513/A little breakfast

A little breakfast
Date of Scene:	27 September 2023
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	Norie and Naru chat in more civilized circumstances about the dusk zone.
Cast of Characters:	Naru Osaka, Norie Okana

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(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Hi. It's Naru, Hematite gave me your number. I am glad I didn't hallucinate you. Sorry I was a bit out of it when we chatted last.

(PHONE) Norie Okana texts: I'm glad you've escaped. We need to meet sometimes. Yes, Hematite told me you thought I was hallucinated.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: It was not my finest social moment. I would be glad to meet, however. Do you have a preference on when and where?

(PHONE) Norie Okana texts: Somewhere quiet around the school works.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Alright. Do you want anything? I'm getting myself a coffee, but I don't know if you drink coffee.

(PHONE) Norie Okana texts: *almost immediately* Chocolate Donut.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Can do!

Naru Osaka has posed:
It's not really all that long after the text messages that Naru is loitering in one of the many quiet spots behind and between buildings. All campuses have these little nooks and crannies that are perfect for just sitting in, or for quiet conversation. It's just all that more important when you are an official magic acadamy.

Naru sips on her coffee, the steam twisting up in the crisp morning air and she holds a take out bag from the cafe in her other hand. School uniform, and her ever present satchel show that she's either on her way to class, or between classes or both.

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana finds Naru Osaka between buildings. She's used to flitting in the alleyways between buildings here at school as she sighs a little. She looks miserable and down and out but this is her standard mood around school. Not that Naru knows this.

She gently gives a wave. "Uhm." she looks around. "La Crima." she says, pointing to herself. "Remember. The cabin?" she asks as she lowers her hand. "Also. Norie Okana." she says. "When like this." she says quietly.

"Is the bag for me?" she asks hopefully.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Hi." Naru turns at the quiet words and smiles warmly. "You are real!" She grins, clearly gently teasing.

The bag is offered forth as an answer to Norie's question. "I got you both the chocolate cake one and the chocolate glazed one, as I wasnt' sure which you meant. I figured you could save the other one for later."

"A pleasure to meet you more properly, Norie. I'm .. well you know I'm Naru." Naru chuckles a little at her own awkward. "I'm glad to see you again."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana takes the bag carefully, like a scared, unsure, dog and then eyes the donuts. She then shoves the chocolate glazed one into her mouth, taking a bite. She savors this a moment and swallows as she mphs. "That's better." she says more neutrally.

"Yes. I remember." she says softly. "You we're out of it." she says as she holds the donuts up. "Uh thank you. For the donuts." she says as she continues to eat the chocolate glazed donut.

"I am real. Yes." she says neutrally. "Uhm. Before I forget. Hematite said I should."

"Tell you things? Is now a good time?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Now is as good a time as any." Naru confirms as she finds a spot on a bit of decorative wall to pull up a seat.

A sip from her coffee and she looks at Norie attentively. "What sort of things did Hematite tell you to tell me?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana has no problems standing with her donut. Which is mostly gone already because she keeps nibbling at it like someone might appear and take it from her. That of course, isn't gonna happen but she still worries.

"About somethings I saw last night I'm not happy about, happening in the Dusk Zone." she says bluntly.

"They have a big, dusk zone drill, drilling holes through the fabric of space time to connect the Dusk Zone to Earth for their dumb project." she says.

"I'm a.., Dusk Zone Researcher." she asides. "Not. a doctor. or anything but I specialize in the study of flora and fauna and the conservation of them." she says, lightly. "they're disturbing a natural habitat for their dumb night city project or whatever it was called." she says.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I dont know very much about the Dusk zone." Naru comments quietly, thoughtfully. More a point of reference for Norie's explinations rather than an desire for her not to share. She sips from her coffee as she listens.

"Wow, that is /really cool/." Naru exclaims wiht a blink of surprise. "I.. okay this sounds really ignorant of me, I know, but I expected the dusk zone to be barren, rather than with flora and fauna for the study. To know that they not only exist, but someone is investigating them? That is /so cool/." There's no hint of mockery or derision in her tone, she sounds legitimately excited by the idea.

After that initial flurry of excitement dies down, Naru frowns thoughtfully. "That sounds really invasive, and not exactly the most sensitive means of expanding in the dusk zone."

She mms with another sip of coffee. "Have they only just started? I don't know how quickly this sort of thing goes."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana nods. "The Dusk Zone has a variety of different habitats like Earth might have but it doesn't make much logical sense think... swamps in dessert, and stuff like that." she says quietly. "There's plants and animals. Yes. Creatures. Youma. There are. Barrens. Floating islands. Sort of things. Here and there."

