2237/Time Loops: Mamoru

Time Loops: Mamoru
Date of Scene:	15 January 2025
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	Over a multitude of loops, Hinoiri asks Mamoru about his estranged jacket and he has many, many responses... Which all culiminate in a very, very confused Mamoru and an even more stressed Hinoiri.
Cast of Characters:	Hinoiri Kirara, Mamoru Chiba
Tinyplot:	Hinoiri's Endless Loop

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Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Early Loops:

Hinoiri was still gettng used to the loops, learning about them. What it was she was doing, HOW she was doing it... And, frankly? It was... a little exilerating. she had a chance to redo so many things, ask questions she never would have asked, be amazing... and it would sort itself out soon enough, right? It had to. Heh. This? This was going to be awesome.

So it was, as she was chatting over a test with another student, she saw Mamoru pass by. "Hey, Mamoru, got a second? Mind if I ask you something? It might sound a little silly, though."

She seemed very perky today...

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru's doing that thing he sometimes does: reading while walking. He absolutely swerves, makes room, edges behind, goes around, goes through with an apology -- but he doesn't touch anyone and his eyes never leave the page except to turn it.

Yet, when he hears a familiar voice saying his name without an honorific, he does stop reading and gives Hinoiri a mild Look, as he always does when she does that. "Silly is fine, what's up?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara matched pace with him as they walk, a small smile on her face. "So, I know it's going to sound a bit weird... but... I was always kind of curious. And feel free to not answer if it's a bit too personal... but... that green jacket, the one that got turned into a youma? Why? Like... I worked with you, you generally have good taste. I mean, you're dating Usagi, even. So... why that?"

This loop, she was a little more careful. You know, just in case.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
The longer Hinoiri beats around the bush, the more Mamoru's eyes narrow warily, especially at the 'you generally have good taste' line, but then the question actually comes out. What's The Deal with the Green Jacket?"

The too-tall boy blinks in mild surprise, putting his finger between pages as a bookmark and lowering his hand, finally. "I was going as Lupin III for Halloween and fucked up the costume, then figured I'd go with it," he says easily, smiling.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
"Ahhhh, that makes sense, thanks." Lupin III, huh? That wasn't so bad...

Granted, it didn't come to a head until a few loops later. She was trying to find out the cause of the loops, and was so trying to get to know people better... and decided, with Mamoru, to start o nthat. She could then ask him why he liked it so much, to dress as it...

"So, why the green jacket?" she asked. It didn't have quite as much lead up this time, more casual.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"What? Oh, I got it at a shrine as a ward against evil," says Mamoru instantly, closing his book properly after looking at the page number. "Needless to say, it didn't work," he adds, wry as anything. "Why do you ask?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara had paused for a moment when he said that, cocking an eye. "Huh. It... got youma'fied, so I'd say... yeah. It uhhh... didn't work," she said, eying him for a moment. Well, now she was a little suspicious.

And started making a habit of visiting him to ask that question across multiple loops...

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
And some of the answers are to be expected. 'I lost a bet' and 'I won a bet'. Also 'A youma gave it to me' and 'Nobody else wanted it', and also 'Green Ranger casual cosplay.'

Some of the answers he gives while reading in the hall, now and then he has a smoothie instead of a book, sometimes he's hanging out with an underclassman who looks a lot like one of his boyfriends. One of them he was trying to hurry and just stared at Hinoiri for asking.

The answers get weirder and weirder, honestly:

"It was my baby blanket sewn into a jacket. It was all I had left of my parents."

"I won it as a consolation prize in an office raffle."

"I was born green and it was made out of my old skin when I shed it. But not like DT that would be weird."

"It's a war relic I inherited from my dad, who was a fashionista in the early 1990s Design Wars."

"My grandfather won the Masters American Golf Championship, it was his champion jacket."

"Well, I mean, when I got it it wasn't green."

And then, a loop where Mamoru's already in a bad mood, and he glances sidelong at Hinoiri before answering, book dripping from his hand and making a puddle on the hall floor, "Look, sometimes if you get vintage clothes by graverobbing, they don't age so well."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara eye twitched a little more with each answer. And, well...

The last one? Oh, that was it. That was her limit. She was obviously NOT going to get a straight answer from him (Probably her own fault for thinking he could do anything straight).

Which, as the loops went on, and she got more and more stressed, and he tried to talk to her, he earned this response.

"I'm not in the mood for your graverobbing bullshit today, Mamoru!" she snapped before racing off to take care of her tasks.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Seeing a cranky-looking Hinoiri -- out of the corner of his eye -- in the corridor and deciding to take his life into his hands, Mamoru shuts his book and beams at her. "Hey, Hin--"

I'm not in the mood for your graverobbing bullshit today, Mamoru!

Mamoru stares after the fire-haired unicorn. "'Graverobbing'...?" he trails off, absolutely mystified.

He takes out his phone and immediately texts Usagi:

    Mamoru TXT: Hinoiri fell on her head and won't admit it.