858/A Familiar Home

A Familiar Home
Date of Scene:	12 January 2016
Location:	Nakajima Warehouse - I.D.I.O.M.
Synopsis:	Mikoto and her new familiar go home after "There's Snow Day Like The Present"
Thanks to:	Ayana, for portraying Hikari.
Cast of Characters:	Nanoha Takamachi, Mikoto Nakajima

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Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
The battle for the Jewel Seed, Serial XIII, is over, and the heroes have suffered a setback. The Seed was carried off in the hands of Riventon and Fate. To Mikoto Nakajima, this is not a particularly tragic disaster. Unpleasant, to be certain. To be regretted, without doubt. But she has what she sees as something far more important to concern herself with.

Hikari Nakajima. Up until a little while ago, a simple young snow leopard, denizen of the Tokyo Zoo, and temporary host to the Jewel Seed. Now, transformed forever by the arcane Familiar ritual, a lovely young woman new to the world. It is in her company that Mikoto and Nanoha return to the warehouse where Mikoto makes her headquarters.

The sun is just slipping below the horizon, barely visible behind the forest of towers that is the Tokyo skyline, when Our Heroes arrive at their destination. Ahead, the unassuming building. Behind, a battle to be learned from. And taped to the door, something small and wrapped in green.

Hikari has posed:
Hikari follows her mistress through the streets towards the warehouse, still draped in her pretty winter dress and a cloak. She looks almost a bit out of time, in the outfit, yet she wears it with pleasant pride. The new-made Familiar has hidden her cat-ears and tail, and now merely walks along quietly beside Mikoto. As they near the warehouse, she sniffs a little, then frowns. "Mistress, I smell something amiss," she notes. "Someone has been here. A boy ... a cat?"

Nanoha Takamachi has posed:
Nanoha Takamachi is following along. She doesn't quite understand what went on, except that some sort of weird thing happend with Mikoto and a snow leopard kitten and she saved it and it became her 'familiar'. It seemed to be a deeply personal thing. Imagine... having a connection to someone like that....

A connection she sorely wanted in her life- not that, she'd know. At least. Not so introspectivly.

But then she looks up. "Oh... is it. That catboy. From before?... Ikuto. Was his name. Right?" she asks to Mikoto and peering back down at Hikari.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"Ikuto's the most likely one, yes. I don't know any other catboys in town... especially not ones who'd know where this place is." Mikoto strides ahead, towards the warehouse, a casual word to Carnwennan settings a couple of Wide Area Search spheres twirling around the building to see if anyone's still around. (Ikuto, unfortunately, is long gone by this point.)

Then she approaches the door. And looks at the item left taped there. A single violet flower, in a little plastic tube with some water. (A hyacinth, if anyone would recognize the type of flower. Mikoto clearly does.) She peels the tape off with shaking hands, the flower almost falling before she snatches it out of the air. "He..."

And she drops to her knees, quaking with suppressed tears. "Ikuto-kun... damn stubborn cat...."

Nanoha Takamachi has posed:
Nanoha Takamachi watches carefully as she blinks and jogs forward a little when Mikoto drops to her knees.

"Are you okay, Mikoto-san!?" asks Nanoha worriedly, She then blinks. "Oh..." she says.

"Eh?" she asks, head tilting.

Hikari has posed:
Hikari frowns at the flower, then reaches up to push the hood back from her cloak. "A purple hyacinth?" she asks confusedly, then looks between Nanoha and Mikoto. "If it is Ikuto," she notes, "then he is apologizing. Does he regret staying away ..." she trails off as Mikoto falls to her knees. With a gasp of surprise, Hikari rushes forward and wraps her arms around the mage. "Mikoto," she quietly says, hugging her. "I don't understand. He is apologizing; aren't you glad for this?"

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto reaches out, welcoming Hikari's embrace, leaning into the girl. "He's such a fool," she mutters.

"I'm ... not injured, Takamachi-san." She takes a deep breath, then lets it out in a long, soft sigh.

"It's kind of a long story, and not really my place to tell it. Let's get in out of the cold, at least."

Slowly, she pushes herself to her feet. "Hikari-chan... he wants to apologize... but he isn't here.

Hikari has posed:
Hikari squeezes Mikoto gently, and stands with her. "He isn't," she agrees quietly. "But he apologized," she notes. The catgirl sighs and lets her master go, then moves to open the door for her. "Mikoto-chan, I don't honestly understand why you continue to forgive him. He has hurt you, a great deal."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto nods, and opens the door. "Let's talk about this inside." The warehouse is much as it was when Amu healed Ikuto, although the bloodstains are gone, and the piles of wreckage are a bit neater. The stack of data-cores wired to the console has grown, as well. And there's a comfortable-looking sofa against one wall, with a throw rug spread out in front of it.

