2024-08-27: Choosing Tomorrow

• Log: 2024-08-27- Choosing Tomorrow
• Cast: Akane Shinjo, Rikka Takarada
• Where: Nouvelle Tokyo - Takarada-Shinjo Residence
• OOC - IC Date: 0099-08-27
• Summary: With summer coming to a close, Akane and Rikka finally commit to taking that trip to Dakar. They discuss practical elements, what to see, and what to do. Akane finally brings up the Kaiju Eugenicists' situation, and her plans. Takes place before Break the World.

---

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

One of the nice things about the Universal Century: even complex travel is relatively quick and painless, and can be done... not quite impromptu, with the world changing the way it is, but close. Actually planning the fine details of their return trip to Dakar, accordingly, kept getting kicked down the road.

Summer's end approaches, though, and time arrives to actually put in the work. Akane, ever the inscrutable one, has asked Rikka to come into the loft to kick things around. She wants to lie on her stomach with her laptop, it seems, and the futons up there are just a bit comfier than the floor.

"Uuuughhh, why is all this stuff outside," Akane complains. "Can't they have more actual, like, museums or fun stuff indoors?" Squirming a little on the futon to find the ideal spot, she tap-tap-taps a finger at the futon.

"Maybe the whatever they're calling the Federal Library now? Oh, I see there's like a flyover deal of the city, too... like a big loop around, going through spots in the city where the AEUG fought the Titans and then up the coast and back?" She clicks that, looking thoughtful. "... It sounds like it's just a headphone and music player kinda deal and not a live tour guide..."

Akane scoots the laptop over to Rikka. "Anything you really don't wanna miss?" She leans over, putting an arm over Rikka's back and pressing against her a bit. ... it's nice to be in such a comfy, enclosed spot. "... As long as we don't spend the whole day outside in the heat I'm fine with a couple of outdoor things." Pausing, she appends, "... oh, uh, I'm fine with water but not, like, moving water." Rikka might or might not recall Akane admitting to having hated big chunks of their mountain trip... at least she's learned to veto things in advance in the intervening three years.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

When a lot of things keep coming up, it's easy to delay the things that take less time. They have time, now, though, which means it's time to do some trip planning - which, by Akane's request, is happening in the loft. And so they lie on the futon together, looking over the laptop as they consider their options.

"Sorry. Maybe if it was later in the year." Rikka apologises with a small smile, looking her way, before looking back to the laptop.

"Oh, that sounds fun. ...I'd prefer a real tour guide, but I'll take what I can get. The Library might be interesting, too." Rikka considers. Akane scoots the laptop her way before leaning over, putting an arm over her back. Rikka cozies in just a little closer in response as she considers her answer, tapping at the laptop a few times.

Rikka 'hm's to herself consideringly, pausing for just a moment as Akane makes an addition.

Rikka does, indeed, remember that. She offers her an understanding smile.

"Do you think you could handle a boat tour?" Rikka asks, before looking back to the laptop. "It might be nice to take in some of the local culture, too, if there's any bands or plays scheduled."

She thinks it over.

"We might be able schedule things so we don't have too many outdoor events in a row..." She says consideringly.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"Ehehe... it's okay. It's not like we're gonna be there for the worst of it, anyway," Akane says, giving Rikka's back a small, enthused rub. "We'll find some stuff we both like, either way." She chews on that thought a bit, thinking of what she genuinely wants out of this trip.

... part of it's just closing the loop on a thing she said, of course. There's no way around that one.

"Huh? ... I hadn't really thought about it, but that actually sounds kinda nice. I do kinda like ferries. It's just the..." Here, she makes a vague gesture with her hands that doesn't actually convey anything in this enclosed of a space. After realizing that, she finishes, "... it's the risk of falling out, I guess. I freak out a little if I get surprised by water."