She frowns. "I'm assuming you have someone else to tell this to. Which is why Hematite told me to let you know. Right?" she asks.

"I mean of course you do. Obviously. But." she says.

"They just started this last night, yes. Drilling and all. Though this...Midnight Tokyo project has been on the books for a bit. I just.."

"Care too much about the damage they're doing because they're angry at a few sparkleskirts." she says angrily.

"My apologies if that term offends you..." she trails off as she finally fishes into the bag for the second donut.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"That is absolutely fascinating about the dusk zone." Naru gives her head a little shake. "I can't even picture it, and I'm pretty confident that I can't .. or at least shouldn't.. visit."

Naru smiles gently, leaving off who, exactly, she's going to be discussing this with. "I.. probably shouldnt admit, but I think the term sparkleskirts is absolutely hysterical. I know it was meant derisively, but it makes me giggle /every time/."

Naru nods, not making any comment about the second doughnut about to be sacrificed to the Norie. She does live with Usagi after all. "It feels like a really dramatic next step, to disrupt the Dusk Zone to that degree."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana nods. "the Dusk Zone is diverse, is what I am saying. There's different habitats. Just. None of them make any sense when you go by regular logic. Barrens is only one habitat." she says as she nods. She gently shifts a bit though.

"It is meant very derisively. I am not a fan of them just. killing youma that should be moved back to the Dusk Zone. They're out of their proper habitats is all. It.."

She nrgs and eats more donut, before she gets too flustered about it.

"Sorry. I have opinions." she says quietly. "I know stopping them from. Feeding off energy is important. but..." she trails off and sighs.

"Sometimes I wonder when it's going to be my time. When they realize I can't be 'fixed' from being an energy vampire." she says quietly.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"So, without access to the dusk zone, how would one of us sparkle skirts move a youma back?" Naru asks curiously. "They are absolutely outside their habitats, but as destructive here as we would be there."

Naru takes a slow drink of coffee as she considers Norie a moment. "Generally it's the mindless ones that are a problem, the ones who just rampage. You.. are not one of those." She considers a moment. "Do you find being here uncomfortable?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana frowns a little. "I don't know. But It'd be nice if 'kill them' wasn't always on the table. I'm not a technical scientist, like Riven-senpai." she says quietly. "I'm just a researcher. I wish I knew how to develoip things so I could build a... a pokeball or something. For creature trapping. Here." she says.

"Then they could be contained and given to someone who can release them into the dusk zone. Like me." she says with a huff.

"Sorry. This conversation took a tangent." she says as she nibbles the chocolate cake donut.

"Donuts are. Happy trigger food. For me." she says. "Keeps me. Neutral for. discussions and things that upset me."

"Like this dumb project." she says.

"It.." she says quietly. "...Dusk Zone feels more comfortable for me." she admits quietly. "But it's the dark energy saturation. I am. Dark energy. Mass." she says quietly. "This body is.. an illusion." she says. "Who I am. Takes up energy to be. the more I revert to the mass. The less energy I expend to be. Humans." she says quietly. "so I need to feed from humans to. Remain human." she says. "Does that make sense?" she says.

"Dark energy is not the same as Human energy. It's. Different. Dark energy is comforting, but I can't feed from it the same way as I do humans. But I don't experience it's negative effects due to being a dark energy mass."

"It.."

"Sorry. I don't like talking about. My experiences. Very much it's... I wish to be human again. Or at the very least. I would accept having my emotional capability returned to me."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"It's an interesting thought." Naru smiles a little at the notion of a youma pokeball. "I really like that idea. I'm not sure how to implement it either, but it's a great notion."

Naru listens to the distinctions between dark energy and human energy and nods slowly as she does. "Yes, that does make a lot of sense. I'm sorry that I'm asking about sensitive topics, and I really do appreciate that you're willing to share even just a little about your experiences with me. Even though they have to be epic frustrating."

Naru is thoughtful a moment. "If you can not drain me down to unconsciousness, you're welcome to some." She offers after a moment, or two.

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana says. "Yes! I just. Can't do it. And Riven-senpai is so busy with real work. I just. Need to find someone willing to help me." she says quietly. "If such a thing could even be developed." she says quietly.

"You're curious. I'm curious about lots of things. Such as why Sunbreaker thought kidnapping you was such a grand idea." she says with a snort.

"I. erm. I'm willing to take energy. But it's going to sting a little bit. Is that. Okay?" she asks. "It doesn't. not hurt. No matter how lightly I try." she admits.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I'll think about it." Naru offers on the notion of youma relocation. "It's not worth it for a lot of them... you know. It's going to be resource intensive, but some of the ones that have more to them and aren't just animated trash, it's an interesting thought."

