with being able to look cool about it...
And then, Orie's smile softens, as she looks between the two of them.
"I'm grateful. She's been smiling a lot more lately, it's nice. I'm sure it's probably not all you... but I'm sure you count for a lot of it, too."
With that said, Orie steps away from them for a moment - over to the store front, flipping the sign on the door to closed and lowering the blinds. With that done she resume her seat at the counter, and gestures to the couch.
"Would you like to sit down? I'd like to get to know you better." Orie asks. Rikka looks toward Akane. She'll let her make the choice on if she feels ready for this.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Orie... seems really easy-going. It's not what Akane expects from a 'mom' at all; even when she's known other 'mom-like' figures in her life, they've been pretty untouchable. Someone this chill has... a bit of a different energy, and it relaxes Akane a bit to see that. She's still terrified of tripping over her words, but -- well, she already tripped once and things seem fine.
Sighing to herself and gazing longingly off into the distance... "... Really? When we're together she's so cool, though..." Akane replies, and now it's her turn to get just a little less tense as she looks to Rikka, get distracted just a bit too long. So there are sides of Rikka only she gets to see, sides to her only she brings out...
... aaah, that's so --
Right. She was having a conversation with Orie, who seems to be... locking up for the moment? Eeh? Is this going to be a serious --
No, right. It's... just a talk. The talk she was expecting! Right. This is --
Taking a breather, she straightens herself out and -- still holding onto Rikka -- moves toward the couch. Getting situated makes things easier on her. "W-well, uh... I moved here a couple years ago, and... ahahaha, this is a little embarrassing but I started getting a crush on Rikka in like, a month? She was just... easy to talk to." The question of why this took so long to move raises itself.
... she can give the short version. "My guardian... convinced me I was going to take it really bad if she said no, and there were... some things Rikka didn't know about me then that made me think that made a lot of sense, since I felt like I had to tell her that stuff in the process." She looks down. "So I didn't, and I got weird about it."
Scooting up toward Rikka, she finishes, "... my guardian is the one who was responsible for a lot of the stuff that happened in December and January. Rikka helped me get away from him, too."
Saying that -- to someone who she isn't even sure knows it -- gets her to again turn toward Rikka, and... this time she doesn't remember to look away and get back to the conversation. It feels amazing to tell someone exactly what transpired.
In her head, Rikka always looks cool.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"It's true, you should see it. It's so cute~." Orie teases good-naturedly.
"D-don't believe anything she says. Mama's a menace." Rikka insists. She's a little red in the face... but, she doesn't actually seem upset or insulted. If anything, this banter seems relaxing.
Orie closes up shop and takes a seat, and Rikka follows suit. She doesn't let go of Akane, holding her hand for as long as she wants or needs it - reminding her of her presence.
And so, Akane begins. Orie listens quietly, without interruptions.
"...That was probably about the same time I did too, to be fair..." Rikka chimes in sheepishly, as Akane admits to getting a crush on Rikka in a month. Orie smiles slyly, but she doesn't comment - instead, letting Akane continues.
Her expression... becomes complex for a moment when she mentions her guardian, eventually settling into a frown as Akane. When Akane scoots closer to Rikka, Rikka gives her another brief squeeze to provide some comfort. She's proud of her for saying it - and when Akane turns to look at her, Rikka offers her a smile. And Orie...
"...I'm sorry, Akane. That shouldn't have happened to you. I'm glad Rikka was there for you. She's got a good head on her shoulders." Orie replies sympathetically. She looks at Rikka proudly for a moment, before looking back toward Akane. "Are you safe? Do you have somewhere to stay, anyone else looking after you?"
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"Oh, is that where you get it from, Miss 'I get to fall in love with the same woman twice'?" Akane teases -- and now it's Orie and Akane's turn to be on-sides about teasing Rikka?! How quickly the tables turn...
... getting in on teasing Rikka a bit relaxes her, in turn. If this is the kind of dynamic she can expect with Orie... things will probably be fine, right? There's no way this is just a front.
(Alexis could play at a fun dynamic too, she realizes... but this does feel a little different, in a way Akane can't quite describe.)
"Oh my god we're complete idiots," Akane mumbles to herself, at the mention that that's when Rikka had a crush on her too. They really could have skipped so many months of so much hardship if either of them had said anything... but that just makes it more important to cherish this moment, and this way they got here.
