View source for 1822/It's all about the doughnuts. And the conversation. Mostly doughnuts.

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/08/15
|Location=Earth Court Frat House
|Synopsis=Kyouko, Naru, Mamoru and Kunzite chat about a few light topics, such as magical potential, fighting, Wishes, interpersonal relationships, a lack of world-ending crises. pokemon and doughnuts. Folgers crystals, anyone?
|Cast of Characters=127,78,109,38
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The sun is streaming into the windows of the currently used apartment in the quartet of apartments. The main one is still in renovation hell, and not really ideal for what Naru is currently doing. Which is sprawling on the couch, managing to be entirely cat like in her ability to take her relatively petite size and take over a whole couch.<br /><br />She's cut her hair shorter, the bob still ever so faintly damp from a shower, and the continued lack of school is obvious by her shorts and t-shirt rather than school uniform, as well as the couch sprawling and coffee drinking mid-morning on a Monday.<br /><br />The apartment is generally quiet, there's probably people around and about somewhere, but for the moment, Naru is alone with her coffee and her thoughts.<br /><br />The sign on the fridge has been changed to read 'Naru is back. Silence = Bad again. 4 days since last Incident.'

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko's visits to Mamoru's apartment are never limited by school hours- she doesn't go to school. They are limited by when she has to work, which means it's less odd for her to be here mid-morning, although it's not like she really expected anyone else to be here.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The lock clicks, and Kyouko lets herself in using her key. (The hardware store nearby must have made a mint on key-copies, considering how many people have their own beyond who actually lives here). She has a plastic bag looped over her wrist, and pauses to remove her sneakers just inside the door before glancing around- obviously not expecting to see anyone.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When her eyes do land on Naru on the couch, they widen slightly in surprise. "Oh, Naru-chan. You're back? I didn't think anybody would be here." She flashes a brief smile and then heads for the kitchen, holding up the bag. "I was just droppin' off some stuff for Mamoru and the boys before I head into work in a little bit."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The sound of a key doesn't make Naru shift, that's a common enough sound, but she does turn to look to see who it is and she smiles. "Morning Kyouko-chan." She waves her free hand in greeting. "Yep, I'm back. Only barely, really, but I'm back. Jet lag sucks."<br /><br />As Kyouko heads for the kichen, Naru raises her voice just a touch. "There's coffee if you want some before you head to work. I think today is going to be a many coffee sort of day."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"No thanks, I don't really drink the stuff that often." Kyouko says, with a shrug of her shoulders as she puts the bag down on the counter and pulls out a box of doughnuts. Day-old, but still pretty good, and hey, free. One of the perks of working at a conbenie, and Kyouko likes to spread the love, so to speak. "There's doughnuts over here if you want one." She offers.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she turns and walks back into the living room, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "I wouldn't know about Jet Leg, I never been on a plane, or far enough away from here to change time zones." She shrugs her shoulders slightly. "Sorry it's a pain though.. hope you get over it soon. Was your trip nice, at least?"

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Ooh, doughnuts sound good." Naru pries herself up off the couch, to pad on bare feet into the kitchen to top off her coffee, and collect herself a sweet sugary pastry. Clearly that will make everything better.<br /><br />"I hadn't until this trip either, been through enough timezones to feel it that is." Naru comments as she comes to sprawl again, or at least sit now that she's got things in each hand.<br /><br />The question brings a bit of a pause, one that's not usually found when answering simply enough questions as 'did you have a nice trip?' Naru considers her answer and then nods. "Yes. In the big picture. I got to visit neat places, and a lot of galleries and museums. Doing it mostly alone kinda sucked, my Mother was working more than sight seeing." She takes a long sip of coffee and then adds. "I got my art back though, so that was a big plus. Anything big happen here in Tokyo?"

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko shrugs a little bit, finding it hard to offer meaningful commentary. She's never been on a vacation, and until recently she was used to being alone. In fact, she's not sure she's ever been in a Museum or a Gallery before either, and the face she makes is more a realization of her own lack-of-worldliness than it is anything to do with Naru.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, I'm glad you got somethin' out of it, at least." Kyouko moves to sit down in one of the chairs near the couch which Naru is sprawling/perching on. "Things've been mostly quiet there. S'good, I guess. Y'know the normal amount of random monsters but nothin' crisis-level. It's almost gotten.." SHe makes a big of a face. "Routine."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Naru offers a theatrical gasp at the notion of routine, a flicker of a smile touching her face. "Normal levels of random monsters? No world shattering, city destroying crises? Wow. I half feared to hear what dramatic thing I'd of missed when I got back."<br /><br />There's a little gesture with her half doughnut as Naru asks. "And the puella? You guys are doing alright with the Wraith stuff? I know things weren't great with the lack of witches."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko waves a hand towards Naru and snorts. "You make fun, but truth is it's gettin' kind of boring. Like, I'm workin' and takin' care of my sister and I have some form of stable social life, but.. I dunno, I don't think I'm cut out for routine." She sighs. "It's startin' to wear on me a little, which is a terrible thing to say about "safe, normal life", but." A brief shrug.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As for the Puella.. "Yeah, s'been okay. Wraiths aren't as good as Witches, insofar as purifyin' Soul Gems, but we also haven't had any major crises, as I said, so they get the job done. We ain't in any danger of starvin' to death anymore, at least. ''That'' sort of crisis I can easily do without."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I'll see what I can do about getting chewed on, just so you don't get bored." Naru comments with a smile and then nods. "Although I can totally see how after constant adrenaline and on edge, normal life would get kinda boring pretty quick."<br /><br />Naru nods as she listens to the good news about not starving to death. "I'm rather glad you guys aren't starving to death anymore. Decidedly a feature, in my opinion." She is thoughtful a moment. "Has anyone else gotten caught by them and lost more emotions than I did? I'd love to learn more about them, but for once, I'm really not interested in being the guinea pig."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko smirks slightly, leaning back in her chair and crossing one jean-clad leg over the other before leaning her elbow on her knee. "Don't joke about that, Naru-chan. I'd rather be bored than have my friends gettin' hurt.. it took me long enough to make some, I ain't about to let bad stuff happen to 'em just because I can't handle daily routine."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She shrugs. "Not anybody I know. I mean, maybe some random people but truth be told, stickin' around to clean up the mess, so to speak, after a hunt ain't really my thing. Nobody I've spoken to has, anyway. I can't say I'm that interested to find out, but then again, I ain't the studyin' type. Stab it or don't stab it.. s'all I need to know."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Statistically speaking, it's likely to happen, but I'm hoping for something pretty mellow rather than some of the curses. Those sucked." Naru gives a little shrug and then a touch of a smile. "If nothing else, I'm learning just how resilient I apparently can be."<br /><br />There's a thoughtful little mmmm from Naru and a nod. "I might see about finding some of those random people, if I can. My stabbing skills leave something to be desired, so I'm certainly more the studying type. Usually entirely too up close and personal, but this time, I'd rather not do that one again."<br /><br />Naru considers Kyouko a few moments. "Surely there's something we can find for you to do that is high adrenaline without being a constant stream of world ending crises."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, I ain't sayin' there's no use for the studyin' types." Kyouko says, with a bit of a lopsided grin, one fang peeking out. "After all, somebody's gotta tell me where to stab." She chuckles slightly, leaning back and sighing.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Eh, I dunno. It's not like I want somethin' to go wrong or anything. I dun want anybody to get hurt, 'specially people I care about. Seems pretty selfish to wish for some excitement if it's going to endanger or even just stress people out."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She lifts her head again, giving Naru a bit of a wry look. "So no fakin' getting into trouble for my sake, alright? I ain't down with that sort of thing."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I appreciate having stabby friends." Naru grins. "Even if I hope that I can someday be slightly less of a liability, but I'll never be truly a stabby type, I don't think. I'll leave that to the experts."<br /><br />A quick lick of sugar off her fingers so that Naru can hold up her hands in innocence. "I promise no faking getting into trouble. No actively seeking it out either, just to keep you entertained. I just will be sure to call you if I can when my life goes back to more stupid. If it doesn't, then I'll try and find you a new hobby to keep you on your toes. Sky diving? Rock climbing?" She offers with a grin.

