2023-01-30: Three-Choice Buffet

• Log: 2023-01-30- Three-Choice Buffet
• Cast: Akane Shinjo, Rikka Takarada
• Where: GGG Orbit Base
• OOC - IC Date: 0097-01-30
• Summary: Akane and Rikka have dinner for the first time and get to slow down a bit with each other, now that the initial burst of activity on Orbit Base has slowed. They talk about their futures -- now that Akane feels like she has one.

---

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Akane's managed a lot of positive movement in what is ultimately a fairly small space in a fairly short amount of time -- but she really needs to start thinking about her next steps. Even if she joins 3G, she can't simply sit on Orbit Base forever; if anything, that'd be an even smaller world.

... she doesn't have to face it alone, though, and today she has a chance to do just that. She's waiting in the Orbit Base cafeteria for a certain someone; it's dinnertime, but she hasn't actually ordered any food yet...

Today she finally has some of her normal clothes back, too, thanks to a Marusan Supply Run. She's in casuals rather than a uniform skirt and shirt today; it's an outfit Rikka might recognize -- a purple jacket, black short-sleeve shirt with exposed midriff, black skirt, and... fishnets, really? Well, there's no accounting for taste. Her bag sits next to her seat.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

These trips over to Orbit Base have becoming something of a highlight for Rikka, eagerly counting down the days until she can make another trip over...

Fortunately, Akane won't have to wait long. This is actually Rikka's first time in the Orbit Base cafeteria, and it takes her a second to look around and take everything in before finally spotting Akane. A small smile crosses her face, and Rikka quickly crosses the distance over to her.

"Hey, how've you been doing?" Rikka asks. She quickly slides into a seat, setting her backpack next to her. "You look great - even better in person."

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Rikka's presence gets Akane's face to light up a bit; she doesn't stand up to meet her, but she does enthusiastically gesture her over to her seat --

-- and is immediately greeted with both implicit acknowledgment of her selfie and an extremely good compliment. She opens her mouth -- then closes it again... then opens it again and ultimately closes it a second time, blushing furiously. "You can't be serious," she mumbles weakly, taking a few deep breaths before managing to recover into a position where she can actually talk.

"I'm doing okay. Everyone's been really supportive, and I'm getting used to getting out of my room," she finally answers. "It's a little scary, being somewhere super unfamiliar like this? But... it's easier if I just trust people." Wryly, she admits, "If I didn't have a pretty good idea of what most of them were about at this point I'd have to really not be paying attention..."

Reaching out for Rikka's hand, she says, "Thanks for making the time to come out here again... sorry it's not me coming over there." She glances off to the side, admitting, "Part of me still wants to move back, but... it's probably better if I don't."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka's smile grows into a grin as Akane finds herself struck wordlessly, and she waits patiently for her to find her words again. It's good to know that she, too, can turn Akane into a blushing mess.

"Incredibly." She replies, then listens as Akane continues.

"Good, I'm proud of you." Rikka says, her smile softening. It would be scary. She can't blame her for that. But the fact that she's allowing herself to trust them means a lot. She chuckles good-naturedly at her wry comment. "Yeah..."

Akane reaches for her hand and Rikka takes it in her own, giving it a gentle squeeze as she does.

"It's alright. I don't mind it." Rikka replies, shaking her head. She notices the way Akane glances off to the side. Not moving back... Rikka is conflicted by that, but ultimately, Rikka nods.

"...Yeah. I'll miss living next to you, and seeing you in class, and running into each other by chance... But I think that'd be better, too."

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

The hits keep on coming!! Akane seems relieved by the squeeze at her hand, though she's still a little more unsteady than she'd like to be. "I guess I made pretty bad use of the time I was there... ahahaha." She swallows hard, then murmuring, "... but it wasn't all bad, either. I'm going to miss it, too. But I think if that wasn't forever, this isn't either."

Shaking the cobwebs out of her head before they're joined by mushrooms, Akane decides to put on a slightly braver face. "I think we should start with food, though. The selection here is actually pretty good... I'm kind of feeling curry today? It's probably not as good as Aya, but it's still good."

