View source for 3320/Naru's paints

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2018/08/21
|Location=Mitakihara/Pikarigaoka - King Penguin Park
|Synopsis=''(CW: One instance of quickly-corrected misgendering)'' Masu meet Naru, Miho and eventually Mamoru in the park. There, they discover her deep, dark secret... Will their friendship survive?!! Yes. Yes it will. I mean, this is Mahou-mush, not emo kids and their enemies mush.
|Cast of Characters=228,127,220,38
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi was sitting in the park again. she... had a kind of... it was a small, plastic canister. Inside were dozens of little tiny things, some bottles, some fluids. And about five different sets of instructions. Masu had salvaged what she could, most of it was junk. She did hope it would at least be a good starting point for the girl.<br /><br />She was once again working on her robot, now the torso and below was fully built. So she was building its sword(cause all robots need a sword.)

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Specified day, check. Specified time, check. No text messages declaring that there's problems or delays, check. No city-spanning crises currently absorbing all magical forces, check. All of which ensures that Naru is at the park to meet Masu. Today, however, she's clearly here as part of her run, and no doubt is hoping like heck that everything fits in the small backpack she's added for the day. Running gear leaves little to the imagination, and there's no doubt that going for a run is a regular part of her routine, based on her figure.<br /><br />Naru waves as she spots Masu settled at a table, smiling as she sees the other girl and heading in that direction. "Morning!"

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho is strolling through the park, because she needs to not be around the hustle and bustle of the city right this moment, and the Park has always been her go-to venue for that sort of thing. First of all, there's the fact that she still feels as though she's recovering from the two fights she was present for against Sailor Earth, in which she was in ''way'' over her head. (It's always taken her too much time to process these things.) And she wants to step up her game, but she isn't entirely sure how she'd actually go about ''doing'' that.<br /><br />Her dysphoria is also weighing her down, because it actually becomes more complicated as a result of having a special magical transformation she can't use all the time, especially when she just wants to go for a walk in the park rather than running and flying over the rooftops, which ... well, she ''likes'' doing it, she lives up to her "Joy" title, but it's not exactly relaxing.<br /><br />Bottom line: her emotional state is a set of ominous rain clouds. She's able to hold her emotions back ''somewhat'', and the park's atmosphere is helping greatly, but there's still the proverbial thunder going on.

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi glanced up and nudged the box towards her. "My meeting was moved forward to last night. So I'm not in a rush now. I didn't imagine you for a jogger, but it's a good hobby to take up," she said before she glanced to her creation. "Feel free to go over and--" She urked and reached up to her forehead. "The hell... Err... Headache. Sorry. Just... Feel free to... Holy..." She tried cutting it off, blocking it. But that was a storm. She looked around and then... Her gaze narrowed on miho. That was a whole flury of emotions radiating from the girl. She could barely pick one out from the others. She looked back to the box, finally locking down and out the emotions. <br /><br />So long as the girl kept her distance, she'd be fine. "Feel free to go through and let me know if you have any questions. I'll help as much as i can."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Naru slides into a seat at the table. "For a while, I spent a lot of time as a victim. Learning to run was really empowering. Then I learned about triathlons." She quirks an almost sheepish smile which turns concerned as Masu gets temporarily blindsided. "You alright?"<br /><br />Naru turns her head to follow Masu's gaze, spotting Miho and in a moment of unknowing totally not helping, lifts her hand to wave. Because Naru knows entirely too many people.<br /><br />That brief greeting done, she turns back to the package of chemistry bits and peeks inside. "OMG, this is going to be /so much fun/." Because what the storm of negative emotions needs is a flurry of happy excited ones on top. Clearly. Poor Masu.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho sees Naru jogging her way over, and toys with the idea of heading over to talk to her. It's tempered by the feeling that they aren't exactly the closest of friends, but that's hardly Naru's fault, and it's not like you can interact ''exclusively'' with your Best Friends ...<br /><br />... and then Miho sees the other girl ''looking at her''. The clouds get obliterated by a giant sun-ray of Suspicion And Curiosity, the kind that made her instinctively try to poke holes in her secretly-magical classmates' cover story on the second day of school. (April feels so long ago)<br /><br />Oh, and there's also some "meeting a single new person" social anxiety, but it was kind of shattered the first time she met Sailor Earth, so (to switch metaphors) it's sort of like a printer feeding directly into a shredder.<br /><br />She tries to decide whether to approach, and considers getting out her old phone to open up the dice-roller app to toss a coin, but Naru's wave solves the matter. Miho waves back, and starts making her way over with a faint smile. It turns out that social interactions can actually ''help'' your mood. Who knew?