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I don't think that's anything to be ashamed of." Kyouko says, with a little sigh, in regards to not being a stabby type. "I wouldn't change who I am, Naru-chan, but the things that made me the way I am ain't things I'd wish on anybody else."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She grins slightly again at Naru's promise to avoid getting into trouble on purpose. "Well, good, though. And make sure you do. I don't like hearin' about people bein' in danger ''after'' I can help. That's frustrating."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the topic of a new hobby, she just sighs. "Eh, I ain't got the money for that sorta stuff, Naru-chan. Doubt it'd do the trick either. Kinda hard to be scared of falling when you know it won't kill you." Even she has to grin again at that.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I dont bounce, so if I go with you, then you get to be scared of me falling, which probably isn't quite the same level of excitement." Naru hrms with a touch of a grin. "Does get around the cost thing, though." She resettles on the couch, tucking her legs up cross legged under her.<br /><br />"Being comfortable with who you are, especially accepting the crappy stuff, is pretty awesome. I hope to get there eventually." Naru admits with a quiet little shrug. "It's a process."<br /><br />"I dont usually get a lot of warning to tell people before things have gone horribly wrong. I try, I'm sorry that it's frustrating." Naru is apologetic, and her expression reflects that. "Part of why I'm trying to be a bit more capable, so I can stall the horrible long enough to let people come and help me. It sucks to always have to call for help though, that gets frustrating too."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"People always like to tell you how to be a better person," Kyouko says, with a faint upturn of her mouth. "Sometimes they got the right of it, but after a lot of tryin' different things, I've found that it matters more that you do what ''you'' think is right.. and if they're really you're friends, they'll probably agree with you."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You're right about it being a process though." A faint sigh, then a nod and another, more genuine smile for Naru. "It ain't your fault, Naru-chan. It is frustrating but I can't blame ''you'' 'cause the youma doesn't give you the time to make a phonecall. I understand wantin' to be able to take care of yourself, though. If I had a solution I thought was workable, I'd offer it."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Seems she thinks the ways she knows of to get that sort of power aren't worth the price.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I've got some options." Naru nods slowly. "Items, devices, intelligent or otherwise. It's part of the process, I suppose." She is quiet, thoughtful even for a while as she drinks her coffee, glancing down at the mug as if the contents will provide enlightenment alongside the caffeine.<br /><br />"Right and wrong, sometimes those are really nebulous ideas, and really hazy, I'm discovering. It's not so black and white as so many people want it to be. Which is fascinating and interesting and makes life so much richer, but it's messy too." Naru muses and then shakes her head, as if shaking out that sort of deep and maudlin thought to bring the conversation back to something less heavy.

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You're lucky." Kyouko points out, raising a brow. "Y'know not anybody can use those things..Devices and artifacts and whatnot. Even Kyubey won't approach just anyone for a Wish. You need to have like.. a powerful soul. Some sort of baseline ability for those things to play off of. So the fact that it's even an option for you means it's probably meant to be." She laughs. "I guess the fact that you got pulled into all this probably meant so, anyway. Fate has a way of pushing us down certain paths.."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She makes a little face at the idea of 'right and wrong'. "Think it's more that everyone's black and white are different. Y'know.. I do what I think is right, but what somebody else thinks is right might be totally different, and they might see what I'm doin' as wrong. Which one of us is ''right'' right? I dunno if anyone is qualified to make that call. So in the end, you just gotta do what you believe in, I guess. That's the one lesson I really learned. More than anything else.. don't lie to yourself."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I'll let you know if it actually pans out. It's all very much in theory and potential and maybes and possiblies just yet." Naru quirks a rueful little smile. "Which I'm not sure if that's better or worse, but it is what it is." Naru considers a moment and then shrugs. "It's hard to say if it's sheer proximity to Usagi and Mamo and everyone that has dragged my brain along for the ride, or if it's /me/. I suspect the former, but you're right. Fate seems to shove people along as it wishes, and we dont' always get to work out the how or way, just look at the interconnections later."<br /><br />"Not lieing to yourself is important." Naru nods in agreement. "Working out what's important, and what's not, what's worrisome and what's just the new normal.. well. Back to that whole process thing. Everyone's experiences are so different, it's true."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I dunno if it works that way," Kyouko says, sounding amused. "You don't gain magic powers just by hanging around magic people. I think it's probably the other way around.. you ended up hanging around them because you have that potential. The world likes to shove us together, y'know.. or so it always seems ta me. There's too few of us to account for the fact that we're always runnin' into each other, elsewise."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko nods her head. "My dad was a priest.. always thought he knew what was best for everybody else. Couldn't have been more wrong, turns out.. but seein' that, and what became of it, is what made me kinda decide well.. to each their own. Live an' let live, ya know? 'Least, as long as you don't mess with me or my friends."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"It's not contagious?" Naru snaps her fingers with a soft giggle. "Well drat. There goes /that/ brilliant plan." She shakes her head a little. "I don't think I've magical powers, but I do wonder if my ability to see and remember just comes from the sheer quantity of magical associations I get, but who knows." She leans over to set her coffee cup down on the table, finished and apparently not quite at the mainlining caffeine stage of jet lag. At least not yet.<br /><br />"It's hard to know what's best for someone else, because you're not them." Naru mmms softly and nods. "I appreciate your attitude towards it. It makes a lot of sense, even if sometimes its hard to remember."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I ain't sayin' you got magical powers." Kyouko says, quirking a brow and leaning sideways against the arm of her chair. "I'm just sayin' that you have the ''potential'' to have magical powers.. or at least, based on what you were sayin' it seems that way, anyway, and that ain't true for everybody. You hand some random joe one of those Device things and it ain't gotta do squat. You gotta have something there for it to draw on. Or so I understand it anyway.. I admit, I ain't no expert. Only know what I've heard secondhand."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko shrugs her shoulders at the latter bit, but smiles regardless. "Well, don't mistake it for some great all-understanding spirit I have. All I'm really sayin' is don't be mad when I do what's best for me, regardless of what you think." She grins and winks, a tad roguishly.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I'm no expert either, and I'm not sure very many people actually are. Either I dont ask the right questions, or most aren't entirely sure how they work, based on diverse answers I get." Naru gives a little shrug and then grins. "Or they're trying to soften the blow to my ego, self esteem and identity, which is also possible. Not likely, but possible." She reaches up a hand to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, short enough now that it really doesnt want to stay.<br /><br />Naru laughs softly. "I might get mad, but I won't blame you. How about that? Although I dont really get mad all that often. Not at people I like. Things trying to eat me, then I get mad. It actually made the Wraith pause."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Somebody's gotta know how they work, or else how do they make 'em in the first place?" Kyouko asks, but then shrugs. "Well, I guess if I knew the answer to that I'd probably know more about them than I claim to anyway."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Darlin', getting mad is often the best thing you can do when things are tough." Kyouko says, dispensing dubious advice. "Or at least, it's always worked out for me.." For certain defintiions of 'worked out', anyway." She grins. "Although I'm sure Mamoru wouldn't want to hear me givin' you that sort of advice."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I think they're from another planet, which explains an awful lot in the not understanidng how they work part of it all." Naru explains just a touch and then shrugs. "But if you dont know much, I know just as little, so there's a lot of not knowing going on."<br /><br />Naru laughs and nods. "So far, I've generally had my best success when I've just flat out started yelling at people. Dubious at best, as 'success' isn't really measured in me taking care of things, but confusing people long enough to have someone rescue me is starting to feel like a pathetic level of success. So my evidence supports your theory, so far at least."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, somebody knows, that's all I'm sayin', even if it's not somebody from around here." Another shrug, Kyouko willing to concede the point but only if she makes it clear she wasn't actually wrong.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She grins slightly at Naru's statement about yelling at people. "Hey, why do you think cats arch their back and puff up their tail when they get mad? Winnin' a fight, it's partially about strength but it's also about psychin' out your opponent, y'know? You gotta ''look'' mean.. an' if they buy it, the battle is half-won already."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"It really does seem to help." Naru has to grin. "Especially when they're expecting someone to be all cowering and paniced and screaming and instead I'm answering questions and being irritated and yelling back." She nods brightly at the mention of cats and then laughs again. "Great, now whenever I'm facing down someone, I'll be envisioning myself as a hissing cat." She is still giggling as she gets to her feet.<br /><br />"Want anything? I found juice and I think there's soda in the fridge. Some of the doughnuts you brought?" Naru asks as she wends her way towards the kitchen, coffee cup in hand.

