1722/In Which Mamoru Is Banned From Instant Noodles

In Which Mamoru Is Banned From Instant Noodles
Date of Scene:	11 July 2016
Location:	Earth Court Frat House
Synopsis:	Naru is the first of ECFH's visitors tonight; then Kyouko, Makoto, Daisuke, and Homura, not all at the same time. Discussion topics: Wraiths, Devices, lethal exercise programs, Takashi Agera,
Cast of Characters:	Kunzite, Naru Osaka, Kyouko Sakura, Makoto Kino, Daisuke Hansuke, Homura Akemi, Mamoru Chiba

---

Kunzite has posed:
First things, this afternoon, first. Which is why this is technically Naru's second visit to Mamoru's apartment(s) this afternoon. The first was relatively brief, and devolved into a calmly and firmly required shopping trip. Naru is now in possession of new shoes. And new socks. And probably more information than she wanted about avoiding and dealing with blisters.

Running is still, however, probably better than exorcisms.

Naru Osaka has posed:
It is amazing how much more interested in socks and blister prevention one becomes in a very short period of time when running has become part of one's early mornings on a regular basis.

Blisters do not get one out of going to the gym, and are also more fun then exorcisms.

The short training runs really have no need for energy gels, but yet Naru appears to not only know what those are on the visit to the running store, but have a preference on flavours. (The chocolate is a lie. Don't fall for it.)

"I had no idea that there were that many varieties of socks that all superficially look the same." Naru notes as they return to the apartment, and shopping can sit to wait with her school bag, only her sketchbook being retrieved to stay with her.

Kunzite has posed:
It's good to have that kind of knowledge base prior to the runup to high school entrance exams. When energy everything shall be experimented with with abandon, if it hadn't been already.

Kazuo glances around the living room, notes the addition of a complicated little three-dimensional array of bits of colored plastic in their absence, avoids it in favor of the kitchen. "Congratulations on expanding your horizons."

Naru Osaka has posed:
In Naru's case, energy gels are a good opening gambit post drain, and runners have the best ones. Occupational hazard.

"I am pretty sure my horizons get expanded about every other day, at this point." Naru points out as she follows him into the kitchen. "Black mist and big potentially skeletal wraith things? Between that and socks, I've easily got a few days covered for horizon expansion. Creepy dolls, foxes, missing students.. I might be good for the month, really."

Kunzite has posed:
"At least for once you're learning about an energy drain secondhand." Cups are reached down. "Drink? And foxes? I don't think I've heard you mention foxes before." Presumably he is not inquiring whether she would like him to provide a fox.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I am starting to think that might be a first." Naru quips on the notion of hearing about an energy drain second hand. "Yes please on the drink." She nods as she leans against the counter casually, her sketchbook set down. "Foxgirl was part of the thing at school last week, before dance class." Naru explains briefly. "Which was the first place for the creepy dolls. Which is somehow connected to Misa, I think.. the girl who was missing? Who is still missing, I think." She considers. "At least all those bruises are gone before Hannah tries to give me more."

Kunzite has posed:
Soda is extracted from the fridge for Naru, and handed over. Calories are not something she particularly needs to worry too much about right now. Kazuo himself stays with water. "Mn." Dolls are considered. Creepiness, likewise. And yet it's a different question that he asks, not directly to do with the missing girl at all. "Did the foxgirl call herself Inariko, by any chance?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru shakes her head as she accepts the soda. "She called herself Nuwu when she was all ears and tails and crashed me into a locker to keep me out of Maeko's way from draining me too much. Barely a touch, and hers doesn't hurt at all. She'd already snagged enough energy, she admitted freely she was just screwing with us." There's a longsuffering sigh at that reality before Naru takes a drink of her soda.

"Who's Inariko?" Naru follows up with, curious.

Kunzite has posed:
"A foxgirl I know." Because apparently there are a few around. "You've seen her, though you may not remember it; she was keeping me busy when Melanite kidnapped you."

(A foxgirl in black, with blue sash and bow, and a glowing sphere at the bow's center. "Saito-senpai. There is a better way. Leave the girl alone and I'll teach you what I have learned." ... "Yellow, deal with Osaka-chan. I'll deal with ... with whatever has happened to Saito-senpai.")

It's been months, and she's had little reason to think back to it -- still less to think back to the moment when Melanite slid into control over her mind. She may or may not remember, by now. But it happened.

Maybe Naru attracts foxgirls.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I dont' really remember it very well at all." Naru admits with a shake of her head. "I remember you and Melanite, although that's fairly hazy in and of itself, and I was as scared of them as I was of you two, I remember that. At least until I rather abruptly wasn't scared of Melanite anymore."

Naru doesn't really mention not being scared of Kunzite at the time.

Kunzite has posed:
There are a lot of things that are probably best to not mention about that, one way or another. "Different foxgirl, anyway. Interesting. I didn't know more than one haunted that school." 'Haunted' would probably be a verb better to reserve for the dolls, really. "Maeko. That name I don't recognize." He de-kitchens, pacing back out to where there's somewhere more comfortable to sit and get the pressure off Naru's blisters. Also to where that weird little plastic pseudo-sculpture is. He eyes it warily for a moment.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru scoops up her sketchbook to wander back out into the living room and considers the plastic sculpture and then starts to giggle. "Someone got bored?" She asks as she wanders over to find herself a spot to curl up with her soda. "Or a few someone's?"

"I'm not sure how, but the dolls and weird feelings connect Maeko and Misa. Misa was messed /up/." Naru mmms softly. "I wasn't sure what to do, that whole conversation I could have handled tons better. Even over and above your finger waggling."

Kunzite has posed:
"Someone is always getting bored, when we're not in a crisis. Only occasionally when we are." Probably not Nephrite, in this instance. Which of the other three might be responsible -- well. Kunzite doesn't venture a guess.

The mention of finger-waggling is met with a brief shrug -- something that had to be said, but he doesn't seem to think worth dwelling on. "Anything could always be handled better," he says. "Not necessarily a useful yardstick. Who is Maeko?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Maeko is the creepy doll who can command other dolls and was screwing around at the school last week." Naru explains and then mmms softly. "Messing with people's heads, low level drain out of a bunch of students, and I got talking with her. Kinda. Before Nuwu threw me into a locker to get away."

"She said that I drew in curses and that there was a curse somewhere in me." Naru quirks her head and there's a grin. "Of course she also offered to use a cleaver to get it out of me, and I declined that generous offer."

Kunzite has posed:
"Cleavers tend to be more permanent solutions to problems than one might prefer." This is why Zoisite is not allowed to use the kitchen is left unspoken, but it's a ritual refrain in many such circumstances, in the household. Kunzite studies his glass for a moment; at least he's not cradling it the way he does his coffee. "If you're concerned that she might have been correct, I'm certain we can track down someone with less intrusive methods to take a look."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"It sounded more like her schtick, she also called herself a 'huntress of curses' and really, I think she just wanted to energy drain me." Naru shrugs a little. "Besides, wouldn't the escalation exorcism thing have solved that issue already?"

Naru adds as a side note. "Don't tell Usagi, but yes.. that hurts like a lot of words that aren't suitable for polite company, oh my /goodness/. Not cool. At all. Rather go running with Hannah three days in a row than do that again. With crappy socks. Possibly even in the rain."

Kunzite has posed:
"I don't know," Kunzite replies, matter-of-fact. "Curses aren't my specialty area. I don't know if curses can be put together so as to survive the loss of dark energy; I don't know if Escalation would deal with such things anyhow; I don't know whether curses can be crafted so as to avoid Escalation's notice, or housed in something outside the body so that even if banished they'd reassert themselves."