She looks at the schedule consideringly. "I think I want to try a bunch of the local food, too. I think if we broke up outdoor stuff with restaurant stuff that could be okay. ... I'm really glad I'm not allergic to peanuts..."

Rolling partway onto her side and scooting in a little more, she asks, "Should we try to meet up with anyone else while we're out there? Heading to a big NUNE city might give us a chance to see a couple of friends we don't get to as much... but I'm greedy enough that I don't mind having you all to myself for a few days, either~."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

"Yeah." Rikka replies with a nod and a smile at that brief back rub. "I know we will. We've got a lot of good options... There's really a lot to see."

She looks back to the laptop briefly, but her attention turns back to Akane as she considers the idea.

"Mm, yeah. I don't blame you. If you're not expecting it..." Rikka replies. It can be frightening. "Let's do that, then. It sounds like the view is supposed to be pretty good..."

Especially getting to see it together.

And Akane's next suggestion, of course is a big hit.

"Oh, definitely." Rikka agrees enthusiastically. "There's a lot of different things I want to try..."

She chuckles.

"Me too. I don't what I'd do if I was." She says.

Akane rolls over and scoots in, then asks another question. Rikka 'hm's thoughtfully, her head tilting to the side against her for a moment as she considers it - though she does laugh a little as her comment.

"We should try, at least. We can put out a few invitations. It'd be nice to see people... but, I don't think I'd be too upset if it ended up being just us, either~." She agrees.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

The more they talk about it -- the more they talk about genuinely fun things they can do on the trip -- the more excited Akane gets. At first it was more about putting that to rest... but now there's things to look forward to in their futures.

"Let's see... Sayla already stopped by -- we could try to get Marusan to come, or maybe Leina?" Who's in Europe or northern Africa...? "Any ideas for anyone else?"

Besides that, though... "Hrrmmm..." By Akane's standards, that's probably enough to fill a five-day trip or so -- a nice way to close out the summer... maybe they don't need to jam-pack it. A summer ought to end on a relaxed note...

That puts her thoughts on the calendar, and in turn... "... It's weird, but I'm kinda looking forward to chore swap this month." The monthly swap seems to be doing her some good -- a month seems to be about right for her tolerance for any given set of chores...

Blinking, she adds, "I -- was going to say something else but I kinda got distracted by how good your hair looks today." She sounds embarrassed, but not that embarrassed.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka 'hm's thoughtfully, considering their options.

"I haven't seen either of them in a while. It might be nice." Rikka considers. "I don't know too many people who live in NUNE territories..."

Her eyes turn back to the schedule, considering it thoughtfully. She hums to herself, looking it over and tapping her fingers rhythmically against the bottom of the keyboard.

Akane changes the subject, though, and she looks her way. It takes a second for her words to register - but she smiles, when they do.

"Really? I guess that means it's working like we hoped..." Rikka replies. "I'm glad. We'll have to figure out how we want to change things up closer to..."

Akane admits, then... that she was distracted by her hair. Rikka laughs fondly, and then it's her turn to roll over onto her side, offering Akane a small smile as she looks her way.

"I had some extra time to put into it today. I'm glad you like it." She says, running a hand through her hair.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"Ehe, yeah, kinda same? Even though I started going to school there for third year, things were kinda up in the air for a while... I lost track of most of the people I met in high school over there." It always felt kind of weird to Akane to get too close to people who didn't already know the deal while living with Sayla... she did do drama club, but even then...

Scooting in, Akane decides to set trip planning aside to just lean into Rikka, looking into her eyes. "I can tell... when you really put the effort in, your bangs have this really gorgeous sheen... it's almost like a crown or a tiara or something," she muses. "It's really nice..."

... part of her wants to just start making out, but she really ought to keep her thoughts on the task at hand. Still... a few minutes' appreciation can't hurt.

... yeah, turning more fully toward her seems to have gotten her fully distracted from planning. She's lost in those eyes. She's got that dreamy look again... "Aah..."

