Morning at the Sakura household is a fairly.. energetic affair. It tends to begin at around 7am with wild shrieks from Momo, who has slept through her alarm and has to get to her job at the Thrift Store. This is reliable enough that Kyouko no longer sets an alarm at all. Once a hurried cereal-breakfast is consumed and the younger Sakura is ushered out the door barely in time (which, judging by Kyouko's reactions, is so routine as not to be worthy of comment), things return to a more sedate pace by 7:15 or so.
Kyouko sometimes has early-morning shifts, but usually not- more often she works in the afternoons or evenings, or beginning late morning. So this morning finds her drooping at the table in the living room of the apartment, post-Momo-departure, wearing her pajama pants and a tank-top and looking as though the adrenaline is wearing off.
"Ugggh." Is her comment, as she glances out the window. They're still on the 37th floor, and the sky outside is bright and clear.. but looks cold. "I forget if I work at 9am or 3pm today."
A wake up call at 7 am is downright decadent sleeping in for a moring-person Naru. As often as not, she'd be getting back from a run by then, not waking up to a Momo shriek.
Instead, Naru is considering the options in the kitchen, examining the state of the fridge for breakfast potential and putting water on to boil for coffee. Or tea, as the case may be. "Did you write it down somewhere, or are you aiming to acquire psychic powers of memory by 8:45am?"
Barefoot in leggings and a t-shirt, Naru is clearly letting her hair grow back out after the short cut of the summer, long enough for a ponytail again.
"There's a schedule on the fridge." Kyouko replies, with an indirectly-stated request, since Naru is already in the kitchen. Said schedule clearly says "11am-5pm" for today's date.
The fridge is actually pretty well-stocked, although with a much higher incidence of heat-up meals and what is clearly ECFH-leftovers in tupperware. Still, there are eggs and milk and all those sorts of necessities. Also there's coffee, because Kyouko is aware that, uncommon though it is, sometimes people like Naru, Kunzite or Mamoru come over.
"It's a good thing you're not working from memory." Naru notes as she closes the door enough to check the schedule. "11 am. Do you want pancakes? Do you have flour?" She isn't shy about exploring food options, someone is clearly hungry. "Or eggs. I could do scrambled eggs." She smiles and then laughs softly. "Your household is way more exciting in the mornings than mine."
"Hey.. I have a fine memory." Kyouko grumbles, slumping over the short table, on her knees on one of the cushions, her red eyes turned towards the kitchen from which Naru's voice emenates. "11.. okay, thanks." That gives a few more hours before she has to be energetic again, at least.
"Um.. no flour. Sorry. Eggs would be amazing."
A mild rueful chuckle is given at the mention of exciting mornings. "Sorry about that, too. In case you hadn't noticed, Momo doesn't really do anything at half-speed.. it takes some getting used to."
"If I'm not being lazy about a warm and comfortable bed, I'd already be out on a run." Naru points out with what totally sounds like a grin. "No worries. Eggs it is. And toast. And coffee. You want tea?"
The sounds emerging from the kitchen sound.. relaxed. Comfortable even. "I'm impressed at how fast she can get ready. I love mornings, but I love easing into them rather than getting ready in a blink."
"Yes, tea, please, thank you." Kyouko rattles off, still drooped across the table with her arms extended in front of her, as if her spine has turned into a limp noodle.
"I'm glad you came over." She says, after a moment, musing on Naru's comment about lazing comfortably. "I feel like I slept better than normal."
She grins at the comment about Momo getting ready. "Well, she's had enough practice even just in the past six months. I mean, I'm no slouch, either. 'Getting ready' for me usually consists of throwing on jeans and a t-shirt, brushing my teeth, and walking out the door."
"You make me feel like such a high maintenance girly girl.. sheesh." Naru laughs as she finds a frying pan, and gets toast on. "But morning runs mean shower before school, and ensuring I have lunch together, and uniform that's not a mess and homework together and try to cope with in-between length hair and and and.."
