2024-03-23: Is That What 'Christmas' Means to You?
- Log: 2024-03-24
- Cast: Hikaru Amano, Ryoko Subaru
- Where: Olofat, Orb Union
- OOC - IC Date: December 24, 0098
- Summary: The Mobile Battleship Nadesico has landed in Orb in time for Christmas, and Hikaru and Ryoko spend their shore leave together this year. While Hikaru considers buying gifts for several of their busy crewmates, Ryoko seems to have a much different impression of the holiday...
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Amano has posed.
As it often is when it isn't on the move, the Mobile Battleship Nadesico is currently stationed at Nergal's headquarters in the heart of the artificial islands of Orb. For the big-shot corporate types they have on board, and probably their poor Captain as well, it means times are busy indeed... but for their pilots? That just means it's time for shore leave. Hooray!
Earlier in the week, Hikaru saw Lucine and Liam through with setting up their apartment... but other than that, there's not much responsibility on her hands... except for enjoying the sights of course.
Late December means it's the perfect time for it, the city painted in bright, twinkling red and green lights, artificial snowflakes falling in what's otherwise pretty mild weather. It's Christmas time in Orb! This means that Hikaru of course has a ridiculous Christmas cosplay get-up going on, featuring antlers that really resemble the spikes on Gekiganger 3's head more than anything. "Meeeerry Christmas, Ryoko~" Hikaru waves, inconspicuously handing her a mug of hot chocolate she got from the nearby stall. 'It's Christmas in the Galaxy' blares on the speakers of a nearby shop... and the aren't even in space.
"Actually I was thinking... while we're here, maybe we should try to pick up a gift for the Captain and Ruri. Y'know, since they have to work even on Christmas Eve... but I'm totally blanking on the ideas."
<Pose Tracker> Ryoko Subaru has posed.
Ryoko did send a housewarming gift for Lucine and Liam, mostly gardening supplies for Lucine as she had no idea what to get Liam. What do you give to a man who'd been through all that? She didn't know!
But now it's late December, and Ryoko isn't dressed up all that festively, in just a sleeveless vest over a long sleeved shirt, with a pair of dark jeans.
"Eh!? What's with that getup? Oh uh- Merry... Merry..." She says as Hikaru surprises her, as she almost finishes the phrase, but doesn't quite. Instead leaning forward to poke one of the antlers with a finger, "Wow, you really went all out with that- uh..."
She looks away, like she's having trouble expressing it, "... cosplay right? Was there a Holiday episode of Gekiganger or something? Like, defeating the Evil with the power of Love?"
That's a weird way to put it, isn't it? But Ryoko takes the mug of hot chocolate finally, as they walk by the blaring holiday music.
Ryoko just intended a meet up to hang out, but she gets surprised again by Hikaru's question, "Wait uh - don't you think Ruri's a little too young for that kind of thing?"
Ryoko rubs the back of her neck, awkwardly, "Unless - wait, is she... you know?" She looks at Hikaru, as if asking for confirmation to something she didn't actually articulate. "And as for the Captain it'd be like... rubbing it in."
What's she talking about?!
"I mean we stop by and get her some fried chicken and go 'Merry Christmas' and she's like - you know - she's got noone to eat it with."
How did fried chicken figure into this!?
"Just seems rude you know! Ahhh- I don't know about this Hikaru!"
...
...
...
What exactly does Ryoko think Christmas IS?
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Amano has posed.
Honestly, most people around them don't seem to be dressed all that festively - business still moves in Orb, even in the holiday season. So Hikaru isn't terribly surprised that Ryoko's a little shocked by her getup. "Well, it's kind of our first Christmas in awhile where we weren't at active war or like, a gazillion planets away from the Earth Sphere right? I've been wanting to do this one for years now and never got the chance..." She explains, adjusting the Gekiganger antlers.
"Hehe, it's kind of cliche, isn't it? But I don't really mind it, either." She nods, about the Christmas episode with the power of love. "They always used to have some kind of enemy disguised as Santa Claus, too. That uh... kinda went way out of style when Dr. Hell did it for real in the Mycanae Wars." She shrugs and takes a sip from her own hot chocolate.
"Too young?" Hikaru replies with momentary confusion. "Actually, I kind of hesitated because I was worried she'd claim she's too old to open Christmas presents now, you know!" She sighs, not quite knowing what Ryoko's getting at -
Until what she says about Yurika, rubbing it in. "W-Well, I don't know why it has to be chicken, but we could always offer to share it? Isn't sharing in joy like, rule one of the Christmas spirit or whatever?"
She blinks twice, realizing the full extent of the brainworms Ryoko has. She knows what she's been reading! So Hikaru, being the devious gremlin that she is... decides to totally poke fun at it. "Well... seeing as we're already here, does that mean you want me all to yourself this Christmas~?"
