642/Debate Club tidy... catch up!

Debate Club tidy... catch up!
Date of Scene:	24 October 2023
Location:	Club Building
Synopsis:	After Debate Club, Rashmi and Naru are tasked with tidying up the club room. Much catching up and gossip ensues.
Cast of Characters:	Naru Osaka, Rashmi Terios

---

Naru Osaka has posed:
There's something really satisfying about arguing with friends. Making good points, thinking quickly on your feet to come up with rebuttals to others' points. It's why the Debate Club exists after all, and truly, why Naru gets to those club meetings as often as she can.

For some strange reason, she is so much busier than she used to be.

Still, it was an arguementative good time, and it's down to just the two of them to tidy up after the meeting. Putting things away, ensuring that the club room is in a spiffy state.

"It feels like it has been approximately forever since we've manage to chat." Naru comments to Rashmi as she tucks a chair upside down onto a table to ensure that sweeping is easier.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
While arguing can be fun, Rashmi has always been *extremely intense* as a listener in Debate Club. With her focus on understanding the person behind the argument, she seems to have more fun in that 'eureka' moment, when word choice becomes an important contextual clue that reveals the person's entire outlook on, and relationship to, the topic in question.

And as Naru stacks tables to sweep, Rashmi is collecting the garbage -- because even a small cluster of students can generate an outsized amount of snack wrappers, drink containers, and paper detritus -- to haul out later.

"Just about," she agrees, pausing to consider. "...Wow, I think the last time we really *chatted* was... huh. Before the summer festival! Well *that's* gotta change."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Like.. I'm not even sure we could reliably talk about the Weird yet." Naru is not at all shy about bringing it up these days. Magic and magical things are just omnipresent in her life. No matter her status.

"So thank you for offering to stay and clean up with me." Naru grins over at the other girl. "Two birds with one stone." Tidying up after a club meeting is just an accepted part of being in the club, they take turns and it works out well.

"Although one of the big questions I had to ask you was mitigated somewhat." Naru glances over and her expression is apologetic. "Sorry, not everyone is comfortable with talking about the weird just randomly, so I'm trying not to just open with it, but I utterly failed at /that/."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Wait, the We--" Rashmi pauses, then turns to stare at Naru, blinking owlishly -- the effect magnified by her glasses -- and tilting her head. "...You knew? Ohmigosh I am *so sorry* I was talking circles after the Mall! If I'd've known, I-- well I wouldn't have been so evasive, for one. ...So uh... yeah, hi."

Shaking away the segfaults in the back of her head, she clears her throat. "...Well okay that means *everyone I know* is in on it, so... that's handy at least. ...So what'd you want to know?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru laughs warmly. "At the mall, I barely knew what was going on. It was as much a surprise to me that I wasn't excluded from your barrier as it was to me. I am still an edge case, I have no powers, that I know of, but I'm clearly some flavour of magical based on how I do remember, and these days, am doing pretty active amounts of magical research of my own." Naru pauses and considers. "I.. have a couple friends who aren't in the know, but they are few and far between at this point, I have to admit."

Naru stacks another chair onto the table now that she's explained quite how she's her own flavour of weirdo. "Right.. did you hear about the soul stealer guns? The first version of them was pretty fatal, and I was worried enough about them to start investigating the possibilities of barrier based armour." Naru considers a moment. "I haven't yet witnessed the second version, but I have it on excellent authority that version two is not actival lethal, so I'm less concerned."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...Well I mean... 'Heard of them,' sort of," Rashmi says slowly, fiddling with the sunburst charm clasping her bow shut. Then, she shrugs, and unclips the charm entirely. "But Nico-kun wasn't around when it crossed my plate. Nico, please wake up?"

    << *BONG!* >> << COMMAND INPUT AWAIT, >> speaks a voice that, though perhaps distorted by flat tone and occasionally glitchy word usage, sounds for all the world like a tweedy English professor about to launch into a lecture. And then the charm is encircled in a bubble of golden light, which when fades reveals a huge, floating, *armored* book, with a large red crystal cabochon in its center.

