2023-06-08: Comprehensive Care

• Log: 2023-06-08- Comprehensive Care
• Cast: Rikka Takarada, Akane Shinjo
• Where: Tsutsujidai - Junk Shop Aya - Bathroom
• OOC - IC Date: 0097-06-08
• Summary: Rikka has a frustratingly difficult day in treatment, and Akane gets told she should find an alternative way of caring for Rikka than the one she has planned. They have a long talk about the past and the future.
• CW: Injection medication, implied undress

---

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Today was... rough. Rikka has had some bad days on her road to recovery, but this may be one of her worst so far. During her latest treatment session on the Wadatsumi, her frustration at her lack of progress boiled over and, in the process, stirred up a well of aggression that had yet to be assessed. They'd prepared for this, of course... but ultimately, it took enough of a toll on her that the session had to be ended early for her health.

Fastforward to now... Rikka sits on a stool in the Takarada family bathroom. It's well-equipped and surprisingly sports a decently-large bathtub.

Rikka has been a little quiet ever since coming back. Exhausted... but there may be shame there, too. She had hoped to never be like that again - but in the end... the way she lashed out still sticks out in her head.

She isn't alone, at least - right now is when she needs others the most.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

EARLIER

"Before I let you two go... Akane, can I talk to you in private?" Hinoki asks.

Akane, who has been called into the guidance office before, cringes a little bit, but says, "Sure."

---

"God, that should have been obvious," Akane mutters to herself. "Stupid."

"It's not that I don't think you two mean well," Hinoki says to Akane, trying her best to be gentle. "And don't call yourself stupid over it. You're trying to do something thoughtful. ... I used to beat myself up whenever I thought a conversation wasn't going my way, too." She does her best to smile, noting, "You're recovering too, you know..."

"I don't want to be recovering," Akane groans out, visibly irritated. "I want to be helping her! I'm her girlfriend!"

Hinoki sighs the sigh of 'been there.' "I didn't say you couldn't help her, just that right now you'll do better finding a different way. Even the cooking is probably good! Just... give her another week or two before you turn it into a production. There's more to love than big gestures."

Akane's shoulders slump. "... yeah, okay. I'll think of something -- smaller."

---

Outside the bathroom, the washing machine starts up. Everything will be easier with clean clothes. For both of them. And of course --

Everything is easier with clean hair.

Snagging a bottle of shampoo, Akane sets to work on Rikka's hair, those delicate artist's fingers starting to massage it into her scalp. She's slow and deliberate with it; for herself, she just drips shampoo onto her head and calls it good, but Rikka's hair is incredible and she wants to do her best to treat it right. She's already drawn a bath -- but washing up properly comes first, before soaking.

She's been quiet, too -- she doesn't want to push Rikka hard, given pushing her hard may well make the problem worse. ... she does start talking, though. "You can't rush this stuff," she says, trying to stay gentle. "It took me more than a month to move in with Sayla, right?" Her fingers work outward from the crown of Rikka's scalp slowly but surely.

Tentatively, she adds, "It's okay to be mad that things aren't getting better faster, though."

Hand trailing down Rikka's long, dark hair, she prompts, "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to." Reaching over to one side and scratching a momentary itch on her other arm, Akane follows up, "But if you do, I'm here."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka's eyes shut for a moment, as Akane slowly and deliberately gets to work. ...With how much hair she has, she knows it isn't an easy task ahead of her. She appreciates, though, that she's going through the trouble.

She's quiet for a moment longer when Akane eventually breaks the silence. Until, eventually...

"...I know." She murmurs, still a bit subdued. It's okay to be mad, though. That helps a little.

...She doesn't have to say anything. But if she does, she's here...

Rikka is quiet for a moment longer.

"I guess..." She starts hesitantly. She trails off. For a second it's as if she lost her nerve, but the feeling of Akane's hands through her hair is enough for her to make herself continue. "...I guess... I'm kind of afraid that this is just... it. That that's just... who I am, now."

