178/Opening One's Heart

Opening One's Heart
Date of Scene:	15 July 2015
Location:	Mitakihara - Downtown Neon District
Synopsis:	Hannah calls Homura to meet a friend, and shares precious secrets. An understanding is forged.
Cast of Characters:	Homura Akemi, Hannah Sharpe

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Hannah Sharpe has posed:
In the neon distract, it's not too uncommon to see your occasional late-night teenager haunting one of the many clubs in the area. Most of the time it's lounges or karaoke. But Hannah Sharpe has peculiar tastes for someone her age, and is very good at roping people into things. Thus it is that Ao Karina, Boris, and Hannah Sharpe are in the mostly empty jazz club known as the Blue Note. The atmosphere is cosey, intimate, and most of the lighting is done by candles. Hannah is wearing a blue blouse and jeans, with a newspaper boy's hat upon her head. There's barely anyone there, the bartender plying the two girls with sodas, and Boris has been given a doggie bowl of beer.

There's a pool hall attached, through which jazz music filters. Ca-crack! A ball breaks the set, and Hannah listens.

"To the right! That's solids, Hannah-chan! Lightly!"

Ca-crack! Thunk!

The pattern between the pair continues, until the pool game is half done. She pauses, and hands the cue over to Ao.

"Lemme make a phonecall, Ao-chan. Might can get Homura-san down here."

Then, walking to the back, she calls up Homura.

Should she pick up, amidst jazz, comes Hannah distinctly warm and fierce voice.

"Hey there Akemi-san! Saaaay, you free by chance? A friend, Boris, and me are down at a club. Want to catch a break from school and stuff?" She offers. Then her voice lowers.

"And, uhhh, I need to talk to you. It is important." Comes the girl, sounding more serious than perhaps Homura has ever heard her.

Homura Akemi has posed:
The voice that answers Hannah is unusually dour. It's less like how Homura has been recently, and probably a bit more like how Homura was when she first met Hannah. She's trying to hide whatever's bothering her, but the result is a very sharp, almost angry mood.

"Yeah, I'm free. Actually I could use a break." There's the sound of something soft being tossed and hitting something plastic. (Homura throws a Kyubey corpse into a garbage can.) While Homura listens to the rest of what Sharpe has to say.

She needs to talk. It's important? "... Alright. I'll be right there. Just give me a bit."

Homura wonders just how much more seriousness she can take, what with Nagisa and Kyouko and Mamoru and Madoka and... no, no, her real mission has only just started. It's too early to get depressed. As long as Madoka's alive, there's hope. As long as there's hope, giving up is just cowardace.

A few minutes after the call, Homura Akemi comes through the doorway of the pool hall, searching for Hannah Sharpe. She sees Sharpe with Boris and an unknown person. Well this is interesting.

Sure, Homura Akemi knew the /name/ of Ao Karina, and new some amount of her story, but she hadn't met her personally. What's more, she only heard that name from White-san.

"Sharpe-san, Boris-kun," she greets the two she knows. She tries to smile, but her heart isn't in it. She turns to Ao and bows slightly, introducing herself, "My name is Homura Akemi. Are you a friend of Sharpe-san?"

The Jazz is calming, but a little sad. She listens to it while she takes a moment to study the pool table.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Hannah's voice softens a bit here. She's well aware just how much stress the Puella is under...or at least imagines so.

"You sound like it. Heh, you can meet my friend. Anyway, I will text you the directions."

And then she's here! Hard to miss the two, as the girl sinks the last ball into a pocket! Boris woofs in greetings to the middle schooler, and the brunette hugs Hannah!

"Heh, Takeshi is going to owe me one hundred yen! Saying 'a blind girl cannot play pool'!"

Ao notices Homura first, and soon, the dark haired girl is confronted by a bowing japanese girl, and Hannah grinning.

"You made it, great! Ahem! Introductions then." She's pouring it on a little thick tonight towards Homura, probably for the girl's sake. Homura might notice that the girl seems to somewhat hide herself behind Hannah. Not hard to do, Ao is a much shorter girl.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Akemi-san!" Bow! Bow! Ao is a stick at that, pale, and definitely sickly looking.

She straightens, rubs her hands together. Ao smiles, a little nervous and awkward, but warm.

Boris, helpfully, bumps Homura's leg! A tail thump-thump-thumps ankles!

Ao takes a little breath, steps out from behind Hannah, and then nods.

"I'm glad Hannah's making more friends. My name's Ao Karina. Hannah and I have been friends since she came to the country. Do you go to Infinity too?" Comes the brunette curiously.

Hannah's already turning to the bartender.

