It's the sound of the motorcycle's engine outside that likely alerts Naru to Alex's arrival, first, followed shortly after by the doorbell ringing out.
And on the other side of the door, thus? Alex, standing sheepishly with a large box of donuts in hand -- and although he's otherwise wearing the same kind of clothes he usually does, the shirt underneath the leather jacket has been, for whatever reason, replaced with a collared button-up shirt. Huh. MAybe he thought he should be dressing up at least a little for the occasion now that they are more or less 'trying things'.
Evening, getting on to be later in the evening no less. A warm rainy day has given way to a warm but clearing summer night. In theory, Naru is doing homework. It's a good theory. It's a theory that includes having books out, and being sprawled on the couch with said books. It's all about the casual for her tonight, leggings and bare feet and a loose t-shirt.
The fact that there's a sketchbook on top of the geography books and a phone on top of /that/ is immaterial to the whole 'doing homework' thing.
Far more interesting than geography homework at the very least.
The doorbell is met with unapologetic abandonment of homework and Naru hops up from the couch to open the door and let Alex in. "Hi! C'mon in." She comes up on tip toe, to steal a kiss on his cheek.
"Hi--" Alex begins, but the part of his brain controlling linguistics shuts down with the touch of Naru's lips to his cheek. The blushing that follows is likely taken for granted by this point.
When he does step in, he holds out the box with an akward mumble of, "...There's chocolate and vanilla in there..." and goes on to shed his jacket after she's taken the box to free his hand. "Um. So... How are you...?"
"Someday, you're going to stop blushing, and I'll miss out on adorable Alex." Naru comments with a grin as she takes the doughnuts from him and step away from the door to be able to close it behind him.
"I'm alright." Naru decides as she roams back to the couch, taking the doughnuts with her. "Got a bit more mural done, bothered Kazuo and Kyouko and visited a friend in the hospital. Cause this week is determiend to be busy. You?" She asks as she sets the box on the coffee table, to reach and scoop up her books to eliminate the pretense that any more studying is going to happen.
"I'm not blushing," Alex predictably claims immediately while he works on his shoes. "I have *no* idea what you are talking about." Of course he doesn't. Right.
Soon enough, he comes along following after Naru, and after a few seconds of hesitant consideration, he brings himself around the couch and sitting down right next to her -- with his hand reaching for hers. "Same as always with me, really," he murmurs -- which probably means more annoyance at school and more fights on the street, knowing him. "Who's in the hospital?"
"Mmm hmm mm." Naru answers on the blushing front as she settles back down on the couch. The addition of an Alex is an added bonus, really and Naru tucks her hand into his.
Naru tucks her legs up, casually leaning into him as she does. "Do you know Reiko?" She asks thoughtfully. "Younger than us. She and I were in an art contest together, but she ended up in a coma." There's a pause, thoughtful. "She woke up on Monday."
The fact that Naru was Very Busy (tm) on Monday and orange returned to the world is left unspoken.
"I don't, no," Alex replies, with the faintest of frowns twisting his face momentarily. "WHat happened? Did she have an accident, or did that just... I don't know, sort of happen? I'm not a doctor so I don't really... you know... know how it works, I guess."
A few more seconds of consideration of completely unrelated things in the meantime, and Alex draws his hand away from hers-- if only so that the arm it's attached to can be drawn over and around her instead, and used to tuck her closer against his side.
"She collapsed at the contest announcement. Tests and the like are why she's still in the hospital." Naru comments thoughtfully. "She won too, for that matter. She's a good artist, and she's only going to get better."
Naru snuggles in close as he settles his arm around her, and it comes with a contented sigh, quiet for the moment. "I hope the barbeque tomorrow goes alright."
The further explanation draws a thoughtful grunt along Alex's throat, but he doesn't say anything on it. He does peer off towards a wall for a moment in quiet thought, though, while he shifts slightly along the couch to lean back against Naru, head tipping down just enough to lean his cheek against the top of her head. "...I hope so, too."