She stands up, heading to go place her requests -- and once they're both standing, Akane moves to hold hands with Rikka. (She thinks about doing a little more, but... there will be time for kisses later. This kind of thing is nice, too.)

"How are things in Tsutsujidai?" she asks, maintaining conversation when they're not actively getting food. "I probably shouldn't press too hard for details, but I do wanna know if things are getting back together okay..."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

There's a sad smile as Akane admits that she made bad use of the time she was in Tsutsujidai. Things could have been better... but in the end, they still lead to this.

"Yeah. Nothing's forever... I think whatever's waiting for you next will be great." Rikka replies. But, Akane puts on a brave face, and decides to start with... food! It's... really nice to hear her talk about food like that.

"Curry sounds great. I haven't had curry in a while..." Rikka considers. She stands up, and when Akane moves to hold hands with her, Rikka smiles and takes her hand. Even something as simple as going to order food together is really nice...

"Things are getting better, slowly but surely. We still have a ways to go, but... everyone's working together, and having transport and communications back up really helps." Rikka replies.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Once their orders are in (with a "Thanks!"), Akane nods at Rikka. "The Carpenters do really good work... I wasn't really in a place to appreciate it while we were walled in, but I did notice buildings going back up sometimes." She still misses being able to just wave her hand and make it go away, but... "I hope things get the rest of the way back together fast."

Talking about rebuilding and the Carpenters, though, gets her thinking about something else -- and she looks Rikka in the eyes, looking serious. "I have a couple questions, but... the big one is, like -- what are you going to do next? I feel like it'd be fine for you to just go back to school and get back to having a normal life, but there's still a bunch of stuff going on..."

As they wait for curry, she concedes, "I'm kinda worried about the idea of you being in danger. Especially since Alexis is still out there, and Triple Zero, and Marusan mentioned there's still something up with Hass... jeez. There's a lot of stuff going on, actually... and that's just in Tsutsujidai." She swallows and admits, "I'm -- trying not to think about the other stuff. Quintilis Five, and..." She cuts herself off there, because she can feel the catastrophizing coming.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

"Yeah, I was kind of impressed at how quickly they worked. Pretty much as soon as we'd clear a place out, they'd have it back up in practically no time." Rikka agrees with a nod. "...And yeah, me too."

Akane looks her right in the eyes, though, and Rikka meets her gaze. What is she going to do...? Akane brings up everything that's been going on, everything that's still hanging over their heads.

"...Yeah. A lot's happened." Rikka murmurs with a nod, her gaze faltering for just a moment when Akane mentions Hass. But... when she starts to bring up Quintilis Five, Rikka's eyes finds Akane's again and she gives her another gentle squeeze of the hand to remind her that she's here with her.

"...It's okay. I know." Rikka assures her. She lets that sit for a little while before continuing to address her question.

"I do want to start focusing on school again. I'd like to graduate, if possible." Rikka says. "...But, I'm probably still going to keep up my work with the Tsutsujidai Rescue Team, for as long as we're still needed, and... there's a lot I can't let go of right now."

Some of which, Akane had already mentioned.

"I'll be in danger... but, I'm okay. I'm not alone." Rikka assures.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

There's a lump in her throat as Akane sees Rikka look distressed about Hass -- and it doesn't let up at Quintilis Five, either. She feels that squeeze at her hand; she presses in close to Rikka, swallowing and gripping tight. It's a relief to hear that she doesn't have to list everything off.

"I want to graduate, too, or at least test out... but I don't really wanna miss third-year GUTS stuff, so it's probably graduate. The stuff I managed to make myself do wasn't bad." Her expression remains serious, and a little pained. "If we're going to different schools I dunno how much overlap in the curriculum there's gonna be, but... even if it's just online, we should do study nights." If she focuses on the people she's together with, on the future... it doesn't feel quite as bad.

Their curry arrives, which means they can go back to sitting down! Akane snags hers, though she moves pretty slowly. "And... I think it's okay if I visit for GUTS stuff," she volunteers, after a bit.

