255/Jason and Naru's Summer Vacation

Jason and Naru's Summer Vacation
Date of Scene:	18 August 2023
Location:	School Library
Synopsis:	I choose to spend my summer vacation... AT THE LIBRARY	!
Cast of Characters:	Jadeite, Naru Osaka

---

Jadeite has posed:
    Things have been... Hectic. Jason Dite has felt himself getting swallowed up by anger, fear, paranoia, resentment, and a host of other things that do not make well for a stable, clear-thinking mind. Sometimes, he wonders if the reason some of his colleagues appear to be blitheringly stupid and foolish is because they've felt like this for so long that they've just stopped thinking, and are instead just listening to the voices in their head. Sometimes, he wonders if maybe that would be easier. Sometimes, very rarely, he considers what it would take to kill the thing that's whispering.

    For now, he is focusing on his school work. It may be summer, but he has plenty of homework. Not necessarily because he needs it, or because his teachers wanted to give it, but because his father (he always finds himself sneering at the very idea of a human being his true father) is still trying to groom him for some higher position in the business world. If only that vapid old man knew what the the future has in store for him. In less than a year, perhaps, it will all be different.

    There he goes again. Jason runs a hand through his mix of wavey and curly blonde hair as he his other hand takes off his eyeglasses and sets them down on the table he is sitting at. One of those long ones, with multiple chairs around it, facing each other from opposite sides. Japanese libraries are still quiet, at least. The days of quiet libraries are long gone in the west. Noisy bastards.

    Tired eyes scan over the books and papers splayed out in front of him.

    Commander of the Far East division of the Dark Kingdom's invasion of Earth, still has to study United States history. What in the fuck does that even have to do with anything in his life? He already has the basics from when he lived in Europe anyway. He can smother his native accent completely, but he is very much Not A Local. In many senses.

    He closes his eyes and leans back in his chair limply, one hand going to rub the bridge of his nose as he sorts through the state of affairs.

    1. Has the power to control minds.
    2. Can move the world around him at will.
    3. Can manipulate the very fabric of space-time.
    4. Has power beyond anything any normal human on the planet could ever hope to achieve.
    5. Has legions of youma at his beck and call.
    6. Is one of the four Dark Generals, and the First of the Four Heavenly Kings.

    Here he is, trying to understand the deep significance behind the myopic writings of Hemmingway, while Literature teachers practically stumble over themselves to praise him and correct any writing that isn't emulating him. Makes sense. Whatever happened to Japanese pride?

    First floor: Washing machines and vacuum cleaners.

    His sanity is fine, you judgmental assholes.

Naru Osaka has posed:
It has been an entirely different sort of hectic over in Naru's world. Less about plans of taking over the world, and more abrupt realizations that the world is absolutely nothing like what she has thought for the last fourteen years. And what her place is in it. And so many ramifications and realizations and (mis)understandings therein. It's been a lot.

Amongst that A Lot, there's a need, a deep desire really, for some quiet normal time. And so, the library. Surely to goodness there's not going to be a youma attack here?

At least not this afternoon, if the universe is kind at all.

Naru has her book bag slung across her chest as she pauses next to Jason's table. She's quiet, she's quite good at quiet, but she's giving him that moment to lean back in his chair with his eyes closed. Ideally not trying to startle the snot out of him too badly.

A moment or two passes and then she asks quietly. "Um. I think we're using the same books, may I share the table and the books with you?"

She's tiny, she's not from his grade, it's unclear why she'd need books a grade ahead, but here she is.

Jadeite has posed:
    Without even opening his eyes, Jason makes a sweeping gesture towards his study materials. "Help yourself. Clearly I'm not making use of them presently." He takes in a very slow, deep breaths as he lets the hand rubbing his temples fumble around on the table until they retrieve his glasses. He doesn't put them on though, just kind of holds them in hand. He's wearing the typical boy's Radiant Heart Academy uniform for his age. Whatever that may be. He's definitely not ethnically Japanese, even if his Japanese is flawless. He may appear more mature than he is, enough that it's hard to nail down, but once he finally puts his glasses on and sits up, the tired, mildly bewildered-to-be-spoken-to, boyish looks combine with the scholarly aesthetic, and he suddenly looks... Much, much younger.

    In many ways, younger, and in over his head. He's still blinking owlishly at Naru as he introduces himself. "Jason Deetay." Or that's how he pronounced 'Dite' at least. Still somewhat out of sorts and bleary-eyed, he doesn't make too much effort to examine the female student who has approached him. He is content to let his brain cool off after running on all cylinders a month and a half.

    His eyes gradual focus, enough to see the apparent age and grade discrepency. He smiles slightly. "A fellow overachiever?" he inquires.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"You look like you could use a nap, a coffee and a puppy. Approximately in that order." Naru comments with a gentle smile as she settles herself across the table from him, unslinging her bag as she settles. She's also in a school uniform, somehow managing not to look crumpled, even with her satchel doing its level best at wrinkling her blouse.

"Naru Osaka." She replies at the introduction. "Usagi's roommate, if that helps." Because generally everyone knows Usagi.

