1618/Finding a Focus

Finding a Focus
Date of Scene:	01 June 2024
Location:	Cafeteria Plaza
Synopsis:	Bow calls Koji with a tech emergency. He locked himself out of his henshin device. With Chiyo, Koji calmly explains that Bow is magical and needs to come up with his own focus and stop hiding behind 'being the tech guy'. Maybe it'll finally get through?
Cast of Characters:	Bow, Koji Silvia, Chiyo Sakai

---

Bow has posed:
Sitting at one of the tables in the cafeteria, Bow has turned it into a makeshift work space. Currently set upon it is a gaming system as he is looking at some schematics as he is taking it apart and figuring out how it works. Earth technology is not that far off from First Ones technology, but at the same time - he had been reliant on Crystal Hope. He didn't do things for himself, and that came back to bite him in the rear.

He glances at his phone for a moment, and finally picks it up. A text is sent to Koji - one of the people that helped him when he first came to Earth and someone he considers a friend and at the same time - he understands technology like he does. At least when it comes to devices.

<PHONE> Bow texts Koji Silvia: Hey Koji! I need a little help.
<PHONE> Bow texts Koji Silvia: Device support help. I'll explain when you get here.

<PHONE> Bow texts Koji Silvia: Cafeteria? I'll buy you an extra dessert or something?

Setting the phone to the side for the moment, he takes out a small sautering iron, poking at some of the circuits, watching the screen that he has connected and frowning slightly.

Koji Silvia has posed:
At first, the phone text is not noticed... mainly because the sound of sizzling is happening in the background.

The second buzz is noticed, but Koji Silvia is in the middle of tossing some crystal noodles in a pan in some black-looking sauce with ground pork in it.

When that third one hits, he is just putting his latest try at street food, this time the korean classic Jajangmyeon, in a bowl and putting a cover on it. Reaching over, he cuts off the heat on the portable single-burner he has going in the cooking space in the dorms, while swiping over Hanzo so that he can get the messages displayed.

"Well..." he says out loud, "I guess we'll try this later. Hanzo. Storage."

When his Device-as-Phone is picked up, and passed over his travel bowl, it vanishes from the world as if never there... just another thing stashed away in his neverending supply of snacks and calories for upkeep of his own magic, and he's off for a jog to the Computer Club room for one of his toolboxes, and then to the cafeteria.

Halfway there, he remembers, and thinks 'Hanzo, text to Bow. Be right there, sorry I was cooking. Need to grab some things first.'.

To which, of course, Hanzo Translates to:

<PHONE> Koji Silvia texts to Bow: I just needed to finish a cooking project, and grabs some things. On my way now.'

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
After all the cooking that Chiyo had been doing lately she needed a break. Certainly her own terats (and Ren's) could help restore her energy but... Sometimes it was nice not to have to cook and just enjoy a meal.

Not really certain what she wanted she at least grabbed some boa and a bit of chocolate cheesecake from one of the lunch options. It's all portable, quick, and not that daring flavor-wise. She had a lot going on and might need to run at any moment whether to help try and heal someone else, or to tend to some of her current 'visitors.'

The tray is carried and her path leads her toward Bow's table out of curiosity at the spread of electronics with her head tilted. "Hello Bow. Mind if I join you?" A tired smile is offered and she does wait for an answer before finding a seat near enough to chat but not so near that she's getting in the way of the work.

Bow has posed:
When the phone buzzes in response, Bow glances over it and pauses to send a message back.

<PHONE> Bow texts to Koji Silvia: Oh! Didn't mean to interrupt!
<PHONE> Bow texts to Koji Silvia: I don't want to be a bother!
<PHONE> Bow texts to Koji Silvia: It can wait, really!
<PHONE> Bow texts to Koji Silvia: I just had to lock my device because CH was a trying to mind control me.

Just after he sends that last text, he glances up as Chiyo arrives and he offers a smile. "Sure." he presents as he moves some of his stuff out of the way so she can sit at the table directly. "I was just tinkering. I figured if I'm going to be here a while, I better start learning it at some point. How're you doing?" he asks, before adding. "Koji may be joning us, I was just texting him."