"I have a lot of really odd friends." Naru points out, in a quiet understatement as they relax together. "Good odd, but no denying the odd. I hope you like them."
"It'll work out." Naru smiles a touch, enjoying the curled up close. She's still thoughtful.
"Yeah, I kind of caught on," Alex points out in turn with a brief hint of a chuckle. "...One could hope it will, anyway. You know I'm not great with crowds outside of... well. Certain situations." His lips fade away from the smile, though, and after peeking down at the redhead, he asks quietly, "Are they okay with me there?"
"Fortunately, the roof is big. Which will help with the crowds, and is a mercy. I'm not much of a fan of heights." Naru admits with a rueful smile.
There's a quick nod at his question and reassurance from Naru. "Yes, they're okay with you being there. Kyouko thinks I'm crazy for inviting you, but not because she doesn't want you there." She tips her head back to look up at him. "You get that Tokyo is weird, right?"
"....Then what for? She think I might not play nice with the others? That I might start punchin' people?" Alex's nose wrinkles, then, upon the realization that that might not actually be that unlikely of a result, depending on what the people who are there are like. And then, when their eyes meet, he blinks at her. "... More or less, yes. I mean... Mh." Another nose wrinkle. "...I dunno how to explain most of it, even."
"Apartment rules, which will extend to the roof, leave factions at the door." Naru notes almost absently as she reaches one of her hands out to settle across his stomach, just as absently. "So no fights beyond scuffling, which seems unlikely on the roof.. but is possible depending on who is feeling goofy."
"Mmmm. Yes. Well. You don't exactly have a lot of opportunity to figure out the weird. Most don't even notice the weird, let alone manage to explain it." Naru chews her bottom lip a moment and then nods. "This party is going to be fairly concentrated weird. Good side of it."
"Factions, huh," Alex repeats, and his lips twist into a sort of wry smile. "So you are friends with gangers or something afterall, huh? ...Hopefully none of them are Yakuza. That could be akward." Just a little.
His head tilts to the side, then, and his brows furrow down. "What do you mean, they don't notice it?" He asks, bemused. "Is it just... really concentrated or something?"
"No yakuza.." Naru pauses and then quirks her head. "Okay.. to the best of my knowledge, no Yakuza. That would be awkard." she laughs softly and then shakes her head. "A lot of very strong personalities, and the apartment tries to be neutral ground. Ish. Generally."
Naru reaches up to brush his cheek thoughtfully. "Most people.. like normal people.. don't notice the weird. They don't think 'that seemed weird, and I don't know why'. You notice at least enough to puzzle on it." She shakes her head and then starts to laugh softly. "I am possibly the worst at explaining this."
"You know, people tend to call ones like me 'dumb thugs', but..." Alex's eyes close briefly when NAru's hand comes over, but rather than pulling away, he tips his head into leaning against her palm, instead. "...But I try to keep attention to things. If for nothing else, to help me figure out a way to get through scuffles. ...And I kinda pay a lot of attention to things, these days."
His eyes open slowly, but just half-way, to look down at Naru again. "..:Like back at the coffeeshop. Any way I try to piece together what happened there, I can't come up with anything that actually makes sense."
"...You know something I don't, don't you?"
"If I called you a thug, it would be with affection, but dumb? Not a chance." Naru points out quietly, her fingers still brushing lightly over his cheek, the conversation distracting enough that he's not even blushing.
Naru nods slowly at the last. Quiet agreement to that question that isn't really a question. "It's the fact that you can't make it make sense.." She pauses there and then gives a little shrug. "There's a whole lot of Tokyo that isn't what it immediately seems to be, and by and large, almost everyone seems to just not notice. Like their brains just make up excuses to ignore it. Yours doesn't. I.. well.. let's just say it took a whole lot more for me to notice when I did."
Alex's brows knit together into a frown that twists his face briefly, and for a few seconds, he remains in thoughtful silence, staring down at Naru. Trying to compile some words to use there. And ultimately? The only thing he can come up with is, "...What do you mean?" The woes of being completely clueless even beforehand.
