2024-03-03: Next Stops
- Log: 2024-03-03- Next Stops
- Cast: Rikka Takarada, Akane Shinjo
- Where: Nouvelle Tokyo Transit System
- OOC - IC Date: 0098-09-12
- Summary: After catching a movie, Akane and Rikka get a bus ride back home. In the process, they plan out the rest of their night, talk about arranging the house a bit, and show a little care for each other.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
It's been a good day today. A day for Rikka and Akane to take some time out from their respective studies and dedicate some time solely to each other. Nothing too strenuous, physically or on their budget - dinner and a movie. The classic.
The day rolls to a close, now, the sun low in the sky as night begins to fall. Their movie has just let out and a slight chill is starting to settle in as they sit on a bench outside the theater, waiting for transportation back to their apartment.
Rikka, for one, looks to be in a good mood - she's been quite busy lately, not so much that she has no free time, but she definitely has a lot on her shoulders.
"This was a great idea... I'm glad that we decided to do this." Rikka says with a contented sigh, leaning back a little. Her eyes stray to the setting sun in the sky, for a moment - and then, to the one right next to her.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
School starting up again has been good for Akane -- with the arrival of September has come a lot of new energy... though that might just be finally being able to discontinue pain medication.
Akane looks out toward the sunset for a few moments as they settle in on the bench -- but her gaze quickly turns back toward Rikka. "It's been a while since we had a chance to just have a breather together..." Akane murmurs. "I'm really glad we did this, too." She scoots in a little closer, saying, "Thanks for everything this summer... it really meant a lot to me." It's not the first time she's said it... but it does bear repeating.
"It's kind of crazy how... it's not like nothing's happening, but things really did quiet down a lot... at least, for us." Giving Rikka's hand a quick squeeze, she adds, "That reminds me -- can we swing by the storage unit on the way home? I want to grab my keyboard... I was expecting the cord situation behind the TV stand to be worse than it was, but I could totally store it behind there so things don't get cluttered up."
Barely above a whisper, she adds, "I wanna play for you again."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"It really has been..." Rikka agrees with a nod. Too long... but, better late than never. Here they are now, and that's all that matters. Akane scoots closer - and Rikka scoots closer, too.
"I was happy to. I'd be there for you all over again, if I had to - as many times as I need to." She assures. It's not the first time she's heard it, true - but she appreciates it all the same.
"Yeah, it really is... It's been nice." Rikka agrees. Akane gives her hand a quick squeeze, and Rikka squeezes back. There was that BioNet attack, a while - which shook her, and she still thinks about it every now and then, has been given things to think about... but it's been quiet, since, and she appreciates the quiet. But Akane has a request. Swinging by the storage unit... It's not too far out of the way. But even if it was a significant detour, her answer'd be the same.
"Sure, I don't mind. There should be plenty of room." She replies. Akane wants to play for her again... Rikka offers her a genuine smile. "...I'd really like that. I want to sing for you and with you again, too."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Feeling that kind of vulnerability while she was recovering... was a little scary. Even then, though, it gave her an appreciation for the orderly, efficient sheltering and evacuation systems in this part of town... it's too much to ask that the world never has a disaster happen, but compared to 0096 and 0097... 0098's been pretty peaceful.
The reassurance feels nice -- but the plan to make music together is nicer. Akane glances at the bus schedule on her phone for a moment and realizes they've got a few minutes... weekends are kind of slow. She leans on Rikka, looking content for a little while, saying, "That sounds really nice. I'm glad we've got the time for it."
Bringing a hand across her lap to hang onto Rikka's arm with both arms now, Akane adds, "... the next place we live, I want enough room for a couple pieces of exercise equipment. Nothing super fancy, but going to campus just to use the weight room is way too much." Her tone is airy but content -- less 'urgent need,' more 'fun blueskying about the future.'
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Akane leans on her - and Rikka looks content in turn, leaning on her as well. In this moment, she finds herself thankful for slow bus schedules on the weekend.
"Yeah... Me too." Rikka agrees, as Akane hangs onto her. And Akane makes a suggestion, a consideration for the next place they live... Rikka thinks on that for a moment, her expression pensive.
"I wouldn't mind that. I can think of a few pieces that I wouldn't mind having, too." She considers. "I could do a lot more if I didn't have to budget the time and effort spent going there and back into things. The people there have been pretty good, but I wouldn't mind the extra privacy, either..."
Akane has no doubt become familiar with Rikka's fitness regiment, by this point - the same one she started while training with Sheryl, with adjustments made since to better fit Rikka herself and her new circumstances.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
A while ago, Akane had said she'd wanted that to remain a mystery to her -- but cohabitation makes mysteries hard to maintain... and at the same time, it's been interesting to see what Rikka does to take care of herself, too. (And, by extension, knowing what Sheryl does to take care of herself.)
