2024-11-18: Sturdy Framework
- Log: 2024-11-18- Sturdy Framework
- Cast: Akane Shinjo, Rikka Takarada
- Where: Nouvelle Tokyo - Jollibee
- OOC - IC Date: 0099-11-18
- Summary: After a somewhat exhausting day dealing with one of the rarer -- but not uninteresting -- consequences of 3G work, Rikka and Akane snag Jollibee spaghetti on their way home and check in about a fair number of things.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
3G work isn't all saving lives and smashing monsters. It isn't even all desk work. Sometimes, it's playing nice for a couple hours with a tour group of elementary schoolers and their science teacher in the public-facing, Space Development Corporation-aspected parts of the building.
Akane had been dreading this a bit; it comes on her day off from class, which is good because it means she's going into it with a fair bit of energy. (That's not to say that she didn't go into campus before this -- since she wanted to commute with a certain someone~.) By the end of it, she's...
... not totally drained, to her great surprise. Hitting stride took a bit -- she has no formal training with kids, after all -- but by the end of the tour and its Q&A period she did hit it and is happy to have had the chance to, overall. That's not to say that it didn't take a bit out of her; switching from reviewing some... difficult intelligence to playing tour guide on a dime has an energy cost.
Leaning in just a bit further, Akane gives Rikka a kiss on the cheek and adds, "You did amazing today!" with a smile on her face. "I didn't realize you were good with kids... but I guess I didn't realize I was okay with kids, either..." She's still a bit tired, but... credit ought to be given where credit is due. "I dunno if I'd want my own ever, but small doses of teaching are kinda fun." She looks momentarily startled at how easily that thought occurred to her and slipped out of her mouth -- but doesn't linger on it, either.
"I know we have that ground turkey we have to cook by Wednesday, but I'm not really feeling it or, like, going back to campus." She leans into Rikka a bit as they approach the train station. "Maybe we should dip into one of the buildings near here and eat. Jollibee? Oh, or Saida's, but that gets kind of crowded around now... I wouldn't even mind just eating Seven-21 onigiri or something. I just have no energy to cook."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka took surprisingly well to the tour guide job. She might not be able to put on quite the same level of infectious energy as the Grand Glorious Guard's other chiefs to excite and encourage those around her, but she has her own way of engaging with her audience and motivating them to learn with her cool, patient approach.
She took well to it, enjoyed it, even... but she did come to the job straight out of class, and managing a bunch of kids for a couple of hours is exhausting on the best of days.
Now, the day draws to a close and they start to work their way home. Rikka is a little eager to get back, at this point - its clear from the way she moves that she's feeling pretty drained - but that doesn't mean she isn't going to cherish this time in transit.
Akane leans in for a kiss on the cheek, and Rikka smiles back, which becomes just a bit of a smirk when Akane admits she didn't realise she was okay.
"Thanks. I don't go out of my way to do it... but I don't mind it when I get the chance. It's nice." She says modestly. "But yeah, you did pretty good, too... nice work, Akane. You did great with the Q&A session."
Rikka is just as surprised as Akane at the thought that slips out - but she just as easily takes it in stride.
"I think I'm in the same boat." She agrees - and is content to let the subject pass, for now, as the conversation turns toward immediate conerns.
"Hm..." Rikka murmurs thoughtfully, leaning into Akane in turn. "We really should use it... but I don't have the energy for cooking either, honestly. Let's promise ourselves we'll use it tomorrow and take it easy today."
She listens as Akane lists off some options, a slight grimace crossing her face as she mentions the crowds at Saida's. Usually she'd be all for Saida's, but...
"I think I've had my fill of crowds for the day..." Rikka admits. "It'd be nice to sit down somewhere for a bit, though, so... Jollibee?"
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"I can get that. I batted around teaching in my head a couple times? In the end I don't think it's for me. This kinda thing's enough." She stretches a little, getting comfortable again; only now that she's out of the building is she noticing how much tension she was carrying in her back and shoulders.
