1049/When opportunity knocks, answer the door.

When opportunity knocks, answer the door.
Date of Scene:	17 February 2016
Location:	Nakajima Industries Warehouse
Synopsis:	While Mikoto prepares for a trip into Virtual Reality, Haruna urges Minoke to act on her feelings.
Cast of Characters:	Mikoto Nakajima, Minoke Sato, Haruna Kurosawa

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Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
The warehouse is its usual semi-chaotic not-quite-mess. Everything is in fact in its place, it's just that it's organized according to a somewhat fractal scheme. Necessary, with the sheer volume of stuff. And even in such a large chunk of spaceship, there's very little that can be set aside as unimportant. (Much of that, in the way of personal effects of the crew, Mikoto had delivered to Admiral Lindy some weeks ago.)

Right now she's modelling a redesigned Barrier Jacket, examining it before a mirror, considering the way it fits her figure. "Hmmm. No, lengthen the frogging by about one more inch. And straight-leg trousers, no taper. This isn't a cavalry uniform." A quick blur passes over her figure as the uniform adjusts to match.

It's a simple enough thing, mostly grey and black. A stiff, fitted tunic, charcoal grey, with black trim, frogging, and epaulettes. The trousers - now straight-legged - are a match for it, with an inch-wide black stripe down each leg. Low-heeled boots complete it, and an unadorned black baldric replaces her usual fancy blue one to support Carnwennan's blade form.

She gives the tunic's hem a tug, arranging it to her satisfaction. "That'll do," she decides. "Add the unit patch." On her right shoulder, an embroidered patch fizzles into place, round, showing a black rose superimposed on a Belkan spell-glyph. "Good."

Then she turns to see who's arriving...

Minoke Sato has posed:
Minoke Sato is heading toward the warehouse. Along the way she encountered Haruna. She is rolling along quietly, gathering her thoughts, just responding to any conversations with brief answers as she goes to the warehouse and rings the doorbell.

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Corvus smiles from Haruna's Shoulder. "Don't worry. She's behaved." he says cryptically. Haruna crosses her arms. Why she nevers! She really wants to tease Minoke a little about her feelings in a good natured way but they're too close to Mikoto's place to be considered safe to do that and still keep her promise.

Instead, she grins. "Feeling any better?" she asks softly down to Minoke.

"Maybe we all need a small break..." She ponders, tapping her chin.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
A soft 'ding' informs Mikoto of the call for attention at the door, and a 'ding-dang' tells her that both parties are on the 'friendlies' list. She walks over to open the door, a light smile on her lips as she sees who's arrived. "Ahh, Minoke-chan... and you've brought a friend or two, I see."

She steps back to make room for the wheelchair. "Do come in, and be welcome, Haruna-chan. It's good to see you again." She pauses a moment, then adds, "And you as well, Corvus."

Minoke Sato has posed:
Minoke Sato nods. "New Barrier Jacket?" she murmurs, then quickly rolls in past her, Minoke's face as red as her hair. She goes to get a drink of water, seemingly very flustered. She keeps her back turned to the other girls as she drinks a whole glass of cold water.

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Haruna Kurosawa smiles at Mikoto's look. "Ohhh! Nice! Yeah, new look?" she asks.

She grins and peeks over to Minoke and watches her drink an entire glass of water and her face is red. She pats Corvus's head and she whispers to him. Corvus nods and flaps on over to Minoke, giving a wave to Mikoto on his way as he lands on Minoke's shoulder.

'You okay?' he whispers. 'Deep breaths. No worries~' he tries to insist.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"Working on a bit for tomorrow's sims," Mikoto explains. "This is based on the uniform Belkan Knight-Cadets wear." Despite having been told of the Empire's fate, she still speaks of it in the present tense.

"I was tweaking it a little, just to make sure it fit properly and all." And looked the most flattering on her figure, of course. And it does fit well.

She turns around to show it off. "What do you think?"

Minoke Sato has posed:
Minoke Sato slowly spins in place. "You look incredible... but there is no blue... guess you cannot be Miss Blue anymore?" she murmurs. She reaches up to pet Corvus, taking a slow deep breath. "Mikoto..." she start but her face reddens again.