He pauses for a swallow of water, and then adds, "The four of us concentrated on immediate effects, except for Nephrite. There were other people with other specialties, who looked more closely at the longer term. Not fighters, usually." Beryl, say. Melanite. "And the Moon's magic was never anything we really understood anyhow; some of it we could grasp in theory, or find ways to emulate, but some of it we had a cargo-cult understanding of at best."

As for the Escalation itself ... Kunzite says nothing aloud. But oh, his expression is wry.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru hrms at the notion of specializations and all the ways Kunzite doesn't know about them. Reasonable, all in all, but a momentary disconnect in the narrative where Kunzite knows everything.

"Then again, it wasn't Maeko who I needed the Escalation thing after, that was an entirely different incident." Naru takes another sip of soda, letting all the different notions about curses settle in. "I don't understand any of it. Magic that is. I mean, other than totally at face value, and mostly what I've met personally."

Kunzite has posed:
"I did notice that you were still responding to text messages after Tuesday." Also after Usagi, thankfully.

This time it's the plasticked-over space where the balcony doors should be, that draws Kunzite's attention. He stares at it for several seconds.

"One definition of technology," he says, "might be harnessing of energies and materials that, absent outside interference, always behave the same, regardless of the presence or condition of the person making use of them. One definition of magic might be the harnessing of energies and materials that behave differently depending on the presence or condition of the person making use of them."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"My mother's skill with a computer is totally magical then." Naru comments dryly.

It's a moment or two after that dry quip that Naru hmms softly and nods. "It's an interesting definition, and one that fits fairly well. A lot of different people pull energy from me, and they all seem to use it slightly differently. Or vastly differently."

Naru is quiet again, thoughtful on all the different ways that works. She takes another sip of soda and then takes a slow breath and nods slowly.

Kunzite has posed:
"That's part of why this place exists, you realize." Kunzite lifts a hand, gestures briefly at the room, by implication at the rooms beyond it. "There was nothing demanding all five of us stay in one place. No legal requirement. True, most of us don't have an income and don't have access to any resources we might have had before, but a couple of rooms elsewhere would be vastly less expensive than this place, and reduce the number of homicide attempts considerably."

He seats himself, finally, in a corner of a couch where he can keep his legs stretched out but still see Naru reasonably easily. "But part of the ability to use magic is the mindset of the one using it. If we live in proximity to each other, then it's easier to think of ourselves as a group. The more we interact with each other day-to-day, the better a feel we acquire for how each other's magic works, and the more likely we are to be able to synchronize that power. The more we value each other, the more power we can bring to bear in each other's defense. So, even with sentimental matters set aside, there's a pragmatic value that counterbalances the need to keep a fire extinguisher in every room."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I think if you all had apartments elsewhere, you'd end up in Endy's living room basically all the time /anyhow/." Naru points out. "Worried about him, worried about each other. It seems natural. The synergy of your powers is just another 'pro' in that column."

Naru takes a sip from her soda. "It seems like most who are effective, are part of some group or another. I'm watching those connections form as I figure out more about who is who and what is what." She adds, quietly, looking down at her soda bottle. "Even if you don't have magic, knowing strategies and tactics for people who you work with all the time just makes /sense/."

Kunzite has posed:
"Mn." That sound suggests that Naru's speculation about the boys isn't one that Kunzite is about to say no to -- but isn't one he can agree with, either. He doesn't expand on it. Just leaves it to lie there alone.

The next set of speculations earns slightly more. "Yes." A word is more than not a word. She doesn't need to be able to see him to know he's watching her. Maybe looking to see where she'll go with that, left undisturbed. Maybe just watching for her reactions.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru is quiet as she considers her soda, and she knows full well he's watching her. Her expression turns just a touch rueful, a barely there smile that has no bit of delight in the twist of it and she gives just a little shrug. A slow breath, let out in a sigh before Naru looks up and over to him.

"Are you familiar with Mou Fubuki?" Naru asks, in a complete change of topic as she shifts position on the couch, curling her legs up in a new comfortable position.

Kunzite has posed:
She hasn't put it together, then. He doesn't force the matter; he lets her slide out from under the weight of it, instead. "Another name I'm not familiar with," he says. "You've been busy."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Last week was a new record." Naru wrinkles up her nose. "Although really, Maeko barely touched me. The locker did more, although I don't know what the cleaver would have done, so hey.. I'll take the locker. Mou Fubuki? She wasn't a whole lot of fun."

Which is possibly as much of an understatement as 'Escalation stings a little'. "It is just obnoxious to have most of your brain thinking one thing, and a tiny bit bascially trying to kick the rest of it back into sanity, and totally failing." Naru shakes her head. "Super annoying."

Kunzite has posed:
Gray eyes glint. "You don't say."

There is no further commentary on the awkwardness of mind control. There really doesn't need to be. One day is enough; one hour would have been. And lockers ... well. Lockers happen.

"Think the blisters will cause trouble for class tomorrow?" he asks instead, incidental. Because, oh dear god, tomorrow is Hannah and dancing, isn't it. At least it's likely to be a gym day. That might help! Maybe.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Different shoes." Naru isn't wearing shoes at the moment, and wiggles her toes as if to illustrate all the better how delightful a lack of shoes is at the moment. "So in theory, they should rub differently and not suck. But that's what bandaids are for, even if they do rub. I think we're starting a new style this week too." She smiles. "I also heard that you danced with Usagi at the big fancy charity ball thing."

Kunzite has posed:
In theory. Kunzite has not made a habit of studying women's shoes in either lifetime, so his expression is perhaps not as dubious as Naru's optimism deserves. "Likely," he agrees to the new style, all the same. If her feet start bleeding too much, well, a couple of days of going lighter on them won't kill her.

And then she also heard... "Of course you did." Because Usagi talked to her, about anything. "Not a style the class is going to cover, I'm afraid."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I wish I could have seen it." Naru comment, just a touch wistfully. "Usagi said it was something old, and I bet it looked amazing." She leans over, to set her almost empty soda bottle down on the table next to the 'sculpture'. "I expect her and Endy looked amazing together too."

Kunzite has posed:
Even the light tap of the almost-empty bottle against the table is enough to set the pseudosculpture shivering; something tiny and forklike in the upper center of the construction trembles for a moment, then swings into a slow revolution, tapping lightly against a slightly lower strut. It does not quite dislodge the other bit of plastic. Quite.

Kunzite eyes the assemblage warily all the same.

"They did," he says, once he's certain it's not about to dissolve into its component parts and release a vial of some superplague. "They will again. It's a habit of theirs. Though I'm somewhat surprised that her parents let her attend."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"If Usagi did the big eyes and lip quiver thing?" Naru speaks with the assessing confidence of someone who has been on the receiving end of such an attack. "I can see them letting her attend if she pulled out the big guns. She can get just about anything with that one."

Naru watches Kunzite watch the sculpture, and then she watches the sculpture herself a moment before giggling. "It's like reverse jenga. I've such an urge to find something to add to it, you know."

Kunzite has posed:
"Someone left it out," Kunzite replies to Naru. "That makes it fair game." If she dares. The possibility that it was left out specifically so that someone else would collapse it and have to clean it up does exist, right alongside the possibility of its being a trap.

There is no comment made about the big eyes and lip quiver. None. Possibly a very faintly tired look, suggesting that Kunzite is also familiar with the maneuver. It probably worked better on Mamoru than on him, granted.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Touching things around here is usually best done carefully." Naru points out as she uncurls to head over to her school bag. The faint wince as she crouches speaks entirely to being a brand new runner and having many muscles who hate her at the moment, espeically how she was sitting on the couch.

