1935/Special Snowflakes
From MahouMUSH
Special Snowflakes | |
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Date of Scene: | 14 September 2016 |
Location: | Earth Court Frat House |
Synopsis: | Light conversation between Kyouko, Kunzite and Naru (with a quick visit from Sayaka) about magical practice, magical theory, identity, fascinating people and swimming. |
Cast of Characters: | Naru Osaka, Kyouko Sakura, Kunzite, Sayaka Miki |
- Naru Osaka has posed:
After school for those who go to school. A quiet apartment as yet, with various and sundry off doing various and sundry things, or at least not playing noisy video games in the mian living room. The humid, muggy, rainy day makes sitting out on the balcony terribly unappealing, and so the couch has gained a Naru.
There's a fresh coffee on the side table, there's even a geography text book sitting next to it, with her school notebook tucked into it probably just exactly where she should be taking notes.
There's also a sketchbook in Naru's lap where she's tucked herself into a corner of the couch, ignoring schoolwork and drawing.
A tree, not venomous spiders.
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Kyouko wanders through the room. Where she was or where she is going is not clear, but she has her shoes off so she's obviously been around the apartment previous to this. Wherever she was, this is her first trip through the living room since Naru occupied the couch.
It is for this reason that she pauses on her trek when her eyes alight upon the girl ensconced with book and sketchbook alike, and she flashes a smile and raises a hand in a small wave. "Oh, hey Naru-chan."
No 'what are you doing here' or anything like that. Naru's presence (much like her own) is simply accepted.
- Kunzite has posed:
The other couch -- there are two, at right angles to one another -- is also occupied. Kazuo does not have anyone leaning against his side or demanding lap space right now, and is celebrating this by taking time to read something-or-other on a tablet; the display is in English's sparse and repetitive and space-eating character set.
He may or may not have moved since his housemates left for school that morning.
At this particular moment, he lifts his head at the tiny soft sounds of Kyouko's approach, focuses on her at her pause, nods toward her without saying a word.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"Hey Kyouko." Naru replies without looking up, focusing on trying to get a line just /so/.
She pauses to consider the whole a moment before she does look up and then she quirks a smile. "You think I'm absolutely and utterly insane for inviting Alex to the barbeque?" She asks, as if the conversation from the park merely paused for breath, rather than a day passing between the two halves of it.
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Kyouko, during that brief pause, meets Kunzite's eyes. There's a brief exchange in that gaze- 'all is well?' The nod. Then a relaxed smile as her attention shifts to Naru. Such is the ritual when Kyouko meets Kunzite- at least she doesn't try to take over his lap. It's not that Kyouko is paranoid, or takes her new responsibilities so much more seriously than others- it's just that she doesn't trust the world to not be trying to kill her.
That silent exchange takes mere moments though, and likely Naru doesn't even notice. Instead, she gets an mused half-smile at the girl's blunt statement. Kyouko appreciates not beating around the bush.
"That depends on where you see things goin' with him." Is her answer as she approaches the couch, shrugging. "If you want him to find out that you hang out with a bunch of messed up crazies with superpowers, then by all means. If you have any intent of keepin' it a secret, then yes, I think it's insane. Personally I don't care either way, it ain't my problem. But I like you, so I want to make sure you're not bein' naive about this, that's all."
- Kunzite has posed:
There are a number of things Kyouko and Kunzite have in common. That's one of them. It's one of the things that gives Jadeite and Nephrite the space to actually relax their guard, to deal with people and clay and the stars secure in the awareness that someone has their backs.
"I trust you've also considered whether the possibility that he may reject the memories altogether," Kunzite notes evenly. "And potentially the people or places associated with them. I suspect you could overcome that for yourself, if he does; but better not to be taken by surprise."
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"I've no clue where things will go with him." Naru acknowledges with a nod. "He already has figured out the messed up crazies part, even just spending time with me." She comments dryly.
"He's also asking questions." Naru continues with a little nod to Kunzite. "Which imply that he's noticing more than most do, or at least noticing that there's discrepencies and things that don't entirely add up. He's only been there for one youma attack, but even with the frequency of them dropping again, it's likely that one won't be the only one he's there for."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"People who get involved tend to notice." Kyouko says, with a shrug. "There's some law of the universe that seems to prevent people who ain't involved from really seein'. But once they're shown, they tend to remember- unless, as nii-chan says, he chooses not to see."
She laughs softly. "Havin' met the dude though, I don't see that being the case." A lift of shoulders as she walks to the back of the couch and rests her forearms on it. "If you don't care.. or, mebbe, you kinda want him to find out, then there are worse ways than a barbecue. At least there won't be any monsters."
She pauses, then adds, "I hope." You never can tell.
- Kunzite has posed:
"That depends," is all that Kunzite says to Kyouko. Once they're shown, they tend to remember, is what she believes --
Kunzite made his youma primarily out of people.
It is probably for the best for everyone that they generally don't remember.
The comment about there not being monsters prompts his mouth to twitch its usual tiny fraction upward at the corner. "Given the 'leave factions at the door' rule, the monsters might be bringing the drinks."
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"If there's actual monsters, they are going to regret it very very quickly. I mean /really/." Naru points out and then gestures at Kunzite when he points out that equally relevant point.
"I didn't remember until the dark kingdom." Naru points out with a little shrug. "And I wasn't super involved before then, but I certainly was around Usagi enough."