"Nico-kun, this is Naru Osaka, my friend," Rashmi says with a smile.

    << *BONG!* >> << IT IS A PLEASURE AND AN HONOR TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE, SUBJECT 'Naru Osaka,' >> Nicomachea replies... and why the proper name is spoken in a drive-thru-speaker version of Rashmi's voice, perhaps only Kami-sama knows.

"...So wait, there's a new version now? And it *won't* kill anyone?" Rashmi says, tilting her head. "...Well that's a relief. Catra-san's probably furious at the trouble she had to go to, though..."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Pleasure to meet you, Nico." Naru greets the device politely, offering a touch of a bow. "I find all of the different devices to be absolutely delightful." She grins brightly.

"To my knowledge, at this point, all of the guns I've seen used has been version one." Naru explains. "So the one Catra used.. the one that I got shot by, those were all version one. The ones that La Crima was using." She considers. "I'm hoping that Obsidian has distributed the new version by this point.. okay." Naru pauses to correct herself. "I'm /hoping/ they just shelve the project entirely, but that doens't seem terribly likely. There could still be both versions out there."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"One less of the first," Rashmi notes. "And I guess Adora-chan was successful, *and* Catra-san isn't super upset about it... Anyway. Catra-san acually randomly came *through my window* at the hospital, if you can believe it," Rashmi says. "Apparently she didn't like the idea of just killing whoever she shot with the thing, so... She was looking for terminal patients? I... still have *no idea how I managed it,* but... I got her to give that idea up, and she set up a fight with Adora-san and whoever, so the gun could get broken without it coming back to bite her."

Shaking her head, Rashmi sighs. "So... okay terrible that it's still happening, but better that there's a, uh... less-lethal, not-all-of-the-soul-stealing gun? Out there?" Staring into the middle distance, Rashmi sits on the side of a desk. "...Setences I thought would never pass my mouth... Oh! Yes. I brought Nicomachea out because... Well if you don't have magic of your own, and you had questions, well..." She gestures vaguely in the direction of the book.

    << MY MASTER WISHES FOR ME TO COMMUNICATE THAT, IN ALL STATISTICALLY PROBABLE CASES, A DEVICE'S FORM IS AN ESSENTIAL COMMUNICATOR AS TO ITS FUNCTION. THUS, MY PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO GATHER, COLLATE, AND DISSEMINATE HELPFUL INFORMATION. >>

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I think the final tally was that we took out three of the guns." Naru mmms softly as she thinks about it. "Including that one, which is not half bad. We also learned that they have a self destruct mechanism if they fall into the hands of the light side, although we're not yet sure how that's triggered. But capture is harder cause they explode."

Naru momentarily leans aginst the desk she should be flipping chairs up onto, but conversation is more intersting than cleaning for the moment.

"Right!? Sentances I never /ever/ thought I'd say.. or experiences I'd never figure I'd have. I don't know why I didn't think souls would be warm, but I never in my life expected to hold people's souls." Naru shakes her head a little and then holds her fingers up by her temple and explodes them away with a little "Pffow" explody sound.

"That is an excellent purpose, Nico. I am grateful that you do it, that's also my main purpose.. generally." Naru comments to the device in specific. "I have a set of cypers that need cracking, and I'm not sure if that's something in your wheelhouse or not." She smiles. "I mean, I'm eternally curious about everything. I've been working with Chrono on some of the magical language behind devices, but I'm slow at it, at best."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Okay that's *great* news," Rashmi says. "And since it sounded like they were prototypes, if there *are* any of the first lot around we're probably not gonna see them. Too valuable to field-test, now."

As Naru addresses Nicomachea, Rashmi smiles. "I don't know why you don't seem to have magic, Naru, but I can fake it, a little? Maybe someday soon I can give you flying lessons, since you'd remember it? That's something I *can* do for other people."