Koji Silvia has posed:
When Hanzo display the return messages to Koji, he ALMOST spits out his Pocari Sweat he was chugging on the way to the cafeteria, especially because of the last part.

"Seriously, when did this become normal?!" He says to himself.

When he arrives, Chiyo gets a smile and a nod, as well as a "Oh hey there! I want to borrow you... I've been trying out making some other stuff this year. I've got samples to torture you with stashed away for later."

He does savory, not sweet, so it balances out with the whole Guardian Daifuku thing, he seems to assume.

The big toolbox is set down on the empty side of the cafeteria table from the pair as he turns around a chair in a smooth motion and does the unintentional 'cool kid' sit down with his arms over the back of the chair, "So... is this the same busted phone I gave you before, Bow, or did you get a new one after your... Crystal Hope... decided to do what it did?"

However, as he's speaking, he's staring intently at the game system that Bow has partly disassembled to one side...

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai sinks down to sit across from Bow looking over the items curiously. She might know a little about mechaincs, but electronics? Certainly not her strong suit past 'circuit board' and 'power cable.' "Thanks," she responds with a quickly flashed smile as she just leans an elbow on the table getting comfortable, and starts to idly pick at her food. Really she was TRYING to save the sweet part for last. Really. "That's fine. I haven't gotten to see Koji for a bit as it is."

When he does arrive she flashes a smile in turn toward him. "Oh? Some new ramen combos?" She assumes with a deeper grin and nod. "I'd be happy to. I'm ... kind of tired of sweets." Her gaze runs again to the cheesecake. "KIND of. My sweets at least. I've been cooking so much lately."

Bow has posed:
It's an old first generation Game Boy. Bow is starting easy, just to get the feel back for an art he had stopped for a couple of months. "It's the same phone." Bow confirms to Koji, rising up for a moment when the boy approaches to give him a one armed hug before settling down again. "The crystal is a rune stone from Etheria, I can't really replace it - so I need to hold onto that." he explains.

A soft sigh and he closes his eyes. "Sayaka had warned me, you know. But I was so sure that Hope was telling the truth that I shut it out. I wouldn't be surprised if she..." he trails off at that, and shakes his head. "So, long story short? There was a control chip and an AI. The AI was using the control chip to override my memories and convince me I needed her for anything. She eventally got tired of me trying to make friends and dating and proms and all and attempted to take control to force me to go after the runestones that are arriving here from Etheria. Madoka, Sayaka, Ami and Amy and Setsuna helped get her off of me... it was a mess." he doesn't go that far into it.

"And part of it was when the chip with the AI in it was removed... I force reset the device to lock her from getting in through a back door. So... now I need to reset it and come up with a new phrase or something. I guess I'm a device user now. Since Madoka proved that I can still draw on my power. Without the AI."

Koji Silvia has posed:
There's a five second pause around Koji after the hug, and after everything is explained.

For the Mangaphile that Chiyo is, this is where the writer usually puts a HUGE Ellipsis in the air over or to the side of the character.

...

It's almost like a reboot that happens with him as he just picks up right where he left off, and pats Bow on the shoulder and says, "Well, we'll get you back to playing mobile games and sending videos in no time. Also... you want a voltage tester for the circuit board on the Game Boy. Those things last forever, and the board usually isn't the issue, but corrosion and time on old components can cause false starts. After that, the biggest problem for them can be the monitor. Anyways..."

He sits down and then looks over at Chiyo with a grin, "I've got recipes for Mapo Tofu and Jajangmyeon I'm trying out. Expanding my palate."