"Hrm." Naru takes a moment to consider her words and looks down at the tree on her page. Which hasn't quite started rustling, but its thinking about it. "I know how much I prefered knowing than not. Then I remember that I can't make that choice for others. Then I feel like a jerk for saying 'hey yeah, I'm with friends, but you can't come meet them for.. reasons I can't explain', which has nothing to do with boyfriend or not, just not being a crappy friend."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"That's a dangerous attitude," Kyouko says to Naru, with a lopsided smile. "See, in my experience, there's always some bigger, badder monster you ain't ever imagined. It's just waitin' for you to get overconfident and say "bah, we're totally safe here". Then it comes and knocks down all your petty illusions." She laughs, somewhat cynically. "Not, for the record, that I think we're gonna get attacked on Friday. Just, y'know. Don't bandy about that 'we're totally safe' stuff. It's just tempting fate."
"If he keeps hangin' out with you," She then points out, "He's gonna find out. You're in too deep, Naru-chan. That decision is yours- whether to keep seeing him or not. If you want to, then you have to accept what that means. For him and for you." She wanders over and sits down next to Kunzite. Close, but not too close. This is her comfort zone.
"I went through somethin' similar with Saya-chan, y'know. And while you can't make the choice for 'em, it's also wrong to deny him the ability to make it, y'know?"
- Kunzite has posed:
"He didn't flinch at discovering the two of you punching each other," Kunzite notes. "Clearly he has as good a chance as any."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"Martial arts are not inherently magical, nii-chan." Kyouko says, dryly.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"I'm not saying perfectly safe, but I am saying that for most monsters, the firepower accumulated at this barbeque really should make them question their life choices." Naru points out and then quirks a rueful smile. "Besides, I'm going to be there, so odds of monster I haven't met yet is higher than usual."
Naru looks between the two of them as the point out the relative calm in the face of sparring and she nods. "Martial arts aren't so much a concern, but youma, ghosts and so on and so forth."
Naru wrinkles her nose a little. "I've no desire whatsoever to stop hanging out with him, friends or otherwise. Over and above the fact that I enjoy his company, he is seriously in need of friends. Quitting hanging out with him would be cruel."
"So.. do I just tell him?" Naru quirks her head. "I'd prefer to not have him get taken somewhere horrible, which was how I found out. Even if I didn't think it was horrible at the time."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Kyouko shrugs. "Like I said, Naru-chan, that's up to you. You know him better'n either of us do." She includes Kunzite in this statement with a sweep of her chin.
"I mean, if I were you, I'd probably just tell him. But y'know, subtlety ain't never been one of my strong points." A toothy grin. "But if you think like.. he couldn't handle it, then maybe it'd be better not to. But like I said.. I dunno him, really, and you do, or at least better'n me, so that's a judgement you'll have to make."
She shrugs her shoulders. "Like most things, I dun think there's an easy answer."
- Kunzite has posed:
There's a brief shake of Kunzite's head to Kyouko, faintly amused. "Not so much the magic," he says. "But the likelihood that he'd prefer spending time with Naru over a world that entirely made sense to him."
There's a slight shrug given to Naru herself, then. "Would he believe you?"
- Naru Osaka has posed:
The question of if he'd believe her gives Naru pause and she's quiet again. Thoughtful. Listening too to Kyouko's entirely valid points about a lack of easy answers and judgement calls on her part.
"I think so." Naru finally opines, her voice still thoughtful. "Probably not entirely, but I didn't grasp it entirely to start, and I still learn new bits .. basically all the time. More right now, but that's a whole different conversation."
Naru pauses a moment and then nods. "At least knowing that there's more than what's obvious? I think he'd believe that."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"Nii-chan," Kyouko says, again dryly, "The world doesn't make sense to anybody, magic or not."
Then, back to Naru, "In a similar fashion, Naru-chan, all of us are still learnin' new bits all the time. I might sound like a bit of a broken record with this stuff, but you think entirely too much of any of us if you think that we have any clue what the hell we're doin' most of the time." She grins.
She shrugs then. "I've only met him a few times, and I think he would, too, for what it's worth."
- Sayaka Miki has posed:
Well, the front door is generally a good place to start, even if she kind of knows-but-not-REALLY-most of the people here. And so, Sayaka doesnt bother popping unexpectedly on the balcony, but instead, she patiently rings the front door, waiting expectantly for..Well just about anyone to pop out and take her by surprise. Of course, she's mostly here to see if she can find Kyouko and catch up on stuff.
- Kunzite has posed:
The urge to tousle Kyouko's hair is strong. The urge to retain the use of both hands is stronger, and Kunzite has severe doubts as to whether Mamoru's healing abilities extend to regenerating body parts.
Kunzite and Kyouko are seated on one couch, at a comfortable distance from each other; Naru with her sketchbook is on the other. It is not the /same/ living room that Sayaka is used to seeing -- the door to that one, and the balcony of that one, are marked with caution tape. and there's a certain smell of fresh paint nearby. But there is a door labelled 'Use This One,' and when there's attention pulled that way, Kunzite extricates himself from couch and goes, tablet in hand and dressed in his usual jeans and white shirt, to answer it. And to bow to the person standing there. "Kyouko's with Naru in the living room," he says, in lieu of a more usual greeting. "May I get you something to drink?"
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"I once did." Naru comments to Kyouko with a grin on the notion of the 'crew' having all the answers. "I've learned since then. It was really rather disconcerting, actually. I had to start figuring things out without just asking Kunzite. Trauma, I tell you." She sounds oh so very traumatized. The horror. "That being said, however, my learning curve kinda spiked a lot recently, and .." She pauses as the someone is at the door and turns to watch Kunzite go and answer it before her attention settles back to Kyouko.
