1004/Things To Focus On

Things To Focus On
Date of Scene:	22 December 2023
Location:	The Gates of Time
Synopsis:	Mercury looks in on one of Mamoru's boys, while they're hiding at the Gates of Time. Somehow the discussion loops through themes of reality vs appearance about half-a-dozen times, under masks that range from 'what even are we standing on' to comforting self-delusions to the troubles rumor can bring. (Date is approximate.)
Cast of Characters:	Kazuo Saitou, Ami Mizuno

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Kazuo Saitou has posed:
The place at the Gates is quiet, but then, it's ... always quiet. Some number of the five tents that the boys have been allotted are occupied - it's difficult to tell how many from the outside. It is probably best not to think about what they're staked down into.

A certain white-haired teenager, currently not immediately by Mamoru's side (which probably means that either Usagi is, or Mamoru is dealing one-on-one with one of the more damaged boys), does not seem to be taking that 'probably best' advice.

Kazuo, dressed in white shirt and black slacks, with a crystal earring that would be startling on most boys but on him half blends in with his hair, had been on self-imposed cleanup duty: making sure that MRE-related debris is neatly contained, and that they're generally contaminating Pluto's space as little as possible. With that done, he's paused by the side of the empty tent allotted to him, looking downward at the white that-is-not-ground with a thoughtful, but faintly uneasy, frown. After a moment, despite that he's touched the stuff a dozen or more times before, he crouches down and prods carefully at it with a fingertip.

At least it continues not to consume his hand. Or tinker with its age, which might be even more distressing.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"You never quite get used to it simply not being actually there, do you?"

The slightly amused, quiet voice pipes up by way of greeting as Sailor Mercury approaches Kazuo. While she'd been here a few times already in an attempt to help out where she can, and even been the one to help get all the MRE's together, she still found it a bit unsettling. *Fascinating* but unsettling.

"I keep thinking that if I stare long enough it may begin to make some sense. I really do want it to make sense," Mercury states quietly glancing down at the white nothingness that held them up, somehow, watching as Kazuo examines it as well.

Her hands sweep forward to rest on her knees so she can crouch down beside him to regard the 'ground' as well. Her visor was out which was perhaps some small help to her as it fed her numbers and statistics and all sorts of info. Even with her genius there was a great deal she didn't understand about it yet though.

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
"Even if it only makes sense on its own terms," Kazuo agrees with a tilt of his head as a sign of greeting rather than shifting to make absolutely unnecessary room, "it'd be comforting to know it's possible to understand what those terms are. Sometimes I can get close enough to convince myself more than intellectually that as long as Sailor Pluto understands them, it's all right. And then I have to change again, and the moment I do anything at all here it feels like I'm standing on absolutely nothing and I have to stomp down my reflexes screaming at me that unless I do something right now we're all about to die."

He straightens up a little and turns his head to offer Mercury a brief grin, mostly amiable, a little apologetic, a little rueful. "At least we can reassure our hostess that we're not going to try to convince her to make this a vacation spot."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"Right, exactly. It's logic fighting instinct, a bit like those glass-bridge tourist attractions over ravines. Though to be quite honest I wouldn't trust those either," Mercury admits with a half-smile. Heights didn't really bother her but knowing how glass breaks was certainly a deterent. Even if it was reinforced safety glass three inches thick.

Tipping her head back toward Kazuo the bluenette overs him a little laugh at the very thought. "She was rather avidly interested in the camping gear while we were getting it, but I rather doubt this is the sort of place she considers a vacation. Especially since she had to spend so many years here by herself." Her expression softens, eyes crinkling in a little concerned frown even as she mentions, "She must have been very lonely."

the thought isn't forgotten so much as she moves on. Setsuna wasn't here to speak of those times right now so there was little reason to dwell on it. "Ah, I'm Sailor Mercury by the way. I never really had the chance to meet you before." A long pause comes as she seems to consider before continuing.

The slight shimmer of transformation melts off of her leaving the bookish top-of-the-class Ami Mizuno there in blue jeans and a light pink ribbed sweater that was a bit too big on her so that it falls halfway over her hands. At least it ensured she was warm while here. Again she smiles and introduces herself, "I'm Ami Mizuno."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
"That's awareness of human nature teaming up with instinct to fight logic," Kazuo suggests, eyes laughing for just a moment. "Only almost the same thing. This place at least has the definite advantage of not having been built by the lowest bidder."

