139/Are The Answers Out There

Are The Answers Out There
Date of Scene:	21 July 2023
Location:	Administrative Office
Synopsis:	In the aftermath of When Succulents Attack, Usagi Tsukino finally braves the Guidance Counselor's office. Her conversation with Kyouka Inai is not comforting, but it is clarifying.
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Kyouka Inai

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Usagi Tsukino has posed:
This is actually the first time Usagi's ever been to the guidance counselor's office. (On this campus, anyway.) Somehow, the cheerful motivational posters are not what she was expecting. Maybe if she hadn't yet met Inai-sensei they'd seem natural, the obvious inclusion in a job that was partially defined by encouraging slackers and underachievers to do better than their best and politely encouraging overachievers to live a little, enjoy their school lives. But she has met Inai-sensei, and she honestly didn't seem like she cared about any of that.

Which is honestly the second biggest plus Inai-sensei has going for her, and is the reason Usagi has slunk to her office, snacks in hand (for her. these are snacks for her) and fist wrapping on the door. It would be a shame if she braved this place only for it to turn out she's not even here.

"Inai-sensei?"

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    It is far from a guarantee that Inai-sensei is in her office when you haven't made an appointment, but it seems this time Usagi is in luck. After she knocks and calls out, there's a cheerful-sounding "Come in!" from the other side of the door.

    Upon entering, Kyouka can be found sitting behind her desk, leaning back in the padded office chair which is tilted back on its swivel to allow her to recline. She actually has one black-leather-shoe-clad foot up on the corner of the desk, and seemed to have been looking out the window over the admittedly-fine view of the school's inner courtyard and athletic fields.

    She does sit up a bit when Usagi comes in, putting her foot down on the floor and offering the girl a bit of a lopsided smile. "What can I do for you, Tuskino-san?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
She knows what she wants to say. She has figured out exactly how to explain this so she doesn't sound like a little kid, but rather, gets all the answers she wants with no patronizing. She -

"My cat won't tell me what's going on with the giant scary fire eyes!"

Ah heck, that wasn't the speech she planned. But she sure said it!

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "That's the thing about cats," Kyouka says, turning the chair around to face front more completely, raising one of her brows without losing the smile on her face. "They're rarely as helpful as they think they are. Very patronizing. Always think they know better than you. Luckily, I am not a cat." Although there are some who would debate the appelation.

    She gestures idly to one of the large overstuffed armchairs facing her desk. "So how about you tell me about the 'giant scary fire eyes' and I'll see what I can tell you."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi stuffs a handful of M&M's into her mouth, to keep from saying anything until she can be more sure she'll say it right. Her cheeks are flushed, and Kyouka will notice that on her closer look, she's even less put together than usual - her school uniform ruffled, pens and keychains sticking out of her bookbag, and yes, the aforementioned imported chocolates. Blame Darien, he got her hooked on them. Once she's chewed and swallowed and chewed and swallowed, she trusts herself to speak.

"Did you hear about the monster that attacked yesterday, under the big tree?" There are actually several large trees on campus, only natural with a place as old and sprawling as Radiant Heart Academy, but there's one in particular that people have taken to calling the big tree. It's not the tallest on campus, but it has the widest branches, and more than a few students have made a game of seeing how high they could climb before a teacher caught them. "It was a weird, viney plant monster, which, we already fought one of those! You'd think the enemy was more creative than that, but, I guess it was a plant man instead of a tentacle plant monster -"

This is besides the point. Usagi huffs, reaching down to tug at her collar, straightening it a bit. "After the magical girls defeated it, these - these giant scary eyes showed up. They had a fire that was dark, which doesn't even make any sense because fires make light and it was - scary. They yelled at us. Them."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    No comment from Kyouka on the stuffing of chocolates into mouth. If anything she looks a bit jealous, but she doesn't try to take any. She's the adult in the room, after all. She resolves to go get some candy after work.