Naru watches him for long moments and then shakes her head softly and laughs a touch. "You know, when you just live it, it doesnt sound like you're insane. When you think about how to explain it.. then suddently Kunzite has a point about wondering if you'll believe me at all."
"More to the world. Magic, supernatural, weirdness, things that don't fit into the realm of 'normal'." Naru finally just goes with, still watching his face. "Like the guy .. not entirely a guy.. outside the coffee shop."
Another few seconds pass away in silence, but Alex soon straightens himself upright, leaning ever-so-slightly away from Naru as a result. "...What?" He asks with a few rapid blinks, and then frowns again. "...Magic."
Naru sits up just a touch as he does and nods as she watches him. She adds after a moment. "If you think it's utterly absurd, just say so and we'll drop the topic." She offers quietly.
"It does sound of kind of absurd," Alex points out, and runs a hand slowly downwards along his face, quiet laughter trying to force it's way up by rumbling through his throat. "But, you know... I guess some of it was weird enough already, right? So, you know... humor me. Tell me about the guy at the coffeeshop?"
"My life doesn't get any less absurd when you start trying to explain it, my dear." Naru points out as he starts to laugh and she leans up to steal another little kiss before relaxing into him again. "Guy at the coffeeshop. Not really a guy, per se, more monster. When he grabbed you, he stole some of your energy for himself. The burns? He attacked with hot liquid. Almost like coffee, but more disgusting. Energy drain is startling as all hell when you're not expecting it."
Alex predictably falls silent for a pretty good while again. He just stares down at Naru for a moment, in silence, while what she says is processing through his brain. And even then doesn't really even properly process.
Which, oddly enough, is probably even more so than most do.
"Monster," he eventually repeats, and turns to look towards the nearest window instead, eyes glazing momentarily before he blinks is eyes rapidly in an effort to return focus to them. "...Energy drain." A hand comes up again, and his fingers pinch at the bridge of his nose. "...Geez. You know that sounds crazy, right?"
"Yeah. I know it sounds crazy." Naru nods her head. "Every so often, I pause in conversation and I just think 'I.. I dont even grasp how this situation is possible, but yet... here we are.' and I still have to work past the crazy." She watches him as he looks out over the night sky of Tokyo. "It's all fairly new to me too."
"I mean..." Alex's hand spreads open from the nosepinch, to press the palm against his forehead. "...You know, I feel like the most absurd part about that is that somehow, it actually makes a tiny bit of *sense*," he mutters, and slowly slides his hand down along his face again, fingers dragging at his skin lightly. "...So are you telling me that the 'creeps' coming after you are... all monsters, or something? ... What about those friends of yours?"
"I know, right?" Naru laughs softly at his mention of making sense, even a tiny bit and she gives him a squeeze. Her voice settles to more serious and she nods. "Most of them. Some are just normal creeps, but they are way less persistant or common. I.." She pauses here and then sighs. "I get targeted more than .. well.. basically anyone. No, we're not sure why. Well, we've got some theories currently, but some of the theories make those of us who dont find this absurd anyhow think they are absurd." She gives a wry little smile at that and leans in against him again.
"Some are just random monsters who tend to follow me. Most, actually. Some are bad guys who are targeting me specifically because of who I am, and who my friends are. Some are bad guys who when choosing a random person from a crowd of people, somehow always choose me." Naru explains quietly and then takes a deep breath. "Its getting better again though, which is nice." She looks up at him. "I have the sort of friends who literally drop everything and appear where I am to protect me. The last time I got seriously attacked they converged en masse, and then painstakingly put me back together afterwards."
The world starts spinning in Alex's head. He tries to set his gaze down into focus on Naru, but while the information processes in his head and gets coupled with information that was already there, his green eyes just go *glazed*.