The thought of being here alone prompts a visible shudder from him, though, and he's quite willing to move on as quickly as she is. The pause is not entirely unoccupied, either. "Kazuo Saitou. Briefly Kaitou Kamen - in case Osaka used that name, yes, I was the one working with her on mapping. Hoping never to be in that much formalwear again." He hesitates himself, then adds, "And Kunzite. But I think you know that."

At her transformation back, though, Kazuo blinks. And straightens up further, if only so that he can then offer a somewhat more respectful half-bow. "It's an honor to meet you," he says. "I've seen your name often."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami Mizuno dips down to bow in return easily and without hesitation at the formal greeting. "Ah so that was you, then. You managed to pull it off well though! The formal wear I mean. Not that I was looking much it just stood out a bit at the meeting." Had she even raised her head from typing on her computer that entire time? Apparently at some point.

Rather than continue to stumble over the sort-of-compliment that she hadn't meant to sound awkward, she follows up with a simple, "A pleasure to officially meet you, Saitou-san." A soft, friendly smile comes as she reaches up to press her fingertips into the little tuft of hair by her ear nudging it back behind it.

"Thank you for your help with everything. I know this must be a hard time for you too. I'm still getting used to everything I've learned about my past. I can only imagine how hard it must be learning your old friends were ensnared by the forces of evil."

"... Did that sound cheesey? I'm sorry."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
"I'm the one who should be thanking you, and Kino, and the other two. Taking care of the city and of Usagi is one thing. Taking care of the rest of us is rather a large step beyond what you needed to do, and I'm grateful." There's another flicker of that grin, sharper-edged than Ami's softer smiles, but not threatening for all that. "Besides, apparently sometimes life is just cheesy. So how are we supposed to get around sounding it?"

Kazuo hesitates, then settles himself into a more comfortable seat rather than a crouch. "I'm not sure I'd have classed it as hard, exactly. Frustrating, certainly. Aggravating, yes. Hard for Mamoru, yes. But I don't ... well. At first I didn't understand what was going on. And once I understood enough to put it in those terms, it turned into a practical problem. Tactical. What do we know, what do we need, what do we need to learn, what do we need to do, how can we get enough allies to - oh, Osaka and Tsukino did that part, all right then." Another flash of silent laughter. "The only hard part for me was the absolutely ridiculous workarounds to try to keep them from having to think or say out loud what we all knew was going on. So I suppose the only thing I need to say is -"

He hesitates again. And this time there's no laughter.

"Things I did, and things I was used to do, are behind why you have to still be getting used to what you've learned. I can't undo that. I'm sorry."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami Mizuno shifts to sit with her legs tucked beneath her. It was comfortable enough for her since this wasn't hard ground. Not even terra firma! It was just there and supportive in the oddest way. Not comfortable, not uncomfortable, just existing. The lack of chairs means it will do for now.

For all she knew she could just sit mid-air. Something to test out later when no one was watching to see her make a potential fool of herself.

"You're right. This entire situation is something that seems like it's out of a manga. And I barely read those!" Again she smiles giving a knowing nod at the explanation given. "Usagi-chan and Naru-chan really are very outgoing. I couldn't have pulled such a thing off myself. I'm ... Not very good with people." Something she had to work on herself, though at least it didn't seem as if she had as many issues with them as some of the others they were currently helping out.

"Don't blame yourself for any of that. The circumstances required that you had to handle things the way they were, and those circumstances weren't created by you to begin with. It was by Beryl and what she did to you all in the first place."

"I'm glad we were able to get everyone out." A glance is cast over to the other tents regarding them with a calm, somber expression. "Though I wish I could say we were able to 'safely' get them back."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Kazuo might, might just, have been about to argue ... but he glances toward the other tents as well, and this time the smile's a wry one. He inclines his head toward Ami again in surrender, with a swing of his earring and a fall of white hair. Somehow, when he straightens, the two aren't entangled. Maybe he's unsettled by the ground because he's limited to one piece of dubious physics at a time and he's worried the ground might make him get a haircut to get rid of the other one.

