1925/Role reversal

Role reversal
Date of Scene:	04 September 2024
Location:	Midori-Ya Cafe
Synopsis:	Naru and Hinoiri talk about life powered and unpowered, both of them having been on both sides of that equation. There's coffee and cake to fuel the conversation.
Cast of Characters:	Naru Osaka, Hinoiri Kirara

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Naru Osaka has posed:
It's an escape to not be either in her mother's store or studying right now and be hiding in plain view at the coffee shop. Naru has been elusive for what feels like FOREVER (A handful of weeks, but that truly is forever to teenagers), and now? Now the petite young woman has brought some text books to settle at an outdoor table with coffee. And cake.

What's more odd, to any who might know Naru, is that more than half the cake is gone already. And there's not even any sign that Usagi is here!

The day is warm, but the shade is welcome and apparently not even summer warmth makes Naru not drink hot coffee.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
The sound of a motorcycle heralded the approach of a certain once-dark-but-now-not girl. The bike skidding into a stop in one of the parking slots before Hinoiri swung a leg over, took off the helmet, locked it into the compartment and started towards the shop... only to pause when she saw Naru.

Then her eyes glanced down to the cake and she asked the obvious question. The question everybody would ask in this situation.

"So, is Usagi inside getting another drink or did I just miss her?"

Though, for a scant moment, she did wonder if it was something else... perhaps, even... that Naru was using a lot of calories for somethin else.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I have entirely lost track of who Usagi is out with today." Naru answers without even lifting her head, her tone wry. "But I'm here alone. Apparently everyone is busy today, and I finally decided I was taking a break." She gestures at the other seats. "You're welcome to join me if you want. Feels like it's been forever since I've seen you."

Naru makes a face. "I've spent so much time at the store, it feels like its been forever since I've seen /anyone/." She reaches for her coffee to take a drink of that.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod. "Yeah, give me a minute and I'll go snag a coffee and then come hang out for a minute."

She headed inside, grabbed something... fruity. She felt like she was in the mood for some fruit. And also a coffee with a bit of cinnamon and dash of whipped cream. Then she came back out, sitting across from her.

"So, the store... the jewelry store? That sounds..." She paused, imagining working with the public. In a jewelry store. She then gave a shudder. "Actually, it sounds pretty terrible, if I can be honest. How are you holding up? Kill anyone yet? Need help hiding the bodies?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"It's not THAT bad." Naru protests and then pauses a moment. "Okay.. it IS.. but I'm used to it. I've been helping out in the store for as long as I can remember when my mother needs me to and yes.. people are obnoxious." She gives a little shake of her head. "Still, it's not like I can just tell my mother 'no' when she needs the help."

Naru uhhhs softly at the question about 'kill anyone yet' and reaches for her fork to stab the cake. "Youma don't count, right? Nor anything that happened with Beryl or Thetis. Also doesnt count." At least there's no bodies to hide?

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small shrug before biting into her strawberry muffin. Her fruity snack. "I... wouldn't know. I've told people no before. I imagine it being your mother makes it harder."

"... Really, now? You been going out, decking youma left and right, calling it the Thetis-one-punch-down-KO strike or something?" Hinoiri asked in a teasing tone. "Tone it down, slugger, you'll make the other sparkles look bad. How you think Sailor Moon would feel if she keeps getting one upped by random Naru-The Fist-Osaka?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
There's just a moment of pause, Naru's fork held a moment or two longer into the chocolate cake than is strictly necessary. After so long as just Naru, she's still not entirely used to people not just knowing everything immediately. Secret identities are weird.

"Uhh." Naru starts as she carefully pries a portion of cake away from the rest of it. "More sword than fist these days, but I'm hardly going to turn down an opportunity for a good punch if its presented to me." She considers a moment longer and then adds, casually. "You were right, by the way."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara lets out a small nod, sipping her coffee. "Actually, I was aware. I mean, that I was right. Well, and the sword thing. I figured you'd still be punching people, though. I did get punched a lot. Not stabbed that often, though. Huh. That might be... interesting. I mean, not that I'd be attacked by you sparkles or anything. Just... the idea of you with a sword. I figured you'd, at best, get like... a mop. Or a fire extinguisher. Truly this weapon has decided to ignore the weapons you have the most practice in. A shame, that, maybe it thought you'd be too strong."

"... So, how do you like being on that side of things? Better? Or worse?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"How do you know who knows and who doesn't know?" Naru laments and then shakes her head, eating a little more cake as she does. "Or who should and who shouldnt? It's so darn complicated." She sighs softly.

