284/So many flavours of magic!

So many flavours of magic!
Date of Scene:	23 August 2023
Location:	Midori-Ya Cafe
Synopsis:	Monsters, magic, photo opportunites! Naru and Wako chat about all sorts of things over coffee and dessert.
Cast of Characters:	Naru Osaka, Wako Agemaki

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Naru Osaka has posed:
It's either a text message or a good old fashioned note pinned to Wako's dorm room door, but the message is the same. "Wanna go for coffee? How's 3 pm for you?"

And so, it's 3 pm, and Naru has clearly been shopping. It's.. er.. school supplies. New term and all. It's honestly any excuse to visit the art store and come away with new pretties. There's probably one thing she actually needs for school and a whole bag of things that just HAPPENED to come home with her.

Still, she's got a table somewhere easily seen, and a coffee, and a slice of something that looks absolutely decadently chocolately. Even if Wako doesn't decide to join her, she'll be fine.

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Naru is not left in suspense. 3 pm on the dot - if not a little before - Wako is at the place Naru suggested, on her tiptoes to scan the tables for the familiar face. As soon as she spots Naru already seated, she makes her way over, with Vice President riding shotgun on her shoulder as though this were a perfectly normal occurrence.

"Hi!" she says with a smile when she reaches the table that Naru has staked out. "I hope you weren't waiting too long. Oh, that looks really good."

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru glances up with a smile at the familiar voice. "Not long at all! I finished up shopping a little early and was happy to come and have somewhere to sit down." She waggles her fingers at Vice President in greeting to him too. "All the desserts here are really good. I can recommend. I come here probably more than is good for my wallet, but it's so tasty."

Not that Naru has eaten much of her treat, but she has nibbled at it at least. More of her coffee is gone than of the dessert. "Thanks for coming, by the by."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
As Wako settles into a seat opposite Naru's, Vice President hops down from her shoulder to the table, and from there to Naru's shoulder, perhaps taking her greeting as an invitation to come investigate her up close. At least he doesn't seem inclined to go for her food?

Wako shakes her head at the thanks. "I should thank you for inviting me!" She begins perusing the menu, but half her attention stays on Naru; "I heard from Takuto-kun that you had a bit of an adventure and he had to lend you one of his Star Swords. How are you doing? You didn't get hurt or anything, did you?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Hey there VP." Naru is pretty comfortable with having acquired a fox on her shoulder. "I'm pretty sure you should not get into chocolate, I don't think it's good for you." She offers her hand up for scritches if he's willing.

"Not badly." Naru shakes her head a little. Which is not quite the same as 'no', but close enough these days. "Hurt like stupid, but the bruises healed up pretty quickly. I was surprised actually. I figured that shoulder would be sore for a lot longer." The joys of being fourteen and mostly bouncing after injuries.

"I was grateful for the loan." Naru confirms as she leaves off scritching VP to lift up her coffee for a sip, offering it to the fox to sniff if he wishes. "A lot more effective than throwing my shopping at things." Her expression grows wry. "if people get really testy about melon slushies, they are probably zombies. Just a heads up."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Wako winces in sympathy, and then nods. "I'm glad it was just bruises, at least. Why melon slushies?" The question appears to be rhetorical, as she doesn't wait for an answer before pulling a displeased face. "Messing with people's food should be against the rules."

Vice President sniffs at the coffee when Naru offers him the opportunity. Then he sneezes - not into the cup, he turns his head politely away and sneezes into her ear instead.

Sighing, Wako resumes looking over the menu. "I have no idea what I want to order. What have you had here that you really like?" She glances back to Naru to add, "I already told Takuto-kun this, but you should have him teach you some kendo or something for the future, just in case. Although he's one of those people who learns things too fast to be very good at explaining them... It's too bad Sugata-kun still isn't here yet. Mm, maybe the mont blanc?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"It seemed like anything made with this Dark Melon was draining people and completely addicting them to the stuff." Naru explains, if only briefly. "And I totally agree. Not only were people hurt and zombie fights suck, but I really wanted a slushy! It was a hot day!" She shakes her head. "Super obnoxious."