"I totally slept better. After all the comments about nightmares, no nightmares." Naru peeks around from the kitchen to watch Kyouko sprawled on the table. "I'm glad I came over too. If I do this with any regularity, I'm adding things to your kitchen."
"Naru-chan, I set a very low bar when it comes to being feminine. I don't think you have much to worry about." Kyouko says, with a dry edge to her voice that is less self-deprecating and more just objectively stating the truth.
"No nightmares." Kyouko confirms. "I guess that makes sense. A lot of mine come from or have to do with being alone."
She quirks a brow at the mention of possible regularity. "Please, take as much liberty with my kitchen as you want- you know what you're doing there far more than I do." She snorts. Then, curiously, adds, "Doesn't your mom care at all? I mean, not about you coming here specifically but.. sleeping other places all the time?"
"I trained her well." Naru replies with a touch of a smile to her voice. "There was so many sleepovers with Usagi all through my childhood, that it's not terribly weird. She cares, I'm not horribly neglected or anything, but I have a pretty impressive amount of autonomy all things considered. She's busy enough with the store, that certainly when I was much younger, knowing she could work really late and I was safe at Usagi's was a feature."
"Most of my nightmares have something to do with various attacks. So feeling safe helps a lot." The sound of eggs hitting the pan make it clear that scrambled eggs aren't going to take too long to appear for both of them.
"That's cool. I mean, you can clearly take care of yourself, but it's cool that she recognizes that and doesn't like.. y'know. Over-parent or whatever." Kyouko pauses, then adds, mildly apologetically, "Not that I'd know anything about that. I was just curious, since you mentioned sleeping upstairs a lot recently, too."
"I can imagine." Kyouko says, on the topic of Naru's nightmares. "Well.. you're safe here." She doesn't go any further with the statement than that, and multiple meanings can be inferred from it- but likely they're all true.
"That sounds ands meels amazing." She adds, as the hissing eggs make their soon-to-be-cooked status known.
"Yeah. Sometimes I angst over a lack of a super close parental relationship." Naru pauses and then laughs softly. "Which sounds a bit like a psych paper for this early in the morning. Generally, I appreciate being given the freedom to not feel /utterly/ like the baby sister amongst all my friends who all live on their own. Well, not quite all. Ami lives with her Mom too."
"Seems silly." Naru comments as she goes hunting for plates. And mugs. Coffee. Tea. Toast. Eggs in a moment. "I'm generally pretty alright with it all when I'm awake, but apparently once I fall asleep, my brain forgets that part and freaks out."
"Well, don't worry," Kyouko says, still dryly, "Compared to me you have about as lovely a parental relationship as you can have." Then she adds, "Usagi lives with her parents too, don't forget. And honestly Naru, you feel more grown-up to me than most of the others. Which I like, by the way."
Plates and mugs and such are not very hard to find- they are in cabinets where logic would suggest they should be. Kyouko drags herself to her feet and meanders into the kitchen, sensing food is about to appear and wanting to offer help in carrying things out.
"Yeah, subconsciousnesses can be funny things." She notes, as she moves over to do just that.
"I fake it well, apparently." Naru offers Kyouko a mug of tea as she appears in the kitchen and a quirk of a smile. "You also feel grownup, by the by. More than I do, with keeping Momo vaguely on the straight and narrow." The plates have acquired their toast, buttered already, and gain eggs while Naru is chatting. "Although for the longest time, I really did feel like everyone's baby sister. When I couldnt /do/ anything, and I'd listen to plans about missions and the like and know I couldnt go and help."
Kyouko takes the tea, and offers Naru a slightly lopsided smile. "Maybe that's why we get along. Although I think you're mildly crazy for feeling like I'm grown-up. Ask nii-chan sometime for a list of the irresponsible, dumb crap I've done in just the past year and be prepared to run screaming and never talk to me again."
