2024-08-04: Welcome Reprieve

• Log: 2024-08-04- Welcome Reprieve
• Cast: Rikka Takarada, Akane Shinjo, Sayla Mass
• Where: Nouvelle Tokyo - Takarada-Shinjo Apartment
• OOC - IC Date: 0099-08-04
• Summary: Sayla comes to visit Rikka and Akane as their lives continue changing. It's a good moment to look back -- and to look forward.

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<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

The Takarada-Shinjo household is expecting a guest! An actually invited guest, this time, someone they actually want to see. It's been far too long since they've had a chance to meet Sayla in person - life has been too busy for more than long-distance communication. But their schedules worked out - the timing is incredibly convenient, in fact - so today's the day to fix that.

As a result of having time to prepare, the apartment is looking a bit tidier than usual... though of course Balam's cat toys are still out, to entice him into making an appearance for their guest.

Rikka, her part of the work done for now, lounges on the couch. Today, she's gone with a dress shirt(short-sleeved) and vest with matching pants - and for now, she waits.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Akane is direly relieved to have the chance to actually sit down with Sayla. Oh, she's happy to see her for reasons in and of herself too, but... her mother has been trying to insinuate herself into almost everything lately. Mercifully, this is a big enough deal that she can get her to back off, given Sayla is... well, who she is.

Akane, for her part, has slipped into an outfit on the slightly more modern end of Retro Girly fashion -- a mid-length brown skirt and grey blouse. She's just finished cooking the paella; she leans her head out of the kitchen, and with a big smile, she asks, "Do you wanna give it a taste, or wait for dinner?"

Balam pokes his head out of their shared bedroom, meanwhile, locking eyes onto a skeletonized plastic ball with a bell inside it. The hunt begins...

<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.

        Sayla's already busy life is getting busier and busier. But that makes taking time for friends and family more important than ever, while everything is getting more chaotic. The fact that she can help head off an uncomfortable encounter is a free bonus that she won't object to making.

        She sends a text to both of them when she's entering the apartment building, just in case they need a few minutes, and when she gets up to the place she knocks on the door. She's wearing a nice black skirt-suit today, with the blazer off. Jumping from PLANT weather to late Japan summer is a bit of temperature change, after all.

        She is, fortunately, exactly on time. No unexpected early knocks.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka looks toward the kitchen, where Akane pokes her head out. A chance to give it a taste ahead of time... It's very tempting. But it might be nice to wait, too...

"Hmm, I think..." Rikka starts consideringly - but, soon enough, she is saved from having to make a choice by a knock on the door. "Looks like I'll wait. Let me get that."

Rikka stands from the couch with a stretch and makes her way to the front door - but not before giving Balam's ball a gentle nudge with her foot to start it rolling for him. It's important to give him a moving target.

It's exactly the time Sayla said she'd arrive. No early knocks. So this time, when Rikka opens the door, she sees exactly who she expects. A smile crosses her face.

"Sayla! It's really good to see you again. It's been too long. How've you been?" Rikka greets. "Come on in. I think dinner should be ready soon, feel free to have a seat."

She steps aside to let Sayla in, before sending a glance back to the kitchen.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"Okay!" Akane answers her, brightly; the experience renders her a tiny bit nervous because now she has to serve it to Sayla without any 'pre-flight' checks but her own, but she's getting a little better about accepting that. She goes to the cabinet, gets the deep plates, and starts in on plating.

Balam, meanwhile, sees a ball start moving and hears a jingle and he is ready. Launching himself at the ball, he passes over it slightly -- but corrects mid-flight and gives it a surprisingly stiff kick with his back legs, sending it flying. There's that krrk-krrk-krrk- sound of claws sliding against the base of the carpet as he lands, turns, and gives chase again in a single smooth motion.

Overhearing Rikka greeting Sayla, Akane calls -- once she's sure Rikka's finished talking -- "I'll have dinner out in a sec! What do you want to drink? Oh -- you too, Rikka!" She's got vegetable juice for herself, of course.

Sure enough, she's headed back and forth a couple times, taking one meal at a time out of concern that she might drop something.

<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.

        "It really has, hasn't it," Sayla says with a warm smile, stepping in once Rikka lets her through, though she does gesture to see if Rikka is open to a hug and goes for it if allowed. It's been a long time, and Sayla remains Sayla in that regard. "Busy, mostly. Really busy. I don't know if the news reached here but we can discuss it over dinner. I imagine you two have some updates of your own." She takes the opportunity to slide off her shoes and place them to the side of the door.