"Heyyyy, Joe! Get my friend here something! What do you want, Akemi-san?" Offers Hannah. But she mostly just watches, waiting to see if the name gives the other girl any inklings of just what's so important.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura glances down at Boris and reaches down to scratch him behind the ears. Homura likes Boris. He's friendly and sweet. She squats down to pet him more thoroughly for a little bit before standing up, patting the top of his head before turning her attention back to Ao.

"Karina-san?" Homura thinks back. She's heard that name before.

'Give me a name. And I swear upon my life, I will protect them and absolve them from my own ambitions.'

There is a small stirring in her expression, but it might be hard to read. She remembers. Apromise like that, she certainly remembers.

Wait. She heard about Ao from White-san, not Sharpe-san. Could she really say that she has heard of Ao before? Still, the description fits.

"Ah, Karina-san. I'm happy to meet you." She isn't sure what to think of this situation. This is a strange coincidence. She promised White-san that she'd never drag Ao into the crazy world of magic and danger, and she'll keep that promise regardless of Riventon's actions, so mentioning her connection to White-san is out of the quesion. Better to act like this is the first she has heard of her.

"Yes that's right. We both go to Infinity, though she's a couple of grades higher than me. We've been good friends for the past couple of months now."

"I'll have some coffee, if that's alright." she says to Hannah, almost absentmindedly. This is a lot to process. The thought that Hannah might be Miss White still doesn't cross her mind, but the fact remains that they seem to know the same person.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
That hand of HOmura's gets licked! Boris is one happy familiar right now, but there's something piercing in those eyes. Concern. Honest to god concern. Dog are good at that kind of thing, and Boris is no normal dog.

Ao, for all her nervousness, pushes past it visibly and gives two nods.

"Hannah's told me a bit about you. Shorter than I thought, though." Comes Ao, in a bit of Hannah-esque teasing. Seems the other girl's definitely rubbed off on her.

One coffee is quickly offered to Homura.

Hannah helps elucidate her compatriot.

"Yup! Met her with Chiba-san. I /swear/ that man knows everybody worth knowing in this town! ...I wonder if his love life is complicated. Eh heh." She blushes here. Ao frowns, and then smacks her on the back of the head.

"Owwww, what was that for Ao-chan?"

"Rurako-san would hang you out to dry like a beanpole."

"Ehheh heh yeeeah, yeah she would." Comes Hannah, grinning.

Ahem! Hannah brings in Ao for a tight hug. Poor Ao's eyes bulge a bit, but she otherwise seems ok. She's used to it.

"Anyway, set up the next set. I have a few things to talk about with Akemi-san, okay?" Comes Hannah, picking up...is that a gym bag?

Ao gives an understanding nod.

"Yup! Just come back or I'm ordering a dozen drinks to the next ten people who come into the bar. On your wallet." Threatens Ao.

Then Hannah's holding the bag with one hand, and Boris' lead with the other. She motions for Homura to follow her.

Soon enough, with a uncharacteristic silence about her, they're at the rather secluded area leading to the rooftop. It's a door, with a padlock.

She stops, and turns around.

"Sorry to drag you out here, Akemi-san. I am going to be blunt here. You have never exactly been a spring butterfly, but tonight you sound utterly depressed. I need a serious favor. I am talking 'find where you sleep and kick you in the face if you betray me on this' kind of favor. But it can wait, if you really need it." Hannah, too, sounds worried.

Then, she awaits an answer, and she's opening that gym bag. Bolt cutters. A moment of fiddling, and they have a way up to the roof. Hannah whistles the entire time.

Then they're up into the windy night sky.

Hannah pauses, takes a deep breath, settling nerves. Last chance to back out. No. She needs Homura's trust. And this is the best way she knows how to do it.

"Right. So. Can I trust you to keep a secret Akemi-san? This is a 'could get me killed' kind of secret if you start spilling beans, my friend."

She flits from foot to foot in a rare show of discomfort.

"...Been doing a lot of thinking since my time in the hospital. Kind of thing gives you lots of room to look inside yourself. The people who visited me, left me cards..." She starts, then smiles lightly to Homura.

"Got me my homework. Those are real friends. And I think friendship like that should not involve secrets, or at least, the kinds that do not keep other friends safe or important things intact. You are that kind of friend, Homura. That is why I want to entrust a secret to you. If you will accept it." Hannah reaches her hand out, smiling.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Is Mamoru's lovelife complicated? Oh Sharpe-san, you have no idea. Except that you're actually White-san so you probably have a pretty good idea anyways.

Homura would laugh. She thought it was a funny comment! Yet nothing comes out and she just ends up wearing this :