She collapses onto the sofa, Miss Blue's henshin dissipating back into Mikoto's casual slacks and blouse and sweater. "He's so alone... trapped in the dark... He needs someone just as badly as I do. And..."

It takes her a moment to get it out, but she says it. "I love him, Hikari-chan."

Hikari has posed:
Hikari follows Mikoto towards the couch, though she doesn't sink into it right away. The catgirl reaches up to undo the clasp of her cloak, then swings it around off her shoulders and begins carefully bundling it into a small package.

Love. The word doesn't catch Hikari by surprise; she could have told Mikoto that about herself, if Mikoto wasn't willing to admit it, yet. But it does draw a faint sneer of disapproval.

"Mistress," Hikari begins as she starts to sit, daintily, at the front edge of the couch. "I do understand that you love him. But if I may be so bold, I must point out that your objectives are being threatened by him. I believe you are at a crossroads in your life. You must make a decision whether your love for Ikuto or your research and family will take the higher priority. Is your love for him worth the risk he poses to your objectives?"

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto sighs, low and soft. "I know. Believe me, I know. Especially after this little... disaster, last week." It's hard to believe, sometimes, that a week has gone by since she last saw him.

"What he's doing is important, too, though. They're forcing him to hurt little children, Hikari-chan... to take their dreams away." She pulls up her knees and wraps her arms around them, curled up into a tight ball.

"He hates it. But he's so scared of them... that's why he does this. He doesn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt. That's why I keep calling him stupid. Because I'm already hurt."

Hikari has posed:
"There is always a choice," Hikari observes quietly. "He could choose to sacrifice his own things in favor of those he is asked to hurt. He could ask for help, as well. Instead, he believes he must do everything himself; to shield others from getting involved. His decisionmaking is ..." Hikari stops speaking suddenly, and her furry ears flicker forward suddenly as realisation dawns on her.

"I'm sorry," says the catgirl as she sinks towards her mistress, once more wrapping her arms around Mikoto in a hug. "I'm sorry, I am being judgemental and cruel, rather than attending to your needs. Mistress," Hikari says gently, "I know it is difficult. But you must make a decision. I will support you no matter what decision you make, but trying to help him and trying to maintain your own objectives is tearing you apart. Please, don't let yourself be torn apart."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto wraps her arms close around Hikari, holding her tightly, uncurled from her ball to welcome the embrace. "I know... I know. And there's so many things I need to do... so little time."

She closes her eyes and looks down - to see little more than silver hair and silver-furred ears. "You're right, too, Hikari-chan. I have to prioritise. Be rational. Pragmatic. Like a proper Grey Knight."

Hikari has posed:
Hikari leans into the embrace, and without even meaning to the catgirl begins to purr, throat rumbling as she rubs her face against Mikoto's. The embrace lasts for several moments, then she sighs and kisses Mikoto on the cheek. "I know it's not fun, mistress," she says. "And I'm sorry that I must be the one to remind you of that which you would as soon forget. But you created me for a reason. I only wish for your own happiness. There is nothing more important to me."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"Thank you for that, my Hikari-chan." Mikoto holds the cat-girl close, needing that simple human contact after everything she's been through. "There's so much going on. The Dark Kingdom... Walpurgisnacht... the Jewel Seeds... Ikuto..."

At least the family hasn't started pushing her to find some nice young man from a proper family, of late.

Hikari has posed:
Hikari's low purring continues as she nestles against Mikoto. "I know," she murmurs around that purr. Hikari pets Mikoto's hair softly, then gives her a squeeze. "Obviously, there's nothing to be done for him tonight. Why don't you rest, mistress. Put your mind at ease this night, and in the morning you can address the matter of priorities. I will guard you while you sleep, if you like."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto strokes Hikari's hair, soft and gentle. The purring seems to be relaxing her, helping to unwind the tension that's consumed her for so long. "Thank you, my Hikari-chan. Thank you." She slumps back against the seat, her head resting on the cat-girl's shoulder. "Wake me if anyone comes..."

Hikari has posed:
Hikari tilts her head just a little as Mikoto settles in against the couch. "I meant in a bed, silly," she murmurs, then squeezes Mikoto anyways. "But I will watch, and wake you," she promises. And then the cat-girl becomes a cat, transforming down to the natural size of a snow leopard kitten so that she might fit in Mikoto's lap and keep her mistress warm and protected without sitting around as an alert human.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
It seems Mikoto doesn't have the energy to get up from here and to a bed, as she's asleep almost before Hikari is finished shapeshifting.

Fortunately, her nightmares are fewer, now, with the cat's warm presence close by.