"Clearly you are not a coffee favouring fox." Naru reaches up to rub at her ear, now that its been sneezed into. "Thanks for not sneezing into my cup at least." Small mercies.

"So fair warning on my opinions on the menu, I've only tried a few things that arent' dessert, cause msot of it has meat on it, and I'm a vegetarian. Mostly." Naru has to caveat that these days. "The grilled veggie wrap is really good though. Based on that, I'd assume all of their sandwiches probably are."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
"Yeah, Takuto-kun was kind of bummed that the slushies were made of zombie juice. Seriously not cool." Wako's lips purse for a moment. "That's good to know. Maybe I'll follow your example and skip to dessert."

Still contemplating her options, she props her elbow against the table and rests her chin on her hand. "It sounds like the zombie juice slushies weren't your first time running into something weird, huh?"

Vice President noses gently at Naru's cheek before scampering adroitly around to her other shoulder, where he appears to intend to settle for the time being in if she allows it.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I can reccomend all of the desserts. I think I've tried every single one they make." Naru is unapologetic. She doens't quite have Usagi's sweet tooth, but she's not THAT far off. "When I'm not in a super rich chocolate mood, the lemon square is super good. But you can't go wrong with any of the deserts."

Naru erms softly, her expresson rueful. "Not my first weird. Not my first weird this month, I'd have to think about if it was my first weird that week." Naru's life has become a lot of weird. "Which, clearly, you and Takuto are well familiar with weird. And robots? That got /super/ unclear very quickly."

Naru shifts how she's sitting just a little to ensure that Vice President has a more comfortable spot to settle in, but clearly she doesn't mind if he doesn't mind.

Wako Agemaki has posed:
This gives Wako a moment's pause; her eyes widen, brows going up in mild surprise. Then she laughs, with a distinct note of self deprecation to it. "I was thinking you might have some questions," she says,"but it sounds like you might know more about the weird stuff around here than I do."

Still looking wryly amused, she inclines her head in confirmation to the mention of Takuto and herself, weird, and robots. "Things around here aren't the same as what we're used to, but... well. He was probably talking about our Cybodies. They're basically robots... kind of. There's a lot even I still don't really understand about them."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I usually have questions." Naru assures her. "I might spend a lot of time with the weird, but my /understanding/ of the weird is sketch at best. Atlhough likely what you know and what I know are not quite the same, and through our knowledge combined!" Her voice trills up as part of a chatch phrase best suited for selling toys.

Naru then laughs warmly. "I was, and still am, a mundane who grew up in Tokyo. Nothing right now is quite what I'm used to, and that leaves off any potential Cybodies or anything else. So pick dessert, and let's figure out what we know together."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
A sparkle of appreciation lights Wako's eyes. "That sounds great," she agrees, laughing again.

It takes her a little more time to decide on tea and a lemon square and a cup of fruit salad. The last appears to be at least partly for Vice President, because once the order arrives Wako spoons a portion of it onto the extra plate she asked for and slides it across the table. The fox soon dislodges himself from Naru's shoulder to hop down and begin nomming, while Wako adds some sugar into her tea.

"I feel like I should get some ice cream, too, but... maybe later. Anyway," she says brightly as she finishes stirring. "Where would you like to start?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Ice cream always feels like an after dinner thing to me." Naru admits and then shakes her head a little. "Although apparently today I'm fixated on the timing of things. I was most irritated the a monster didnt' respect the 'monsters are not morning things' that I really felt should be in their contact. Apparently not."

"I suppose I'll just open with blunt questions.. Takuto is clearly not devoted to secret identites. Are you the same?" Naru asks as she unconsciously stretches a little, now that Vice President is no longer on her shoulder.

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Wako's mouth curls into a moue of sympathetic understanding, before she occupies it with s sip of her tea. She takes her time over that, as though considering how to answer.

"More or less," she replies at last. "I tried to be careful at first, since I didn't really know what to expect here in the city, but..."