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

The movement of Akane's fingers falters a little when Rikka admits her fear. Just a stop-and-stutter, just a little twitch. She gets back to it -- she's always been someone whose feelings turn to the movement of her fingers, of her body, whether she wants them to or not... but that fear hits close to home.

"... yeah. That's scary." It's something Akane's been grappling with, too -- she's never really returned to being a 'normal girl,' after all. On some level, simply being pulled out of the kaiju did not make her not a kaiju, herself; indeed, in some ways, she's only grown stranger.

Turning the feeling into action proves easier, and for a long time, that's all she does. She continues to work the shampoo into Rikka's hair. "It... gets worse if you try to fight it, a little?" she volunteers, slowly. "Like, that's been it for me the whole time..."

Words are so clumsy, here. She wishes she could just -- share the Rikka she sees in Rikka, heart to heart. "Just a sec. I'm going to rinse," she murmurs, before reaching for the shower head. It buys her a little more time to think, too.

With a squeak, the water turns on.

Akane rinses a little too long -- but it gives her time to get to an answer.

With a squeak, the water turns back off.

"You can't win a fight with Treasure Chest," she says, and when she does so, she steps back -- seemingly to take a look at Rikka's hair from another angle, but she's actually looking for a few other things too. (... she's got her own anxieties about what might linger.) "There's a lot of you in her, and where you two are different, she's kind of a better fighter."

She lets that hang for a bit. While Akane knows what she's building toward, she wants to see if Rikka can see far enough to get the rest of the way on her own, or if that's too much of a struggle right now.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka can feel Akane's fingers falter and for a moment she flinches, wondering if she said something wrong... and then, Akane continues.

"...Yeah." She murmurs in agreement. They fall into silence again, Akane taking the time to work the shampoo into her hair. Eventually, she speaks again. ...It gets worse if she tries to fight it.

It's hard to form an answer to that - but it's just as well, as Akane begins to rinse. Rikka feels the water flow over her - and she, too, uses the time to think.

...She can't win a fight with Treasure Chest. When she hears the name, a finger raises over her thigh. She doesn't quite complete the gesture, catching herself - and subconsciously sits up, just a bit more attentively.

But what Akane says...

"...Does that mean I shouldn't fight her?" Rikka asks. If she doesn't... what does that mean for her?

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

... Some of that is still there. Akane takes a moment to have her own feelings on that one -- feelings she'll unpack with... anyone else. She doesn't need to push that onto Rikka right now. They can talk about that later.

"Yeah," is Akane's first answer, and she can tell that at first blush that sounds bleak. "You don't need to not be Treasure Chest. You need to be Rikka Takarada. It feels like a lot changed, but a lot stayed the same, too... if you're trying to fight anything that looks like her, you're eventually gonna end up half a Rikka." Distantly, she murmurs, "... it's not gonna be the half you like, either."

She takes a step back -- toward the medicine cabinet, where she's put a few things for her stay here. Toweling her hands off, she says, "They're switching one of my meds over to injections," seemingly at a total topic pivot. "I'm kind of wimpy about needles, though... do you mind helping me out? It's, uh -- there's a pamphlet along with the stuff about how to do it."

A bit of the playfulness comes back, as she notes, "I think I want it in my left thigh, but..."

... yeah, she can't resist. Some fruit is just too low-hanging. "If you really wanna put it in my butt, I won't tell anyone~"

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Akane starts with 'yeah', and Rikka does wilt just a little bit - but then she continues. She doesn't need to not be Treasure Chest- she needs to be Rikka Takarada. If she fights anything that looks like her, she's going to end up at half a Rikka...

She goes quiet, at that. It's a little hard for her to envision right now... but it makes sense.

"...I guess it never ends well when you try to fight yourself." Rikka murmurs.

She could dwell on that - but Akane doesn't give her the chance, immediately switching topics.

"Injections?" Rikka repeats. She hesitates for a moment. She's a little worried about handling something like that at the moment, but... she knows how Akane feels. And for her to trust her with it... "...Okay. I can try."