She grows mildly more serious as she moves to take a plate of eggs and toast. "I'm tryin' to do the best I can for Momo. Y'know, as much as people tell me all the stuff that happened before wasn't my fault, I still feel responsible, and if I have to break my neck to make sure she gets a decent second chance, well.. it's just what I deserve, y'know? So far it's been okay though.. thanks mostly to Mamoru and the guys."
She grins slightly as she proceeds back to the living room. "Now now, Naru-chan, you should know that just because somebody has fancy toys doesn't make them a grown-up."
"Having to stay home while the big kids went to go play totally makes them closer to grown ups." Naru points out with a laugh as she follows Kyouko with her own plate and coffee cup.
"Breaking your neck won't help her at all." Naru pauses thoughtfull as she settles at the table, graceful enough not to spill her coffee. "Can you heal from a broken neck? The puella at last night's fight might have been testing that, come to think of it. She was in /rough/ shape. But in any case, you're doing fine. She's a good kid and you're a good big sister." Naru grins and takes a sip from her coffee. "Even with the lengthy and extensive list of irresponsible dumb crap you've done in the last year."
Kyouko is also pretty graceful- in fact, her physical ability to balance things (including herself) is nigh-supernatural, even when not in Henshin, likely a result of all that combat experience, so it's no trial for her to carry plate and mug and settle back down on her cushion without a precious drop being wasted.
"I imagine I could heal from a broken neck, yes, but I'm in no rush to confirm that." Kyouko says, with a little chuckle, then draws her brows together slightly. "You mentioned a Puella.. Mara, you said, right? I don't think I've met her, but I'm pretty out of touch with the Puella scene these days, at least as far as the internal politics goes. I certainly haven't run into her while hunting."
A brighter smile at the compliments about her 'parenting', such as it is. "Well, I need a lotta help, but at least I have that help now and I ain't afraid to take it when I can get it." She gestures to the breakfast as a demonstration of such.
"Mara, yes. Was psycho chasing Sakura, but when I noted that I'm a non combatant, she commented that she wouldnt chase me. Works for Hannah, which makes me not surprised that you don't know her, although it seems there's no deep love there." Naru comments as she balances scrambled egg on a chunk of toast, to eat them together. "That fight taught me that if I can't stand still, I am even more useless than usual. I'll need to figure something out for /that/." She hunhs softly and then shrugs, going back to breakfast.
"What's the stupid saying? Takes a village to raise a child? I think it's /great/ that Momo gets to have a giant extended family to learn from."
"Huh." Is Kyouko's comment on the description of Mara, followed by a faint scowl at the mention of working for Hannah. "Well, if she works for Hannah she's definitely not trustworthy." She grumbles, before taking a bite of toast and egg, fangs making short work of the crispy bread.
She ponders the idea of how Naru might utilize her powers while being more mobile. "Mmm.. I dunno enough yet about how your powers work to really offer a decent suggestion." She says, apologetically.
Then she laughs. "Something like that. Hey, I figure at least with enough of us she'll have a decent chance of learning enough good lessons cumulatively for it to equal out to a decent example."
"I rather figured that would be your answer on that." Naru comments as she eats more slowly, but with no less interest. There's no pretense that either of them are delicate teenaged flowers who barely nibble at food. Portion sizing is sane for the crowd they run in.
"I don't know enough about my powers /either/." Naru notes with a shrug. "I need to keep experimenting, I suppose. Having super flexible powers is awesome, at least until you have to be creative while trying to keep out of a whirlpool of icy mud. Talk about artist's block."
Naru laughs and nods. "I'm sure all .. what.. like.. twelve of us? More? We all have to add up to one decent example. Although you know that's not going to be the examples she picks. Cause of course not."
"Kyouko Sakura" and "delicate teenage flower" generally do not belong in the same sentance. Nor does 'nibbling', for that matter.
"The best way to learn is to do. That's what I think, anyway. I guess some people don't have the mentality or the strength for that, but that's how it always worked for me, anyway. I guess you need to do what's best for you, though."
