525/Magical Girls and Ninja Pizza Cats!

Magical Girls and Ninja Pizza Cats!
Date of Scene:	03 November 2015
Location:	Uminari City - Shopping Strip
Synopsis:	Mikoto and Ikuto chat about tradition, and heroes, over pizza.
Cast of Characters:	Ikuto Tsukiyomi, Mikoto Nakajima

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Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
It's a lovely October afternoon in sunny Tokyo! School is in session, but it lets out early enough that anyone who wants to can have some free time. Which leads to an email sent to Ikuto's phone that day's lunch hour, and a quick change of clothes for Mikoto. School uniforms can be so ... uniform, after all.

The pizza parlor isn't too crowded, it's a Monday after all, and there are only a handful of teens in for their after-school snack. Seated in the corner is a slender figure with long black hair, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and a nice white coat. She's got her nose in a book, by the look of things, some sort of science-fiction novel.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto doesn't bother with a clothes change. He just goes to the place right after school. He's not a part of any clubs, so he won't be late. And as he enters the place, it doesn't seem that Yoru's with him. Odd. He enters the pizza place and pauses, looking around. It takes him a moment to find the girl, but when he does, he heads in her direction.

Quietly sliding into a seat across from her, he waits a moment, looking to the book she's reading. Then he pipes up, "You called?" He leans back against the back of the seat, turning, to hang and arm over the back.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto marks her place with a bookmark, a feather of some sort sealed in plastic, and sets the volume aside. She almost certainly noted Ikuto's arrival, and knows by this point to look for Yoru, so his absence should be noticed. She doesn't comment on it, however.

"I did," she admits, with her trademark little smile. "I thought it might be nice to have a chat in ... a less stressful situation." Getting to know a friend who isn't the kind of boy who goes to Verone is a bonus.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto gives a 'mn' of agreement. Then he smirks a bit. "Monster attacks spoil the atmosphere, don't they?" he comments. "Even if you clean it up." One stays wound up for a while after something like that! So yes, a place that wasn't busted up by a monster is always a good thing for a less tense chat.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Ikuto inquires. He shifts, to cross his legs at the knee, but doesn't otherwise move.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"That they do," Mikoto agrees. "A couple of weeks ago one ruined the best date I'd ever had. Now the poor guy won't even talk to me." She sighs and waves a hand. "Part of me wonders if I'm ever destined to get anywhere." She shrugs.

"But that's neither here nor there. Is everyone alright, after the fight? What's-his-name seemed to have been hit pretty hard."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto huffs a soft laugh at the mention of ruining a date. "Now you see why I don't date," he quips, the tone half-teasing. Well, that and the whole 'not wanting to get anybody involved with Easter who doesn't need to be' stuff. Of course, he's not going to say that out loud.

As for everyone being all right? Ikuto nods. "Seems so. The principal at Seiyou doesn't seem to have remembered anything. The unconscious kids either. Amu...let Heart's fine, Platinum Royale's still a bit tired but all right." He doesn't know if she knows their real names, and doesn't want to take chances just yet. He's only just met her, after all.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Miko chuckles lightly. "Sometimes I think the fangirls who hang around my kendo practices have the right idea," she muses, "Admire from afar. Or at least up close."

She listens attentively to the report, and nods. "Good to know," she says. "It's been .... a crazy few days. First the Flower business, then the party, then..." Well, no need to blather on, or to mention what he oughtn't maybe know about Hannah's business. "I need to relax. And not worry about secrets."

The waitress makes it over to the table about then, delivering her a soda and asking if Ikuto would like anything to drink, and if they're ready to order. "Want to split a pizza?"

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto smirks a little as Mikoto trails off. But he doesn't comment. He understands needing to not tell people everything. He'd been living his life by that tenet for a handful of years, at least.

So instead he turns his attention to the waitress as she arrives, and asks for a soda. Mikoto's question gets a nod. "What do you like or not like on it?" he asks.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
It's good to be able to relax with a friend. She's at least hoping that she can call Ikuto a friend, that's for certain. "Not a lot, I think. Not in the mood for something too heavy. You like New York style?"

Once the pizza is agreed upon, or separate orders are made, she leans back in her seat. She doesn't discuss anything closely held until the waitress is gone, but eventually she asks, "So, how long have you been 'in the business'?"

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto nods. "Sounds good," he replies. He's usually not for very complicated pizza either. Anchovies may happen if Yoru's partaking, which he isn't this time. Though he may be upset if he finds out later. But honestly, under most circumstances a regular cheese pizza usually does it for him. So there shouldn't be too much haggling back and forth.