"But stupid plastic sculptures? Fair enough, someone did leave it out." Naru digs into her bag, to get to the detritus at the bottom, which is really what one needs in this situation. A protein bar wrapper, a single broken disposable chopstick and a plastic cocktail sword are her prizes brought over to consider the creative challenge ahead.

"You work with other groups, right? Like in fights and stuff?" Naru asks, her attention mostly on the 'sculpture' as she kneels next to the table rather than taking back her spot on the couch.

Kunzite has posed:
It is probably best not to wonder why Naru had a cocktail sword in her school bag. Possibly she and Usagi made a pact to slaughter their homework at some point. Possibly it's another Jack Sparrow thing. Certainly Kunzite is happier not knowing.

"Yes." There's a straightforward answer. "Aside from the Senshi -- Puella or Chara Bearers, most often. But a scattering of others as well. Tuxedo Kamen made a habit of making connections, and the rest of us inherit that to some extent."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Chara Bearers.. Kukai and others who are like him. He explained some of that to me." Naru starts shredding the wrapper into long streamers, watching what she's doing rather than Kunzite. "Do you just get to know their tactics from practice? Even if it's fairly rare?"

Naru holds up the streamers towards the sculpture, as she evaluates what some silvery sparkle do for it's look.

Kunzite has posed:
"Practice, observation, thought," Kunzite confirms. "Some generalizations can be made. Chara Bearers tend to have individual styles, as they're individual in everything else. Puella tend to be highly mobile in a fight, difficult to take by surprise, and usually unaccustomed to working in groups. Prism Keepers are highly visible, but deeply effective against opponents enhanced by dark energy. Pretty Cures rarely seem to plan ahead, but their impulsive reactions are powerful enough to make that work for them. Device wielders are more likely to be thoughtful, clever or cunning, though not uniformly so."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Hunh." Naru processes that effecient summary of various groups as she carefully peels off a single ribbon of silver and uses the cocktail sword to gently nudge it into a crack. There's a disconcerting wobble, but nothing's fallen yet.

"I didn't get a sense of long term planning or vision out of Cure Spark, no. But as I'm not stuck in a mirror for all eternity, clearly she and Momo figured out how to work together." Naru is too focussed on not toppling the structure to be anything more than blase about spending eternity in a mirror.

"Who uses devices?" Naru asks, freezing as the wobbling gets worrisome, to let everythign stabilize before she continues poking.

Kunzite has posed:
"Impulsive reactions don't bar cooperation. One presumes that having an irritating little creature living more or less on one's head encourages teamwork." Kunzite: not a fan of fairies, which probably surprises no-one.

Who uses devices? "There's no uniform name or group, that I've seen. Your morning torturer, for one. Takashi Agera." Oh, that's promising. "Storm Knight, who is a friend of Mamoru's." Then again, so is Hannah. "A doctor Mamoru knows. The population is considerable, but scattered."

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru giggles softly, glancing over to Kunzite with a little smirk at the mention of 'irritating little creature' and then turns back to threading sparkle through a tiny junk sculpture. She has A Plan. At least when it comes to junk sculptures.

"They all have magic of their own too, though. Wouldn't the puellas' awesomely freaky weapons count too?" Naru points out as she pokes with a plastic sword oh so very gently.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko had said she would stop by the Earth House the next day, and so she is. She had an early shift at the conbenie- oh, the glamorous life of a shift worker. One day 7am-3pm, the next day 4pm-11pm. But hell, it's not like she has to worry about school and it pays the bills.. for the most part.

    Anyway, she's done with work now, so she's headed on over to the Frat House, and arrived via the elevator. Although their magical energy problems seems to be solved (or at least reduced) by the events of the previous evening, she's gotten in the habit of coming up the normal way, and at this point she does it pretty much without thinking about it.

    She opens the door and steps in, pausing to pull her sneakers off, and then glance around to see who is present. Spying Naru and Kunzite, she flashes a brief smile. "Nii-chan, Naru-chan."

Kunzite has posed:
The 'front door' method also has the advantage of not having a missing step. There are three other balconies, granted, and by the time the contracted work actually starts one of those will probably be marked in some fashion as a replacement entrance -- but right now, the living room attached to the actually functioning kitchen is, no matter how battered, still the one seeing the most use.

So far, the little assemblage of pieces of junk plastic into art has not actually added to the battering by exploding.

Kunzite rises at Kyouko's entrance, giving a small bow in her direction. "No new disasters, as promised," he tells her in lieu of greeting. "Is your sister with you?" It's a practical question. It codes to 'are we feeding Dog.'

There's an ongoing conversation, apparently, and Kunzite picks it back up as he steps clear of the couch he'd been occupying, implicitly offering space for Kyouko to claim. "You can hold a knife in your hand as long as you like," he says to Naru, "but you won't be able to text Usagi on it. 'Device' is a term for any of several specialized forms of magical technology. Still dependent on their users, but with capabilities that are rare elsewhere."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Evening!" Naru waves her tiny plastic sword in greeting to Kyouko before turning her attention back to the sculpture and listening to Kunzite as he expounds and elborates on yet more details in Naru's ongoing educational efforts.

"I would lay money that now that you've said it, someone in one of the flea markets has just had a great idea for a text enabled butcher's knife." Naru grins, teasing lightly. "But I follow your point."

Makoto Kino has posed:
As it turns out, Kyouko must have only just missed Makoto in the lobby. It's just about the amount of time it takes the elevator to go down and come up again before Mako, who's never made a habit of using the balcony entrance, lets herself in. A pause to take off her shoes at the entrance, and then the sounds of voices leads her to the living room where the others have gathered, a canvas shopping bag slung over her shoulder.

"Hey," she says, before the construction that Naru is currently occupied with draws her attention and Makoto makes a very puzzled face.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Having a balcony to land on is just a convinience. Kyouko could probably manage without it and still make it in through the door which used to lead out onto it- though that'd be a bit of a dicier manuver. And would probably be the result of her forgetting that the balcony isn't there anymore. Probably a good thing we used the elevator.

    She gives Kunzite a look as he gets up and bows to her. It's a look that says 'what are you being so formal for, nii-chan, I don't deserve bows' but she doesn't actually say anything, because Kunzite will be Kunzite. "Nah,she's at home." is the reply to the question of Momo, so, no Dog feedign this evening.

    She starts to walk over towards the couch, giving a wave to Naru as she approaches and giving the plastic contruction a bit of a look on the way, but is then distracted by the arrival of Makoto. "Oh, hey, Mako-chan." She says, reversing direction instead of sitting down. "I've been meaning to talk to you about somethin'."

Kunzite has posed:
"And after the first couple of prototypes, your inventor too will no longer be able to text on it, due to lack of fingers," Kunzite tells Naru. It is probably not entirely reassuring that he is actually heading for the kitchen again when he says that.

He does pause to give Makoto a bow rather like the one he gave to Kyouko. It's to Kyouko herself that he comments, "At this rate, one day you're going to get home and discover the entire place has been painted in your absence." Turning back toward the kitchen: "Kino-san, may I get you anything to drink?" At least it's probably not only Kyouko tempted to give him that look.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru extends the plastic sword greeting to Makoto as well and then gives a grin and a little shrug from where she's knelt next to the 'sculpture' "I got nothing either, but I also couldnt resist adding to it." She comments upon the carefully balance bits of plastic detritus that she's adding litter to.

As conversation shifts and Kunzite plays host, Naru settles quiet, still carefully feeding silver wrapper through convenient and not terribly convenient gaps left by other bits.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto's head tilts a little at the sight of the plastic sword; she cracks a lopsided smile and lets it go as one of those inexplicable things. "Jadeite?" she wonders. "Or Zoisite, but if it hasn't sprung a 'gotcha' by now..."

