580/Dogs, Love, and Dreams

Dogs, Love, and Dreams
Date of Scene:	14 November 2015
Location:	Mitakihara/Pikarigaoka - King Penguin Park
Synopsis:	Hannah, Mari, and Suzuki meet during morning exercise and dog-time! Love lives, friendship, despair and dreams are all shared.
Cast of Characters:	Mari Katsu, Hannah Sharpe, Suzuki Natsume

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Hannah Sharpe has posed:
The weather is mild, it's a lovely morning, and King Penguin Park is full of the kinds of people who are actually out here at this crazy time of day. Mostly the athletic types or older people!

Case in point, here comes a regular! Hannah Sharpe and Boris grin and wave to voices that greet them as they jog past, the young woman in track shorts and a tank-top as her faithful canine guides her along. She's built up a sweat, and only when she reaches a convenient tennis court area with a bunch of benches does she finally take a seat. Sighing, she wipes her forehead, sharing a water bottle with Boris!

"Ahhhh! Now this is how you start off a morning!" She is /way/ too awake and peppy for this hour. Silly Hanners!

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     Suzuki is also out at King Penguin Park! She actually called up Mari in the morning shortly after waking up and invited her to go with her to the park with her dog, Kuzu! And herself, obviously. Suzuki isn't actually here to run or jog though, instead... she was there just to play with her dog and Mari! She had one of those mini-tennis balls for smaller dogs, considering her Yorkie was a tiny dog.

     When Hannah sits down nearby, she would hear the soft ~PLUNK~ of a ball bouncing past her, and a likely-familliar yorkie dog running past, panting like the crazy little fluffball it was!

Mari Katsu has posed:
    After getting Suzu's call, it didn't take Mari long to get ready and redress to join Suzuki in the park. So it didn't take her too long to respond to the invitation and once she arrived, take a seat beside Suzuki. She herself didn't have a pet, she wasn't entirely sure Verone would even allow that sort of thing in the dorms... So best not to chance it, even if it would be adorable. Besides, she has Raquel, and she's... kind of like a pet. A thought that made her snicker, even if she didn't really consider her fairy partner in that sort of fashion.

    The mini-tennis ball for her pet gives Mari a slight eyebrow quirk. It would seem she was wearing off on Suzuki. Or maybe it was just an odd coincidence that the ball was made to look like a tennis ball. Either way it was adorable!

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
A ball! Boris looks up, and woofs at the cute fuzzy yorky! After a mental poke at Hannah, he's over, following the little guy and making cute dog-speak!

"Huh? Kuzu?" Comes the young woman, and she stands up. Following the sound of a woofing Boris, she ends up in front of Mari and Suzuki!

"Suzu-chan, is that you?" Comes Hannah with a wide grin. She kneels down, scritching the little yorkie!

Boris, meanwhile, woofs at the two girls and peers at them! His head lowers!

Pet time! :>

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     Arf! Arf! Arf! Yip yip yip yip yip yip! Like any small dog, the Yorkie sounds less like a dog and more like a little squeaky toy as she speaks back towards Boris. The translation of it was basically 'Hello! How are you? Yay! It's nice to see you!' because she's that sort of hyperactive adorable sweetness that one expects of a sweet little Yorkie dog.

     Suzuki glances towards Mari as she quirks her eyebrow, "What? Dogs like tennis balls." She says, poking at Mari's side in as close to a playful manner as she ever seemed to give! "I hope I didn't wake you up too early with my call." She says with a giggle towards Mari.

     And then... gasp! A Hannah! Suzuki smiles towards her. "Hello, Hannah-chan! Yes. It's me. I came to play with Kuzu-chan and Mari-chan at the park today." She says, reaching out a hand to scritch and pet at Boris' head. "Jogging for your morning practice today?, Hannah?" She asks curiously. Meanwhile, Kuzu's little tail is waving like crazy because she's getting /even more attention/. The whole time she's just holding the little tennis ball in her mouth, too.

Mari Katsu has posed:
    Mari just blinks a bit as she hears the comment from Suzuki and smiles as she replies. "I know that. I just had this weird feeling that maybe I had influenced it in some way... That's all."