"...Wow," he lets out, eventually, and slowly brings himself standing up from the couch, arm drawn away from Naru, too. "...Just. Wow." His hands both go rubbing two fingers along his temples, and he wanders towards a window, hands setting down onto the still of it to let him lean against. And he just *stares* out into the nighttime Tokyo beyond the glass barrier.
"...And here I thought you might be secretly Yakuza or something."
"That would be a way easier conversation." Naru points out as she watches him get up and wander away, watching out over the night city. "And I kinda considered just letting you assume that sort of thing, but that sort of lying kinda sucks too."
Naru resettles on the couch, tucking her legs up to wrap her arms around them as she watches him process the reshuffling of his worldview. She's quiet for the moment, letting the notions sink in, or not. She takes a slow breath in, holding it a moment before letting it out in a quiet sigh.
"You know, part of me is still trying to figure, I think, that that is actually what it is and everything you're saying is just some... I don't know. Lingo. Or code. Or something. Or maybe I'm just having some fever dream and I'm still lying around in my bed, but somehow I doubt my dreams are lucid enough for this."
Alex lets out a heavy, long sigh after saying all that, and tips his head forward until his brow is pressing against the glass of the window. "Is it all of your friends?" He asks, then. "Or just most of them? That... I don't know. Know about it all. Kyouko does at least, doesn't she? And that Kazuo guy. Probably Yuzu, too... From what I can gather, at least."
"I only crawled into your bed once." Naru protests gently and then adds. "And I haven't figured out how to go into other people's dreams, so you're safe there."
The fact that she makes that sound like it's legit a /thing/, possibly does not help the reassurances.
"Most." Naru answers after a moment. "Not all by any stretch. I mean the whole school doens't know. Most people don't.. but like anything, once you know who is in the know, they tend to clump together." She mmms and then nods. "I think everyone who is going to be at the barbeque is in the know, though. And.. by extension.. either I explained first, or you were going to get /really/ confused."
".......You know taht isn't what I meant by the dream thing, right?" Alex points out after giving a *blank* look back to Naru over his shoulder with one eye.
"Everyone there. ...Geez..." His hand rubs at his face again. "... Do they *just* know, or is it... something else?"
"I know that's not what you mean about the dream thing." Naru agrees as she takes another breath and then uncurls from the couch, standing and padding softly over to where he is by the window.
"I'm going to guess that you're asking if they're just in the know, or if they've got magic?" Naru speculates as she watches out the window, following where he's looking. "Bit of both. Although I don't always know what people can do, and it feels horribly invasive to ask, so I don't. If we've worked together.. and that usually means if they've rescued me.. then I have a better idea."
"Magic," Alex repeats that... er, magic word, again, and closes his eyes slowly. "Monsters. People with magic. Magic." Another heavy sigh exhaled out, and his head tips back slowly, just a few inches or so, before it bumps back against the window.
"...Hey, Naru," he murmurs, then. "...You said normal people usually won't let themselves know. ...What does that mean, exactly? Am I..."
"... Am I going to forget?"
Naru slides her arm around his waist, leaning in against him as he asks. "I don't know." She answers honestly. "I don't think so, but I don't know. I hope not, otherwise we'll be having this conversation again tomorrow." She notes with a bit of a teasing note to her voice.
"The fact that you haven't yet just dismissed it out of hand. And the fact that you didn't buy in to the fact that it was a normal fight at the coffeeshop, and the fact that you aren't mad at me and haven't stormed out yet gives me hope." Naru comments and then sighs softly. "I learned about it /so/ differently, and I'm kinda glad that you aren't getting that introduction, but it sure made it a lot less of a question for me."
"Part of me wants to," he says then, bluntly, still without looking back to NAru, even after she comes leaning against him -- he doesn't open his eyes, not yet. "PArt of me wants to say you're messing with me. Part of me wants to get mad at you. PArt of me thinks you were trying to pull me into this from the start, if it's true. And do something. I don't know."
Naru shakes her head at his comments. "I can appreciate that's how you feel, but I'm not messing with you, and I didn't really want to pull you in. I wanted to be your friend. I still do, and .. well.. it started being one of those 'only a matter of time' before you had more questions, and I still think I've done a fairly terrible job of explaining, and I'm sorry."