She shrugs, and looks from Naru and the, er, artwork to the other two in the room. "That's okay," she says to Kunzite's offer of something to drink, with a little shake of her head, and then her eyes flick toward Kyouko and her brows lift a little in curiosity and faint surprise. "Sure," she says. "Give me just a minute to put this stuff away?" A small gesture to her bag indicates the 'stuff' she means.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "She wants to get a job at the local thrift shop now that she has fake papers." Kyouko says to Kunzite as he heads into the kitchen, with a lift of her shoulders. "I'm of a mind to let her, since we could use the cash and it's better than having her sit around the apartment all day.. but I haven't forgotten what you said about having Mamoru tutor her, either. I just haven't gotten a chance to talk to him about it yet."

    Then she nods to Makoto. "Sure. Take your time." She says, returning to the couch near Naru and flopping onto it, crossing one leg over the other and eyeing the plastic construction, although she doesn't actually move to touch it or pick up any pieces. Maybe she's just being cautious.

Kunzite has posed:
"Your guess is as good as ours," Kunzite says to Makoto. "We were out when it sprang up." 'We were out' may have something to do with the shopping bags by Naru's seat, which are less grocery-oriented. It's ships passing in the night for the two of them; he's fetching a couple of bowls out of the kitchen, housing cherries and peaches, plus an empty one for the detritus.

The bizarre little conglomeration of plastic junk that Naru is decorating continues to not explode, although one little loose bit continues to swing lightly. Kunzite eyes it warily, and is exceedingly careful about putting those bowls down on the table. Maybe it was just calibrated a little off.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Nothing yet has gone sproing." Naru confirms to Makoto. "We haven't let it collapse yet either." She does seem to have a fairly deft hand at keeping it from collapsing. "Feels like a collaborative effort, which I'm adding to."

Naru watches the arrival of the bowls warily, almost holding her breath as Kunzite is gentle about the setting down, and she waits while the loose bit dangles. "I should leave play doh on the table 'accidentally' sometime, and see what sort of bizarre thing we get then."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto nods acknowledgement and takes herself off to the kitchen to unload her bag, which doesn't take long. A bag of colorful tinkerbell peppers, a package of chicken breast, a small bundle of green onions and an even smaller plastic bag with a couple of red peppers in it - these go into the fridge. A can of coconut milk is slid into one of the cabinets. Very shortly she's coming back out, folding the canvas shopping bag over her hands as she looks toward Kyouko.

"So," she says, gently prompting. "What's up?"

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko is sitting, absently watching Naru play with the plastic bits. When Kunzite re-appears with bowls, she reaches out and snags a peach, only to just then have Makoto return and prompt her. She gives Naru and Kunzite both a passing glance, then stands up, taking a bite out of the peach, leaving little fang-marks along the edges of the bite.

    Chewing, she walks over to Makoto, then jerks her head in a 'c'mere' motion and leads the taller girl to a corner of the room a bit removed from the other two. Swallowing her bite of peach, she says in a low voice, not exactly whispering but definitely in a tone of 'this is not something I want to shout out to everyone', "I heard you were held prisoner for a little while. My condolances- I know what being a captive of those guys is like. Miss White held me for a week once, about a year ago. Glad you made it back in one piece."

Kunzite has posed:
"That one would be Jadeite," Kunzite says to Naru. Unless they're deeply unlucky, in which case hopefully someone will hide the evidence. Thankfully, Makoto's regular presence helps keep that in check. So do Naru's and Usagi's, granted, but ... let's be honest: mostly Makoto's.

The question of Momo's working at the local thrift store, with or versus tutoring from some one or more of the resident teenagers, is left in the stasis it really is in just now. There's no doubt that Kunzite was paying attention; but too many of the possibilities are up to Momo's reaction and Mamoru's choices for him to actually spend words on it now.

Daisuke Hansuke has posed:
Daisuke Hansuke knock knock, that's a knock on the door because Daisuke Hansuke wasn't called here in an emergency so he isn't just appearing in the middle of the living room or something like that. He does peek the door open steps in without too much fanfare. He's dressed in school uniform, like he usually is.

He gives a wave to the assembled people as Makoto steps out. "Hello, Naru, Kunzite, Kyouko annnnnd Makoto." he says.

He watches Kyouko and Makoto slide over to a corner as he looks back to Naru and Kunzite and raises his brow. "Well." he says.

"What's this, a record at the moment for this place not exploding?" he asks with a definite teasing tone.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"The idea of a creative Jadeite trap is super temping." Naru points out with a smile for Kunzite. "I've met him least of all. Distract him with playdoh and then approach with caution."

Naru turns as Daisuke arrives and he gets the plastic sword wave of greeting as well. "Evening. There's fruit." She points to peaches and cherries on the table with the cocktail sword. The teasing comment gets a chuckle. "Calm enough, mostly, for stupid plastic creations, even."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Daisuke's arrival gets a wave of greeting from Makoto in passing, but most of her attention is on Kyouko - especially when she hears what the puella has to say. Immediately, Mako's expression darkens, back and shoulders tightening in automatic response.

She turns her face carefully away from the others as she answers.

"I didn't know that." As Kyouko did, she pitches her voice low, the corners of her mouth curling into a tight little frown. "Sorry to hear it. I guess I don't have to say it's not anybody's idea of a good time, huh." Letting out a breath, she reaches up to rub her hand absently across the back of her neck. "And - thanks."

Kunzite has posed:
"The record," Kunzite says blandly to Daisuke, "is sixty-five days. Unless you count explosions that only damaged furnishings, in which case we have set a new record; the previous one was eight." Hopefully eight days, not eight hours.

The quiet conversation off to the side is clearly not actually occurring; there is a polite avoidance of so much as looking at Kyouko and Makoto.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko glances up as Daisuke enters, offering him a distracted nod and wave as he joins Naru and Kunzite, before returning her attention to Makoto. A shrug of her shoulders and a slight, lopsided smile is given. "It, uh.. led me to do some pretty stupid things that culminated in that whole Apatite thing, so it's not really something I share a lot, but.. just wanted to say, you ain't the only one who's had that sort of experience." Hell, Kyouko spent her week in captivity shackled in a blank white room- Miss White was far more interested in experimental results than in her prisoner's comfort.

    Kyouko shakes her head slightly. "That wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about though. Well, not directly. See, I need you to tell me where Riventon's lab is. You were there, voluntarily or not, and you busted out, so I figure you gotta know where the entrance is. I need to.. pay him a visit. See if I can't figure out a few things about what he's been up to regarding Grief Seeds and our inability to find them."

Daisuke Hansuke has posed:
Daisuke Hansuke looks to Naru. "What's this about Jadeite and playdough?" he asks with a short upturn to his lips. He looks over to Kunzite. He pulls out his smartphone and makes a note with a matter of fact nod as he puts it away. Did he actually make a note of that? Probably.

"I uh." he says. "Well I came by to see how everyone was doing after all that. I met Nephrite the other day out and about while I was chasing a dog. He was doing well at least." he says.

He looks over to Naru with pursed lips. "So. Have you stayed out being horribly drained, attacked or mind-controlled or god who knows what else, since?" he asks with concern.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I am never going to challenge the apartment for its record. Even the eight day one." Naru shakes her head a little. "Well no. Eight days. I could manage that, I'm at four currently. Three if you take it from after I got better, but optimistically, I'm gonna go with four." She grins to Daisuke. "Soo.. depends on since when you're asking. Since the weekend, yes."

Considering it's Monday, this is a low bar.

"I'm hoping to lure out Jadite with playdough. Although the reverse jenga trapped me, so I might just get distracted by the playdough."