    Then she smiles, taking a sip from her own sports bottle, closing her eyes to do so and leaving herself vulnerable as she does so... a fatal flaw that Suzuki seems to take advantage of as her finger pokes into Mari's side. The unexpected assault of Suzuki's finger into such a tender spot causes the girl to suddenly tense up and leap to her feet infront of Hannah with a cry of surprise. Once on her feet, she remains frozen in a pose that would suggest whatever Suzuki had done, apparently Mari was very sensitive to. Infact, it takes several seconds before she unfreezes and turns her head to look back at Suzuki.

"S....Suzuki-chan!!" She calls out in a startled tone,

    A few moments later, and after regaining her composure, she takes a slow breath before looking back to Hannah before she smiles and gives a polite wave. "Sorry about that... I hope I didn't startle you."

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Happy Boris! The dog is blissful with all the attention, even as Hannah works on cute yorkies!

Poor Mari! She very nearly frightens poor Hannah out of her bones, the other girl jumping up too, and reflexively grabbing Mari about the shoulders! Thankfully she'll be able to stabilize her if she starts to topple!

"Ah! Oh, uhhh. Yeesh. No, no, it's okay. This happens all the time."

She pats Mari on the shoulder and grins.

A deep sigh, and her heart slowly calms.

"Nice to see you guys. Yup! Can't lose focus just because we won nationals! There's a few practice tournaments coming up, and I want to place first again!" Comes Hannah, grinning with ambition and drive in her eyes.

"So, Mari-chan, do you do any sports?"

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     "...Eeeeh?" Suzuki says, looking up towards Mari and filing away that information; Mari was sensitive to tickles. Bwahahahaha! Several 'evil' looks flit through Suzuki's mind as she grins up towards Mari. "Maybe... you might have given me the idea seeing them a while ago." Suzuki says, giving a helpless shrug towards her, watching as she unfreezes. Hmm! She very briefly gets an impish look, her hand lifting as if to poke again -- but her hand instead reaches to take Mari's hand and squeeze it reassuringly. She is a kind and relenting teaser! Except when she isn't.

     And Hannah jumped too! ...Which was kind of adorable! Suzuki shifts slightly in place, looking between the two, and then towards Boris. And then back towards the two... and then Suzuki possibly does something unexpected. She hops up too! ... To hug both with a mild squee! "...That was so adorable!" She says, giving a quiet little giggle. After a moment, she seems to get ahold of herself again, giving a soft little cough. "...Sorry." She mumbles quietly, moving back to Boris... who she begins to pet again.

     Meanwhile, Kuzu the little white Yorkie does dog things. Like sniffing buts and hopping around while yipping at him... and otherwise trying to play with the bigger dog who was basking in the attention of the humans. Arf! Yip yip yip!

Mari Katsu has posed:
    Mari just takes a slow breath before she smiles shaking her head as Suzu suddenly hugs her and Hannah, reaching up to rub the back of her head a bit before she smiles. "Ah.. It's fine Suzu-chan.." She states, knowing full well that Suzuki has filed that away.

    Then she blinks as Hannah speaks up about practice tournaments and placing first before she smiles when she's asked about sports. "Ah... I play Tennis." She admits modestly, not intending to elaborate on how good or bad she is at it unless Suzuki does so for her. "Well... "Play" might be a bit of an understatement.." She replies to herself, before she opens her backpack to reveal a tennis racket. "More like live and breathe." She adds before she gives a slight giggle. "I play for Verone Academy."

    Then she smiles, looking to Boris and reaches down to give the cute puppy a pat on the head then quietly turns to look to Suzuki again and smiles and says, "I've been helping Suzu-chan learn how to play in exchange for Kendo lessons."

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Boris can't deny the cute. After soaking in more pets, he's off, gently playing with Kuzu! The older dog is less energetic, but more than happy to nuzzle, buttsniff, and gently push the little doggie over and lick-lick his tummy! Woof!

Hugs! It takes Hannah by surprise!

And when Suzuki is sitting down? There's a Hannah-missile coming for her and likely Mari to squeeeze and hug too! Grin! She /loves/ hugs!

"Hah hah, you're the adorable one Suzu!" Grin!

"Really? Nice! Can't say I've ever played tennis, but, I know you have to be pretty athletic! Kendo lessons too, huh? Going to be as strong as Suzu-chan I see! Are you two going to dominate the kendo and tennis tournaments? See your sports enemies driven before you and hear the lamentations of their women!?" Yup, today Hannah is in quite the mood.

