2022-05-25: Connected

• Log: 2022-05-25- Connected
• Cast: Akane Shinjo, Rikka Takarada
• Where: Tsutsujidai High - Rooftop Passage
• OOC - IC Date: 0096-05-25
• Summary: After returning to school, Akane says something she ought to have said sooner. (Also this scene has so many Easter Eggs for you if you, like me, have watched the Gridman ED more than 140 times.)

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<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Akane missed every day of school from the 11th onward, only returning on the 23rd; this is her third skip chain exceeding five days since moving to Tsutsujidai. (The first was when she was building up to something and then promptly ghosted Rikka; the second was around Valentine's Day. We now reach the third.)

She's totally fine now, though! Really!

Now that she's had a couple of days to get used to attending again -- and gotten herself reoriented a little about things -- she's left a note for a certain someone in her shoe locker. (There's also a couple of crumpled up drafts of that letter in the trash near the school store, but this is not about those.)

Rikka,

Can you come see me on the roof after school? There's something I want to say.

-- Akane

p.s. I picked up new gel pens when I was at the bookstore! They look great, right?

And now... the waiting starts. Akane leans on the railing; two large bottles of hojicha tea and a box of strawberry Pocky sit close by. The roof is a little cluttered today; there's a few old desks being transferred from the main building to the practice building, and in the meantime... well, they're here. Janitorial staff will get around to them eventually.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Akane skipping isn't... uncommon, but especially lately it's always a little concerning to Rikka when she misses so many in a row. She occasionally finds herself glancing idly toward that empty desk. But, she's back! And she has been for a few days. It's a relief - and a surprise, when Rikka finds a letter from her in her shoe locker.

Meet her on the roof after school... she can't turn down an invitation like that. Once class lets out, Rikka says goodbye to Hass and Namiko and makes her way up the roof. She eyes the clutter briefly... but more importantly, like the note says, here she is.

"Hey, Akane." Rikka greets, unslinging her backpack and setting it next to the stairwell before moving to join her next to the railing. "What's up?"

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

When Rikka arrives, Akane turns to face her almost immediately; it doesn't take long for her to spot her out of the corner of her eye. (The greeting also helps, of course.) "Hey, Rikka," Akane says, tone just a little bit melancholy. Things are getting... intense, fast; there's a lot that might change for them soon.

(Akane doesn't even know the half of it; she's still completely unaware of what Nidaime's told Yuta.)

... but this is important. She told Sayla she'd at least try to do better; she hasn't seen Anti since then, but... this can be the start of that, at least for now.

"So, uh... I had some drinks with Dr. Mass, while I was off school" she starts, leading in. "We talked about a lot of stuff, and I was thinking about it, and..."

Hoo. Akane almost loses her nerve; she wants to just bury that moment with every other bad moment, but... no. You can't make this stuff go away by burying it... or at least, not while you're among the living.

"... I'm sorry I snapped at you at your house. I was kinda mad at myself for not realizing they'd need extra help to do Guy's thing, even though he kinda seemed like he thought it might work that way, and I took it out on you, ahaha..." She rubs at the back of her head. "Oh, um -- the Pocky is yours." She can't *quite* bring herself to connect the dots out loud, that it's an apology gift, but...

Akane doesn't realize she's bracing herself a bit. The ready-to-flinch posture is probably dead-obvious to anyone but her, though.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka catches that melancholy tone. She reorients herself a little. Akane probably has something serious on her mind... RIkka leans against the railing, giving Akane her attention as she speaks.

She spoke with Sayla...? Rikka doesn't interrupt her, listening quietly and waiting for her to build up the nerve. And then... Akane apologises. Rikka is a little taken aback, by that. Had that been bothering her all this time...? Rikka had been a little worried at the time that she'd really upset Akane. With what Renais told her later, she can understand why she reacted the way she did.

...But, she does indeed see that - the way Akane braces herself, ready to flinch.