"Yeah, same," Akane agrees, at the conclusion that it'd be good to sit down. "Then yeah, let's do Jollibee." She makes the necessary slight turn.
"Is class still going okay? We haven't talked about it for a little while." Akane's gaze tracks over some signage. ... There's a Sevendarake, and she really wants to -- but she can be good. For now. Maybe. It's hard to miss that her eyes are lingering there, though. She does at least keep the conversation semi-focused on the moment, though, noting, "I still haven't gotten my final evaluation back for my first Studio Art project this term... there's one person I still need to show it to and I can't until at least January."
"What are you gonna have? I'm kinda between the spaghetti, the chicken, and the Palabok Fiesta," she offers, though she's more interested in class than in dining.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka considers Akane thoughtfully for a moment.
"Mm... Yeah. I think you'd like it, but it'd be pretty hard for you, too." Rikka decides. "This way you get to enjoy it more."
It definitely isn't something she'd want to be her entire life, either - every now and then is enough for her.
They've reached a conclusion, though, and Rikka nods.
"Sounds good." Rikka says, following her as they divert toward Jollibee. She takes a moment, then, to think about Akane's question.
"It was a little rough for a bit..." Rikka admits, her eyes joining Akane in looking over the signs as they pass them by. "If I seemed a little stressed a few weeks ago, that was why. But I asked for some help, and that let me get my bearings back. Everything's alright now."
She doesn't miss the way Akane's eyes linger on Sevendarake. Rikka reaches over and gives her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, respecting her self-restraint.
"Sounds nervewracking to have that over your head for so long..." Rikka sympathises, as Akane says she hasn't gotten her final evaluation back. "Are they out?"
At the question of what she'll have, Rikka thinks it over.
"Probably the spaghetti. I haven't done pasta in a while... and if we're doing turkey tomorrow, I don't want to double up on poultry. The Palabok Fiesta sounds good, but it might be a little heavy for me right now." Rikka considers.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane thinks about that for a few more seconds, as Rikka points out that this way makes it more enjoyable. "Yeah..." she agrees, softly. "There's a lot that's... yeah. I don't think it'd be elementary schoolers even if I did it."
Absently rolling her shoulder a bit as she continues working out that tension, she listens and nods. "Yeah, I remember that -- I was struggling a little bit too... I'm holding up better now. Having my biggest projects for the rest of the year out of the way is seriously helping. I'm still kinda nervous, but..."
... well, the nerves are for different reasons now.
As the two of them head into Jollibee, Akane spends a few moments deep in thought. "What about with work stuff? That's kinda been harder for me than class lately. Some of the stuff that that colony drop kicked up is..." Here, she trails off. The worry -- or at least, something like it -- is plain on her face.
"... It feels like things are going to get worse," she eventually settles on. Her hand moves around without much looking, finding Rikka's after a few tries. "I'm kinda scared."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka nods as Akane agrees, giving her thoughts. It makes sense. And as she continues, going into schoolwork, Rikka listens with interest.
"I noticed, but... I'm you're holding up better. I imagine that's a load off your mind." Rikka replies. She's nervous, though... Rikka offers her an encouraging smile. "It'll be alright. You'll knock it out of the park, trust me."
They head into Jollibee and Rikka takes a brief moment to get a feel for the place and, after deciding that this is a good amount of people, continues inside. Work stuff... Rikka thinks on that for a moment, before offering Akane a sympathetic smile.
"...Yeah. I imagine you've been dealing with the worst of that..." Rikka replies. "I haven't had to take direct action on much - it's mostly just been fielding questions and directing people to where they're needed. And other management work like that."
