2024-09-25: Carrying On
- Log: 2024-09-25: Carrying On
- Cast: Akane Shinjo
- Where: Nouvelle Tokyo - Nouvelle Tokyo Institute of Technology; Nouvelle Tokyo - Takarada-Shinjo Apartment
- Date: U.C. 0099 09 22
- Summary: Akane starts the most urgent project of her collegiate career and receives a welcome interruption.
(Starts on 0099-09-22; resumes on 0099-09-25)
'I'm not making the actual rings,' Akane reminds herself as she nevertheless draws the setting for a diamond cut somewhere in the bullet- to shield-shaped range. 'It's just the model. It's just the model. I can start over if I need to.'
The actual rings will be made using 3G's fabrication labs. The materials she wants to use for the final product would be incredibly expensive -- and absolutely miserable to shape and file and sand -- if she were working them directly. No, this is a design to scan and recreate.
... and to get a good grade in Studio Art II. That part's important, too.
One of the other students -- a Britannian international student, now seeking refugee status in the OCU because his family was in Pennsylvania -- takes up a position behind her, watching her work for a few moments. When she lifts her pencil to assess if her design looks right, he asks, "Why the ring? I remember you from Ceramics II and Painting I... that seems like more your preference, and more your experience besides."
Akane takes a deep, slightly sharp breath, straightening up; her hand tenses up for a moment before she answers. "Oh -- uh..." She pauses for a few moments, then volunteers, "Claudius, right?" Once she gets a nod, she adds, "Well... I could tell you, but you have to keep the secret. You can't tell my girlfriend, especially."
The other student chews at his pencil for a few moments. "Wait -- girlfriend?" he asks, slightly confused. "I thought the two of you were just friends and coworkers. Half the time when I see you together, one of you is in that civil defense uniform..."
With a grimace-smile and a rub at the back of her head, Akane says, "Nope! Uh, we've been together for three years. We were long-distance for a chunk of high school, but we both got into Nouvelle. It wasn't first choice for either of us -- I know it was my number four and I think it was somewhere in that zone for her too... but yeah! Three years now."
Claudius nods, saying, "That's impressive, but it's a bit of a long courtship, isn't it? In Britannia a relationship that long would already have gotten to making wedding plans."
That gets Akane out of the 'am I going to have to freak out about this' place, at least; her smile turns a little more genuine. She doesn't say anything.
Instead, she reaches over toward the paper, and taps it gently.
A second passes. Two. Three.
"Oh. Ohhhh. Oh!" Claudius exclaims, suddenly enthused. "... Have you picked a venue? Where are you going to propose? Which of you is marrying up?" It's suddenly a barrage of questions -- enough that Akane has to raise her hand as if to say, 'Hold on.'
Taking a deep breath, she says, "Uh -- one question at a time?"
"Sorry, it's... my father was a -- wedding photographer. I have a bit of a -- passion, for it, it's -- I was hoping to follow in his footsteps, it's why I'm here -- even if the rest of the art program isn't great, the main photography professor is the only person in the world to have a Shimbun Award, a Gates Medal, and a --" He seems to realize he's overexplaining to the point of rambling, and cuts himself off, becoming very small all at once. "It's -- ah. Uh." Several emotions flash through Claudius's face, rapidfire. "He... died. A few weeks ago. I'm still..."
Akane blinks a few times, swallowing as she tries to figure out what to say. "Uh -- I'm sorry," she starts. "My -- condolences!" she tries again. Scooting back in her seat again, then forward a bit, she asks, "... Do you, uh, wanna talk about him? Or... anything else?"
He takes a deep breath, shaking his head. "A-anything else. Mother would have disowned me if she saw me carrying on," he says, nostrils flaring a bit. "Still, it's... mm. I'm still sorting things out." Pushing his hair back, he says, "I'd -- I just wish he'd... I wish we'd been able to share those milestones. I was hoping to..." A pause.
"... Forgive me for this -- a Britannian oughtn't waste time agonizing over such matters," he insists again. "Perhaps -- ah, actually, I shouldn't monopolize your time at all, Miss Shinjo."
Akane reaches into the pocket of today's cardigan, giving something within it a brief squeeze. "Uh... Akane's fine. And... I'm really sorry. I hope you can... that things..." She flinches.
"... I hope you can grieve without feeling bad about it," she eventually offers. (It sounds like, to her, part of Claudius is looking for permission.) "I can tell you more about the ring later, if you're feeling up to it."
Claudius nods. "R-right. Yes. Thank you," he says, before pulling away. Discreetly, he informs the professor that he doesn't feel he can create in his present state and would like to go home for the moment and work there, and bring in his work for critique during next week's office hours. The professor nods, letting him retreat with Britannian pride intact.
Akane gives a concerned look to the door as it closes, before doing her best to get back onto her own work.
Three days later, she gets a text, in English:
> Miss Shinjo. > I hope you're well. > This is Claudius. I hope you don't mind the text out of the blue; I got your number from someone in your art circle.
Akane looks at her phone anxiously for several seconds. What could he be texting about? Should she apologize for ruining his mood in class the other day?
She decides to start small.
> Hi Claudius > what's up? must have been important for you to do legwork like that
Rather than agonize, she goes to start cooking dinner. Rikka ought to be home soon.
> I was wondering... > You'll forgive me for the presumption, but under the circumstances. > Ah. Well, two things. > Knowing a classmate's planning her betrothal feels like a sign from the heavens, under my current circumstances. > Would you do me the great honor of allowing me to be your wedding photographer? > Assuming, of course, your partner agrees to the union. > It's... well, it would hardly show an unswerving commitment to progress were I to wallow. If the Emperor can bury a son in a matter of weeks, surely I can do the same for a father and mother. > Unlike the other way around, it's the expected order of things.
... that's not what Akane expected even a little. She lowers the temperature on the burner, looking at her phone for several long seconds as she figures out what to even say to that.
> Don't rush yourself > but > ... yeah i'm game for that > it sounds like you're someone your dad would be really proud of > or at least working on being that > you mentioned two things though. what's the other one
Back to cooking again. Akane waits not for a text, but for a minute-long period of no texts, before looking at her phone again; best to let him speak as he will. Besides, she kind of has to baby this tamagoyaki.
That's a little hard when you're tearing up a bit.
> I... Ah, this is rather embarrassing. > I don't feel my composition in Japanese is... up-to-standard. > I'd like to submit a document alongside my current progress to our professor, but I fear it'll read... something of a mess. > Would you mind giving it a round of proofreading?
That pulls a slightly ragged laugh from deep in Akane's gut.
> yeah > yours is probably not the worst japanese i will read this week even > some of the people who transferred in from 3g aeu branches are. really bad at it
The conversation continues. Akane's tamagoyaki end up a little rubbery.
There are more important things than the consistency of your tamagoyaki, though.