"With how well I manage my own stuff currently, telling him or not might be moot when something oozes out of my sketchbook when I didn't mean it or something equally stupid." Naru comments to her with a sort snort of irritation.
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"I dunno, asking Kunzite is still a pretty decent plan." Kyouko says, grinning. "I mean, he might not have all the answers, but he's likely to have 'em if anybody does, or at the very least, to point you to the person to talk to." That's not even just sisterly loyalty speaking, it's pretty much just fact.
She hears the door ring and Kunzite get up, and when Sayaka enters the room, her face brightens. "Saya-chan!" She smiles, jumping up from the couch and walking over. "Hey! What's up? I tried texting you earlier, but I was at work so.. how's it going?"
- Sayaka Miki has posed:
"Hey!" she smiles as Kunzite who is being his usual self it seems. She's carrying a box of ginger snap cookies that are soft and warm and still emit an aroma of freshly baked cookies. Stepping in a little, Sayaka peers around, noting the paint and the barricade with a smirk. "Doing some renovations, or...?"
Glancing around the room, she sees it's occupied by only two other people; Naru is not someone she knows well, although she smiles and nods at her. "Naru Osaka-san, isnt it? Good to see you again." It's only when Kyouko steps towards her that she smile brightens, moving closer to her to wrap her in a warm hug. "Kyou-chan! How've you been? I havent seen you in a while..I guess we've both been somewhat preoccupied..."
"I brought cookies, incase anyone wants them. My mom made them, they're pretty good!"
- Kunzite has posed:
"We needed to replace the carpet," Kunzite says, his tone dry. "And the electrical system. And the balcony. Also, I'm informed it's next to impossible to get blood out of hardwood unless you can clean it up immediately. Fortunately, we're largely down to the decorations, now. Naru's painting a mural." Possibly in defiance of whatever blew the place up last time.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"It's coming! There was just a little.. pause. In the mural." Naru ahems softly, faintly sheepish really. Something about random magical effects and murals being a poor combintation. Especially for the poor floor.
There's a wave to Sayaka and a smile. "Good to see you again. It has been a while. Er.. a rather long while, actually. I'm glad you're well." Naru resettles on the couch to go back to her drawing, settling quiet to watch her sketch, and let a few things mull about in her thoughts.
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Kyouko laughs as Sayaka hugs her, and she hugs the other girl back happily, squeezing her tight, and when she steps back from the hug, her hand lingers in the blue-haired girl's for a few more moments. At least until mention of cookies distracts her. "What do you mean 'in case'?" She asks, sounding amused. Of course, this would likely be so regardless of who made them. Kyouko has never said no to cookies.
As she walks back over towards the couch, she nods, making a little face. "Yeah, things have been crazy. You know I keep tryin' to call and text you all the time to keep you up to date, but.." She flops down on the couch again, then chuckles at Kunzite's words. "Probably keep the construction guys in business all on our own, huh?"
- Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka arches a brow at Kunzite, laughing nervously. "Oh..I see! So..Not renovations, huh. Dare I ask..?" Not that the senshi dont regularly seem to attract youma but..She thought it had been relatively quiet around here, after the whole Fiore fiasco. But then, Sayaka hasn't really been in touch with the Senshi lately.
She glances over at the mural, and smiles, "Wow, you're painting a mural, huh? So, you're an artist? That's cool. I cant wait to see when it's finished." she is relieved at least, that she got Naru's name at least mostly right. But then again, is she another senshi, or..? Sayaka's afraid to ask, afraid to say too much. She doesn't know much about her. "So, are you a friend of Mamoru's as well, Naru-san..?"
She nods and smiles to Kyouko, "Sorry, guess my phone kinda got broken on patrol and...Yeah..." she sighs tiredly as she follows Kyouko to the sofa. Sayaka's probably been working overtime, searching for grief seeds lately, not caring much for these less than useful grief cubes. "Well, I'm sure you'll enjoy the cookies. Love what you've done with the place. So how is everyone else?"
- Kunzite has posed:
"The carpet and the blood were courtesy injuries related to the Xenian plants," Kunzite answers Sayaka. He skims over the details, possibly because the blood on the hardwood was his. "The electrical system was from when Riventon made a dark-energy clone of Sailor Jupiter. The balcony was largely related to our discussion with Riventon of why making dark-energy clones of Sailor Jupiter is unwise. We haven't had any particularly destructive local incidents since those, but that's part of why the get-together in a couple of days will be on the roof. If necessary, we'll figure out a way to put a canopy over the entire thing without losing it to the wind."
Further evidence for Kyouko's belief on construction.
Kunzite lingers near the outside of the room, tablet under an arm. "Naru is Mamoru's lady's oldest friend," he says. The word 'girlfriend' appears to be an alien one to him, given that he never uses it. "And a friend of the rest of ours on her own merits." ... but, apparently, not another senshi. "Pity about your phone." Even if it does explain why they haven't been hearing much from Sayaka lately. Mental notes might be made.
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"Nothing new, yeah," Kyouko assures Sayaka, as to the cause of the various construction projects. "It's just stuff takes a while, I guess. Good thing there's more than one living room up here." She grins lopsidedly.
"Naru-chan is cool." She then assures Sayaka, as the subject turns to her. "She's Usagi's best friend from childhood, and stuff, but not a magical girl. Well.." She hesitates, then adds, "Not in the same way that we are, I mean." Naru can explain the details herself, if she so wishes.