    But then her attention is caught by what Usagi is actually telling her. At the mention of the attack yesterday, she nods her head briefly. "I wasn't on campus when it happened. But I helped Wako-chan with some of the victims after the fact." No comment on the creativity, or lack thereof, of 'the enemy'.

    She leans forward slightly at the mention of big dark firey eyes though. "What did they say?" She asks in a quiet tone, her regard intense.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"He said defying his minions was the same as defying him and he wouldn't tolerate that. That he'd make us regret challenging him - that he'd be hunting us." Usagi shudders, remembering that awful moment when the ice wall came down and those awful eyes were there in the center of campus under a starry sky. "There was this - pressure. And he sounded - the monsters want to eat us, but it sounded like he wanted something worse." That she's not sure what would be worse than being eaten is obvious.

Her hand clenches around the bag of candy. "I thought we were here to fight the monsters. Save people from them when they show up. I thought they were the enemy. But there's worse, because he's something worse, isn't he? Luna just says this is why we need to find our allies and won't tell me anything, but what was that?"

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka listens to this tale with a somber expression, taking it all in while her ash-soft eyes study Usagi's face. Her expression telling a tale as much as the words coming out of her mouth. When the girl finishes, she lets out a bit of a breath, leaning back again. Her expression is thoughtful but perhaps offering some modicum of reassurance, not fightened or nervous.

    "Youma... monsters- are generally like big dumb animals. They want to feed on whatever it is that particular one feeds on. Energy, emotion, lifeforce, whatever you want to call it. But they usually aren't intelligent enough to coordinate. To have /plans/."

    "There's always been people on the other side, Usagi-chan." The sudden switch from 'Tsukino-san' to 'Usagi-chan' accompanied by a voice laden with sympathy. "Monsters are just monsters. The enemy are people. That's how it's been all through the history of this messed up game we play."

    Her head tilts, and she regards Usagi. "But this... person with the fire eyes. You couldn't see anything else? You're sure it was a 'he'?" Information is important here. She's been trying to find leads, and the enemy, or this enemy at least, may have just given her some while threatening a bunch of kids.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
It's strange to have a teacher listen so intently, especially when it's her speaking. It's almost reassuring - almost. It's the expression of someone who's about to share unwanted news. And oh, is the news unwanted alright. Usagi's M&M's are being abused, crushed up by the squeeze of her hands as Kyouka speaks - explains. The monsters, the youma, they really aren't the worst of it. "It said it wanted our energy," she mutters quietly, as Kyouka explains the desires of the youma.

The switch from Tsukino-san to Usagi-chan is noticed, and her lip wobbles a little as Kyouka explains. "It's not a fun game. I don't get it. I don't get it! Why would - I thought the monsters just wanted to take things, but why would people help them? It's not a game! People get hurt! Naru-chan got hurt, and Chiyo-chan and all those classmates got their energy stolen, why would someone help them?"

<s>Inai-sensei, explain the nature of evil, please.</s>

But Usagi gathers herself, focused under the questions, and frowns. "Well - it could have been a they," she admits, reluctantly, "The voice was deep and it sounded like - like..."

She frowns, lost in thought, trying to explain her surety and then - lightbulb. An idea! "Have you ever played video games with a guy, on the voice chat? And when he's winning, it's whatever, you're just talking. But then you win, and suddenly, they're all angry and intense and how dare you think you're better than me, you're just a dumb girl? It was like that. It was like - talking to the ultimate, worst kind of mean gamer guy I ever met at the arcade, the kind Motoki-san always ends up kicking out." Indignation rises up, over the remembered fear. "He smashed all the pots we painted, too, with his stupid-scary whooosh wave."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "No," Kyouka retains her somber expression, and indeed when she speaks her voice holds a note of sadness to it, as if she really has no good answers for why people do the things they do, and she wishes that she did. "The people aren't helping them, Usagi-chan, any more than someone training an animal to fight is 'helping' it. I'm not trying to say monsters are just poor abused animals. But they're simply obeying their nature. And there are people out there who take advantage of that for their own ends and means. Because those people want something, and they don't care is other people get hurt as long as they get it, and monsters are convenient tools."

