983/No food fights!

No food fights!
Date of Scene:	08 January 2024
Location:	Cafeteria Plaza
Synopsis:	Some casual chatter in the cafteria amonst Naru, Kazuo, Amy, Takashi, Madoka and Kyouka.
Cast of Characters:	Naru Osaka, Takashi Agera, Kazuo Saitou, Amanda Faust, Kyouka Inai, Madoka Kaname

---

Naru Osaka has posed:
It's a busy day in the cafeteria today. There's people coming and going and after the quiet of the winter holiday, the school is back up to having everyone here and ready to get going on the new term again. Somehow, Naru has managed to snag a generous sized table, just a little out of the way of the main student body. It's almost like the more.. typical .. students tend to give the exceptional, but weirdos, a generous berth. Which makes conversation /so much easier/.

Coffee, a pastry that's been barely touched, and her sketchbook are keeping Naru company. She's got her notebook and a textbook out too, but she's ignoring those in favour of a last wee bit of goofing off before school gets going in full swing.

Takashi Agera has posed:
    Out of the corner of Naru's eye there's a flash of white hair, but it's not the white hair she might normally expect to see nearby. It's really more silver, grey without the dullness, catching the light. About the same age as Kazuo, maybe a smidge younger, glasses. Carrying an absolute stack of books upon which the same pastry that Naru's not current eating is resting, one of the hands also carrying a grocery bag from a conbennie.

    "Excuse me..." he says, already putting his stuff down on the edge of the table. "Is it cool if I sit here? The rest of the cafateria is kind of... chaotic this morning. I don't need silence, but a little bit less chaos would be really helpful. And I figure since you're sketching you're less likely to start a food fight or something." Takashi says, tone indicating that's a serious concern.

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Kazuo is not, historically speaking, here at breakfast. And yet. There's silver on one hand, and white on the other. Kazuo is carrying an actual tray with actual food on it: steamed rice, miso soup, tamagoyaki, a sliver of fish, a little bowl of greens. ... and coffee. Definitely coffee. He glances at Naru's pastry and gives her a pained-but-resigned look. "I swear you absorb nutrients by osmosis through your roommate," he mutters, setting his tray down at an angle to both her and Takashi. At least if there's two spillable things on his tray, he's probably also unlikely to start a food fight.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Oh of course!" Naru reaches over to gather her ignored school books a bit closer and ensure that Takashi has enough room. He has plenty, she really hasn't sprawled that far. There's a flash of a smile to him. "I'm Naru, by the way. Usagi's roommate." Because even at this point, Naru assumes that Usagi will have friendship ambushed more of the school than she has.

She might not be wrong.

"Kazuo!" Naru's voice is pleasently surprised as he appears at the table with a breakfast tray. "Good morning." She starts to giggle. "I eat! Sometimes. When I get hungry." She probably absorbs nutrients through her roommate.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    And then there's a flash of red hair across the room. Amy makes her way over to the serving area in a giant winter coat. "Oh sweet, they have pizza today?" She takes a couple of slices and, curiously looking over at the gathering of grey/white hair and seeing Naru and that guy who is also into anime, smiles as she approaches the table, setting her plate down and taking her coat off. Underneath she's got on a green T-shirt with a picture of a simplistic-style chibi cartoon tiger meowing and 'nyo' written over it in romaji, and a school uniform skirt over white schoolgirl socks and sneakers. She sets the coat on the bench beside her.

    And then Amy looks uncomfortable for a moment. Partly because her hands were full and she forgot to sweep the skirt under her and now feels the bench against underwear and bare thighs, and partly because she's just realized that while she was wearing the clever pun shirt she conjured to see if someone else here at the school full of magic people gives it a weird look, maybe wearing it in front of someone who's read a lot of manga and who she mentioned several of which manga she's read to might put two and two together. Regardless of how ridiculous that is.

    She half-stands slightly to sweep the back of the skirt under her butt and sits back down making sure to sit with her legs closed, and then smiles a bit awkwardly. "Hi! How's it going?" she nods to the two she knows. The pizza is just pepperoni, but hey, pizza! "Do anything fun over Christmas break?"