At the mention of a broken phone, Kyouko nods her head. "Oh.. I guess that explains why nothing's been getting through. That sucks! Hopefully you can get it fixed." She reaches for a cookie and chomps into it. "Mmf.. these are good! Everything else is pretty status quo.. nothin' really new goin' on since those Wraiths showed up."
- Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru loks up from her sketchbook and her own thoughts, having mostly caught her name and then the mention of wraiths. "Ugh. Wraiths."
Naru shudders even at the mention of them. "Only things on the rating list with zero stars."
- Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka just...Stares at Kunzite in disbelief. And, not knowing what else to do, she simply chuckles nervously, "Oh! Haha, never a dull moment, huh? Guess you guys are more of a trouble magnet than I ever expected.." of course, Sayaka being Sayaka would rather be a trouble magnet than bored, as she's been lately on her solo patrols..
She quietly munches on a cookie as she ponders her phone, pulling it out. The screen is cracked and i t's not really lighting up much. "Yeah...I guess I should get a new one, just been broke lately." though the look in her eyes suggests something else is up as well.
Naru is given a small, albeit distracted smile as she grabs one last cookie before standing up, checking her watch. "Usagi-san's best friend? Well that's nice!" and apparently she knows their secret. "Well it was nice meeting you, I guess...I really need to get to school, just wanted to drop by and see what's up.." she hurriedly grabs her bag, running towards the door.
"Hopefully I'll see y'all at the barbeque!"
- Kunzite has posed:
Kunzite inclines his head to Sayaka's wake. If anyone is considering an unexplained delivery, he's not admitting to it; he paces around the outskirts of the room instead, glancing briefly over Naru's shoulder in passing, and then settles himself back into his place. "Good to see she's still all right."
- Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru is quiet as Sayaka flees, still watching her drawing. "She's having a rough time. I'm not sure we'd met much before this."
Naru hunhs softly. "I could make a helluva living as an animator if I could do this reliably." Another pause and then Naru smiles "Or y'know CGI wasn't a thing."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Kyouko smiles at Sayaka, seeming genuinely pleased to see the girl, because they really haven't had much time together lately.. but then Sayaka is already getting up to leave. Kyouko makes a bit of a face- at timing, not at Sayaka herself. "Alright.. well, it was good seein' you. Make sure you tell me as soon as you get a new phone, okay?"
As Sayaka leaves, she settles back, chewing on another cookie, and although dampened momentarily, her mood soon recovers. "Saya-chan is tough, she'll be okay." Then she laughs at Naru's comment. "Yeah, and if you could make 'em do what you want." She points out.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"I can.. sort of." Naru quirks her head as she watches the tree move, frowning a little in thought. "Okay. Not y'know.. when I'm /trying/ or anything. I swear, my world is fueled by irritation."
Naru sets the sketchbook onto her homework momentarily and reaches for a cookie. "I get the sense that it's a requirement to be a puella. Being tough." She comments with a little smile. "Seems to be a theme."
- Kunzite has posed:
"You're learning an entirely new set of skills," Kunzite says, his head still bent over his tablet. "It's less like trying out a new kind of ink, and more like trying to learn how to control the muscles in your arm to pick up the brush in the first place. You'll get past the fingerpainting stage in time."
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"I did better fingerpainting." Naru comments as she crunches on cookie thoughtfully. "But not happy, relaxed, content or any combinations therein. Also not paying attention."
"Its like thinking about your breathing. It always goes weird if you're not careful, and you forget how to breathe and then you end up gasping, but if you just let your body deal with it without you, it's fine." Naru gestures with half a cookie and then shakes her head. "I'd try sleep painting but that is frankly a terrifying prospect."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Kyouko quirks her lips to the side slightly at Naru's comment on Puella and being tough. "Well, you're half-right." She says, with a slightly sad tone to her voice. "You need to be tough to be a Puella and survive. Kyubey, unfortunately, tends to grant wishes first and then let that problem sort itself out."
She shakes her head, though, not about to bring down the conversation with that sort of talk. "Nobody's good at anything right away, Naru-chan. I mean, there's natural talent sure but even people with that gotta work to hone it. This whole thing is new for you. You'll figure it out." She sounds confident, at least, but Kyouko has always been the 'trust the roll of the dice' type.
- Kunzite has posed:
"If you're so convinced that thinking about your breathing is a problem," Kunzite remarks, "perhaps we should add swimming lessons to your routine. Isn't there someone in your class...?"
Presumably Kunzite is teasing, because adding more to Naru's routine at this point might actually have to involve borrowing Homura.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"I already know how to swim, and no." Naru waggles a finger at Kunzite. "I am not taking up swimming, not without a time machine. I already am not entirely sure when more gym time is going to factor in, short of giving up sleep entirely. Which is not entirely out of the question."
Naru reaches for another cookie and her cool, if not actually cold, coffee as she settles back, letting the tree in her sketchbook move and exist of its own accord while she ignores it. "It feels vaguely like I need to try and catch up, which is fairly absurd in so many ways, its not even funny." She takes a drink of her coffee and then shrugs, accepting that she's ignored it long enough for it to get cold.
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Kyouko settles back where she was earlier, on the couch, near to Kunzite but not too near. She seems to take comfort in people just being around more than any need for actual physical contact, though that's not to say she's never huggy. Just.. seldom where people can see. "Don't judge yourself by what others can do." She says, sounding way sage for her years. "You'll always be tryin' to catch up to someone."