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Haruna Kurosawa places hands on her hip. "Miss Blue is just a side identity she uses with WPS. You can have mulitple costumes. She should teach you how to program new ones." She says softly with a giggle. She winks at Minoke and -- somewhere behind Mikoto as she looks at Minoke gives Minoke two goofy thumbs up, go for it! Gooo for it!

Corvus sort of places a palm to his face but smiles.

'Don't be afraid!' he says.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto nods. "I've been using 'Miss Blue' a lot more than I probably should, lately. Mostly because that's what you and Nanoha know me as. I'll be breaking out a different look soon, although I don't think I'll be taking this particular one public just yet."

She considers for a moment. "I bet you'd look good in it. Carnwennan, send Swirling Vortex the design specs on this, would you?"

(("With pleasure, Meister."))

Minoke Sato has posed:
Minoke Sato blinks as she looks down, using the new Jacket as a distraction. Vortex flashes. "Download complete." "Alright... try the new Jacket..." She watches as her school uniform is changed to a uniform like Mikoto's. "Ummmm... how is it?" she asks, using this to put offthe question she wants to ask.

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Haruna Kurosawa gives a clap. "I like it!" she says softly. "Both of you! I like my Pretty Cure dress though. And if I wanna be fancy I have some PreCards for that!" she beams. Corvus rolls his eyes at Haruna and nods. "Looks good on you both." he asides. "Matching even." he says.

"What do you think Mikoto?" asks Corvus.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
The former 'Miss Blue' hmmms to herself, crossing her arms to tuck an elbow into one palm, and tap the fingers of the other hand against her chin. "I think it looks really good. But then, I've always liked a girl in uniform." She chuckles, light and airy and playful.

"So, what brings such honored guests to my humble abode?" She smiles and beckons Haruna and Corvus to come into the main area, where a living-room set with a large television and entertainment suite contrast with workbenches laden with computers and more esoteric gadgetry.

Minoke Sato has posed:
Minoke Sato sighs softly. "She followed me... I wanted to talk to you," she murmurs to Mikoto. "I... wanted to tell you something..." she murmurs. "I... I really like hanging out with you..." she murmurs quietly, blushing again as she tries adjusting the new Jacket.

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Haruna Kurosawa gapes, come on Minoke! Jump on that! JUMP ON IT LIKE MARIO ON A TURTLE she thinks. And yessss, she's going and she's saying it, she leans forward and follows along. Corvus nods matter of factly from Minoke's shoulder.

"Yup! I'm here for morale support!" she insists. "Pretty Cure of Hope and all that!" she insists.

Corvus nods at this too.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"Moral support, right," Mikoto mutters at Haruna. She settles onto one of the workbench stools, for a bit, leaning one side against the table.

"I... I have to say I've had a good time hanging out with you, too, Minoke-chan..." She isn't quite sure where this is going, but she's very good at figuring out puzzles. It isn't hard to guess what would make the girl blush like that.

Damnit, Ikuto... I ever find you I'm going to strangle you for leaving me in the lurch like this! It's been weeks since she's seen him. Since he pushed her away and told her it was too dangerous to try to help him. Too dangerous for her. A Knight.

Part of her is ready to give up on him. Part of her wonders what he would think of Minoke.

Minoke Sato has posed:
Minoke Sato squeaks. "Really?" she whispers. "You think I am beautiful and you like hanging out with me?" she whispers. "I... I... I have not thought about anyone like this in years... I.... I think I like you..." She then blushes bright red and turns her head away.

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Haruna Kurosawa leans down to Mikoto. "You know." she says. "I wanna talk to you about something Mikoto. Me and Hannah? We get along well. Hannah-chan doesn't pull her punches for me. She tells me stuff like it is. She wants me there fighting with her. EVEN if it's super dangerous because she knows that's when she needs me most." she says.

"But... your guy just...." ugh!

"Minoke here likes you! A lot!" she says. "I bet she wants to fight beside you too- and not-- hide and act like you can't handle things." she huffs and crosses her arms.

Corvus flaps back to Haruna's shoulder and he nods curtly.

"I told Minoke that she should tell you, because even if you may not return those feelings, it's important to know what's in someone's heart." she says. "If you just hide...."

"That's how dreams and feelings get crushed and bottled and-- turn into awful things!" she insists towards Mikoto.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto looks from Minoke to Haruna and back, and nods. So it is what she suspected. Well... dang. Now she has to decide what to do. What to say.