"She really does," Akane agrees, after a few seconds to remember, yet again, that she's having a conversation with both of them. "I was so scared and... I felt like I couldn't say anything without putting her at risk, and she just... asked the kind of question that cuts through all that stuff." Orie follows up with practicals, though, and that's... in some senses, actually easier, as much as Akane would love to just spend the whole sit-down talking about how great Rikka is.
"Ahaha, about that... I'm actually moving out of town. I have somewhere to move, and I'm doing operator training with the Gutsy Global Guard! I'm in a lot better a place now. But..." Glancing around Aya, she adds, "... moving out is gonna be a pain, and there's -- reasons, that I can't just take stuff straight out of my apartment."
Asking for help is nervewracking, even something as small as this. "... Since you're right next door -- can I store a few boxes here for a little while? It'd make moving out... a lot easier."
Her eyes flick up to Orie's bright golds for a moment, then back down. She doesn't have any more follow-ups... but now she's thinking about something. What comes out isn't what she's thinking, though, as she gropes for a new topic, and settles on the first thing that comes into her head:
"It'd help a lot if you could find some rope to tie the boxes together, too. Big diameter silk, maybe? It might get used on something kind of delicate. Don't want it to bite."
She glances to Rikka with that look she gets before she drops a 'just kidding~'.
... there is no 'just kidding.'
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Orie smirks good-naturedly as Akane retorts.
"My, how smooth! When did you grow up into such a sweet-talker, Rikka...? I'm so proud~." Orie replies.
"Oh my god, I've made a huge mistake. You're both menaces. " Rikka complains, burying her face in her hands. ...She can't completely hide that smile, though.
They're sitting down now, and... Rikka laughs a little awkwardly as Akane points out... that they're both complete idiots.
"Y-Yeah, I guess we are... Do you, um... Do you remember that athletic meet? ...I worked really hard to win you a headband, and then I, just. Could never work up the courage to actually give it to you. Geez." Rikka admits. ...Which reminds her that she has another gift waiting for Akane, but... that one, she wants to wait for the right moment for.
Orie smiles knowingly - a smile that goes softer as Akane continues and explains a little of what happened around the time Rikka got Akane away from her guardian.
"...Rikka's pretty good at that. She's got a pretty sharp tongue, but she can use it for good sometimes." Orie comments with a smile.
They work around to the practicals, then. She's moving... Orie nods.
"Wow, the Gutsy Global Guard... that's a pretty big move, at your age." She comments, impressed. "I'm glad to hear you're in a better place now, though."
And then, Akane starts to ask something. Orie waits and lets her work through it, and Rikka holds her hand supportively.
"Of course, that's no problem at all." Orie replies with a smile. "If you need anything at all, Akane, Aya's always open to you."
...But, it turns out that Akane does have a specific request. Rikka goes pale and she looks at Akane, expecting a 'just kidding' that never comes. She starts to mouth something along the lines of 'did you really just-'...
...And then, she feels doom approaching.
Orie leans forward, supporting her chin with her knuckles as a sly, knowing smile starts to creep across her face. Once again, she looks between Rikka and Akane for a moment.
"Is that so...? Well, well...~ I think I might be able to find some for you, as long as you promise to be safe and responsible with it~. Do you need someone to show you how to tie and untie it safely...?" Orie asks. "I should probably show both of you, just in case~."
Once again, Rikka buries her face, this time into the spare, unoccupied hand.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"I guess all of us did a lot of growing up the last couple years," Akane remarks. Some of them more than others, or in different ways, but even still... it's kind of nice to realize that everyone here has been learning and growing.
"Oh wow. I was actually thinking of confessing at that stupid meet and then I just skipped class," Akane admits, rubbing at the back of her head. "I get worn out at school events so fast... I'm still kind of looking forward to prom though. It's kinda neat that it's that close to White Day... it means we get the whole weekend and then some to have fun with it."
Orie's comment on Rikka's sharp tongue gets a nod. She has an immediate thought, but this time she manages to catch herself before she takes it in some Directions. ... that might be a little too undeniable in front of Rikka's Whole-Ass Mom.
... though maybe not, apparently, judging from the way she responds to that vague allusion. Akane realizes she's caught a half-second after Rikka does, in part from watching her cut herself off. She doesn't even get a chance to say thank you for the kindness!
Oh no. She was so sure a normal person wouldn't catch that, and now --
Akane turns her face away and buries her face in her free hand, turning a shade of crimson that puts her name to shame. "S-sure, I'll bring over some. Boxes. Later. Yeah. Maybe a. One of the sofubi doesn't seem like it'll go in the box safely we can tie it to the top of the box and."
Yeah, she's doomed.