As he opens up his toolbox and starts to take out a few things, including a smaller laptop that was somehow slipped inside, and then motions for your phone, "It's my observation that our special abilities are already there... we just needed some kind of focus. Chiyo has spirits to let her channel hers to make awesome sweets. Mine is from another world in this dimension that helps me through it's programming. You're from this place called Etheria. Etheria has a LOT of magic, if anything you've said so far is true... and thinking on that... you always HAD magic, you just didn't need it there. You had your intelligence, your creativity, and your trust in your friends. Now, you're here, that power is able to express itself, but it's doing it in a way that you understand. Does that sound about right?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai pauses in lifting her tea to take a sip when Bow explains everything that's been going on. She had some idea that something had happened, but no real details surrounding it. Now hearing that? She just lets out a soft, "That's awful. I mean I get wanting to trust something from your home of course. I'm sorry you went through that." Even as she says this she frowns recalling the issues with mind control so many others have gone through.

"He's right. With the magic part," she points out nodding. "Madoka-chan was the same way. She had the innate ability for it, but as to the how? That came after awhile. Mine was just through Bonito and the Iori Senbei he gave me." A small pause comes to consider as she murmers, "I have to use the chopsticks to transform but I'm honestly not sure if I need them so much as it's ... a decisive way to tell the magic it's time? I don't need to use them to UN-henshin." There's something to think about as she finally takes a drink of her tea.

Koji's own remarks earn an eager nod. "That sounds delicious, Koji. Any time you want I'll try them out."

Bow has posed:
"Oh, I didn't know you cooked. I mean, you did at the campsite, but also at home. I have no idea what those are, they sound awesome though." Bow, easily distracted, takes a moment to get his head back to where he was, a nod to Koji. "Yeah, that was my next step, I just saw a couple of broken transitors and was testing it out." A gesture to the game system. "Earth and First Ones tech is similar in a lot of ways... but in a lot of ways, it's so much more complicated. Like, the First Ones language reads like a circuit board would." he explains. "I barely have a grasp on it, but Adora can read it naturally. I think her runestone gave her that ability."

"And yeah. That's what everyone keeps telling me. I just... it's strange for me to grasp. Like you know, back home, I was the tech guy. No magic, that was a thing for Princesses and runestones. That I have it here has been something I've been trying to grasp. And I think I just have to approach it as another piece of tech, I guess. Madoka helped with understand the basics of how I make arrows from nothing."

"I just let Crystal Hope convince me that everything was under her control and I was nothing without her. She even told me that without here, I will never return to Etheria." A sigh. "To be fair, if it means it keeps her from the Heart of Etheria? So much the better." A small grimace. "And there's our crux."

"I remember what the Heart of Etheria is now. It was a super weapon that could destory the universe in it's attempt to destory the Horde. So... calling out to it to henshin? Probably not the best idea."

He nods to Chiyo, "I figured I still need the runestone to change. That's the foci. I just don't want to call out something that may give Crystal Hope a chance to get in. Like changing your password, right?"

Koji Silvia has posed:
Taking Bow's phone, he plugs it into the computer via USB cable and then just lets it sit there for some reason as he reaches under the table and comes back up somehow with a fresh and hot bowl of mapo tofu on rice.

This and a pair of chopsticks is slid over to Chiyo directly, "Fair warning. My dad knows a guy who runs a chinese spice shop somehow, and he got me some real deal peppercorns."

Motioning back to what's going on, he then goes on with Bow, "I'm just leaving them connected for a few moments. This is a junk machine. It can't connect the the internet, and doesn't have anything important on it. But if there's anything leftover or bad on your phone, and it wants to infect other stuff... well... better to find how with that instead of accidentally letting some new terror loose on the whole world."

Koji stands up, turns his chair back around, and sits back down so he can look back and forth between Bow and Chiyo, and then back, "So... that's a lot. Not the first world-ending threat I've heard about or seen... which still makes me feel weird... but again, everyone seems to have that looming someplace. Sailor Moon's people, the Witches, we Devicers... and I'm sure eventually the Guardians will get one."

To which he gives Chiyo an apologetic look, and then goes on...

Sitting back, he adjusts his glasses a moment, and then says, "Bow... you need to do you. And I know that doesn't make sense but hear me out..."