    << *BONG!* >> << CRYPTOGRAPHY IS NOT AMONG MY OPTIMIZED PURPOSES, >> Nicomachea opines. << IF SUBJECT 'Naru Osaka' IS WILLING, I MAY ATTEMPT BRUTE-FORCE PATTERN MATCHING, WITHIN SPECIFIED PARAMETERS. ALTERNATIVELY, WITH APPROPRIATE PERMISSION, ANOTHER DEVICE MAY BE DEEMED MORE SUITABLE TO THE TASK. >>

"Chrono-- ahem. Quick gossip aside, Chrono and I're dating now, it happened at the masquerade-- has been teaching me how to program spells too. It... I am not good at math. Best I can do is use the programming engine Nico has, it's like putting together a puzzle and simulating the results. ...I didn't save it but if you *absolutely need* a spell to throw up a cloud of foot-funk, I did that by accident."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I'm really optimisic about only a few.. if any.. of the first version being out there." Naru agrees with a nod.

Naru laughs softly. "If something happens and we're desperate for it, flying sounds good, but generally?" She ahems softly and looks vaguely sheepish. "I'm kinda scared of heights, so I'm super not in a rush to go flying. Magic or not. There's some theories on my magic, but at the end of the day, I still don't have powers, which is fine." Mostly fine. Generally fine. It's /fine/.

"Duly noted, Nico." Naru is thoughtful a moment. "I can send you a copy of them and you can see what you can do, but these are some sort of ancient magical language to boot, if I remember correctly, so it's a mess and a half. Still, worth trying."

Naru blinks at Rashmi at the tidbit of gossip and then she 'EEEEEs!' in happy delight! "Oh that's awesome Rashmi! He's such a sweetie. I like him a lot." She holds up a hand. "Not like that.. just I'm happy for /both/ of you." She beams brightly. "I mean.. I am pretty good at math, if Chrono is busy when you're trying to work through something, I'd be glad to help. I can appreciate you would prefer him, cause /duh/, of course you would, but if you have need."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Laughing, Rashmi holds up her hands. "Hey, hey, don't worry about it. Both of us are super new to dating in general, but like... We're only dating because *somehow* he screwed up the courage to give me a full-blown *confession* after he tripped at the dance and I caught him, once. If he hadn't, I'd probably never have realized. So you can like him-- he's super likable! --but I'm *not* gonna be the jealous helicopter girlfriend."

"Anyway, I'll probably take you up on that math help. We can have study jams at the Korma! And if you're afraid of heights, well... Anyway point is, most of what I do is making other people more effective, so if we're caught in a mess together and it's *really important* you punch for effect? Just tell me, I'll back you up."

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru giggles softly. "I went on one date with Hinoiri, and both of us spent about half of it talking about how we had no real idea how dating works. So yeah.. awkward 'making it up' is totally going around."

Naru ooohs softly. "Okay, that is /super/ handy. So far the most functional I've been in a fight is when I got to borrow one of Takuto's swords. Generally most youma don't even notice an entirely mundane punch." She makes a face, irritated, but it's clear that's she actually tested this theory. "So some boosting? Very appreciated."

"Study sessions, for the win!" Naru declares and then laughs. "Without ditching anyone like a Rom Com, cause we totally did that to Usagi and Darien before they admitted they were dating."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Hinoiri," Rashmi repeats, brow furrowing. "...I feel like I know that name. Could you describe her to me?"

"For the win!" she echoes, throwing her hands up. "Social Studies and Civics is my big specialty, if you're having trouble there too. *And* we'll get a friends and family discount on the food! But-- wait you did what. ...Who's Darien?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Wait.. someone doesn't know Darien?" Naru blinks and then chuckles softly. "I suppose it's only half helpful to say 'Usagi's boyfriend'. Koji's roommmate?" Naru offers to see if that helps more. "Either way."