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi blinked a few times. "Being a victim? I... Can understand that. I take self defense classes, at my mother's insistence," she said as she tried tk get it all controlled. Oh gosh did she KNOW this storm? "I'm fine. I'm-- grk!" <br /><br />A second storm. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to calm herself. She was calm. THEY weren't. It was like having two people screaming in her ears. A storm of high pressure and screaming. Her head throbbed under the assault as she tried to visualize a wall. Putting it up around them. Slowly, gently, pushing the pressure back. Social interaction could help, if you weren't an empath. Finally, though, she put the barrier up. Protecting herself. Letting out a sigh of relief, she opened her eyes... <br /><br />And the girl had come over. Delightful. Even blocking it, she could still get bits and pieces. The more stable emotions were easier... She stared for a moment. Suspicious. Why was this... She seemed nervous about something. There was something about her body language, too... She glanced to Naru. "I'm not sure how much of it still works, though." Then back to miho. "Hello. I am Masu Yogoshi. A pleasure." A part of her wanted to transform. It was so easier to control through the filter of her device.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Deep breath." By the way Naru's voice is calm, level, reassuring.. its probably a moderately good sign that she's fairly familiar with people who get random headaches, or overwhelmed, or something of that ilk. She clearly isn't precisely buying the 'I'm fine', but that might have a lot to do with how not fine she usually is when she says it. Others likely do the same.<br /><br />"Hey there Miho." Naru greets the other girl as she appraoches, offering a smile. "How're you doing today? Have you met.." And Masu takes care of her own introduction, and Naru smiles, quieting to let her do so. "She's giving me a enough of a chemistry set to try making ink! I am going to make such a mess!" Somehow, Naru sounds excited and pleased about this reality.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho waves as she draws nearer. "Hi, Naru-san!" she says, in her fairly scratchy and somewhat androgynous voice. She's changed visibly in the two months since Naru saw her last; her prior timidness is basically gone completely, at least on the surface. (There's still a part of her that would rather run away, but Sailor Earth left a ''huge'' impression on her, and that was when she was just normal-sized.)<br /><br />Miho nods to Masu. "Miho Kagami," she says. "Nice to meet you, Yogoshi-san. Um, are you doing all right?" There's a bit of worried concern there, too, along with frustration that she can't just heal everyone she comes across. The storm is generally starting to abate as her suspicious curiosity comes fully to the forefront, and she moves ... just a little ways away from Masu and closer to Naru, to try to see if it's just her proximity that's the problem. Miho knows magical shenanigans when she sees them, and she's guessing that it might be something to do with her own curse and blessing, in which case she'll want to keep this conversation short ...

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi was so not fine. It was tempting to just transform. It dampened it so well. But she could block out the mess that was a whole school of hormonal teenagers, she could block out some strange girl. Granted, usually she put up her barriers BEFORE she went to school. Doing it ad-hoc was harder.<br /><br />"If you didn't make a mess, i believe you wouldn't be doing it right." She said with a smile. She then glanced back to the girl. She was focused. That made it easier. She relaxed a bit. But that still didn't explain the emotions... She'd felt it before while working in the hospital with her mom. Girls who... Then her eyes widened with the realization. Remember how masu said people didn't like her? She was abpit to see why.<br /><br />"Oh! You're a boy! That's why--" she cringed and stopped. Less because she realized how insensitive she'd been. More because the likely flurry of emotions she'd just unleashed.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Naru manages not to wince, but only barely. "Not exactly." She gently comments, keeping her own voice calm and level, and her emotions are surprisingly even keeled. As if she's making an effort to do so, truthfully. "At least not anymore." She glances to Miho for confirmation on that being anythign even approaching the right sentiment before she turns her attention back to Masu.<br /><br />There is a sense of bracing for impact, to weather out whatever might come, both of an empath with a raging headache, and someone who might be rightfully seriously offended.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho ''flinches''. Dysphoria and offense explode forth like the special effects when a two characters fall off the platform in Smash. GAME!<br /><br />"No, actually, I'm not," she says firmly. "I am absolutely, positively, one hundred percent girl, and have been one my entire life, just not physically. The word you're looking for is 'transgender.'" She actually can't remember if she ever came out to Naru at the moment, but ... "... ''Ugh'', after the incident at Takeba-san's place, I might as well literally wear a trans flag T-shirt at this point." She tries to keep it under control, since this is literally the first time someone in Tokyo has been that painfully blunt and artless, but still.

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi nodded, pinching her nose as she rocked back and forth a little. Fresh explosions kf emotion. Calm. Calm. Dang it. She liked the park because she didn't HAVE to build her fortresses in her mind. If she'd known this would have been easier.<br /><br />Instead, her feeble barriers were torn asunder by the fresh assault. And it flowed over her to the point she barely resisted transforming to block it out. To calm it down.<br /><br />It felt as if her head was being crushed between two cinder blocks. "My... Apologies..." She said, struggling to keep her voice steady. The flurry made tears well up in her eyes as she slowly, gingerly, pushed it back.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>If it is the first time Naru is hearing of it, there's no outward sign. Then again, if Miho came out as a youma, Naru would probably be just as calm, if perhaps slightly more violent. Although not necessarily. Such is one's life of unexpected revelations.<br /><br />"What incident at Kunzite's?" Naru asks curiously and then there's a little frown. "Cause I seriously am not thinking you mean at his dad's place."<br /><br />Naru glances to Masu and there's a deliberate sending of calm emotion in her direction, experimental, to see if that helps. "You are rapidly running out of cope, aren't you?" She asks quietly.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho crosses her arms with her left arm grasped in her right. Okay. It's not something to do with her powers, since she hasn't ''done'' anything with them ...<br /><br />... ahhh.<br /><br />She takes a few deep breaths to calm herself. After a moment, her emotions are ... well, fairly calm, really. Mamoru told her not to assume things, immediately after demonstrating ''why'' you shouldn't assume things, so she doesn't say anything about it, but ... "It's okay," she says, smiling down at her. "You just didn't know, right?"<br /><br />She glances at Naru. Yep, Naru's figured it out, too. "No, it was his other place," she says, pointedly not even directly naming the Shitennou's Palaces in front of a relative stranger. "Uh, you can ask Kyouko-san about it later, it was right after I helped Mamoru-kun with the thing? I just ... blurted it out in front of everyone because I was feeling worse than Yogoshi-san is now."