Naru considers the wee plastic junk sculpture and gives the strand of silver wrapper a nudge, like a garland wending through other bits.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Understanding flashes across Makoto's face as she listens to what Kyouko is saying: oh. "I see," she says, and nods with a short downward jerk of her head. "It's in Sunset Tower. I couldn't tell you which floors, though - I ended up going out a window."

A moment's pause and Mako grimaces, the already-tight set of her jaw growing even tighter. Looking down, she settles her gaze on the floor. "You could try asking Mercury. She's supposed to be doing 'ethical oversight' on his experiments now." Her expression and her tone speak worlds about how much confidence Makoto has that this will work, but-- "She'd know where the actual entrance is. Better than wandering around knocking down doors like I did."

Another pause; Mako lets out a breath, hands curling closed at her sides. "Whether you ask her or not... if you go there, she might be there." It comes out sounding halfway like a warning, halfway a subdued request.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "Sunset Tower huh. That's good enough. I'll figure out the rest. Thanks." Kyouko says, her own expression thoughtful as she turns that over in her brain a few times. But she blinks, glancing back at Makoto as the girl continues speaking.

    "Issat right?" Skepticism is heavy in Kyouko's tone, though she really doesn't know Mercury that well, or the details of this 'ethical oversight'. "Still.. I was never intending to go in through the front door, Mako-chan." There's just a hint of reproach in her tone, as if the other girl should have known better. "I ain't exactly looking to be seen to be there, if you follow me."

    As for the last part, she quirks a brow.. unsure what, exactly, Makoto is asking of her. "Mercury ain't got nothin' to fear from me, and I don't intend to make a scene. I just need to.." A pause, a brief wave of one hand, "Answer a few questions that I don't think I'll get answers to if I just ask."

Kunzite has posed:
"General recovery," Kunzite says to Daisuke. "Once Endymion caught up on sleep, at least." Once all of them caught up on sleep. And he might not have laid eyes on Nephrite for a couple of days. But that's not too unusual, given the astrologer's dubious sleep schedule.

There is no comment about Naru's record. And none about Jadeite's clay-sculpting habits.

This may be, in part, because Naru's nudge to the strand of silver wrapper happens to push one bit of plastic into another, and that particular joint was not as stable as might have been expected. Instead, the construction, bit by bit, begins to come apart -- not a sudden collapse, but a slow sway of gentle multipart disaster. Pieces peel off toward the outside. Others try to, but the interwoven wrapper holds them stubbornly together like bits of a rather low-quality crown. That conglomeration sways, almost holds its place, but then one support too many slips out from underneath it and it thumps down onto the remnants of the middle -- onto the folded-paper box that had been lying concealed in the very center of the structure, hidden by the sheer number of bits of trash built up around it. The box jingles faintly on impact.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto's sigh hisses out through her teeth. "Yeah," she says, still not looking up - oh, she gets it. She may not be entirely comfortable about it, but maybe that's just from talking about anything related to Takashi Agera. "Just... be careful, all right? The security I ran into wasn't anything that would give you trouble, but there were a lot of them, and they might've beefed up since then."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Whoops." It's quietly spoken, as Naru watches the collapse of the bits to her gentle nudge, gentler than many she's done already, but clearly one nudge too far. The plastic sword goes poking into the pile and at the folded paper box. "What's that?"

Because after all the potential ways things can go sproing in this apartment, a hidden box of treasure is actually really really high.

Naru uses her wee plastic sword to flick other bits off the box and draw it closer. She glances to Kunzite with a quirk of her brow and then curiosity wins in the investigation.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko pauses a moment, glancing across at Makoto at her last entreaty. After a moment, she reaches out (and up) and claps a hand lightly on the taller girl's shoulder. "Hey. I'm Kyouko Godamned Sakura. I'm always careful." If Kunzite doesn't burst out laughing across the room at this point it's a sure sign she's talking quietly enough not to be overheard.

    She pulls her hand back and glances to the side. "Thanks, Mako-chan. I'll be fine. It's just.. I felt a lotta helpless these past few months, at least insofar as how to secure a sure future for me and my sister. But now that I can, I need to start moving again.. and this is the best lead I have. So thanks. It means a lot."

    She offers a lopsided, one-fanged smile, then turns to start walking back towards the couches.

Daisuke Hansuke has posed:
Daisuke Hansuke arm crosses. "Good." he says at Kunzite. "I want to talk to everyone at some point. But..." he shakes his head. "Not out in the open like this." he says softly. "...but I think It can wait. Nothing so so important." he says as he purses his lips and looks down at Naru and frowns.

"I'm sorry." he says. "I've been very difficult to reach this past week." he admits softly. "Just..." he pauses. "Lots of important things propping up in my head and life." he says softly.

He looks down at the small pile of things that's fallen as she looks back up with a short hrm.

He clearly didn't hear any of the Kyouko/Makoto conversation at least either.

Kunzite has posed:
Kunzite might possibly flick his gaze up toward the ceiling for a moment. But that might equally be either overhearing Kyouko, or merely a result of Naru's discovery inside the little junk sculpture. "Everyone at once," he asks Daisuke, "or everyone individually?" Everyone at once is liable to be out in the open, after all.

The box is tiny, maybe four centimeters on a side; the paper it's made from is patterned with haphazard little irregular streaks of color, which helped to hide it among the rainbow of plastic bits. None of the irregular streaks of colors coalesce into death's-heads when looked at the wrong way, which may possibly be a positive sign.

Curiosity wins: the lid comes off the box easily. Nestled inside it are three small bells, casually unmatched -- different metals, different designs.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I can vanish if you want to talk just to Kunzite." Naru offers to Daisuke, clearly not considering the frat house to be all that open, no matter how many folks tromp through it on a semi-regular basis.

"I'm sorry to hear that you've had a rough week." Naru sounds sympathetic as she glances to Daisuke. "No need for apology, it all worked out fine in the end, although I kinda gave Usagi a heart attack, but I'm all good now."

The chatter comes as Naru is fiddling with the box, and lifts the lid off and peeks inside. "Oooh! Bells!" She pulls out a little bell to jangle delightedly.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Kyouko's words bring the beginnings of a smile to Mako's face, wan but there. "I know what that feels like, a little." It's all she says, a soft murmur, before she also comes wandering back over to investigate the collapse of the sculpture and what Naru has found within it.

"Hi," she offers to Daisuke. "Sorry for being distracted when you came in. You okay?"

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko glances at the bells as she nears the couch, taking another bite from the peach she's been carrying. "Careful. Never know what a bell might summon." She warns with good-natured joviality that makes it hard to tell if she's being serious or not.

    She glances around, then at her phone, pulled from a pocket, and sighs. "Alright, I should get home. Momo is gonna be waitin' for me. Thanks again, Mako-chan. You were a real help." She offers a smile to the senshi.

    On her way past, she claps a hand on Kunzite's shoulder, then waves to Daisuke, before heading for the door to reclaim her sneakers and sneak out.

Daisuke Hansuke has posed:
Daisuke Hansuke shakes his head. "No, it's fine." he says softly. "You were here first. That'd be so rude ." he says. "I can wait." he smirks a bit. He crosses his arms. "I wish there was more I could do to help you, Naru-san." he says with a soft frown.

He looks back at Kunzite. "...Mmmm. Smaller groups. Just..."

"My mind's just been running. No worries, alright?" he asks to Kunzite. "If it was something major-- I'd just text." he says.

He does admire the bells. "What are those for, now?" he asks.

He looks over to Makoto and smiles. "No problems." he says. "I'm..." he purses his lips. "Well I feel bad about a lot of stuff, but I'll figure it out in my own time."

He frowns. "I'm sorry to hear about what went down." he says. "Before we went up there. If there's anything I can do-- you just need to ask."