"Lessee.. Hinoiri.. drives a motorcycle, although she's also in grade 9, yet another red head, but she's got lighter streaks." She considers and then smiles. "Generally really confident.. one of the transfer students a little earlier this year."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Redhead, stre--oh! I remember her," Rashmi says after a moment's thought. "Usagi-chan brought her in for her first curry when I was helping out! I... think she was singing to herself at one point? I wouldn't say 'confident,' but that was just the one time. People get protective of their food sense-preferences, it could have just been that," she says with a shrug. "So, no chemistry? Or something to circle back to once you've both got a better handle on things? And... yeah no, I've never actually seen Usagi-chan around with a boy, mostly just her friends -- which includes whoever gets swept up in her wake, which seems like a regular thing. And Koji-kun doesn't talk about his roommate all that much, I get the feeling there's some protectiveness there."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Singing is possible." Naru conceeds, even if she hasn't witnessed any herself. "She's the other vegetarian around here. I swear we're the only two, which seems super weird." Naru shakes her head. "No chemistry at all. We had a great time as friends, but my 'I'm pretty sure I'm straight' has not changed for going on a date with her."

Naru laughs softly. "Clearly you have not seen Usagi recently, cause I swear the pair of them are basically joined at the hip, or wish they were. They are /adorable/."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Hey, nothing wrong with making sure," Rashmi says, lifting a shoulder. "If you can be good friends, that's not nothing. And I can tell you *easily* you're not the only vegetarians here. There's a reason we keep half the menu to foods a Buddhist monk would be allowed, it's just kind of coincidence that Indian food is vegetarian-friendly."

At Naru's description of Usarien, Rashmi grins. "Well that's great, it sounds like they're doing good! Wonder if I'll ever meet the lucky guy."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I appreciate the options on the menu.. even if I pretty much get the same thing every time." Naru has to laugh at herself. "Although last time Adrien and I were there, he kicked me out of my rut and got me to try something different."

"I'm sure you'll meet him at some point." Naru is confident on that point. "Although it feels like we've just all been so busy dodging copious amounts of stress and stupid.. and you had to do a bunch of healing.. I don't know if things are in a lull right now, but I have hopes that we can take a breath."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Seriously," Rashmi says, sighing. "And I mean... If there's one thing this whole magic nonsense has taught me, *especially* the hospital stay? Be glad every time there's a quiet day, because it stops being quiet on a *yen.* Speaking of ruts though, what's your usual? Because I know a guy on the inside, if you feel like a curry adventure I *can* set one up."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I half expect because we commented on it, that there'll be a youma waiting for us outside." Naru snickers softly. Joking. Probably. Hopefully.

Naru looks a little sheepish. "I am the most boring of boring.. straight up vegetarian korma." She has to admit and then laughs softly. "Adrien got a lentil dish, and I have to admit.. it /was/ good."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Well I feel sorry for the youma then," Rashmi says, wrinkling her nose. "Because Chrono taught me a couple really good spells, and I am *not* about to let something spoil today."

Chuckling, she tilts her head. "Why's that boring? You're talking to someone who grew up with 'Food is love' as the first rule. Comfort food is comfort food, and if it makes you happy then veggie korma it is! I just like giving my friends new things, because the *joy on their face* is worth seeking out, y'know?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru grins. "Between the pair of us, we will give it what for. And people will be /so surprised/." She lifts her hand to offer Rahsmi a high five at their potential awesome.

"You know what.. we should totally do a curry tasting. So that people like me who are stuck in ruts can taste test, but with our friends so that it's fun." Naru grins. "Food /is/ love. It's toally true."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Oh yeah," Rashmi grins, slapping the offered hand. "And I *love* the idea of a curry tasting! I'll talk to Papi about it! We may have to put some money together to make it worth it, because let's be honest the number of people here who love the Korma would probably mean the restaurant gets *rented out* for a couple hours, but especially now it's getting colder? A curry party sounds *awesome.*"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I'm totally sure we can throw money at a curry tasting. It wouldn't be right to expect you to close and not get anything out of it. I fully expect that if we passed the hat around this place, we'd totally cover renting the place out for a couple of hours to nosh and chat and eat some more." Naru beams. "Alright. As things get colder, let's do it. And now? Let's finish cleaning up.."