554/So About Yesterday...!

So About Yesterday...!
Date of Scene:	05 October 2023
Location:	Cafeteria Plaza
Synopsis:	Norie Okana, Naru Osaka and Momo Sasaki talk at school. Naru and Norie talk about the events of 'It's Pronounced Rifle 2'.
Cast of Characters:	Norie Okana, Momo Sasaki, Naru Osaka

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Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana is sitting. Alone. As normal. In the cafeteria plaza. No one talks to Norie anymore. Not since she got kicked out of Dance Club. She has a stack of donuts on a tray and has been eating them. They're of different types. At the bottom is a chocolate sprinkle donut. The rest are varying flavors from honey dripped yeast ring to plain cake. She's eating them. Steadily. Looking into the far distance as she frowns a little.

Did Hinoiri actually deserve being shot. She thinks. She frowns hard and takes a bite of the plain cake donut she's eating right now.

'of course she did.' says the voice inside her head. She answers back. Into her head. 'Are. You sure?' she asks quietly. The voice merely laughs back.

She furrowed her brow and just continued eating donuts, softly looking down a moment in thought.

Momo Sasaki has posed:
Momo is an exchange student, and doesn't know what happened with Norie. She wanders up to the other girl from the side and clears her throat. "Hi," she says hesitantly, but there's a lot of boldness in approaching a sad stranger! "I'm Momo Sasaki, and I just transferred here. You look lonely," she adds, smiling a little. "Do you mind company?"

Momo's pretty chipper, and trying to make friends. However, she can spot this level of depression from a mile away and never wants to see anyone sad.

Naru Osaka has posed:
It's a late breakfast on Naru's tray, her schedule is apparently a mess, at least for meals. Coffee, toast, an egg. Nothing fancy.

Always coffee.

Naru approaches Norie's table and pauses there a moment. "I'm surprised to see you this morning, Norie." She notes quietly before nodding politely to Momo. "Good morning Momo."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana is eating donuts and first, Momo approaches and she looks over to Momo and she looks at her with slightly narrowed eyes and says. "If you wish." she said quietly. It's a free world after all, Momo can sit wherever she wants. She doesn't seem bothered by it, but she goes back to looking down as Naru approaches.

She gets a little more animated.

"Hi Naru-chan." she says. She doesn't say much.

"I needed to. Eat after. Yesterday." she doesn't explain why in front of Momo. She does slack a bit in her seat when Naru speaks more. Growing more quiet.

"So is. uh. uhm. Ah..."

"Is Hinoiri-san okay?" she asks. Quietly.

Momo Sasaki has posed:
    Momo smiles at Naru, but looks confused at the greeting she gives Norie. Still, she stands her ground and waits for the girl to speak before making any decisions. And the narrowed eyes kinda put her off, no lie. "Uh," she says quietly, looking between the more-familiar girl and the stranger. "S..should I go?" Her voice is quiet, respectful, and absolutely freaked out, all at once. "I don't want to, uh. Interrupt anything?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru looks like she's about to say something more, that slight tensing, the intake of a breath and then she lets it out in a sigh. "When I put her to bed, she was fine. She's probably pretty sore today, but I haven't texted her, I didn't want to wake her if she was sleeping."

Naru nods towards a chair, asking if she might join the table as well. "Don't let me scare you off, Momo. Norie and I had a .. disagreement yesterday about a mutual friend, but she and I can talk about it more later."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana just frowns a little. "You're fine. Sorry." she says in her strange monotone. Trying to relax and clear her thoughts. That means she's quiet for a few seconds and closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She has a stack of donuts. She has her center she just needs to reach it...

Naru's diplomacy check helps a little. She opens her eyes and speaks, finally.

"She made fun of my emotional capacity." a statement she doesn't explain further for Momo's sake. "She got personal about things." she says quietly. There's hints of shame there. But she still continues. "Sorry." she finally says. "Though. Obviously. You're not who I should apologize to." she says. "I can't apologize to her face. Obviously."

She gently tries to push a donut towards both Naru and Momo. Donuts. Donuts help ease tension right?

"Donuts." she says quieter. Monotone.

Momo Sasaki has posed:
Momo hesitates, but sits down, thankful that she doesn't literally have to choose sides at the square four-top. "It's okay," she says in response to Norie and Naru both. She pulls her messenger bag into her lap and listens, wincing a bit. Even without context, that's still a lot, and really painful. She glances at Naru before taking the offered donut and munching quietly, awkwardly sitting at a table with people she really doesn't know. Good times, Momo! Good times.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I wholly and entirely understand why you felt slighted." Naru comments gently as she settles, reaching for her coffee.

Coffee clearly adds to her diplomacy check, right? Certainly adds to the sanity roll.

"It was just a rather extreme reaction to it. Hopefully things are easier for everyone today." Naru smiles at the doughnut offer and shakes her head. "I'm going to eat something without sugar first, although I wouldn't protest half of one, if you were willing."