He waves to Kyouko on her way out. "Bye, Kyouko!" he says, pause. "Say Hi to Momo for me."

Kunzite has posed:
Jingling the bell does not result in any smoke rising from it, unnaturally colored or otherwise. There is also no Kyubey peering out from behind furniture. And no spontanous fairy manifestations. Kyouko may well be right, but in this instance, there's no immediate creepiness.

Kunzite reaches to wrap a hand over Kyouko's, securing it for a moment, but doesn't delay her departure. "Suit yourself," he says to Daisuke, and reclaims a seat near his not-quite-abandoned half-empty glass of water.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"If I minded, I wouldnt have offered." Naru points out to Daisuke and laughs softly at Kyouko's comment, jangling the one bell in her fingers in the puella's direction with a laugh as she takes her leave.

"The bells are for jingling, possibly jangling, and being generally awesome." Naru explains to Daisuke. "I like bells and these are pretty."

"By the time Hannah is finished trying to kill me every morning, I figure either I'll be well positioned to kick butt, or I will be dead and it won't matter." Naru is blase about that whole 'I'll be dead' notion. So far, no generally healthy teenagers have actually /died/ from taking up running. Possibly just wished it.

Naru glances over at Kunzite as he takes up his seat again and he gets a smile.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    The bell may not have summoned Kyubey, but it seems to have summoned a different devil entirely.

    Well that's not fair. Homura's not a devil.

    Yet.

    Shortly after Kyouko leaves, yet long enough for the two to probably not have run across each other, Homura knocks, and then enters, taking off her shoes by the door and walking around until she finds someone.

    'Someone', in this case, turns out to be an assortment of Naru, Makoto, Daisuke and Kunzite. She waves at each of them in turn, before walking over to find a place to sit.

    Most of the people here she doesn't know that well, but she does know Kunzite. She smiles at the group and says politely, "Hello."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto pulls a momentary stinkface; place your bets whether it was brought on by memories that Daisuke's words drew out, or Naru's mention of Hannah. Either way, she pushes it aside soon enough with a shake of her head and manages a lopsided smile for the healer. "Thanks," she says. "I'll remember. Just don't forget it works both ways, okay?"

Her head lifts at Homura's arrival, green eyes widening slightly before Mako turns a speculative look towards Naru's box of bells. Just for a moment. "Homura-san," she says, with a polite nod. "How's it going?"

Kunzite has posed:
Naru's smile is alas met with the usual lack of response. Ami, were she here, would undoubtedly be disappointed in the lack of shipping material. Kunzite inclines his head to Homura instead, and then proves once again that Makoto isn't the only one he's regularly a little overly conservative with. "Akemi-san. No ill effects from last night, I hope?" From what about last night, he doesn't specify.

There is fruit out on the table, peaches and cherries. Possibly one or both of the Sakura sisters were here recently. Or possibly it's just July and those are the primary seasonal fruits more tractable than melons.

Daisuke Hansuke has posed:
Daisuke Hansuke smiles at Makoto. "I'll do my best not to forget that. Just..." he shakes his head.

He looks to Kunzite and gives him a sideways smile before Homura comes in. He eyes those bells momentarily again as he looks up to Homura. "Hello, Akemi-san. How are you doing."

A pause. "Ill effects? Are you hurt? I'm willing to help with anything requiring you needing healing." he offers.

He looks to Naru and blinks a moment. "Um." he says.

"Please don't let Hannah Sharpe kill you." he says seriously as a finger leans down to pick up a cherry.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Ami rarely needs actual material for her shipping, so the lack wouldn't slow her down much. Naru drops the bell from her fingers back into its little box before it gets lost, and tucks the lid back on. She uncurls from the floor, to be able to go and tuck the box into her bag before /it/ gets lost.

The greeting to Homura is just barely edged with shy from Naru, and she isn't hurrying back to flop on the couch, but finding her shoes instead.

"Well, not having Hannah kill me will start with not being late to meet her in the morning, so I'm going to get going. Thanks Kunzite." Naru sends the first of the conversation to Daisuke, and the thanks directed (obviously) to Kunzite. "Good night everyone." She waves to Makoto and Homura both as she gathers up her things.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "Makoto-san!" Homura greets Makoto cheerfully enough. She seems a little nervous, but there's nothing here that could have caused that. Likely, whatever it was, she came here in order to get away from it.

    "It's going... well. I guess I wanted to stop by to say I'd be more able to help out with things... you know... just in case we get another apocalypse. Although..." Homura glances towards Kunzite, eyebrow slightly raised. "I suppose you might know that already."

    At the question, she shakes her head at both him and Daisuke. "Not... physically. I'm not sure about emotionally. The Grief Cubes worked fine. I don't think you'll have to worry about us for a while, as long as we can find more Wraiths to fight."

    Purple eyes settle back on Makoto, and Homura wears a small, almost lopsided grin. "I don't know if this is a sore subject for you or not, and I'm sorry if it is, but I heard what Agera-san did. I didn't ever get kidnapped, but he did make a copy of me, too. I don't know if you want to commiserate over that or not, and if you don't want to talk about it that's fine, but I'm here if you want someone to share your frustrations with."

    The mention of Hannah killing Naru causes another eyebrow raise from her, but then she catches on that they're talking about training. She chuckles, maybe a little weakly. Naru's not the only shy person. "Oh wow. You're in for an adventure." She talks like she's had experience with this before. "Have fun."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Mako's smile goes rather frozen at Homura's words. She reaches up to push her bangs back from her face, suddenly in need of somewhere else to look. "That guy really gets around, doesn't he," she says, a little sourly. "No offense, but I'd really rather not talk about Takashi Agera any more today."

She lets out a quiet whoosh of breath as her hand drops, a trace of guilt coming over her face as she looks back to Homura. "...Sorry," she adds, more quitely. "I do appreciate it. Just... maybe some other time." A beat. "Sounds like you guys found a solution to your problem. I'm glad."

Kunzite has posed:
"Don't forget," Kunzite says to Naru, and doesn't clarify what she's not supposed to forget. (But the bags from the shopping get gathered up with the rest of Naru's things.) "Good luck tomorrow." To Daisuke, he adds, "New exercise routine," with a brief tilt of his head toward Naru. Making clearer what Homura already caught.

Might Kunzite know about Homura's ability to help? He nods toward her. "Given your demonstration last night, yes. If those things didn't give you any trouble." He pauses. "It occurred to me that some of the information about last night could be passed to Virtue, so the cubes aren't left behind if others encounter those creatures." Wraiths. Must remember that, if that's what the Puella are calling them. "But that's more your decision to make, not mine."

He does not say a word about Eclipse already knowing. Homura knows that. And Makoto already has her request in.

Daisuke Hansuke has posed:
Daisuke Hansuke blinks to Homura. "Oh, did you guys figure out a soultion to your energy problem?" he asks softly.

He looks over to Kunzite and purses his lips as he taps his teeth together. Oh, Naru's out the door, he waves.

"If she kills you I'll never forgive her~" he sings out teasingly as he looks back to the others.

"'Wraiths'. What. Like ghosts? Or the RPG monsters?" he asks confusedly.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura holds up her hands at Makoto, shaking her head. "No no no. I get it. Believe me, I totally do." At the mention of 'some other time', Homura nods. "Yeah, sure. Whenever. I'll be around. And thank you. I'm glad things worked out for you guys, too."

    Kunzite's words earn her a look from Kunzite. She purses her lips, considering, then she lowers her gaze and closes her eyes. "Every surviving Puella Magi has a right to know about those things. I don't know any Puella Magi in Virtue aside from Mami-san, but she especially deserves to know, after she's fought so hard." She opens her eyes, focus centered on Kunzite. "By all means, please tell them. They are actually, as far as I can tell, less dangerous than Grief Seeds, which makes them easier to study." And, as far as Homura can tell, a lot more ethical to use in experiments.