She nods along as Akane explains - and then, she's caught totally guard, stunned silent. It isn't long before Rikka breaks into what can only be described as a sputtering sort-of laugh, but it is a laugh. It takes a moment for her to recover, and a moment longer for her to respond. She's hesitant as if wondering if she should - but then she decides to just go for it.

"...Mm. We... should probably work our way up to that, don't you think?" Rikka replies. "...Alright. Where should we...?"

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

That laugh cuts through the tension. Rikka can still laugh -- can still be messed with and still mess with her right back. Things seem a little less bleak for now, a little kinder, a little more manageable. Akane giggles right back at her.

"I'll take a seat on the edge of the tub," Akane says, stretching out. "Take your time." Just to calibrate her expectations, she notes: "I'm definitely gonna flinch. That's okay. Sometimes it kind of stings when you're transforming."

Pushing back her dark hair -- a little longer, now, though not to the length it was when she first left Tsutsujidai, before she cut it -- she glances back at the bath she drew. "It's nice that you have this kinda tub. The one at my old place was a little on the small side... it was fine, but trying to fit two people in it would have been a nightmare."

Small talk. It's never been Akane's strongest suit -- but at the same time, it's a bit of a relief. "After the bath, do you wanna make dinner together?" This marks the first time she hasn't just -- gone and done it herself, since Rikka got back.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

It feels good, to hear Akane giggle like that. For Rikka, too, things feel just a little bit better.

She nods, standing up just a little to grab the stool and reposition herself, scooting closer to the tub to be in front of Akane. She manages a small smile.

"Yeah... Still, I'm right here with you. I'll be careful. Just focus on me, okay? My voice, or my eyes..." Rikka says. Her attention is drawn to tub for a moment, though, as Akane comments on it. She nods.

"Yeah. The extra room really makes it nice for when you want to just lie down, relax, and soak for a bit..." She says, and then laughs a little. "I'm not going to complain about it being convenient for two, either."

Akane makes an offer, then, and Rikka has to pause and consider it. It is the first time, so she's a little worried she might not still have it in her... but, at the same time...

"...It... might be nice to try." She admits.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Akane opens and closes her hands a few times, trying to both distract herself and get a little of the nerves out. Rikka tells her to focus on her -- her voice, or her eyes -- and her heart skips a beat. "... O-oh," she starts, straightening up a little on reflex. "That's -- yeah. Okay. Yeah -- yeah."

She relaxes a little again as the topic drifts, and nods. "I don't think I have any complaints about that either. ... it is kinda funny to imagine us cramming into a crappy apartment tub with our knees up by our chins, though..."

Rikka says it might be nice to try, and Akane nods to her. "Then let's try it. Think of something you want. Take your time! It's not an order, it's not a race, it's just -- something we can do when we finish up here."

It's always been hard for Akane to meet people's gazes, but it's getting easier and easier to meet Rikka's as they get closer and closer.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka smiles as Akane works on her nerves and takes a moment to familiarize herself with the pamphlet, to make sure she does everything right and to prepare the injection.

Rikka laughs, a bit, as Akane continues - but then pauses, as she considers her words a bit more seriously.

"I guess... that really is going to be us eventually, isn't it?" Rikka considers. "Making things work in an apartment of our own..."

...It's kind of a nice thought.

As for making dinner, Rikka thinks it over.

"...Alright. I'll probably have something figured out by the time we're out of the bath. ...Probably something simple." She decides.

With that, she leans forward. One hand rests on the side of Akane's left thigh to keep it steady, while the other prepares the injection point.

"...Alright. I'm about to do it - are you ready?" Rikka asks. She waits for her say-so - and once she has the go-ahead...

She's calculated and precise... but gentle, too. Taking care to cause as little distress as possible.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Akane hadn't been thinking about it at all -- but when Rikka points out that that's a future that's on the table, Akane turns even pinker than she did when whatever thought she'd been entertaining about focusing on Rikka's eyes struck her. "I'd like that... but only if you want it," she says, though she can't stop herself from smiling.

