2151/Later, At Home

Later, At Home
Date of Scene:	23 November 2016
Location:	Earth Court Frat House
Synopsis:	Naru pursues some questions which had arisen during a previous conversation. Secrets are cautiously shared.
Cast of Characters:	Kyouko Sakura, Naru Osaka

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Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Any old afternoon at the ECFH. Kyouko is just hanging around, as she is wont to do between work and other responsibilities. Momo is not in evidence, which means she is likely at her own job at the local Thrift Store, or off doing something else.

    You'd be forgiven for forgetting that Kyouko doesn't actually live here, given how often she chooses to hang out in the penthouse rather than her own apartment. It's probably just because she spent so much time alone in the past few years that the thought doesn't particularly appeal anymore, if she can avoid it. Though, the other occupants of the ECFH have their own lives which means that she ends up here alone fair often anyway. That's okay though- it still feels less lonely to her.

    She's currently sprawled across a couch, chewing Pocky in the corner of her mouth and reading some more of that schlock manga she occasionally brings home from the conbenie.

Naru Osaka has posed:
There's a difference between 'alone in an apartment that won't have anyone home for hours' and 'alone in the grand central station esque ECFH'. Naru doesn't live there either, she doesn't even live just downstairs, but she's certainly there often enough. Although technically, by some readings, it actually /is/ her job.

Today, Naru has mostly been over in the other apartment, dutifuly working on the mural, pleased with the progress being made there and pausing to let that layer dry as she pads her way over to the currently occupied section of the floor.

"Hey Kyouko." Naru greets on her way to the kitchen and there's a vague gesture. "I'm putting water on for tea, want any?"

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko has likely been aware that Naru is in the apartment- being aware of who is around her is an almost instinctive talent she's honed over years of constant danger. But she doesn't need to interrupt the other girl's work- she's satisfied just knowing she is around and busy doing her own thing.

    When Naru wanders by and offers tea though, she sits up, smiling over the back of the couch. "Sure, that'd be good." She says, stretching an arm above her head and laying the manga down, spine bent, on the back of her seat before climbing to her feet to trail towards the kitchen in Naru's wake.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru while mural painting isn't terribly good company, anyhow. It's earbud karaoke to the most saccarine of pop music and bad dancing. It's really not /hard/ to know she's there, at least when she's moderately happy.

Water into kettle, flick the switch and a casual climb on the counter to retrieve mugs. "What kind of tea do you want?" Naru asks as she considers the options while still knelt on the counter to better be able to peer into the tea cupboard.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko can't sing. At all. The few people who have heard her try are likely to say it's more painful than being on the wrong end of her spear. So at least in that regard, she and Naru are equal. Plus, the walls provide enough of a buffer to make it tolerable.

    She leans against the doorframe leading into the kitchen, watching Naru as she sets out the things for tea. "Any kind. I'm not picky." Kyouko says, truthfully enough, another inch of Pocky stick disappearing between her teeth as she does.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Jasmine then, that's what I'm in the mood for." Box selected and tea bags plucked out and dropped into mugs. Naru twists and hops down lightly from the counter and then waits on the kettle. "I figured I'd ply you with tea before I poked you with more questions." She grins brightly, her voice light, in spite of the reality of the seriousness of any conversation that required 'wait til we get home' sort of requests.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko quirks a brow at the response, though her smile, lopsided though it is, remains. "You know me well enough by now to know that food is the best bribe." She says, a hint of wry amusement in her tone. "Tea might not actually be food, but it's close enough." The Pocky stick snaps between her teeth as she bites it in two, and swiftly devours the rest of it.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Food is not yet off the table." Naru points out with a smile. "I suspect no one would balk if there was suddenly a cake in the kitchen, or more brownies, or muffins or something. I am perfectly capable of conversation while I bake."

Naru isn't moving to get out ingredients, however, she's leaning on the counter waiting on the kettle. "So Witches were.. are?.. the pre-cursor to Wraiths? How are those interconnected? Or are they?"

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko's grin widens just a little bit more at Naru's mention of baked goods. "You're lucky you're spoken for, girl, because you know just how to sweet-talk me." She laughs, clearly playful in her words, as she crosses her arms over her chest.

    At the question about Witches, though, her expression grows faintly more serious. "Yeah. Wraiths are a new development, really. Never used to be any around before this past summer. Witches are.. what Puella have been hunting for thousands of years. When you kill 'em, they drop Grief Seeds, which we use to purify our Soul Gems. Need to do that or.. bad things happen. Grief Cubes from Wraiths work the same way, but not as well. Slower, less efficient. Wraiths are also a lot easier to kill than Witches, though."