Naru sets her coffee down and glances to Momo with that same gentle smile. "And how are you doing, Momo?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana realizes she hasn't introduced herself yet. She looks to Momo. "...Norie Okana." she says quietly. "Sorry." she repeats to Momo. She looks back to Naru. Yes. Shooting a bully with a heartstealing gun is kind of ridiculous. She doesn't voice that.

She instead splits a yeast ring donut in half. It has heart sprinkles on it with white icing. She offers half to Naru.

"I haven't seen you before." she says, looking to Momo. Monotone still. "How are you? Are you new? Where are you from?"

Momo Sasaki has posed:
Blinking, Momo looks at Naru with an expression that's hard to read. Confusion, certainly. Bewilderment, sure. A mountain of being grateful, too. But something's interesting here. She's wise enough to drop it, but Momo is a curious person by nature. She's just gonna pay attention to things for a while.

Momo nods to Norie, smiling gently. She hasn't heard any rumors yet, because to hear rumors you need friends who gossip, and Momo doesn't have close friends yet. "Thank you," she says to Norie softly. She thinks the apology is just because Norie needs to say it, but accepts it as gracefully as she can. "Oh," she says with that same gentle smile and tone of voice. "I'm well enough. I just transferred... A few weeks after term started, of course." She shrugs, before gesturing vaguely. "Tokyo, but far enough out that I asked to stay on campus," she explains.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Thank you." Naru smiles at the doughnut offer, taking it and adding it to her plate. She's being good and eating the rest of her breakfast first. She picks up her knife and spreads jam on her toast.

"There's more than a few of us who live in Tokyo, but live on campus. It's so much more convenient, honestly, than spending so much time on public transit." Naru takes a bite of her toast, watiing to chew before asking Momo. "Have you chosen any clubs to join yet? How about you Norie? Dance didn't pan out, but there's plenty other clubs you can choose from."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana looks over to Momo as she nods a little bit. She says, back to Naru. "That's how I met. Hinoiri-san. Looking for. Another club." she says lightly. "Yearbook. Club. I didn't. End up joining." she says more quieter. "I'll continue to look for... another club." she says in a stilted monotone.

"I suggest. Dance Club. If you like to dance." she says. Obviously. To Momo.

Momo Sasaki has posed:
"Clubs? Oh, yeah. I joined choir, gardening, knitting, and volleyball," Momo says with a nod. "I like to keep busy," she adds with a little, sheepish smile. Then she looks to Norie. "I've got absolutely negative rhythm," she says with a bit of a wry grin. "But thank you." Before she can say more, her phone is going off--some bright, cheerful song that she quiets as quickly as possible. She stands, smiles, and waves, and goes to answer this.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Wow.. that's a lotta clubs." Naru comments after Momo as she lists them all. "She probably barely has time to sleep." A wave after the other girl as she goes to take a phone call and then Naru settles back to her brunch.

The other half of her toast ends up with an egg on top of it to make a open faced breakfast sandwich that she nibbles on thoughtfully. "So Yearbook Club, not ideal. Art Club? Horticulture?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana watches Momo leave and she slacks hard. She shoves a donut into her mouth without abandon and mutters. "Plants die at my touch. I really need to. Invest in gloves." she says quietly. "Maybe Art Club. Maybe. I'm not much of an artist." she says more quieter.

"...sorry about the laughing and. stuff. Yesterday." she says quieter. "It's a partial lie I can't feel. 'Good Things'." she says quieter. "It's just that comes at the expense of. Others. Misery. So I just. Try to meditate. And not." she says. "Just. Not."

"I think seeing Hinoiri on the ground and her pure heart made me lose it." she says quietly. "Sorry." she says as she nibbles her donut now in smaller chunks.

"Maybe a sport club..." she says quieter. "Non-contact. of course."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"One might argue that amusement at the expense of others doesn't really qualify as a 'good emotion', but I see your point." Naru nods quietly, her own voice dropped in pitch to suit the tone of the conversation.

"It just felt like a death sentance was a little much. Giving her a good kick in the shins, even a good fight.. that's different than watching her die." Naru manages to keep her own voice calm, level. An exchange of ideas, rather than admonishments.

"Sport club could be good. Running club?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana frowns. "Regardless it isn't good for me. and I hate myself more for it." she says quietly.

She then widens her eyes. "Actually. When the gun hits somebody without a pure heart. It just hurts a whole lot and they wake up later in pain." she says. "I made the incorrect assumption that Hinoiri even had one." she says quietly.

"I was wanting to lay her up for a day. Not. Steal her pure heart." she sighs.

"I was. Upset. Insane. When that appeared. It isn't fair."

"That someone like Hinoiri has a pure heart. While I don't."