One hand taps the top of the ersatz phone, "This isn't you. This was bodged together by myself, someone else, and Crystal Hope. You need something that reflects you. In a lot of ways that's what magic is. A reflection of ourselves. If your runestone was incorporated into this phone, then I would say... take it apart, take it out, and then build something that you can hold up and say the thing that for YOU calls the power to you. And I'm sure by the time you've got your focus... you'll know what to say."

There's a pause from him as he adds, "You're different from us. Like Chiyo has her chopsticks and I have Hanzo to create our changes... you're unique. We're given the first step and then we walk the rest of the path from there. You come from a whole other world with it's own powers and rules, and problems. So... it's time to not be like your friends, or like what something else told you to be. Be you. The Best Bow we all know."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
That looked and smelled leagues better than the bland 'comfort food' Chiyo had originally opted for out of lack of feeling interested in much of anything. The smell of the mapo tofu presented to her earns a long sigh followed by a grin. "Challenge accepted. Itadikamsu!"

Chopsticks raised she goes for a bit of the tofu and pork, a bit of rice. Trying for one perfect bite to test out. The strong peppery smell was intimidating so she just takes the bite quickly to ensure she doesn't hesitate and let it get cold.

"He's right, you'll get--" The words die off as she just focuses on chewing, swallowing, and reaching for her tea again with eyes getting a little watery. Already she was sniffling. At the very least her spice tolerance was improving with Rashmi as a roommate, but that was an entirely different kind of spice.

Bow has posed:
The smell of the food is really good, but Bow is not a fan of spicy, and his focus is on what Koji is saying at the moment. And it makes sense. "I grasp the concept. I mean, I've watched Glimmer get used to using her magic -- she's here now, by the way. With her rune stone. So, you add that with Adora and Scorpia... there are now three runestones here and I have to wonder if something is going on between Earth and Etheria and someone when I first arrived here that this planet seems to be a giant sink point for magic of other worlds and once here, it never leaves."

"It's not that I'm in a rush to return to Etheria. Especially now. Glimmer, for some reason, is at Obsidian. I can guess why, but I don't know how I can help her yet and she made me promise not to do something reckless or dumb. But she's my Queen, in the literal sense, and I'm not sure..." he stops himself, because he's way off track, and pulls himself back to where he is supposed to be.

"I've been so used to having to create, make, adapt on my own, I just... have to let go of something, I guess and just let it happen? I dunno. I've never been a mage before." A small laugh at that. "Now I know how Adora felt the first time she picked up the Sword of Protection."

Koji Silvia has posed:
After Bow speaks, Koji puts his hand up to pause the conversation and makes his way to the drink station. He returns to the pair with a glass of milk for Chiyo, and sets it down next to her while also saying, "I think it's a little bland myself... maybe a little garlic or ginger to help?"

Going back to the discussion, he disconnects the phone from the computer and then puts that away as there doesn't seem to be any problems with it, "I actually understand. The first time I learned about magic, I ended up almost... well... fighting with my mother and throwing Hanzo away. It was weird and stupid and made no sense. It took me a few months to really start to get that this was MY power and Hanzo was just helping me understand it. And I was lucky. I had help. You've met my mother. She's not one to let something go easy. Like Swiftwind in the car..."

But he waves that off, "Bow, you can do both, but you need to take both those things and put them together. If anything, you need to let go of this part of you that doesn't accept the magic. It's been using your friends as a crutch and Crystal Hope just made the situation worse. I honestly believe that building your focus will help you understand your power and let you become the best of the Bow who you were at home, and the Bow you are now. It'll also let you... maybe... take what you know of this Etherian Progenitor stuff, and what you're learning about Earth technology, and merge them."

After a beat he looks over at Chiyo's attempt to eat his cooking, and seems almost apologetic as he adds, "Does that make sense?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai swallows hard but she does get it down. The tea bottle is polished off easily while she listens to the explanations with a nod here and there. By the time Koji returns with the milk she reaches for it with a grateful expression. It's swallowed slooowly. Not quickly. She wants to let the milk do it's job of helping that mouth burning-numbing sensation.