Her hand slides gently along Rikka's side -- down, then up.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

"There was a lot of stuff happening around then... I can kind of get it." Rikka replies. One year isn't a whole lot of time, either... especially when there's a lot on your plate.

Akane scoots in closer, and as she looks into her eyes, Rikka looks into hers in turn.

"You think so?" She asks, curious. "I hadn't thought about it like that... that's a nice way to put it."

...Maybe she'll have to do that more often.

Staring into Akane's, she spots that dreamy look dawning over her face. Akane runs a hand along her side - and Rikka reaches out, draping her across her.

...The other, meanwhile, moves to the laptop - gently shutting the lid and sliding it a safe distance away.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Rikka's brief attendance to practicals doesn't manage to get Akane's attention in full; she's dimly aware of Rikka moving something. She is a little disappointed to have the light moved like that, because it changes the vibe of Rikka's bangs a bit -- but that's okay. She's looking at her eyes instead.

Taking a deep breath, she cuddles in more. "It's a really nice evening," she murmurs -- again, those characteristic oblique 'I love you's. For all she's a weirdo, some elements of more traditional approaches do appeal to her.

Akane's breathing slows a little. "Ehehe... your shampoo smells really good, too, still." She lets her eyes shut for a few seconds, fully basking in the moment.

Eventually, though, she thinks to ask -- "... Should we make a little time on the trip for... You know..." She turns a little pink; for all that she can take point when she's talking about something a little 'weird,' genuine closeness still makes her turn a little red.

This is the happiest Akane's felt in a while. It's... rare, for her to manage this kind of calm. "Mmm..." ... they'll have to get back to it eventually, but...

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Akane cuddles in, and Rikka's arm shifts to hold her, now.

"It really is." Rikka agrees, the meaning behind Akane's words not lost on her. That traditional approach Akane favors... Rikka's grown appreciative of it.

"I'm glad you like it~." Rikka replies - and for a moment, she's satisfied just laying there with her, together like this. Akane asks a question, turning a little pink... and Rikka smiles.

"...I think we can find the time." Rikka agrees. She shifts again, just a little, to run her hand gently through Akane's hair.

Her eyes on Akane's, Rikka drifts in a little closer.

They'll have to get back to it eventually. But she wouldn't mind if this lasts just a bit longer.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

It's hard to say how long Akane stays there -- it's one of those moments that seems like it stretches on forever and passes instantly at the same time. It's hardly the first time it's happened...

... but, even those moments have to end. "Aaah... thanks." Her hand winds lazily in Rikka's hair. "... ugghh, I just remembered something we have to talk abouuuuut..." she whines, as something pokes into her happy moment unbidden.

Akane closes her eyes. "... We should probably talk about this before we go on vacation... it'd be bad to lose track."

Rubbing at the back of her neck, she says, "... it's work stuff. We should go sit on the couch. ... it's gonna, uh -- you're gonna need to get out before I can even start moving, ahaha..."

Assuming Rikka does go along with that, it isn't long before Akane, too, is out. "Want anything to drink? This might be a little bit on the weird side... I can't believe it took me two months to work up to this one... it's about that kaiju attack a couple months ago. There's -- it's, well... there's something I kinda left out of the report."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

"No problem. Always." Rikka replies, offering Akane a fond smile as a hand winds through her hair. But Akane seems to have remembered something, it seems, and Rikka can't help but chuckle at the way she whines. It must be something urgent, to interrupt her like this.

"If it's important, then we probably should." Rikka agrees. Work stuff, apparently. "Alright. Give me a second."

It's something she need to work herself up to, when laying here like this feels so nice. But eventually she manages to extract herself - though not before sneaking in a quick kiss, descending from the loft so that Akane can start to get moving, too.

"Sure, a drink sounds great." Rikka agrees, settling into her seat on the couch. The kaiju attack a couple of months ago... Rikka frowns thoughtfully, thinking back.