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi shook her head. "No. I'm fine. Just headaches. They come from time to time." This hurt worse than losing her arm. Granted, she'd been on a LOT of drugs at the time. However... Naru might notice she did relax, just a little, as the relief was sent her way. The calm. She focused on it, used it as a moment's reprieve from the storm that assaulted her. It was... Noticable. A moment's calmness. Just a moment. But it did give credit to naru's theories... And then the other girl calmed down. And she sighed with relief.<br /><br />"Its passed. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have... Said it like that. I was just surprised and... Have not been well," she said. "It doesn't forgive what i did. But i am deeply sorry for hurting you so deeply," she said calmly.<br /><br />In her mind those walls were being rebuild. One brick at a time. Slow. Steady. Build it brick. By. Brick. Block out the emotions before they overwhelm.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Calm. Plenty of calm. Room to build the barriers that Naru knows entirely too well herself, and has been wholly lax on practicing in her self. Naru quirks a smile to Miho and nods. "Ah! Yes. I'll ask Kyouko. I've been out of the country, and it feels like I was gone a month, rather than two weeks."<br /><br />Naru shakes her head to Masu. "Generally when the brain is busy being overwhelmed, filters are the first to go."

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho nods. "Headaches, huh?" she says. She briefly flashes back to Mamoru's urge to heal ''her'' ... but this isn't a magical situation. She just smiles and nods at the apology. "It's fine, it's fine!" There's a subtly triumphant 'bingo!' in her mind as she sees more and more evidence to support her theory. She nods to Naru, and shrugs. "Or like Naru-san said there. I know ''I've'' had my filters die of overwhemled-ness before."<br /><br />She considers this, deciding whether to try and confirm it ... "Need me to wander off?" she says finally.

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi nodded. "Yes, they are. A troubling... Issue, that..." She mumbled. They were eying her. She could feel their suspicion. They probably thought she was nuts. Not like she could tell them what she was. Then they'd DEFINITELY think she was nuts. "No. It's fine. Its past. There is no need to fret." <br /><br />"If anyone should leave, it should be me. I have already deeply insulted you. But... I still need to explain things to naru. Would you like to watch? " she asked, before motioning to the package.<br /><br />"I've separated everything into sets. But most the chemicals are the same. They are all clearly marked so feel free to mix them if they're the same. Don't drink any of it. I have checked, and mixing tge chemicals won't cause any bad reactions unless you get them near your eyes. But still wear gloves in case you're sensitive." She was very precise...<br /><br />Her head was currently the equivalent of a wounded animal, trying to balace itself put and separate her emotions from theirs. Trying to bury down her own feelings, suppressing them.

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>And up the path comes a guy in cargo shorts, birkenstocks, a super hipster skinny t-shirt, a man-necklace, a pink crystal stud earring, and a ring on his left ring finger. Also glasses. With his very slightly shaggy-on-top black hair and the bounce in his step, he looks like a ''completely pleased'' male model or something, basically. He's texting at the moment-- or-- wait, no, he's playing Pokemon Go. The pockets of his cargo shorts are definitely loaded for bear, and he glances up at familiar voices as he gets closer, and he sees two familiar faces and an unfortunately upset closed tight stranger's face, so his absolutely over-the-moon (ha ha) expression fades slightly, replaced with concern. "Yo," he says by way of greeting, "what's up?"<br /><br />From him, Masu will feel ''nothing at all''.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Calm. Distraction with something neutral. More calm. Naru is pretty good at keeping her own emotions in check as needed, and she's trying. "Headaches suck. A not insignificant portion of the time, brains suck too." She wrinkles up her nose with a little pfft sound. She glances up to Miho and gestures at a seat. If she wants to stay, she might as well pull up a chair.<br /><br />Naru glances into the package, at the bits directed by Masu. "So much like most of what I work with. No licking anything, or pouring anythng in my eyes. Got it."<br /><br />Naru glances over as Mamoru approaches and she smiles. "Hey there Mamoru. I'm going to make a glorious mess, that I am pretty sure will not explode. Have you met Masu? I know you know Miho.." She gestures at the two girls she's chatting with.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho shakes her head. "Hey, I'm the insulted party here, and I say you can stay," she says firmly. "And sure, I don't mind watching!" She nods to Naru and sits down, trying to decide whether she should try to press the matter and try to bring her suspicions to the forefront ...<br /><br />... when suddenly, the surprisingly-stylish fashion-disaster shows up. She smiles and waves to Mamoru. "Hey, Mamoru-kun!" she says. "How's it going? Besides apparently 'absolutely amazing'." ''His'' emotional state didn't go unnoticed, either!

