2323/Amo Amas Amat Amu

Amo Amas Amat Amu
Date of Scene:	11 January 2017
Location:	Earth Court Frat House
Synopsis:	Amu comes over to the ECFH for some advice, gets it and encouragement, and leaves in a screaming flail of red face. Mamoru resolves to dispense advice with a paper bag over his head thereafter.
Cast of Characters:	Amu Hinamori, Mamoru Chiba

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Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori took a deep breath, staring at the door. Nervously... she reached out and knocked.

Mamoru opened it, swinging the door open and then smiled at her. 'Oh, Amu, I've waited for you, my beautiful joker...' 'W-what?' 'I have talked with Tadase-kun and...' Reaches out to stroke her cheek. 'We can be together now. I will treat you like the princess you are.' 'You... you will? But... Tadase-kun...' 'Sailor moon and I have an open relationship... now you do too... now...' LEans in for a kiss...

Amu shook her head, her cheeks burning before giving a little sqwee. Okay, that was NOT going to happen. She reached out and knocked on the door for REAL this time. She was here for GOOD reasons! Not molesting a super hunky guy... No matter how badly she wanted to.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru opens it, swinging the door open and smiling at Amu. "Amu-chan! Excellent timing, I was looking for a guinea pig and everyone's hiding from me, I have no idea why," he says, stepping back to let her in. His hands move like he's going to rub them together in glee, but he stops himself before he looks too much like a devastatingly handsome supervillain.

He doesn't close the door unless Amu forgets to, and he politely waits for her to finish taking her shoes off and acquiring guest slippers before gesturing toward-- and then leading Amu in the direction of-- the sunny-painted kitchen with its wide open counter space. The floor in the immense living room is a tile mosaic, and three out of four walls -- minus the large row of picture windows with the balcony on one side -- are covered by a beautiful mural; that doesn't stop the furniture from being well-used and somewhat scuffed and mismatched, nor does it stop the projector with a jillion videogame consoles and controllers pointed at a currently-rolled-up projector screen up high on the wall.

There's a scent in the air that's unusual, potentially delicious, and potentially worrisome. Once Amu steps into the kitchen, she'll see what's making it: a tray of something just come out of the still-pinging oven. It smells kind of like cardamom and kind of like custard and it looks... brown. And kind of lumpy. "Burfi!" he crows, then pauses, looking uncertain. "Hopefully. It doesn't look like the picture online."

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori nodded, smiling as she stepped inside and started getting everything ready. She did close the door, of course. And then she followed him into the kitchen. "It... looks nice." No, HE looked nice. That looked like dog crap on a plate. Still, she sat down and would even try a bit.

Love made even the worst poisons taste good! Miki rolled her eyes, but all three charas would try some as well. Su looked thoughtful... Then frowned. "The flavor is correct, but presentation is done poorly. Come," she said, before flying up, taking Mamo's hand, and leading him to the fridge. "I'll show you how to do it properly!" She didn't chara change, though. She was going to have mamo do it, she was just supervising.

Amu watched a moment and... "Mamoru-kun. You, uhhh... you're a..." She took a deep breath. "You're studying to become a doctor, right? I'm curious if you... what made you decide to do that? What made you decide to want to help people like that?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
The older teenager laughs ruefully. "You're very kind, it doesn't look nice at all. But it should taste okay--!" Pieces get scooped out of the minimuffin wells, for Amu and Miki and Su and Ran and Mamoru, all. He tries it right along with them, considering the taste, then blinking at Su as she takes his hand and pulls him along. "What, right now?" he asks, mouth full of treat and other hand coming it up to hold it in while he talks.

He opens the fridge and points. "Can't! Almost out of milk and I'd get a sadface and possibly revenged if I raided someone else's fridge. But you can show me another time? If nobody else likes them, Apatite and I can finish 'em, it's okay."

Then he glances back at Amu and looks a little taken aback, before he closes the fridge and gives her a much smaller smile than before, the sort of reserved one he usually shows in public that nevertheless reveals honest affection. "Ohh. A lot of things. And honestly -- even though I'm taking exams this weekend -- I'm still considering whether it's the right thing to do. It'll eat the next six years of my life, and a lot more people count on me for a lot more things now than I'd ever thought possible."

He settles Su on his shoulder and then comes to sit across from Amu, leaning over to carve another piece of greyish-brown treat from the tray. "One of the reasons I initially decided was because I wanted to make hospital stays better for kids than the ones I had when I was little. Another is because I am a healer, and actually having a medical degree would make it easier."