Kyouko rolls her eyes slightly. "Honestly if she decides not to follow my example I'd probably be happier than not."
"I overthink things." Naru gives a rueful little smile. Breakfast isn't long for this world on her plate either, and she nudges empty plate aside in favour for holding her coffee cup. "Although every so often, I forget that I overthink things and do things. I'm sure there's a happy medium there /somewhere/." She mmms thoughtfully. "I'll probably talk at Kunzite for a while and eventually either he'll have a suggestion, or he'll just steer the conversation until I have a brilliant idea that he's effectively poked me into having about my powers. He's good at that."
Kyouko wins the breakfast race, though not by much, and is similarly reduced to sipping tea as she peers across the table at Naru. "Well, that's good, because I tend to not think things through." She says, with a grin. "I trust my instincts.. which works out pretty often, cuz I have good instincts, but there are certainly times when I could probably benefit from having someone around who thinks things through a little more thoroughly."
"I mean, I have nii-chan for that too, but his plate is pretty full considering he basically has to do the careful thinking for all of us." She laughs fondly, sipping her tea.
"Yes. He is." She confirms, and nods her head, then adds, tilting her head as she regards Naru across the table, "But I think you give him too much credit.. only cuz I think you're better at it than you think, and he just helps you by being someone to talk at, like you said."
"I.." Naru pauses and then admits a touch sheepishly. "I often, even still, pause and kinda confirm that no one or nothing else is in my head. Which makes trusting instincts hard, because they aren't always reliable. Or I don't trust them, at least." Her smile is rueful. "Which sounds even more pathetic and paranoid said outloud. Hunh."
"Well." Naru considers that and then shakes her head. "Sometimes, maybe, but I'm still in the throes of not even knowing what I don't know yet about, so the stupid question quota is still shockingly high." She chuckles softly and then smiles. "But I overthink that /too/."
Kyouko shakes her head slightly, her grin fond is mildly chastising. "Well, I guess I can't blame you, and I guess telling you you're overthinking it is just telling you stuff you already know."
"For what it's worth, though, I don' really think it's paranoid.. or at least, it's undertstandably so. I mean, we're all shaped by our experiences, right? You had some nasty crap messin' with your mind.. accourse you'd be afraid it might happen again."
"But y'know, we need people who ask questions, stupid or not, as much as we need people who act without hesitating. That's why we gotta stick together."
"When I first started getting powers? I was pretty sure it was another curse." Naru points out with a shake of her head. "Or something in my head. I really /hate/ having things in my head." She drinks more of her coffee, stretching her legs out to lounge slightly differently as they linger post-breakfast.
"You act on instinct, and after I'm done overthinking it, I'll have to find you and catch up." Naru laughs warmly. "Sounds about perfect."
"No, dummy," Kyouko says, her own tea mostly gone at this point, though she smirks over the edge of it. "Your job is to shout 'Kyouko you godamned idiot, get back here' when I dash off to do something monumentally stupid. It's actually a pretty important job."
"I ain't gonna tell you that having powers and being involved in this world," a vague gesture around, "Ain't a curse, Naru-chan. It sure seems like it to me a lot of the time. But it's not without the nice parts, too."
Naru laughs. "If you start it with 'hold my beer', you're on your own and I'm recording it. Just so you know."
"When I first found out, someone.. might have been you, but I dont think so.. told me how much it was like a curse. Even with all the worry about people that I now get to /really/ know the extent of, I am so much happier knowing." Naru muses thoughtfully. "Although I am pretty sure I'm a weirdo that way."
Kyouko actually laughs pretty hard at that, which is a pretty rare sight, but Naru's timing is good and it's actually fairly plausible which makes it all the funnier. Recovering, she wipes at the corner of her eye. "If you drop my beer, I'll never forgive you."