        One such update makes himself known, going for the ball and then rushing for the chase again, and Sayla looks over at the little cat and smiles. "That's your Balam, right?" Sayla says watching as he engages his brave hunt against the noblest of prey. "He's an energetic little one, isn't he? Hopefully he'll slow down and let me give him a pet later tonight."

        Akane calls out and Sayla looks toward the Kitchen. "Oh, juice or iced tea would be fine?" She calls back, before moving toward the table. The mix of seafood smells and spices bodes well, certainly. It's a familiar scent.

        She sets herself up at the low table, waiting for Akane to get set up and organized, not rushing her remotely. "It smells and looks wonderful, Akane. I'm looking forward to trying it."

        Still, she's going to wait for the traditional dinner rituals, rather than digging in straight away.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka smiles back at Akane. And now, the door.

Sayla gestures - and Rikka gladly accepts, moving in to give Sayla a hug.

"I've heard a few things... but, I'd prefer to hear your own thoughts on it." Rikka says. As Chief, she does have to keep an eye on movements in the world. "Yeah, we do..."

They'll have plenty to talk about, at least - and Rikka chuckles as Balam begins the hunt. He practially launches himself at the thing, and gives chase when it flies off.

"That's right." Rikka confirms, and laughs. "He is. It's hard to keep up with him sometimes. He can be a little shy around strangers at first... but I'm sure he'll warm up to you in no time."

Akane asks about drinks, and Rikka nods back.

"I'll go with the juice, too. Do you need any help transporting anything?" Rikka offers. Once everything's moved - whether Akane accepts her help or not - Rikka settles onto her cushion.

"Yeah, this looks incredible. I think you might've outdone yourself, Akane." Rikka praises.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Balam bats around the ball while Sayla and Rikka catch up; eventually, though, it ends up under the TV stand. He tries reaching in once, twice -- and then flops over on his side, defeated by the geometry. Such is the life of a cat with poor depth perception.

"I think I've got this," Akane answers Rikka, as she brings out the second meal. "Thanks, though!"

Once she's got all three plates and drinks out, Akane heads over to give Sayla a quick hug. /She/ is certainly up for a hug, if nothing else.

"We do have some updates," Akane offers, nodding. Balam walks around her leg a few times as she pulls back away from Sayla. "It'd be good to hear yours too..."

Getting settled in and offering the standard 'Itadakimasu,' Akane gives Rikka a smile. "I think so too... the urge to make it a little too salty is kinda passing at this point." Allowing the subtler flavors some space has been a work in progress.

"Thanks for coming over, by the way. It's really good to see you, and, uh... you're kinda doing me a favor just by being here, ahaha..." Akane rubs at the back of her head, a little embarrassed.

Balam finally experimentally nudges Sayla on the shin with his dumb little face.

<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.

        When Akane comes over for a hug, Sayla is happy to oblige. It's... strange how little touch is in her life lately, with the Villa empty and Leina at school. She's a little surprised how much she missed it, honestly, but... that just makes the opportunities more worthwhile. She doesn't linger overlong, knowing Akane, but it's nice to have.

        Sayla is about to dig in, but there is a cat nudging at her leg and frankly there are things you do not ignore. "Hello there," she says, extending a hand slowly and not too close to Balam for him to sniff and decide whether or not he wishes to investigate further. After a little while of letting him establish how he wants to approach, Sayla then pulls a wipe out of her pocket to clean her hand again before picking up the chopsticks. It's just generally good habits and polite to do.

        "I'm glad you were both available," Sayla agrees. "Thing have been a lot harder with the borders closing, and my schedule has been a nightmare. It's only going to get worse I suspect, so I wanted to take the opportunity while I could." She does raise an eyebrow when Akane says she's doing her a favour, but doesn't push on it. If Akane and Rikka want to talk about it, they can. If they don't, that's up to them. "I'm glad this could be helpful as well as a pleasant catchup."

        It's now she finally digs into the Paella in front of her and takes a bite, savouring the flavours. The crispiness of the rice at the bottom, the strong tomato flavour, the well cooked shellfish and Akane's own touches come together. "Very nice. You've definitely made it your own." A sincere compliment, and matching Sayla's intent on teaching her how to cook it.

        "So, your updates first or mine?"

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka nods back as Akane confirms she's got it. She turns her attention to Balam - poor Balam, who has been defeated. Alas...

She turns her attention to her plate and her drink as Akane doles everything out, offering her a grateful nod as she does.