<Pose Tracker> Ryoko Subaru has posed.
"As... Santa what? Oh right! Like... wow that's old school."
Santa Claus is old school? However she answers- "Oh right, Hell did do that, I guess I just didn't think too much of this crazy Earth dude who goes around calling himself 'Doctor Hell'. Like, how do you take someone like that too seriously?"
Ryoko blinks, "Well sure like, she's what, fourteen now? That's still pretty young to be dating." Ryoko crosses her arms and looks away. If Ruri beats HER to dating what does that say!?
However that perhaps confirms it that Ryoko's conception is thinking of it as the romantic holiday rather than the consumer holiday, the religious holiday - or simply a holiday about family spirit.
"Huh!? Of course it has to be chicken! That's just how things are!" Before she offers that they could all share it, "H-Hey like - wouldn't that be indecent!? What would the crew even say? That the Captain and the two of us are all dating? Come on Hikaru! Get serious!"
She does NOT get serious though, because instead the teasing from the GREMLIN that is Hikaru hits her full on, "What!?" Ryoko just stares at her, going red in the face, as she finds it back with a tone that seems less incensed, "Hey cut it out! Like - we're both girls and- and-"
...
...
...
Ryoko's brain has locked up there for a little bit, but it eventually finds it's footing as she blurts back out, "-and you've dated guys before! So of course I wouldn't think that way hanging out with you on Christmas!"
She turns around, crossing her arms in front of her, "Besides-! If it were like that, I'd have invited you to some fried chicken joint, right?"
OOo la la how romantic? Going to some... fried chicken buffet for a romantic holiday.
"We were gonna grab a bite to eat at this good Cajun place that Annie recommended and-"
Ryoko pauses, and stares forward, the color draining out of her face. Then grasps Hikaru by the shoulders, and swivels her around, "You know what! We'll just - hit up one of our go to's tonight, it doesn't look like the kind of place you'd like anyway."
CHRISTMAS EVE SPECIAL!
BUY 1 CAJUN FRIED CHICKEN SPECIAL GET HALF OFF ON THE SECOND ORDER
Yep those are some brainworms alright.
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Amano has posed.
"Yeah, these days they don't even try to make kids believe he's real. Especially once people started moving to space colonies... guess that's why he doesn't really show up in Christmas specials and it's all just lovey dovey stuff now." Hikaru shrugs.
"Well, it's not like it's any easier to believe a guy named 'Dr. Hell' was a real dude!" She laughs, almost spitting out her hot chocolate. "Apparently he came BACK last year while we're busy on our expedition with some crazy. But he lost again, like geez, what was he expecting?"
Now that she has a better understanding of what Ryoko thinks Christmas is all about, what she had to say about Ruri makes a little more sense. "Yeeeeah, I really doubt that. She doesn't even go to school or anything, so it's not like she's regularly even meeting people her age either." As if her basically being a child soldier didn't sit badly enough...! "Well, I guess she says she isn't lonely as long as she's got Omoikane... so she's probably a-okay!" Hikaru forces a smile to keep the mood up.
"Indecent? I mean if we're going there... they say the Captain of the Ra Mari II is in a poly-ship so I don't see why the standards for the Nadesico should be any different! We even went on strike for that!" Hikaru points out, way too matter of factly. Although what Ryoko says is true enough... that isn't actually happening on the Nadesico.
Get serious? Instead of any sort of intelligent response, Hikaru just pulls her own cheek down in that amusing sort of teasing way. Ryoko argues it's not like that because not only are they both girls, but Hikaru's dated men before. "Seriously? That doesn't mean I need to only date guys until the day I die. Open a book Ryoko!"
"Really, though~ I'm just teasing! I'm just glad you see me as such a valuable friend that I'm worth your Christmas, you know?" She smiles wide - but even now, she doesn't know what fried chicken has to do with it all. "It's nice that we get some time to just hang around like this."
But while she means what she says, Ryoko is just making it too easy... "Heeey, am I seeing things..." Hikaru asks, totally innocently, as Ryoko turns her around, "or did we just pass the place? Because..." She gestures to her stomach. "All that talk about fried chicken actually made me real hungry!"
<Pose Tracker> Ryoko Subaru has posed.
"Yeah I hear Side 6 has stuff like that but..."
Ryoko looks away, because there were no Christmas Specials on Side 3, she grew up on a... different kind of media.
Taking a sip of her mug of hot chocolate she sideeyes her, then lowers it, "I dunno! Like how does anyone understand how someone who thinks they should dress up like a B-Movie villain and take over the world is a good idea thinks anyway? What a loser."
Of course, she doesn't know next to anything about Dr. Hell. Those kinds of villains seem surreal to her, and childish.
"Huh. Sounds like she doesn't have many options though. Unless-" She looks distant for a bit then- "-well I guess if some older guy even looks at her wrong I can always knock his block off."