"I spent so long trying to push you out of here, and that was kinda stupid... I don't -- want to take you away from somewhere you're happy." She doesn't want to rain on Rikka's parade, though, so she says, "... on the other hand, after placement exams at the start of next year, we could start looking?"

Rikka moves to take care of Akane. She nods, though her hand shuts tight again as she does. "Ready," she agrees, just a bit more shrill than she means it to be.

It's over before she knows it. ... It is sore in short order, but that's to be expected -- and the actual injection, by comparison, proves downright painless.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Akane lets Rikka clean up the injection site a little. "... thanks," she says. And now that it's done... maybe it's time to reveal the magician's secret.

"See? That's the Rikka I know," she enthuses. "And she didn't have to fight anyone to get stronger." ... it's just a little too sincere for her, so the mischief brain reactivates immediately. "... at the same time, if she wanted to pin someone down and give them a piece of her mind... there's a time and place for that too...~"

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Only if she wants it... Rikka thinks on that for a moment. It's still a little difficult to make herself want some things - but there are some things that stick out strongly in her head.

"...I do." She decides. Akane... doesn't want to take her away from somewhere she's happy. It's good that she recognizes that.

"I am happy here." She says. "...But I think I'd be happy living with you, too. And it doesn't mean I can't come back to visit."

She nods.

"That sounds great." She says. It's definitely too early right now, especially while she's still recovering... but that's plenty of time.

Akane says she's ready - and in the end, it doesn't take long.

"You're welcome. You did great." Rikka replies as she cleans up... and then she pauses, as Akane continues.

She stares at her.

"You planned this." Rikka says in disbelief, and then sighs... but despite her words, she actually looks a little pleased. She shakes her head, a small smile formed. "I have half a mind to."

After a moment, though...

"...Thanks."

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

At 'happy living with you, too,' Akane starts to tear up a bit -- it's a nice thought, and one that's going to make... every subsequent step of this a lot easier.

For both of them, she hopes.

Hopping back up, Akane takes the showerhead in hand again, giving herself a quick rinse. (She'd washed her hair this morning, since she expected meetings; unlike Rikka, she hasn't exerted herself as much. A quick rinse is probably enough.)

"Planned is a strong word," she says over the sound of the shower, though she's insufferably smug about it. "I just connected a few dots while we were talking, that's all! Though -- half a mind to, hmm? ... well, that half's worth keeping too~."

Moving over to settle into that bath, she enthuses, "Mmm. Love a heated bathtub," she enthuses. "Apparently that's not the default everywhere..." She thinks for a little longer, considering making more small talk... but sometimes it's good to be direct, too.

"Get in here, Rikka. It'll be warmer with you in it~."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka scoots back a little to give Akane some room as she hops up, listening as she speaks and gives herself a quick rinse.

...Even over the sound of the shower, she can hear that smug tone. 'Half a mind' bumps up a few notches to 'two-thirds a mind'.

"'Connected a few dots'..." Rikka repeats, huffing for dramatic effect so that she's sure Akane will hear it over the showerhead. "Seriously..."

Akane settles into the bath, and Rikka smiles a little as she enjoys it.

"Right? It's so nice." She agrees. And then, Akane invites her in.

"Well, if you insist..." With that Rikka carefully steps into the tub, and settles right in with her.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"The connecting dots is the fun part," Akane says, brightly. As Rikka gets into the bath, a little tension escapes Akane -- the kind she didn't realize she had because she's so perpetually tense.

Experimentally, she half-splashes Rikka's shoulder... juuuust a bit. She doesn't want to be too sudden with the stimulus -- despite how playful she sounds, she's actually paying pretty close attention to things that might set Rikka off in her current state. Leaning against that shoulder a bit a moment later, she says, "... honestly, if you never change from the 'you' you are right now... I could still live with that. I want you to get better for your sake, not mine..."

Under the water, her hand searches for Rikka's hand. ... It does find it, albeit with a few awkward brushes here and there first.