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     Yes. Yes Suzuki /did/ file that away. There is going to be playful tickles later until Mari can barely breathe from laughter. Bwa ha ha ha ha! Or something like that. Suzuki isn't very good at being 'evil', really. She can occasionally be mischievous though! Occasionally! Usually in good natured ways. There's really not a cruel bone in the girl. "Yep! I think the hardest part is that I keep trying to slice the tennis ball instead of bat it with the tennis racket." She may or may not have SOMEHOW managed to cut a couple of tennis balls in half. With the blunt side of the tennis racket. Don't ask how.

     Aaaand then Hannah-missile! Gasp! Suzuki wiggles very slightly at the sudden hug, but ends up returning it nonetheless, a little bit awkward since she wasn't expecting it. Yes. When she gives surprise hugs, it's totally fine! But when others do, she gets all awkward and shy. She is just that level of silly. "Uhm... maybe...? Though I will admit that I frequently am having kendo matches with men over women; there are a few skilled ones out there though, for sure." Suzuki murmurs softly, giving a helpless shrug.

     Kuzu, meanwhile, happily plays with Boris! She nuzzles back at him, hops over as she's licked at, and pounces at him to lick and play-bite at him here and there. It's adorable and yet also very careful not to hurt the other dog in her playful little wrestling. It's also possibly pathetic looking because Boris, being 2-3 times larger than her, can easily push her over without much effort. It doesn't stop her from being happy and yipping to show said happiness!

Mari Katsu has posed:
    Mari just smiles before she slips one arm around Suzuki - just before being hugged again by Hannah who traps Suzuki in a hug this time. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing very well.. I might even learn a new shot or two from watching you hit the ball the way you do, Suzu-chan." She replies before she waves her hand. "As for me.. My dream is to become the most amazing tennis player ever.. Something I'm going to work for my hardest." She replies to Hannah before she blinks as her phone beeps with a message and raises an eyebrow silently as she checks it before she stands up. "Ah.. Suzu-chan. I'll have to meet up with you in a bit. Sis needs some help with a few things." She states as she grabs her backpack.

"It was nice meeting you!" Mari calls out to Hannah, before she pauses. "Ah. I stay at Verone's dorms, you can stop by any time you like!" She calls out again before she turns and jogs to the park entrance before turning the corner

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Hannah raises a brow. "Slice....a tennis...I should be surprised. Really, I should. But that's just the Suzu-chan I know." And the Storm Knight she knows. It's that dedication that so endears and draws her to Suzuki. She reaches out, and ruffles the other girl's hair.

A smirk to Mari.

"Careful. She might hit a tennis ball and turn it into a burning ball of doom!"

When she lets go, there's a happy Hanners.

But, then Mari is off!

"Take care, huh, Mari? Definitely! Been meaning to come around and tease you lot of moneybags!" Griiiiin!

Then, it's right back to Suzu.

"So then! Who's the lucky gal, huh? Come on, spill it! Oh man, I am going to get you and your paramour a /wonderful/ dinner set up!" All the while, Hannah is poking at Suzu's nose!

Boris is enjoying himself! He very gently playbites back occasionally, but mostly lets the tiny yorkie attack! He'll eventually roll over! The big doge is defeated!

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     "Ah, uhm... take care, Mari-chan." Suzu says, waving towards her as she takes her leave. Did Suzu actually sound a little disappointed that Mari was leaving?! ...Well, really, Suzu doesn't like seeing her friends leave so that's not really /that/ odd. She likes her friends, after all!

     "...Well, I mean... I hold what feels kind of like a hilt of a blade and so I end up ... well... treating it like a kendo sword." Suzu mumbles, a bit of embarassment bleeding into her voice. Mumble mumble. That embarassment only increases as her hair is ruffled.

     "I-I don't think I'm going to turn it into a burning ball of doom, I think Mari is more likely to do that. Have you seen how she can make it spin a...gainst the..." She pauses. "...Sorry, it's easy to forget you're blind since you manage to get around it so well, Hannah-chan." Suzu says awkwardly.

     "Lucky... girl? ... What are you talking about? Oh! ... Oh. Huh. Has the rumors of that spread that far?" Suzu says, tilting her head. "Well, uhm. She just left." She says, watching as Mari turns the corner. Paramour? That was an odd way to phrase it!

     Playbites! And the big dog is letting her attack! And Boris even rolls over and pretends to lose! Bwa ha ha the small ones have won this time! Soon, Kuzu hops up onto Boris' lap, yipping victoriously. And then she does the 'pad in a circle' thing and curls up on Boris' stomach. The ultimate victory: Claiming the defeated as a bed/seat.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Hannah laughs just a bit! She can imagine how poor Suzu's training must have went with Mari!