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori nodded, lowering her eyes. She took a slow, deep breath. "I've... been thinking a lot. About what I want to do. Who I want to be when I grow up. And..." She gave another soft sigh. "I've... noticed more and more... I'm not... my powers aren't as strong as a lot of the others. They fight monsters and scary things. I... deal with emotional problems. I think as more time develops, there's going to be less and less I can do. Unless I... focus on what I CAN do."

She took a slow, deep breath. "So I... think I want to become a therapist. Likely a child one. I mean, I'm learning so many different skills thanks to Ran, Su and Miki. I'm pretty good with kids now. And..." She made a little circle on the table with her finger.

"I want to.. .help. So... I... I think I'm going to try doing more with virtue, too. When I first joined the jokers, all I've really done is... sharpen the pencils. Tadase-kun and the others dealt with the difficult things. They said it was because the x-eggs were my responsibility, but so what? The other girls deal with things a LOT worse than x-eggs and they still get a ton done. And... I wanna help... support them."

Su, meanwhile, had grabbed a pen and pencil and notepad and was making him take notes on how to make it turn out better and properly prepare it.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
The first time Mamoru writes down 'x-eggs' instead of 'simmer', Mamoru firmly puts down the pencil, collects Su, and leans across the table to put her next to Amu with an admonishing look. Then his attention's back on the little chara's Bearer, and he props his chin in his hand, glasses briefly opaqued by the reflection of the ceiling lamp.

"I keep thinking I should try to catch up and do more with Virtue again, myself, but again -- I have a lot of responsibilities now that I didn't have back when I joined." He lets out a little laugh, and then his eyes smile more than his mouth. "It sounds like you're resolved on a path," he says mildly. "And it sounds like a good one, one you'll enjoy and make a difference with. You do know that choosing a path to focus on doesn't mean you have to give up your other dreams, right?"

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori nods and pokes her fingers together. "So... you... think it's a good idea, then? I-I even thought we might try to host... wlel, t-the guardians... we could host some kind of monthly... virtue get together. I mean, there are a LOT of magical people like us now, right? And if we could better organize ourselves, there'd be less problems, right? I mean, just the other day I met this cure girl who apparently challenged a general of her enemies to fight! She could really use our help, but she didn't even seem to know about us. I set her on the right path and have help for her now but... there are so many others out there. Right now. Who need us. Who... we could protect. Those with potential to do so much good. And... and I want to help them all. Now."

She kept swirling her fingers on the table. "So... do you think... someone like... me can do it? I... I mean... you've... known me a bit... right and..." She chewed on her lower lip.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"It's a good idea," Mamoru says firmly. "They're both good ideas. And you already know we're a resource you can count on, you can send people our way if they need the kind of help we can give -- once summer hits, we could host one of your get-togethers too, if you wanted."

He gives up carving burfi out of the tray for now -- Kyouko can help him empty it later -- and crosses his arms on the table in front of him. "Now, part of the appeal of Virtue is that it is a loose organization that doesn't give orders, but having active documentation of ongoing issues and actually using the communicators Virtue's provided-- that would help considerably. So would Virtue being a little more visible. Let the members know that it's okay to tell the new kids about the organization, once it's determined they're on the side of justice, and who they should talk to for more information."

Then Mamoru's head tilts a little, hair falling across one eye, and he smiles lopsidedly. "Of course you can do it. If you can handle Tadase-kun, you can handle anything."

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori nodded. "Maybe. For now, probably stick to the guardian garden. After all, this is neutral territory. If Virtue starts hosting meetings here, it might jeopardize the neautrality you hold and make other people decide that, well... this place needs to be removed. I'd rather not cause those kinds of problems."

"Exactly! We're not going to control people, after all. But it's best that they do know we're here! That we can help them! We're not, well... an official group or anything. We don't have membership fees or... anything like that. We're just kind of.... all going for the same thing. You know? So we can all work together for a brighter tomorrow."

She then went scarlet. "I-I don't really handle Tadase-kun! h-he usually just handles me! R-really!" And then her cheeks went REDDER. "W-wait no I didn't mean that! I-I meant like, he, he takes care of me when I, wait, no, I, ack!" Flailllllll!