She watches, then as Sayla and Balam get to know each other. Rikka smiles, pleased - she knew they'd get along.

"I imagine. It's lead to a lot of problems on my end, too - it'd only get worse for someone actively traveling around." Rikka replies, and nods. "Yeah... I'm glad we figured out a good day."

Rikka notes the raised eyebrow, then looks Akane's way. She isn't going to bring it up if she doesn't - it's hers to decide whether or not she feels like talking about it.

And so, echoing Akane, Rikka digs in!

"Yeah, it really comes through. Some of it is still there, but it feels like it's pushing everything else up..." Rikka notes, pleased. She continues to eat a little more, before looking up toward Sayla.

"I wouldn't mind hearing what you've been up to." Rikka says. It feels polite to let their guest go first.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Sayla, who has had cats all her life, is quite good with cats. This, naturally, leads Balam to warm up to her in short order; while he doesn't start rubbing his face against her immediately, he does flop over onto her foot with some enthusiasm.

It's difficult for Akane to get away from the urge to seek approval, to want to be praised for tangibles; when Sayla says she's made the meal her own, it's easy to see the way her expression lights up. "Thanks! I've been working on it every few weeks or so... plus I'm kinda getting better at cooking in general. I had to unlearn some of the stuff I figured out while living alone, but..." She looks at Rikka, and her expression softens a little. "... I've had a great partner for building that kinda stuff back up."

Travel talk gets a nod from Akane. "It's not super hard for us, but it's a big complicator... transit is way slower now. I still wanna do a trip to Dakar this summer, but we couldn't just hop on the train and do it really fast anymore..."

When Rikka prompts Sayla, Akane agrees, "Yeah! Let's hear what you've got going on. I need a little bit to put all my thoughts together anyway. This week was... kinda crazy..."

<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.

        Sayla nods in agreement with Rikka. "Quite. Even with Cathedra's arrangements, I imagine 3G's work is only getting more difficult to do now." She pauses a bit at Akane saying she wants to visit Dakar, but nods eventually. "Yes. It requires a lot more planning than it did."

        Sayla gives her a nod. "I think you're doing pretty well at that. Unlearning old habits isn't the easiest thing, after all."

        Rikka invites her to talk first, Akane confirms, and Sayla nods. "Well, okay. The biggest news is I'm stepping back from the Yumi Foundation for a bit to take on a political appointment with the Space Assembly League. Officially, I started a few weeks ago as Secretary for Colonial Development and Refugee Affairs." She takes a second. "If you want to laugh, I invite you to do so now." She says, with some humour. "But... I'm giving it a chance. I'm not sure how I feel about the direction NUNE is going, but... I can't really pass up the chance to do some good if I can, and the Foundation could probably use some distance from me for a few years while the... associations die down."

        Sayla is very careful not to disturb Balam flopped on her foot, unless he decides he wants to play. In that case, she wiggles her toes just a little. She's got good socks, hard to get claws through.

        "But I've put a few offers out for apartments on the December colonies for the moment, to stay there while I'm working. It's going to be a little strange living in space again, let alone on the PLANTs, but I'll still try to get Earthside when I can. I'm still an AEU citizen primarily, for the moment." She shrugs. "The big problem is going to be Foras and Buer. The staff can look after them, of course, but the Villa's really going to be empty for a while, and I don't want to put them through the ordeal of moving from space to the colonies and back again." Sayla has had some harsh experience with that, after all, but she doesn't linger.

        "Though, if you two decide to take a vacation to the AEU any time soon, and you want to visit Spain again, you're certainly welcome to borrow the place and do some cat sitting if you feel like it." She did leave them a key for a reason. Just in case.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka can't help but smile a little at the way Akane lights up at Sayla's compliment. It means a lot, from her, especially. And when Akane looks toward her, she offers her a soft smile of her own.

She nods, then.

"It is." She confirms. And as for travel... she nods there, too. "There's a lot of complications we have to consider, too. We learned some of that last time, and I can't imagine it's gotten any better."

At least, she hopes, they won't have to worry about another Big Complication.

Akane agrees to let Sayla go first, and Rikka listens intently as she offers her update. Rikka... doesn't laugh, though she does smirk at Sayla's comment. She looks thoughtful, for a moment, as Sayla talks about her position... and her new living situation.

"...I don't blame you. It must be difficult for cats." Rikka considers, of not moving Foras and Buer. It's a little sad that she'll be separated from them, though. "We'll definitely think about stopping by, though - and if we do, we'll be sure to send you lots of pictures."

