1126/Burnt Out

Burnt Out
Date of Scene:	17 February 2024
Location:	Dorms #2
Synopsis:	After running into more Culinary Guardians and entering a building housing a youma, Chiyo finds her powers aren't working right. She's quick to follow up with Mamoru for some healing and discussion of the event.
Cast of Characters:	Chiyo Sakai, Mamoru Chiba

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Chiyo Sakai has posed:
TXT to Mamoru from Chiyo: You awake? Need some help maybe.

It's a quick text shot off before she makes her way to the dorms regardless, just in case. The idea of waking Mamoru and even Koji up didn't seem great--It wasn't *that* late but it never hurt to check first. As it is she stands outside the door to the dorm just pacing. Stopping. And then leaning against the wall as she reaches up to rub her face several times while waiting for a response. She wasn't sure how good the dorms were for keeping sound out so he may even hear her walking around outside.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru comes out of the room already texting, closing the door quietly behind him, and then glances up and Chiyo is right there, and he startles, then looks wry and puts back his phone. "Koji's asleep," he murmurs. "Let's go to the floor's lounge. Unless this is a Shed conversation...?"

He's in pajamas and jeans, hair fingercombed out of bedhead, sneakers, and he's got his jacket over one arm. His glasses are at least clean.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai glances up abruptly when Mamoru comes out looking a bit startled at how quickly he was there. She's still leaning her shoulder into the wall looking a bit out of sorts though she didn't *look* injured. A quick smile flits over her at mention of Koji being asleep. Good, she hadn't woken him. He'd be upset at her for not telling him, no doubt, but for now...

"Shed," she states simply with her hand lifting to run back through her hair to the messy bun ontop of her head. It wasn't as neat as it usually was and after a moment of thought she just gives an annoyed hmph and pulls out the bobby pins holding it up.

"Definitely Shed. Sorry to wake you," she adds with a nod toward his current attire. "I wouldn't if it wasn't important."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I wasn't asleep yet," says Mamoru quietly, and given that he has bedhead but doesn't look puffy or bleary, he's probably not even lying. "No worries. Let's go, then."

It's not a terribly long walk, though it's probably not great if there's injury... Mamoru's gaze is sharp, given how tired Chiyo looks, and more than once -- especially when they get to the treeline and start into the woods -- he readies to try and catch her if she trips. But then they're there, and he opens the Shed door the correct way to avoid the potential raccoon.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai manages to walk on her own but there's several times she has to stagger her steps to keep from crashing into Mamoru. At the treeline she reaches out to touch the trees as she passes just in case. Her gaze is set on the ground with a look of concentration as she moves along, wobbly and off balance. Somehow managing stubbornly to stay on her feet though.

At least until they get into the Shed. Her steps beeline for one of the chairs that she practically falls into, catching herself on the attached table with her elbows just leaning heavily, and taking a moment to breath deep.

"I'm not sure what happened," she begins risking looking up toward Mamoru again with the smallest of shrugs. "I recently met another Culinary Guardian, finally. He'd been in the states and only just returned. Tonight we were out patrolling, and.." Her head shakes a little.

"Two others showed up. I guess there's more of us now. We followed some energy draining to a cyber cafe and got locked in the darkness and it just... I just..."

"My powers didn't work right."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Turning one of the chairs around to straddle it facing Chiyo, Mamoru sits, face all sharp concern, and he holds out a hand. "They didn't work right and you're exhausted. Did you get hurt? Or did it just-- did it drain you despite your henshin? I mean, I can give you some energy like I did with your grandfather, that's not a problem... but then maybe go over it step by step?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai lifts both hands to hold over her face a moment as she draws in a deep breath. They fall away again, one returning to leaning heavily on the desktop the other offering out to Mamoru. "Okay. I'll run through it," she agrees with a slight nod.

"Sukiyaki ran into the building. It was pitch dark so I lit up my kine with flames. I was about to go in and another one showed up... Shokupan I think he said. Then we both went inside." Here she pauses as she tries to get the timeline right.

"The darkness didn't react to the flames. Just. Darkness. I was trying to find him and then..."

Her lips purse thinking hard. "The flames went out of control. Not drained just. Surging. I felt sick."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru takes the offered hand, and there's immediately a gentle golden glow -- it's searching even as he listens, and it's restorative, and it's a warm bright refuge in the winter and a lazy day in a summer meadow, it's a secret mountain spring in a quiet glade, it's the hidden rivers and pulse of life deep beneath the cities...