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru winks with a playful grin before the conversation settles to the more serious topic. The click of the kettle prompts her to turn and lift to be able to pour boiling water into mugs as she considers. "What changed? Or is that one of those questions of the ages that I'm just echoing everyone else on?" She mmms softly and passes one of the mugs over to Kyouko, her expression thoughtful. One can practically see her mulling through connections and tidbits in her head. "Wraiths aren't super common though, are Witches still around?"

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "Kyubey decided to do an.. experiment, is what changed." Kyouko says, her mouth twisting, "Although Takashi's stupid fake-Kyubey made the situation worse by lying to use about it at first. But yes, there are still Witches. As long as there are Puella, there will be Witches."

    She sighs after a moment, pushing off of the doorframe and walking on quiet, bare feet over to where Naru is pouring the tea. "I wanna make somethin' clear to you, Naru-chan. The fact that we're havin' this conversation at all is a testament to the fact that I trust you. Honestly, aside from brothers and sisters, you're probably my closest friend." She grins slightly. "Don't go getting a big head though- there ain't much competition."

    Her face grows serious again. "But this secret is somethin' only a bare handful of people know. It's dangerous knowledge- not to you, but to me, and my sister. I need you to promise me what what we talk about here never goes beyond these walls."

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru pauses in whatever she was going to say as Kyouko comes clearer and she turns then, to face her properly. Her smile is gentle at the friendship admission, even if there's not much competition. "I'm glad, I trust you too."

As the conversation grows more serious again Naru frowns faintly and nods slowly. "I would never wish to do you or your sister harm. I promise not to share your secrets."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "I know you won't. If I thought you might, I wouldn't tell you, friends or not." Kyouko says, holding Naru's gaze for a moment before glancing away and heaving a faint sigh.

    "The reason there will always be Witches as long as there are Puella... is that Witches are Puella. Fallen Puella. That's what happens to us when our Soul Gems fully darken. They shatter, and turn into Grief Seeds, and we turn into Witches. Monsters who devour people- only to be killed in turn by our own kind so that they might hold off that fate for themselves a little bit longer."

    A faint smirk as she glances back at Naru. "It's a cruel system. Puella kill Witches to survive, only to eventually turn into Witches themselves and be killed in turn by the next generation. There's almost an elegance to it.. if not for the fact that Witches hurt and kill innocent people along the way."

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru is quiet as she listens, not inturrupting Kyouko as she explains. There's a little mmm as she files away that horrible reality of the cycle of Puella life into her thoughts, into her reality and then there's a soft hunh and a nod, as if that information was a puzzle piece that filled in a hole with a click.

"It is a cruel system." Naru agrees with a slow nod, still thinking through implications and ramifications. "Are Wraiths also Puella? No.. they don't have grief seeds, so no soul gem, so no.." Thinking aloud, clearly.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "No, Wraiths are.. something else. In many ways, Witches are the manifestation of human misery. Kyubey apparently wanted to see what would happen if he stopped making new Puella for a while, and therefore stopped Witches being born by extension. What happened was, Wraiths showed up. They're all that un-channeled misery given form, or something. I don't think Kyubey even really understands it, but.. they're a side-effect. They're not intelligent, they're just sort of.. part of the system, like a storm or a forest fire."

    "Witches are much worse. They're intelligent. Not the same way we are, I guess but.. they used to be people. Fighting a Witch ain't nothin' like fighting a Wraith." She sighs. "You may find out, someday. Kyubey is back to granting Wishes again. That's his game, y'see. Apparently there's a large release of energy when a Puella transforms into a Witch. So for thousands of years, Kyubey and his ilk, the Incubators, have been granting little girls' Wishes- turning them into Puella, then watching them fall and harvesting the energy when they change, then creating more Puella so the system keeps going. It's.. apparently very profitable."

    She twists her lips. "He claims it's for the greater good.. that his kind use that energy they collect to keep the Universe from ending, and that the suffering of a few human girls is nothing compared to the loss of all life in existence. I guess he might have a point, but. Don't make it any easier for the girls."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Based on how well I fight Wraiths, I am alright if I never find out what its like to fight a Witch." Naru comments quietly and then frowns anew. "And Taka managed to make fake-Kyubey /worse/ than actual Kyubey? That.. sounds hard to do." She clearly isn't much of a fan, based on this conversation alone.

Naru pauses a moment and then there's a small smile. "Thank you for sticking it to Kyubey's pyramid scheme and still being you. I'm very very glad of it."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "I don't know if Takashi's Kyubey-clone is actually worse than Kyubey." Kyouko says wryly. "He just made some inconvinient remarks back when we thought he was Kyubey, and it caused confusion."