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Oh!" says Mamoru in surprise, "I thought you meant parties, not meetings. Yes, you're right, anything involving official Virtue business should definitely be at the Garden." And then he laughs, sitting up, hands on the table. "Well, no, Virtue is an official organization. Anything that has paperwork and maintains safehouses and distributes technology is definitely official. But being official doesn't mean being officious, so yes: being accessible and easy to communicate with is a good aim to have. And I really think you can do a lot to help that."

When Amu goes red and sputters, Mamoru's expression goes a little sly. "Amu-chan, you're selling yourself short. You handle and take care of each other, and someone with as many responsibilities as he has--? That's a full-time and very necessary job. Look at it this way-- I'm a prince and it takes five guardians and a powerful girlfriend and her guardians to make sure I don't get in trouble, and even then, they have problems. He's a king, and you and Kukai and Nagihiko are doing the job of literally ten people. How amazing does that make you?"

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori nodded, her cheeks still flaring. "I-I know. I more meant, by not official, we're just... kind of... you know. We guide. We don't control. We cn't enforce our will or set standards that they have to follow. Well, we could, but then... we're not the kind of group. We're supposed to help each other. And... there are a lot more girls who really need our help, you know?"

Then he does THAT! Her cheeks were like heating pads. "W-w-w-w-what? N-no! I really don't! T-Tadase-kun d-deals with most of the t-things b-by himself a-a-a-and Na-chan and K-Kukai-kun deal with all the other stuff! I-I mostly just sharpen pencils a-and deal with the x-eggs I-I really don't do much else, really!" The charas, meanwhile, were giggling their heads off at their owners disress.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
And that's when Mamoru really pours it on. He moves the tray out of the way and reaches across the table, leaning forward and placing his hands over hers. He regards her, ocean-blue eyes intense and full of affection, and the contact with her hands connects her to a warm and immense stability, radiating calm and peaceful stillness, soothing and full of the safety of Earth's giving embrace. "You support him and make sure he has, or gets, what he needs; you keep an eye on his well-being and his worries, you give him a safe place to be himself, a place to release the human weaknesses he can't let the world see. He already needs you even as you are -- anything else you can do will only make things better, easier-- for both of you, for all of you."

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori stared up at him. He was so calming, so gentle, so peaceful. Oh gosh she was so in love. NO! She loved Tadase-kun! Love was a pie LOVE WAS A PIE! Tadase-kun HAD to have all her slices, if he didn't, she was the worst possible person! but if he didn't... why... why was she such a horrible girl? She wanted to kiss him so bad. She leaned forward a bit as she spoke, her yellow eyes glimmering. "I..."

'You... really think so? But I don't do much..."

"Oh? so it was some other girl who was tending to him while he was sick?" Ran offered.

Her cheeks went even redder. Seriously, how did they get so red. "H-he did that for me, first!"

Miki grinned. "Oh? I don't rmeember him dressing up as a nurse or cutie santa to make sure you got better faster!"

"T-that was, I-I was just being a g-g-good girl friend! that's all!" FLAILING INTENSIFIES! Oh my gosh those seas would need a lot of work to calm. Then Su goes in for the kill.

"And who was it who spent all those nights just hugging and cuddling with the prince so you both stopped having nightmares?"

Oh gosh Amu died. Her spirit had to be caught as it fled her body.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
For a moment there, Amu's wish to kiss him is loud enough through that contact that Mamoru nearly panics and jerks his hands back, but he sticks it out -- and is rewarded by her Charas siding with him. The flush in his face is one of intense relief, and thankfully, Amu's too busy dying of flail to notice it.

So Mamoru pats Amu's hand and draws back, as smug as a satisfied shipper. "See? You've got it all covered. So you can definitely do it, you can help Virtue be better, and by extension, help all those girls and boys that need Virtue. And you can also start looking at what kind of electives you might want to take in high school to aim you toward a therapy track in university."

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori squirmed helplessly, cupping her cheeks once her spirit was returned to his body. "Oh gosh... I-I don't know but... but I'll try... I'll try my best. I'll... ummmm... d-do everything I can." She got to her feet and gulped. "I-I'd better get going, though. I uhhh, got a lot of paperwork to do."

"No she doesn't, she just wants to kiss you and is super embarrassed," Ran said.

"SHUT UP!" she shrieked, flailing even more. She then turned and RAN OUT THE DOOR! Slamming it behind herself. The charas followed a moment later.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru sits in the wake of the whirlwind, considering that maybe next time he'll try to use some kind of different tactic. Or maybe wear a paper bag over his head.

He really hopes no one was actually home for that.