"Silly muscle memory, huh? It really likes to stick! I'm sure you'll get the hang of it though. Good for the reflexes, right?"

Poor awkward Suzu! "Hey, hey, no worries! That's a compliment, you know? No need to get awkward. If you have questions, ask. Don't let it be an elephant in the room. I'm not going to get mad at you over something like that."

Ahem! Lecture done, she's smiling.

"Wait...really?"

Hannah huffs, and hands go to her hips. Frown!

"And you didn't properly introduce me!? Rude! I could have teased both of you!" Probably for the best, really.

"I'm good at listening. People think all I do is talk, but you'd be amazed what they say. Especially after you punch them a few times." Nod nod.

Then she sits right next to Suzuki.

"Seriously, though, I'm glad. She seems like an energetic type! Cute too~! If there's ever anything I can do for you guys, let me know, okay?" Comes Hannah earnestly. Time to be a friend rather than a villain.

A foot reaches over, and there's a rub of the defeated Boris. The big dog too has gone to sleep, happy to be a doggie-pillow!

Hannah sighs. "...I'm really lucky. I have such good friends, like you, Mamoru, Homura. Yeesh. Sometimes I wonder if I deserve you guys." Comes the girl, voice oddly introspective.

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     "It works, though it's a bit of an unorthodox method of hitting the tennis ball, and I tend to forget to make it bounce on the other side ..." Suzuki responds about the muscle memory stuff. She clears her throat softly, "The reflexes are probably why I'm not entirely terrible at it, that's for sure!"

     The reassuring that it was no worries gets a small smile, and Suzu reaches a hand to rest on Hannah's shoulder. "You haven't seemed sensitive about it, but it did kind of hit me as a silly thing to say in front of you. 'Have you seen'..." She pauses. "Though, you might have /heard/ it, that's not exactly quiet." She giggles.

     The frown! Ack! Suzu shifts a little bit, obviously all awkwardly nervous, even before she says anything. "Well, uhm. It wasn't ... really a planned meetup... so uhm... I wasn't thinking... and you seemed like you already knew each other and uhm... stuff! And things!" She says, her cheeks flushing bright red. "T-that and I'm still shy about it." She mumbles.

     She taps her fingers together a bit, listening to the comment that Hannah is good at listening. "Yes... you're a lot better at listening... and supportive... and helpful. You're a good friend to have." Suzu says softly, her tone mildly fond as she speaks! Hmm.

     "She is very energetic, yes. I wonder if I can keep up with her sometimes, since ... well. I suppose I'm energetic, but it's a different type of energetic. Kendo is based around discipline, while tennis seems a lot more based around ... fun? I guess? More running and such to catch the ball, while with kendo it's a lot more subtle movements. Watching, waiting, moving as little as possible to evade or deflect until there's an opening -- and then a single fast movement. They're very different kinds of energy." Suzuki says, nodding slowly.

     The foot rubbing against the defeated Boris would suddenly find a yorkie-head resting atop of it, looking up at Hannah with giant puppydog 'pet me????' eyes up at her. She doesn't actually yip or anything like that! She didn't want to wake Boris. But there was a nice human there! One that she remembered, too!

     Back to Suzu. "Of course, I'll let you know. Mamoru is already helping me a bit, since I ... don't ... uhm. Well... I haven't... really... socialized much... and dating and such... even less." Suzu mumbles quietly,awkwardly, even a little nervously. When Hannah speaks about being lucky, having good friends, and if she deserves it though. Suzuki perks right back up and responds, "You do! I have seen how dedicated and caring you are for Aoi, and how dedicated you are to other friends as well. I'm certain that you do." She says, nodding firmly. Even if she /did/ know who Miss White really was, Suzuki would probably say that anyway.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
"I should probably say something like, 'Don't be so savage!'. But that'd be pretty silly coming from me."

She seems to relax at the hand to shoulder.

"Snnrrk! Silence is for sneaky losers, Suzu! Quiet...well, okay, it has its charms, but it's not my thing. Seriously, though. It's not some faux-pas. There's a few general rules. I'll send you a link some time, but you've been good about them with intuition. So don't change yourself for me, okay? Not a thing. Got it?" For some reason, that promise seems very important.