    "That's why its important for people like us..." A pause, then an alteration that seems like its forced out against her will, "People like you are important. Because there's always going to be somebody, or somebodies, who are willing to hurt other people to get what they want. And there has to be people who are willing to stop them. It's not fun, and you're right. It's not a game. But unfortunately that also means you can't just say 'I don't want to play'."

    She listens to the description of the voice. She smirks just a little bit at the chosen analogy. She might be at least a little familiar with the attitude, if not the exact circumstance. "They were angry that you bested them. I won't say those threats about hunting you all down were empty- I'm sure if they could, they would. But just because they said it doesn't mean they have the means to do it. I wouldn't panic just yet."

    She leans back in her chair, chewing her lower lip for a moment. "Something is changing though. This is part of it, I'm sure. Why would they attack here of all places. It seems suicidal." Which it was, for the youma.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Some of those poor ruined M&M's get eaten, now, as Usagi literally and metaphorically chews over Kyouka's words. Like training an animal to fight. Being willing to hurt people for what they want. "That's stupid. There's nothing anybody should want that's worth all that. What kind of selfish jerk thinks terrorizing people is okay because they want a PS5!" Well okay we know what Usagi would want.

She grimaces, as Kyouka corrects herself, and is a little shamefaced as she continues. She mutters, "Maybe I was thinking that a little. I didn't forget my brooch on purpose though! But... Why aren't you fighting anymore? You're amazing! You took my tiara like it was nothing! I thought - I thought you couldn't fight anymore."

It's been bothering her a little since class. Not enough that she would have said anything, without all this, but...

"I didn't think it was an empty threat. The Call of Duty guys, they don't actually have any scary powers. But this guy... but you think he was just - trying to make us back down?" She frowns. "Insai-sensei, I'm always panicking. I don't like any of this. I hate almost all of it. Naru-chan got trapped in a kaleidoscope! But - but I guess, if he was going to come after us, he might have done it already? Big bad guys in real life probably don't have to make threats first." Maybe she can panic a liiiiittle less. But she frowns, cocking her head. "I don't get it. Why's here such a bad place for an attack?'

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka makes a sour twist with her mouth at the question about why she isn't fighting anymore. "Because, it turns out, magic is a young person's game. Or so whoever wrote the laws of this universe decided. Not a decision I agree with but one I'm not in a position to change, at the moment. Most magical girls.. boys too, everybody, lose the ability to use magic when they 'grow up'. Generally its around the age of 18 but its not like its calibrated to your birthday or anything." A shrug. "I.. got around that limitation. But concessions had to be made. The biggest one being I'm not allowed to use my magic to attack, only to defend."

    A lopsided smile for Usagi at this point. "That's why I'm teaching all of you kids. Because even if I can't kill the monsters myself, somebody's gotta do it. And I'd like very much to both see the monsters get killed and /not/ see any of you get killed. I can help directly with the latter, if the circumstances are right. The former... ehh, not so much. Not anymore."

    A sympathetic glance. "I'm sorry that you hate it, Usagi-chan. I get it, I do. But y'know, we can't always decide the circumstances we're given in life. But we do get to decide how we handle them. Trust me, I've done some stupid shit in my day because I didn't like the hand I was dealt. Sometimes its easy to get lost in the unfairness of it all. But you gotta realize... life's unfair for everybody. Only most people don't get magic powers. So maybe those of us who do owe it to all those people who don't to do what we can to knock that unfairness down just a little bit. And if we all do it together, maybe a lot a bit."

    As for why the academy is such a silly target, she just laughs. "Usagi-chan.. didn't you notice how many magical kids were at Self-Defense Class? That's not exactly the average population density of mahous."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"That's stupid too," Usagi grumbles, then brightens. "That means this has an end date though, right?!" Maybe it's not so stupid. Maybe she just has to finish high school and all her problems will magically disappear -

"...but the monsters will still be around. And the bad guys. Even if we're not."