"Safely was more than we could manage," Kazuo agrees. "But they're in good enough shape to heal, and that's the important part. They'll need to relearn how to function in a social setting, themselves - your 'not very good with people' is high art in comparison; even when they look like they're doing well, there are some interesting holes in their thinking and habits. But they're not alone dealing with it, they'll have support, and -" he sighs briefly - "now all Mamoru and I have to do on that front is try to keep them safe enough that the self-appointed Queen and just plain daily life don't stomp all over the damage while they're still getting the supports in."

No guarantees on that front, and he knows it. One victory, or even four, doesn't mean the Dark Kingdom is going to stop.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"Hmm. Even so, I would feel better if there were more I could do to help." Ami turns her gaze away from the tents to look back toward Kazuo. A little amused glint fills her gaze as she points out, "Perhaps I'm a bit like you. I'd prefer if there were things I could actually do to focus on. That is why I'm trying to stop by when I can."

Her hand reaches down to pat the canvas bag that rested by her side. It wasn't overly large and it blended in a bit with her jeans by color alone. "I thought that I could perhaps help tutor on current school topics. If they need help with such things at least it might be one less concern about how to fit in again." A much more confident look comes over her at this as she assures, "Between myself and Mamoru-kun we've even managed to help Usagi-chan bring her school grades up!"

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Kazuo blinks, and then leans back on his hands - both of them on the white not-ground, without a concern for it for the moment - and laughs out loud. "At least," he says, "they won't present the same challenges as Usagi. Different challenges, definitely. Trying to convince them to go to school at all may be a challenge. What's the story? Patapan? No, that's French. Peter Pan. We have three Peter Pans on our hands. Not dying will be an awfully big adventure. I wonder what they should be studying? For that matter, I wonder what year they should be in. Any idea?"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
The connection of the Shittenou to Peter Pan was one that Ami gets rather well. Enough that it garners a giggle from her as well at the reference, and she risks another glance in that direction just to make sure none are about to sneak up and be offended at being called such. "Oh, that was part of why I thought to bring some school work with me. I was thinking that perhaps I could assess their levels. By age they should likely be in the same grade as Mamoru-kun if I'm not mistaken. So far as grades they may surpass it for all I know."

"Unfortunately," Ami lets out a sigh as if this were a situation she'd come upon herself more times than she could count. "Even though there are some advanced class options, the Japanese school system doesn't allow someone to jump ahead in grades no matter how advanced they are. In a way it makes sense. It ensures that everyone has a similar peer group to socialize with so that they're not-" Here she trails off lightly clearing her throat.

"Not like me. I am getting better though. Usagi-chan and the others are helping me to make more friends. It's far better than at my last school."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
"I apologize in advance if they try to bite you for trying to help. I'm not sure that it occurs to them that mundanities like school should be a priority right now." Or possibly ever. Says Kazuo, with his reputation for getting caught sleeping in class. (And his reputation for getting in fights outside of it, though at least that hasn't gotten any renewals this year.)

Then there's the ... unfortunate part. Kazuo nods, slower, to what Ami says. "I'm glad it's better," he answers, and there's honesty in that. "It wasn't great for Kino at her last school, either, though not for the same reasons. I hope it keeps getting better for both of you. And I hope trying to keep up with Tsukino doesn't exhaust you too much! Osaka might only attract chaos, but Tsukino brings it with her." -- yes. Yes, that is absolutely affectionate in tone. And approving.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami Mizuno smiles fondly at the entire mention of Usagi and chaos. The two really did go hand in hand rather easily after all. "She's certainly shaken my life up quite a bit. For the better." Talk of Makoto as well earns a softened look as she recalls the similar issues that she'd gone through. "Yes, I think we get along rather well because of that. We both know the issues rumors can bring. Really, Mako-chan is such a sweet girl, and an excellent baker too. That's a wonderful skill to have."

Now she takes a deep breath before dusting her knees off getting to her feet once more. "I'll certainly do my best. It was good speaking with you, Saitou-san. I think I may go test my luck with my idea for now, if any of them are up to it." Her hand grasps the strap of her bag and she smiles brightly. "Wish me luck!"