When the question is asked, Ikuto turns his head a little, casually, to make sure the waitress is really out of earshot. Only then does he answer, "A handful of years. Yoru hatched when I was about eleven." He is obviously quite a bit older than that. Pretty long career, speaking for magical heroes that usually 'retire' by the age of 17...

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto sits back in her chair and nods, relaxing a bit now that the waitress is gone. "It's quite a balancing act. Home, school, friends, homework.... and then all this on top of it." She sighs softly. "Keeps a girl pretty busy, it does."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto gives one of his trademark affirmative grunts in response to this. "It does." Particularly when you have a quota. Hilariously, they're probably talking about completely different things. And there's a very real possibility-- a very good one, in fact-- that he's going to end up fighting this girl at some point in the future. But he doesn't let that on yet. Thre is a slight distant look that comes to his expression, though.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Anything's possible. And given Mikoto's habits, she might well end up fighting -anyone-. Good or bad. "Does your family know?" she asks, after a moment's hesitation, masked by a sip of her soda. Some girls do tell their families. Some families are supportive of this kind of life.

Some aren't.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
There's a frisson of something unpleasant in Ikuto's expression suddenly. It's not anger. It's something more painful. He looks down into his own soda for a moment, remaining silent. He too takes a drink of his soda. It almost seems like he's going to ignore the question totally. The ice in his glass seems like a fascinating thing for a long moment, and he swirls the ice about with the straw.

"...I don't have one," he finally says. It's pretty true. His father's missing. And while his mother's still around, she's so far under his stepfather's bootheel that she might as well not be there at all. He can't remember the last time he's seen her. There's his sister, sure. But she's in the same boat he is-- both of them are collared by Easter.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto starts to say something, then bites down on it, holding it back. "I'm sorry," she eventually says. There isn't really all that much that you -can- say, to that. She doesn't, can't, know the particulars of your situation, or about Easter, of course.

She'd probably offer to help if she did know. Her own family... well, you've heard of them. Old money. "Sometimes I wonder if I should tell mine. There's ... kind of a tradition, you know? If they could understand..." Or maybe they wouldn't.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
At the apologetic words, Ikuto tilts his head, still with a distant look on his face. "Things are as they are," he decides. "Could always be worse." Which is also true. He could be collared and NOT have Yoru! He doesn't even want to think about that.

As for telling her family? "I'm not in a situation where there's anyone close to me who shouldn't know what I do." Which isn't strictly true, but it'll work for now. "But I wouldn't suggest it. I doubt they'd get it. They'd see it as you, 'just a kid', playing hero against scary people with weapons who could hurt you."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
She considers it for a long moment, then nods. "They do have some issues with that, yes. Dad used to complain about... well, about me not being a boy." She shrugs and starts to add something, but the waitress arrives with the pizza. She pulls a slice out of the tray and blows on it for a moment, then takes a bite.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto huffs a chuckle. "No sense in complaining about that," he decides. He waits 'till the pizza arrives, and gets a slice as well. He'll leave his to cool naturally, while he finishes his statement. After the waitress leaves, of course. "But yeah, you'd probably be better off not telling them."

Here his voice takes on a rather ironic air, enough to tell that he's at least partially kidding. "Bad enough you have the audacity to not be born a boy, and then you want to go out playing vigilante instead of sitting indoors and dressing up pretty for the boys like a proper little girl ought to. How are you ever going to attract a husband and give your father a male heir?"

Yes, he's clearly kidding. He's quoting an old, outdated mindset that should probably be better off put into a rocket and shot into the sun. But if things are that bad for her, that might not be too far off the beam. He's testing the waters, actually.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"He never says anything in quite so many words as that. But I can tell that's what he thinks." She sighs and shakes her head. "At least I don't have a brother. He'd try to make me give up... everything."

She takes another bite of pizza. At least that's one good thing, today. This place makes a pretty good pizza. "I'm not going to do that."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Not one to let pizza cool too long before eating it-- hey, it's pizza, and he's a teenager! He starts on the slice he pulled away from the pie then, as Mikoto speaks. And he nods to that. "That would suck," he agrees. He's glad he doesn't have to deal with that regarding Utau.

"All of that. Never made sense to me. I never got why adults feel like they have to dictate the whole world around them, from the gender of their kids to who their kids' friends are. Things are going to be the way they're going to be. Deal with it. We have to."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"It's all just so damned stupid," she mutters, and silences herself with another bite of pizza.

