1930/Apologies With a Twist of Orange

Apologies With a Twist of Orange
Date of Scene:	06 September 2024
Location:	School Library
Synopsis:	Mami ambushes Chrono at the library with petit fours and an apology. They end up having a conversation which gives her a lot to think about, especially about what choices she wants to make in the future.
Cast of Characters:	Mami Tomoe, Chrono Harlaown

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Mami Tomoe has posed:
Ever since she'd spoken with Rashmi at the cafe, Mami had been thinking about what she'd said. The artillery fire she'd laid down to cover the team's retreat had really hurt people. Including nearly killing Chrono's mom. Mami had always been in this to help people. She didn't like that she'd ended up hurting people, and she wanted to make things right. But she really only knew one way to do that, and it was baking, so she knew she was going to need some help. Fortunately, she knew the right girl.

    <PHONE> Mami texts: Rashmi-chan! I need help. It's a baking emergency.
    <PHONE> Rashmi texts: ??? What's up?
    <PHONE> Mami texts: I want to bake something for your boyfriend. To say sorry. You know. For...what I did. But I have no idea what he likes. Please help me.
    <PHONE> Rashmi texts: That is, pardon the pun, incredibly sweet! <3
    <PHONE> Rashmi texts: Well I mean not only is he an alien but also a boy, so his answer is 'Anything not military rations. Also I like orange juice.' But I have *seen* how he reacts to my parents' cooking, so how about a spice cake with citrus-peel with the topping?
    <PHONE> Mami texts: Fair point about his being a boy. Takashi-kun has never not liked something I made. Thank you, Rashmi-chan! You're the best. <3
    <PHONE> Rashmi texts: Happy to help! <3

So Mami set to baking, making an entire tray of petit fours: tiny little dark-brown spice cakes with candied orange peel spirals atop each one. Perfect for eating anywhere. She set the tray in one of her trademark baskets and set out for the Library. She knew he'd be there. The cakes were tiny. It'd be okay in the Library. She'd had tea there before!

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown was NOT hiding, thank you very much. He was definitely NOT hiding. His mother had not learned he went to this school and made a habit of swinging by in the morning and evenings to see him. The worst part? She didn't even remember him being her son.

Just the idea that he might have been her son made her go RIGHT back into mom mode. And it was so, so hard to get people to take you seriously when Lindy Harlaown came and brought you lunch in the morning and pinched your cheeks and said how big you were getting and...

...

He wouldn't trade it for the world. But he was still hiding because he'd told her he was studying and, for the first time since crashing on this planet, he actually CARED about his grades. He'd almost found all of the crew and now? Now he just needed to like... not die of embarrassment from his mother.

So he was sitting at a desk, stiff as ever, flipping through one of the books on history.

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Well, he couldn't hid from Mami Tomoe! She would bring him snacks while he studied. At least, that was the plan. Crossing the main floor with her head held high, she surveys all the desks and doorways to see if she can spot Chrono. It takes her a few minutes of walking around the floor to spot the desk he's seated at, once she walks past it and can see him in the chair from behind.

"Chrono, there you are!" She calls out, not too loud--it's the library, after all--but loud enough to hopefully catch his attention before she's standing right behind him. "Do you have a moment?"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown glanced towards her and while at first he'd seemed relaxed and friendly... Then he saw who it was calling his name. And he sat up a little straighter. The smile on his face actually fell off. Which, was likely a bit strange. She'd seen him in battle and he was always 'smiling'. That practiced, calm, 'I am in control and know what I am doing' soldier smile. He dropped it for a moment, or it flickered. But full on losing it? That wasn't something that seemed to ever happen...

But when she came to him, he looked positively... angry. For him.

"... I do. What do you want?" His tone was curt, almost hostile. And she could probably see his hand was pushing against the book he was reading so, so much harder now...

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Truthfully, it was a warmer response than Mami expected. She smiled, and then knit her brows together, her smile fading into a more sincere expression. "I want to apologize," she said, looking right at him. "What I did was reckless and could have hurt more people than it did. I am sorry that it put your mom in the line of fire, and I am sorry that it hurt you."

Her eyes turned down some and she fidgeted with the basket on her arm, tugging it so that she was holding the handle with both hands. "I don't really fight outside of Labyrinths. Riventon always keeps me on the sidelines for everything else. There wasn't a barrier, and I wasn't thinking. I was careless."

She opens up the basket then and lifts the tray up out of it. A dozen tiny little spice cakes with their candied orange spirals. She extends it toward the boy and says, "Please accept my apology."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown was expecting quite a bit. Very little of it good. However, when she apologized? He actually WAS taken aback and froze a little. He glanced to the left, then the right. Half expecting Takashi to appear and try to ambush him, or something else.