Leaning into Rikka, Akane squeak-whispers, "if you want to get me out of a self-inflicted mess again..." There is no chance in hell this isn't audible.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Yeah... We really have." Rikka agrees with a nod, emerging from hiding. Orie smiles and... elects to let that slide without further teasing.
"Wow..." Rikka comments as Akane admits that she was thinking about confessing at the meet. A lot of things seem to revolve around it... But they've grown since then, as she said. And now they're here, and Rikka can't say she isn't glad they are.
"Yeah, me too... I'm excited." Rikka agrees on prom, and then nods. "...Yeah, it's great. I kind of wonder if they planned it that way..."
Orie smiles.
"Make sure to get lots of pictures for me, you hear?" She says. "I want plenty of both of you."
Rikka looks toward Akane. ...She kind of wants that too, as long as Akane is also okay with it.
Akane, too, hides her face. Orie seems pleased - and when Akane pleads to Rikka to bail her out of it, Rikka clears her throat.
"S-So, um, yeah! Mama, I'm going to need an outfit for prom. Akane, do you already have something arranged?" Rikka asks. She figures that's a good, distracting topic. She doesn't know if Sayla has already made plans help Akane out with that, but it's good to start thinking about it, at least.
Orie smiles, and it's hard to tell if she's been successfully Distracted, or if she's just being Merciful.
"We'll have to get you taken care of, then. Ah, I'm so excited... And of course I'd be glad to help you, too, Akane, if you need one." Orie offers.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Pictures? That's -- oh wow. Akane never considered that part of prom. Is that a thing? ... How does she want this moment to be immortalized? Who does she want to be when she looks back on this?
It's a heavy question -- heavier than she anticipated. It does force her out of her head, at least. "I don't have anything set up yet," she says, stabilizing. "I know what I have in mind, though! Or at least, like... a few ideas. I need to send them to Rikka to pick out which one we'll go with." Mischief starts to enter her expression again as she explains, "... It might help if I get my hair done first, too... I definitely wanna look my best."
Now that they've got the conversation moving along, she confirms, "If Sayla can't arrange everything, I'll ask you, Takarada-san. ... I might need to have the dress shipped here anyway? I don't really wanna have to carry it along on transit... there's so much that could go wrong." That is, of course, her first thought.
... though it does say a lot that she's catastrophizing about practicals rather than The Mere Concept of Prom.
She leans into Rikka a little again, saying, "... thanks, and, uh -- wow, I'm starting to see where you get it from..." That one is less embarrassing to be loud enough to hear.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka nods as Akane says she doesn't have anything set up yet - but she does have some ideas.
"Oh yeah, I'm excited to see what you have in mind..." Rikka says. She thinks she has some ideas what that could be, but... And she grins, too, when Akane mentions getting her hair done. "Yeah, that's a great idea."
Orie looks on in interest when Akane mentions Sayla.
"Oh, is Sayla helping you? That's a load off my mind." Orie says, leaning back against the counter. "And, of course, that's perfectly fine. I can hold on to anything you need me to."
"It'll be alright." Rikka assures, as Akane starts to catastrophize a little. She can tell, though, that's it's not prom itself that's worrying her... That, at least, comes as a relief.
Akane leans into her and Rikka smiles, settling against her a little herself.
"No problem. And... hah, yeah. I'm still years away for being a match for mama, though..." Rikka replies with a sheepish chuckle.
Orie doesn't interject - but she does smile about it.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"I'll VERTEX you a few options. I'm pretty sure we can get them together on even this kinda short notice -- none of them are that complicated..." A pause. No, she was God and could do whatever she wanted at that point. "... okay, one of them might be a little complicated." A smile crosses her face as she thinks, "Maybe Comiket."
Orie prompts her a little on Sayla, and Akane's happy to talk about that. "Yeah, she's... honestly cutting these huge checks and it kinda freaks me out sometimes. She offered me an allowance, too... I'm kinda not sure how to handle it," Akane admits, rubbing at the back of her head. Now she's in a completely different headspace from before; it's not a bad thing at all, and indeed it makes it easier to talk. "Sometimes I feel like I'm being rewarded for acting out, ahaha..."
... she doesn't dwell on it. It's easier not to dwell when you've got other people. Besides -- she's being handed another opportunity to tease.
"I bet you'll catch up faster now that you have... what was it," Akane muses. "Someone to 'keep practicing on'?" Pulling her knees up, she almost leans in for a kiss -- and then remembers that Orie is still there, and settles for leaning a little closer.