Talk of the Tsutsujidai Rescue Team reminds her of something else, too. "Are you going to keep working with 3G on rescue stuff?" she asks, before admitting, "If so, we might be seeing a little more of each other than we thought. I'm thinking of joining the operator pool... but I wanted to ask you if you thought that was a good idea or a bad idea before I committed."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Akane presses close, and Rikka leans into her as well. They can both share in their distress together, at least for the moment. There are many painful things happening, but it's not a burden they have to bear alone.

Akane says she wants to graduate, too, and doesn't want to miss third-year GUTS things. Rikka smiles.

"Yeah. I... actually ended up enjoying a lot of things I ended up doing with them, and you know I'm usually not into extra-curricular stuff." Rikka says. "...The Pageant was great, too."

She waits for just a moment, her focus lingering on Akane to see if her mention of the Pageant gets any reaction out of her.

"Study night sounds fun, though! Even if we aren't doing the same subjects, we can at least still help each other out." Rikka replies. If they're both set on graduating, then they'll really need to work harder.

The curry arrives! Rikka takes her, too, making sure to match Akane's pace.

"That's good... I don't know if they've decided what it's going to be yet, but we're going to be hosting whatever the next big GUTS event happens to be." Rikka says with a nod.

"Yeah - as much as I can. I like working with them when I get the chance." Rikka confirms with a nod... and then pauses, as Akane continues. "That's- wow!"

Rikka is impressed, but she takes a moment to give it some honest thought as Akane asks her if she thinks it'd be a good idea or not.

"I think... if it's something you wanted to do, you'd be great at it. And I think the environment would be good for you, too - there's a lot you could learn and benefit from by being around them." Rikka considers. "Is it something you think you'd be comfortable doing?"

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Akane turns pink at the mention of the pageant. "... Please tell me you kept that stuff. You looked great in everything -- uh, Leina showed me a few pictures." Giggling awkwardly, she says, "We should watch that show you mentioned... the cosplay was really cool, and the plot sounded neat. I like cyborgs and stuff... it isn't just Taraba stuff that gets me excited."

Getting settled in with her curry, Akane takes a bite. It's a little undersalted for her tastes, but it's still really good. "Yeah, I remembered -- it's... I really struggle with extracurriculars too, but if you think the GUTS stuff is good... I did enjoy the parts of it I got to see. I didn't get a great angle on your pilot suit through Marusan's tablet, though... I kinda want to see that up close."

She thinks about saying something a little more pointed, on that front -- but skips it, sticking to serious talk. She did solicit Rikka's opinion, after all -- so she thinks it over, tapping a finger absently. "If they'd have me, yeah. I think... I could be good at that? I'm good at noticing stuff, and it's basically what I was already doing in my room with Alexis..." It's a little grim to think about that part -- but she can't let herself flinch at it. "That's kind of the point, though. I think maybe if I act like that was all just horrible and useless, I'll never get over it. I got support from a lot of really amazing people... I'd like to support them back."

Taking another bite of curry, she says, "I'm going to ask Alouette and Sayla too. If they all think it's a good idea, and Alouette trusts me... I want to do it. I don't want to feel like I'm pushing her out at all. It's why I'm going to ask Anti before I ask if I can stay with Sayla for a while, too."

It feels so good to know Rikka has her back.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

"Unfortunately, I was borrowing most of that stuff from the school..." Rikka admits, then considers for a second. "...But, I could probably ask to borrow it again if it's for a good cause..."

Showing off for her girlfriend is a great cause. She looks excited, though, when Akane continues.

"Truthseeker Serena! It's my favorite, I think you'd like it. It's so good, and so full of heart, and -" She pauses. "Aaand if I keep talking about it I probably won't be able to stop myself from gushing, so I'll leave it there for now. I'd love to watch it with you sometime."

She collects her curry, too, and digs in. And, it actually is really good? She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but she supposes that 3G would have to have good food to keep themselves going with everything they do...

"I think I can arrange for letting you see that, too." Rikka replies with a smirk - but, lets the conversation move back to serious topics. She nods, and... she's proud of Akane for being able to talk about it.

"I agree, and I think that's a good way to look at it." Rikka replies. "You have a lot of skills that I think would be a big help for them."