"... Not too much privacy, I hope," Akane teases. The 'just kidding~'s have all but evaporated. "I like to see you sweat a little bit..." Her hand runs down Rikka's arm, just barely touching her thigh before coming back up to its original resting place. "I never thought I'd want a weight bench, but I think I need to start doing one-arm rows and bench presses soonish... and I don't like doing that kinda stuff at the gym."
She looks down for a few seconds, expression suddenly a little serious. Then, she adds, "... Really like your jacket..." She takes a deep breath in through her nose, and slowly exhales, just basking in the moment.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka chuckles as Akane teases her, offering her a look.
"If it's you, I don't mind. You can look as much as you want~." Rikka replies with a smirk. It is nice to have her efforts appreciated. She nods, though, as Akane continues. "...Yeah, I can understand that. We can be thinking about that, then. I can help you get started when we do, too."
Akane's expression turns serious - and then, she compliments her jacket. The sudden compliment is a surprise, but an appreciated one.
"Thanks. I wasn't sure if it'd suit me, at first... but it's comfortable, and then I started really liking it." She replies. Rikka shuts her eyes - just briefly - she, too, appreciates the now, as Akane takes a moment to just breathe.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"I could definitely use the help. I'm not starting from total nothing, but I got seriously out of shape this summer..." So many people brought really rich food as a recovery aid, and that collapse in her appetite didn't ever come, either... if anything, she ended up hungrier than usual. "Kinda inevitable when you can't work out, though."
The topic shifts to the jacket -- and Akane decides to flirt a little more. "I mean, one time I told someone I thought you could pull off a burlap sack," Akane admits, at the mention that Rikka thought the jacket might not suit her. "I still think that, but... I can kinda see why you might think that? At the same time, though, it's kinda... the silhouette isn't that different from a cardigan."
Thinking for a few more moments, Akane adds, "Oh right! I wanted to give you this when we had a free minute, after my last appointment..." She reaches over to her bag, fumbling with it for a bit. Eventually, she produces a small box of reasonably nice candy.
"There's a note inside," Akane adds, with a little smirk crossing her face.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka laughs a bit awkwardly, at that. She's not completely innocent of contributing to that, either...
"Thaaat's true... Well, we'll work on it." Rikka assures her. The topic shifts then as Akane leans into the flirting.
"You said that? ...No, I can definitely see you saying that. I'm flattered." Rikka replies with a small laugh. She listens, though, nodding in understanding. "...Yeah. I didn't think about it, but you're right."
She cranes her head just a little, shifting an arm to get a look at her own outfit. She's wearing the Nouvelle Tokyo Institute of Technology's sukajan she picked up at the start of the school year, with the iruzemi design of Raijin on the back.
Akane's sudden addition, though, gets Rikka's attention right back on her.
"Oh yeah?" Rikka watches with interest as she rummages through her bag - and then, accepts the box she's offered.
"Oh, thank you. I love this stuff..." Rikka replies offering her a grateful smile - but then, at the mention of the note, pops open the lid and looks inside. She looks down at the note, then up at Akane... and smirks right back at her, reaching for one of her hands. "I'm looking forward to sharing it with you~."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
The awkward laughing just gets a smirk. Akane's sure not going to blame Rikka for the crime of enjoying feeding her partner...
Akane makes a mental note of third-party compliments not quite landing as hard as more direct flirting... she can always find better ways to flirt with Rikka. "It's really striking on you... like, it makes you look a little tougher," she says, as Rikka takes a look at herself.
"But I know you could sweep me off my feet whenever~"
Watching with rapt attention as Rikka opens the box, Akane gets caught just a bit off-guard by the handholding. Turning a little pink, she says, "Yeah... me, too."
The bus pulls up. It's not too populated, but not empty, either. A nice, lazy Sunday night... that's not bad at all.
Akane stands up, stretching out a little and reaching into the pocket of her parka, pulling out an all-too-familiar pass case. "Remember, we gotta get off a stop earlier than usual to hit up the storage unit," she says -- though it's as much for herself as Rikka.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"You think so?" Rikka considers. Looking tougher... She doesn't mind that. She looks back toward Akane. She can sweep her off her feet whenever...
"I might just have to, soon." Rikka says with intent. Seeing Akane turn pink gets her a smile, and she gives her hand a gentle squeeze...
...But anything else gets put on hold for now as the bus finally pulls up. She stands up along with her, stowing the box into her pocket as she reaches for her own pass. Her eyes stray toward Akane's pass case.
...Some part of her heart still soars, knowing she still has it, knowing she still keeps it so close. Akane's comment serves as a good reminder, though - both of their plan and as a reminder to... actually get moving instead of standing their staring.
"Yeah, you're right..." She replies, following her onto the bus.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
... Dangerous...