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Muckin' up somebody's expectations is another point, yeah. If you can do both you're way out ahead." Kyouko says, watching as Naru gets up and heads to the kitchen. After a moment she gets up and trails after, not wanting Naru to feel like she is waiting on Kyouko, when the two have equal guest-rights in the apartment.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If you could grab me a soda that'd be great." She says, leaning an elbow on the counter, willing to accept it from this distance, at least.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I'm going to guess that either someone is obsessed with this flavour or it was on sale." Naru comments as she pulls a can from the fridge to offer to Kyouko. "As there's exactly one flavour in here. I think it's pineapple."<br /><br />Naru is going for more coffee, as apparently she is attempting to offset sleepy with sheer volumes of caffeine. Based on her stealing another doughnut, sugar is part of the mix too. "How did you learn to fight? The hard way?"

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko shrugs and accepts the can, popping it open with her fang instead of the normal way before taking a swig. "Eh. Ain't bad." Of course, Kyouko would never refuse anything edible (or drinkable). It's just not in her personality.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She chuckles slightly at the question regarding how she learned to fight. "I guess you could say that. I mean, I think some degree of capability is sorta.. hardwired in when you make a Wish, right? A Puella who can't fight ain't gonna do very good work. But the rest.. just experience. Do anythin' long enough and you're gonna get good at it." Some would argue Kyouko is more than just 'good', though, so it's likely natural aptitude plays a part. "I never had any sort of formal trainin' though, if that's what you're asking."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"It was what I was asking, if somewhat indirectly." Naru nods in agreement. "I suspect some degree of capability is sort of hardwired in regardless. Some folks have a bit more natural talent than others." She leans against the counter, sipping coffee. "I'm kinda enjoying it, which I didnt' really expect. I mean, not that I'm doing anything that's actually fighting related yet, other than being able to run away without collapsing in a heap of panting two blocks away." She grins. "Artists are not naturally athletes."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, I guess that depends on the artist." Kyouko says, with a slight grin, as she takes her soda and turns to head back into the living room after a moment.. sprawling over the chair she had previously occupied with one leg draped over the arm. "But I'm glad you're findin' it rewarding. Not everybody is a fighter, but.. it's never bad to have those sorta skills for when you need 'em."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She sips from the soda again, lifting her head to peer across the room at Naru. "Havin' a good bases now will serve you well later.. even if you do get some magical skills hardwired in at some point."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Okay /this/ artist is not naturally athletic." Naru corrects with a smirk as she follows Kyouko back into the living room to reclaim her spot on the couch, managing not to spill coffee nor spread sugar everywhere. "But it is kinda fun to see progress."<br /><br />"I'm not expecting to." Naru shrugs a bit. "I mean, if I dont get a choice, I dont get a choice. But I've already gone through the pouting for the fact that everyone I know.. or nearly.. is magical and I'm not, and I'd rather not do that disappointment again. It wasn't one of my shining moments."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, to be fair, I think it's mostly Usagi you have to blame." Kyouko says, with a lopsided smile as she balances the soda can on her palm, keeping it upright without too much effort as she idly tips it this way and that. "I mean, most of the rest of us you only know because you happened to know her."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"But I can understand that bein' frustrating, in it's own way. Feeling powerless. Lemme tell you though, havin' magic powers don't always make that go away. I learned the hard way.. there's always somebody out there stronger'n you. The trick is knowing that and preparing for it."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I've known Usagi basically forever at this point. I am totally alright with pinning the blame on her." Naru grins brightly. "I've been practicing /that/ for many years. Not hard, usually she's up to her eyes in it anyhow."<br /><br />Naru mmms softly and nods. "A lot of feeling powerless, yeah. Feeling very much like there was a whole .. world? society? grouping? .. that I could peek at, but not be part of. Like just being able to peer through the fence at all your friends doing things without you, even if its not a party and its dangerous and its likely to suck, its hard to know you have to stay behind and not be part of it." There's another little shrug. "That was the harder one to work through. I can accept that basically everything can kick my butt, I'm working on that."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If you can actually look that girl in the eye and say a mean word to her, you're a stronger person than I am Naru, ability to kick butts notwithstanding." Kyouko murmurs, though there's a fondness in her tone when mentioning Usagi.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As for the rest, well, she just shrugs. "I guess I been a part of it so long now I hardly remember what's it's like to not be. If I could go back in time and change everythin' and have a normal life again, would I? I dunno. Bein' 'magical', as you say, has brought me a lot more trouble than it's ever brought me good, stacked up side-by-side, but.. well, I'm kinda happy where I am right now. So maybe I wouldn't."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"No dice. I'm a pathetic softy when it comes to Usagi, cause she's Usagi. I even managed to hold it together during the escalation so she wouldnt cry more when I cried." Naru shakes her head at the notion of a mean word towards the blonde and there's an utterly fond tone.<br /><br />"All the crappy stuff still somehow gets to a good place." Naru nods in agreement. "I'm in much the same place, although to a lesser degree. I wouldnt trade knowing, not even if it means I'd forget all of the pain and crappy and the horror of not pain, which is so much worse. I'd rather be able to peek through the fence, so to speak."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko laughs, finishing off the last of her soda as Naru confesses to her Usagi-weakness. "Well.. shoulda known as much, I s'ppose. Magic is the least of that girl's weapons." She mutters, though without malice.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko shrugs again as Naru says she's rather be able to peek than be in ignornace. "I suppose I'd feel the same way. They say ignorance is bliss, but in my experience it ain't so fun to feel like you're the only one left out of the big secret, even if it's a dangerous secret."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"She's been charming people since pre-school." Naru confirms with a nod and a soft laugh. "She's had a /lot/ of practice, long before magic appeared on the scene of her life."<br /><br />"Well, truly ignorant, you dont know that you're missing anything. I didnt before I got kidnapped, and had /no idea/. I still don't know how many times my head was messed with before I knew that it could be." Naru wrinkles her nose, clearly not keen on that reality. "I'd rather know. Even big and dangerous and uncomfortable and sucky secrets. Even when I get to feel like an idiot, I'd rather know."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, if it's any consolation, probably not that many times." Kyouko says, tilting her lips up at the corner. Suddenly, she tosses the empty soda can up in the air, then effortlessly flicks it with the back of her hand, sending it spinning across the room where it 'thunks' into the recycle bin against the wall neatly.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Usagi is a relative newbie herself, 'least how she told it to me. Not more'n a year or so since she found out about all the magic stuff herself.. at least, in this life. Dunno if you can count past reincarnations."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Good shot." Naru admires the skillful backhand into the recycling and doesn't attempt the same with her coffee cup. For a whole host of reasons, first and foremost being the fact that mugs get washed.<br /><br />"How long have you known? Or I guess since your Wish, is that the right way of putting it?" Naru asks, curiously as she glances to Kyouko. "How long did you know before you decided to contract?" She pauses and then coughs slightly. "All of which are terribly prying sort of questions, but I have faith in your ability to tell me to shove my curiosity if you dont wish to answer."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hmm?" Kyouko doesn't even seem to realize she's done something out of the ordinary, glancing over towards the now-binned can. "Oh.. thanks. I guess I should probably get up and throw things away like a normal person.." She chuckles.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I didn't know nothin' before my Wish." She says, sounding a bit abrupt, but not as if she's angry at Naru. "That's part of Kyubey's game, y'see. Never tells you anythin' he don't have to. Gets you to make a wish before you know exactly what you're agreein' to." A lift of her shoulders. "Yeah, since about then. Been what.." Her eyes turn up for a moment as she thinks. "Five years now, I guess? Seems like a lot longer'n that." She doesn't mention that most Puella don't make it a quarter of that time.