Akane finds her words. It feels like things are going to get worse... Rikka nods quietly - and as Akane's hand finds hers, Rikka takes hold of it, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"...Yeah." Rikka agrees with a murmur. "It's a scary time. ...We'll get through it together."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"Ehehehe... well, I can't really do anything about it either way until January," Akane admits, at 'you'll knock it out of the park.' "You're probably right, though? Everyone else who's taken a look at it says it's good work."
When Rikka mentions that her own job has been coordination and agenda-setting, Akane gives her a nod. "That's important, too. People need that kinda thing. I've mostly been doing analyst work... there's always upticks in BioNet activity after stuff like this. People who think they can get away with kidnappings because things get written off as disaster deaths..."
She trails off, remembering to order her spaghetti and some tea before continuing to speak. "I guess that's kinda what happened to me, actually." Having that click for her seems to snap her out of the spiral, just a bit. "Obviously it's not work I mind doing -- it's just a lot, you know."
Time to wait for food! Akane scoots out of the way of the next people in line, agreeing, "We'll get through it together."
Her thoughts continue drifting -- and drift somewhere happier! "... Is there anything you want for your birthday? 20's a big one... I wanna get it right."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"See? I'm not the only one who believes in you. It'll work out." Rikka replies with a small laugh. "I'd like to see it sometime, too."
Akane says that her job is important too, and Rikka nods.
"There's a lot going on, so it'd be difficult without someone handling coordination. We don't want anything slipping through." Rikka agrees. Akane explains that she's been doing analyst work, and Rikka grimaces, nodding sympathetically after a moment as Akane makes a connection. She takes a moment to put in her own order once Akane has finished making hers. "...Yeah. It's awful, that they'd stoop that low. You're doing important work. Someone has to be keeping an eye out."
Rikka scoots aside along with Akane, offering her a small smile as she agrees with her. Surprise crosses her face soon after, though.
"I guess that is coming up..." Rikka considers. "It almost doesn't feel real."
Twenty years... She's made it through a lot to get this far. She hasn't really thought about what she wants... but, she can tell it's important to Akane, so she takes a moment to think it over.
"...I could use a nice coat." Rikka decides after a moment. "Something practical, that looks good too."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
That laugh buoys Akane's mood more completely -- and again she gives Rikka a kiss on the cheek. "I probably don't have anything to worry about," Akane answers her.
In the end, she decides to stay on the happier topics rather than linger in the darkness of work. 3G has multiple therapists with clearance. She'll deal with that... on that time, not this time. This is home time.
"Oh, that's a really good thought. Nouvelle doesn't get really cold, but even then..." That has the gears going in a big way, now -- she can do a lot with that particular prompt. "Thanks! That's a really good starting point to work from."
Her thoughts wander for a few moments, in that way thoughts wander when you're waiting for something utterly mundane. The girls' numbers come up before much longer, though, and like that, it's time to take a seat in the dining area.
"Whoooo... it feels great to finally be off my feet." Akane digs in voraciously -- predictably a tomato-based food object agrees with her. "I guess our birthdays coming up means, like..." Her eyes tilt up a little. "It might be good to think about what we wanna do next year besides close on the house and, like, keep going."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"I'm glad." Rikka replies with a smile, looking pleased. That kiss on the cheek buoys her spirits, too, and she's feeling just a bit more recharged.
"Mm-hm. It's nice to have, and my old one's starting to get a little worn out." Rikka replies with a nod. "You're welcome!"
Thoughts wander - and soon enough, they have their food and can get settled in.
"Definitely." Rikka agrees with a sigh, now that they're seated. She starts with a sip of her tea and, feeling a little more refreshed now, gets to work on her own spaghetti.
"Next year..." Rikka considers thoughtfully, tapping a finger against her glass. They'll both be twenty and, if all goes well, in a house of their own. That's something nice to think about, too.
"It might be nice to start on another project together. Something we can do to put both of our skillsets to good use." Rikka considers.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane takes a long drink of her own tea, letting it wash down those first hungry bites. Ahhh... she feels human again.
