View source for 2987/Thinking About You

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/11/01
|Location=Uminari City - Juuban Avenue - North
|Synopsis=Rashmi calls a coincidentally nearby Jin, asking to talk. While what gets talked about wasn't what was on her mind, it's good to know that someone cares enough for Fate to look out for the poor girl, and now Rashmi suspects that Jin might be more ghost than Mage. Which is *so sad you guys.*
|Cast of Characters=198,204
|pretty=yes
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{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:198|Rashmi Terios| (198)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Following some Googling, some research of public documents, and questions answered spawning yet more questions... Rashmi has a choice to make. She is not at all the confrontational sort, but... Some things need to be done face to face. Who knows; perhaps this way, at least, she can get some of her new questions answered for certain.<br /> <br />With a heavy sigh, she has Nicomachea send a message via Osiemnastka.<br /> <br />&lt;&lt; Jin-san, it's Rashmi. From the curry shop? Can we talk when you have a moment? You pick the place. &gt;&gt;

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The answer is surprisingly quick:<br /><br />&lt;&lt; ''Hi! Yes! I was just thinking about coming to see you! Are you at your restaurant? I am in the area!'' &gt;&gt;<br /><br />And indeed, the grey-haired and silver-eyed boy with the limp turns a corner and can be seen coming up the street in the direction of Korma Chameleon, just a couple of seconds later. Despite the limp, he is walking with his shoulders squared and his back straight, all the confidence in the world in his bearing.

:'''{{#var:198|Rashmi Terios| (198)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&lt;&lt; Okay perfect! We can meet there, or there's a little park around the corner we can go to if you'd rather be outside? &gt;&gt;<br /> <br />Hurriedly, Rashmi rearranges her bookbag, cramming a handful of paperbacks into one side, and sliding Nicomachea's default active mode in to fill the rest of the space.

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>On the street, Jin stops and looks around, backtracks, looks around the corner he'd just come around, and brightens. He vanishes around the corner again. &lt;&lt; ''At the park is good! It is probably a better idea if we are going to talk about magic at all, ha ha.'' &gt;&gt;

:'''{{#var:198|Rashmi Terios| (198)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&lt;&lt; Probably! ^_^ &gt;&gt; ...Yes, Rashmi has taught Nicomachea how to emoji.<br /> <br />It's not long before she's out the back door and jogging toward the park. Jogging like the barely-in-shape bookworm that she is.

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Terios-san hi!" Jin calls from the entrance to the park, where he's leaning against one of the brick posts at the open gate; he waves cheerfully.<br /><br />He waits until she's actually there before pushing up from his lean and heading amiably toward the closest park bench, giving her an affectionate smile. "I'm glad you weren't at the last jewel seed fight, at the hospital. You and Silvia-san. It was awful, there were zombies."

:'''{{#var:198|Rashmi Terios| (198)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"....I missed one?" Rashmi says, blinking. "Oh.... well, darn. ...Now I feel like a slacker." Settling down on the bench, she frowns at her knees, brushing out her skirt for a moment. "Is everyone okay, though?"

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jin's smile dissolves, and he glances down at his hands. "Not really. Physically I think yes, as well as can be expected. The girl with the hammer was there, and she lost her temper very badly at the man who was responsible. And-- the little redheaded girl-- Takamachi-san. She was very upset... and Testarossa-san..." He shakes his head. "It's not my place to tell. But I am more happy than before that I have decided to help her. She needs to be protected."

:'''{{#var:198|Rashmi Terios| (198)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Help her?" Rashmi says, making a mental note to call Nanoha and Kokoro the moment she has spare time. "Which her? You just named three..."

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Testarossa-san," says Jin, glancing up in surprise. "She doesn't have anyone else, and she has no choice but to do what she does. At least-- she has her model actress friend, but she is not a mage, and she has Riventon, and I hope that he will continue to help her, but... he is not devoted to her, I think. I hope I will be enough."

:'''{{#var:198|Rashmi Terios| (198)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The response makes Rashmi's head tilt slowly to one side, as she puzzles through the context of all that Jin has said. ".....Um..... first off, Arf's not an actress, she's a Familiar. And Riventon.... um. Hrn." Closing her eyes, Rashmi shakes her head a moment, drawing in a deep breath. "Jin-san... are you sure that's what you want to do? ''Really'' sure? Because it might put you on the opposite side of a whole lot of people..."

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Yes," Jin says firmly, sitting forward and leaning his elbows on his knees, head turned to face Rashmi; his fingers lace loosely, and his hair falls a little into his face. "She is so very good, Terios-san. It is not her fault what happens to her, it is not her fault what she is put through, and she cannot be saved until she understands that. And I cannot make her understand that. Perhaps Takamachi-san can, but not yet-- and until then, she needs support, not yet another person against her. I won't be able to support her much longer, at least not in the way I have been, but I hope that she will still..."<br /><br />He looks down and chuffs out a laugh, closing his eyes; the laugh has pain and regret behind it, but also resolve. "I hope that she will be able to talk to me. To still have someone-- who is not her Familiar--? that she knows will never betray her."