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"No reason to diminish yourself." No, that's not Naru's voice. Kunzite steps in from the hall, moving as usual rather closer to silently than anyone his size should be capable of, and adds, "Hello, Kyouko. Welcome back, Naru." Small things, nothing significant.<br /><br />There's just a little less than usual of the sense that the standard social formalities are being repeated by rote, memorized out of some book or checklist, that's all.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Pfft. Why? That worked well." Naru gestures towards the recycling with a grin. "And I got to admire it. Win/win. If you ask me."<br /><br />"Five years?" Naru blinks in surprise, clearly not expecting that answer. "Wow. I can imagine why you'd find this lull really disconcerting if you've been doing this for five years. No /wonder/ you're bored." She hunhs softly, thinking about the tricksy ways of Kyubey. "I'm guessing 'fair play' isn't really part of Kyubey's game either, or at least not compassionate play."<br /><br />Naru twists a little on the couch to where Kunzite has appeared like a shadow and she waves. "There's coffee in the kitchen." It's a perfectly reasonable Kunzite greeting.

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, I do like showin' off." Kyouko says, approvingly, before shrugging again at Naru's apparent surprise. "Well, there's a reason people refer ta me, Mami and Homura as the 'veteran' Puella. Never met anyone who's been doin' it longer than the three of us. Not sayin' they don't exist, but if they do it ain't in Tokyo."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"To hear him tell it, Kyubey is always fair. Just so happens that his definition of 'fair' is a little stricter than most people'd consider exactly sporting, that's all."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She glances over as Kunzite enters the room and offers a fangy smile. "Nii-chan. I was just stoppin' by before work. I brought some doughnuts." She points towards the kitchen. "From yesterday, but they ain't too stale yet."

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"There's a term for individuals who consider themselves qualified to arbitrate disputes over their own agreements." Kunzite doesn't sound annoyed, but there's a fractional narrowing of his eyes, and both Naru and Kyouko know him well enough to read his opinion of Kyubey from that -- if either of them needed to bother in the first place.<br /><br />It resets to normal at the mention of the doughnuts, and there's a little tilt of his head in Kyouko's direction. "How did you distract Momo long enough to escape with them?" he inquires, en route to the kitchen.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I'm sure he does claim to be fair. It sounds about par for the course." Naru nods a little and settles back in the couch, re-curling her bare legs back up under her and stretching a bit as she does. "I don't think I know Mami, at least not in more than name. I've also never really sat and talked with Homura. I've really only seen her with Madoka, and then there's not usually a whole lot of conversation going on." Naru's smile is gently amused at that reality.

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Is it 'asshole'?" Kyouko snarks towards Kunzite as he heads into the kitchen, before adding, "Simple, I brought two bags home an' gave her the other one." She smirks, but there's more than a little fondness in the expression.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko glances back at Naru, her expression turning slightly sour. "Eh. We don' really get along, us three. Y'know that whole sayin' about 'strange cats'? Or maybe 'familiarity breeds contempt'.. or some combination of the two. Short version of the story, I guess, is that none of us Puella come out unscatched if we make it this far, and there's too much distrust there. Mami and I got a long history. She's got her heart in the right place but her head in the clouds. Homura.."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A brief lift of her shoulders. "Mamoru and Usagi and people seem to like her but she an' I been on the wrong side of each other two many times for me to ever really forget it." She sighs. "Still.. I think I understand her better than I used to. I don't think she's untrustworthy, or anythin', I just think for the most part, it's best if she an' I do our own thing. Madoka-chan's a sweetie but she's made her choice so I don't see much of her these days, either." Another shrug. "No hard feelin's though. Ain't for me to tell somebody what they should or shouldn't do if they're happy."

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I was thinking 'con artist,' but yours is at least as valid." The amused look at the fate of the second bag is delayed for a few necessary moments, before Kunzite emerges again with coffee cup and doughnut. Day-old or not.<br /><br />His silence on the topic of the other Puella is not pointed -- he merely seats himself in a chair, not ominous looks or grim stares. But it's there, all the same, despite his usual habit of providing Naru with explanations.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"That's fair." Naru nods after Kyouko's commentary about how well the trio get along. "I can appreciate that there's a lot of history, and its not all good, or warm and fuzzy." She is thoughtful a moment and then nods with a faint smile. "I'm glad to know, although I am sorry to bring up a not great topic."<br /><br />Naru looks at Kunzite with his doughnut and then uncurls again from the couch. "I'm going to find myself real food before I attempt to sustain myself exclusively on caffeine and sugar and a lack of sleep." She pads back off towards the kitchen again.