It wouldn't be her first time catsitting.

She thinks back about Sayla's news next, though.

"NUNE... my main impression of them has been a lot of stubbornness, but... they haven't been all bad, I guess. Still... I think it's good. I can't say it's what I expected, but... they need someone who will stand up for them, and you've got a lot of experience with that." Rikka says. "If you can do some good, then take the chance while you can. A little kindness might make a big difference for the people who need it most, even if things don't work out in the long run."

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"Definitely," Akane affirms, when Sayla and Rikka discuss the difficulty of their work. She doesn't linger on it, though -- she's more interested in what's going on with Sayla. When Sayla tells her to laugh if she wants to, Akane smiles, lets out a half-'heh' of a breath, and says, "... I kinda get it," with a wobble of her hand. She doesn't seem that interested in teasing her.

Of all things, it's the mention of Sayla's pets that gets the most attention -- concern, perhaps -- from Akane. She lets Rikka speak on it first, but she's already got something in mind. "Hmmm... if we can make the Dakar trip work, I wouldn't mind going from there to housesitting for a couple weeks. I do miss those cats a lot..." Those two figure into a lot of fond, small memories...

When Rikka renders a feeling on NUNE -- and, subsequently, on Sayla's current plans -- Akane looks at her just a little dreamy-eyed. It's always so great to see her express herself. "Yeah, Rikka's right. Even if it falls apart, that doesn't undo the stuff you accomplish in the meanwhile," she agrees.

"As for us, uh..." Akane thinks about how to broach this particular topic, and decides that just laying it out clean is the best option she has.

"... My mom got our address because she still has a legal interest in my family registry. She showed up a couple days ago out of nowhere," comes the simple explanation. "Having plans with you means we don't have to deal with her again for today, at least."

... It's pretty obvious how she feels about that, as she loses a bit of that brightness. She does her best to buoy herself by eating, though.

<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.

        Last time, huh. Sayla chooses not to comment on that, and simply nods. "It hasn't. The loss of free travel has had something of an effect."

        The lack of laughter is appreciated, honestly. (Old friends were generally not so generous. Kai had laughed his ass off for a good five minutes, Fraw gave her an incredulous 'really' and Mirai wanted to make sure she was alright.)

        "It is," Sayla confirms, and pauses. "Did I ever tell you about Lucifer, Rikka?" She knows Akane knows about him. "He was my first cat. I have some pictures on my phone somewhere if you want to see him. My parents- my birth parents- got him as a present when I was quite young. I made sure he came with us when we had to flee Side 3." She pauses. "...though, we had to skip the acclimatization process. It was rough transferring to Earth for all of us and it had a toll on him, unfortunately." She doesn't linger on it, but she clearly still remembers him fondly, and with some sadness. It's an emotion one can feel, especially since Sayla is walling less and less.

        "And if I transfer Foras and Buer, there's at least six weeks quarantine to confirm they're not bringing diseases plus getting cats used to full gravity used to low g, it's... a long process. Not to mention the impact of moving, I'd think they'd be better off staying at the Villa, even if Leina and I don't see them often."

        She smiles at Akane wanting to see the cats again. "I'm sure they'd appreciate it. Be warned, though. Foras will tackle you with all his might when he sees you. Make sure your footing is stable when you come in."

        Sayla nods, after a while. "...I admit, given my first foray into politics, and what happened to the Alliance... I was a touch wary. But... I guess I can't help myself, and Counselor Durandal made a compelling case, honestly. We'll see how well he sticks to what he said. But I'm going to be as much of a pain in the ass as I should have been to the Federation in '82, if not more."

        When Akane explains their latest troubles though, Sayla frowns. "I see." It's... concerning. "Fascinating. Both I and the Foundation's lawyers made attempts to contact her over the years." The lawyers, at least, were to make sure there'd be no issues with the family registry or potential emancipation when that was on the table. The fact that she says attempts is kind of explanatory. "I can assume that things have been difficult, then." She's ceding the space to the two of them to talk, so she can listen.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka nods. It looks like Akane definitely wants to visit the house. In that case, they'll definitely have to.

"I don't think so." Rikka says with a shake of her head, as Sayla mentions Lucifer. Her first cat... It sounds like he meant a lot to her. And, he went through a lot... Rikka offers her a small smile. "I'd love to see him."

She nods, though.

"...Yeah. I think you're right, even if it'll be difficult to go so long without seeing them." She agrees. She chuckles, though, at her warning. She certainly believes it.