"I... think you were right, Haruna. About that, at least." She waves to Minoke, beckoning her closer.

"I... I do like you, Minoke. But I do still care about Ikuto, as well. I... can't just give up on him. Do you understand that?"

Minoke Sato has posed:
Minoke Sato nods. "Yeah... I should've known that someone as cool as you would already have someone..." she murmrus as her head is lowered. "I haven't felt like this in years... not since my accident... I had a boyfriend then. He came to visit me in the hospital once - and never came back. When I finally got to go back to school, he acted like he barely knew me..."

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Haruna Kurosawa walks over to Minoke and places a hand on her shoulder and pats with a smile. "Personally I think you guys would work out well together." she says. She stands back up. "And I know I have a point." she says crossing her arms.

"My sister thought I couldn't make my own decisions waking up and it was so.....ugh! She got upset at me like I'd just become a Pretty Cure a day before! I guess I can't blame here. I kinda grew up two years behind her back while she was stuck in the mirror." she blushes a bit. "But... well! She understands better now." She smiles.

She gives Minoke a hug and Mikoto a hug.

"If you guys need help figuring things out, I'm here. I can talk to people if you don't want to even!" she says.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto hops off her seat, walking over and reaching out to take both of Minoke's hands in hers. "I'm not saying 'no', Minoke. I'm saying 'yes, but you might have to share."

She looks down into the redhead's eyes, her gaze steady and certain. "Can you live with that for now, Minoke-chan?"

Minoke Sato has posed:
Minoke Sato blinks. And she suddenly pushes forward, wrapping her arms around you as her momentum would probbaly knock Mikoto over as she actually left her wheelchair. "Yes - I'll share... besides, if he's as much of a creepy as Haruna said - maybe I won't have to for very long..." she murmurs as she shivers happily, a goofy smile on her face.

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Haruna Kurosawa grins and places her hands on her hips! "He's making a buncha bad decisions. Either Mikoto's going to tire herself out trying to smack sense into him or he's gonna lose something good in his life." she hrmphs!

Corvus nods. "I kind of agree. For once on this. You can't... push people away. And not expect people to not be pushed away...." he says.

"That's how it works." he nods.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"Whoof!" Mikoto is barely quick enough to catch the weight of anxious girl that suddenly bounces into her arms. She tumbles back under the weight, landing flat on her butt beside the workbench.

She hugs Minoke close, not bothering to get up just yet. "And he keeps pushing everyone away," she murmurs, agreeing with Haruna. "He needs help... but he won't take it."

Minoke Sato has posed:
Minoke Sato can't get up for obvious reasons. "Alert. Mistress, you have fallen out of your chair. Do you need assistance?" She smiles faintly. "I'm fine, Vortex, thanks," she murmurs as she kisses Mikoto's cheek, hoping she doesn't mind. "Well... guys can be dumb..." she murmurs. "Did I ever tell you this is how Vortex first spoke to me? I had her for almost a month - just thought it was a cool choker, then I fell out of my chair when I was home alone and that's when Vortex decided to first awaken.

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Haruna Kurosawa squeals a little it's 'eeeeee~' when Minoke falls down with Mikoto. She beams and decides she's gonna go sit indian style on the floor next to them. No need to get up! She thinks this is super adorable and she's all smiles.

"See, Minoke!~" she says. "You got all nice and brave and told Mikoto how you feel!" she says proudly. "That works both ways too. If you feel bad, you also let people know. Because... no one can help you! Like you talked to me!" she says with a series of matter of fact nods.

She beams. "Vortex is a good partner. It means she cares about ya, if she woke up when you needed help." she insists.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
A hand traces Minoke's side, and then Mikoto nods. "Shall we get you back up, then?" she asks. "Or at least the pair of us over to the couch, rather than the hard floor?" Her smile flashes into a grin. "I assure you, it's much more comfortable."

She has to nod again at Haruna's description of Swirling Vortex. "That seems to be a common trait among Devices. Loyalty and support. They're there for us, even if they don't talk much."