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi glanced up and then... Stared. She could feel NOTHING from him. It was... Empty... It was oddly calming. It was like her barriers were up. Except they were still rebuilding. So... It was weird. <br /><br />Though he looked like a doof. That earing, she swore. But he was still hot enough she felt a low blush in her cheeks when she glanced at him. Nope nope nope. The last thing she needed was to crush on some random guy... Who naru... Knew.<br /><br />Fortunately, by the time he'd arrive the blush would be gone and she'd merely nod. "Hello. I am Masu Yogoshi. A pleasure." She was perfectly calm, keeping her own emotions in check. Something about him was... Vaguely familiar. Had she seen him before? She wondered if he'd been a patient... She really should pay more attention to them. But then, she usually helped in the pharmacy section, so it wasn't too often she even saw them.

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Playing with chemicals? Nice," says the apparent Mamoru, looking amused for a moment, though still clearly concerned in Masu's direction. He turns off his phone's display and pockets it, trying not to loom despite how tall he is, and then he gives both Naru and Miho crooked grins. "Naru-chan, Mi-chan." He bows toward Masu. "Mamoru Chiba-- though at some point in the future--"<br /><br />His voice gets strangely thick, or tight, at the back of his throat, and his grin is like ''sunshine'' all of a sudden as he straightens, "--Mamoru Tsukino. The pleasure's mine." He glances at Naru and Miho sidelong, practically buzzing in anticipation of their reactions.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I know, right?" Naru smiles at Mamoru at his amusement over the artist playing wiht chemicals. There is no possible way this could go wrong.<br /><br />It's his introduction that gives Naru pause, and her eyes widen and she glances to his hands and then she joins him in that brilliant sunshine like grin. "Seriously!? WHEN!?" She is up off her seat and offering him a hug. Apparently other conversation, not so much a thing at the moment.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho glances over at Masu. Well, ''she's'' certainly distracted by Mamoru. She still isn't quite sure how well 'Mi-chan' sits in her head, which is at least partly because she still thinks of herself as a random newcomer who hasn't done much to earn the ECFH's friendship or done much of note in general --<br /><br />And then Mamoru provides a much ''bigger'' distraction.<br /><br />''"Nice!"'' says Miho, grinning widely. "Congrats, Mamoru-kun!" She stays seated, sitting back and letting Naru do the hugs.

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi eyed him. Her eyes wandered to his ring. Then his clothes. The name...<br /><br />Then her eyes wandered to Naru and Miho. Taking the name of another implied a male partner. But... Did that mean mamoru was trans as well? Unlikely. Though she couldn't feel anything from him to be sure. So that left the other option. She glanced to naru for a moment. It explains how they had met.<br /><br />"Ah! So you are gay as well? Congratulations on your engagement. I wish you and your partner the best." She seemed, even felt genuine... Before the ladt of her barriers came up. She let out a sigh of relief. "I take it this has been a long time coming judging by your friends?"<br /><br />" And err... Please, just masu. No chan." Trying to nip that in the bud before it could start, judging by how he talked to the others.

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mamoru catches Naru in a hug, laughing bright and real, and he swings her around. "Yesterday afternoon!" he crows, setting her down--<br /><br />--and he ''grins'' at Miho, actually actively bouncing on his heels, and he says "Thank you!" ...<br /><br />...and then there's Masu, and he laughs again, expression kind, and like nothing in the world could make him unhappy. "No, I'm... bi, I guess? But my fiancee is a girl-- I gave her a promise ring two years ago, and she got delightfully impatient and proposed yesterday~! We've only been waiting a hundred thousand years-- thank you for the sentiment!"

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Naru laughs warmly as she spun around and she settles back to the ground. "Good for her." She nods firmly, delighted and resettles back in her seat and reaches for her phone. Probably to harass a certain blonde, cause it's been plenty long enough that she needs some harassing. "I'm going to guess that this is not particularly secret, and if you two are thinking about eloping, you can just kybosh that plan right now. There's been plans for a decade, even if Usagi ignores 'em all, no eloping." She grins, not even a tiny bit serious.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>At Masu's words, Miho just bursts out laughing for several moments. She actually has to lean heavily against the table for a few seconds as she gets herself under control. "Oh ''man''," she says, shaking her head and smiling up at Mamoru. "Seriously, though, this is great! I ... wow, Mamoru-kun!" She's at a loss for words, and for once it isn't because she put her foot in her mouth or ran out of conversational steam.

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi blinked a few times. He didn't seem upset. "I see. It is rare for the male to take the females name. She must be quite precious to you. Congratulations." She eyed him though. <br /><br />They were so close. And yet he was a void. There was nothing for her tk touch. Nothing for her to reach out and grab. It was delightful. Though... How? Usually at a time like now he'd be exploding with happy. Yet nothing. "You seem quite pleased." And yet... Nothing. He looked so happy. But... Was... It a measured farce? Pretending? Her instincts said no... Perhaps.. He had defenses? Her reports did mention magical girls. Maybe there were magical boys? She really should go and read all the files...<br /><br />She eyed him with a mild, amused curiosity, her walls keeping her safe for now. "Perhaps this will be the thing that you can paint for 'happy', Naru," she added.