She's already turning over coat ideas in her head. Something light enough to be comfortable in most weather... something brighter, maybe...
Her focus returns to the present moment, though, as Rikka suggests another project. "Oooh, yeah. We should try something in a different universe... I still like Serena but I don't wanna do the same thing forever, you know? Or maybe even something original..."
Akane scoots forward on her chair a bit, leaning in. "I'm kinda surprised to hear you pitch first this time, though. I wouldn't have expected that... you used to not even post your work, right?" It's such an interesting thought -- that alone has her kind of pumped to work on something like that. "Maybe we should get a pegboard or something... it might be fun to have design stuff hanging out as an ongoing project."
Coyly, she adds, "I like it when you're a little bolder~."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Akane seems enthusiastic about the idea of starting on another project. It's nice that the idea went over so well... Rikka listens, as she considers their option.
"Something original..." Rikka repeats, rolling it over in her head. She's always stuck largely to the fields of her own interest, so taking that and doing something entirely new with it hadn't really occurred to her. She smiles just a bit sheepishly when Akane observes that she used to not even post her work.
"Yeah, I mean... I used to just write for me, so it felt like it didn't matter much if I posted anywhere. I wasn't really in a hurry to put my feelings out into the public, either..." Rikka admits with a shrug. "But... since we've started doing things together, I guess I realised it's kind of nice to write for someone else, too."
She nods.
"That's a good idea. We can put things up and see what sticks." Rikka says - trailing off as Akane continues.
That coy look... Rikka is silent for a second, but before long, a smile crosses her face.
"I guess I should keep it up, then." She decides.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"Yeah..." Akane thinks about that for a little while. Making things for yourself... that's been a hard-won lesson for Akane, especially when so much of her art was for a very particular audience of one.
She doesn't dwell there, though -- she has an interesting collaboration to do now. ... she also has a somewhat difficult day to recover from, so there's a few moments of relieved silence as she eats and lets Rikka eat too. 'I guess I should keep it up' gets a smile, though.
Brushing a few locks of dark hair out of her face, she sits in thought for a little longer. "... Going back to house stuff for a bit... I kinda think I'm ready to make a choice on that. I think most of the ones that are leading here for me are the ones that are pretty close to Bay Tower... it's okay if that's a little too expensive. I have some backup choices, but still... I really like the idea of being closer to people, you know?"
... yet another sentence that startles her a bit to hear herself say.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka nods - and from there, she's content to just eat and enjoy her company. Eventually, though, Akane breaks the silence once more, bringing the topic back around to houses. Akane's ready to make a choice... Rikka nods thoughtfully as she gives her thoughts - and a smile crosses her face at that startling sentence. It's nice to hear it from Akane.
"I like the idea of that, too." Rikka agrees, and thinks for a moment where she's at, too. "I think I've narrowed myself down to that area, too. It is a little expensive, but... I think it's worth a bit extra if it means finding a place we'll be happy to call home. Let's compare notes sometime?"
She smiles.
"Besides, the location is really convenient. I think we'll be thanking ourselves in the long run. We can always find an excuse to take a long train ride together if we find out we're missing that." She adds.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"Oh yeah, that's really right." Her lips curl up a bit as she muses, "Yet another 3G couple with a 30 year mortgage in this neighborhood, huh..."
That thought seems to make her pretty happy, judging from the way the hand not holding her fork twirls a little bit in her hair as she says it. She's still a little worn out, but there's -- relief in her expression, as Rikka suggests comparing notes.
"Being able to walk to work, or at least have a pretty short train ride, would be great... plus I talked to Hinoki and she said that, like, relative to the neighborhood a couple of these are really good deals even when you account for the price of insurance..." Knowing Rikka's in about the same place on the house situation gets her a little more excited about that -- it starts to feel more 'real,' bit by bit.