As for Sayla's new position... Rikka smiles as Akane agrees with her.

"I don't blame you." Rikka says with a shake of her head, as Sayla says she felt wary. She smirks, then, offering her a nod of approval. "Good. I know you can do it."

Akane explains, then, what's been going on with tham - and RIkka nods quietly. She hasn't been easy to contact, huh...? And yet, here she is now. Rikka grimaces.

"...Yeah. She just - showed up, while it was just me. She just kind of invited herself in. She didn't even ask for my name, she just knew I was 'the girlfriend' she'd heard about from Akane's father while I was in Chasseur-3G joint medical." Rikka shakes her head, and exhales. That first interaction with her has really stuck with her, it seems - and everyone here knows full well why. "She actually said that. It didn't seem like she knew the full context of what that meant, but... who says that, even if it's true?"

She exhales again and shakes her head, before offering Akane a sympathetic look.

"Akane's had it worse than I have, though. She's been annoyingly civil to me after learning about my position." She says.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Hearing about Lucifer again is some cause to smile, despite the somewhat heavy constellation of topics in play. Even only knowing that cat by reputation, Akane has some warm feelings about him. She eats her paella, letting Sayla tell her story -- and lets that somber feeling in the air of the room wash over her a bit.

"... Don't worry -- I think I can handle that." It wouldn't be the first time she got tackled by Foras -- she's confident that this time it'll go a little better than the last.

It will not.

Akane lets Rikka speak further first, when it comes to her mom. She's heard this story herself, once they got Akane's mom out of the house. It's plain to see that she's upset by it, too. "She's so tactless," she mumbles. "It sucks." She discreetly reaches over to give Rikka's hand a squeeze before looping back a little to her own side of the equation. "I... guess she might be anxious about getting cut out of Coming of Age Day if she doesn't put in an appearance," she offers. "While I was at art circle and she was hovering over me she had a lot of questions about the design I wanted, and told me about how she was so grateful that I'm doing it at age 20 and didn't take the option to do it at 18."

Talking about it lightens the load a little bit -- though it's clear Akane's still a little weighed down. "Some of the stuff she says, or doesn't say... I didn't even really realize it wasn't normal until I saw how Rikka reacted to a lot of it."

Letting out a breath, she says, "It's just a couple more days. She'll be back out of the country in a little while. It'll be fine." Eventually. She hopes.

<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.

        With the request, Sayla reaches for her phone- and it turns out somewhere on her phone is honestly very close to hand. Sayla's a very sentimental sort, after all. She hands her phone to Rikka, with the photos open. A little black cat, with white paws and a white section around his muzzle and a pink bow acting like a collar. There's not many photos, truth be told, and a few are photos of photos with burn marks, looking hastily taken.

        "...Yeah. I'm sure Buer will forgive me eventually. I mean, she's forgiven Leina by now for going off to school." She has no concerns about Foras at this point, the most affectionate boy is a friend for life. "Good luck. If he pins you down you're stuck there for 20 minutes at least with 10kg of purring fur one your chest. Not the worst fate, to be fair.

        Sayla's eyes track between Akane and Rikka as they speak. She's... familiar with the type, to be fair. "Ah." A hell of an introduction, that's for sure. Still... Sayla remembers coming in with Orie on the aftermath of that. "...I've certainly met people with that approach before. Usually it's only a single meeting." Not always, but usually. Sayla's frown deepens still, as she takes a sip of her drink. Some things are explained as Akane makes her own complaints. Certain... tendencies that were visible in Akane, though Sayla's careful not to show it on her face right now.

        "Hm." Sayla says, quietly. The hovering also gives Sayla a pause for thought. "...I suppose, given benefit of the doubt, she might be planning to arrange your kimono for you, but..." Though to be honest, if Akane didn't want to cover it herself, it's easy to imagine Sayla making the offer. "...I think that's... not uncommon." Sayla did, at least, avoid meeting Akane's father at Chausseur that day, but she can make assumptions. "What we get used to as normal depends on our circumstances, and we don't see it until someone else points it out. But once we do... it's something we need to take a step back and analyze."

        Sayla pauses a few moments longer. "...Does she know about what happened in Tsutsujidai? Or about Knight?" It seems an odd question- but Akane potentially having to explain his presence at the ceremony may make things more difficult on the day. "You don't owe telling her anything you don't want to," Sayla reminds her. "Even if she asks you straight on."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka looks over the pictures that Sayla opens up to. A little black cat... Rikka looks them over and then, after a while, hands the phone back to her. It's easy to tell just how important those photos are - even the most hastily-taken ones. Perhaps especially so.