Naru laughs, which is an odd reaction to mentioning her kidnapper, apparently there's fewer hard feelings between her and Sunbreaker than with all of her friends and Sunbreaker. "That was.. a lot of misunderstand, and miscommunication and arrogance." Naru finally decides on, at least from her perspective.

"Mmm. That's fine. It's more uncomfortable than truly painful." Naru is clearly well familiar with being drained. Very well familiar. "Just please leave me conscious at the end. Folks tend to freak out when they find me in a heap and then there's awkward questions."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana nrgs. "Animated youma are a little different. It's the spirit possessing you want out and.. those usually get wiped by sparkleskirts when they're destroyed." she says softly as she sighs. When there's giggling she leans forward a bit.

"I see." she says. "Yes, Sunbreaker is arrogant." she says.

"Then uhm... ready. Yourself?" she asks, before she places a hand on Naru's shoulder. It feels like painful static when she just touches Naru. Draining energy, lightly, before she removes her hand away from her. She's trying to keep her concious.

"I drain when I touch." she says quietly. "Or am touched. Just. For the future. Clothes help a little but then you have dumb people who just surprise hug me from behind sometimes and that doesn't help much." she says quietly.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Sunbreaker is a special sort." Naru doesn't really comment on if this is posiitive or negative, but it's certainly something!

Naru doesn't even wince when Norie takes her shoulder and the light drain happens. "You ARE a gentle touch." She smiles easily, suddenly looking a little more tired than how she started. In a way that coffee won't fix. "Thank you for the warning. I am not generally a 'touch without permission' sort until I know someone very well, but I will make sure to warn you first."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana shifts a bit. "I got. Removed from Dance Club. For. Attacking people. But its more. You touch when you dance and..." she sighs. "Look you see someone go unconscious when you touch them and... to a normal person that looks like an attack... I just."

"Like I said. I don't like it." she says, shoving the rest of the donut into her mouth consolingly.

Nomf.

"So you're fine? Good. I just."

"Painful shocking. And I don't. Want an entire team of 'sparklskirts' showing up and attacking me for draining you, now." she says lightly.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Oh, I can imagine how that would have been super awkward." Naru's expression is sympathetic. "I can totally see why you don't like it. That sounds awful."

Naru lifts her hand to wave a little. "I have no plans to tell people, just to start. But it was consentual and I'm fine. No team of sparkleskirts will turn up to attack you for this."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana finishes the donut and is now out of donuts. She looks down to the bag and balls it up and places it into her pocket.

"Alright. I won't tell anyone either. I just. You know. Some people can take such things out of context." she says quietly.
5R"But thank you for the donuts and energy. I think I've told you everything I know about what's going on with 'Dark Tokyo' or whatever their plan is called."

"I don't agree with their dumb plan. I think Riven-senpai doesn't either. It's all. Polluting and paving over the Dusk Zone. It's dumb."

"But that's. Our secret. That last bit, All the other stuff? I'm pretty sure you're supposed to tell people."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Some people absolutely take things out of context, and can be very protective of me." Naru acknowledges with a gentle nod.

"You're welcome. Thank you for telling me what you know about the project, and sharing your love for the dusk zone with me." Naru smiles easily. "I will edit for context when I talk about it with people, have no fear." She considers a moment. "Can you take photos in the dusk zone? Probably not, hmm."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana says. "We can meet again. I'll bring my notes and sketches. and I can try to take some pictures but. I can't tell you if the weirdness of it all hurt you. Probably not. Since you seem to handle magic stuff. I can't vouch for cognitohazards."

"But I will. Bring things. Next time. Yes?" she asks.

"If you want to. meet again?" she asks, awkwardly.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Yes please." Naru doens't hesitate in the offer to meet again. "Ooh and sketches? That sounds great. I'd love to see them."

"I'll bring doughnuts again. Just the chocolate ones?" Naru confirms. "And I'll try and be full up on energy for you."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana says. "Chocolate Cake." she says with a nods. "They are my favorite. With sprinkles. If you can. But just chocolate alone is good." she says in a neutral tone. Like a damn Vulcan still.

"Alright." she says. "...sorry I can't smile. or laugh. but. It was good meeting you in a better place." she says.

"I have to. Get to class. Probably." she says as she waves. "Be well, Naru....-chan?" she asks.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"It's alright. I understand." Naru nods at the monotone even keel emotionless delivery.

"Take care, Norie-chan. Good luck in class." Naru gives a little wave, collecting up her coffee cup. "Talk to you later!"