"I think we've met once or twice, but not much. I just try to be relaxed around people. Treat them like your friend, they're more likely to become your friend. At least that's how I see it."

Legs cross, and then she's foot-rubbing two dogs! It's a bit of work, but it seems calming.

That fond tone sparks both genuine enjoyment, a laugh, and yet a deep spark of guilt. She's been leading this girl on for so long. It's so one-sided. She hates it. But can she really just out herself to someone who is both friend and enemy?

Her hands ball up for a moment. Something is deeply wrong, but she can't seem to say it.

"You're a good person. You. Mamoru. So many people in this city are. It's amazing. Humbling in a way. You guys deserve it. You really do."

But the topic change has her considering.

"Nnn. Something like that. The way I think of it..." She starts.

"You're the elbow-block. That's pretty hard to do, you know? You have to take the punch just right so you don't break your bones. Most people think you take it straight on. Nope. That's what the gloves are for. You have to be moving and let the blow slide off. Bruises, sure, but you keep the thing underneath intact."

She pulls her fist up in a practiced motion, then jabs the air.

"She's the jab. Even if it's a short one, there's a lot more movement and direct force. Nice and straight, put your wrists into it."

Suddenly, she's grinning.

"And then you set 'em up for the uppercut when they least expect it. That's you two together. An uppercut to life that they won't see coming! I have a good feeling."

Another laugh. "That guy! I swear. Good, he's smart. Real smart. The kind of smart that moves mountains and makes miracles. Don't worry. He'll tell you all the right things to do. Then, make sure you do the /opposite/ of what I do, and you'll win Mari's heart forever!"

Hannah stands up, and ponders.

"You think so?" A sigh.

"Well, I guess you /are/ right about the dedication." She somehow doesn't sound any happier.

Her eyes close.

"...Hey, Suzu? I can trust you, right? I...I need favor."

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     "Savage? I suppose. Though it's more carefully timed... hmm. Still. Holding back slightly might help in some ways." Suzu responds thoughtfully.

     "Silence has its place, though. Not always in sneakiness. After all, one does have to listen silently occasionally before speaking, or they might accidentally make something into a mess... but one can do that with noise in some cases as well." Suzuki chuckles softly. Pause. Treat them like your friend, and they're more likely to be your friend. "...I think that mindset is why you are a good friend, Hannah. You treat people like your friend. And that doesn't change once you do get them to be your friend." She murmurs softly, smiling thoughtfully.

     Double footrubbing is likely highly afficiated by both of the dogs, and the yorkie eventually falls asleep. Exhausted by the attention and playing with Boris both.

     Balled up hands. Something looks slightly wrong. Suzuki's gaze shifts over Hannah, looking towards her hands... then up towards her face. She listens to her talking. She waited to see if Hannah would speak about it... and it sounded like she would, but things move on from it. Hmm. "Ah... yeah... I guess that does sound like me. I don't avoid the attacks, I deflect them to reduce the damage, or get it out of the way that I can avoid it entirely, but that rarely works out completely perfectly." Suzuki murmurs softly. And then she continues to talk about the two of them.

     Hmm. Jab... and then the set up... that sounded honestly like her, too. She tried to get in, not to strike and take the glory -- but to weaken and distract so that others could hit better. Weaken their defenses, stop them from being able to fight. Hmm. "...That sounds like an accurate assessment." She says with a soft chuckle.

     "He's helped me a lot already. He directed me to a bunch of books to help, as well as made a few suggestions... as well as ... helped reassure some of my warnings slightly?" She murmurs a bit thoughtfully.

     She listens to her as she speaks... she didn't sound like she recovered at all. And... hmm. She tilts her head, looking towards Hannah's face. "... You need a favor? What's wrong, Hannah? This isn't like you to bat around the bush. What's wrong?"

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
"That's right!" A chuckle.

"After all, I do the 'not holding back' enough for both of us, huh?" Cue a self-satisfied nod.

Hannah considers. "You /could/ do that. Or you could charge right in, and impose yourself on the situation. That's true, it makes a mess. Bulls, china shop, et cetera. But sometimes, you have to smash and break everything before you can make something beautiful, I think."

One eye closes. Again, something about Suzuki's words strike against something.

"It's nice to hear that. It might be true, it might not. I really hope you're right." Friends, or objects? Which does she really think about those she cares for. Sometimes, it's hard to see which is the real truth. Very odd for Hannah to be contradicting herself.