    She shakes her head slightly. "Being me is one of the only things I'm really good at." She says, with a chuckle. "But.. Naru-chan. Don't hold onto any illusions. I may be luckier than most, or as Mami once told me, too damn stubborn to die. But I'm not immune. Puella don't last long, once the Wish is made. Falling into despair is what causes most to become Witches, but it can happen other ways, too. Using too much magic, for one. Frankly, it's a miracle I've lasted as long as I have- as I've said before, I only know two others who have managed it, Mami and Homura, out of dozens of Puella I've known."

    "I got a lot goin' for me now.. a new family to support me, healers to keep my body tickin', friends who care about me. I got no intent of dyin' soon, or easily. But I still amd what I am. Even Kyouko Godamned Sakura can't escape fate forever."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I can support the 'too damn stubborn to die' theory." Naru nods with a touch of a smile. "I can also absolutely appreciate that you aren't going down without a fight, and not in the next few weeks, or even few months."

Her expression is more serious again, as Naru considers her words. "It's like being in remission. Things are in balance now, but the potential for it falling out of kilter is high, and will probably happen eventually. Which sucks, and I'll be devistated at the time, but right now? Enjoy you while we've got you, for as long as possible." Naru takes a slow breath, letting it out in a slow measured exhalation and then points at Kyouko. "Not soon, I havne't figured out my magic enough to kick your witch-self butt, so you have to wait a while yet."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko actually laughs a little. "Well, I don't think you need to worry about that, Naru-chan. The line will probably be around the corner. And frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way." A bit of a wolfish grin. "A friend will watch your back. A true friend will stick a knife in it, when you really need them to."

    Then she shakes her head. "But, depressing thoughts about eventual fates aside.. I trust you can see why this secret is so dangerous? Most Puella don't know it. Kyubey keeps 'em ignorant- makes things go smoother. If most Puella don't know, even fewer non-Puella know. I want to keep it that way. Last thing I need is some righteous jerk deciding that all Puella are just monsters waiting to be born and trying to wipe us all out or something."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I can totally see why you have no desire to spread this knowledge around." Naru nods firmly. "Because, yes. I can totally see someone being /that/ kinda righteous jerk and then you'd have to take them out, and people would get weird about it and it'd be a mess of significant proportions."

Naru pauses and then sets her tea down to start collecting up bowl and measuring cups and flour. Apparently this conversation requires baking after all. "Kunzite knows, yes?" It's a pretty good bet, all things considered, but vetting who she can talk theories out with is a good thing here.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "Yes, that, and also.. there's something to be said for ignorance." Kyouko says, with a sigh. "We can't stop girls Wishing. There are just too many of them, and no way to really track Kyubey. Lots of them make a good difference in the world. With no way to stop it, it might be kinder to let them continue without knowing. That's what I think, anyway."

    "In any event, the whole turning into a Witch thing don't really bother me. I mean, I'd like to live to be 80, sure, but.. well, I don't feel guilty killin' a Witch, knowing it used to be a Puella. I consider it putting a lost sister out of her misery. And as long as I got somebody around to do the same for me, and my Grief Seed can help them out.. well. It don't bother me. I just want to make sure I don't hurt any innocent people before I get done in, you know?"

    She nods to that last question. "Like I said.. a few people only. Puella.. Homura, Madoka, Mami, Sayak, and myself. Non-puella.. Kunzite, Mamoru. Hannah, also, much as it annoys me. That might actually be it."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Chocolate, spice or lemon for the cake?" Naru asks as she nods to the notion of Wishing and Kyubey and not knowing. "Sometimes ignorance really is bliss, it's hard to know though and different from person to person. I prefer knowing, even the crappy stuff. Like finding out about magic? Even for the fact that by and large, it's pretty much layers of suck from top to bottom, I'm glad to know. Others? They'd find it too stressful."

Naru mmms on the notion of putting a sister out of her misery and nods. "I can see that, about not wanting to take out innocent people on the way." Her expression is rueful. "The likehood of any of us making it to being all elderly and fierce grandmothers is, realistically, pretty slim. You're just more certain than most."

Naru nods slowly at the list. The very short list. "I'm only likely to be working out thoughts with Kunzite and /maybe/ Mamoru, but likely just Kunzite. I'm not really in contact with the other puella much at all."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "Just make sure you only speak about it when you're sure it's safe to." Kyouko says, casting a glance at Naru again, and then shrugging. "Like I said.. I wouldn't have told you if I didn't trust you. You got a good head on your shoulders, Naru-chan, better'n most who've had the kinda life you've had." She grins. "Spoiled brats, I say, but I like you anyway."