There's a little rueful smile at his accusation of being a fellow overchiever. "Shh." She lifts her finger to her lips. "Only a little. I'm trying to get an arguement together for a topic in Debate Club." Which is not helping her arguement about not being an overachiever. Extra research for a /club/.

Jadeite has posed:
    Jason holds up a hand in a 'I would never!' gesture, with accompanying mock-wounded expression, like a young Han Solo. If Han Solo was a blonde. "Your secret is safe with me," he answers quietly with a flourish, before wearily picking up 'The Old Man And The Sea' and immediately wishing to put it back down; or maybe through a wall. To stave off more tedium, he asks, "Obligatory or voluntary?" Where did he put his--Oh, there it is. A sleek black and gold ink pen with the bright red 'Beryl Holdings' logo on it. He at least gets as far as signing his name before looking again for a distraction.

    "Lovely to meet you, Miss Osaka. I'm afraid I don't remember anyone by the name Usagi. But being defined by one's acquaintances has never been a standard I like to go by, so that's fine." He smiles, and his gray eyes pick up the color of his pen when the light hits it, making them appear a gold as well. They twinkle a bit, but not in a supernatural way. Just a 'I am humaning for a change. This is nice.' sort of way.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Usagi is more.. or at least as.. social as I am, so often it's suitable context. If you dont' know her, that's fine." Naru doens't seem that surprised. It does happen. Not often, but it does happen.

Naru winces a little at the question about voluntary studying. "I suppose it completely ruins my cover if I admit that it's voluntary, doens't it?" She can't help but laugh at herself. "What can I say, sometimes I'm competative and here I am, studying when I don't need to be." She flips open her satchel, digging out her notebook, sketchbook and pencil case.

"But the quiet is nice. It's peaceful here." Naru pauses. "Even if I'm shattering that quiet, and that peace by forcing social upon you." At least her voice is quiet, even when she's giving a self-depricating little chuckle.

Jadeite has posed:
    "Believe me," he says gravely, "You weren't interrupting anything that I didn't want to be interrupted. Unlike your ladyship, my academic progress is a result of forceful prodding. Not that I don't enjoy reading, studying, researching, and learning, but it's not much of a recreation when one's arm is being twisted to do so." He takes a breath and lets it out slowly. "My apologies. We were having such a nice conversation until I started leaking my personal issues into the open air. Allow me to clear it with less serious business."

    He puts the book back down after all.

    "This may sound peculiar, or as though I am attempting to be flirtatious, however I assure you I have no such attentions. Mostly." He smirks and tilts his head to indicate he is teasing. Then the smile dies away. "Have we met before somewhere? I feel as though I know you, but I can't place you." Resting his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands, Jason tries to piece this puzzle together. It's right there on the tip of his brain. Sadly, his brain is still trying to catch up and has failed to take the elevator to do so, instead limping up the stairs like the protagonist in a slasher movie.

    "Perhaps at a gala? My family likes to throw those wastes of time and resources a lot, though I've not attended one in years. Something something... Jewelry perhaps? A display?"

    He's not giving much time to answer, but he's mostly just puzzling through it one bit at a time by talking out his thought process.

    He shakes his head finally, and lets his arms drop back to the table. "My apologies. This has been..." Jason gestures around vaguely. "...A period of time."

    Second floor: lingerie and house tools.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Reading and investigating and digging into the the things that you are passionate about, or even just curious about really is an entirely different kettle of fish from slogging through something you care absolutely nothing about, in order to recite a phone book of trivia back on command." Naru nods in firm agreement with that. "The fact that I'm vaguely curious about American government does not oblige you to be." She gestures at the books on the table, although to this point, hasn't actually gotten to reading any of them.

As he said, it's a much nicer conversation than all of that.

Naru quirks her head thoughtfully, considering the non-Japanese features of the young man across the table from her. "If you're going to flirt, you'll need to be significantly less subtle than that, so have no fear there." She shakes her head a little. "Perhaps in passing somewhere. I have spent serious amounts of time at OSA-P, if that helps at all? Gala feels unlikely, but possible."

Naru nods, her expression gentling a little. "It's been A Lot, of late. S'alright. Either you'll remember at some point, or you'll realize that I just remind you of someone else, and this actually is our first meeting." She flashes that quick grin again. "I can get up, and come back to the table and re-introduce myself and then you can be all 'ahh, yes, I met her in the library! It's all clear now.'"

Jadeite has posed:
    He accepts that return teasing with good humor. "I've not much had the time or inclination to practice, and I am not about to choose the first person who sits down and holds a normal conversation with me to practice upon. I have far more need of friends, to be honest." He listens to Naru's explanation, feeling like here he has someone who understands that exceptionalism is not, itself, exceptional. Especially not when it is mandated. The unaliving rate in Japan is high for a reason. Stress, pressure, burn-out, abusive systems, exploitative work environments, dreams promised and then withheld. Just one more thing to fix when the world is remade. Maybe then people can learn because they want to, and be given what they need to do so.