"That's a good idea..." She considers, when she mentions asking Alouette and Sayla. She looks surprised, though, as Akane continues, mentioning staying with Sayla.

"Oh wow... I didn't know that. But... yeah, it's a good idea to see how he feels about that. I know he's been staying with her for a while." Rikka replies. An idea begins to form in her head... but, she doesn't act on it for now. But... she sees a good opportunity, if everything works out. "Let me know how that goes!"

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

It's hard for Akane to keep the excitement off her face when Rikka allows for the possibility of seeing her great looks up close -- and the enthusiasm about Truthseeker Serena is a little infectious. (In many ways, it eases off some of Akane's lingering concerns, too -- the fact that Rikka has all these incredible experiences to share that Akane's never had...)

"Well -- the school's probably doing in-person and video stuff mixed until the roads are all fixed up, right? Maybe... you could stay here tonight and we could get started on it? I wanna hear everything you like about it," Akane suggests, after a little thought. "No pressure or anything. I'm not lonely here, and I get that face time in class is important... but I think it'd be nice to spend the night with --"

She has to cut herself off and look away, and then try again, "spend the night watching movies with you." She doesn't self-chastize about the unintentional escalation, nor does she double down -- she just inhabits it, corrects, and moves on.

"I'll definitely let you know," she agrees, on the topic of moving out. "I'm kinda looking forward to it... it'll be my first time not living at least mostly alone in... a while." She's not gonna dwell on that.

Instead, she forces herself to something playful -- after waiting for Rikka to be eating or drinking something, because she's just. The worst? "Either way, that's probably going to be a bit. I'll be on Orbit Base for a little while longer. And speaking of which, you know, another thing we could do if you stayed the night is use the Orbit Base day spa..."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

The fact that Akane is excited, too, both about her and about her favorite show, is also infectious. Rikka can't help but let herself smile.

Akane continues, and - Rikka notes the accidental escalation. When Akane doesn't call attention to it and instead tries again, Rikka elects to respect it and not bring it up.

"Yeah, that's the plan. We were able to do some stuff while everything was happening, but they're starting back up slowly to give everyone time to catch up." Rikka says. "...I'd love that, though. I brought my laptop with me and everything, so I'm set." She lifts up her backpack briefly. "...I don't know if they have, like, a room just for watching TV and movies and such here, so if not... we still have everything we need."

Rikka nods, then, as Akane continues.

"Yeah, I'm... I'm really happy for you. Sayla is great, and so is everyone with her." Rikka says. She'll be hoping for the best possible outcome every day until she hears the news. Akane deserves to live in a place with good people around her.

She pauses for a moment to take a drink, her attention drifting back to Akane as she starts talking again. And - Rikka splutters, as Akane makes a playful suggestion! Her face goes bright red!

"That-" She starts, then coughs and tries again. She smiles. ...That is something she does really want... "That'd... be great, actually."

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"I think I'd actually rather do that in the room I'm in in medical. The bed's built for those huge guys like Guy and uh... was it Homura? No, that's not right... uh, one of the guys who's still not back yet. We already squeezed in together once, so that shouldn't be too bad." ... okay, maybe she really just wants to cuddle, but is that really so bad?

Reaching out and giving Rikka's hand another squeeze as she says she's happy for her before going back to eating, Akane agrees, "Sayla's honestly kinda incredible. She found me once when I was out on the street there... we talked for a bit. She offered to let me stay at the Yumi Foundation office but I kinda just couldn't." It's why she's starting to think it's a good idea now -- the offer was on the table, and while she doesn't want to displace Anti... she does want to take that offer now.

"Hehehe... that one's totally serious, too. I'm not messing with you or anything," she says, as she sees that bright blush -- which makes her pinken a little bit again. Really, has she ever stopped since Rikka got here? Certainly not for very long. Finishing up her curry, she adds, "I might ask if we can have it to ourselves for a half hour or so... I bet you could use that kinda peace and quiet too." The idea of asking to tie up a piece of the facility for a bit is a little nervewracking -- but maybe she needs to get used to that.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka nods. A part of her is... honestly a little glad Akane feels the same way in that regard.