"It's kinda funny... you wouldn't think those two would work but married life seems like it's really working out for them," Akane muses before taking another small bite of her spaghetti. Shifting the food to the side of her mouth, she adds, "I guess they've known each other for like... more than a decade now, though."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"I guess so. Upholding the proud tradition." Rikka replies with a small laugh. Akane seems happy... and Rikka doesn't miss that relief, either. She listens with interest as Akane continues, nodding.
"Yeah, I think we'll thank ourselves for it later." She agrees, her eyebrows perking up with interest as Akane mentions Hinoki's information. "Really? We'll have to look into that. It'd be great if we could snag a deal..."
Just because she's willing to spend what it takes doesn't mean she's not interested in making that number go down, if there's a chance.
Akane muses, and Rikka listens thoughtfully, taking a sip of her tea to busy herself. Her plate, by this point, has been finished,
"It seems like it... I'm a little jealous, honestly." Rikka says with a small laugh. "Over a decade... keeping up any kind of relationship for that long takes effort, especially a marriage. They must have something really special."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"Yeah, definitely. Plus if we're walking to work that's less time in the gym, too... and maybe we won't need to pay for a gym membership after college, either." It's funny how those small expenses add up over time... maybe in the long run locking in this close really will save money in their situation.
After downing the rest of her tea, Akane nods. "I think so, yeah. I've never really asked that much about everything that happened there but it sounds like they went through a lot in high school..."
Akane taps her straw against her teeth a few times before finishing the rest of her spaghetti. How much can she tip her hand...?
"I get that Keita wanted to get a house first, but I still kinda feel like they could have gotten married a bit earlier and been fine? It might have been easier to get that stuff in a row with Hinoki's salary in the mix, too..." This is a strong hint by her standards -- but she does kind of feel like she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar at the Halloween party anyway...
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Mm-hm. You said you wanted a home gym set-up, so if we have room for that, we might be able to get away with just that..." Rikka replies with a nod. There are benefits to going to a proper gym, but it never hurts to save money where they can.
Akane mentions what they went through in high school, and Rikka nods. She hasn't done much prying, either - but she's heard the stories.
"Yeah, definitely. It sounds like it was difficult for everyone." She agrees. Rikka watches as Akane seems to think things over. She studies her for a second - and then it's her turn to think.
"Mm... I can kind of get where he's coming from. You don't want to jump into it without a plan... You want to make sure you're both stable, first." Rikka considers. "But if you already have a sturdy framework for your life set up, with a stable job and a place to stay if the house doesn't work out, and you're both ready to take that step... I think you're right. I think it could've worked out for them... it probably would've looked better for them on the paperwork, too."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"Yeah. I might miss pool access, but..." Here Akane shrugs. It's really small stuff -- they can figure out all that stuff later.
When Rikka has her own answer, Akane listens very intently. It's a chance to figure out if they're on the same page -- and figuring that out, at the moment, is acutely important.
"Yeah, that's a good point... I think maybe he had the right idea there. I guess they weren't as stable as Mamoru and Hana were that early..." Putting her cup on her plate, she taps her chin a little.
Her eyes shut for a moment. She nods. There's a clarity to her next moves -- at least for a few moments -- that's rarely there.
It doesn't last too long, though -- but it is nice to know that she's found the timing.
Despite the exhaustion of the day, Akane seems... genuinely peaceful, now, almost -- as though a lot of anxiety has vanished. "Wanna head home?" she asks, with a bright smile. "I don't want it to get too late to sneak in a little TV..."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Yeah... But, we can figure something out." Rikka replies with a nod. It's all something they can work out, after all.
Rikka gives her answer, and Akane listens - and Rikka listens as Akane gives her response in return. She nods.
"Yeah. It's just another thing that needs to be considered." Rikka replies with a nod, gathering up her things as well. Akane seems to think things over, and Rikka doesn't push her. Instead, she offers a smile of her own in response to that bright smile, moving to stand up.
"I'm ready." She agrees. "I wouldn't mind that, either."