"Oh, right. I think I remember - didn't you say you were looking into something?" Rikka asks. She hadn't thought too much about it at the time, the report had been enough for her, but if it's coming up again now it must be important...

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

The kiss almost gets Akane to skid out entirely -- but she manages to regain her focus by the time she's out of the loft. She moves to snag two bottles of Calpis -- it's become a fridge staple at this point, given it ticks both the 'not carbonated' and 'multiple flavors available' boxes -- before settling in.

"... Yeah, so, uh... the report is a liiiiiiittle incomplete. I did get a good look at the people who were doing it, but..." Taking a drink of yogurt, she starts... explaining.

"Do you ever get, just -- those feelings where you know you're about to meet someone important? That little, like, tickle in the back of your head or whatever." Akane gives Rikka a few moments to answer, then says, "I had one of those feelings, so I kind of... tried going back to looking the way I did in Tsutsujidai. It was kind of kaiju-y, but like... bigger than the kaiju that was actually attacking, so I felt like I'd have better luck that way."

Another drink. "It seemed like those guys... one of them knew me. He said I was responsible for bringing kaiju back to the world. And, like... I went for this flashy outfit based on the pass holder you gave me, and they were all wearing the same kinda deal even though neither of us ever saw the other before then..."

She turns that over a bit. "... I don't really know what the situation is exactly. It's kinda -- the way it usually is, when you end up in a group you've never met before? I can't tell if there's something lurking behind them or not..." That gets her expression to turn serious.

"Between that and that Leila girl... I think I might need to start trying to get closer to them. Which might mean..."

... well, her thoughts are already half in Dakar anyway. "... some lying. And some keeping stuff secret from everyone else."

The second she's said it, her anxiety spikes a bit. Keeping secrets has always led her down her worst rabbit holes -- but if she just approaches these situations with all her cards on the table, it might make things worse. Certainly she also recalls that she started running away -- and that Leina consistently tried to slide into the situation at angles she wouldn't stand out, to try to maneuver things better.

"... If they're in trouble, I wanna help them. And if they really are the bad guys here," she concludes, "Kinda better if we know that..."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka takes her bottle, and takes a moment to take a sip as Akane starts explaining. The report is incomplete... She doesn't think Akane would do that if she had a really good reason for it.

"...I know that feeling." Rikka confirms with a nod. Akane did - and she followed it. Going back to her Tsutsujidai look, and taking on a flashy outfit based on the pass holder - and meeting people in similar outfits, who had never met her. But one knew her, and said she was responsible for bringing kaiju back to the world...

Rikka's brow furrows as she listens, a thoughtful, and gradually more concerned frown crossing her face.

It's... really a lot to take in. And Akane wants to get closer to them...

Rikka exhales, running a hand through her hair and taking another drink as she puts her thoughts together.

"...I'll be honest... this sounds really dangerous. There's a lot that could go wrong. If they're doing things with kaiju... who knows what they're capable of. And if they find out what you're doing, or they get suspicious... I'm worried about you." Rikka says. She doesn't voice her quiet fear - of what it might do to Akane, surrounding herself with that again. But the kaiju, and the secret keeping. She exhales, though.

"...I'd be a hypocrite if I told you not to try helping someone just because it was dangerous, though. ...And, you're right... it would be better if we knew what they were up to." She says, reluctantly. "Just... be careful, okay?"

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Akane lets Rikka talk. She wouldn't have brought this to her if she didn't value her counsel on it -- and it's clear that she has reservations about the issue. Akane nods, taking her time with it rather than jumping to an answer. Scooting a little closer to Rikka, she focuses for a moment and says, "... let me think."

Rikka's quiet fear is Akane's quiet fear, too -- it's something that she's been anxious about since 3G started investigating Galactron as a potential partner. Things have worked out so far... but it'd be a lie for Akane to say she's never missed kaiju, never wanted to just cut herself free. Indeed, her thoughts have been there too; it's why she considered dropping the whole thing and never thinking about it again. After all, at that Saida's...

