Texts: It better be worth it

Texts: It better be worth it
Date of Scene:	09 November 2023
Location:	Texts
Synopsis:	Naru and Darien text about contracts, meetings, youmas, Shitennou, and the silver crystal.
Cast of Characters:	Mamoru Chiba, Naru Osaka

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(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: 1) the random monsters are getting vaguely irritating. 2) I think the talk with Chrono and Kazuo went well. 3) What are you lieing to or about Adrien?

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: At least not all the youkai are people-eaters and so far as I know none of them drain energy... let me preface this with *Adrien knows*.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: My boss is looking for a prince.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: He's pretty princely, right? I'm buying time by 'investigting' him.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: I havne't been chewed on by a youkai, but there's still youma who do drain.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: He's totally princely, and that's.. amusing af actually.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: Isn't it? He should be safe. And he knows not to answer that he's a prince if anyone asks.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: I haven't been sending out youmas lately, and I don't think my boys are, either -- we're all focused on the silver crystal now. So I dunno whose youmas they are :/

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Random spawn? Those exist, don't they? Perhaps we'll run out and that would be /amazing/.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: I guess they do, but... I wouldn't expect them to be running thick. Midnight Tokyo's not even close to completion, the shrines and stuff are just prep. So it's definitely not that.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: You've met me, right? If there's a youma in 20 km, they'll find me.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: Meh. I wish I could fix that for you.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: But yeah, the meeting went well.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: And now two out of three of them have told me I might have to kill them to save them. I'm really... not loving that.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: The youma thing is just part of me being me. Like you're allergic to dark energy, I attract trouble. It's a thing. I'm mostly used to it, but every so often, I'm like 'okay, this is irritating'.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Ugh. That's not awesome. It feels really fatalistic.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: Yeah, well. I guess they believe in the silver crystal too. One of them literally said 'resurrect me at a later time' like that's a power I have. But we both know the crystal is a miracle-maker, so

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Like.. I get the whole 'multiple lifetimes' thing, but I dont think it's an 'on command' sort of thing. Not even, necessarily, with the crystal. Magical gizmos, in my very limited expereince, have their own agendas.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: I'm already doing my grieving ahead of time, I can't help it. Believing that there's something that can fix it if everything goes wrong is a survival mechanism.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Of course you are. How could you not?

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: That brings up so many questions and I dont know that I want the answers. Or that you .. or they.. have the answers. <sigh>

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: You can always ask if you decide you'd like to know. I can always say I don't know.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Does that mean they dont want us to try? That when it's hard (cause I expect at some point in the extraction its going to be really hard), they won't fight to come to the light side? Questions you, and they, probably won't know 'til we're in the middle of it all.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: The exact wording was

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: 'If I told you that you'd be better off killing me and bringing me back at a later time than trusting me not to betray you, would you understand *why* I told you such a thing?'

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: it means they don't want me to fall in the attempt to save them.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Did you memorize the line, or write it down? And how many times have you replayed that in your head?

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: memorized

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: too fucking many

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: That sounds like a momumentally brutal conversation. I'm sorry. <3

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: that was the worst part. thanks.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: and the thing is

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: the way things are

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: he's probably right. it's just, it wouldn't be him.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Exactly. It would be the next iteration of him. Which isn't the same.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: no. i mean. about the betrayal. it wouldn't be him betraying me. i understand why he said what he said.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Ahhh. Well to /both/. No, it wouldnt be him betraying you. But it also wouldnt be quite the same him returning.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: it might be, if it's the silver crystal. with all this fuss, if we do find it, it better be worth it, haha

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Seriously. It better be worth it. We better find the damn thing too.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: is it stupid of me to trust them to try?

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: if i trust them to try, we can maybe meet them halfway

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: It's not stupid.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: It might be a little naive. It might be a lot optimistic. It might be full of hope. But it is not at all stupid.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: they followed me in. when they're themselves, they'd follow me anywhere

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Besides, I'm trusting them too. I think they are stronger than what's in their heads, even if they don't fully believe it.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: I think there's more of THEM.. that them.. the 'follow you anywhere' them in there left than they think.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: i think they're stronger with help.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Everyone is.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: good thing they've got it, then.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: More than I think they expect.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: what were you saying about leveling up trust and privacy with rashmi and chrono? for the book?

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: I was leaving that up to you. They are working on the ciphers for the non book stuff. It's your comfort level on if you want to pull them into the journal project. (I have another couple words for you, btw.)

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: i'm thinking that... it's probably a good idea, for the sake of everybody in the city and mmmmmaybe the world, that i stop being so precious. i'd like those words either way though

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: I'll just keep plugging away at it until you decide, but I'm not at all fast. Apparently I make a terrible Device.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: i can also try and teach you the language if you want, but i'm not sure how good i'd be at it. i can only read it well if i'm not thinking about it.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: I'd be happy to learn it, but I know some of your comfort and security around the journal is thanks to my ignorance, so you don't have to.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: ... well. that's how it worked out for one word. i had to trick myself, haha

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: some of it is because you're you and you know how to keep secrets.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Sometimes to Usagi's dismay. And sometimes without realizing it. (I was sure I'd told her that Chrono and Rashmi were dating! Whoops!)

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: i think i knew already, i just don't know from where. probably adrien.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Rashmi told Usagi. Which is better anyhow.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: It was good to see Jason out and about. Thank you for enduring the cafeteria and the gaggle of girls with him.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: it was. i can't read how well he's actually doing, but he's putting up a very good front at least. if it's a front. i think it's a front.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: I worry about him. I'm fond of him, in spite of everything.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: I love him, just like I love the others. That doesn't mean I love his having threatened your life and Usagi's.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: No, I'm not especially fond of being a pawn, but when he's him, I've a soft spot.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: I'm so tired.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: I wish I could carry some of that weight for you. It's a lot and its not going to get easier for a while yet. <3

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: It's okay. You help probably more than you should, all that weight on *your* shoulders. :)

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Keeps me out of trouble? Oh wait.. XD It lets me be useful.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: Which reminds me again... do you want to tell Rashmi and Chrono I have more for them to decode, or should I? I can't be selfish when it comes to this. I mean I can be, but I don't want to be that guy.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: When last I was talking to Rashmi, Nico was still chewing on the calculations. I can wait until they have it done to see if they are willing to do more? We don't even need to tell them what it is, just that there's more text.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: oh, huh.

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: okay. aw man. why's neph gotta be such a butt XD

(PHONE) Darien Shields texts: well, i guess since it means the boss can't read it

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Because Neph gotta Neph, dude.