Returning to a more serious mien, she says, "I don't think it was me. I'll be honest with you, Naru-chan, my magic and being.. what I am, simultaneously more and less than human, is such a part of me now, such a part of my identity, that I can't even imagine what I'd be like without it. A lot of monumentally crappy things have happened to me because of it, no doubt, but.. I also don't know if I would change it, if given the chance."
"At least you don't have to worry about me drinking it." Naru quips back with a grin.
The more serious topic gains a more serious expression again and Naru mmms softly. "I've never known you any other way than with your magic as part of you, and I can't imagine you as anything but what you are. Even with the heaps of monumentally crappy things, you've gotten to be someone I'm delighted to know, so I'd want to change it to save your past self the hurt, but in the same breath, you wouldnt be you anymore, and I'd miss you terribly."
"Maybe. One day I'll get you to drink with me." Kyouko says, but fondly, and with no sense of threat- she isn't going to try and pressure Naru into doing something she isn't comfortable with, or at least nothing as trivial as drinking.
A smile and the faintest blush at Naru's comment about missing her terribly if things were to change. "Eh.. yeah, well. Y'know, as hard as it's been, I think the hurt makes you stronger.. has made me stronger. I'm not claiming to be some kind of superwoman or anything, but.. I value the lessons I've learned, even if they were painful. Sometimes I think those are the most important ones. But thank you anyway, Naru-chan."
"I'm not an adamant NEVER! on the topic of booze. I just.. basically faceplanted asleep almost immediately, and that whole 'things in my head' issue feels like having booze mess with my head and make me stupid would fall into the same issue." Naru gives a little shrug. "But, somewhere safe? Much more tempting."
"They are the big lessions." Naru nods in agreement. "Besides, if everything goes perfectly, you have no good stories to tell and your deck of 'yeah well /I/' cards is really pathetic." She smiles easily and then drains the last of her coffee, setting the mug on the table. She's quiet for a few moments, comfortable and then notes. "You don't have to do a triathlon with me if you don't want to."
"I think it would take a lot more than booze to make you stupid, Naru-chan." Kyouko says, with a little grin, and then adds, "Plus, you're cute when you're sleepy, so I don't see a downside."
"Yeah well, my deck if "yeah well /I/" cards is massive and I'm still running around." She chuckles.. then, as the triatholon promise comes up, she shrugs her shoulders. "I know. But it'd probably be good for me anyway, and it's somethin' to dedicate my time to that isn't work, which I've sorely needed now that we're not in 'world-ending crisis mode' anymore."
The mention of her being cute when she's sleepy makes a touch of a blush come to Naru's cheeks and she laughs. "Most evenings. Sleepy without any need for alcohol."
"I mean, we might find a new world ending crisis, but currently? I learned when I started running that it was /so much/ easier to do it when I had a goal." Naru explains. "The last one was a 10k, and that was easy enough once I got going, so I figured on something else next. More running was just enh, more of the same, but three sports? That sounded more interesting. There's an age limitation on distance in Japan though. America doesn't care, I got all hopeful for doing something crazy, but Japan is like 'yeah, not 'til you're 18'."
"I'm just sayin' that there's an upside to everything." Kyouko replies, seeming to count that faint blush from Naru as a victory, or perhaps due revenge for the one she displayed earlier.
"There's always a new crisis on the horizon, but you gotta do stuff in the meantime to keep from focusing on it too much or you'll drive yourself nuts. Thats what I've found, anyway." Shes hrugs slightly. At the mention of Japan's rules about distance-running, she snorts. "Guess that's okay for most people. Honestly I'm not worried about the running part.. it's just.. well, I ain't never been much of a swimmer. Like I said, I'm pretty confident in my ability to not-drown, but getting from point A to point B in any timeframe that ranks as 'competitive', well.. that I'm just not sure about."
"Oddly enough, none of the registration forms have a box to check for 'It's okay, I'm magical, so longer distances aren't going to ruin my growth'." Naru smirks a touch. The hand that comes up to wave is vaguely dismissive. "You'll be /fine/, that's what practicing is for. It's athletic. You will pick it up in a flash once you teach your arms and legs where they're supposed to go. Not drowning is the important part, everything else is just practice."