Takashi Agera has posed:
    In this case she isn't wrong, even if the ambush was brief and the name is connected more via Mamoru. "Oh, Tsukino-san." he says in knowing terms. Takashi is generally proper when at school, unless comfortable. He takes a seat, thinking about if he should share his connection to her or not. "She's an... interesting person. I think I remember you briefly, actually, from that whole plan of Silvia-kun's to get her and Chiba-san to spend time together." he says, referencing a plot that seems like it was a long time aho because it was. "Takashi Agera." he says as he sits down.

    He stuffs half the pastry in his mouth, and then starts opening books and notebooks and writing. It is entirely possible, even likely, that he is rapidly doing some of the winter break homework there. Or maybe all of it, given the number of books and the speed at which his pen is moving.

    He gives the white-haired boy a nod of awareness between rapid-writing.

    The red haired girl gets a similar look. Not a very long look - but a curious one. Before it seems like he remembers the whole reason he sat down on this side of the cafateria and returns to the rapid-fire writing.

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
There is a brief moment of sheer silent gratitude from Kazuo to Takashi, because finally, someone else who calls Usagi by her family name out loud. ... then Takashi nearly attempts to eat the entire pastry by osmosis, and Kazuo resigns himself once again to the School of Weird Food People. "Kazuo Saitou," he replies to Takashi, returning the nod when it comes up. "How often do you get hungry, Osaka-san? For things other than coffee?" His tone is teasing, but it's light, inviting an answer in the same tone as the current giggle.

The second redhead to sit down also gets a nod - no direct greeting other than, "Good morning," because he's absolutely lost when it comes to her name. Fun things over the break? Hm. "I lost the ongoing war against my mother's collections and got kicked out into the dorms so she can host an infinite number of stuffed toys on my former bed. Does that count? It's at least quieter here."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Ooh! You're Takashi!" Naru exclaims as he introduces himself, the name recognition clear. "Hunh. Lovely to finally put a face to a name." She grins, clearly happy to just leave that cliffhanger right there.

The question from Kazuo brings a fresh giggle. "I promise, I really do eat. At least a couple times a day." Her smile is just as pleased, even if he's rueful. "I'm kinda glad you lost that war. Easier to stop by and collect you on the way for a run. Mamoru will be glad too, I'm sure."

Naru's smile is easy as she watches Amy get settled. "Hi Amy. Mmm." She tries to consider how to explain allll of holiday break in mixed company. "It was busy." She decides on. "I think I might be glad to be getting back to a routine?"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy gives Kazuo a curious look, the new topic of conversation already making her forget nervousness. "Your mother collects stuffed toys? Like is there any particular theme to it, or just all stuffed toys?" She thinks about her teddy bear and little mountain lion plush back in her dorm room. "I always wanted one of those really big ones..."

    And then she realizes she skipped over something. "Oh, how rude of me! Forgive the rude foreigner..." She focuses on Takashi for a moment. "I'm Amanda Faust. Amy for short. Grade 9. Nice to meet you! Are you a friend of Saitou-san's?"

    She nods but shrugs a little to Naru. "I mean, it's good to have people around again but on the other hand, of course I'm in no rush to start classes and homework again..."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Just when everyone is getting comfortable and getting down to chatting in a completely normal and social manner, here comes Counselor Inai to ruin it for everyone. She must have just been in the cafeteria getting coffee, as she's in her school 'uniform' (button-down dress shirt and pressed black slacks) but sans-jacket. And she has a paper cup of coffee, freshly acquired from the breakfast counter, in one hand.

    Spotting a table which contains several interesting figures all at once, which is enough of an anomaly to draw her attention, she diverts her path from the intended exit in order to pause near to the table and say, "Well, look at this auspicious gathering. You kids aren't getting up to any trouble, are you?" and then winks with the most 'hello fellow teens' energy imaginable.

    She's seriously so bad at trying to act like a teacher its almost laughable.