Again she pauses, thoughtful. "The thing is, before I came to Tokyo - on the island, pretty much anyone who knew about magic and Cybodies already knew who I was. And I couldn't transform like I can now - not really. So there was no point in trying to hide it, either way. It's not like that here, but when things start happening, if it comes down to taking extra time to hide before I apprivoise or just getting on with it and helping before anyone gets hurt, the choice seems pretty obvious, you know?"

Her smile is soft, fond. "That's Takuto-kun's influence, mostly. But he's never steered me wrong."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"From someone who is just always herself, thank you for that." Naru leans in a little to capture a little more chocolate cake. "Watching the dance of people not wanting to admit they know someone because only one of their identities has met them is amusing at best, and usually just super awkward to watch."

"Apprivoise.. that's a new term on me." Naru settles upon that word. "Is it specific to you and Takuto, or more general in use?" She nibbles at the tiny bit of cake she took. "I always have questions, they aren't always /good/ questions, but I always have questions."

"And I'm glad your smile when you talk about him is as fond as the happy that comes in waves off him when he talks about you." Naru notes with a fond smile of her own.

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Wako's cheeks turn pinker at Naru's comment about Takuto, but the fondness of her smile doesn't slip. "He's very important to me," she agrees.

Then occupies herself with trying a corner of her lemon square and making an appreciative noise. "You were right, this is delicious. As for other people, a lot of them have their own reasons to hide it, so I try not to tell anyone else's secrets without their permission, but as for myself--" A careless shrug. "You can ask me whatever you want, whether you think it's a good question or not. I can't promise I'll have good answers, but I can at least be honest. Anyway, I think 'apprivoise' is just Cybodies. But Takuto-kun and I are the only Star Drivers in the city right now that I know of."

Whatever she's thinking casts a shadow over her expression. "If there are others, chances are they're dangerous people."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I have no plans to out anyone without their say so, and permission." Naru confirms but gives a little shrug. "Although as someone who is the same Naru through the weird and the not weird, the careful secrecy and the akward it can provide seem odd sometimes. I'm sure they hae their reasons though."

"There is so much jargon in all of these conversations." Naru points out. "And everyone has their own. I am slowly understanding the comments about it being many different flavours of magic, all co-existing, rather than one giant thing."

"We all spend too much time fending off monster attacks to not acknowledge taht there are dangerous people out there." Naru nods in agreement. "Someone, or something .. well.. most of the monsters aren't smart and it feels very all of a sudden. So dangerous people mucking with things would track."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Wako listens, her eyes solemn and steady on Naru as she speaks, and nods slowly. "The monsters and stuff are all pretty new to me, honestly. Up until this year, until I could leave the island, it was all just the Cybodies. People who wanted to unleash their power, and Takuto-kun fighting against them to protect me and everyone else."

She grimaces faintly. "You're not wrong about the jargon. It must sound insane, trying to make any sense of what people are talking about. It's a bit hard to avoid, when there's things we don't even have any other words for. But for what it's worth, a Star Driver is just someone like me or Takuto-kun - someone who can use the power of a Cybody. They're harder to explain, but calling them magic robots probably works as well as anything."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"That's a lot on Takuto." Naru muses. "Well, depending on how often it came up. Hopefully not as often as we have monster attacks. Because then he'd never have a moment of rest."

Naru gestures vaguely. "Everyone speaks in code, doens't know what anyone else's code is, and isn't sure if or how they should explain the code to me. So I mostly just smile and nod a lot and then back fill the gaps later. Hopefully." She doesn't add that she often back fills the gaps with incorrect assumptions, because that's the nature of incorrect assumptions. "And you .. inherit your Cybody?" Naru ventures. "Or at least get them from someone else, if not a familial inheritance."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
"Last year was pretty hectic," is Wako's response to Naru's musing. Naru may get the vague impression that it's something of an understatement. "Fortunately, we were able to resolve things. And now I can fight, too, instead of just being protected."

She stirs her tea absently as she thinks about how to answer the questions most clearly. "It depends on the Cybody," she says. "Most of them are warrior Cybodies, like Takuto-kun's Tauburn - well, Tauburn is a bit special, but he's still a warrior type. The emblems that let people apprivoise with that kind of Cybody are handed down from one person to another, like an inheritance. Mostly people passed them down through their families, but it's not like they have to be. Someone who has an emblem like that can give it to whoever they want."

