Sketchy Feelings

Reiko Touyama had her sketchpad open, and she was sitting on a bench. She was putting something to paper. She.. stopped drawing for a bit--- when all these things became 'real'-- she was afraid of causing more problems. But after drawing some mundane things, she realized that--- whatever happened had probably passed already.

And so Reiko was drawing the man from yesterday. The odd energy draining alien. She was thinking a lot about him. Was he acting out of love? But. It didn't feel right. Someone, acting in love- doesn't act like that. Right? Still she sketched and drew. She was good at it, and perhaps this helped put her complicated feelings in her mind to some sense of order.

She seems so engrossed, she hasn't really noticed the magical orange koi floating above her head--- it had on a tiny suit, and monocle, and was nodding at the piece of art like some aristocrat admiring a painting. Really, all it was missing was a tophat.

Ikiko Hisakata was walking along, thinking about the events of the past several days. Yesterday's fight againt the energy-draining alien was her first major wake-up to the kinds of fights magical girls can find themselves in. While it's great that there's so many people willing to help defend Tokyo, it does make hjer wonder: is she cut out for this kind of stuff?

A now-familiar flicker of color catches her attention, and as she looks up she spots Reiko and her koi companion. Smiling, Ikiko walked over, not wanting to disturb the artist at work.

Of course, /startling/ an artist at work isn't a good idea, either! Once she's a few meters away, Ikiko clears her throat slightly. "Hi, Reiko," she says conversationally. "How are you today -- feeling any better?"

Reiko Touyama looks up when she hears a throat clear... at the same time, her koi 'companion' poofs into orange sparkles. She blinks, she just caught the sparkles falling towards the ground and fading. She ohs! She must had been too engrossed to notice that one----was that one?... in a suit? o_O.

She shakes her head. "Hi Ikiko....!" she says. "No..I'm fine. I think I slept forever last night though." she says softly. "How about you?" she asks softly.

"A good night's sleep helped, as did some leg stretches when I woke up," Ikiko replied, taking a seat on the bench and ruefully rubbing her face -- that last would-be rooftop leap seems to have been more painful to her pride than anything else, harsh landing notwithstanding.

She leans back, quietly sighing. "That was my first time fighting anything -- or anyone -- that powerful," she admits. "I'm still not sure how helpful I was, and I /really/ don't want to think about what it would have been like if the others hadn't been there."

She looks over at Reiko. "Were any of those others familiar to you?" she inquires. "That was a lot more magical people in one place there than I had ever met before!"

Reiko Touyama ums. "Vaugely." she admits. "I mean...only... second hand. What Red put down in a notebook for me before she went on her break..." she says. "Like the guy in the top hat. I'd never met any of them before though." she admits sheepishly. "That was also.. my second big thing I did. I wish I could meet some of these people without it needing to be about hitting things with color energy."

She taps her pencil against the paper and continues to draw a few lines.

"I wonder what that... guy was about." she asks herself, more than at Ikiko.

She blushes a bit. "Um... thanks for... uh. Trying to come to my aid the other day.. against Hiroko. She's.. been bullying Mei and me for a long time. She used to be a friend... but.. that was. a while ago." she admits. "She's such a good artist, too...." she says.

Ikiko Hisakata reaches over and gives Reiko a hug. "I just wish I could've been more helpful," she admits. "Just barging in felt like it would've caused more problems than it would have solved."

The comments about Red and Mei jostle a bit of Ikiko's memory. "Say, uh..."

She hesitates, trying to put her vague thoughts into words. "Mei's sister, Momo... I know there's been that odd thing causing comas; was she one of the ones affected by that?" It's not quite what she wanted to ask, but it was the first thing that came to mind.

Reiko Touyama nods. "Yeah... but. Everyone's woken up now!" she says. "But they're keeping her for a bit because she's young and they wanna make sure she doesn't relapse." Does Reiko know it's magical in nature? Well Reiko isn't putting any dots out there to connect so she kind of keeps it to herself.

"I'm just happy she's awake now." she says softly.

She head tilts, and nods a bit. She closes her book and puts the pencils in the book's metal spiral.

She thinks for a moment.

"Do you think... what that guy said... the one who attacked people. Was right? That he was fighting for love too...?" she asks a little unsuredly.

Ikiko Hisakata thinks for a few moments. "A selfish love, maybe," she shrugs. "Like he only cares about the one he loves, and it doesn't matter to him how many people he hurts along the way."

The topic shift distracts her from the parallel dots she's noticed so far. "At least we seem to have made him stop draining people in that area," she notes. "I think the animals will recover with enough rest, and it should be the same for people as well."

Memories of the top hat guy protecting Sailor Moon from that massive blast replay through her mind. "I hope that the top hat guy is doing okay," she sighs with a slight frown.

Reiko Touyama looks down. "I do too. But.... he'll be okay. I'm sure of it!" she says looking up with a determined look. "He did his best-- and protected the other person!" she says with a matter of fact nod.

"I hope... I can meet someone like that someday---- who'd protect me , it's... so romantic..." she says dreaming off. No koi happen this time. But she snaps out of it all the same, because she blushes. "I mean... you know.. what I mean, right!?" she asks.

Ikiko Hisakata nodnods. "A packmate of the heart, instead of just friendship," she agrees. And that kind of ideal does appeal to her, at least on a certain level. Perhaps once she has a better idea of herself...

But such dreaming can wait for now. "Who knows, maybe you'll find a magical boyfriend of your own," she smiles, gentle teasing plain in her voice.

Reiko Touyama turns bright red in her face. "T..that's not.. what... I.... mmmmoooooooooo-" she says an exasperated sound. Because she's literarly embarassed to death, she sinks down, hands over her head. This time, a koi does materalize and mimics this motion right beside her. It dissapears as she peeks from behind her hands. "That's... that's not what I meant!" she says with a slight whimper. She knows Ikiko is teasing, but that's so meaaaaaannnn! Not.. mean mean, not like Hiroko, but still!

"I just think.... that's.. how it is.. in Anime and--- now some of that stuff is real and..." she babbles a bit, still flustered!

Ikiko Hisakata pats Reiko's back. "I know, I know," she smiles. "Things are being like anime and manga, so who knows what else could happen." She's just glad it's the magical girl stories that seem to be coming true!

She gives Reiko a hug. "Hey, sorry for teasing you," she murmurs. "I'm sure we'll find those we'll love when the time is right. Whenever that might be." It might not be an important goal for Ikiko right now, but neither is she going to go out of her way to avoid it, either.

Reiko Touyama blushes, but manages to calm down--- ugh her face feels so hot now. "Y..yeah..." she says. She bites her lip. She looks down to her sketchbook. "I should... I should go now I think." she says flustered, but less flustered than before. "Um. I'm going to be late and-- Grandpa's cooking dinner. I just.. wanted to get my thoughts onto paper." she admits. She bites her lip. "I'll, see you again soon, okay?" she asks as she stands up.

"Bye... Ikiko. I should.. really introduce you to Red sometimes soon..." she says. "When she's ready." she nods matter of factly, before taking off!

"Take care!" Ikiko waves. "And I look forward to meeting Red, when the time is right!" Good food and family is a good reason to take off in a hurry, especially when starting to run late.

As Reiko runs off, a few dots drift back into alignment. "Huh," Ikiko muses. "I wonder..." She shakes her head. Orange can introduce Tsukiko to Red later, and perhaps Reiko will introduce Ikiko to Mei someday. Maybe even at the same time, but who knows?