"That's -- the kind of thing I learned from you. I want to be just as nice to Rikka as Rikka was to me, okay? And nothing anyone could do to you would make me want that less." It feels... good, to say it, even if 'saying things' gets nervewracking.

Her thoughts drift a bit. "... And, uh -- actually, maybe now's a good time to start talking about this kind of stuff, too," she abruptly says. "I think if we don't get it out it's gonna be bad, so..."

Right. Time to take a risk. "... If you wanna be upset about anything I pulled while we were acting, that's okay. Sometimes I kinda worry I pulled us a little too far into the bit, even if I'm not sure they'd have bought it if we didn't." If a kaiju is an unexpressed feeling -- maybe it's important to encourage Rikka to express herself, if she's to get away from 'Treasure Chest.'

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Well, Rikka can't help but laugh a little at that. As long as she's having fun with it. She laughs, too, when Akane half-splashes her...

...But being attentive, there are subtle signs to go with it - of tensing defensively, but actively urging herself not to be so tense. The tension floods out of her, though, when Akane leans against her.

If she never changes from the 'you' she is right now, could still live with that...

Akane takes her hand, and in response, Rikka squeezes it gently. She's quiet - until eventually she murmurs,

"...Thank you."

...It's a big weight off of her shoulders, though. The weight of having to find the Rikka she thinks Akane wants... A part of her was having to carry that. But if who she is now is okay too... Maybe it's fine, for now.

She pauses, though, when Akane decides it's time to talk about something now, before it gets worse later down the line. If she was upset about anything...

It takes a little thought. They've been working on her memory, but it's still a little scattered - even the times her recall ability wasn't being actively sabotaged.

"...It worked out in the end, but it was kind of irresponsible." Rikka says. "If Marusan didn't read between the lines... If they were able to get to Alouette... things could've been a lot worse."

She hesitates a little, thinking a little more.

"...And, um, it was kind of nice to have you hanging off of me, but in hindsight I feel a little weird about being used as a demonstration..." She admits.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Akane elects not to press further with the horseplay. This can be a comfortable, tender bath -- that's what Rikka seems to need, and she's happy to share it with her.

When Rikka goes through what happened to them, Akane does her best to listen. Her first impulse is to protest -- to point out that she noticed Alouette didn't catch her subtext and made it a lot louder for Marusan, that she really was trying her best. The next impulse is to self-castigate -- she's already feeling guilty for getting Knight hurt so badly.

She settles on conceding the point. "Ahahaha... yeah, it kind of was," Akane agrees, sheepishly. "Even how it actually went was pretty bad. I could have probably come up with a better way to thin out the security if I was thinking straight, especially with Alouette in the mix. Less risky to Marusan and whoever would have actually showed up, too." ... things to improve if something horrible ever happens again. "Sorry. ... I owe Marusan and Knight apologies for that one, too."

The other part... "Ehe... you know, I kind of feel weird about that one too. The first time with Puru-1 was probably necessary, but I don't think we needed to ham it up that much for Audrey and Alouette. ... probably would have been a little easier on Alouette, too..."

What can she do to make Rikka whole, here? Her treatment is up to 3G staff, but... "After this, maybe we should go through all the stuff I put in there, then? I did do my best to make sure it wouldn't last after we got out of there and I told Dr. Sai what we did, but I did notice you almost tapped your thigh earlier... If some of that was uncomfortable, I don't really want it hanging over us."

The heavy part attended to, she once again pulls up to playfulness. "Besides, if the fun part was me hanging off you, I think that says a few things about who you want holding a leash, if anyone's going to..."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

"...It was kind of a difficult situation all around. 'Thinking straight' was probably a bit much to ask for." Rikka admits. She does nod appreciatively, though, when Akane offers her apology. "Thanks."

Rikka, too, bears the scars of that day, after all.

And Akane admits to feeling weird about the latter part, too. Akane considers going through some of the things she put in Rikka's head.

"That might be a good idea." She agrees, and considers for a moment. "'Uncomfortable'... I'm... okay with it when it's just us, I think, but when other people get involved...? But... it's probably better to make sure."