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Oh I wouldn't dare even ''suggest'' eloping," laughs Mamoru, plunking himself down to sit comfortably wherever there's a spot, not close enough to touch anyone accidentally. "Not only would you and the rest of the girls-- and the guys-- have my guts to string violins, I'm terrified of what her parents would do to me. And I expect I'd deserve it." He gives Miho another ''huge'' grin. "I know, right? I mean-- I don't know when it'll be, I ''hope'' she's willing to wait at least until she graduates high school, and it's not like it wasn't a definite thing before, but now it's official...!"<br /><br />Then he leans back and laces his fingers, resting his hands on his stomach. Notably, he does not participate in manspreading. "She's incredibly precious to me. But in my case-- I don't think it's that unusual? I don't have any blood relations, I'm an orphan. It's better for her not to have a name with no family attached, as well. She doesn't need that kind of stigma."<br /><br />Nothing. If it were a calculated lie, a measured farce-- then she'd be able to tell what he was feeling beneath the vision of total happiness. But there's ''nothing''.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Have no fear, I'll inform her of the lack of eloping too." Naru points out as she smiles at Mamoru and texts someone on her phone. Probably the someone she is reminding to not go off and elope. "Cause you would totally have like a dozen people hunting you both down, and we're /good/ at it."<br /><br />Naru can't help but laugh at Masu's comment and gestures. "If this dones't get me.. I'm pretty sure that I am fundamentally incapable of paitning happy things. Which is fine.. a creepy niche is valid, right? Right. Totally fine." She shakes her head a little, laughing softly.

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi nodded. She eyed the man, though. How did he keep it hidden so well. She found herself reaching out, mentally, just a bit. Trying to read him. But nothing. <br /><br />She glanced to Naru for a moment. "Yes. But a bit of variety is always good. Even if it's not your forte, learning more is always useful. There's... Always something new to learn about," shw said with a smile. "And if you can use joy... You can meld them. Though I'm not sure how well that'd work. Paintings aren't really my forte..."<br /><br /> Then she glanced to mamo... How? She hadn't met anyone who could... Sje lowered her eyes and focused on her robot, pulling out the last part of the blade and filing it down properly.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho smiles and nods, looking between each of them in turn. Her smile wavers slightly as she sees Masu's reaction; she's still fairly suspicious, but she can't really think of how to put it out in the open with the girl right in front of her. "I mean, this particular situation ''does'' sound like the ... the, what's it called. The Platonic 'ideal' form of happiness," she says. "Like, I'm obviously not speaking from experience. "But still." She shrugs, and giggles. "Wow, I don't even know what to say here! Heh, what ''else'' is new."

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Well I was a ''ghost'' for a week, I'm pretty sure you could make it creepy," suggests Mamoru, trying hard not to keep laughing, but almost everything is funny--<br /><br />--and then Masu's silently trying to reach him, and he abruptly looks directly at her.<br /><br />She looks away to Naru, her effort stopping, and he's vaguely listening, but he's also not laughing or on its verge anymore. Miho's talking again while Masu looks back up at him, then down at her robot.<br /><br />After a second, he asks, voice gentle, "Can I help you with something, Yogoshi-san?"

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Ooh, I can embrace creepy AND happy.. just run with the niche I've got going." Naru quirks a rueful little smile, accepting of her own artistic limitations, few as they often are. "Dammit, Mamoru, I dont keep a useful sketchbook in my running things, and now I have thoughts on a creepy happy painting." She bahs at him, but there's no heat to it.<br /><br />There's a barely there glance to Masu and Mamoru and she turns her attention rather deliberately to Miho, in some vague and delusional attempt to give an illusion of privacy. "So do you have plans for the last chunk of school break, Miho?"

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi shook her head. Then just stared. "You were... A ghost? Os that terms for a drug?" She asked suspiciously. "Or... Some kind of medical thing?" Perhaps he had fits of some kind? Could certain drugs block her abilities? That... Was a pleasant thought. Her barriers were back up as strong as ever now.<br /><br />"And no. I'm fine, " shw mumbled. She looked like she was concentrating. And she was. But... She was mostly trying to process WHAT he had done. How could he block her? And what in the world did 'being a ghost' mean? She had so many questions... The other two were almost open books. And yet he was... Closed tight. HOW?!<br /><br />She glanced to naru. "If you'd like, i could give you some paper. I keep a notebook in my book bag."

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho groans. "Okay, ''first'' of all, Mamoru-kun ..." She thinks fast. "... you don't need to use metaphors that're ''quite'' that creepy in front of someone you just met." Hint, hint, she may or may not be in-the-know, ''don't make assumptions'' ...<br /><br />And then ... she watches as Mamoru suddenly focuses on Masu like that.<br /><br />She matches Naru's deliberate non-focus. "Eh, mostly I've been just ... letting things wind down," she says. "What with one thing and another, this feels like it's been my longest and most exhausting summer vacation ''ever''?" She smiles weakly. "I keep meaning to take the time to catch up with Rashmi-chan and just ... y'know ... take inventory, basically." She shrugs. Definitely paying full attention to Naru and not at all listening in on Mamoru and Masu.

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>And now Mamoru's watching her, reserved and quiet for a moment-- until Miho steps in.<br /><br />"No, I was a ghost," he says firmly, correcting Miho with a Look, then turning the not-inconsiderable weight of his gaze back on Masu. "My soul was stolen, and my body died, but was revived and put on life support until my soul was placed back in it. Until it went back where it belonged, I was a ''ghost''." He doesn't give in. "You're free to assume I'm crazy; it doesn't affect me. But I don't think you do, do you. What would you like to know, Yogoshi-san?"