"Let's do that, then. I don't really mind having to squeeze in together..." Rikka says with a smile.

Akane reaches out and gives her hand a squeeze, and Rikka smiles back at her before nodding.

"She really is. I admire her, honestly... It'd be easy for someone like her to stop believing in people, but she hasn't." She says. She smiles, at hearing that Sayla still tried to reach out to her, even while Akane was wandering out on the street. "That doesn't surprise me. The last time we spoke... she made it clear that she believed you still had a future."

...A future with her, too.

Akane makes it clear that her offer is serious and Rikka nods, smiling. Now that she's calmed down a little, she takes the time to finish her own curry, too.

"I'd appreciate that, yeah... That sounds really nice." She agrees. She knows it probably wouldn't be easy for Akane to ask - but the idea that she wants to anyway means a lot.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"She's told me she sees a lot of me in her, which... I don't know how I feel about that sometimes, but it does kinda make it feel like if she can make it, maybe I can too." Is that what people mean when they talk about role models? Akane wonders to herself, though she's not sure it's worth a deep dive as a topic... but what is is, "For a while I kinda hated that about her, because I felt like she made it 'cuz she was surrounded by all these amazing people and I just wasn't?"

Rather than get moody about it, though, Akane smiles and admits, "... but you're amazing, and so are Gridman, and Guy, and Anti-kun, and Alouette, and..." Listing makes her realize that if she sticks to it she'll be listing forever, and that's its own great feeling. "... ahahaha, it's a lot."

Standing up and stretching, Akane looks to Rikka, expression bright. "So! Bath or shows first? I can get pretty picky, but not about something like this."

She snags her tray; it's rude not to bus it, you know! ... not that Akane's always got the energy to not be rude about it, but... it might be good to get on the right foot as she puts herself back together. She seems like she's considering something with great care -- but decides not to say it.

For now.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka nods as Akane explains that Sayla sees a lot of her in her.

"That's a good way of looking at it." Rikka comments. She can see how it'd make Akane feel... bitter, but she picks it back up by listing all the amazing people she's surrounded with. "It really is. You have a lot of amazing people around you - and we all care and think the world of you."

Rikka stands up after her, picking up her own tray as she considers the options Akane has presented her with. Which first... Eventually, Rikka makes her decision.

"Let's do... bath first. That way we can cuddle while we're nice and clean~." Rikka says with smirk. ...She knows she's thinking it, and she's pretty sure Akane must also be thinking it, so there's no point not to get that right out there in the open. She pauses, though, as she notices the thoughtful look on her face. Before, she probably would've left her to her devices until she was ready, but now she feels comfortable enough to venture...

"Something up?" Rikka asks.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"I don't know if I get why, yet..." Akane admits, though she doesn't sound miserable about it. "But I hope I do someday." And she can hang on for a long time for the sake of that hope, too.

And then --

It turns out Akane was not, quite, thinking about the logistics of cuddling. She flushes a furious red, swallows wrong, and starts sputtering like she just ate something spicy and knows there's no water for a mile. "you're so right," she manages, but it's practically a squeak as she continues trying to recover.

After several long, deep breaths and having to scoot up to Rikka to lean on her and stabilize herself... she says, "... it's kinda silly, but... I was thinking of trying a Tarabaman with you after Serena. Maybe Hammer? It's weirdly sweet... I like both of the main guys and that doesn't happen often. I want to get through Serena first, though."

Taking Rikka's hand again, she murmurs, "I want to know you more. ... and I want you to know me more, too."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

"I know you will." Rikka replies with a confident nod.

And then -

A satisfied smile crosses Rikka's face as she witnesses Akane turn a furious red and begin to sputter. Ah... she's so adorable. She'll have to keep that in mind... She gladly steps in a bit closer to Akane to support her as she moves to lean on her for stability... and smiles - this time, fully genuine.

"I don't think that's silly at all. I know it's something you enjoy, so I'd like to be able to enjoy it, too." Rikka replies. "I think... that sounds like one I'd like."

Akane takes her hand again, and Rikka nods.

"...Yeah. I feel the same way." She agrees.