Or maybe not. She might be a study in contradiction if one knew both sides of her lived in the same person.

Hannah turns around, and lets out a breath.

"Mari. Mamoru. Keep those two close. They'll help you out of any kind of tough situation. I...I really wish the world was filled with people like that. People like you."

There's an awkward pause. It's too close to her real feelings. She can't just say them. No, she has to protect her identities. But at the same time, she feels awful. A hallow feeling. She hates the world, and she hates herself for withholding from such a friend as Suzuki.

And yet, she just can't right now. But at the very least, she can attain the start of a promise. There's too much to just reveal herself. But there's a start down that road.

Hannah nods at Suzuki's answer. Of course she'd ask that. For all that she's been beaten down, she'd never turn aside a friend.

"I...I can't say everything. Almost nothing, actually. I'm sorry." Her voice cracks. She turns away. Is she...crying.

"It's cruel of me. But I have to ask this."

She draws on that inner ambition, that inner strength. And most of all, the feelings of loyalty that transcend her evil and her good inside.

She can do this much, even if it hurts.

"Suzuki Natsume. I live for a dream. That is the core of myself. That is why I push so much. And you are precious to me. Someone I respect. Someone I adore."

Her teeth grit.

"Suzuki. You're wise. You're smart. I need you to do something I can't. Can you be my judge? I'm not good at judging myself. So I need you to do that. Whether Hannah Sharpe was right or wrong in the end, when I reach the end of the road I'm walking? Can you do that for me?"

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     "Perhaps, though there is a fair bit of not holding back on my part in certain situations." Suzuki responds, shifting thoughtfully in place as she watches that self-satisfied nod.

     "Sometimes, yes. You do need to break things before they can be repaired...which is why some semblance is balance is needed... or... something. I read that somewhere!" Suzuki says, a very slight edge of goofiness to her voice in spite of the serious nature of it. Maybe Haruna was rubbing off on her a little?

     A closed eye... and more of those comments from Hannah. Something was wrong. Suzuki was now entirely certain of that, no longer just suspecting it. Something was eating Hannah up inside. The way she was acting, the way she was responding. And the way she said to keep Mari and Mamoru close -- but not herself. "...I think the world is filled with more people like that than you seem to think, Hannah." Suzuki says softly. "In every bad situation, there's always a helper, a reliable person just trying to do their best to make sure that everyone gets through the situation." She murmurs softly.

     An awkward pause. Another obvious sign that she was struggling with something. "...You don't have to tell me what's wrong. I know something makes you feel like you need to not do it ... but just ...don't forget that you have people who will help you recover no matter what happens." Suzuki says softly in that awkward silence. "You're not alone, Hannah. And I don't think you ever will be."

     Pause. Silence. Hannah says she can't say everything. In fact, almost nothing. That's fine. Suzuki didn't need to know everything. She'd be a terrible helper if she required knowing everything to help, so long as someone wasn't asking her to do something bad. That question. That statement.

     Hannah Sharpe lives for a dream at the core of herself, something she pushes so hard for. It was familiar, though for some reason Suzuki couldn't connect the dots as to /who/ it was familiar from. Something in the magical world, but her mind was drawing an unnatural blank. "...I ... can't honestly say that I agree with being wise or smart, but... if nothing else, I can offer a different viewpoint from your own at the end of the road that you're walking." Suzuki says softly, looking towards Hannah. Watching her. Listening to her.

     "...The way you're talking is concerning me though, Hannah. It sounds like you're getting ready to go off and do something dangerous... something that you don't expect to come back from." Suzu says softly, her lips shifting into a small frown. "Is something happening? Has one of those weird events of this town drawn you in? Is there some sort of mafia or gang or something threatening you or something?" She asks softly. "If you tell me, I might be able to help..." Something that might mirror one of the things she's said in the past as Storm Knight to Miss White. Likely, in the end, it would probably have a similar end, though.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
There's the slightest of smirks.

"That might be what makes us different. I only hold back when situations or necessity makes me. You're the type who holds back until you absolutely need that strength. Or when you can't take it, right? Maybe that's why I'm drawn to you."

She can't help but chuckle. It's a lost thing. Almost pathetic.

Her head tilts. Suzuki's not wrong about helpers.

But she might not be right either.