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Eh.. mosta my life is comprised of 'not great topics'." Kyouko says, with a hint of nihilistic complacency. "If I shied away from ever talkin' about it I'd never get to talk to anybody."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She watches Naru get up and walk over towards the kitchen again before swivelling her gaze to regard Kunzite seated in the other chair across from her. "Everythin' okay, nii-chan?" This is not a question because she thinks something is wrong. It is the same as her essentially asking for a status report. Such things are more ritual than anything else at this point.

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"No recent crises," Kunzite answers, "or at least none that I've heard news of yet." He glances at his hands, both still occupied; shrugs briefly, and sets the doughnut on his knee, on the napkin he brought with it. ''Now'' he has a free hand to stretch. And to break off a segment of that doughnut. "No-one's strangled anyone over the apartment renovations. No-one's been hit by a car while distracted by ridiculous phone games. The new girl with the bird-fairy-thing didn't get herself or either of her companions killed poking around the apartment. I've actually had time to recharge to capacity. It's a little unsettling."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko quirks a brow at the mention of a 'new girl', but doesn't press for information at the moment. She's sure she'll find out in due time. "I know, right?" She says, with a slightly rueful chuckle as Kunzite mentions it being slightly 'unsettling.'<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I was just sayin' to Naru before.. I'm glad everythin' is going well but it's startin' to drive me a little nuts. Normal life is all well and good, an' the last thing I want is anybody to be in danger, but I wish it was a little more.. exciting."

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"It will be." It's in the same sense that of ''course'' the sun will rise. ... actually, it's a little more certain than the sun rising; the sun ''not'' rising would be a definite signal of things getting exciting. "In the mean time, we store up what we can, while we can." Energy reserves for Kunzite. Grief cubes and more-precious grief seeds for the Puella. Money scraped together against disruption of work, for the Sakura sisters. Defenses for Mamoru's household.<br /><br />Sketches, for Naru, maybe.<br /><br />Kunzite glances up and across to Kyouko. "That reminds me. Lacrima hasn't tried anything?"

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ehh, you know me, nii-chan." Kyouko says, tossing her head in a way that makes her voluminous red hair twitch against the side of the chair. "Always happier when the world is on fire, get antsy when nothin's goin' on. I'll be alright.. like I said, it's not like I ''want'' people to be in danger, or anythin'."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At the mention of Lacrima, she looks blank briefly, then blinks. "Oh, the bat-dress-chick? She came into my conbenie and made a bunch of silly threats that essentially amounted to 'I'm mad because you invaded my safe space', but then basically said if I didn't do it again she'd leave me alone and walked out."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Another shrug. "I don't have any reason to go back there, so whatever. She didn't try anythin' violent and she hasn't come back. Not rulin' out the possibility of further trouble with those guys in the future, but I don't think it'll be because of this incident, if it happens."

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"We'll see. I met up with her on another topic, and it didn't actually turn violent." Yelling, yes. Anger, yes. Lots of that. But not actual violence."She hasn't sought any vengeance for that one yet."<br /><br />Kunzite does not make any speculations on whether this might be a promising sign. Because neither one of them would actually ''trust'' a mere promising sign; they both know that 'we'll see' is more a when than a whether, so why bother? Particularly when there is coffee and day-old doughnut to pay attention to instead.<br /><br />... and there's a long moment's pause, therefore, before Kunzite develops a faint frown. "Well," he says, as if putting a coda on a related but entirely different conversation that has not actually occurred. "At least with Agera, we know that we'll always find out what he's been up to eventually."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"What's up with Lacrima?" Naru asks as she emerges from the kitchen with a sandwich, and a pickle and a notable lack of more coffee. Probably for the best at this point.<br /><br />"Anything new up with Agera?" Naru asks as she comes to reclaim her spot on the couch. "I'm all freshly even more out of all the loops than usual. He and Ami still a thing or do I need to ask Usagi about that one?"

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"No immediate issues with Lacrima, apparently. She seems to be taking time to be relatively reasonable, just now." Considering her condition. -- Kunzite is not saying that part out loud; as long as she's halfway behaving, what he knows is effectively privileged information. When she stops, that might change. But not now. "I don't know about Agera; I've been paying attention to the construction, not to the gossip."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"We had an interesting chat, her and I, just before I left. Just a chat, no agression. I don't know how long it'll last, but it was a good moment." Naru crunches on pickle as she balances her plate on her lap, legs crossed under her.<br /><br />"Mmmm. Fair enough point." Naru nods to Kunzite at the mention of not following gossip. "It can be interesting, following gossip, but it takes a lot of sifting to get to the useful bits. Harder when you've been away and focused on your own stuff."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I don't gossip." Kyouko says, in what may be a bald-faced lie. "All I care about is whetehr or not someone is currently trying to murder me or anyone I care about. Right now it seems like the answer is 'no', so as far as I know, nothing new is up."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She scowls for a moment. "Don't like 'em being around where we ''might'' run into each other but I guess there's no helping that."

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>There's a thump from the balcony, and then the sliding glass door opens to admit 1 (one) Mamoru Chiba, in cargo shorts and a beater and comfortable sandals-- which he kicks off just inside the door as he pockets his phone. And he looks breezily triumphant. "Four gyms. FOUR GYMS. Forty pokecoins in one go. I don't care if rooftop playing is cheating, it's less cheating than spending real money on that stuff."<br /><br />And of course this also means as he continues to breeze right through that living room and into the kitchen, literally everyone's hair gets ruffled, one by one. "I'm sorry if you're discussing important stuff but dude /four gyms/. FOUR. Naru-chan, you're coming with me this evening, right? I'll take you overground if you want."

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The attempt by Mamoru to ruffle Kunzite's hair does not get him a look that could freeze the coffee. It gets his hand leaned into for a moment instead. Only for a moment, but still, it's enough that it might prompt curiosity about whether Kunzite has been replaced by Folger's crystals.<br /><br />"You collect intelligence," he tells Kyouko after, back to his usual level tone. Naru is studied a moment later -- no, nothing has been said to or of Mamoru; he was talking about Pokemon, there is nothing ''to'' say. "One might wonder what Lacrima chats about."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"If I am, by some miracle, still conscious, then yes." Naru is ruffled as Mamo passes and there's a soft snort. "Four gyms? It wont last, you know. You /know/ it won't last. We'll go take them back." She reaches for her sandwich. "I don't care if it's rooftops or overground, just remember that I don't bounce if you drop me off a building."<br /><br />"Didn't we already cover that whole 'Fate seems to not much care' and kicks you into running into people, no matter what you want?" Naru asks of Kyouko with a little grin. "So you might be screwed regardless on not running into him."<br /><br />Naru is thoughtful about on what she and Lacrima chatted about. "Mmmm. Books. Relationships. Emotions. Y'know, the usual sort of chat." There's a flicker of a smirk. It's really only a typical Naru sort of chat.

