418/Limitations

Limitations
Date of Scene:	14 September 2023
Location:	Administrative Office
Synopsis:	Kazuo has a favor to ask of Kyouka. Kyouka has an answer and advice. For once, Kazuo is willing to admit it's *good* advice.
Cast of Characters:	Kazuo Saitou, Kyouka Inai

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Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Inevitably there is a text. Not from Darien this time.

(PHONE) Kazuo Saitou texts Kyouka Inai: Spare minute sometime today? Need to get in touch with someone I don't know, but you might.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Inevitably, there is a reply.

(PHONE) Kyouka Inai texts Kazuo Saitou: sure. i'm on campus. my office or somewhere else? dunno how allergic you are to the admin building.

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
(PHONE) Kazuo Saitou texts Kyouka Inai: Why would I be allergic to my home away from home? Be there shortly.

And he is. He looks much the same as ever as he closes the door to Kyouka's office behind him, except for better sleep and sudden earrings, one of which is flashy. "Do you know the sparkle girl with the sunlight and the little robot?" he asks by way of hello. "I need to get something back to her."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka is in her office, as advertised, seated in the padded chair behind her desk and eyeing the window behind her, which is showing a rather sunny and pleasant day, as if she wishes she could escape the prison of this school even more than the average student. When the door opens and subsequently closes, she turns in her chair to face it, quirking a brow at Kazuo as he gets straight to the point.

    "Nice earrings. Yeah I know who you mean. I can give the thing to her, or just put you in contact, whichever you prefer." She leans one elbow on the desk as she regards him. "Thanks for your help the other night, by the way."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
    "Nice to know you're willing to transport hard-to-conceal illegal weaponry," Kazuo answers Kyouko, notably more cheerful-sounding than in most conversations with her. "I thought you were a staff person."

    At the last line, though, he grimaces ... but rolls his eyes instead of glaring. Self-directed. "The damn hair might as well be a banner with a glow-in-the-dark personal mark. I should dye it or something."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "I am, as always, whatever I need to be from moment to moment." Kyouka says, equally jovial though with a hint of sardonic self-deprecation beneath. "If that means returning a weapon which was used in good faith to help a friend of mine to another friend of mine who I trust knows perfectly well how to handle it, then I do not see that as any sort of conflict with my employment at the school."

    "Maybe you should," On the topic of hair, as she sits back and crosses her arms over her chest, leaning back in the chair. "Doubt it will help though. Welcome to the game, officially. I was pretty sure it was only a matter of time, but it's nice to see my instincts haven't betrayed me. You are, of course, invited to continue to participate in self-defense classes, though as always, you are free to make the decisions which seem best to you."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
"Wasn't planning to drop." Kazuo steps back to lean against the wall in turn, mirroring to folded arms. "Osaka needs the practice. And I need the practice, both giving her a hand and working with people who don't limit to the standard target set." He pauses, then admits, grudgingly, "And retraining. One hit of whatever that was, and my body keeps wanting to act like it can move that fast, that easy all the time. If I don't keep reminding myself of limitations, I'll get taken out by a bus."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "Osaka-san is proving to be very capable in a variety of ways which, as of yet, do not amount to her having any actual access to magical energy, which means that it is very important that she stays aware of her limitations." Kyouka warns, in a way which is not so much saying 'don't help Naru' and is more saying 'don't overestimate what she's capable of given your recent experiences'. "That said, I am very much in favor of her continued education in self-defense and am pleased that you are willing to assist with that."

    She crosses one leg over the other, leaning back in the chair, making it creak as it tips backwards on its swivel. "I trust you'll figure it out. Everybody's experience is different, in the details if not the broad strokes. Sometimes there, too. Recognizing your own limitations, and working to improve them, is also important- but as you said, you're already fully aware of that. Thing is you need to figure out what your new limitations are. They won't be the same."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
    "I don't even know what they're limitations on, yet." Kazuo's amusement is overcoming the urge to glower for the moment; his tone's lighter, and there's a little careless teenaged toss of his head. "One moment there's ice with a grudge trying to eat my eyes out of my face, the next moment I look like a refugee from my own funeral. Probably fleeing my grandmother yelling at my mother for dressing my corpse like that. I'll have to experiment."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "There's all kind of theories on what, exactly, dictates the appearance of one's henshin." Kyouka notes, with the absent enthusiasm of someone who finds the topic interesting but isn't exactly an expert. "There's some general themes that seem to appear between people of shared origin, but a lot of it seems to come down to mental self-image.. conscious or subconscious."