////////

"Do you miss it?"

"I don't think anyone can really give up on their dream. ... I do miss it -- but I'd rather be less bored, you know?"

////////

"Uughh..." she groans out, as she chews on it more.

Another drink, first. A lean into Rikka. "... It's dangerous. And..." It gnaws at her. "... when we started talking about kaiju... I realized that sometimes, I... yeah. I miss the moments when I really felt free, that way. I know there were a ton where I wasn't, but the idea of having that without Alexis over me..." She can't meet Rikka's eyes with this. "... part of me really wants that."

She turns that over in her head. "... what if we told Takeshi and Utsumi, too?" she volunteers, after a little thought. "And if any of the three of you think it's getting too risky or I'm getting weird, we can pull the plug." Breathing in deeply and then back out, she affirms, "I know I can trust you. If you couldn't challenge me, we wouldn't be dating."

... maybe multiple senses of it, there.

If the fear is that she'll drift away from the people she cares about, or lose herself... maybe the answer, instead of just shying away from it, is to tie a thread to the entrance of the maze, and to herself. It's too much to ask that there be no messy situations -- but this time, she's got something holding her back from drifting away.

Irreplaceable unfreedom, one supposes.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Akane scoots a little closer and asks her to let her think, and Rikka nods. She gives her the time she needs, taking a moment to just sip at her drink she thinks. At that 'uughh' Rikka looks toward her way, but when there's no further elaboration on that, she doesn't say anything.

But then, Akane leans into her. Kaiju, and the freedom that comes with them, without Alexis hanging over her... Rikka looks her way, but Akane can't meet her eyes. She stares into her bottle, half-empty, now, for a moment.

"...Mm. That does sound like you." Rikka says, with a slight smile. She can't blame her. It's a part of her. A part of her that Rikka does love, too, even if in the moment it's a source of concern.

She taps her fingers against her bottle for a moment, and then Akane makes a suggestion.

"Takeshi and Utsumi?" Rikka repeats thoughtfully, listening to her explanation. ...That's a good thought. If there's anyone who would know what it's like the most, it'd be Takeshi, and Utsumi... she can trust him to be able to look at things objectively. And as for herself...

Rikka smirks, just a bit, at Akane's affirmation.

"That's for sure." Rikka agrees - and then her expression softens. "...Okay. That's a good idea, I think. If it was just me... I don't know if I could do it."

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

The burden's lifted. It hasn't been a constant source of agony for her these last two months, but figuring out when and how to say it got challenging really fast, and -- as she always does -- she got in her own head about it.

Less than two months is a land speed record, though, on something of this scale.

Taking another long drink, Akane says, "Okay. It's... I need to be honest about this stuff, too. I don't wanna just kick it to you three. But... well, yeah. Like you said -- if there was someone you could help and you didn't... and I feel like this situation might be the kind of thing where no one else can go at it the way I do." If not her, then who? And if she fails... well, she can't say she didn't try.

"Okay," Akane says, after another long drink of Calpis. They're not big bottles. Hers is already most of the way done. "So! We should make dinner before it gets crazy late," she enthuses. "And, uh... ehehe... going from cuddling to serious talk to food kinda..." ... there's that bashfulness about it again...

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka nods.

"I appreciate it. You telling me about it." She says. It does help that she decided to let her know. That much means a lot. And she smiles, as she mentions 'someone she could help and didn't... that's a feeling she knows well. "...Yeah. Just... don't forget. I'll always be here, to give you something to hold onto."

And with that, Rikka finishes her own bottle as Akane brings up dinner. She pauses, for just a moment, and laughs.

"I'll be honest, I completely forgot what time it was. Thaaat's probably a good idea." She admits. And, as Akane turns bashful -

Rikka offers her a knowing smile.