Then she pauses, and adds, "I think I read that in a fortune cookie, once.."
- Kunzite has posed:
"These things take time," Kunzite says again, sounding utterly unworried. "If you begrudge them the time, you'll do worse than if you take it."
He may, of course, possibly have come into existence fully-grown and with the knowledge of fourteen different ways to commit homicide with common household items.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"I look forward to when I get to be the one saying 'there there, patience grasshopper' and not the one being impatient." Naru looks between both of them and manages not to throw anything at Kunzite. Somehow. Miracle of self control really.
"Oh! Kunzite. I dont remember if I commented to you, but I think I'm noticing a pattern in days with more stalkers and when I end up with fewer." Naru comments after some quiet coffee drinking and cookie chomping.
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
At this point, Kyouko simply settles back against the couch and chews on her cookie. Her eyes stay focused on Naru, because she's interested in what the girl has to say about her stalkers, but she doesn't have anything to add to the conversation at the moment, so she stays silent.
- Kunzite has posed:
"You didn't mention, but I'm interested in hearing," Kunzite notes. "Particularly given the remarkable lull of late." Changes of subject are, apparently, welcomed.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"No stalkers that I've noticed since Sunday night." Naru confirms and then mms softly. "Unless you guys are intercepting and not telling me, which is fine, other than for data collection."
"Assuming not, however, I'm noticing that when I take more time to paint, I get stalked less. Which seems like a fairly stupid correlation to notice." Naru offers a shrug. "Monday was a lot of art, but .. weird art."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"I ain't, can't speak for anybody else." Kyouko shrugs, though she does quirk a brow at Naru's statment about painting and stalking and the correlation between.
"Could be you're like.. building up magic and that's attractin' stuff. And then when you paint you kinda.. let it out, and you get less interesting to monsters." She suggests.. then shrugs again. "I mean.. I ain't no expert on monsters, other'n how to kill 'em, so I'm just spitballing, but.."
- Kunzite has posed:
"Generally I prefer to let you know, rather than risk a close encounter with your textbooks. If Zoisite's awake in the mornings this week, you can check with him." Kunzite does not dispute Kyouko's suggestion in the least -- either he agrees with it, or he thinks it might lead the conversation somewhere interesting.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"Zoi's adorably stubborn about running with me in the mornings." Naru grins, clearly fond. "Even with an out, he's all 'I said I'd get up, so I will!'" She giggles softly and then nods. "I'll check. I'm pretty sure he'd say if he had, its not like anyone is worried that I'll freak out knowing that there's youma stalking me."
Naru considers Kyouko's suggestion and then hunhs softly. "Does.. it work like that? I mean hunh. Lacrima said that my energy felt different.. she wondered if I was cursed again, actually."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"Well, like I said, I ain't no expert." Kyouko shrugs. "I dunno how your magic works.. or really how anybody's works. Even mine, half the time. But magic's like anything else- it has rules, even if we dun know what those rules are. You can figure 'em out if you try.. and that seems like a good starting point." She nods her head, chomping into another cookie.
- Kunzite has posed:
"Don't take Lacrima's musings too seriously," Kunzite notes. "She's incapable of picking up on positive aspects or emotions; it's a consequence of her present composition. The difference is real, yes. But her interpretation of any such change will always be negative; she can't perceive anything else."
He lifts his head, finally actually looking up and over at Kyouko and cookies, Naru and sketchbook. "For the rest -- Kyouko's right. It's a good place to start."
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"I really don't know how my magic works. It's a major step forward that I can say the words 'my magic' at all, but that's besides the point." Naru comments in return and then looks over to Kunzite and nods. "Generally the times I've been cursed, I've known about it, and .. nada this time. It's not an unreasonable guess, but it feels as much of a shot in the dark as anything else."
Naru muses on that further, resettling back into the couch with her coffee, the cookie gone. It's not like the beverage is going to get much colder at this point, but there's comfort in holding the mug.
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"Well, I guess any of us saying 'my' magic is a bit pretentious." Kyouko says, grinning slightly. "I mean, s'not like we invented the stuff. But it does come from your soul.. I mean, maybe not ultimately, but your ability to channel it does. I think that's true for pretty much all of us. So if we can say 'my magic', I think it's safe for you to do it too."
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"Not invented it, no." Naru laughs and shakes her head. "But accept it as something that's a part of you, that comes from you, and all of that seems reasonable enough to use the possessive."
"Denial ran strong for a while, and Kunzite is the soul of patience in not calling me on it. Much." Naru points out and then quirks a smile.
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"It's hard sometimes," Kyouko says, slowly, "To accept that you're special. That for some reason, fate picked you to be something other than ordinary." This is, of course, true of many people, but not all- it was true for Kyouko, after a fashion, though not the same way it was true for Naru.
"But, hell.. if it makes you feel any better, we're all special too, which sorta makes us less special." She grins, fang in evidence.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"Special special snowflakes, just like everyone else." Naru quips back to her with a snicker and then she nods. "I'd almost gotten used to being the weird one for being boring. Almost."
"Then things changed, and I still don't entirely believe it's not going to just vanish." Naru admits quietly. "No evidence that it will, just.. I guess.. too many times being cursed and possessed and with crap in my head, and generally not entirely me to not assume that first."
Naru's quiet again, watching the tree on her sketchbook lose a leaf, and it flutter down the page. "Then I figured, after Mamoru kicked me out of stupid a bit, that even if it is, there's no reason not to poke at it."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"Nothing's free." Kyouko says, with another lift of her shoulders. "That's one thing that Kyubey always goes on about that I happen to think he has right. Balance, is what the universe is all about. You need to put in what you get out, and vice versa."