"You seem like you're a really cool person, Takarada-san," she says, pivoting back to Orie. "I'm really glad Rikka has you in her corner! I... know how much that means for someone." It's a little melancholy, the way she says it, but... she really is happy that Rikka has that kind of presence in her life.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Sure, I'll take a look." Rikka replies with a nod. Akane corrects herself. Comiket... Rikka smiles. "...Oh, that sounds great. I'd like to go to one."
She's never been before. She thought herself above it, in addition to other complications. But... she's changed since then, and if they go together... Now, she thinks that'd be fun.
Orie nods as Akane explains about Sayla. She smiles fondly.
"I don't think she sees it that way. She doesn't seem like the type to reward bad behavior." Orie says. "You're Rikka's age, right? You're still young. I think it's alright to let yourself be spoiled a little while you can."
And then... Akane teases Rikka.
"Akaneee..." Rikka whines. Between Akane and her own mother, she's been utterly defeated at every turn today...! And she started the day off seeming so cool. At least she can be satisfied by Akane leaning in in turn...
And Akane... says that Orie's a really cool person! Orie smiles.
"Well, I try. Rikka... she's a headstrong girl and she likes to rush out on her own, so I do my best to make sure she has a place to come home to." Orie replies. Speaking of homes, though...
"Akane, do you think you'll be staying over for dinner?" Orie asks curiously. "You're certainly welcome to."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
This woman is scary quick, Akane realizes -- maybe even too scary-quick. It gets her wondering a little bit, again -- but it's a secondary question. It's not like having her curiosities satisfied would change anything. This is simply Rikka's mother, who just so happens to be very powerful.
Instead, she giggles at Rikka's whining, giving Orie a firm nod. "She's really incredible. I'd bet on her in a fight with a comet," she enthuses, and she means every word of it. "Though I really hope I never have to."
And then -- she's invited to stay for dinner. What does she even say to that? Will she even like the food? What if Rikka's already-weird diet is even weirder at home? What if --
Taking a deep breath, she asks, "What's for dinner? Do you do diner food, or do you cook different stuff for yourselves?" ... no, there's actually a better question here, and that's --
"Can I help? I love cooking, but I don't get to cook for other people super often... it might be nice to learn from a pro." It turns out the bigger world has a lot to offer, if she doesn't make herself too small to ever reach it.
Rikka's hand gets another little squeeze. "And in the morning, I'll make you..." She lets it dangle just long enough, and then --
"... a smoothie~" she finishes, playfully. Not everything has to skip to the end of the world.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Orie seems pleased as Akane talks about how incredible Rikka is. It's nice to hear that kind of praise about her daughter... and, Rikka can't help but smile a little beside herself, either.
"I feel the same way." Orie agrees with a nod.
And Akane has some questions, about what's for dinner and whether or not they do diner food.
"Sometimes, on rare occasions - like if we have ingredients left over from the day that need to be used up. But, usually, we do other things." Orie explains... and then, Akane asks if she can help. It's rare to see her completely surprised, but she didn't seem to be expecting that, at the very least. Still... it's a pleasant sort of surprise that gets her smiling fondly.
"Of course, I'd be glad to cook with you. I can give you some tips on winning over Rikka's tastebuds while I'm at it, too." Orie replies.
Akane squeezes Rikka's hand and starts to speak. ...Rikka's face goes a little red, and with how bold she's been - even if it ended up backfiring a little - she wonders for a moment if she's actually going to go through with it...
...But of course, it ends in a tease.
"Oh my goddd, if there was a blanket on this thing I'd hide under it..." Rikka complains, and hesitates a little before admitting, "...That does sound nice, though..."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"Hehehe... I was paying attention to what she'd bring for lunch," Akane admits, "but she's a little bit of a fussy one, right? So, sure. You've got a big head start on knowing what she likes... let's see what I can do to catch up." She rolls her shoulders a bit, finally getting out of her steadily-tighter curl up on the couch.
She is going to have to get up if she wants to cook for Rikka.
"Don't worry -- we have plenty of time for me to get through my whole arsenal," she affirms, with a big smile. Before she moves to get up, she leans in, giving Rikka a quick peck on the cheek. ... she's not so bold to go for a full-on kiss under these circumstances, having exhausted her boldness reservoir much earlier in the conversation.
Stretching out, she moves to help Orie out, and seems... genuinely excited the whole time, even if she's mostly following Rikka's mother's lead. It's a good feeling -- and it keeps her mind off of the vulnerability of moving through the world as herself, too...