Takashi Agera has posed:
    This is in fact, the school of weird food people, as evidenced by the fact that between closing one notebook and opening another, the rest of the pastry vanishes into the boy's maw.

    "Mmmmm." He says, and it's not about the taste of the pastry. It's about the Kazuo being kicked out bit. No personal connections there or anything. Thankfully, Naru breaks him out of that chain of thought. "Yeah, I'm Chiba-san's brother." he says, nodding a bit. "By choice rather than birth, hence the last names."

    "Really? Back to a routine?" he asks, perking an eyebrow up. "I thought the girl's dorms ended up with a giant explosion chasing people out to stay in the clubs building. Does that fall under routine here now?" At Radiant Heart? Maybe it's not THAT weird, really.

    "Nope, didn't know Saitou-san till today." Takashi says to Amy. "Just wanted to be away from..." he gestures with his thumb to the more chaotic rest of the cafateria "...that. It seems to be a little but more chill here." he says, before his pen returns to moving at that rapid pace. "Nice to meet you, Faust-san."

    And then there's Kyouka, who he hasn't seen since he got sent to her due to the whole fight thing. He's, at least, a little bit unnerved by her presence, but maybe it's due to her calling him out for Dark Energy the last time they met. And that he might be the one there most liable to be getting into trouble. "Actually, I'm trying to avoid trouble... hence the schoolbooks and notebooks." he says, before closing one and opening yet another. Yes, he is in fact, doing all of his winter assignments here while talking. Okay it was a busy break for him! New boss and everything!

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
The phrase 'Chiba-san's brother' gets Takashi another inclination of Kazuo's head, this one slightly deeper and longer. The explosion commentary only wins raised eyebrows; then he concentrates on the miso soup for a moment, because explosions or not, soup will still get cold.

That doesn't mean his answer to Amy is any less cheerful, when she asks. "I think her theme is 'whichever ones will annoy me most. When I said 'ongoing war,' I left out the 'decade-long' part." A pause. "No actual explosions in that one, though." Apparently his mother uses this as a parenting technique. Somehow.

... annnd then there's a pseudo-parent in the form of a Guidance Counselor (TM). "Of course not," Kazuo says solemnly up to Kyouka. "We are discussing current events and nutrition guidelines, and also practicing interpersonal skills that will serve us well in our adult lives." And then he eats a mouthful of suspiciously spinach-looking greens. Possibly at her. ... Mamoru's name being invoked might have been a bad influence, there.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Explosions at this point totally count as routine." Naru's voice is dry to Takashi, her smile quirked up just half. "It's just a few rooms that had to move, ours is far enough away that we heard it, but don't have to go anywhere." A deep breath in, held a moment before released in a sigh. "And I've already talked to Hinoiri and she's a little shocked, of course, but alright. So that's a relief."

"Good morning Inai-sensei." Naru smiles over to Kyouka and then it flickers into a grin. "We are totally getting into trouble that will absolutely end up on your desk, just to ensure that you missed us all over holiday break." It is clear that she's teasing the 'teacher', hopefully in good humour.

"Chosen family is still family." Naru seems very intent on that part, nodding to Takashi. She's ignoring her own pastry entirely, but she's picked up her pencil again to go back to sketching as they eat and chat.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy quirks an eyebrow. "Chiba-san? I don't think I know him..." She slumps a bit at mention of the explosion. She turns a laugh into a cough at Naru's comment about this being routine. "Yeah, it's nothing but excitement here at Radiant Heart..." She nods acknowledgement to the plushies, and when he says it's to annoy him, "Aww, that's a shame."

    And then someone who isn't less than half her age shows up! Amy, at least, gives Kyouka a warm smile. "Hey Inai-sa--uh--sensei. No, although I don't think there's much trouble to get into in the cafeteria. I guess a food fight? Did you eat yet?"

    She thinks about this from Inai-sensei's side for a moment. Here she is, one of very few adults who knows about magic and the craziness at this school, but who does she get to talk to? Students see it as weird to talk to them casually... and even to the other mahou, she's stuck in a teacherly, advisorly role.