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Thanks, but I should remember it by the time I get done my run. Or I can just give Mamoru a hard time about it later, when I've forgotten and then clearly it wasn't /that/ good of an idea." Naru grins, easy come, easy go.<br /><br />Her attention resettles upon Miho and there's a soft ooh. "I can imagine, yeah." Naru nods after a moment's thought. "I need to catch up with Rashmi as well, come to think of it. I should text her, see if she wants to do coffee or something."<br /><br />And then Mamoru is being quite deliberate at poking at bits that Naru and Miho were pretty much ignoring, and Naru glances sidelong, to see how /that/ is going. She's more of an abstract than a fully open book, but nothing Mamoru says makes her startle.

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi froze in place and dropped the piece of gun she was trying to glue. Shw picked it up quickly, trying to attach ot before the gluw dried. "Crud crud crud..." She hissed. Soon satisfied she... Didn't look up. <br /><br />"i... Doubt it. I've met crazy people. They're usually a lot easier to read," she mumbled. "And i can't read you at all. You should be exploding with joy. But... There's nothing. I've never met someone i *couldn't*." To be fair, she likely just hadn't noticed. "I'm guessing... There is something... Different about you, then? Losing your soul and all.... You're not some kind of angel or demon, are you?" ....going right for the important questions.<br /><br />"and sorry. I didn't... Intentionally hide it. But... You know.... People think you're crazy if you can feel... things..."

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Yeah, maybe," Miho says to Naru. "I've probably got a ''lot'' more stuff to cover, so we probably shouldn't just combine our meetings. But yeah."<br /><br />... Hmm. Miho makes all appearances of settling down as Mamoru takes the reins. She's a ''little'' bit surprised that he's pushing everything into the open, but ... well, mostly she's just relieved that Mamoru's taking charge of this situation so that a total newbie like herself doesn't need to make any decisions about it.<br /><br />And Masu is talking about it openly now. "You're an empath, aren't you?" Miho says gently. "Or ... whatever the correct term is. Feeling other people's emotions? ... I must've been a headache and a half when I was alone with my own thoughts, huh."

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Abruptly, Mamoru relaxes, and the intensity of his attention lessens drastically, swiftly, until he's almost like a normal college student again. He adjusts his glasses. "Yes, they do. And they think you're inhuman if you can't control it and they can feel what's inside you. And they stay away from you, and that's half lonely and half a relief, because it's overwhelming if you can't shield yourself." He gives Masu a lopsided smile. "I'm just very good at shielding. I've had a lot of practice."<br /><br />He glances at Naru briefly, then at Miho, and listens to her, and briefly the smile's amused. "That's the word I use," he agrees.<br /><br />Then he leans forward, elbows on his knees, and his face is earnest-- and kind. "I'm human. I'm just different. I'm sorry I reacted as I did; I didn't know your intent in prying at my walls."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Mine's fairly focused, I'd feel bad stealing her away from your time. So I'll aim to catch her at some point." Naru nods to Miho in agreement about not combining meetings. "Although if we do end up catching her together, know that I probably won't be very long."<br /><br />Naru turns her attention more fully back to Masu and Mamoru and there's a gentler grin at the amused smile. "What? Coffee? I promise you that Kazuo and I both use that word a lot too."<br /><br />"I.. clearly have not been practicing my shields enough. Although I've never been super good at emotional ones." Naru comments as one might lament about not doing enough sit ups, or squats in their workout routine. 

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi nodded. "Indeed you were. It was like a hundred grenades going off in my ear. It was my own fault, though. I had brought down my barriers to relax. You had no way to know," she said gently. "It was no worse than what i encounter daily at school. And if nothing else, at least you didn't mix any attraction in with it."<br /><br />Then mamoru! She leaned back a bit and flushed. "My apologies. I was merely curious. I've... Had this ability since i was a child... My abilities were not always as properly... Shielded as they are now. But meeting someone i couldn't... I didn't mean to pry. And yes. That's... Another reason i haven't... Been the best with people... I apologize for not telling you all the reasons but... I did not desire to scare you off. You have very pleasant emotions." <br /><br />"It was... Calming. Relaxing to be around. I guess now i understand why," she said. While she kept her tone calm and features still, inside... She was borderline hyperventilating. Another empath?! Like her?! She had no idea how to react, so instead she suppressed it. Buried it...<br /><br />Mamo might feel her shields falter a bit. A sign of what she's feeling now.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho giggles. "'Empath'," she says to Naru, before nodding to Masu. "Yeah, sorry." She shrugs. "Like, I literally came to the park to ... help deal with that exact emotional problem? And, well, Naru-san helped me get myself under control, but I'm probably just gonna want to stay away from you once I'm alone again."<br /><br />She smiles wanly. "''My'' only ability with regards to emotions is just being ''really good'' at noticing people's reactions and behavior." She grins. "Mostly just so I know how to behave properly feminine, but it's helped me out with the less-mundane areas, too." No comments whatsoever about what her ''actual'' abilities are. She's finding herself a bit more ... cagey with people she just met, if they aren't already secondhand friends like Rei or Makio.

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>And Mamoru just obviously doesn't care about this stuff. Miho may actually remember this from the first time they met. He leans back again and eyes Naru. "Right. Now that I can help again, practice time."<br /><br />He doesn't notice Masu's shields faltering; his own detection on the empathic level is limited to crazy strong outpourings of emotion and touch-- but he's good at reading body language, and he's a medical student, concerned with noticing symptoms of various issues. "Hey," he says, frowning a little, leaning forward again-- and this time extending a hand. "Hey. What is it? Do you want help? I ''can''."