"You got magic. Maybe that's because you paid the price already. You hadda lotta crap happen to you, Naru-chan. Maybe this is just your reward for sufferin' through it."
- Kunzite has posed:
"Or for what you put into the world despite that." Kunzite has bent his head back to the tablet, but that does not, apparently, entirely remove him from the conversation.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"Mmm." Naru muses thoughtfully on the notion of 'nothing is free'. "The magical equivilant of Newton's third law.." She considers that, and Kunzite's addition. "It's an interesting theory, I'm not sure. Perhaps. I know I'm far more resilient against magic than I was when I started. I'm not sure the drains that flattened me even just three months ago would give me so much pause now." She smiles to Kyouko. "That's what I thought of when you said allergies, but couldnt explain it right then."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"Well," Kyouko says, eyeing Kunzite, "I was just thinkin' since she already suffered so much, 'an all." She shrugs then, and glances back to Naru. "Oh.. I meant that maybe like.. since you weren't 'supposed' to see all the magic, but you were anyway, that the magic was reacting poorly to you and that's why you were gettin' attacked? But now it's used to you, so it ain't so bad anymore." She shrugs. "Anyway.. s'just a thought. Probably dumb."
- Kunzite has posed:
"Figuring that one out is a long-term project," Kunzite comments. "Once, even people without magic had no trouble perceiving it in action. Sorting out the nature of the change would be interesting -- for the long run."
Gray eyes flicker to Naru for a moment, but he doesn't voice whatever he's thinking of, and in a moment he glances away again.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"Ooh, that's a really interesting theory." Naru hunhs softly as she reaches for her phone, the other phone, to flick it on and take some notes in it. "Backlash against someone who shouldn't.. be interesting to see if Alex ends up getting attacked, and by 'interesting', I actually mean I clearly need to manage to keep an eye on him without ruffling his pride. And without actually being able to defend myself really all that much better than before, save for levelling up in punching things."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Kyouko sighs. "Are we gonna have to end up setting up a watch on him too?" She asks, but she grins, her complaint facetious. Of course they will, if they need to. "Kid seems like he can take care of himself.. although, of course, that has limits." As they are all too familiar with.
- Kunzite has posed:
"Particularly if he thinks he can take care of himself, and winds up against something in a different league." Kunzite brushes a hand against the tablet, presumably turning a page. "We'll see." Possibly Friday.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"Here's hoping the allergy theory is wrong." Naru makes a face. "He can take care of himself, by and large. Save that wraiths would eat him for /lunch/ and call in friends. The times I've been tossed into various 'death unless rescued' things really don't /care/ how good a fighter you are."
There's a little sigh and a nod from Naru. "That's argument for not saying, so you guys arent' stuck babysitting another one. Cause you're not off the hook from babysitting me."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"Naru-chan," And now Kyouko sounds slightly wry. "Our entire existence is babysitting people. We babysit ourselves. We babysit the rest of the city who don't even know we're doing it, but'd be screwed without us. We," and here she gestures to Kunzite, meaning the Shitennou, "Babysit Mamoru. He babysits us. We babysit each other. Seriously, that's what this whole game is. Lookin' out for each other. What's one more?" A carless shrug.
- Kunzite has posed:
"Be glad you're getting him as a teenager," Kunzite advises Kyouko. "Endymion made a lifestyle of almost falling out of or off of things, when he was younger." That is, as usual, what agreement sounds like from him. He flicks a glance over to Naru. "Also, you're failing to consider a factor. Not saying does not prevent him from finding out. It only leaves up to chance when he finds out. That might be preferable under some circumstances."
He shuts off the tablet at last, and leans to set it down on an endtable. "Besides. We're leaving out the distinct possibility that he might be so awkward with words because he's trying to avoid having to explain some involvement of his. Who's to say that it won't turn out even?"
- Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru opens her mouth to protest Kyouko's words and then she pauses. And closes her mouth again. And pauses again. "Alright.. I hadn't thought of it that way at all. You have a point."
"I /swear/ Endy chooses the highest places to jump off of when I'm with him, so that he can hear me squeak. Cruel!" Naru comments on the idea of a little Endy being fond of falling out of things, and by extension likely climbing up into things to then be able to fall off them.
"It.. hunh." Naru considers that and then quirks her head. "Possible. We both go off and do stuff quite deliberately without the other. His is usually middle of the night, and mine.. well.." She gestures at her sketchbook where the tree seems to have decided that it's autumn, and leaves should be shed. Pretty colours too. Including orange.
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Kyouko grins at Kunzite at his mention of Endymion as a child. "Sometime you'll have to tell me more about that." She says, for a moment keenly feeling the separation that still exists between her and the other Shitennou- the fact that they were there before, and she wasn't. Mamoru has told her that doesn't matter, doesn't make her less than they, but that doesn't make the difference go away. Hearing about it might though, at least a little.
To Naru, she laughs. "He does. You know, every serious conversation I've had with him as been on a rooftop."
She quirks a brow at her talk of Alex. "Want me to.. look into 'im for you?" Spy on him, she means. She won't unless asked. But she totally will if Naru wants her to find out what the deal is.
- Kunzite has posed:
There's no explicit echo of Kyouko's query, but Kunzite's eyes go Naru's way again, a visual check on the answer. There are any number of ways to spy on someone, after all.