When Koji looks to her for clarificatio she nods. "It's also..." A little cough, and she quickly hits her chest with a fist. "Sorry. It's also a bit of muscle memory in a way. You should just try joining in some of the training sessions and seeing what you can just do on reflex from memory, in a way? Thinking of 'how' to do it can be difficult at timesand there's no easy way to explain how to do it when the magic is different for us all."

A reassuring smile is given as she nods toward Bow. "I think you'll get it though. We can get the crystal out, I'm sure, and that will help a lot I'm sure. Even if it's just to boost your confidence and focus."

Bow has posed:
Fortunately, there seems to be no trace of anything in the runestone that seems to be malicious from Koji's check. Leaning back, Bow scrubs a hand over his face. "No, everything that both of you are making perfect sense." There's no but, no attempt to try to explain it. He gets it, he really does. "It's just a matter of 'do'." he says with a small laugh.

"As far as Crystal Hope goes? She's currently in Setsuna's office. Sayaka wants to bury her in the labyrinth, but I'm worried that she'd find a way to corrupt her. So we're going to turn her over to Adora, since she's actually had a similar experience - and she was able to overcome it and is far stronger at it than I am."

"But yeah, I just need to make a big ole sandwich out of what I know from home and what I experienced here and give it a name. Which sounds easy when I put it that way." A smirk as he rolls his head back down to look at the pair. "And I remember what you said about your mom, Koji. That must have been more than a little awkward."

Koji Silvia has posed:
Tapping his lip a moment with one finger, Koji then pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he stares down at the phone. He then turns it and pushes it back towards Bow and lets it sit in front of him.

He exhales, "Whatever you do with Crystal Hope... always assume it will find some way back and cause you problems again. It's something you see in manga and anime, and seems to hold true with the magic world. Evil Things just seem to find a way back. It's like... balance. Too much good and bad springs up because of it. Too much bad, and suddenly there's a new kid with a magical rocketlauncher showing up."

That was a thing that happened.

"So... maybe I should take you shopping. There's a lot of electronic musical instruments out there. Maybe something from a junk shop will inspire the part of you that likes music and tech."

Unable to help himself, he gets up once more and comes back after a little bit longer, but this time with three bowls of vanilla ice cream. Each person gets a scoop, "Can't come to the cafeteria and not get dessert, after all."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai thinks a bit on the whole 'what to do with Crystal Hope' situation while taking another testing bite followed quickly by some rice. It was a bit easier to eat this time. As time was going on, it was just... easier to eat in general. She's paying attention as she works her way through the dish.

"If she an actual crystal or a computer chip or...? I could try to destroy her in fire. I've only really accessed the 'destructive' side of my power once, but I can definitely get 'hotter than regular fire' levels to say the least."

"We could try at least if you guys decide to destroy her."

Bow has posed:
"Until we figure out a way to make sure she's completely gone, she's better with Adora." Bow puts an end to it for now. "Etherian problem, or something like that. You can talk to her about it, once we figure out what we're going to do. Because despite what she is... she is still the only lasting connection of the history of Etheria during the time of the First Ones. Without her... things would have been much harder." He sighs at that, "Plus, she may listen to Adora. She has an ancesteral tie to the Sword of Protection and the first person to weild it."

When Koji returns with the ice cream, there's a grin. "Nope. But I promised you I would cover that, so totally not fair." There's a smirk there as he works to put away his work for now. "On the instrument? My lute broke recently. I could try to find a replacement for it. It and the violin are the two instruments I'm the best at." he explains.

Koji Silvia has posed:
Koji just grins, "You're in luck. We have electric violins, electric harps, and electric guitars are their giant mess. There's apparently these two brands... one called Fender, and the other called Gibson, and every person is going to tell you which one is better. There's also electronic keyboards, electronic drums, and even sound boards which let you record and replay sounds or music tones to create your own thing."

Dipping a spoon into his ice cream, he takes a small bit and enjoys it for a moment with an 'mmm'.

"Anyways... all you have to do is ask, and we'll be happy to help."