Silence. For what might seem like an eternity in the small world that only the two of them inhabit, even if it is only a few seconds in true passage of time, there is only silence. At least for Alex, the whole world holds still outside of his mind.
"I know."
Those two simple words from him break the spell, eventually, and his eyes slowly open while his head tips down over to look down at the redhead. "I have all these thoughts in my head. All these thoughts yelling at me, "it doesn't make sense", "she is crazy", and "forget it". ... But you know, I think..."
One hand pushes lightly at the windowstill, and just as slowly, he turns fully to face her, within her grasp, and carefully brings his arms around her, gently tugging the redhead against himself.
"...I think, maybe that I am having all those thoughts flashing in my head, even when I know they're wrong... trying to make me think you're lying to me... That might be proof alone that you're not."
Quiet is familiar, almost comfortable really, even when it's got edges of anxious laced through it. Naru relaxes a little at his words, turning with him to settle in close, both of her arms around his waist now.
Naru looks up, to catch his eyes with her own. "They're wrong, but they're loud. I still fight with them, although they're different now, although 'this doesnt make sense' is pretty persistant, just picking new things to not make sense."
"No lying." Naru declares as she watches his face and impulsively comes up on tip toe, to steal a kiss.
He doesn't say anything in response to her. Well. Not yet. When she comes up on tiptoes, he seems to get other things on his mind.
Namely, Alex tips his head down, and instead of just letting her lean up on her own to kiss his cheek or anything, he brings his lips to meet hers halfway. It's an akward little motion, a kiss of someone inexperienced kissing someone likely just as inexperienced -- but he's trying. Eyes close, and the arms wrapped around her tighten ever-so-slightly.
Kisses are an excellent distraction from heavy conversation. Even, and possibly especially, inexperienced and curious and faintly awkward and utterly sweet kisses.
Naru isn't in a rush to make this a quick peck, prefering to linger over the kiss. Even when it ends, she stays close and then a bright grin peeks out on her face.
After she pulls away, Alex's lips have twisted into a sort of lopsided, sheepish smile, eyes glinting lightly when they open to meet hers. His tongue slips out briefly to taste at his upper lip, too. "...Yeah?" He breathes out, and a bit of red starts glowing over his upper cheeks.
"...Hey," he lets out in a more somber tone after, and his arms squeeze around her waist lightly. "If I forget... I want you to tell me again, okay? Every day. Until it sticks."
"I'll tell you every day, until it sticks." Naru promises as she returns the squeeze and then she grins brightly and her tone turns impish. "It might come with more kisses too. And more.. detailed explinations of some of the weird in my life. Just.." She catches his eye again. "Tell me if it doesnt make sense, or you've forgotten, okay? I'll explain as often as I have to."
"Especially if I forget that one as a side effect," Alex insists with sly hint of a smile. "Or, you know..." His head tips down again, but this time just to bring his brow pressing lightly against hers. "We could do double as much of it to try and make me remember that at least."
Naru leans her head into his with a soft giggle. "At least two kisses for every magical reference?" She grins at him. "I am /so/ looking forward to the barbeque now, that has the potential to rack up a lot of kisses."
"Or we could just do it whenever we feel like it," Alex suggests with an impish tone and grin alike, head turning lightly from one side to another in a sort of a forehead-to-forehead nuzzle. "Unless you didn't like it that much. I know I'm new to this whole kissing thing, but..."
The answer on if Naru liked it or not isn't a spoken one, but rather in the form of another kiss. Purely for evaluation purposes, of course.
There's a touch more confidence in take two, a little more certainty that it's a welcome thing, and a little more forward in her explorations. It's an excellent distraction from other conversations, with nuzzles and more kisses.
"Mmm." Naru comments softly, not moving far from the snuggled close. "Still like it. Might have to gather more data over the next while though, just to be sure. Tomorrow too."