She goes quiet for a moment. Eventually, though, Akane gives her something else to think about. She laughs a little.

"I think you might be right, there..." She agrees. "That I could probably get used to."

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Shifting a little in the bath, Akane nods to Rikka when she's thanked. She's still a little shy about drawing attention to that scar; 'how it went was pretty bad' is about all she can stomach there. ... She doesn't really want to pressure Rikka to feel any particular way about it, either.

It's the next thing she says that throws Akane for her first big loop. "I -- uh -- w-well! That's! A lot, actually. ... but no, yeah, that makes sense... you're pretty private. I kinda am too... I felt a little gross after the whole thing with Audrey." Her brow furrows, as something connects. "... I think we still made the right call, but I should've been a little more on the ball about the performance part being pretty hard on both of us."

The tension slides out of her. "... if something that bad ever happens again, I'm gonna try to find a few more openings to spend time with you, too. There were definitely a couple more times we could have gotten away with it besides in the cockpit, but I kinda blew them obsessing over the security situation..."

Hearing Rikka's laughter gets a squeeze of that hand in response. It's when Rikka responds, though, that Akane --

-- just kind of bluescreens for a second. This time it's her turn to half-sputter, half-giggle.

"... maybe next prom I'll lean into that a little more. I don't really know how prom court works but we're probably not eligible for court twice, so... there will be a lot fewer eyes on us... and if that's not enough, maybe we can sneak away again!"

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Akane looks flustered for a moment and Rikka smiles, though she relaxes a bit when Akane continues. She nods.

"I hope we never have to worry about it again, but... that's something to think about. And if it does, I think that'd be a good idea. I think that'd help both of us recenter and find our footing." She agrees.

And then, Akane bluescreens and it's Rikka's turn to look smug - though it passes a moment later as she considers how prom court works.

"...Good question. I don't know, but... either way, I'm satisfied with what we got. That was enough spotlight for me, I think..." She looks mischievous for a moment. "...After all, I don't think there was a better way to let the whole world know I'm dating the cutest girl around."

The mischief only increases.

"...That being said, though, I think either way I probably wouldn't mind sneaking out again..."

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

For all that Akane had said the water would be warmer with Rikka in it, it's Akane who's blushing hot and bright enough to start boiling it -- but then something clicks about saying she's the cutest girl around in the bath, in a way it wouldn't anywhere else.

Instead of just blushing, she actually gets a little misty-eyed; she turns, slowly -- and with sloshing (it's a really good thing Japanese bathrooms are wet-rooms, actually) -- and puts her arms around Rikka for a few seconds. "I wouldn't mind going anywhere with you."

Gradually pulling back to a more neutral position, Akane thinks for a little while. "... If you think of anything else you wanna handle, whether it's later tonight or after another session or anything, it's okay to bring it up. ... actually, I'll ask again after you finish, too." It takes the pressure off of Rikka to start the conversation, even if there ends up being nothing. "... also, uh, about that..."

Sheepishly, Akane confesses, "I think the face you make when you pick locks is really hot."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Akane turns, putting her arms around her. Given their positions, she can tell it's difficult - but that means all the more to Rikka, as she wraps her own arms around her in response.

"I feel the same way..." She replies.

Akane pulls back, and she thinks on it for a moment. Though, ultimately...

"...Yeah... ask me later, I think. I think I'm reaching what I can handle for one day..." Rikka admits. "For now, I'm just glad to be here with you like this..."

...Though, Akane makes a confession that make her go just a little pink, and she manages a smile back.

"...W-well... we'll defintely have to figure out more opportunities to let you see it, then." She decides.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"... yeah, that's kinda what I figured," Akane agrees. "That's why it's no pressure, ahaha... don't worry, we don't need to go any further."

She gets more fully settled back in, and -- dipping right back to that smugness in response to Rikka's smile, says, "I'm sure we'll think of something~. ... we've got time."

She doesn't seem in much of a hurry to leave the bath...