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi nods. "I would prefer it. Or... With more warning. It is tiring, but i can enact proper barriers within a few minutes. As long as i am somewhere... Calm," she mumbled before glancing to naru. The girl had helped... A lot.<br /><br />Then turned to him. "Help? How can you--" And then cut herself off. "O-oh. You... Actually... Can help. Huh. That's... I honestly don't know how to respond. Y-yes? Is yes okay? I've never really... I'd like some assistance. If you please?" She offered, unable to meet his eyes. He was an older(and far taller) person. So surely he'd know better...

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho looks up at Mamoru. "Is this going to be an extension of your healing?" she says. "Or ... well, I mean, I didn't know you were an empath too, so, like ... All I knew was your healing thing and the mask thing, so I'm back to square zero again on the knowing-things." She's smiling as she says it, though. Kind of a dramatic transformation from the timid fourteen-year-old at the ice cream place ...

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>As a ''general'' rule, using 'older and taller' as a metric for 'surely knowing better' isn't a terribly good idea, but at least this one ''does'' have the experience and decency, even if Masu has no proof of that. When she says 'yes', he reaches to take her hand. "I'm primarily limited to touch, though crowds can be difficult, and so can places filled with strong emotion all the time."<br /><br />The second he ''does'', oh-- ''there's'' calm, there's the peace of a golden afternoon in a summer meadow, the stability of bedrock, the unmoveable vast motion of the deep oceans, the quiet of cave complexes beneath mountains, the shining clear cold air above them...<br /><br />...and focus, bright fierce focus. All of it's offered to Masu freely to take hold of and use to shore up her own barriers, a shield she can work behind while she fixes her own. "Here you are," Mamoru says softly.<br /><br />And he can multitask: he's not getting any of his actual ''emotion'' on Masu, and he glances away toward Miho-- funny, that, there are gold flecks in his eyes right now. Or maybe it's the specific way the light through the leaves is reflecting on them. "It's all of a part," he says vaguely, quietly, not wanting to be too distracting for Masu. "Generally I bundle it all under psychometry, even if that's misleading. Right now I'm just giving her a shield to hide behind so she can fix her own. The work should go faster, too."

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi glanced to mamoru. "Healing? What? You can do more? Or are you a doctor?" She asked.<br /><br />And then he takes her hand. "Stop!" She said too late, looking panicked. Then... Calmed. "O-oh. Touching usually makes it stronger for me. I can be a bit... Overwhelmed around people with strong emotional states. Thank you..." She mumbled. <br /><br />With his barrier there, she began to fill in her own. It was... A weak, shoddy thing. But now that she had protections, she began to quickly rebuild her own. She closed ger eyes and relaxed, letting her own build up, against his... Shielding herself from the world.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Yeah yeah yeah." Naru waves to Mamoru at the mention of practice. "That's not the only thing I should be practicing that I haven't been. Balance and all that, and Europe was wholly art and training and it sucked. So balance. Somehow." She adds, after a moment. "Some seriously gorgeous places to run though.. I wished for Kazuo to be there to appreciate them as well. He would have."<br /><br />Naru peeks back into the chemistry set again, considering the options there. "Having some calm to rebuild shields during is super helpful. I know I appreciated it a lot. I'm not especially empathic, but I get the theory, and I have worked out how to just ooze calm. It helps settle Usagi too. Sometimes."

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho raises her eyebrows very slightly at the sight of those golden flecks. "Good to know," she says. "... especially the psychometry part." She's already getting ideas for what to do the next time she wants to quickly and silently convey something to Mamoru. But she just sits back, ''also'' not wanting to distract Masu, and because she doesn't actually have much substantial to contribute to what either Mamoru or Naru is doing.

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Second year medical student at Keio," Mamoru answers absently, faint half-smile still on his face. "There are a few things I can do, but I've been doing this for a while."<br /><br />It's notable that she can actually ''tell'' there's an unimaginable well of power back there, and that he's very, very carefully not prying at all, not reading her at ''all'', not interfering with her shields. "I keep my shields up most of the time when I'm not at home, because I don't want to accidentally overwhelm anyone, ''or'' see in anyone's heads without their permission. The healing's a conscious effort, though, rather than something generally passive that I have to wall off."<br /><br />He grins sidelong at Naru. "Maybe you can calm her down a little bit right now. I can hear her squeaking one hundred percent of the time."

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi blinked a few times and stared at Naru, finally recovering from her shields. She then... sighed. "So there is another empath then, Usagi?" she asked. "Dear me. Are there a lot of us, then? You're not all part of some kind of secret empath group, are you? Because I have no desire to run around in spandex and punch out criminals," she said it completely dead pan, but she was hopefully joking. "Or a far too short mini-skirt in a dozen bright and cheerful colors."<br /><br />She nodded. "Fortunately, my ability doesn't affect others, at least as far as I can tell. And I can't do anything like healing." Quite the opposite, in fact. "Though I would love to study how that works..." she mumbled inquisatively, eying him. Maybe she could introduce his ability to dark energy, see how it could speed up her research. Or maybe duplicate it. Or duplicate him. Nah, that'd be silly, who'd wanna do that?