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko doesn't particularly notice Kunzite's un-Kunzite-like reaction to being ruffled because she's too busy scowling and trying to 'fix' her hair after her own ruffling, although it's mostly just for appearances sake since Kyouko's hair doesn't genereally require much in the way of maintenance beyond 'wash occasionally, put in ponytail'.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I collect somethin', alright. Not sure if it's very intelligent." She smirks at Kunzite, then sighs at Naru. "No, you're right. I'm sure fate will find some way to screw me before too long. It always does."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She casts her eyes after Mamoru. "Have fun with your jaunting around on the rooftops looking for invisible monsters. For some of us that sort of thing is a matter of survival, you kno!" She doesn't claim it's not fun though. Hunting Witches (or Wraits) is pretty fun, in Kyouko's estimation.

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The head-lean, of course, means that in the last part of Kunzite's hair-ruffle, the prince's hand trails away instead of dropping away, hands sifting through silver-white hair.<br /><br />It's brief enough and understated enough that it's just as easy to miss or ignore as the head-tilt itself.<br /><br />Finally, though, Mamoru calls back through the kitchen door, "I wouldn't drop you, sheesh. You'd have to wear my cape, though. Then you can cling to my back like a monkey as I leap tall buildings in a single bound, and still have bulletproofing behind you."<br /><br />At ''Kyouko's'' comment, he actually sticks his head out the door and glowers at her. "You know, it's something to do while you're waiting for the real monsters to show up. You can't tell me there aren't boring parts of patrolling. I wish Pokego existed back when I was looking for the phantom silver crystal." Then Mamoru ducks back into the kitchen and his voice is louder. "And yeah, Naru-- obviously it won't last. It only needed to last long enough for me to collect the coins. Which is why I carped the last gym I took, the one that was defended by seven red jackasses with varying levels of 'over 1500 CP'. I gotta make you guys spend potion to rez your jerkemon and I'm only down a 10 CP Magicarp."

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"The bulletproofing makes sense," Kunzite muses. "The boredom is also understandable. But as for the rest - Naru, have you run into anything that specifically drains coherency yet?"

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"You are lucky I'm little." Naru points out with a soft laugh and a shake of her head at the mention of clinging to him like a monkey. "Besides, I'm sure Tokyo's monsters have forgotten about me while I was away, that's how it works, right?"<br /><br />The warm laugh from Naru at Mamo's commentary says that it made sense to /someone/. "You didn't even spring for a 14 CP? You are a troll, Endy." She laughs and shakes her head and then waggles her sandwich at Kunzite. "Not specifically, no. Although if my pre-vacation stats are to be believed, I'm well overdue so perhaps we'll find something while poke-hunting. Or we'll carp a few more gyms and call it good."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko is glowered at, and she responds by sticking her tongue out at Mamoru. "Back in my day, we used ta make our own fun while patrolling. Kicking over trash cans, carving our names into the wall, that sorta thing." She's just play-arguing though, and the grin she flashes him a moment later lets him know it, even as he vanishes back into the kitchen.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She glances at Naru. "Ugh, don't make me wish I could go with you too. Not that I don't trust Mamoru to be able to look out for you, but if you're that overdue I don't wanna get out of work later and hear about an unusual convergence of a dozen Youma downtown, or somethin'."

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Hey, I'm pretty strong in henshin," Mamoru says with a shrug as he comes out with his own sandwich and a cup of coffee, then deposits himself on the couch more or less next to Kunzite. The coffee, of course, is set down carefully. "And don't worry, Kyou-chans, if we get mobbed by youma I'll call for help, and the guys can get to wherever I am in seconds. Why do you think they ever let me out of their sight?"<br /><br />The last is said teasingly, complete with a light shove at Kunzite's shoulder and a grin, but it's not actually wrong either.<br /><br />Then Endymion gives Naru a toothy grin. "Of course I'm a troll. Hell, you and me going out on the town is more or less trolling real monsters anyway. You have /no idea/ how often I was getting randomly drained against my will last year. It was almost a running joke. Even villains were yelling at me for not being more careful. Even /Miss White/ was yelling at me for not being more careful, and you know how reckless /she/ is."<br /><br />It's only about a quarter of his sandwich he shoves in his mouth.

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Kunzite bears up under the shove - he's never let go of the coffee cup, so it's relatively stable. There is, once again, only one comment - to Kyouko this time. "Two dozen."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Awesome. I can already check that one off the list. Villian giving me a hard time for getting chewed on regularly. Done. Check." Naru snorts softly, amused. "Although seriously, kudos on getting Miss White to yell at you about being reckless. I can only aspire."<br /><br />"Hey now.. two dozen seems extreme. One for each day since Paris seems /more/ than reasonable, and that's a mere dozen." Naru smirks a touch. "Although I think anything in my head counts double and Wraiths are at least worth three each." She reaches for her own coffee. "I should totally make up a scoring sheet."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Sure, the guys can. I never get to have any fun anymore." Kyouko sighs, mock-wistfully, though there's an undercurrent of real bitterness in her tone- not because of Mamoru not calling her, specifically, but because of the already-lamented-upon humdrum routine of her life which is so beginning to wear on her the past couple of months. "Not," She adds, "That I actually ''want'' you to get attacked." She gives Naru a firm look as she says this, as if she somehow things the girl can do something about that.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She sighs towards Kunzite. "I dunno, nii-chan, maybe I should just skip work and do the old 'lurk in the shadows' thing while these kids have their fun. That always worked for you, right?"

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>There's a glance at Kyouko for a second, and then Mamoru tells Naru -- while holding his hand in front of his full mouth -- "Monster leaderboard. We can get you a whiteboard to mark up in the ops room. Once we make an ops room." A pause to swallow. "We should make an ops room."<br /><br />Then his gaze shifts to regard Kyouko thoughtfully. "You know, I could hire you and your sister to keep this district free of Witches and Wraiths. I know Madoka and Homura do drivebys, and I know you do anyway, but with the traffic this place gets and the generally high level of emotion we have going on the regular, here, it's probably only a matter of time before it's a veritable beacon for Wraiths at the very least. And that's really not the kind of thing I want to have to deal with."

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>They should make an ops room. "There's always the one Usagi started," Kunzite points out deadpan to Mamoru. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind sharing."<br /><br />It is perhaps a good thing that his comment to ''Kyouko'' -- "When do you get off work, again?", with its implication of keeping Mamoru and Naru from playing Extra Double Exponential Youma Bait until ''after'' she's off shift -- is slipped in while Mamoru's still shifting his attention. Because when Mamoru makes that suggestion, it stops being entirely funny. Though whether it's worth serious consideration or not depends entirely on Kyouko's reaction to it.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Usagi made an ops room?" Naru asks with a level of wary and possibly skepticism.<br /><br />Naru holds up her free hand. "I'm not actively trying to be bait any more than not being a hermit entails. I've just spent enough time alone in the last couple of weeks, so you guys are stuck with me not being a hermit here. Or catching pokemon."<br /><br />"I already have a rating system for them. Kinda like Yelp for villians. There's a couple one star reviews in there, that's for sure. Wraiths are one of them." Naru explains to Mamoru.