Minoke Sato has posed:
Minoke Sato nods. "Free Fall, for two," "Acknowledged. Extending Free Fall area of effect." The glowing disk that forms around hre waist appears - and then expands to cover both as she flies the two over to the couch. "I can't believe I just pushed myself out of my chair like that," she whispers. "Why couldn't I have come up with this two days ago? Then I wouldn't have dreaded this Valentine Day like all the others," she muses as she turns off Free Fall.

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Haruna Kurosawa grins and stands up and helps the two up, getting Minoke back into her chair and Mikoto to her feet. Corvus also seems marginally happy. Haruna likes this feeling. When she leaves she's gonnaaaa squeal much higher and harder about this, because eeeeeee! Corvus is already readying his pair of earmuffs the moment Haruna's ready to go.

She smiles and follows along and sits on the end of the couch- on the arm like a jerk, letting Minoke and Mikoto lay on top of one another. She's not getting in the middle of this. Pshysically that is. She's still in meddling mode.

"Because you were too busy feeling sorry for yourself!" she says truthfully. Corvus sighhhhhs because it's said so bluntly, but Corvus seems to agree it's the truth. "But that's okay! Because next Valentines is probably going to be amazing for you now!~" she says with a wink.

"--and there's still time for late stuff. It's only been two days!" she says wide eyed.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto pushes off from the ground, grinning, as Free Fall takes effect on her. "You're getting pretty good with that," she says, "And good control of the shared-ride."

She squeezes Haruna's hand, and then the pair are deposited on the couch. "She's right, you know. There's time for... just about everything."

Minoke Sato has posed:
Minoke Sato blushes. "Ummmm...." she muses. "I'm just happy you didn't say no. So... if you're not going to go by Miss Blue anymore when you fight - do you have any thoughts on what name you will battle under?"

She glances at Haruna and Corvus. "Thank you both - if I hadn't told you, and you hadn't encouraged me... I would've never had the courage to come forward like this... I still amost didn't..."

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Haruna Kurosawa beams! "No worries. I just know that if I had the chance to go back in time, I'd bug the heck out of my past self until she opened up. I know I'd want help with my own feelings- and-- while that wouldn't had brough my sister back immediatly--- I could had made friends.. and things would had hurt less for me." she nods.

"Eventually, Blue-sama would had gotten the courage to come to me I'd just gone straight to being a Pretty Cure-- and have all the friends before then. No hurting anyone else." she says softly.

"So...I do my best not to let anyone else go through that- and sure! It may be annoying but you don't get through to people by not being persistent!" she huffs!

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto nods, and takes Minoke's hand in hers again. "I'm glad you did," she says, her eyes gleaming warmly. "I'm not giving up on Miss Blue. I'm just going to start appearing as someone else, separate from WPS. If our team works out... well, it's going to be ours, not Hannah's."

She listens to Haruna's story, nodding. "We all have decisions we wish we could take back. But some of them are more important than we think, to the way we ended up where we are." She waves at the warehouse around us and the huge piles of TSAB Spaceship Junk.

"If I'd pushed Ikuto to open up more... maybe I would've been busy with something for him, and not in a position to make all this happen. We might not even have met, Minoke-chan."

Minoke Sato has posed:
Minoke Sato nods. "'What might have been' is a dangerous game. If I could go back in time, I would've never been disabled - I would've checked that trapeze thoroughly." She sighs. "And if that had happened - I might've never got Vortex or became Firebird or met either of you so... let's change the subject..." She snuggles in a bit. "This is comfy."

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Haruna Kurosawa smiles and grins.

"Well, I'm just saying some stuff. Besides I'd not had met Corvus." Corvus nods matter of factly. "Even though he caused me grief, he's also one of my best friends." She says softly.

"Besides, going back time is silly. No one can do that..."

She pauses.

"No one can usually do that!..." she says.

"So it's moot anyways~" she grins and winks.

"You two look very comfortable together. I'm glad."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto nods. "So let's focus on the future. We've got big plans for tomorrow. And we're not going to let ... might have been's... interfere with them." She reaches over and clasps Minoke's hand again.

"And we're going to fix your back and you're going to go walking with me. Someday very soon."

Minoke Sato has posed:
Minoke Sato nods slowly. "Yes - what's important is what's right here before us... and... let's celebrate a new beginning..." she states as she finally floats up (Free Fall in place again) to return to her chair. "I... I look forward to that day, Mikoto..." she murmurs.