167/Never boring at RHA

Never boring at RHA
Date of Scene:	28 July 2023
Location:	Administrative Office
Synopsis:	Naru comes to Kyouka with a few questions after the mall 'explosion'.
Cast of Characters:	Naru Osaka, Kyouka Inai

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Naru Osaka has posed:
It's no surprise that at least a handful of RHA students were caught at the 'explosion' at the mall. A boarding school full of teenagers and a mall. There was absolutely students there when everything went to hell.

It's the day after, and its still between terms, but somehow Naru seems to assume that Kyouka will be around and she's got two coffees, one in each hand, as she heads towards Kyouka's office.

There's a few visible bruises and scrapes and scratches, but all in all, she looks in surprisingly not terrible shape for having been ground zero of an 'explosion'.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    To assume Kyouka would not be 'around' would be to assume she has anything better to do. Occasionally that is a correct assumption. Much more often it is not.

    The vagueries of school sessions aside, her office is nice and air conditioned, and the chair is comfy. The only thing it's missing is food, but there is a nice ramen joint just down the road. That's probably why she's hanging around in her office when Naru arrives. With coffee!

    "I didn't think I ordered delivery," She says when Naru enters, tapping her lip. "Is this your summer job, Osaka-san?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
AC is appreciated, there's a heat wave after all, one reason the mall was quite so popular last night. Naru offers the second coffee over to Kyouka with a half quirk of a smile. "I can't decide if that's a better or worse prospect than working for my mother."

Naru not only is a coffee junkie, but the cup provides her something to fiddle with as she considers quite how she wants to approach this. It was a much better theory when it was just in her head rather than actually facing an actual person.

"So." She starts and then pauses again before considering Kyouka a moment. "I have Questions." The capital letter seems to just appear in her inflection. "But they all sound like I'm utterly insane."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka accepts the coffee without question. Isn't the traditional gift for a teacher an apple? She'd be happy with that too, but she's not going to turn down coffee. "Probably doesn't pay as well, might entail lower expectations." She says, of the job prospects.

    She lounges back in her chair as Naru fiddles with her coffee. This isn't an official meeting- hell, school isn't even in session. She doesn't see any reason to be all proper and sit upright in her chair.

    As Naru posits that her questions make her sound insane, Kyouka's response is, "Well then, at least they won't be boring."

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru had no interest in an apple, but she did want a coffee. Kyouka might end up with shrimp crisps next time, if she's not careful.

Naru considers that reply and there's a slow smile. "Alright, that's fair." She decides as she moves over to settle into another chair in the office. A sip of coffee before she continues. "Do you think the reporters actually think it was an explosion, or are the papers in the habit of not reporting facts?" Because that lie is just the first of great many things.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka sips from the coffee as well. "Mmm. Good coffee." She comments idly, as she waits for Naru to settle herself. She leans one elbow on the desk, one of her feet up on the corner as she lets the chair tilt backwards, her head turned to the side to watch the girl in her office.

    When Naru asks that question, she laughs a little. Not because the question is dumb, or even insane, but just because it's such a straightforward one. "Yes, actually. I think the reporters do think that. But just because they genuinely believe it doesn't make it a fact."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"No. It does not make it fact." Naru agrees as she considers that over her coffee. "I'm not even sure where to start, but people vanished, and then came back and I'm pretty sure holes in reality aren't supposed to be a thing, but they are a Thing." She adds after a moment. "And fireworks made more sense than the musical number."

That probably did not help clear things up, Naru.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka doesn't say anything for a few moments, idly swirling the coffee cup in her hand and considering. She already knew that Naru was Sensitive, or Magically Inclined, or whatever you want to call it, even if she had no magic herself. Darien had warned her. So she's not entirely surprised by this.

    "The funny thing about reality," Kyouka says after a moment of silence, "Is that it's really full of holes all the time. Just because you think you understand it, doesn't mean you're not going to come face to face with something you never thought possible the very next day. Holes in reality are a bit more dangerous than potholes in the street, but they're just as easy to trip on if you're not looking where you're going."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"The rampaging thing that ripped the hole.. I think that's what happened at least.. not so much with the tripping on it." Naru comments dryly. Still, the thoughtful comments about holes not being quite so uncommon is accepted with a nod.

"It's like being in a different manga every time." Naru muses as she swirls her coffee a little. A gesture more suited to brandy or red wine, but it's odd enough that a fourteen year old is a coffee junkie without getting booze into the deal.

"And is it weird to wonder why I don't feel worse than I do?" Naru asks. "Cause sure I got tossed around in the explosion, but I don't feel like I lost all my mana." As if the short hand she worked out with Kazuo is going to be helpful here.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "Metaphorical tripping, Osaka-san. Often a lot more dangerous than the actual kind of tripping." Kyouka pauses, then concedes, "Though not always, I guess."