She's quiet for a moment or two, sipping her tea. Hesitating. "I was born with mine. Wawna is a different type of Cybody."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I'm glad on both counts, that you settled things and that you can fight now too." Naru quirks her head thoughtfully. "Is it a problem for your island that both of you are here?"

"Okay that makes sense." Naru ahhs softly. "There's both kinds, the one that you are born with, and the ones that can be passed between people. How are the Emblems made? Or is that all shrouded in mystery and secrecy?"

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Wako blinks at 'is it a problem,' taken just a little off guard by the question. Quickly enough she shakes her head and smiles. "No, it's fine now. It's kind of a whole story, and I can tell it to you sometime if you really want, but the short version is that we worked things out... And most of the people on the other side turned out to not be all that bad, in the end. The ones who were really causing the problems can't do it any more."

Vice President has by this point finished off the fruit salad. After licking some syrup from his muzzle, he circles in place once, looks between the two girls, and proceeds to try to slink his way into Naru's lap. Fortunately he's quite a small fox.

"As for how the emblems were created," Wako goes on, "....that, to be honest, I don't know. I'm not sure anyone does, except maybe the Cybodies themselves. Even though we call them robots, they weren't created by humans. From what I know, most of them came to Earth before we ever existed."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I'm glad that it's settled, and that the ones causing problems aren't anymore." Naru shifts in her seat to make sure that there's room enough for Vice President.

"I would have been pleasently surprised if you did, to be honest, but I am curious. It sounds like there's only so many and that's just how many there are. A self limiting thing." Naru mms softly, thoughtfully. "Interesting."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Given free license to occupy Naru's lap, Vice President promptly curls up for a snooze.

"There's twenty two of them sealed under Southern Cross," Wako confirms, matter-of-fact. "There could be more of them out there that we don't know about, though. That's a part of why Takuto-kun and I are here in Tokyo - to be on the lookout in case more Cybodies make themselves known, from space or wherever. Though how likely that is to happen, even Wawna has no idea."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"You are much more aware of the details of things." Naru speculates. "Or at least are more articulate about it, or willing to answer my questions." She smiles. "Thank you for that. I do appreciate it. It's fascinating, to start to appreciate how different everyone is from each other."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Wako flashes a bright grin to answer Naru's smile. "It was kind of a shock, when I realized how much more stuff there is out here in the rest of the world that I had no idea about. Takuto-kun keeps asking me to get photos of the weird monsters I run into, but there's hardly ever a chance to stop and take pictures!"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Ha!" Naru laughs at the very idea. "I mean.. it's a great theory, but I rarely think to get my phone out to snap a picture, when I'm more thinking 'well crap, there goes the slushy plans, now there's zombies'." She grins. "Did he get a photo of the melon zombie thing? If not, then he's got no room to argue."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
"He didn't." Wako's eyes crinkle at the corners with barely-contained mirth. "I already got on his case about it. Just a little. I mean, he helped you out so I couldn't fuss at him too much, but he's definitely not allowed to pester me about getting pictures any more, either. Even if it is kind of funny to send them to Sugata-kun and imagine the faces he's making at us long-distance."

Tipping her head to the side, she regards Naru with fresh curiosity. "Come to think of it, I haven't asked yet what kinds of things you've seen, other than the melon zombies. It sounded like there's been a lot?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"And I super appreciated the sword, so selfishly I'm glad he went for spare sword and not photos." Naru grins. She shifts a little in her seat, putting a hand out to ensure that Vice President doesn't get too badly nudged.

Naru takes a deep breath, letting it out in a slow breath. "Some are pretty hazy in my memory, depending on the situation.. but there's been a couple of dead ones.. either bones or ghosts. I have absolutely no idea what the monster was when I was utterly paralysed. That was, fortunately, a one off, although I didn't know it was at the time. There's been the melon zombies." She pauses to reach for her coffee. "There was the .. whatever that was at the mall. There's been a couple others that are sort of more minor?" She isn't quite sure how to phrase that. "I could get away without too much damage, so they clearly aren't THAT powerful. But they are some mix of grrrawr and drain. Mostly just cranky destruction than anything."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
"Hmm." Wako's quiet while she listens, taking in what Naru says, adding it to her memories of her own experiences to date. In Naru's lap, Vice President flicks his tail a little when he's jostled but doesn't otherwise protest.