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I did what I could via text message." Naru waggles her phone in Mamoru's direction. "But I don't expect her to stop squeaking for a little while yet. Sorry dude. You went and accepted and everything, so the pair fo you are going to beam like the sun for a while."<br /><br />Naru shakes her head. "I don't think Usagi is actually an empath, she just overshares her emotions at 11, and is fairly responsive to having calm oozed in her direction. I've also had a lot of practice at trying to get Usagi back down to something approximating sane, we've been friends basically forever." She giggles softly. "I only wear spandex to work out in." She glances down at the spandex she's currently in. "Not that I'm doing this run any favours at the moment, but it's a rest day run, so it'll be an easy one anyhow." Rest day and run do not sound like they should go together, minor detail.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho considers this for a moment. "Maybe ''I'll'' study medicine, too," she murmurs. "I mean, I like the idea of saving lives in general ... but ..." She shrugs, looking over at Mamoru. "We can talk later."<br /><br />She grins at Masu. "If the shortness of the skirt is the problem, you could just wear shorts underneath it," she says. "I mean, it's what I've been doing lately. It's kinda ... I dunno if it's really my style, but it does what it does!"<br /><br />She considers Naru's words, too. "Maybe ''I'll'' start going for jogs, too," she says. "Just to get more exercise, and all that. Could always use more exercise."

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba| (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mamoru nods to Naru, letting go of Masu's hand when she's done, and he sits back again. "I can hear her basically because, uh--" Pause. How to make this not sound stupid. "--we're connected. It's a thing." Then he looks rueful at Masu. "I'd really appreciate not being studied for a while. I'm happy to teach, but I've been the subject of altogether too many experiments at this point and I'd rather avoid any more."<br /><br />Then he doubletakes and ''eyes'' Naru. "You ''know'' you're not supposed to run literally every day. If I have to fix your joints or muscles I'll be pretty put out."<br /><br />Finally, Mamoru starts to get up, giving Miho an amused look. "Do what you feel you want to do, that feels right. You can borrow the books I was studying from in middle and high school if you like, see if medicine is up your alley. If not, there are plenty of other healthcare-related fields. But!"<br /><br />He bows cheerfully to all three of them. "I should move along, I've got a Pokemon Go date with Izumi."

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi blinked a few times. She noticed that they objected to the skirts and spandex part. Oh dear. "Ah. That... that was a joke," she said softly. "You do not actually..." Oh dear. <br /><br />"... A medical career is quite beneficial. I am actually studying to become a medical chemist, though I have always had an interest in chemistry. Adding different minerals together is just... quite satisfying." When in doubt, change the subject!<br /><br />"Oh, right. Yes. It was great to meet you, Chiba," she said, giving a polite bow. "I do hope I can learn more from you. And err... I will refrain from studying you if it makes you uncomfortable," she said, giving him a very weak smile. <br /><br />Then... after he was gone... "I take it you two aren't empaths, either. Perhaps healers, then? Or is there another brand of... special... that I am unaware of?"

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I can blame some mixture of Kazuo and Hannah for the fact that I took up running, and I hated every second of it to start." Naru gives a little shrug. "And then eventually I got past the 'I am out of shape' and into 'damn, this is kinda awesome' and finally into race highs and valued time alone.. or not alone, if Kazuo is out running with me." She ums softly and then quirks a smile. "Which is a super longwinded way of saying 'dont give up right away if you hate it'." She smiles sweetly to Mamoru. "Dude, I have a major race coming up in less than six months. I didn't run yesterday, just a swim, easy run today. Run tomorrow morning. I haven't busted myself yet, I have a plan and I'm being good about sticking to it."<br /><br />Naru waves to him. "Have fun. I should get going in not so very long myself.. such that I can get more done today than just a lazy run."<br /><br />Naru shakes her head at the questions from Masu. "I'm not an empath. I just like people, generally. I'm not a healer either. I am an artist." She quirks a half smile. "There's a whole lot of types of special."

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho waves to Mamoru and nods. "I'll keep that in mind!" she says. "Talk to you later!"<br /><br />She giggles and nods to Naru. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind!" she says. "Like, I'm not actually out of shape or anything, but yeah." She considers this. "Maybe I'll try ... jogging out of you guys' way once I get back to being alone with my thoughts." She smiles at Masu, getting to her feet. "Sorry, I just sort of ... there's a limit to my ability to do social interaction. So ... I'll see you guys later, all right?" She gets out a smartphone with a cracked screen. "Here's my number, by the way. I'm good with ''answering'' phone calls, at the very least, and I can do texts just fine ..."

:'''{{#var:228|Masu Yogoshi| (228)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Masu Yogoshi nodded, taking the number and... "Thank you," she said happily, watching the last of them go. They seemed nice. She wondered if they'd be 'friends' in a while. Not many people knew about what she was... She picked up her robot and began to bag all her things. She couldn't focus now anyway, she should go into work.<br /><br />She walked through the park, going into an isolated area... Before a black energy portal formed in front of her. She was getting better... She stepped through it with a smile on her face...<br /><br />And as it closed behind her in her office... She almost collapsed on her desk, gasping into a paper bag as she tried to calm her stomach. Better. Not good. Yet.
}}