"Surging seems right. I should probably do some reading on chakras or something, you've got... you've got like... if your energy were a plug in an electrical socket, the wire would be melted and a little... exploded?" he offers uncertainly. "I know you probably don't want to hear it, but maybe take a couple of days off. Call in some help you've already worked with if there's a problem that needs a kicking. I don't know how to fix what's going on, here."

At least the energy transfer works.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
The relief that washes over Chiyo's face is obvious. That warming, restorative energy just felt so very nice. Especially compared to the off-kilter ache that she'd felt since whatever it was had happened to her earlier. Her eyes almost drift shut before she catches herself to stop from doing so. Nodding off now was not a great idea.

"A couple of days? I can do that. There's nothing pressing going on so far as I know." At least it seems she's willing to take the advice. Smiling thankfully she nods. "All right. I'll let Sukiyaki know I won't be around for a bit. I at least got his contact information. I don't have Shokupan, or the other girl that showed up at the last minute. She just ran off after."

"Thank you, Mamoru. I'll be careful. Maybe I should visit Setsuna too." It had been awhile since she'd seen the nurse.

A thought strikes her a moment later and she grins, more good natured. "Oh, did Usagi tell you what we found out? It's kind of crazy."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Just ran off? That's kind of weird, but... maybe she had to go or something. But yes! It's always a good idea to visit Setsuna," Mamoru says cheerfully as he lets go, crossing his arms over the back of the chair. "I should, too."

Then there's grinning, and something untenses in Mamoru's shoulders; Chiyo unsmiling isn't a good sign, and this is more of reality set to rights. "No, what did you find out?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai laughs a bit at the mention of visiting Setsuna with a ready nod of agreement. It had been awhile since she'd seen her regardless. Clearly she was feeling much better now thanks to his help, even if he wasn't able to fix the energy damage that had caused her powers to go haywire in the first place. "Ah, I don't know about the girl, she acted like Ojiisan sometimes. All standoffish. It could be though," she agrees with a shrug. She didn't know her yet to rightly figure out one way or another.

Looking amused, she grins more. "Usagi stopped by to show her mom the shop and... You know how Hinoiri thinks Usagi is Daifuku because she thinks Usagi gets her moms hair when she changes?" Her hand lifts to tug at one of her curls pointedly. "Turns out she wasn't entirely off the mark. It's genetic. From our grandmas. They were sisters... I'm Usagi's second-cousin."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Hinoiri thinks what?" Mamoru asks disbelievingly, starting to laugh. And then his eyebrows go up. "You are?? Oh that's amazing! Congratulations -- and it's so good you're already friends." He gives her a crooked little smile. "Family's important. I'm very glad you have more, now."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai laughs warmly, "I know right? Yeah, she thinks I'm Sailor Moon and that Usagi henshins into Daifuku because of the hair. We haven't corrected her but..." Her head shakes a little while chuckling. "I guess we are pretty close friends to begin with. Even Sunbreaker thinks we're each other."

At that she grows momentarily quiet in thought, giving a small nod. "Yeah. It's just been me and Ojiisan for so long." Her eyebrows draw together with a smidge of a frown. "Mom's out there too but. I haven't seen her since I was twelve, any way. Barely saw her even then." It's shrugged off. "Our families were a bit estranged due to that whole situation. We've made plans to reconnect. It's... I'm really looking forward to it," she admits quietly.

Then, with a mock serious expression, she raises her eyebrows at Mamoru questioningly. "Am I going to have to give you the talk about treating my cousin right or else?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I still have to figure out why Hinoiri was so scared of Hematite. I definitely would have known if I hurt a civilian any more than a little bit of energy drain, and that's what Sayaka said happened, so that's what Hinoiri must have told Sayaka..." Mamoru shakes his head. "I'm not telling her I was Hematite, though."

Oh, oh, Mamoru gives Chiyo a look for that last one, but he laughs again after, shaking his head. "Of course not," he says, still smiling. "And I'm happy to hear you're getting your families to reconnect... and, sorry about your mother."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai shakes her head at teh apology about her mother only to chuckle. "It's fine. That's how she's always been. Ojiisan is far more my parent." She looks thoughtful on Hinoiri only to shrug as well. "Don't know. Maybe it hit her kind of hard if that was the case. I imagine it's kind of different for everyone... Especially if she can remember, like Naru does."

With a little sigh she pushes to stand up. "I'm going to head home and rest up. Thank you again, Mamoru. You should probably get back before you remember you're in your pajamas and it's winter," she points out with a grin. "See you later."