"Thank you, for apologizing." Rikka replies. "...I'm sorry, too. I didn't think about how much stress you must have been under. I was worried I'd really upset you..."

Akane points out that the Pocky is for her. She doesn't connect the dots out loud, but Rikka draws the line fairly quickly herself.

"Oh... thanks." She says. She accepts the box. "Do you mind if I...?"

Pending a positive answer Rikka pops it open, drawing out a stick. She doesn't finish it right away, just chewing idly onto one end as she looks out over the city from their current vantage point.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

It's not Rikka's initial response that gets Akane the rest of the way to flinching -- it's the apology back. "Ahaha, you don't need to... I mean, you were right there in the middle of it. I was just on the sidelines, even if I did kinda engineer the whole thing..." She'd snapped at Sayla that she was just using everyone, jerking them around, but -- Sayla's right. That's just... asking for help with extra steps.

And to go out there, like that... Rikka's very brave. Is... that what she'd wanted? Someone with courage? It... doesn't feel like it. Akane feels singularly unworthy, in this moment -- but for now, she can push past it a bit.

She looks out toward the city, from the railing, after a pleasant, "Of course! They're yours!" Those red eyes take in the sights of Tsutsujidai, sweeping over it. Kamesan Park... the central business district... she can even see the train tracks off toward what used to be the mountains, from here.

On some level, she feels like the artifice -- the reminders of all of the things she's done -- ought to make all of this feel hollow, but... none of it does, right now. "... It's beautiful, isn't it?" she murmurs. Taking another drink of tea, she allows herself the space to think -- for at least a few moments.

Her eyes shut, for a moment. "What did you think of the concert?" she asks, after considering instead asking about Hibiki -- and about Gridman. She can... set that aside, for now. Maybe she'll loop back to it.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Akane tries to downplay her contributions, and Rikka shakes her head.

"You made it happen. That's important, too." Rikka replies. She could say that all she did was fight... but, she remembers how Renais responded when she did something similar, so she holds back.

The city... she can see a lot from here.

"Yeah. It really is." Rikka agrees with a nod. She goes quiet for a moment. Seeing Tsutsujidai like this, it helps put things into perspective. This is what she's trying to protect, after all - this city and its peaceful days. She finishes off a pocky stick... and then, quickly chews through another. After a moment of thought, she tips the opening of the pocky box Akane's way. "Do you want one?"

It's a gift, that means she's free to offer one right back. Those are the rules.

Akane asks about the concert, then, and Rikka looks back toward her.

"It was... really good. I didn't expect Sheryl to host a concert here, of all places. But, it was nice being able to go with all of our friends." Rikka replies. "The other concert was good too, but going alone was a bit..."

She trails off, laughing a bit sheepishly.

"...Sheryl's pretty incredible, isn't she?" Rikka concludes.

Of course, as incredible as Sheryl might be, someone else had been able to draw her attention away, if only for a short time. ...Rikka stifles that thought with another pocky stick.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Rubbing at the back of her head, Akane feels like she ought to deflect, again -- but... maybe this once. This might be the last time, so...

"I just couldn't accept things the way they were... Ahaha." She wants to point out how unfair it is, to press on something that forcefully simply because it upsets you --

No. It's fine. Rikka offers her some Pocky, and she considers it for a moment. It's the most nervous she's looked in ages -- receiving something back...?

... she can try, at least. She withdraws the Pocky carefully, putting it into her mouth. ... it's been a long time since she's eaten anything substantial... really, the closest she's come is the frequent ritual of miso soup with Yuta, lately.