Kyouko looks vaugely skeptical. "If you say so, Naru-chan. You just have to promise me that you'll drive in and save me if I start to drown after all." She pauses, then glances at the ring on her finger. "I mean, if I even can drown. Honestly I'm not sure about that either, but that's another one let's chalk into the 'really don't want to find out' column."
"Also," She adds, leaning back on her hands. "You have to help me find an appropriately not-cute swimsuit for competing."
"I promise to keep you from finding out if you can drown or not." Naru assures her with a smile. "You'll be /fine/. We'll practice in the shallow end, where you can just stand up if you're struggling. Easy peasy."
"It'll be cute." Naru comments as she relaxes. "It just also has to be not likely to come off, which is the bigger issue with bikinis. Not so much of a problem for laying next to the pool or just goofing around, but more of a problem if you're diving, or pushing off from the side or something. More comfortable too."
"The shallow end?" Kyouko looks mildly skeptical, with a raised brow. "I ain't a kid Naru-chan, I dunno if I want to be seen splashing about in the shallow end of the pool.. what if I look silly?"
She snorts mildly as Naru lists the disadvantages of bikinis. "I don't think I'm the bikini type to begin with, but yes, 'not coming off' during a competition is a pretty basic requirement for a swimsuit. The last thing I need is to be arrested- I'm legally dead, you know. You can't imagine the paperwork."
"Considering half the pool is a shallow end, everyone is in the shallow end about half the time." Naru points out with a soft snort. "And if you want to tell the folks doing aqua workouts that they're kids for being in the end where they can touch bottom, I'll just stand behind ya. It's not a little kid wading pool. The shallow end is still like four feet deep. It's almost /not/ a shallow end for me."
Naru laughs softly. "Yeah, no getting arrested for indecent exposure. Although I bet we could find a bikini you wouldnt hate."
Kyouko waves a hand. "Fine fine, I get it." She says, to Naru's well-reasoned responses to her pride's objections. "And please, you're not that short. I mean.. well, we all seem shorts but that's just because we hang out with giants." She jerks her thumb upwards, clearly meaning the inhabitants of the ECFH.
As for bikinis, she sniffs mildly, turning her head. "Probably. But I don't need a bikini." She fidgets for a moment, then glances back. "I mean, unless you think I should get one?"
"I think I'm only taller than Usagi, and that changes depending on which one of us is wearing thicker socks." Naru points out with a little laugh and a shrug. "We do hang out with giants, though. Very hand for getting things down from top shelves."
"Bikinis are not generally a /need/ item, unless you listen to Usagi's shopping propoganda." Naru smiles brightly. "You'd /rock/ a bikini though. Not a fussy frilly one, although you'd rock one of those too, but I think you'd be wickedly uncomfortable with that much skin showing. It takes some getting used to."
"Yeah but like, you can still look me in the eyes." Kyouko points out, "It's not like I tower over your or anything."
Then she's blushing more, not because of Naru's words so much as because of the fact that the girl as pretty much pegged her. "Yeah, um.. probably not." She says, uncharictaristically fidgety, clearly uncomfortable even considering the prospect. "It's.. not that I'm a prude or anything," She then rushes to reassure the other girl, "It's just y'know.. I'm not used to.. I don't like drawing attention."
"I don't need a step stool to look you in the eyes, no." Naru agrees with a smile. "But you are taller than I am, I'm pretty sure."
"It's not a prude thing at all." Naru shakes her head. "It's a totally personal thing. And honestly, from what I'm reading online, half the triathletes are in those short wetsuits, which is basically workout clothes made of swimsuit material. I was super self conscious about the bikini, until I realized that no one was looking at me. Then I could relax enough that it stopped feeling weird."
"Just a little." Kyouko confirms, on the issue of relative heights. "At least, if you're the same height as Usagi, cause I know I'm taller than her. I'm not sure I've ever particularly taken note of your height that exactingly."