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko gives Mamoru a look, as if trying to judge how serious he is, then she quirks her lips to the side slightly and shakes her head. "Mamoru, I appreciate the effort an' all, but I ain't gonna take money from you to do somethin' I would do anyway for free. You guys are as much family to me as Momo is.. I don't need payment to do my best to keep monsters away from your house."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She sighs. "Not that there are many anyway. Trust me, if there was a guaranteed rich hunting ground like that, I'd be payin' ''you'' for exclusive rights to it."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She glances at Kunzite, then. "Eight."

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mamoru gives Kyouko a little sideways shrug. "We can talk about it later if you want. I have a list of reasons it'd be mutually beneficial that you'd probably be interested in hearing, but I still won't be hurt or anything if you say no again even after hearing 'em, and I'll drop it." Then he grins at Naru, sandwich halfway to his face again. "She practically had a conspiracy theory wall going in one of the apartments when it was still empty. Long story. And don't say stuck with you like it's some kind of massive inconvenience, jeez. Anyway call me later if you're still up for a pokego rooftop tour-- we can always do it some other time, but evenings are better because it's not quite as stupid hot out."<br /><br />Then it's two of the three remaining quarters of his sandwich in his mouth at once and he's gonna be shut up for a while.

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Shall I bring dinner?" Kunzite suggests to Kyouko. "We can keep an eye on these two," 'lunatics' is ''not'' said out loud, "and see if they turn out to attract anything interesting."<br /><br />The question of what kind of youma would ''not'' count as interesting is left unasked. Just the same way that the rest of the Shitennou being supported by Mamoru's money is not pointed out. There are a few genuine differences in mindset between ''then'' and ''now,'' and that's one of them.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Hey, I got asked if I was being driven away from Tokyo when I noted I was going on vacation. You all are stuck with me." Naru smiles easily, clearly not taking it all /that/ seriously herself.<br /><br />"I have plenty of theories, some of which involved conspiracies, I just don't put them in a room." Naru grins and gestures. "I just draw about them. So much easier, generally, and less string."<br /><br />Naru nibbles a little further on her sandwich, kindly chewing and swallowing first before continuing. "My cunning plan is to stay up 'til I fall over and force myself back on Tokyo time that way, so evening Pokehunts are welcome. Nudge me periodically to keep me awake 'til a sane Tokyo bedtime." She gestures towards Kunzite and Kyouko. "Besides, these two are looking forward to my potential bait status."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko regards Mamoru for a few more moments, clearly debating what sort of reaction she should be having to his words, and seeming a little unsure herself. Finally, though, shoulders lift in a brief shrug and she offers him a slightly lopsided smile. "Sure, Mamoru.. we can talk about it. I'll hear ya out. You know I'll always do that much."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she looks to Kunzite as he proposes bringing dinner, and she flashes him a genuine, warm smile.. possibly the first such Kyouko-smile that Naru has witnessed, rare things though they are when untainted by sardonic or wry twists. "That sounds lovely, nii-chan. Though I should point out, you brought me dinner last time we ate together too.."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she shifts her eyes to Naru, and scowls slightly. "Look, I said ''don't'' get attacked."

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mamoru looks wholly unconcerned-- then slightly puzzled at Kyouko's strange expression-- but his attention's mostly on stuffing his face. He gives Naru a thumbs-up, then glances sidelong at Kyouko and Kunzite as one corner of his mouth twitches up, but he relatively quickly hides it by slugging some coffee back to wash the giant mouthful down. He's eating. He hasn't any commentary.<br /><br />As if to prove it, he stuffs the last of his sandwich in his mouth and then sprawls back in the couch with his coffee mug in both hands, resting lightly on his stomach. Ladies and gentleman, the Prince of the Earth.

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I approve of less string. Difficult to navigate when multiple boards are connected." ... whether Kunzite is taking his turn to troll, or whether Usagi ''actually did that,'' is left to Naru's imagination.<br /><br />Kunzite did bring dinner the last time, it's true. "Point one: we need to deal with leftovers somehow," he observes. "Point two: elder brother privilege. Point three: you brought these." He holds up the remaining, well, quarter-donut. "My turn." The smile that answers Kyouko's is restrained, particularly so in comparison, but it is also actually visible, not just a momentary twitch or something suggested around the eyes. Folger's crystals.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Or pod person. Also a possibility.<br /><br />Naru sets her plate aside, empty in a far more civilized fashion than Mamo's stuffing of food into his mouth and curls back up into the couch. "Still not actually /trying/ to get attacked, and now that we've joked about it and teased about it, and I'm actually likely to be with people, it becomes even less likely." Naru points out with a wry smile and a little shrug. "and besides, at this point if I can't joke about the reality of my fairly regular attack schedule being out of whack, I'd be a nervous wreck."<br /><br />Naru uncurls from her spot on the couch, wandering over to her bag to dig out her sketchbook and some coloured pencils and bring them back to the couch.

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko sighs a little bit as Kunzite batters her with his infernal logic. She can't really dispute most of that, especially not with the way ''she'' excercises elder-sibling privledge to dote on Momo. "Alright, fine." She mutters, although she somehow manages to look pleased even while doing so. She doesn't seem off-put by a Kunzite-smile, though arguably she is more often the recipiant of those than most.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko then offers a brief smile to Naru. "Ah, I know, Naru-chan, I'm just givin' you a hard time."

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mamoru's eyes orient immediately on the doughnut quarter in Kunzite's hand, then dart to Kyouko's face, then to Kunzite's face, and he studiously looks at his coffee as he nonchalantly sits up again to sip it, then carefully put it on the table in front of them.<br /><br />As soon as it's down, his hand flickers as fast as though he were performing a magic trick or producing a rose to throw, and it's meant to snatch the donut quarter from Kunzite's hand. If this is ''successful'', it's immediately in his mouth. If it is not successful, a scuffle may start.

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mamoru's back-and-forth looks prompt Kunzite to eye him just for a moment. There is a perhaps preemptive drink from his own coffee.<br /><br />Which means that the mug that hits the floor a moment later, as he grabs for Mamoru's donut-thieving wrist, is pretty much empty.<br /><br />The ensuing scuffle is, however, remarkably careful of the ''actual prize'' involved. Kyouko is not the only one in the room who has strictures about wasting food.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Exhibit A on why one needs to actually eat their doughnuts in a timely manner around here." Naru comments calmly as she makes sure to tuck her feet up to avoid any errand splashes and scuffles and general shenanigans.<br /><br />Naru grins to Kyouko at the brief smile. "I figured." She flips through to a drawing in progress, selecting out a shade of yellow to add to highlights on the page. She gives a little shake of her head, almost a twitch as she settles to colouring.

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko lets out a brief sigh as the boys begin to scuffle over a quarter-doughnut. She really has no place to do so, as she's been known to get into actual fights over even less food, but maybe she just wants to enjoy the feeling of being the aloof one, for once. Well, one of them. She turns to Naru and gives her this look, all like 'boys, amirite??' Somewhere, Mami guffaws.

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>It's a good thing no one else is on the couch with Mamoru and Kunzite while they scuffle, because the back of the couch joins the coffee mug on the floor as they actually tip it over backwards in the process of fighting over the doughnut quarter. It makes a much more significant crash.<br /><br />There are continued scuffling sounds for a moment, and then a muffled protest and a decided THUNK, and then a brief silence.<br /><br />Then Mamoru, looking incredibly disheveled and dignified all at once, stands up with his cheeks puffed out because his mouth is full of one fourth of a doughnut. Face slightly pink with exertion, he brushes himself off while chewing, and offers Kunzite a hand up -- while giving Kyouko a challenging look.