Instead, she... was sorry. And she sounded genuine. Slowly, his smile returned. Calm. Gentle. And when she offered the platter, he blinked and slowly he reached up to take it. He stared at them for a moment and... "What you did was terrible, reckless and nearly cost me more than you could possibly imagine," he started. "However... if there's one thing I've learned, it's that people can come back from so, so much. If they truly, genuinely want to be better, to make up for their mistakes, they can. So long as others are willing and able to give them that chance. So... I forgive you," he said, before smiling up at her. "Please, do be more careful in the future." He then glanced down.

"... Since you are with Riventon, not to imply anything... too vicious, but these cakes aren't part of some plot, correct? Because I am likely to share them with my girlfriend, my mother, my familiar and some close friends."

Yup, the outers were getting some. "They do look delicious."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Now it was Mami's turn to be taken aback. It worked. She apologized and he forgave her. He was even slightly nicer about chiding her than Rashmi had been, and she put him in the hospital! Everyone was so nice...so kind. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't do that here, so she just smiled. She smiled really big.

Then she laughed. "No, silly, I didn't conspire with Riventon on this," she said. But that really left open the question of who she did conspire with. A question she answers almost immediately. "And I'm sure Rashmi-chan will enjoy the cake she suggested I bake you."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a light chuckle. "Ahhhhh. Rashmi. Yes, she would be a part of any plotting of this nature, wouldn't she?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine affection. "I'm certain she will, I believe she has opinions about cooking. Primarily... when it is cooked for the right reason, the flavors truly come out."

"... Admittedly, I don't really think she said that exactly, but it certainly felt like something she would say. And... thank you." He had, admittedly, really expected her to be more... well... like Riventon. "I know it's not always easy to face one's errors. But I do believe it is important."

"... Should you and Riventon ever decide you're ready to give up working with people in Obsidian, know that there is a place for you with us. We can't force you to leave, but well... the door is always open for you here, should you decide to take that path. More than a few already have."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Again the blonde finds herself at a loss for words. Several thoughts race through her mind at the same time. Leaving Obsidian likely means a lifetime of always looking over her shoulder. It means walking away from the closest thing to a family she's found in years. It means losing a nice paycheck that has paid for so many rare ingredients and teas. But most of all, it probably means losing Takashi too. Especially after Hematite.

"He'll never leave," she says, shaking her head. She sounds so certain. She goes on to explain, "He's convinced it's the only place that will have him, and I don't think he's wrong." Dark Energy doesn't tend to go well with sparkles and he does kinda need it, but she's not gonna say that part out loud. She frowns and sighs.

Then she looks up and smiles. "But it's good to know that if I decide to, I'll at least have help with all the assassins they'll send after me."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small, gentle chuckle. "Maybe he won't. But if there is one thing I've learned, it's that the word 'never' should never be considered as fact. I've seen terrible people turn away from the darkness in their hearts... just as I've seen great, wonderful people turn into monsters. In the end? People... are people. It is never too late to try and turn back from the path you've gone down, even if it is dangerous."

"... And on this world, where the rules of reality seem to be ever-shifting, I believe even a person like Riventon is possible to save. Even if it won't be easy. Egomaniacs are known to require quite a few knocks on the head to break through their skulls at times."

"And you'd be surprised how many have turned from that path already. As a member of the TSAB, protecting those who turn their back from such things is part of my duty. So you would be in capable hands, I assure you," he said in a teasing tone. "And having seen you fight, I am quite certain your own hands are just as capable, especially when you're not alone."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami folds the lid of her basket shut and slides the handle back into the crook of her elbow. The platter of cakes is delivered, so the basket has served it's purpose. She listens as Chrono talks about all the things he's seen and how people change, and she just smiles. She knows why Takashi will never leave Obsidian, but that's his business and it's to his benefit if Chrono keeps giving Takashi even the smallest benefit of the doubt. So she's not about to disagree with him here.

So instead she does what she does best and makes it all about her again. "I really didn't like it, fighting out in the open like that. I've mostly just kept fighting witches since I joined. We've been researching. The few times I've fought others have been in Labyrinths," she explains, her voice getting quieter, and a bit more shaky; her eyes drifting down toward the floor. She's not feeling particularly proud of her decisions right now.

"I didn't make my contract so I could hurt people," she says, finally, looking back up to Chrono. "I wanted to live, and I wanted to help save people."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small nod, moving to sit down and glance over his papers again. "I... can understand that. The field of battle can be difficult. As magic flies, more and more things can become... difficult. Especially when one is used to fighting in more constrained areas. Mistakes happen."