:'''{{#var:198|Rashmi Terios| (198)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"...Okay Jin-san, you're kind of starting to worry me," Rashmi says, tugging Nicomachea from her bookbag, and resting him on the table. "You're talking like someone who's about to walk off on a suicide march. You know that, right?"

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jin gives Rashmi a look that's partly amused, partly affectionate; he shakes his head. "I can't die," he tells her, spreading his hands in a helpless sort of shrug. "You don't need to be worried for me. Be worried for Testarossa-san. She hurts very badly, all of the time. Again, I can't tell you what, or why, only that I am going to try to help. You can try asking the girl with the hammer, or Tessen, or Takamachi-san; they might tell you."

:'''{{#var:198|Rashmi Terios| (198)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"All right, then," Rashmi says... And smiles gently, as a sizable circle spreads out beneath her feet. "I ''am'' worried for Fate-san, as it happens, and she means a ''lot'' to Nano-chan. So... I figure this'll make sure ''everyone'' gets what they want out of this mess."<br /> <br />*bing!* &lt;&lt; WIDE-AREA BARRIER &gt;&gt;<br /> <br />The sky above the park deepens in color, becoming a roiling mass of green-black that bleaches some of the color out of the world. Rashmi continues to smile as her clothes glow, the light shattering to reveal her now-active Barrier Jacket. "We're going to start training, Jin-san," she says, as bright yellow wings sprout from back and ankles. "And we're going to see if Osiemnastka is willing to pick up a few new tricks for your toolbox."

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jin sits up and looks up at Rashmi, and doesn't otherwise move. "I can't, today," he says apologetically. "The zombies took a lot out of me, I don't have magic enough right now." A pause, and a hopeful look. "Next week?"

:'''{{#var:198|Rashmi Terios| (198)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>This answer has Rashmi looks slightly disappointed, but she bobs her head, her smile returning quickly. "Next week," she agrees. "But in the meantime, do me a favor? Try and convince Fate that we're not her enemy, only her opponent? She could have ''so many'' friends if she'd let herself, Jin-san. You too, y'know?"

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jin's eyes crinkle at the corners, and he crosses his feet at the ankles underneath the bench. "I already consider you my friend. You and Silvia-san especially. You've done so much to make me feel included, to give me the experience of ''having'' friends. I am glad you understand that it's not personal, me helping Testarossa-san... it's important to me that you know I care, it's just that you don't need help, you have people helping you already." He spreads his hands. "I will do my best to get her to understand, but I really do not think anyone but Takamachi-san can really accomplish that. But I will try."

:'''{{#var:198|Rashmi Terios| (198)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"That's all I can ask," Rashmi says, her smile brightening. The Barrier Jacket shatters, and the Time-Space Barrier itself dissolves, leaving Rashmi to take her seat again. "And you're probably right, about Fate-san and Nano-chan. But, as long as she can feel safe coming to the restaurant, I can be happy with that until we've gotten whatever it is that's going on between them sorted. I'll ask Kokochan what was going on at the hospital, but in the meantime... Is there anything else I can help with, Jin-kun? Because we haven't talked nearly as often as I'd like."

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>''Yes there are so many things I would like to learn and see and do,'' he doesn't say. ''Yes I would love to talk so much more and learn about your life and your friends and family, and see another family that works the right way, like the one I lost,'' he doesn't say. ''Yes please look after Fate-chan when I cannot,'' he especially doesn't say.<br /><br />He's silent for a moment, head bowed as he considers, and then he looks up and smiles brightly. "I would love to buy some sweets from your restaurant! I love all the flavors, but I haven't had many sweet things yet."

:'''{{#var:198|Rashmi Terios| (198)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Well we've got a pretty impressive dessert menu," Rashmi says, grinning, and stands back up. "C'mon... let's go back, and see how much of it we can get through before you're too stuffed to move, okay?" Laughing, she slips Nicomachea back into her bookbag. "I'll get extras of your favorites, so you can take them back to Fate-san."

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Okay," Jin says cheerfully, standing up with the help of a hand on the bench. "That sounds wonderful!" And he limps along after Rashmi, as genial as ever.

:'''{{#var:198|Rashmi Terios| (198)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>As Rashmi turns to lead the way back to the Korma, a shadow falls over her face. With everything she's learned, and everything he's said... she's not ''certain'' she knows the truth. She does have suspicions, however.<br /> <br />And after helping a vampire laugh on Halloween? Maybe it's okay to want to give a ghost a few more good days on this earth.<br /> <br />It's going to hurt like hell when he goes again, though...
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