Ryoko looks a bit awkward at the poly-ship part, "Poly-what? Like? ... I thought she married Lavhi, and has kids now. Which - Prospector would be like 'See this is why we were against the fraternizing' with her kids on the ship. I mean, I guess I heard rumors but... aaaaahhhh-!" Her volume rises in frustration, "This is why this stuff should just stay on the Ra Mari! They've got weird parrot poop squads there!" What's she talking about? "Kaka... Kakapo? Kakapoo? Even the word sounds indecent!"
The teasing continues, and Ryoko suddenly blinks at Hikaru's statement in surprise, "Wait you can do that?" Ryoko looks at Hikaru, "You do that?" She seems a little low key shocked by the idea that someone can date guys at one point and then move on to girls?
What kind of poly ship did she think was happening on the Ra Mari rumor wise??
Ryoko takes her hand off of her shoulder from the movement of turning the smaller young woman around and saying, "I-I mean! I knew that! Of course I did-! I just didn't know that- YOU did that kind of thing." Part of her is still thinking 'how does that work?' but perhaps not wanting to embarrass her in public.
"... Like do people really read books on that kind of thing?"
She seems relieved though when she calls her such a good friend, trying not to look it, but clearing her throat, "Hey no sweat, like - I like hanging out with you any time. You're probably my best friend." It's almost sweet the way she says it, but there is a slight edge of irritation on what she says, "Even if you know - I want to strangle you sometimes when you ambush me with one of your novelty items!"
Totally normal thing to say, totally normal friend things. And indeed... ... ... ...
"Ah but what will people think!? What if Izumi catches us sharing fried chicken on Christmas! Do you really wanna have her making dating puns at the two of us all over the comms? No way!"
A beat.
"There's a place nearby!" She does rub the back of her head though, "Actually now that I think about it though, I didn't think of getting you anything since... you aren't dating anyone right now."
Ryoko tries not to look at her, as if embarrassed by her own ignorance, "And it's obvious you weren't thinking of that either. What kind of gifts do you get someone for Christmas if they're not... involved?"
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Amano has posed.
"Yeah, I guess it isn't the same thing everywhere... even the kinds of thing we're seeing here in Orb is pretty different from what I remember from space?" Hikaru can kind of guess that the type of media Ryoko grew up on isn't a very easy topic - so she doesn't try to press on it.
"Yeah, it's like... someone like Dr. Hell is hard to take serious, until one of his kikaiju destroy your city block and you're screwed out of luck, I guess." She was never directly affected by Dr. Hell's schemes, but she can liken it to the rather goofy moniker of 'Jovian Lizards' compared to the destruction those drones cause.
"Polyamorous relationship! What the heck else would it stand for?" Hikaru sighs, as Ryoko slooowly connects the dots on the Ra Mari's situation. "Honestly, a Captain dating one of her pilots is probably even more of a scandal than just... dating someone else while being married." Hikaru points out. "Well, I guess it's nor like it ever stopped our Captain from trying..." She admits, with a giggle. "I dunno what you're getting at with poop... but I have to agree there's never been a cooler squadron name than the 'Three Angels'." Hikaru raises her chin with pride.
It really does say something that fact that Hikaru might not consider herself exclusively heterosexual is what's really shocking Ryoko. "Ehh? Well, I guess you're sort of right?" She tilts her head. "I've never dated another girl before. I don't really know what it would be like, since all my experience is with guys." Most of the romance she writes is BL after all. "But who knows~ I'm not really looking to date another guy... but I wouldn't count out a girl." She concludes, carefree.
"I'm... glad you think so, though!" She grins, as Ryoko calls her her best friend, and she can understand the... genuine kindness there. "Honestly you're probably mine, too, so... hey!!" She pouts. "They're suposed to be fun!"
"Actually, if she did that I think it'd be real funny," Hikaru replies, deadpan, imaginging Izumi's attempts at chicken... dating... puns. "And it's the Nadesico, so it's not like anyone would take those kinds of rumours seriously!" Except for Ryoko herself, of course.
"Nah, that's okay." She brushes off Ryoko not deciding to get her anything. "I don't need much, you know? I meeeean I definitely wouldn't complain about one of those new high-end pens, but that's like a total luxury." She looks over Ryoko's way, as she asks that question, even as Ryoko averts her gaze.
"I think that's just what it is, really. A gift doesn't have to be romantic to be special, right?" She looks down at the pavement covered with fake snow. "I'd like to make you something special, Ryoko. Even if it's just a silly little sketch you can hang up. That... wouldn't be a step too far, would it?" She asks, as if to confirm.
<Pose Tracker> Ryoko Subaru has posed.
"I don't know! It's the only time I've ever heard of three people dating before-!" Ryoko blurts out, but then seems to backpedal, clarifying, "I mean! In the military!"