As they get settled in on the bus in a spot pretty close to Rikka's usual spot, Akane fluffs out her hair a little. "Hrrm... I think I'm about due to get my bangs trimmed again," she thinks aloud. "Or maybe I should try a different style... I dunno."
She's still a tiny bit careful sitting down, on reflex -- even though the worst she's felt in a couple weeks is a momentary 'hss--' if she sits down just wrong enough. She seems pretty comfortable once settled, though.
Her eyes turn out toward the road for a bit. She looks contemplative, but not particularly unhappy or anything.
Sliding the pass case back into her parka hoodie, she asks, "Anything you want to pick up from the storage unit while we're there? Now that we're pretty settled, it's a great time if you wanna add something you think we have the space for..." It is a little cozy, but at the same time, managing a small space is a skill and one you can get better at.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka settles in - keeping an eye on Akane but relaxing when everything goes fine - and studies Akane consideringly as she fluffs out her hair.
"I do like your usual style... but, I think now's the perfect time to try changing things up, if you feel like it." She offers. She'll appreciate whatever Akane ends up doing, of course.
She follows Akane's gaze out to the road, and when she asks her question, she thinks it over.
She feels like she's pretty well situated for the most part... but now that the question's out there, she does want to think of something. Eventually...
"Hm... I wouldn't mind pulling out another of the small side tables? The ones with the shelf inside, for books." Rikka replies. It does feel like they've needed a little something, in that space.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"I'll think on it," Akane says, nodding to Rikka. Going into winter, huh... maybe she should let it grow back out a bit...
She nods at the mention of snagging another side table. "Hrrmmm... that'd be a -- oh, wait, are you thinking of turning it sideways compared to the other one?" Akane closes her eyes, doing her best to visualize that. "Yeah, that should work. It might be a little tight but not, like, miserable." She nods, saying, "We can do that."
It might not have optimal visual appeal, but with the world's smallest, most 'well, technically' 1LDK, you're... probably not going to be able to optimize for visual appeal every time. "If we have more space for books, there's a couple light novels I kinda want to get a full physical set of... I read most stuff digitally, but there's something nice about a display piece, you know?"
Looking out the window again, she adds, "This might be the last nice night we get for a while... I hear it's supposed to rain for a few days. Anywhere else you wanna stop?"
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking." Rikka replies with a nod. "It's kind of - yeah. It'll take a bit of work fitting it in, but I think having it'd be more beneficial than not."
It'll take up some space, but it'll be a good use for it in in a place where space is at a premium.
"Oh yeah? Show me later." Rikka replies, curious, and nods. "Yeah. They go all out on the art sometimes and that's not something digital reading can really replicate... It's nice to be able to look at it."
The last nice night for a while... Rikka 'hmm's.
"If that's the case... We should probably stop by the store on our way back, too, if there's anything we're going to want or need. If it's going to be raining, it'd suck to have to get out in it..." She considers, making a brief face at the idea. That'll be a lot to transport... but that's how it goes. Still, it makes her think, just a bit. "I think there's a Starbows nearby, too - we could stop by to pick up something..."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane nods. "Yeah, you're right. ... You have a real good sense of layout stuff," she muses, after a little bit. "Is that from helping with the junk shop, or something else? Your mom never had me help with that kind of stuff while I was there, but..." She can see where Display Tetris could really come in handy.
Adding a store trip... sounds boring and honestly a little difficult, and Akane's cheeks puff out a little as she pouts about it. ... Rikka is right, though -- carrying a lot of stuff home would be way worse in the rain.
"Yeah, that sounds like an okay plan," she agrees, fairly neutrally. "Since I spent so much of the summer around the house, I can definitely call a rideshare for us to get home once we have the side table and the keyboard? Seems kinda rough to take on the bus or the subway."
Glancing out the window again, she notices a familiar curve, and immediately hits the 'next stop' button.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Yeah, that's part of it." Rikka confirms with a nod. "Mama's got a real knack fitting things in... It's something I kind of picked up from watching her."
She laughs a little, then.
"I'm not surprised. She can get a little particular about it, so I bet she just told you where to put stuff..." She replies.
Akane pouts, cheeks puffed out, and Rikka offers her an apologetic look - but it's also a look that says she isn't going to budge on this one. She nods, then, as Akane agrees.
"Yeah, that's a good idea. I think that'd definitely be easier..." She agrees, and considers. It wouldn't help them in this situation... but in the future, maybe it would help to have a vehicle or something of their own... In their next place, maybe.
A familiar curve appears - and Akane catches it first, pushing the button. Rikka offers her a smile.
"Ready?" She asks.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Sometimes you just have to pout a little.
"Okay," Akane agrees, straightening herself up a bit as they approach their stop. "Let's do it." ... It's definitely going to be a pain, but part of her feels like it's nice to have this kind of stimulation again. Even if she did push herself to do the dishes, it was kinda too easy to rely on Rikka for a while there -- the chance to actually put some work back into the house feels good...