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The hand up is accepted, though Kunzite's halfway to his feet already at the time. He straightens; shakes his head, once, which settles about two-thirds of his own dishevelment; eyes the toppled couch disapprovingly for a moment, then says to Naru, "I apologize if your drawing was disturbed." His tone is as casual as if he and Mamoru had had no more than a five-second disagreement over remembering who did the shopping last.<br /><br />The fact that there were ''other entire donuts'' in the kitchen when Mamoru went in to get his sandwich will never be mentioned. Ever.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Boys will be boys and Naru shares that look with Kyouko and then turns back to where Mamo and Kunzite are getting to their feet and looks innocent. Which isn't hard, really, all she's doing is drawing.<br /><br />"You two are less disturbing than the vague not quite a headache I get when I'm working, but as I'm actually painting and drawing again, I'm willing to take it." Naru grins to Kunzite at his apology.

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The couch thumps over onto its back on the floor, and Kyouko goes so far as to roll her eyes. Good thing none of these people are witness to the sorts of things which go on in ''her'' apartment when she and Momo are alone, or she'd be horribly embarassed. When Mamoru arises and gives her that challenging look, she just grins at him rather wolfishly, baring fang. "You guys are so cute. There's more in the kitchen, y'know." Of course he knew, that isn't the point.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She glances over at Naru and her drawing, quirking a brow. "What're you drawin' anyway, Naru-chan? I ain't ever been one for the creative arts myself.. I think my energy tends more towards destruction than creation." She doesn't even sound ashamed.

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mamoru simply rights the couch, mouth still full, still disheveled and immensely smug and aside from the challenging look at Kyouko, not making a lot of eye-contact. And still a little pink in the face.<br /><br />Once the couch is righted, he climbs over the back of it and drops down on it with a bounce, then reaches for the rest of his coffee to wash the stolen doughnut-piece down. And then he says, perfectly calmly and STILL not making eye contact, "Stolen food tastes better."<br /><br />It's just that abruptly he's up on his feet again and righting his clothes and running a hand through his hair and looking like he's trying even harder to be dignified, and he says, "I'm actually going to go screw around with Usagi's ops room and see if it can be repurposed from a drawing-on-the-walls crazyhouse to a functional organized space. It's like five rooms over if you need me for anything." He sidesteps around Kunzite, refusing to look at him and pinker than he was when he got up, and swans out the door.

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>It is entirely possible, given the inhabitants, that righting the couch did not need to be a two-person job. It is anyway, because there is ''no hope'' of enforcing rule number 9 on anyone else if he doesn't live up to it himself. Kunzite collects his mug off the floor before anyone can trip over it, and mops up the inevitable spatter with the gone-astray napkin. It makes a good thing to pretend to be paying attention to while he's listening to Naru's answer to Kyouko, and counting up the percentage of Naru's attacks that happened ''while she was drawing.''<br /><br />And adding the speculation about the Wraiths. And debating whether 'en route to an art gallery' should count.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The fact that, pre-Wraith, Naru was found drawing most of the time does tend to skew the stats on how many attacks happened while she was drawing.<br /><br />Naru watches Mamoru take his abrupt leave and there's a little snort of vague amusement before she turns to Kyouko to answer her. "I'm touching up a drawing of some jewelry and other things I liked at a museum in Austria. I didn't manage to finish up the colour and shading on the plane home, I mostly slept through that flight." She barly manages to stifle a yawn, even just at the mention of 'sleep'.

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Mmm. Neat." Kyouko replies to Naru, her eyes tracking Mamoru as he suddenly bounds out of the room. She sighs a little bit, and then rises to her feet as well, wiping her hands on the thighs of her jeans although she hadn't been eating anything herself. "I guess I should be gettin' goin' too. Got a shift in a little while. Just wanted to drop the doughnuts off, ended up chattin' away with you punks for way too long."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She grins and offers a wave to Naru. "Take care, Naru-chan." Then she pads over and gives Kunzite a one-armed hug, as is the usual between them, squeezing her (much) shorter frame against his side for a moment before pulling away. "I'll see you later for dinner, nii-chan?" She smiles, before moving to fetch her sneakers and prepare to exit the apartment and head to her ever-demanding job.

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mug plus napkin equals one hand, leaving an arm free to return that half-embrace. "Later," he confirms to Kyouko. "And we'll see if these two attract any interesting attention."<br /><br />Naru rates drainings for quality. Kyouko and Kunzite are more likely to complain at -- or lecture -- monsters for providing insufficiently entertaining violence.<br /><br />"Good luck with your shift," he adds, before moving to pick up Mamoru's debris and ferry it into the kitchen. And only after ''that'' to glance over Naru's shoulder.<br /><br />Priorities.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"An unending supply of pidgies and weedles." Naru comments with a grin at the mention of who they might attract. "With some rattata for good measure." She waves her farewells to Kyouko before looking down at her drawing, considering what she's doing next as she slowly puts that shade of yellow pencil away.<br /><br />The drawing is more detailed and realistic than many Naru does, the colours brilliant and rich and vibrant. She's got a couple different things on the page, an elaborate torc that she's been working with the shadings on, and a colourfully painted box sketched out and only half coloured elsewhere on the page. Little notes about item numbers and brief descriptions are jotted down next to each of them.<br /><br />Naru looks up at Kunzite as he looks over her shoulder. "I've a couple others at home that I promised to show you at some point."

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura| (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If by 'lecture' Kunzite means 'stab to death' then he's not wrong.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The only luck I need is that we stay busy enough for me to avoid taking inventory." Kyouko says, with an experiened shudder, before waving again. "Later Naru-chan, nii-chan. BYE MAMORU!" This last is shouted down the hall, before the door is opened and she slips through and out.

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite| (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Stabbing isn't a lecture? Granted, it's more likely to be Kunzite issuing a bored critique. Kyouko's response to boredom is more likely to involve not bothering to stop eating Pocky.<br /><br />"Coherency drain," Kunzite says, shaking his head slightly. Pidgies and ''what.'' The drawing has his attention, though. It's tempting to ''keep'' peering over her shoulder --<br /><br />He looks back to her instead. "When you're ready," he says about the other pieces. Not pressing her on the subject.<br /><br />Pressing people on the subject rarely works out well for him. There's always the possibility of just quietly breaking, or teleporting, in while she's at school, after all. But he hasn't gone that far yet.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Slightly more challenging for school not being in session right now. Slightly less challenging for the fact that Naru is at their apartment more than she's home. A wash, all in all.<br /><br />Naru gives a little shrug. "Sooner rather than later, I want your opinion." She pauses a moment before closing her sketchbook. "I want tokenly unbiased eyes, who won't sugarcoat their commentary by saying everying is 'nice'." Naru corrects herself, to something slightly more accurate. "But at the moment, coherency drain is coming from having slept about three hours in the last thirty or so, which I think translates to going home and going to bed." Naru doesn't quite stifle the next yawn. "Good night, Kunzite."
}}