"... I became a member of the TSAB for much the same reason. To make sure that others wouldn't get hurt. To save people who were put in that situation. Not everyone can fight, so I wanted to be the one who fought for them."

"... I can even accept that Riventon wants to save and protect people. Even if his reasons are misguided. And I hope, in the future, you'll be more careful as well. But... I will say this. I want to save you and him. But I have met a lot of egomaniacle people who swore 'only they' could use some power, or save the world, or rule the galaxy... only to leave countless bodies and untold ruined lives in their wake. Very rarely is someone 'the only one who understands'. Often, they are just an asshole who can't see past their own misguided judgments and who are ignoring the good they could do if they just accepted that few can stand alone."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami listens to Chrono and starts to do the same thing she does when Takashi starts monologuing. Except she's not really interested in how Chrono's mouth moves, so she looks down at the tray of petit fours. She did such a good job with them. She is especially proud of the citrus spirals. It's amazing how something so simple can make a dessert seem so classy.

But she does manage to pick up on 'egomaniacal' and 'asshole' and she starts giggling. "Well that's him alright. But that's just because he's a boy. Listen to you, monologuing just as bad," she says with another giggle. Then all of the sudden her face goes so serious. "Not everyone at Obsidian chooses darkness, Chrono. But it is the only place where those who must use it are welcomed."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a light sigh and shook his head. "Do I really sound like I'm monologueing? My apologies. They put me through a lot of 'performance' acting for that kind of stuff." The life of the poster boy. Beat being tackled by cat girls.

"Perhaps. I wouldn't be so sure about that, though. Dark energy... is dangerous. The damage it does can be quite severe. And I've seen plenty of megalomaniacs who felt only they could properly wield the power they had. Only to be consumed by it in the end."

"Outside of this world, Dark energy doesn't exist. I can't claim to understand it. All I can really comment on is what they are using that energy for. Attacking people, draining their energy, creating monsters. Perhaps that energy can be used for good. I can't say. But it is the use, not the origins, of that power that means we have to fight him. If the only thing he uses that power for is to hurt people, then his 'darkness' wouldn't be welcomed. Nor should any other power that is used just to hurt and take."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
He's talking about Riventon, but as he says those words about dark energy, the only person she can think about is Norie. Her sweet little kohai that didn't want any of this. Her sweet little kohai that couldn't even be hugged without a little magic involved. Her sweet little kohai whose power was just what Chrono described: something that only hurts people and drains energy.

"Forget about Riventon," she says. Insulting her boyfriend is one thing. Sometimes she likes to do that too. He's a dumb boy. She gets it. But talking bad about her kohai? Now that just gets right under Mami's skin. "You're telling me you'd reject someone whose power could only be used to hurt people? Drain them of their energy? Even if it wasn't their choice and they couldn't help it?"

She sighs and shakes her head. "That's why he'll never leave. At least this way someone is there to try and help people like La Crima."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown blinked a few times before shaking his head. "Of course not. That'd be monstrous. That's not power, that's a *curse*," Chrono said firmly. And, honestly? For the first time he actually sounded... passionate about it. "Someone who is hurt by that, who can only hurt others? But doesn't want to? Someone like that I will *never* reject. Someone like that needs to be saved, not cast out."

"... La Crima. The one who tried to behead Hannah? What, exactly, is her situation? I wasn't aware that her power was anything of that sort. Please, have a seat," he said, motioning to the seat by the desk and closing his book. "You say her power causes hurt to others, but she can't control it? Are there others trapped in such a terrible position?" He... sounded genuine, at least. Like he wanted to help. Like he would TRY to help.

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Alarms start going off in Mami's head, and she realizes she's said too much. There she goes being reckless again, but this time with her words. But Chrono's reaction? It surprises her. He really does sound genuine. Like he really wouldn't reject Norie, but rather try to help her. That made her smile.

"Oh, no thank you," she says, to sitting down. "It's not my place to talk about her situation. I've already said too much. But, I will tell her there's other people she can turn to for help."

She smiles again, and then says, "I've got to get going anyway. I'm sort of on my way to," she pauses and laughs awkwardly, "the office."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small nod. "I... see. Please, do let her know. But... at the end of the day... we can't help anyone who won't *let* us help them. Our willingness to help her, Riventon, even you... it won't ever matter if you never let us."

"Thank you for the pastries, they look lovely and I look forward to sharing them with the people who are closest to me. I wish you the best of luck and I hope, one day, we can help you as well."

Chrono would then smile and give her a little wave, letting her go.