"I don't think I've seen anything that seemed dead, so far," Wako reflects eventually. "It's like there's no connection from one to the other, isn't it? One day it's melon slushie zombies, the next it's a two-headed bear or a possessed vacuum cleaner. Tomorrow, who even knows? I'm pretty impressed, though... it sounds like you've been in some really dangerous situations and come through them all right. That's not easy."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"They've been rare. The dead appearing ones, that is." Naru comments thoughtfully. "One was quite nice, very chatty."

"I utterly agree though, it feels so utterly random." Naru muses. "My goal is that tomorrow is a blissful day off from monsters. Fingers crossed." She considers and then nods. "I've generally been very lucky. A couple were really touchy, but they were earlier. More recently I'm either better at dodging, running, or having people there who can actually fight."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
With perfect sincerity, Wako holds up a hand. Fingers crossed.

"I can't think of any I've run into that were very talkative. The ones that did speak weren't very friendly." She seems a bit regretful about this. "Running and dodging are useful skills to have. You're already doing better than I was for most of last year."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"It isn't through any brilliant tactics of my own." Naru chuckles softly. "It just seemed like a good idea at the time and it's been working for me, generally. Although I probably need to keep up with the running. I swear, I did not think that coming to Radiant Heart would inspire me to take up fitness as a hobby."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
"Like I said," Wako returns, laughing a little herself, "already doing better than I was. Don't sell yourself too short! If I were smart at all, I'd have learned self-defense years ago."

A little shake of her head, and she picks up her tea again. "Speaking of which, do you go to Inai-sensei's classes?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I do, yes." Naru nods at the question. "The class ones, and I sometimes stay to watch the second session as well. Although as I can't fight in those ones, I don't often stay." She drains the last of her coffee, only having gotten about halfway through the chocolate cake. "And I've added some extra weapon training, and I'm starting to think I might need to just give up sleeping soon to have time for everything."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
It may be no great surprise that Wako's lemon square and the remnants of the fruit salad have largely vanished over the course of the conversation. She's still got some tea to sip on, though. "I know what you mean," she says cheerfully. "It doesn't seem like all that much, but it sure adds up, doesn't it? Especially on top of the weirdness. I'm usually at the self-defense classes, so we'll probably see each other sooner or later. Takuto-kun too, although he's already had a lot of training and most of the rest of us are just starting out. I have a lot of catching up to do."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"No one thing is all that much time." Naru agrees with a sigh. "But added all together, AND good grades? Youch." She smiles. "I'm usually there, so we'll certainly see each other. And I've already bumped into Takuto there once so far. He was nice enough to sit on the sidelines and keep me company while everyone else was training."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
"That's just like him." The fond smile returns easily to Wako's face. "He told me that he gave you his phone number, just in case. Calling for help when things get weird is probably a lot like trying to get a photo of the monster, but if it comes to it, you can definitely rely on him to help you out. And," she adds, setting her tea down again, "you can call me, too. Even if it's just to ask questions or come get you after someone else has already beat up the monster."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I appreciate it." Naru's voice and smile is sincere. "Especially for the offer to come retrieve me if I need. That's often the challenge, we're all busy and finding someone to pick up my pathetic self. Thank you." She gives Vice President a little scritch. "Although I probably should get going. Thank you.. both of you.. for the chat."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Vice President rouses himself, if grudgingly, in response to the scritching. He leans into the attention, but then picks himself up with a little shake and clambers from her lap onto the table.

"Thank you for inviting me! I've enjoyed it... even if I feel like I mostly just talked about myself." Wako pats the table near her to coax Vice President over, and smiles at Naru. "Take care, Naru-chan. Hopefully you'll get that day off from the monsters, and we'll talk again soon."