"I'd blame Zoisite for giving him the habit," Kunzite says instead, "but it dated back to before he met Zoisite. So it's nothing but his own fault." Certainly it has nothing to do with Kunzite's tendencies in that regard.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"I am not asking you to spy on my boyfriend." Naru points out plainly and then pauses a moment as she considers the proper use of the term 'boyfriend' in this context and then moves on. "If you could keep an eye out for him, I'd appreciate it."
Which is bascially asking them to spy on him, just not in so many words.
"If I ever jump off a balcony of my own free will, I am probably possessed, or a pod person." Naru shudders at the very idea. "The whole pack of you are /insane/."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"Naru-chan," Kyouko says, grinning in a fashion all too similar to the Cheshire Cat, fangs and all, "It if makes you happy, I will keep an eye on your boyfriend." Much winking and nudging commences. Kunzite is in range to be nudged with an elbow, so he is. There is no other target.
"Eh," She then says, to the talk of balcony-jumping. "You get used to it."
- Kunzite has posed:
Nudging Kunzite with an elbow produces raised eyebrows, but they're at Kyouko rather than at Naru. This probably does not dissuade her any.
"If you have an understanding with gravity," he says to Naru, "it's not nearly as bad. Mind you. People falling off the balcony is still unpleasant."
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"I.. am so going to regret that, aren't I, Kyouko." Naru watches that fangy grin and shakes her head and she laughs. "I have an excellent understanding and relationship with gravity. I know that it wishes to drag me to the ground, and I respect that and avoid that awful splat that the bottom. See? Perfect understanding."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"I don't know what you mean." Kyouko says, suddenly innocent, glancing to the side as if the very idea of her using such an admission against Naru in some fashion is completeely ridiculous.
She then adds, "Someone would catch you if you fell. Well, if you're here, anyway. I wouldn't recommend trying it anywhere else."
- Kunzite has posed:
There are certain topics about which Kunzite is, in fact, wise enough to keep his mouth shut. Right now? Relationships are one of them. That is a fascinating wall over there.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"I don't think I go ping on falling. I suspect it would be a belated ping after the fact that would be a sad ping indeed." Naru comments on Kyouko's assertion about falling while here. "I'm not planning on trying the falling thing /anywhere/.. here or elsewhere. Nope. No thank you." She laughs and shakes her head. "I am grateful in many ways that I am spared, as best as I've worked out, any abilities that would include jumping or flying. Sometimes the universe is kind."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Kyouko side-eyes Kunzite. Though she may not be involved in any of them, she spends far too much time here and is far too close to the people who live here not to be aware of the spider-web of relationships that exist. A tiny smile tugs at her lips. She says nothing.
Then she just laughs at Naru- not a mocking laugh, but a laugh of understanding. "It's convinient as hell." She points out, quirking a brow. "I'm never late for work."
- Kunzite has posed:
And any number of people have spent time being secure in the knowledge of relationships that did not even exist at the time. Kunzite is definitely staying out at that one.
The other, though. "Why complain about flying? That would seem to solve all of your problems."
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"How does flying solve all my problems?" Naru asks with a quirk of her brow. "Other than completely throwing aside my quite comfortable relationship and understanding with gravity? Yeah no. Flying does not help, no."
"I have found that leaving on time seems to solve my not being late problems without the heart attacks." Naru grins.
There's a lot of not commenting on relationships, that may or may not have existed yet. YET.
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"Well, if you can fly then you can't exactly fall, now can you?" Kyouko points out, with that lopsided grin of hers. "Therefore, you don't need to be scared of it. Jumping, you can still fall. Though at least in my case, it doesn't actually hurt when you land."
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"I am not testing that theory." Naru shakes her head. "Nope. Great working theory, but nope." She pauses. "Okay, I'd be willing to fly.. say.. this high." She holds her hand at about the height of the coffee table. "Maybe even this high, if I was feeling daring." She moves her hand up to perhaps counter height.
"Really?" Naru blinks at Kyouko. "It doens't hurt when you land?"
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Kyouko narrows her eyes slightly at Naru. "Do you think I'd be leaping off of buildings from twenty stories up if it was incredibly painful each time I hit the ground?" She asks, chuckling. "No, it doesn't hurt, but it also has to be.. like, conscious. Like, I'm sure if I fell off a building unconscious or something it'd hurt, but as long as its a deliberate jump, it's fine. Magic shock absorbers or something, I guess."
- Kunzite has posed:
And in Kyouko's wake, after she's explained how the jumping part works ... Kunzite just gives an almost lazy glance Naru's way. "Certainly," he says. "Now?"
- Naru Osaka has posed:
The silence from Naru says that she probably wouldnt have been surprised to hear that it hurt when Kyouko landed, no matter that it makes not a bit of sense when put that way.
"Hmm?" Naru glances to Kunzite. "Now what?"
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Kyouko just smirks slightly, glancing at Kunzite and shaking her head as she stands up. "I'm gonna go get a drink. Either of you want anything?" This spoken as she is already heading off to the kitchen.
- Kunzite has posed:
"Flying. That high." Kunzite leans down to put a hand out at coffee-table height. Then glances back to Kyouko as he straightens. Clearly he is having no truck with any such thing as smiling. "I'm all right, thank you."
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"Something sweet, please. Juice or soda, I dont mind." Naru calls over to Kyouko and then blinks back to Kunzite. "I don't fly. I draw pictures. You teleport. I don't do that either."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Kyouko is gone for a few moments, then returns carrying a glass of water for herself, and some sort of juice for Naru. This is handed over, and then she grins as she plops back down, sipping. "You really should broaden your horizons, Naru-chan." She teases, knowing full-well that the girl is by no means set in her ways.