    "Where do you think manga writers get their inspiration?" Kyouka smirks. "I mean, not the ones who right romcoms and such, but you just know those 'mahou shoujo' authors are basing those stories on experience." Note: this is not at all confirmed, but its a pet theory Kyouka has had for years.

    She sips the coffee again. "Physical and metaphysical damage are on entirely different levels." She agrees. "You probably didn't get hit by any kind of energy drain, this time. Just regular old 'explosion' soreness. You'll be fine."

Naru Osaka has posed:
The smirk from Kyouka brings a little giggle in return from Naru. "I might have to read more manga." Because clearly that's the take away message here.

"Yes. I know. I've ended up with both. This is purely physical, and honestly? Not that bad. I should thank the vigilantes? Super heroes? I .. there was a lot of people helping to destroy the thing."

Naru adds after a moment. "I suppose they all are someone else by day, aren't they?"

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "Don't bother," Kyouka says, of manga, "They get all the details wrong. Start taking that stuff seriously and you'll do totally the wrong thing in an emergency and really get yourself in trouble."

    She pulls the top off the coffee cup, eyeing the steam rising from it, then takes another sip without the impediment of the lid. "I mean, they have to be somebody, don't they? Nobody is walking around in a silly costume waving a magic wand when they go down the street to buy groceries." She considers that briefly, then says, "Well, almost nobody."

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru is still sipping coffee through the lid, willing to hold the steam in just that little bit longer. It might be a million degrees outside, but somehow she's still fond of hot coffee.

"Almost nobody." Naru agrees. A city the size of Tokyo has more than enough odd characters. "You'd notice quite that many tiny little skirts." She points out, with a little smirk of her own. She's quiet a moment again, thoughtful.

"How do they know?" She asks finally.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Hot coffee will always have a place. Especially when that place is air conditioned. "Yeah I never was one for the tiny skirt thing.." She mutters, more to herself than to Naru, "Although I suppose the range of motion is good. And you can always wear shorts."

    She comes back to the conversation at hand, quirking a brow at the question ased. "How does who know what?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"You'd have to wear shorts." Naru comments on the topic of tiny little skirts. It truly is the only way.

"That you have, or should have, a secret identity? Does a bird come to your window with a letter? Bit by an inter dimensional spider?" Naru is curious, thoughtful and realistic about her own reality. Mostly. She'd know, right?

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka considers a succint way to answer that question. Honestly any of those things could be true, but saying so doesn't seem particularly helpful.

    Finally she just settles on, "Maybe you just start seeing weird shit, and after you get blown up or energy drained for the Nth time you decide it's probably better to know how to defend yourself than keep on your current trajectory."

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru arches a sceptical brow at Kyouka's answer and hopes that the coffee she brought is pre-payment enough for snark to a teacher. "I'll be sure to keep my punch card up to date. Is there a free ice cream after ten?"

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "That depends. You could get ice-cream based powers." Kyouka says, with a lopsided grin. "Wouldn't be the weirdest thing I've seen. And possibly more effective than some."

    She leans on the desk a little towards Naru. "But you know I value self-defense. It's why I teach lessons in it. Everybody has a right to stand up for themselves. Even against holes in reality."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I threw my shopping at it." Naru replies to that. "I mean at the critter. I couldn't do anything about the hole in reality." It wasn't much, it didn't /do/ much, but she at least can be proud of herself for doing /something/.

"I've been to self defence class!" Naru protests, she's not been slacking that much. "I appreciate not tripping, or at least being able to pick myself up after I trip." She wrinkles her nose, still a little miffed she needed help getting home after the mirroring.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "A valiant effort, but you probably should have kept the stuff," Kyouka says, amusedly. "I doubt they give refunds for 'threw it at a monster'."

    At the mention of Naru attending self-defense class, she smiles. "Maybe next time, you should consider sticking around after class lets out." She suggests, without offering any further explanation, other than "You might learn something else."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Probably, but as much as I mourn the loss of a cute pair of flats, standing around doing nothing would have felt worse." Naru gives a little shrug. She's got other shoes, it's not the end of the world.

Naru nods a little at the suggestion to stick around after fite class. "I can do that. I've nothing else on Wednesday evenings."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Perhaps to Kyouka, this is as much a test as anything. It seems like Naru is unaffected by the Veil, either partially or completely. Getting her to stay for the magical self-defense class is a good test- either she'll see a lot, or she won't see anything at all. And either result will be illuminating for Kyouka.

    "Well, good then. I'm not going to promise you great revelations. But I will promise you that it won't be boring." She grins again, and sips her coffee.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I've come to realize." Naru comments as she lifts her coffee again. "That there is nothing at all boring about life at Radiant Heart Academy. On or off campus." She moves to stand. "Thank you, Inai-sensei. I appreciate your time."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "Any time, Osaka-san." Kyouka says ambiably. "Say hi to Usagi-chan for me, will you?" Her smiles seems only a little too knowing as she sips from her coffee.