    She's actually not sure where the name 'Wraiths' comes from, or where she got it from. It just feels right, in the same way that using her powers feels right. When Daisuke questions it, Homura shrugs. "They're like... weird monster things. I guess they could be mistaken for ghosts, but I don't think that they were ever alive. Puella Magi have to hunt them just like we do Witches, and that's about all I know. I never saw them in any previous timeline, sorry."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru picks that moment to come out of the kitchen -- must've come in from the other side -- barefoot and wearing a yukata, eating ice cream with a spoon straight out of the tub. "Yesssss non-Witch monsters," is his comment, pointing his spoon at Homura. His hair's sticking up on one side of his head. "And if we kill 'em, it doesn't hurt you guys as long as we gank their drops and hand 'em over?"

A beat. "Hi guys."

Makoto Kino has posed:
"Well," Mako says, "that's good to hear," at roughly the point at which Mamoru shuffles into the room in all his grandeur and her train of thought visibly derails into a sort of fond exasperation. Geez.

"--Good morning," she tells him, very wryly, before looking back to Homura. "I'll keep an eye out for those, too," she offers. "I'm sure the guys can help tell me what to look for, so that if I run into any I can help keep the, uh, things for you."

Mako has always been a bit hazy on the details of the puella magi's requirements. But she does at least grasp that this stuff is important.

Kunzite has posed:
Waiting for Homura to make her decision is not difficult at all -- the more so since she actually makes it on the spot. He gives her a brief nod, curt and sharp. Done; no questions asked. Just as there would have been no questions asked if she'd said no.

And then there is Mamoru. Whom Kunzite regards for several seconds. His mind and Makoto's are evidently running down at least partly parallel tracks. "Let me guess," he says to his prince, his tone even more dry than usual. "Comb youma."

Then he's turning to the others. "Wraiths," he repeats to Daisuke, and elaborates slightly on Homura's description for both his and Makoto's benefit. "Tall, pale, white-robed, sometimes skeletal. Accompanied by a black mist. They appear to latch on to specific human victims somehow. And possibly to come in groups. They regenerate if only slightly injured, dissolve in a geometric fashion when banished; the cubes that are left behind are useful to the Puella."

Daisuke Hansuke has posed:
Daisuke Hansuke blinks once at Mamoru. Then he blinks again and waves. "Hello." he says. "That's a nice yukata." he comments.

He looks over to Homura as Kunzite talks and taps his chin. "So. robed skeletons that dissapear in blocky polygons and leave things behind that should go to puella." he says softly. He says this in a 'taking a mental note manner, and purses his lips.'

He looks to Kunzite and nods a bit. "So why do these things attach themselves to humans?" he asks curiously. "Just the usual? 'Energy is tasty'?"

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura lights up maybe just a bit more than she'd like to admit when Mamoru comes in. What can she say? She missed her bro.

    She beams in his direction, then nods. "Yeah, that's right. Watch out for them, though. They drain something from people, but I don't think it's energy."

    Makoto's words remind Homura that the others might not even know what they look like. So Homura reaches into a pocket and pulls one out. It's a dark cube, and it seems to be filled with... some kind of dark energy. She holds it high so that anyone in the room can see.

    "This is what one of them looks like. They absorb the despair and darkness from our Soul Gems. You don't have to give them to me, specifically. Any Puella Magi would do, but they are as important to us as food. If you do give them to us when you can, I would greatly appreciate it."

    Kunzite's nod is regarded, and then met with a smile. "Thank you. I know I can rely upon you." Then she chuckles at the mention of a 'comb youma', because that is a hilarious mental image.

    At Daisuke's question, Homrua shakes her head. "I'm not sure. Madoka-chan looked over their victims, and they seemed pretty listless... but they didn't pass out, and they didn't seem to have any trouble walking around. Whatever it is, it's not something we can sit by and tolerate."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru grins at Homura and Makoto and offers the latter the tub AND his spoon. All like :D? and then he blinks at Kunzite. "I just woke up," he says indignantly, "how was I supposed to know I was supposed to be presentable?" Then he beams at Daisuke in turn. "Thanks! Usa got it for me."

He is actually listening, and then-- presuming Makoto doesn't actually want his cootie-spoon or ice cream-- he goes to sit on the arm of the couch nearest Kunzite and squints at the cube that Homura pulls out. "So instead of grief seeds, you get grief boullion." Quick sidelong glance at Makoto, as if he's checking to see if she knows he's thinking grief boullion soup, or maybe box noodles, and then he's very interested in his ice cream for a moment. Homura's last does give him something at least good-guy to say. "You're right. And be mindful it's coming up on pre-break midterms, so there's going to be a lot of angst around the schools right now. Probably a good place to keep an eye out."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto's face when Mamoru offers her his ice cream and the spoon he was eating it with says, more clearly than words, '*really?*' She doesn't say anything out loud, but pointedly turns her attention to the example that Homura is providing and studies it thoughtfully for a moment. "...huh. Okay."

And then Mamoru calls it 'grief boullion' and it's completely reflexive the way she turns to give him a look of utterly appalled hilarity. "Don't even think it," she tells him, then tosses a look back toward Homura-- "Put those away before he starts checking to see if we have any ramen. Geez." She's trying really hard not to laugh. It's not working.

"--ugh, midterms." Now there's a cure for laughter. "Never mind. I have a stir-fry to make before it gets any later."

Kunzite has posed:
Homura's 'I'm not sure' is allowed to stand as an answer to Daisuke's question; Kunzite does elaborate again. "They first appeared all of last night. We're still collecting information." And yet both he and Homura are talking about the things as if they were a permanent facet of existence, rather than a single evening's problem.

Since Kunzite had taken a corner of one of the couches, Mamoru is taking a place that entails some degree of risk. Kunzite does not, however, push Half-Awake Scruffy Prince back off the couch. Probably because it's Mamoru's couch. Possibly so that, if he tries to get up, Kunzite can grab him -- because at present, they do have ramen.

To Mamoru's comment about keeping an eye out, Kunzite notes, "I warned Naru earlier." In the desperate attempt to preempt her encountering at least one type of drain the hard way. There is no market for a review site on that, no matter how many stars she assigns.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura blinks at Mamoru's comment about 'grief bouillon', then snerks, then laughs. She puts the cube back into her pocket, at Makoto's joke, and shakes her head. "I really don't recommend making soup out of this stuff, but if you do it anyways I might like to try some."

    The mention of midterms, and the angst that follows, gives her something to think about. It... would be an idea time for them to show up, wouldn't it? "Yeah... I'll keep an eye out. I'll tell Madoka-chan that, too."

    Homura, for some reason, isn't terribly worried about her own midterms, but she winces sympathetically at Makoto's reaction.

    She nods at Kunzite's statement. "That's right. The Contractors, of course, will be looking into it, and sharing information as we come across it."

Daisuke Hansuke has posed:
Daisuke Hansuke hears 'grief bullion'. He turns. He walks into the bathroom.

There's a huge gigglefit.

He comes back when he's composed himself as he wipes his eyes just a bit quickly as he takes a deep breath.

"Seriously please don't try that." he says as frank as he can muster.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Hey, I wasn't--" tries Mamoru, then does that particular kind of laugh-at-your-own-joke laugh that gives him away anyway, and then Homura and Daisuke are also laughing, and he and says breezily, "okay no I'm a terrible liar, I was totally thinking of ramen. So. Duly noted. On all fronts~!"