Eventually, she sets the slice down and stares at it. "They always say it's for our own good. But we're doing good ourselves, aren't we?" She looks back up at you and tries on her trademark smile. It's a bit forced.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto nods. "They're effectively powerless against magical threats. And it's not for your good at all," Ikuto replies. "It's for theirs. So you adhere to their standards, pass on what they think is the 'right' way to live. It's not about you at all. There's 'keeping tradition alive', and then there's 'putting someone in a straightjacket'."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"Without the tradition, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have... it." Sometimes, things are just tied together so closely, it's impossible to untangle them. "So I'm not exactly disappointed with it myself. It's just a matter of boundaries."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
"Yeah," Ikuto agrees. "There's a difference. Traditions can still be observed. But times change, we have to change with them. Things that don't change, die." Mind, he has a distate for tradition himself, given it got him into the utter mess he's currently in.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto nods. "Tradition has to grow with us. Or it stays a child." She nods. "It's something I need to take hold of. Make my own." She sips her soda and sighs.

"I've already started. You saw it that night. And before."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
A smirk, and Ikuto nods. "The shield, you mean?" he inquires. "You did good. I'm glad to see you're putting your own spin on things." He's not sure what she means by 'and before'. He'd only just met her at that Haloween party.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"I can do more than that. It just gets ... flashy." She leans back, picks up the pizza slice, and continues eating. After a bite, she continues. "I wanted to keep ... discreet, that night." It worked, mostly. "You should see me when I don't need to."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto nods. The smirk remains. In fact it widens a little. "One of the pitfalls of secret identities," he says. He's mainly teasing though. But he does have a serious question. "Flashy? How do you mean?"

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"Things get rather blatantly obvious," Mikoto answers. "It's just ... the way it works." She finishes off the slice of pizza while debating how to reply. "I've heard rumors of others, around the city, with - like mine."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
"Oh?" Ikuto raises an eyebrow. "Amulet Heart can be flashy when she's of a mind to be. And you saw the little prince too." Tadase was throwing gold and silver energy around all over the place when he wasn't fencing with Phantom.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"Oh, alright. Imagine a giant rune-circle, like the kind you see the big ritual sorcerors use in fantasy anime. Only this one's holographic, six feet across, and glowing. And I'm standing in the middle of it." Like she said, flashy and blatantly obvious. "And more circles forming the focussing array for a giant freakin' laser cannon."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
At the description, Ikuto raises an eyebrow. "That's... definitely flashy," he agrees. "But also definitely gets the point across to whatever you're pointing said laser pistols at. Point namely being not to mess with you or immediate pain will result." Smirk.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"A definite point. But the party was your fight, not mine. I ... wasn't really sure if it would be ... polite, to interfere that blatantly." She takes a second slice of pizza. "Or how much... pain... you'd deem appropriate, to inflict on the one responsible."

She chews on the pizza, savoring the hot bread, sauce, cheese, and grease. "So I just protected everyone on our side as best I could, and let you guys handle things," she finishes.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto gives a thoughtful 'mm'. "Yeah. People seem to have it in their heads that hurting the people who are hurting you for no other reason than to hurt you is somehow bad." The remark is delivered flatly, and he raises an eyebrow. It's as if he's asking her a question, though he doesn't actually ask a question.

Though he does add, "Thank you for your help. My skill's mostly in dodging and trying not to get hit. Area attacks tend to render that pretty moot. I probably would have been hurt if you hadn't been there."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"I've always thought of myself more as a soldier, than a hero. A hero tries to save everyone, even the bad guys. A soldier... doesn't have that luxury. She stops them... whatever it takes. And she fights to protect her team, her friends."

She pauses, drinking some soda, watching a drop of condensation slide down the side of the glass. "I'm glad I could help. It's what I hate most, you know... seeing my friends get hurt, and not being able to do anything about it."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto nods. "That's where a lot of us differ," he confirms. "I'm not a hero." he has to pause there, because something, whatever it is, suddenly strikes him as funny. He emits a quiet laugh. He calms soon enough though, and it doesn't go much beyond an involved chuckle. but at the same time, there was no real mirth in it.

"No. I'm not a hero. With the amount of these sorts of threats I've seen, that's not what we need. We need soldiers. Teams. Not just Hero of the Hour, come to save the day."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto nods. "We need people who trust each other. Who can work together. Back each other up. And aren't afraid to make sure the bad guys -stop doing this shit-." She looks down at the pizza, and back up at you. "I'd rather live in a world where the most important hero is ... some sort of New York sandwich."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto goes a little wistful at the words of trusting other people. "That's hard for a lot of people..." he says quietly. But the distant look disappears at the mention of a 'hero' being a sandwich. "That's the trouble, isn't it?" he says quietly. "If there aren't people doing 'bad', no one would know what 'good' was, would they?"

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"Maybe you've got a point there," she says, quietly, "but it's still worth fighting for. The journey's what's important, not the destination, isn't that how the old saying goes?"