Foolproof lie, that one.
"Wait wait - that's scandalous? Like... it happens all the time." She scratches at her chin, disturbed, she just thought it was normal, "... ... So Captain Yurika is more scandalous than the Ra Mari's? I don't know what to think of that. Uh- but you know! You're right, it is the coolest Squadron name!"
She tries not to mention she was OPPOSED at first but that Hikaru and Izumi talked her into it.
Ryoko is actually smiling for a bit, but when Hikaru pouts- "They're supposed to be fun!?" She sees Hikaru's expression though, she caves, somewhat, "I mean- they liven things up sometimes, I guess."
Ryoko blinks blinks, "What are you talking about!? Everyone would take them seriously! Basically all we do sometimes is just eavesdrop on the ship to hear the latest rumors!" Realizing what she's saying, she coughs and backpeddles AGAIN, "I mean - when you and Izumi strongarm me into it."
Hikaru however tells her what she wants, and Ryoko discreetly brings out her phone and checks and- "HOW MUCH? Geez I'm not made of money-!" She grouses. She's really not, her salary is lower than any other pilots, a fact she's never ACTUALLY told anyone about for... reasons. "How about I just get you one of those model kits you like so much?"
She HAGGLES for an alternate gift... but... not romantic to be special, Ryoko takes a moment to process, even as she offers, "Uh- Oh." There's, a distinct pause and then... "W-Well sure it's not going too far or something? Just you know, I don't have much wall space, but I can make some room."
-=-=-
SOON! After a meal. That ends up being Fried Chicken, after Ryoko pays.
(And wears sunglasses throughout the whole meal.)
Ryoko buying Hikaru one of those vintage complex Gekiganger model sets. The price tag ends up being higher than the pen.
Then there's for Ruri, as they end up shopping for it, "Hey Hikaru - she always gets some like, tech stuff or something right?" Ryoko is looking at one of the racks, looking - looking - and -
"How about that? She rarely gets any like cute stuff that girls her age like? And she really likes cats."
She's pointing to a Cat Kigurumi.
For Captain Yurika- Ryoko picks up a volume of a Shoujo manga, "I think you mentioned this one being pretty good once. She seems like the kind of girl who likes reading these things."
(She definitely doesn't have the whole series hidden in a foot locker.)
AND an EZ How-To Cookbook. "I get that it doesn't feel like the that special, but sometimes gifts can be for someone's own good, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Amano has posed.
"Just in the military? Suuuuure." It's foolproof enough that it doesn't really look to be convincing Hikaru. "Sure, it happens all the time," Hikaru agrees, regarding to Captains dating their subordinates. "It's usually fine if they know what they're doing? But that's like the easiest way ever to get people talking about you." She squints. "I guess you could say that? She's a pretty weird Captain to begin with, hehe... but I'm glad she's our Captain if anything." The Ra Mari are great allies and all... but Yurika is one of the few people Hikaru felt genuinely loyal to and trusting of in that sense.
"That's exactly my point!" Hikaru taps her foot. "Rumours like that just cycle so fast on our ship that everyone would just forget all about it in like a month, tops. I mean surely if we're just strongarming you into it, it's not hard for you to move on from everything you hear? That's what I thought!"
Indeed, Hikaru would think Ryoko is working with the same salary she gets, which still isn't a lot - but it's still enough for some disposable income when you consider housing and food covered. So she sees no reason to say no to a model kit! "That would be great, actually~ I already have Gekiganger III, but it's like impossible to find the V upgrade stocked online..."
So after a delicious meal of fried chicken, of which Izumi definitely did not take any hidden pictures, it's time to go shopping! Hikaru gets her Gekiganger V - so she's happy to cover the cost of everyone else's gifts. Hikaru thoroughly approves Ruri's gift, even if it gets them called foolish later. As for the volume chosen for Yurika... "Yeah, that is a super good series! From the cover, it looks like a pretty simple love story about a prince, y'know the kinda stuff Yurika usually loves." She flips through the pages, lazily. "Keep this a secret, but I think the twist where the prince was actually the main girl all along's really gonna get her~" Whether Ryoko's gotten there or not, it's not like Hikaru could've known she collected the entire series...
At the end of the day, Ryoko will find a thick sheet of paper slipped under her door. They may have argued a lot, but... the most memorable part of their time spent together was the genuine smile on Ryoko's face when they talked about their friendship. That's why Hikaru decided to keep it in her memory long enough to capture it on paper - even if due to Hikaru's style it ends up having a bit of a dramatic flair, such as her short hair flowing in the breezy December wind, almost giving her a "heroic" vibe.
As she was drawing, she realized she knew very little about the kind of things Ryoko likes... so with that, she decides to double her efforts to find out about Ryoko's own secret embarassments...!