"Well, I can't say you're wrong. But that's the problem, isn't it? 'Always' a helper. 'Always' someone who is good enough to do their best. But it never ends. Not a single generation has lacked those kinds of people. Why? Why is that, huh? Is it because people are so good, that there's always truly good people in the world to pick up the shattered pieces of people caught in the middle of it all?" Her words and voice turn increasingly bitter, less like the Hannah who's always so strong. They're words of frustration.

Her hands are balling up hard enough that her hands bleed.

"Or do people like that keep appearing because the rest of the world ends up as some kind of ball of pain that only amazing persons can heal for just a moment!?" She all but shouts it. It's not at Suzuki, but it's at the world itself.

Her blind eyes are unfocused, face red with sudden fury, before she takes a deep breath.

"...Sorry, Suzu. I'm going too far, maybe. I'm not alone. I know that. If I didn't know truly amazing people like you, like Mamoru, like all the others, I don't think I could have made it this far. Because I'm not that strong. I'm not amazing. I reach for it all, but in the end, I'm weak." She huffs here, before finally pulling herself together.

She turns away one final time.

A different viewpoint. It has her smiling. An honest smile.

"...I couldn't ask for more than that, Suzu." I shouldn't. But I might have to. Yeesh. You shouldn't have to see me going to pieces like this. It's just been a really rough couple of months. Sorry."

She waves her hand in the air, and then whistles. Boris gently gets up from under Kuzu, and Hannah has his lead.

"Something!?" She laughs.

"...Nothing like that. Maybe it started out with 'drawn in', but in the end, I threw myself whole-hog into the situation. So I really shouldn't be whining at you. I hate to say it, Suzu-chan, but telling you would probably end up at the same end regardless. So there's no point to being that cruel." She shrugs, almost casually.

"Let's go Boris. Things are getting pretty dangerous around here, so. Take care of yourself, okay, Suzuki?"

She raises her free hand in goodbye, finally smiling warmly for a moment.

"...We'll see plenty of each other. Very soon."

A smirk, and she whispers.

"Bye, Storm Knight."

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     "...You need both, sometimes, to find true peace though. The one who will act immediately, as well as the one who waits and sees the true situation." Suzu responds softly to the differences. "Different is just that. Different." Suzu murmurs. And then... Hannah continues to talk on things. She listens to her words, how she views the world, how she feels about things. It's, once again, very familliar, but for some reason she can't exactly place why.

     "...Those words are the words of someone who has had something so terrible done to them that they've lost all trust in the world." Suzuki says softly, her tone growing sad. She doesn't sound angry, or hateful, or like she thinks worse of Hannah, just genuinely sad. A complete and opposite mirror of Hananh's anger. She breathes slowly, as if centering herself and calming her thoughts, focusing on Hannah's words instead.

     She listens to her calmly, listened to her quietly. Watching as her hands ball up hard enough to make them bleed. Suzu lifts her hands to slide her fingers into those balled up hands, to force them from being able to cut so much into them. Which might result in Suzu's hands getting the cut instead. "..People who do bad things usually have had bad things happen to them. I don't know how it started... I really don't... but they need help usually, help that they think they can't get normally, so they try to get it through other ways. Be it killing to get attention, or to try and heal some wound that they can't think they heal any other way." She says softly.

     Hannah apologizes, and Suzu shifts slightly. "Too far... maybe... but I don't honestly know. You think I'm wise and smart, but sadly I can't say that I know all the answers." Once more she was silently listening. She rests her hands on her lap after a few moments.

     "...Everyone breaks down occasionally, even me. Even the calmest person has a breaking point, the happiest, most cheerful person." Suzu says softly, straightening up slightly as she looks towards Hannah's face. A whistle, and Boris stands. Kuzu whines a little bit, but seems to understand that the situation is not the place for adorables, and instead sits down quietly.

     Nothing like that. She was drawn in... then threw herself whole-hog into the situation? Suzu tilts her head as she listens to her speak. She gives a small nod. "I'll take care of myself, Hannah." Suzu says softly. Seeing plenty of each other very soon. And then... Hannah says 'Bye, Storm Knight.' "..." Suzu shifts slightly in place, her hands staying on her lap, resting quietly. Hannah had seen her henshin? She had learned that she's Storm Knight? Hmm. Suzu tries to remember, tries to figure out when she could have learned that. Maybe she hadn't been hiding as well as she thought.

     She couldn't help but note that feeling of creeping dread slowly climbing up her back though.