    The name of 'OSA-P', however, changes everthing. Jason freezes as recognition flashes in his eyes. His smile slowly widens. OSA-P. The shop where Morga was operating. The girl from the Four Clover Mall. The one in the memories he lifted from the witnesses. Where else? What else? There have to be more connections that he has missed until now.

    Wasn't that where Sailor Moon first appeared? How convenient that she showed up to stop Morga within such a short time period. Almost like she was already there.

    "You are an intriguing individual." he says gently, quietly. "I can see in you how I might have turned out with a different upbringing. I admire that. Lending out text books may not quite suffice, but if there's anything I can do to encourage you on your chosen path, please do let me know." He quickly jots down his phone number on a piece of paper and tears it out of his notebook.

    His smile is fragile, even if there's green fire in his eyes, as he says, "At least one of us should be happy with their future."

    He is surprised to find he actually means it.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"The first normal conversation?" Naru sounds vaguely aghast at the notion. "It really has been a time, hasn't it? If I'm the first, or the first in long enough to feel like the first." Her smile is an easy thing, one that seems to be weathering all that Japan throws at people with some level of calm.

She's got this. Mostly. Generally.

Naru watches the recognition of the shop name flicker past and she just nods a little, accepting that reality of having met so very many people at her mother's store. She doesn't press for more context, likely for the best, all in all.

She reaches for that bit of notebook paper and there's an impish little smile. "I do warn you. I am unreasonably fond of texting people, and in giving me your number, you may well be inundated with random chatter." She manages to deliver this warning as gravely as she can, with her eyes sparkling with humour as she does.

"The future is not a firm and solid thing." Naru admonishes gently. "Even if it sometimes feels inevitable, and looming. It is not carved into stone and forged from lava."

Jadeite has posed:
    "If the future was fixed, we wouldn't need insurance companies. Or EULAs about the volume of texts we will receive." he says ryely as he puts down his pen. "Not to worry. I'm not one of those determinists who thinks everything is preordained and cannot be changed. There has to be a point to it all, even if not a 'grand plan'. There has to be something we can do to affect our own lives, or else why bother living? Something that cannot change its own future, and has no purpoe at all... That's less than a machine." Well, don't get all dark and philosophical now.

    "Apologies again. I appreciate the comforting words. Why don't you just... Let me know which of these books you need, and you can borrow them. No reason to pay these gouging school bookshops more blood money than we must. You can call me when you're done with them. Or text, as the case may be." It looks like he's putting his stuff away in a duffelbag. Not branded with Obsidian or Beryl Holdings logos, thankfully, he isn't that obvious.

    "I think I won't be getting much studying done today without a nap first." he says with a weak smile.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Remember, nap first.. then coffee, if you drink coffee, I suppose. Caffeine of choice." Naru smiles a touch. "And then a puppy. Kitten videos if you can't get puppy snuggles, they are a bit of a rare commodity, but kitten videos will do in a pinch." The universal balm for all woes.

Possibly not Obsidian and Beryl Holdings woes, but it'll take the edge off at least.

"Thank you." Naru reaches out to snag a couple of promising looking books. One an overview and one with a bit more depth. "I can drop them off somewhere if you'd like. I should only need them this afternoon. Tomorrow on the outside."

Naru's smile is warm and gentle. "It was a delight to meet you today, Jason. Even if we have met before, today feels like a first meeting with a first normal conversation. Enjoy your nap, I hope it helps."

Jadeite has posed:
    "You as well, when you get there. I'm not much of an animal lover, but I'll give it a shot. Kittens you say..." Thoughtfully, he asks, "You wouldn't happen to own a black cat, would you? One with an odd bald spot on its forehead?" He shrugs and smiles in embarrassment. "Weird question, I know. I just thought I recalled seeing one recently and it stuck in my mind. I hope it has a good home. Someone who would shave a cat's forehead like that can't be trusted to keep a living thing under their care."

    He shakes his head. Not much of an animal lover, but he's concerned about their mistreatment. Maybe this Jason guy is just a tsundere for cute animals.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"You don't have to adore kittens to just let the cute wash over you like a soothing balm to the senses. Embrace the cute." Naru grins and then shakes her head to his question. "No, I don't have any pets myself. I spoil various cats and pets around the dorms, but none are mine." She gives a little shrug. "It might just have fur that grows that way too. Wouldn't be the weirdest thing I've seen."

Not by a long shot, recently.

She actually opens one of the books she's borrowing from him. "Go have your nap. Feel better for it."

Jadeite has posed:
    With a wave, a nod, and a half-bow, Jason does as instructed. "I'll certainly take a look. I understand that the internet was made for cat videos, so there should be no shortage of material after I awaken. Good day, Miss Osaka. Or Osaka-san, I suppose I should be calling you." Belated realization that he's not in Europe anymore. God he's so out of it. At least she didn't seem to react to the bit about a black cat. Good actress, or just honestly unconnected, either way, the blonde young man is interested.

    Third floor: Mattresses and health food.

    He needs sleep almost as much as he needs Naru to be a normal friend.

    Just one.

    To keep him sane.

    Please.