    She considers the cake. "Spice, I think. I always have been a fan of food that bites back." She shakes her head slightly, though, at Naru's fatalistic outlook. "You ain't been in this game long enough to go talkin' like that, Naru-chan. Puella get stamped with an expiration date, but it's not like that for other types. Assuming we don't fail to prevent an apocalypse, which I suppose is possible, I see you gettin' old and grey, no worries."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Generally its here, or at my apartment, but more often here." Naru nods at the admonishment to ensure its safe and then she grins. "Spoiled /rotten/. I still am, really. I try and at least remember how good I've got it." The request for spice cake doesn't bring out much of a change in ingredient choices, just a wide selection of spices. Some that really don't actually look like they belong in cake.

"Hey, this is the optimistic version of myself." Naru points out at the comment on her fatalistic attitude and she laughs softly. "I spent a fair chunk of time, before I even knew that apocalypses were a possibility outside of disaster movies, being quietly convinced that I didn't have to worry about university. For no good reason, just one of those stupid pit of stomach feelings. Perversely, now that I get to face things that want to kill me, or lobotomise me, or take over our planet and obliterate it, or what have you.. I'm more comfortable thinking further ahead."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko nods her head slightly, shrugging a little bit. "I know how that is. Look.. I only learned about all this Puella-Witch stuff within the last year. But I knew.. knew to my bones, that I would never turn fifteen. That I would never turn eighteen. That I would never turn twenty. I've made it to that first mark, though I don't know how, and maybe I'll make it to the second, or the third, but I ain't countin' on it."

    "Thing is, when you're sure you should already be dead, every day seems like a gift, y'know?" She smiles a little. "And one I richly do not deserve, for the record. But it makes you appreciate what you have a lot more. I once told Kunzite, that if my flame is going to go out early, I want to burn as brightly as I can before that happens. Some people live to be a hundred years old, and never accomplish anything of note, don't get remembered. Well.. I might die before I turn twenty, but if people remember me, for better or worse.. that's good enough for me."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"You do deserve it." Naru comments as she starts measuring flour out into a bowl. "And you'll argue, and protest but I think you deserve the gift of many days, past and present and yet to come.

"You're absolutely right though." She nods as she scoops and then levels off the cup. "You do appreciate it more." She looks over to Kyouko and smiles. "You'll be remembered, that's not even a question, and probably sworn at, and probably chatted with, to similar effectiveness that chatting with Fiore has."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "That's comforting to me, really." Kyouko says, smiling at the thought of being chatted with, after she's gone. "I don't fear death, but I do fear.. not mattering. I just want to make sure that I did something that mattered. I think I can here.. with these people." She gestures around the penthouse apartment, empty at the moment except for the two girls, but her meaning clear.

    "I wasted enough time being hurt and angry after my family died. Time I didn't have to waste. Dunno if I'll be able to make up for it now but.. I'm sure as hell gonna try." And suddenly, she takes a step over and hugs Naru. Kyouko is not the huggy type, usually, so this may come as a bit of a surprise, but it only lasts a moment before she is once again padding across the kitchen to lean on some cabinets. "Thanks, though. It means a lot."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"You matter." Naru assures and she has that step to set down what she's holding to be able to give a quick, fierce hug in return. Neither are the huggy types (exceptions apply), but its a welcome addition to the conversation. "You seem to be making good time on the making up for it now. Life /is/ good, big picture.. giant killer plants and weird dreams and nightmares aside. And in about an hour, there will be cake."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "I matter to a few people." Kyouko says, "And I'm very grateful for that, don't get me wrong. But I want to matter. I want to leave a mark on the world." She shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe that's unrealistic but.. well. Gotta dream big." A grin.

    "Hey.. to some degree, giant killer plants and monsters help make life good. I'd be awfully bored with nothing to fight. But.. cake always helps too. And it's less dangerous."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"That depends on how spicy I make this cake." Naru points out and then laughs. "Although it's probably not going to be giant killer plant spicy." She wrinkles her nose. "That fight /sucked/ on so many levels. I swear, plants are starting to war with Wraiths on 'things I'm alright with not fighting anymore'."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "You haven't fought any Witches yet." Kyouko reminds her friend.. then seems to recall something. "Anyway, back to the origin of this whole conversation.. the White Flower. See, most Witches are just Witches. But sometimes they get.. worse."

    She frowns slightly. "I don't know much about it.. I didn't deal with this White Flower last year, but I was there when we fought Walpurgisnacht. A Witch so powerful, she can wipe cities off the map. We had dozens of magical people here to meet her, and still only managed to drive her off, not kill her."