"I like my sword." Naru gives a shrug. "I mean.. all the time with other weapons just gave me more practice with weapons of all sorts, I suppose." She considers that as she savours the bite of cake. "I used to borrow other people's swords when we had time to plan that far ahead."

Naru considers the question. "The same?" She mmmms softly, setting her fork down. "I'm less worried about being a drain on resources now, but I was getting pretty solidly settled into how I fit into things before, and now that's all changed again and I don't know anything anymore. Or so it feels."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a shrug. "To be fair, I don't think I was supposed to know. But, well, me. I always have sources all over the city. You never know what I'll find out when I want to. And this was pretty big." She took a small sip of her coffee. She hadn't known that about Naru, then again... people hadn't been planning with her.

The last thing Naru said made her cringe. "Y-yeah. It.... it can really... suck... when you don't know where you fit in anymore, huh?" she asked, giving a light, half-hearted chuckle. "... I won't lie the feeling like a drain on everyone's resources thing still sucks, so don't get any goals of trying to come back. Going from powered to.... nothing... feels pretty lame. Not sure how you endured it for so long."

"... Looking back, got any tips?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I mean.. it was pretty big and I wasn't the only one surprised." Naru confirms with a little laugh. "Although the surprise mostly came later. Still does." She admits with a little more cake pried off with her fork. The slice is almost gone, there's most assuredly a whole lot more calorie burning going on in that petite form.

"Feeling like a drain never stops sucking." Naru admits softly. "You mostly just learn to figure out how to cope with the feeling, but it never doens't suck. Intellectually, I could see that I was being helpful, but I know better than anyone how hard it is."

"Finding a way to be useful helped me at least." Naru considers, leaning back with her coffee. "Which is nothing I've not told you before. I kept up my fitness, so I could at least run if I needed to.. or throw a punch." She flickers a smile at that and then sobers again. "A lot, is just finding some chill in being support and not the star player. The softball team struggles without people maintaining equipment, but those folks aren't on the fliers, y'know?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod. "Yeah. Growing up, I always knew how important that was. As amazing as Sora was, she couldn't plan a party to save her life. Every year when she wrote thank you letters, it wasn't the nobles or the walthy backers of different events that got hoof written thank you letters. It was the organizers. Knowing the people who could run events, manage all the little bits, those were the ones who mattered and kept things going smoothly."

"... But that wasn't a role I ever thought I'd be filling. I respect it, but it still... feels wrong. Like I'm supposed to be protecting those people, not living as one of them."

"... Usagi thinks I'll get magic again. I think I will, but... I think it'll take time. And I *hate* having to be patient all the time. Feels like I've spent my whole life hurrying up... and now I just need to wait."

She took another bite of her muffin. "Also, I *hate* waiting..."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"So.. I get that." Naru nods in agreement. "It feels like you're on the wrong side of the table, so to speak." She gestures. "And I also think you'll get your magic back eventually, for whatever my opinion's worth. About what you paid for it, really."

Naru takes another drink from her coffee. "So assuming that it's a temporary thing, and yes.. you didn't envision yourself in this role.. but there's something to be said for knowing more fully those you're protecting. Even while being patient and waiting.. so what other magic adjacent things can you do wihtout actual power. I threw myself into research."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara nodded. "Yeah, I've been doing a lot of that. Yellow Pearl Voice has actually hired me to do a bunch of side research for her, to use the stuff I learned at Obsidian to figure out the connections between her singing magic and theirs. It has actually been pretty fun, I've learned a lot about how the sparkle's magic works compared to dark energy magic and, well... it's fascinating."

"I've actually got a few new theories, primarily based on how often you lot beat me despite the fact I was often far, far more powerful than any of you. But... yeah. I guess..." She took the last bite of her muffin, tossing the little wrapper into the trash.

"I refuse to fade, though. I'm... going to fight it, if it comes to that. Somehow. I don't know. If I have to, maybe I'll find a better ground or something. I won't become... Sunset of Sora again. I refuse." She took another drink of her coffee, before smiling. "But that's not something I need to worry about for a looooong time, so don't get too worried. I should probably head out, but... it was nice talking with you. I should head out, school and all though."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"At some point, we should sit down and you should tell me about your research." Naru points out with a smile. "Cause that sounds absolutely fascinating and I'd be interested in hearing whatever you're willing to share."

Naru finishes off her cake, and her coffee isn't so long after that. "I think there's a lot of us who aren't exaclty going to the Fade lightly or gently. We'll see how that all pans out when we get there." She nods a little. "It was good bumping into you, Hinoiri. I should also get back to campus and actually get some homework done as opposed to eat cake with homework present."