"Oh. Track Club." she says. "I don't tire. I might be good at that." she says quiet in monotone still.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Hunh." Naru accepts that bit of information as she finishes her toast, settling back a bit with her coffee. "That surprises me, actually. I would have expected you to have one. Perhaps not quite looking the same as one from the light side, but that's not what I had expected." She quirks her head thoughtfully. "Have you tried it? Cause with that information.. that's legit. Some pain, wake up later, but you get over it."

Naru is not quite naive enough to expect 'turn the other cheek' to be appealing to a dark side user. Work with what you got here.

"It's not fair that you don't have one." Naru agrees. "That feels cruel."

Naru smiles a touch. "Cross country might be a great choice then, it's longer distance runs."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana decides to spill some information. It isn't important info in her eyes. 'Bad people don't give up pure hearts' seems like an obvious thing to her.

She shifts a bit. Uncomfortably.

"It's been tested. Not on me. But it's been tested to that effect." she says softly. "Beings like me. Don't have pure hearts." she says quietly.

She tries to shift the subject again between statements. For her own sanity if for anything else. Between donut bites. "That sounds like it'd be good fit for me then." she says. "I'll check it out later." she shifts again.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Hunh. That is interesting." Naru considers that and nods a little, just accepting that tidbit of information.

Naru shifts topics as Norie does. "I keep thinking I should join, but I prefer my runs to be alone or with just one friend, so I've never bothered to join a club for it." She chuckles softly. "I'm busy enough already."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana looks down to her donut, with the bite taken out of it. It's chocolate frosted. And topped with tiny white Non-pareils- and... tears? Tears. Norie starts to cry. It's slow at first, but picks up after a bit. She rubs her sleeve over her eyes and she mutters. "S-sorry." she says as she just shrinks down into her seat and wishes she could melt into the floor.

She can grant that wish. She could melt into the floor. Turn into a dark puddle. Go lament in some shadow. But. It's in a public spot. Naru is right there. Sure. Naru knows. But. Doesn't want to risk it mid 'Momo returns from her call' or something.

She does shrink in her seat though. She just sniffs. She isn't sobbing, but. It's there still.

"S..sorry." she says quietly as she tries to gather her herself. She takes a deep breath. It does nothing. She swallows and just.

Looks back up, trying to close her eyes and stop the tears. "W...what clubs... ARE you in?" she asks, trying to do anything to distract her mind right now. "Have I ever asked?" she asks.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru scoots her chair over, and she knows exactly what's she's in for when she lays her arm across Norie's shoulders and digs out a tissue. There's no surprise at the feeling of drain that comes with the contact.

"I can't imagine having nothing positive in my thoughts, that has to be so hard. I'm sorry you have to deal with it." Naru gives her shoulders a gentle squeeze before letting go. Passing out in the cafeteria is equally awkward.

"I'm in Art club, and debate Club." Naru answers, accepting the desire for distraction for exactly what it is. "and I go to the self defense class that Inai-sensei runs, which is technically a PE class, not a club."

Norie Okana has posed:
The drain has that crackle at the point of contact and it still feels uncomfortable most likely. She sniff and rubs her eyes with the tissue as she mutters. "It sucks." she says more quieter than she's been. It's an apt statement.

She mutters. "Sorry for the energy drain.". She knows Naru did that purposefully. She still apologizes.

"Ah. So if I joined Art Club. You'd be there?" she asks curiously. "Debate Club. Not so sure about. I would either be the best debater ever with my unfeeling monotone, or someone ticks me off too much I'm an angry mess." she snorts a little about it.

"Self-defense class?" she asks. "What's that about?" she asks.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"It /does/ suck." Naru agrees. "There's no two ways about it."

Naru gives a little wave of her hand at the apology. "It's fine. I was expecting it." Which doesn't exactly make it have less impact, but at least it's not a surprise. Which really is something.

"I would be at Art Club.. I think it would suit you better than Debate club.. for exactly those reasons. Debate club.. well we really do argue, and that is easy to forget that we're supposed to let bygones pass when the debate it done. There's no sense setting yourself up for failure."

Naru nods a little. "Self defense class might be challenging, cause we really do work with other students learning basic falls and that sort of thing. There's a lot of touch though, so you might find it hard."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana is still dabbing her face and trying to not be so awkward about it.

She then sighs a little. "Art Club. Track Club. Look into these both." she says. She nods a little softly as she makes the mental note and listens. "Yeah. I don't need self defense right now." she says quietly. "I mean people can't touch me anyways." she says with a little snort. "-and if that's not an issue I have other means to defend myself." she says.

She pauses. "I should. go. Now." she says stiltedly. Returning back to a normal monotone. "I mean. No offense. I just. Have things to do. Like class." she says as she gathers up her few remaining donuts into the donut bag, for later and takes off like a wave, before stopping a moment and looks back.

"Um. Thanks. Naru-chan." she says softly, before departing.