"He's adorable. He seems like a very good cat." Rikka says.

Buer... and Foras. Rikka chuckles, just a little.

"Oh no." She says. What a fate...

Akane reaches over to give her hand a squeeze as she recounts what happened, and Rikka accepts it gratefully. She nods, at Sayla's 'ah' of acknowledgment. It's clear she knows exactly what that means.

Akane continues, and Rikka can see how she's weighed down. It's Rikka turn to offer support this time, taking one of her hands and holding it gently. She's since finished her paella - her hands are free for holding.

"...I had a hard time keeping my temper in check, to be honest." Rikka admits. Seeing the way Akane's mother treated her... it wasn't right. Coming of Age Day, though... Rikka frowns, just a little. Maybe that's true.

Sayla asks about Tsutsujidai and Knight, though, and Rikka doesn't know the answer to that one. There is one thing she can say, though.

"...Yeah." Rikka says with a nod, agreeing with Sayla about not needing to tell her anything.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Akane doesn't quite catch that moment of recognition in Sayla, mostly because she's taking a drink. She can hear the implicit condemnation perfectly clearly, though.

"I already told her I'm getting my own done, though, uh, maybe she didn't read that email, actually," Akane answers Sayla, when it comes to arranging her kimono. She doesn't touch the other part, though it's all too familiar by now... it's not the first time she's heard that. It's been different to actually feel it happening immediately.

"If my parents are still talking, she knows. Dad knows about all that stuff because of his job, and I doubt he'd keep that one under his hat," Akane admits. "I... haven't talked to her about all that, though." Part of her feels like it's the last thing her mother is entitled to hearing about from her.

Finishing the last bit of her paella and shifting her hand to hold Rikka's, she says, "... we should really talk about something better. I don't wanna dwell on that on the one night we get free from her this week..." But what to talk about --

"Wait... You know, we should probably tell her about your promotion if she doesn't already know," she says, giving that hand a squeeze. "I got one too, but, ahaha... hers is bigger so I'll let her say it." That prompts a mood rebound, at least.

<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.

        "He was," Sayla says, a little sadly. "A little skittish, and he gave my brother his fair share of scratches, but I was glad to have him with me."

        Sayla's a little behind on the eating, so she takes the time to catch up. It's a good homecooked meal. An increasingly rare thing, of late. "I can't blame you, to be honest. I'm glad you have so far." Hrm. There's something complicated behind that statement. "If she accepts that Coming of Age day is the end of it, then that's probably..." For the best? Not exactly. "...less messy." She says, after a moment.

        Sayla nods, but... she has a few concerns there. "I hope she listened." Sayla returns her fork to her bowl, and drums her fingers on the table. "Hm. I see." The question of how much she knows, if she acknowledged she knows... If she listened. Too many ways to ignore it. 'Akane was caught up in an alien incident and science crime' is a different way of conveying things than the truth.

        And god forbid people in Akane's family being poor communicators.

        "Sure." Sayla responds, acknowledging the desire to change topic. Her hand gently trails down to her side, to give Balam another chance to sniff.

        "Oh? Do tell." She's all ears at the moment, waiting to hear the news.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

"I imagine." Rikka replies, offering Sayla a small smile. She would've liked to meet him.

She nods back to Sayka, then listens. Akane's kimono... Rikka wouldn't put past her mother to barrel on ahead and do it herself even if she had read Akane's email.

"...Yeah." Rikka agrees with Sayla with a nod. She hopes that's the end of it.

The question is raised of how much she listened in regards to Tsutsujidai and everything stemming from that.. but, Akane wants to talk about something better, and Rikka agrees.

"Yeah." Rikka replies with a smile. As for to what... Akane brings up her promotion!

"Oh! Yes." Rikka agrees with a nod, looking toward Sayla. Rikka does look a little proud of herself.

"So, I don't know if you've heard, but alongside their rebranding, 3G added a new branch. And they need someone to run it, so... you're currently looking at the Chief of 3G Red!" Rikka says. "I never imagined things would end up like this, but... everyone supported my appointment. There's been a few roadblocks, and I still have a ways to go before I build up the kind of respect the others have, but... It's been great, actually."

It still feels like a dream, sometimes - but she knows there's a lot of people who believe in her, who vouched for her. She's done everything she can to prove that she deserved it.

"You won't believe the kind of things we've already had to deal with..." Rikka says - and she'll gladly tell the stories for as long as anyone will listen.