She doesn't move away from Rikka after she accepts it, either. "Ahaha... yeah, I couldn't do a concert alone, especially in that world. That's pretty bold... I'm glad you had fun. I met Sheryl's manager... she said she'd work on getting a few all-access passes for any of my friends who wanted them. And the friends who can get to those concerts are a pretty short list, so...~"

Moving the pocky a little deeper into her mouth as she realizes it's crumbling from being sucked at, Akane moves the topic along. "I'm kinda surprised, though! With how crazy things got after I left, I kinda felt like it'd be ruined for you!" Part of her is relieved it isn't; part of her is... kind of frustrated. But parsing those emotions out can be a task for later.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

"It was a pretty bad situation..." Rikka agrees. That seems... a little like an understatement, but she leaves it at that for now. She offers Akane the box, and Rikka notes that nervous look... but even so, Akane does accept one, and doesn't even retreat after. Rikka smiles.

"It worked out pretty well, all told..." Rikka says. She did get to backstage and talk to Sheryl herself, after all. She even got a signed poster out of it... which is currently displayed proudly in her room. Her interest is piqued, though, when Akane mentions she met Sheryl's manager. "Wow, you did? That was pretty generous of her... Well, it's hard to say no to an offer like that..."

Akane points out that with everything that happened, she thought it'd be ruined for her. Rikka has to think about that for a moment.

"Well, I'd be lying if I said it didn't damper the mood a bit..." Rikka admits with a shrug. She remembers Utsumi's distress, and all the people that were hurt. It hadn't escaped her notice, either, that Arcadia was down to a single member - or, by this world's rules, had always been only a single member. Even if she didn't like them, it was a stark reminder that there had been loss that night. "I guess I just left it feeling a little... inspired?"

She pauses and, realising that might need a little elaboration, continues, turning back to look over the city again.

"She could have fled, but Sheryl - and that other girl, too - stayed behind and kept singing to rally everyone. Even though it was dangerous." Rikka explains, and massages the back of her neck a bit sheepishly. "It kind of made me realise... I want to be like that, too."

She pauses for a moment before looking back at Akane.

"...How about you? What did you think about it?" She asks, and then hesitates for a moment. "...This might be bringing up some bad memories, but are you okay? I saw those guys creeping on you... I'm sorry I couldn't get over in time to help."

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

... she only has the opportunity to get that kinda thing because she's the God of this world. It's kind of cruel to leave that out, she thinks -- it's a big offer that looks like a big movement, but... really, she's still standing still.

Akane listens to Rikka's take. Seeing that cruelty... makes her want to be better? Wants to be the kind of person people can rally around? There's a lump in her throat, here -- but it's not something she can indulge. Rikka... what *is* fair, at this point? What can Akane possibly say to that?

She scoots toward Rikka a little bit more, instead of saying something. Takes a breath in, and winds her arm around hers... wraps those delicate model-maker's fingers around --

-- her wrist. She can't quite muster an even grip, as she answers. "... it sounds like you're becoming a real hero, Rikka," she says. There's that tension, in her grip, again -- not tight around Rikka, certainly not painful but almost tightening in on itself, fingers straining.

Akane thinks back to the conversation she'd had with Arriety and Minae, on the outskirts of the park, when she's asked if she was okay. It was a crappy feeling, she'd said. "... I had fun at the concert, but... honestly, I'm not like you."

She breathes out. Slides the pocky a little further into her mouth; it disappears, this time. "I feel like I shouldn't have danced. Or at least, like I should've been strong enough to deal with what came after!"

Laughing at herself, Akane looks out toward the city -- still pristine, as it always is. A light rain starts -- not the type you run from, just a little drip-drip-drip. "Don't lose sight of that inspiration, okay, Rikka? ... I think I like that good-girl side of you~."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Akane moves closer, and - winds her arm around hers, her fingers grasping her wrist. It's... unexpected. Rikka's face goes a little red but she doesn't try to pull away, either, idly brushing some of her long hair behind an ear with her free hand.

She's becoming a hero...

"...Do you think so?" Rikka asks. It's not a label she'd ever really applied to herself. Maybe she was just trying not to get a big head about it. She'd always just thought of herself as someone who simply wanted to protect the people and the city that was important to her.