Kyouko relaxes a little bit as Naru talks about short wetsuits and such, and she gives a little bit of a self-conscious smile. "Well, maybe. I dunno, sometimes I feel like I should make an effort to be at least a little more feminine but.." A shrug. "Y'know, my father was a preacher and anything even remotely 'sexy' was the work of the devil, and even though now I'd almost disagree with anything he said on principle, that for the first ten years of my life combined with needing to seem tough the last bunch in order to stay on top.. it's just really difficult for me."
She shrugs, leaning elbows on the table. "I don't even own any makeup."
"You are feminine." Naru points out as she resettles how she lounges. "And sexy too. I totally get what you mean, though. Even if there's nothing about tough that vanishes with some lip gloss, there's entirely too many people who equate glitter nail polish and a cute skirt with 'moron' that if you're already behind, there's no sense adding fuel to the fire."
"Did the makeup at halloween feel super awkward, or did it make you feel good? Granted, that was kinda over the top." Naru thinks back and then mmms. "But generally."
More Kyouko blushes. "Stop that," She snaps, faux-angrily. "You've made me blush more times this morning than I have in the past six months. You and your dumb compliments." The twinkle in her scarlet eyes would be a clue that she's more pleased than angry, despite this. "I'm only feminine by virtue of being female, which grants a certain base level, I admit, but I wear bruised knuckles and wrinkled t-shirts better than lipstick and perfume."
The thinks back on Halloween. "No, it didn't make me feel awkward. I actually thought that outfit was pretty badass. I don't think it's every-day style for me though- I ain't a goth kiddy."
"There's more than one style of feminine." Naru points out. "It's not all pearls and lipstick and perfume. I dont wear that flavour of feminine very well /either/. Or at least not very naturally, I'd have to practice more." She grins as Kyouko protests the compliments, quietly smug at the pleased note in the other girl's voice. "Your puella henshin is totally feminine, so is your shitennou one and they both look good on you."
Naru grins at the halloween memory. "It's not an everyday look for anyone, if you ask me, but it did look badass. And included makeup. Which toned down to not be halloween over the top, could also be bad ass."
"Yeah, I guess. And don't give me that, you rock skirts on an every day basis, and look fine doing it. I can't even bring myself to do that." Kyouko shoots back, trying to counter-jab at Naru's compliment-game. Then she pauses, looking genuinely thoughtful at the other girl's assertion that her henshin outfits are pretty feminine.
"I guess.. I never really thought about it." She says, seeming mildly surprised. "I mean.. they're not as feminine as like.. Madoka's, for example, but I guess there is a skirt involved. It does make it easier to move around in a fight."
She then adds, "Plus its magic, so nobody ever sees up your skirt no matter how ridiculous the manuvers you pull off. Magic is pretty handy sometimes."
Naru laughs. "I totally enjoy leggings and skirts, yes. Super comfy, but the pencil skirts and heels and pearls look? I tried it once for a gallery opening? I think? Maybe it was another fussy event. Either way, it .. okay.. it looked good, I'm not going to lie, but it felt /so weird/. I totally didn't look fifteen, and I totally felt weird in my own skin, and I don't usually."
"Madoka's is a different look of feminine, and hers is uber cute and frilly and my own henshin skirt notwithstanding, not really /either/ of our styles." Naru points out with a gesture and then she grins. "Leggings are the non-magical secret to warm legs and no peeking up skirts. Or not doing ridiculous things, but leggings are more practical."
"Well, that's probably because you are fifteen and you don't have any business looking like a businesswoman.. even if you can pull it off." Kyouko points out, with a faint smile.
"It kinda makes me wanna puke," Kyouko notes, of Madoka's style, "I mean, I like Madoka-chan well enough don't get me wrong, but if you ever actually want to kill me, putting me in a dress like that is a good first step." She laughs.