That singsong on the end doesn't bode well for sanity, does it? Makoto may actually have to put a sign on the cabinet door that says 'not for use with fell cubes of darkness that rightfully belong to Puellae' or something. But he glances her way and says, spoonful of ice cream held halfway up and threatening to drip, "I will help, if you want it. Sometimes all it takes is someone sitting there re-diverting attention to the boring stuff. Either way we can talk about it later."

Then the ice cream goes in his mouth.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Mako just kind of flaps a hand at Mamoru as she turns away. They can, indeed, talk about it later. What she says is, "If you guys have to go before I'm done, Homura-san, Daisuke-kun, take care." For Makoto's part, it seems she wasn't kidding about that stir-fry; she's headed off to the kitchen to do something with those ingredients she brought in earlier.

Kunzite has posed:
Kunzite returns a nod back to Homura. Of course the Contractors will be, and best that way. "No reason the rest of us can't keep an eye out for opportunities to make that easier." The two-month drought may be trickling to a close, but time to build reserves back up is important.

Mamoru's singsong winds up with Kunzite eyeing him, even if Mamoru's back is turned. "Rule nine." It's amazing how two not-particularly-stressed words can sometimes imply dire warning.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura gives Mamoru a rueful look, then shakes her head. Then Makoto is leaving, and Homura waves. "Later, Mako-chan."

    To Kunzite, she responds, "Of course, and I doubt that Eclipse will be keeping their hands off of them either. Any help you can provide, I'd appreciate."

    Homura has no idea what Rule Nine is. It goes right over her head. Then again she isn't the kind of person to make a mess. At least not while eating.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I almost always clean up my own messes, even outside the apartment!" Mamoru tells Kunzite with a scowl, nudging him with an elbow and dripping ice cream on him.

"..." he adds when he sees the drip of ice cream.

He licks his finger then swipes the drip off of Kunzite and sticks his finger in his mouth.

A second later, he calls out to Makoto, "I'll taste-test for you!"

Then to Homura he says perfectly reasonably, "I'll also spread the word."

Daisuke Hansuke has posed:
Daisuke Hansuke seems to sort of 'poit' a moment. "Rules?" he asks looking around. "There's rules?" he asks. "Okay where are they I didn't know. Crap..." he says as he begins to look around frantically to the walls and what not.

He sighs a bit as he shakes his head and places two fingers against his forehead.

"Nevermind. If I'd broken any already I'm sure someone'd said something." he says as he shakes his head.

"Right. If I find any of those I'll make sure a puella gets them." he says.

Kunzite has posed:
Kunzite does not scowl back at Mamoru. Kunzite merely regards him levelly, and allows his eyes to narrow just the slightest bit.

Then his attention is back on the other two. "Took them down for the cleanup," Kunzite says to Daisuke. "We'll put them back up. Most of them aren't things you need to worry about; either you wouldn't do them anyhow, or you're well-mannered enough to abide by them without prompting."

A brief pause. "In short, you're not someone who needs 'no arson' spelled out to them." ... there are a couple of char marks on the table, come to think of it. They are very definitely not from Sailor Mars.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura tilts her head at Kunzite and Mamoru, especially as ice cream is dripped onto the former and then 'cleaned up' by the latter. "It soaks into clothes, you know," she says, nitpicking. Maybe even teasing?

    With a smile in response to the more serious topic, Homura says, "Thanks, Mamo-kun, Daisuke-san."

    She leans back in her chair, a bit more relaxed than she was when she came in. Pleasant conversation and Mamoru's antics might have something to do with that.

    Oh, right. The cleanup. "So yeah. We should be able to get working here pretty soon. I might not be present when it happens but if you guys need something changed or a special need handled you have my number."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
All Kunzite gets in response to the level look and slightly narrowed eyes is a bright smile with something devilish sparkling behind it. Then he nods cheerfully to Daisuke. "The only one I think you even need to worry about is that if I'm playing I get player one. But that hasn't even come up and I always get fought over it anyway so." Grin, one-shouldered shrug.

Wide-eyed at Homura, then. "You know, you're right. But he's wearing his shirt right now. I guess it'll have to wait." Then he gives her a thumbs-up, spoon stuck back in the tub. "I mean the amount of stuff we have on order, I'm sure it won't just be a few days. I'm not worried. And I'll make sure the other guys know to call you if something comes up."

There's a pause.

"Are you /sure/ mosaic floors with sealant over them won't be a problem?"

Like he's worried about that when half of the order is 'magically reinforced sheetrock'.

Daisuke Hansuke has posed:
Daisuke Hansuke smiles a bit. "I don't like playing first anyways." he says softly. "Like I told Nephrite, Luigi's where it's at." he says softly with a smiles. He looks around and closes his eyes and takes deep breath.

"I'm going to go ahead and take off then." he says softly. He places his hands into his jacket's pockets.

"Take care, all, Mamoru, Kunzite, Homura~" he says as he gives a wave before he begins to make for leaving.

Kunzite has posed:
Between Mamoru's expression and Homura's helpful comment, Kunzite merely tips his head back and looks upward for a moment. Ceiling Cat Is Watching You Despair.

The mention of the mosaic floors pulls his attention back, but not solely to the renovations. "Talk to you soon, then," he says to Daisuke. Whatever it is that Daisuke needs to talk with them about.

That one's going to be interesting.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura giggles, looking up maybe a bit sheepishly, and shakes her head. "Patience is a virtue." Homura may have learned many virtues herself, but mercy was not one of them.

    Then onto business. "Yeah I'm thinking a week or so, at best. I can't promise that they won't get in your way, but I can promise quality. I've pulled my best workers in for this." At the mention of mosaic sealed floors, Homura shakes her head and waves her hand dismissively. "Not a problem at all. What's a bit of sealant between friends?"

    After all, it's her brother's house, and it's not like she doesn't ever intend to hang out here.

    Daisuke gets up to leave, and Homura says, "See you around. Take care."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru had been ABOUT to put more ice cream in his mouth. With what Homura adds, he is so glad he did not. His ears may be a little red, despite the smirk. Then he laughs. "You can have all the Luigi you want. I'm almost always Kirby or Princess Peach, unless Usa's playing. Then all bets are off." He salutes Daisuke when the other boy gets up to go. "You should hang out here more," he says instead of 'later'.

Then his eyebrows Lift at Homura. "What is a little sealant between friends?"

Now the condensation from his tub of ice cream is dripping on Kunzite, and all of a sudden Mamoru's in a hurry to get up and edge away. "You know, I should probably take a shower and get dressed to go out or something, after that all-nighter I pulled I haven't wanted to do anything all day and suddenly I think I'll be in trouble if I don't."

He has the grace to hold the ice cream away from Homura's long hair as he slings an arm around her for a lopsided hug. "Going now bye!"

My god he vanishes as fast as if Sailor Moon were in trouble.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    The teasingly merciless Homura strikes again. The smile she wears as Mamoru blushes is completely unapologetic. She'd apologize or refrain if she thought Mamoru was truly uncomfortable about it, but she's only trying to encourage and celebrate their happiness.

    Then Mamoru is hugging her, and she reaches up to hug him, too. Tightly, because they haven't hugged much in a while. In fact, considering how many personal space issues they both had when they met, they haven't actually hugged very much at all.

    "It's good to see you again, Mamo-kun. I love you guys. I'll see you around."

    When he goes, Homura releases him, giggling after he leaves. Then she looks up to Kunzite and says, "I guess I should head out. Take care of each other."

    She starts to head towards the balcony, remembers (A) that's a bad idea and (B) her shoes are by the door, and so she turns around and uses that like a normal human being.

    Which she isn't, but she likes to pretend sometimes.