- Kunzite has posed:
"Once upon a time," Kunzite says to Naru, "I had the unpleasant surprise of discovering that collapse sinkholes exist. I didn't, at the time, fly. After Endymion put me back together, and after we'd collected enough other guards for him that my being stabbed by several stalagmites did not generally leave him unprotected, I made fixing the problem of 'not flying' into something of a priority. I'm not particularly good at it, granted. But in this case, 'not good' means slow, not unreliable."
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"Ah ha. Ha ha." Naru 'laughs' at Kyouko's awesome joke and then she starts to giggle softly, far more genuinely. "I know, right? I totally need to get out more. I should take up swimming."
Naru blinks at Kunzite a moment and then quirks her head. "Where were you that collapse sinkholes is a /thing/ that.. never mind. I don't want to know. I also have no planson getting stabbed by stalagmites, because I'm pretty sure that's going to hurt, even if Kyouko landing doesn't."
"Also.. you do.. all sorts of thing." Naru points out and then waggles her hand between both of them. "Both of you. Oh, thanks, Kyouko." She takes the juice with that moment of thanks. "I refer you back to earlier in the conversation where you two advised patience on getting anywhere with my only current trick."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"Actually, my skillset is fairly limited." Kyouko says. "I sure as hell can't fly." She says this openly, genuinely believing it, even though she has demonstrated on multiple occasions that her skillset, essentially, is 'whatever the hell it needs to be to accomplish the task'. She just doesn't seem to realize it when not actively needing it.
She grins at Kunzite, then. "Still.. sure is amazin' what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it."
- Kunzite has posed:
Should take up swimming. Kunzite's mouth curves a little more than usual, but only for a moment. "I didn't say that it had to be under your power," he points out. "Perhaps you'll work out a way to use what you do for it, eventually. But not yet. It was ... mn. More or less a third- or fourth-stage development for me. My power isn't that different from Lacrima's, in essence -- I've just had more time and thought to put into working out different uses for it."
Whether or not Kyouko figured out how to use a spear to do the next damned thing to flying for a few seconds, he does not address. Ahem.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"Last time .. okay every time.. Mamoru takes me poke hunting and we jump from building to building? Yeah, I don't look 'til we've landed and just try not to think about it on the way." Naru points out with a gesture after a drink of her juice. "Not my power, which is just /fine/, cause then I don't have to look. I'm a very big fan of not looking down."
Naru arches a brow at Kyouko's assertion of 'fairly limited', but she doesn't actively point it out. She just thinks it really loudly.
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
If you asked Kyouko what powers she had, she'd probably answer "stabbing and jumping, and I fight pretty good." This, while certainly true, fails to address the larger picture, but that's just the way she sees it. "The more skills we have between us," She says, smiling, "The better off we'll be. If you can do somethin' none of us can.. well, we're better off as a group."
- Kunzite has posed:
"She already can," Kunzite says as an almost-absent aside to Kyouko. "She can convince Zoisite to follow her when he's drunk, and come out of it not in need of bandaging."
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"That's a skill?" Naru blinks and then laughs. "Zoisite is /adorable/ when he's drunk and blushy, oh my goodness. At least he only wanted to live under my bed, and not in the closet. He could probably have taken the monsters under the bed."
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"I can't even get him to listen to me half the time, let alone follow me." Kyouko smirks slightly, shrugging her shoulders. "But hell.. Naru has a way with getting people to talk to her. I mean look, she somehow made friends with you'n me, right nii-chan?" She grins.
- Kunzite has posed:
"We glory in her lack of standards," Kunzite agrees to Kyouko. "And if it's only half the time, you're substantially ahead of average." Presumably he's smiling -- no, actually smiling -- at the mental image of Zoisite crouching under Naru's bed like an irate, territorial, and defense cat. No other reason.
- Naru Osaka has posed:
"People are fascinating. I had someone remind me to appreciate the fascination in people at one point." Naru points out with a warm smile as she watches that smile emerge from Kunzite. "You two are amongst the most delightfully fascinating people I know." She turns that smile to Kyouko as well.
And the mental image of Zoisite hiding under a bed really /is/ pretty awesome.
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"Aw, you're makin' me blush, Naru-chan." Kyouko says, and she actually is, if just a little. "I'm just a small-town preacher's daughter who's gotten in way too much trouble for still not bein' able to drive. Nothin' too interestin' about that." She laughs- though the fact that she's able to make a joke like that at all speaks to how far she's come in the past year.
- Kunzite has posed:
Kunzite lowers his head for a moment and says nothing. It is just possible that he's trying not to laugh. It is also possible that he's trying specifically not to laugh at Naru's definition of 'fascinating.'
- Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru ruins the attempt at not laughing by laughing herself and she uncurls to lean over and flip her sketchbook closed. "Nothing interesting at /all/, nope. And you totally can drive." She counters with another laugh before glancing over to Kunzite, to see if he's cracked yet.
- Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"I meant legally." Kyouko says, smirking.. not bringing up certain high-speed motorcyle chases she may or may not have taken part in. Quite a while ago now.
She glances at Kunzite, and grins. Whether or not he cracks, she leans over and wraps an arm around his shoulders, squeezing just for a moment. Then she's springing to her feet. "Alright.. I gotta get home. We'll see what Friday brings, eh Naru-chan?" She winks.. then heads for the balcony.