"Well, I guess you have a point." She says, with a sigh. "Anyway, I dunno.. I guess baby steps. A year ago I was barely off the streets, I suppose I don't need to be in a rush to increase my feminine appeal quotient."
"But it looked /good/." Naru protests lightly and then grins. "I still have the dress. I am totally going to wear it again sometime. Maybe if I really do have a gallery opening of my own."
"Awww? So I have to return the pink and frothy dress I got you for Christmas?" Naru asks with a grin that offsets the scarcastic note. "/Damn/."
"Kyouko.. you know you have female friends now, right?" Naru points out. "If you want to try out a look, just borrow something out of my closet. Or Usagi's. We're all /about/ the same size, near enough and then you can try it on, and see how it looks. Or just go shopping and try all sorts of stupid stuff on." She giggles softly. "Best done when all the formal dresses are in the stores, and you try and find the most /ridiculous/ ones that they legit think are going to sell. I swear, there was this purple one that looked like a caterpillar cocoon with lace frills. It was /absurd/."
"If you really bought me a pink and frothy dress, I'd wear it." Kyouko says. "Once. For you. In private. And never again." She shoots Naru a look. "Whether thats an incentive or a warning I'm not sure, take it as you will." And she giggles.
Kyouko gives a wry look at the talk about shopping and trying on. "Now I know you've been well-trained by Usagi. I mean, no offense to you or her, but that sorta thing ain't exactly my idea of a good time.. at least, not just for the sake of it. Trying to expand my repitoire as far as looks are concerned.." A faint shrug. "Well.. maybe. Borrowing my friends' clothes would feel weird though, even though I know its a thing people do all the time."
"It is surprisingly amusing when you just accept that it's a wasted afternoon and run with it." Naru laughs, no offense taken at all and she waves her hand. "Offer is open. Even just for something in specific, but it's a trust and an intimacy, borrowing clothes. Which is also no offense. Not everyone is comfrotable with that either. Same as bikinis, and that's fine."
On whether the pink and frothy dress is a reality or not, or incentive or warning, Naru doesn't comment. There's just a smile.
"Well look, I'd be fine with your borrwing any of my clothes, but I have a feeling that there's nothing in my closet you'd have a particular need for." Kyouko says, with a laugh and a shrug.
She finally sits up, glancing at the clock. "Do you have school today? Or is it winter break? I can never keep that stuff straight." She mutters, stretching one arm over her head before standing up and picking up her plate and mug.. holding out her hand to take Naru's as well, if the other girl will pass them over.
"Careful. You have some cute t-shirts and amazing jackets." Naru points out as she passes over her plate and mug to Kyouko.
"I have school today, I'm just being /lazy/ and distracted by enjoyable breakfast company." Naru sighs, longsufferingly and moves to pry herself up off the floor to go get ready. "End of term is end of this week, then we have next week off and then the proper hysteria starts for those of us in grade nine, because high school entrance exams are in January. Lucky us."
"That coat is off-limits. Sorry Naru-chan, I don't love you that much." Kyouko says warningly, though grinning, as she goes to carry the plates and mugs into the kitchen to be deposited into the sink and worried about later.
She returns as Naru is prying herself up, smiling as she pauses near to her friends. "Alright. So, like you saw before, I work until 5. Text me when you're done with school and stuff, maybe we can go look for swimsuits or something tonight? If not tonight, sometime before your studying eats your soul. I already feel like I've list Mamoru to the abyss, I couldn't bear it if the same thing happened to you." She grins.
"He's both trying to get into university AND crazy." Naru points out with a laugh. "I'm just trying to get into high school, and I have no desperate pride thing making me need to do better than everyone else. I'm fairly caught up on studying.. mostly.. it won't eat my soul. After you get off work is great." Naru grins. "Or tomorrow, depending on homework."
"Well, alright. So long as you promise." Kyouko reaches out and lightly touches Naru on the arm. "Sounds good." Then she's jaunting past to return to her room and find her own clothes for work.