Delayed realization is a hell of a thing. Her hope crumbles right there, as she realizes - life won't go back to normal. She'll still know about the monsters, she just won't -

"That's too much thinking! Okay. Okay! You're a magic teacher now. You're like... You're like Obi-Swan Kenobi! From the Stars War!" It's really, really obvious she is getting that entirely from badly translated memes and zero direct experience with the franchise in question. It's also obvious that she's pointedly distracting herself from the Realities Of Impending Terror That May Be The Future.

Which is why she scowls a little. "Naru-chan would be so much better at this. She always keeps her head together, and she's like, never surprised by anything!" It does not occur to Usagi that these qualities may have something to do with Naru's association with her.

"Yeah, but... do they know that? The enemies, and the monsters. Do they know we're all here?"

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "It's a bit more complicated than that but... well. It's not the worst comparison. But I like to think I'm prettier than he was." Kyouka smirks, standing up from behind her desk, walking around it to one of the shelves on the side of the room. She picks up a photograph in a frame, brings it back around and hands it to Usagi.

    It is a photograph of four teenagers, one of which is obviously a younger, even cockier (if such a thing is possible) Kyouka Inai leaning on a motorcycle. "Things were different, back in these days," She says, tapping the photo. "A lot less magic kids around. Less monsters, too. Things are definitely happening, and I'm trying my best to figure out what they are so that I can help... well, do something about it. Which is why I need all the info I can get. So what you've told me today is very helpful, Usagi-chan."

    At the question of whether the enemy knows the school is chock-full of magical people, she lifts her brows, and then just says, "...yes? Trust me. It's hard to hide, once you know what to look for."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Obviously you're prettier than him," Usagi agrees before realizing that maybe she shouldn't note that a teacher is pretty and deciding to get very busy inspecting the photo. "Is this... were these your friends?"

The girl who is now Inai-sensei is easy to recognize. The others, utterly unknown. Usagi looks them over, wondering if they had all enjoyed the fighting the way her teacher seems too. "I wish there were less monsters now. But... it's nice that there are as many of us as there are so..."

The idea that the enemy knows where they are is not comforting, actually. It's pretty horrifying in fact. "What if they do something? Like, like burn down the dorms, or attack the school with more than one monster? Isn't it a bad idea to get everyone in one place if the bad guys know about that place?!"

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Normally it might be weird to say your teacher is prettier than someone else, but in this case we're talking about Alec Guiness in his elder days and there probably aren't that many people who would disagree. "Yes." She says. "Those were my friends, back when I was doing the job. And that's all of us that there was, at least 'round here. There were maybe... ten or twelve of us in the entire city." And Tokyo has like 27 million people living in it, so that's saying something. "But there were a lot less monsters too, back then. So we could handle it."

    She leaves Usagi holding the picture. "Fact is there's more of you kids /and/ more monsters. Like there's some kind of arms race going on. Like somebody or something is trying to outdo the other side, and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. As far as I can tell, the way it was when I was your age is how its /always/ been. This sudden explosion on both sides is unprecedented."

    She leans back on her desk, crossing her arms. "But that's also why they aren't going to do anything. And why gathering everyone in one place is smart. You ever heard the phrase 'mutually assured destruction'? It means both sides are too scared to do anything big, because they're afraid they'll lose if they try."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
There were probably ten or twelve other magical kids that day at the beach. And she's met more sense then, who weren't at the beach. The only thing worse than a teacher being right when you wanted them to be wrong is knowing how much your teacher is right. Twelve kids for all of Tokyo... There had been almost ten kids like her at training. Just here! Already sure of the answer, she still asks weakly, "And by the city you don't just mean Juuban or Mitakihara?"

Of course everything gets worse right when she gets bullied into joining the fight. Why wouldn't she get to join when it was less scary, less bad?

"So... we know where their secret base is too?"

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "Nope. All of Tokyo. Don't know how many in other cities, but it can't have been much different." Kyouka shrugs. Don't think about the people who live out in the countryside. When it takes the nearest mahou like an hour by train to get to your town, your chances against that monster knocking on your door aren't very good. Plus side, probably not as many monsters out there either, but still.