    She gives a grin. "So maybe you view yourself as a dead man walking, albeit a well-dressed one. Don't worry, though- my goal is to keep as many of my students alive as possible, so I'll do my best to assist you in letting that little metaphor remain a metaphor. The good news is that I've known some people who can actually change their henshin outfit by simply altering what they want it to look like so.. maybe you can make adjustments if you're not pleased with it."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
    Kazuo grimaces for a moment. "I don't think it's shared origin," he says, blatantly ignoring the cape. "And if it were my subconscious, there would have been a lot more in the way of feathers and silk. Maybe javelins. But what's one more mystery? If it's important, it'll hit me in the face eventually. May as well work on figuring out what I did to the demon instead. In the interest of not accidentally doing it to my math teacher."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "The thing about one's subconscious is that one often does not actually know what is contained therein, hence the term 'sub'conscious." Kyouka says with a grin, and a mild shrug. "Regardless, if you work at it there's a good chance you'll be able to make adjustments, as I said, even if you don't end up able to wholesale change it. Still, that's probably less important than some other aspects, as you mentioned."

    "I wasn't there to witness, but the good news I can tell you is that in a lot of cases magic which destroys demons and monsters is not actually overly dangerous to normal humans- though of course, I can't guarantee that without seeing it for myself. Dropping a ton of rocks on something is dangerous no matter what that something is. Point is the odds are in your favor of that not being a danger. Still better to know, though, I suppose. Assuming you like your math teacher." This is clearly a joke.

    "The bad news is that it's going to be hard to test without procuring a demon to experiment on. Ethics aside, that's rather difficult to accomplish for most people." She considers. "I might know a few people who could help, though."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
    "I can tell you exactly what's in my subconscious," Kazuo says cheerfully. "Infinite Rostam stories. His dad had white hair and my grandmother thought I needed a role model. Too bad all her role model ideas were about tax collectors, revenge killings, and accidental murder. At least the tax collection didn't stick."

No rocks were involved with the demon, apparently, since Kazuo listens with a little nodding. Actually listens. Apparently he does somehow put more stock in Kyouka after this entire mess.

At the suggestion of Kyouka knowing people who could help, though, Kazuo shakes his head just a little. "Thanks, but I've got a list of my own to talk with first. Starting with the girl I asked about. So let's go with putting me in contact with her, if that's all right? I promise not to get caught hauling unlicensed edged weaponry around."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "Uh huh, sure you can." Kyouka says with good-natured disbelief, but she doesn't press the issue of whether or not the teenage kid knows the ins-and-outs of his unconscious mind as well as he thinks he does. That is, in the end, not the most important issue here.

    "Fair enough. Just remember that the offer stands if you end up in need." She says, with a mild shrug. "Finding your own way is important, just remember there's help on offer if you need it. I'm not out to bully anyone into doing things the way I think they should, believe it or not- just trying to make sure as few of you as possible walk off the end of the pier while looking at the clouds."

    She pulls out her phone, taps on it for a few moments. "Alright if I give her your number? More comfortable asking her first than just giving you her info. No offense to you or anything."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
A nod to Kyouka as she stands, and Kazuo straightens away from the wall. "That's why I said 'first,'" he agrees. "Testing with known quantities gives a good baseline to use with the unknowns. Right? I don't sleep through all my science classes. And yeah, giving her my number is all right. I have the dubious contacts isolated to a different phone, so if they crack it open for fun, it won't expose whatever number she uses."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka sends off the message. "Message sent. She'll get in touch with you, assuming she wants to. I don't see any reason she wouldn't though, so expect to hear from her soon."

    She glances back his way at the mention of 'dubious contacts'. "I know I don't need to tell you to be careful. I've been telling you that since we met, and as far as I can tell, you have been being careful- or as careful as is reasonable given the circumstances. But I know a little bit about who and what you're dealing with, so I can't help but want to repeat it. I care deeply, perhaps more deeply than you can really grasp, about helping people who have chosen a path, or been forced upon a path, that they now regret but can't seem to find an escape. Some of those 'dubious contacts' of yours are like that, if they are who I think they are. I welcome whatever assistance you can give or be given. Just keep your eyes open. Preferably on the back of your head as well as the front."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
"There's a difference," Kazuo agrees, "between trusting a person and trusting what that person is going to do. Especially if they might not have a choice in the matter."

He reaches up then, solemn in turn, and prods fingers at the back of his own skull. "Seems to be working," he reports. Presumably about that other pair of eyes. "So we'll see how things go. Thanks."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka nods her head again and then gives Kazuo a small, strangely formal bow, with one hand as a fist against her chest. Her grey eyes are hard as she glances back up at him, before turning her back to face the window again, peering outward.

    "You've got a good head on your shoulders, Saitou-kun. Please endeavor to see that is where it remains. I'll be quite annoyed if you get yourself killed. For now, I think you've got the right idea. Practice, acclimation."

    That seems to be a dismissal, though before he can actually turn and leave, she adds, "You're welcome. Remember, I'm here if you need me."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
The bow is returned, with the same odd little extra ... a fraction deeper. Just a fraction. A grudging grant, at last, that she might know what she's talking about.

From a sixteen-year-old, that's practically a standing ovation.