    "I dunno her story.. or the White Flower's. But if they are Witches, of a sort, and evidence seems to support that they are.. they must have been Puella, once."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I'm totally aiming to pull the 'non-combatant wimp' card on Witch fighting pre-emptively." Naru waggles a spatula as she mixes dry ingredients together.

"And 'wipe cities off the map' says that I am totally justified." Naru points out, although they both know that non-combatant or not, if things go down, she'll be there. Non-combatant or not.

"Hunh. Sayaka implied as much, when she referred to White Flower as both a Witch and a Puella at different points in the conversation yesterday." Naru noticed at least. "But if it was her grief seed that Madison Perry stole, doesn't that mean that she's dead?"

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "You're not a wimp, Naru-chan, and anybody is justified in not wanting to fight something like Walpurgisnacht." Kyouko says dryly, before shrugging her shoulders again at the mention of the White Flower being 'dead'.

    "Witches can re-hatch from Grief Seeds, if they aren't properly disposed of. ANd by that, I generally mean used up purifying Soul Gems, and then given to Kyubey. What he does with 'em, I dunno, but I don't think they re-hatch then. If this Perry character stole the White Flower's Grief Seed, it's possible that she could.. re-hatch. She ain't a normal Witch, I think that much is clear, but that'd be my guess as to what they're tryin' to do."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Hunh." Naru pauses a moment and then there's a touch of a smirk and a dry comment as she moves to get milk and eggs and oil for the cake. "Talk about taking puella healing abilities to an extreme. Damn."

"So what's in it for Madison Perry?" Naru muses as she brings all the things she needs back over to the counter. Apparently spice cake no longer requires a recipe for Naru, it's kitchen magic of the most basic kind. "Which might be a rhetorical question, I understand."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "Yeah, too bad you gotta be a Witch already to take advantage of it." Kyouko says, with a dismissive shrug. "Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be coming back from the dead." She pauses, remembering D-point. "Again, anyway."

    As for Madison Perry, Kyouko just shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine. She ain't a Puella. I never met 'er, though from what nii-chan has told me she sounds like your run-of-the-mill psycho. No clue what kinda deal she might have worked out."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Man.. all of my best friends are zombies." Naru quips with an amused snort as she measures what she needs into a measuring cup and then just uses it to whisk her wet ingredients togehter in, no sense dirtying another bowl.

"Knowing she's not a puella is helpful." Naru comments. "I've never met her, never seen her, I dont' really know much about her at all. I expect that will change at some point, probably sooner rather than later, but for now, I got nothing useful."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko rolls her eyes. "Not zombies. Just.. differently alive." She supplies helpfully, watching the creating of the cake ingredients with some interest. She couldn't cook her own foot if she stepped in a fire.

    "Well.. who knows." She shrugs, with regards to Madison Perry. "From what I can gather, the White Flower isn't on the same 'wrath of god' scale as Walpurgisnacht, but that don't mean she ain't trouble. But we'll be ready for trouble, if it comes."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Liches? You guys are all way more awesome than zombies, it's true." Naru grins brightly, as one does when teasing one's friends for being 'differently alive'.

The cake comes together surprisingly easily under a deft hand. Naru's cooking isn't fancy or elaborate. Makoto does gourmet and amazing without breaking a sweat. Naru does basic well, and is happy with little riffs on old standbys. A greased and floured pan soon has cake in it, and into the oven.

Naru passes the bowl over to Kyouko in offer to lick out the remaining batter. "The expectation of trouble is a default. Knowing what flavour of trouble is just a nice bonus, and how many different troubles are all going to bite us at once, also nice."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "Yes." Kyouko agrees, taking the bowl and dutifully setting about scraping it clean with fingers and tongue. "But the big troubles are the ones you don't see coming. Usually."

    She grins a little, then hands the bowl back before pushing away from the counter. "Anyway.. what comes will come. We'll handle it." A brief, almost carefree shrug. "It's what we do."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Not always, but they feel a lot bigger for being unexpected, that's for certain." Naru agrees as she sets to filling a sink with warm soapy water, and setting a timer for the cake. "But it's true. What comes will come, and we'll handle it." She pauses a moment, only in her words, not in selecting which dishes to wash next. "Still seems odd to be part of the 'we' in we'll handle it, speaking in the broader magical sense, rather than the Shitennou sense of 'we'."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko grins a little bit.. patting Naru on the shoulder as she walks back out towards the living room. "You'll get used to it." She says, and vanishes around the doorway.