    At the question about 'their' secret base, she just snorts. "I mean, we know where at least some of them operate out of. Doesn't mean that's the only base. And it's not very secret." She glances sidelong, anticipating resistence if she spells out that part of the reason she thinks Darien is Possible Trouble is because he works at Obsidian, and it's not even a little secret.

    "We still don't know that much about what's going on, Usagi-chan. That's why the info like what you told me today, and what I heard from Agemaki-san- have you met her? You should, seems like she's got a good head on her shoulders- why that info is so valuable to me. And why I'd ask if you bring me any more in the future, even if it doesn't seem that important to you."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi grimaces at the thought of being so spread out, probably being alone for a fight, and shakes her head. She did that once, and it was not fun at all.

"I don't want to know! If I find it on my own you can tell me, but if I know, Luna will know, and Luna will definitely want to check it out and then she'll get eaten, or worse, I'll have to go the scary place so she doesn't get eaten!" Nope! No sidelong glances! No awareness!

"If I meet any scary guys or find out anything about bosses and bases and plans, I'll tell you. Someone's got to figure this all out, and it can't be me." The thought of Hematite comes to mind and she stubbornly squashes it. No way! Hema-chan's a nice guy.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka blows out a breath, still leaning on her desk with her arms crossed, facing Usagi. She seems relaxed, but there's a definite tiredness in her face. "I'm not telling you all this to scare you, Usagi-chan, although I can't blame you if you are scared by it. It's scary stuff. But it's also true stuff. And I firmly believe that you're better off knowing than not knowing and getting into trouble because of it."

    She crouches down in front of Usagi's chair, reaching out to put a hand on the girl's shoulder and look into her eyes. "You have incredible power. I don't think you're really the one in that much danger. It's the kids out there who don't have much, or any power, that are going to get the raw side of this whole thing. It's for them those of us who have the means to make a difference have to try our best, alright?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi cringes. There's no better word for it. She knows (or thinks she knows, at least) when she's disappointed someone, and she doesn't want to see it. "I know! I know. But I'm a scaredy-cat, okay, and a crybaby, and it's probably good to know, but, I know me too. I've been me my whole life. And I'm stuck with this, this fighting stuff, but I came because I hoped you knew who the scary guy was. And since you don't, I don't want to know too much. I'll freeze! And cry, and you really don't want to see me cry."

She never did admit to that crying power.

"I... I know. You threw Ms. Trager off so easy, and then had to try a lot harder to stop my tiara, and - I'm going to try my best! Because if I don't my friends will get snacked on and people will get snacked, but, you know, I went to a normal school last month? I went to a normal school and had a normal life and had a birthday! And then all this happened. I'm trying. But I'm a crybaby and a klutz and a scaredy-cat and Sailor Moon didn't change any of that."

She is trying. She is! But she can't change her conviction that it should have been someone else, someone good at this.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka can't hide the fact that she genuinely feels bad about this- not that she has to lay this out for Usagi, but that Usagi has to deal with it. It's not a thing she can change, and god knows she's had her share of 'why me' moments in her past. But that doesn't necessarily make it easier to see.

    But she also knows that being the authority figure who is certain, who knows what needs to be done even if she doesn't know all the details, is valuable in moments like these. She can't make Usagi not be who she is. But she can offer her some reassurance. She keeps her hand on the girl's shoulder as she says, "Nobody asks to be a hero, Usagi-chan. At least, nobody who actually is one. And no hero starts off as one, either. When I first started this gig, I had no idea what was going on. And I had to figure it out mostly on my own."

    "I'm not saying that to puff myself up. I'm pointing out that you don't have to do it alone. There's lots of us here, remember? And maybe that's a sign of some scary times, but it also means you never have to fight alone, if you don't choose to. Make friends. Make allies." She taps the picture which Usagi is still holding with her fingertip. "Find your team. They're out there, I know it. And when you have people to stand alongside you know will fight for you every bit as hard as you want to fight for them, things will feel a lot less scary."