Rikka can feel that tension in Akane's grip and looks her way questioningly, to make sure she's okay.

...And then Akane continues. She had fun, but what came after... Rikka frowns a little. She can't blame her for feeling that way.

"...It wasn't your fault. You shouldn't have to be... 'strong enough', to let yourself have a good time." Rikka replies, trying to reassure. Akane looks back out to the city and Rikka follows suit as a light rain begins. She laughs a little, at Akane's comment, though she does briefly worry about how she should... interpret it.

"Don't worry, I won't. I'm... very serious about it." She replies, with a certain nod.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

It wasn't her fault? That... doesn't feel right, to Akane. She'd changed herself so much -- so she could be the type of person people would love. Whose fault is it if they're drawn to her, then?

Akane feels momentarily like she's created a world where she's a bug zapper. The thought turns her stomach, a bit.

In spite of that, though, she stays a little longer. "Definitely! And... I'm glad," comes her ultimate comment, though she isn't sure how she means it, and that lack of clarity comes out flat; she gives that wrist one last little squeeze, hoping it conveys 'I'm okay' or at least 'I can pretend,' and then lets go.

She looks at the desks on the walkway thoughtfully. They could scoot them over to the practice building themselves, on their way back in; certainly, it'd be kinder than letting it sit in the rain. Akane's not really feeling it, though; it's not really their responsibility to move every misplaced desk, finish every half-done job, is it?

"Do you want to walk with me to the bus stop?" she asks instead, and the joy in that one *does* fully reach her voice. "It might stay like this, but if it really starts coming down, I have the feeling we're gonna be glad to be on the way home."

She takes her tea in hand again, asking, "Actually -- do you mind if we do some 3D modeling stuff tonight, too? I mostly kept up with the readings at home for actual class work, but getting caught up with extra lessons is kinda..." A hapless smile -- truly genuine, too. "... A lot."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Akane gives her wrist one last squeeze. Rikka nods quietly. She can accept that answer, at least. She catches her gaze, then, over to the desks.

...For what it's worth, Rikka would agree to help move them if Akane suggested it, but it does seem like kind of a pain to her, too! So instead she compromises with...

"...You think there's a tarp or something we could throw over them...?" She considers, craning her head back toward the rooftop entrance. She looks back toward Akane, though, when she makes a suggestion.

"Yeah, good idea. I didn't bring my umbrella with me today..." She replies with a nod and a smile... and then pauses, when Akane seems to consider something else. "Oh, yeah, I bet..."

She'd forgotten that Akane would probably have to be dealing with those...

"Yeah, I don't mind! Let's do it." She agrees. She's not sure where she can help, but she'll do her best to lend a hand.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Akane glances around for a few moments. "... I bet there's something in one of the club rooms, but... you know what, that's *way* too much trouble," she eventually concludes, starting to lead Rikka back out of the school.

"Ahaha, I..." Akane *does* have her umbrella, but it's in the classroom, and isn't that a little...? ... they can just deal with a little sprinkle. "I'm not sure where mine is," she answers, eventually. "We'll just have to run for it~"

... There's still a lot of questions here -- and a lot left unsaid. But maybe, just for now, those questions can wait, and the two of them can enjoy being high schoolers. 'Hero' and 'kaiju'... those words can remain a little bit farther on, for now.

Besides: Rikka has a rare opportunity here!

She gets to see Akane be kinda bad at something. (Akane gets impatient and loses track of deep menus in computer programs... almost immediately.)

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

All the way in one of the club rooms...

"...Yeah, that's kind of a hassle." Rikka agrees dryly. It's fine. The desks will probably be fine. ...And, it sounds like Akane doesn't have her umbrella either, so all the more reason to hurry up and get to the bus stop. Rikka chuckles a bit, that. "Yeah... if we're quick, we can probably make it before it picks up."

A rare opportunity...! It's okay, Rikka won't judge. And fortunately, she is good with computer programs. She can help keep track of things.