    When you're a teenager--the first time--teachers and adults are still like this separate class of being, whose lives beyond class you don't think about unless you're especially close to one. And Amy taught English for awhile, when she was a grown-up ('When I was a grown-up?!' Being like this is getting to me...) and remembers the out-of-placeness of being surrounded by young people whose culture you feel out-of-step with. He was definitely more lonely here as a teacher, than she is now as a student.

    Amy makes a mental note to ask Inai-sensei if she wants to get coffee or something sometime. Although, she's so young Amy's probably more out of touch with her mundane interests and culture and such than she is with the students...

    "How uh... how was your holiday break?" Mine was fine. My life is becoming more and more of an anime! I helped save Christmas!

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka gives Takashi a lopsided grin and a quirked brow. "Good to see Agera-kun. Applying oneself rigorously to one's studies is a recipe for a successful and trouble-free career, as is my well-known motto." It's a good thing Mamoru isn't here because he surely would have spit coffee out his nose hearing her say that with a straight face.

    To Kazuo, she adds, "Probably should have done some more of that myself, huh? Ah well, they say it's never too late to learn."

    "Good morning Naru-chan," She then chimes cheerfully. "You are correct in that I was absolutely devastated to not have to listen to the complaints of overwrought teenagers for a week or so. How kind of you to act to remedy that with such alacrity."

    To Amy, she says, "Nah, I just have an onigiri back in my office. They wont let me keep a coffee maker though so I had to come down here for this." She gestures to the cup.

    "Anyway," this to the group at large, "Sorry to be all intrusive authority figure, just wanted to say hi since I saw so many familiar faces all in one place. I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty of each other in the weeks to come." Another wink. Why does that come off vaguely as a threat?

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka Kaname is being dragged around, physically, by a tiny, grumpy masked version of herself. Well, maybe 'grumpy' isn't her current mood so much as 'fussy', but the tiny clearly magical fairy thing is very insistent that the pinkette come help her buy something from the school's cafeteria. While there's always a non-zero possibility that some of the people here are able to see and serve mascots, it's generally less stressful for Gretchen to not play that guessing game and just have her magical girl buy things for her.

    "Madoka-chan, they have pizza today! I want some and they might run out at any minute!!" says Gretchen, holding one of Madoka's fingers and pulling her along.

    "Eheh, okay, okay. I understand," responds the Chara Bearer.

    Aside from getting some weird looks from the occasional student with magical sight, Madoka manages to secure a plate of a couple of slices of pizza. The dark fairy is sitting on her shoulder, scanning around for a place to sit. The Bearer doesn't usually eat in the cafeteria at all, so she's a little lost, but she notices a few familiar faces who are less likely to be weirded out by her pizza vanishing without her eating it.

    As the pinkette and her fairy approach the table, she greets them in turn. "Inai-sensei, Osaka-san, Faust-san. Hii... mind if I sit here?"

    Takashi and Kazuo get a polite inclination of her head. She doesn't know them well enough to greet them by name.

    Gretchen, meanwhile, has pushed aside her mask and is ripping a piece of pepperoni the side of her head out of the pizza's cheesy grasp before scarfing it down. She's not sure who here can see her, so she just silently waves at anyone who looks in her direction.

Takashi Agera has posed:
    Takashi wouldn't really call anything Hinoiri was like when he last saw her as 'alright'. "Well, it's not every day your dorm room just decides to spontaniously become an open-air patio. Even around here. I think this is the first time anything's blown up since I was here. Well, things that aren't supposed to explode anyways."

    Takashi doesn't know Kyouka as well as Mamoru, but something about her tone indicates she's not entirely the practice what she preaches typ.e "Well, I'll keep that in mind, Inai-sensei." he says. And then, like a little bit of a troll, he casually adds. "Wow, that seems really unfair. They let the guys next door to me have a whole expresso machine." he notes. Yeah, that's for you Chrono, for being Chrono.

    Madoka comes up and at least she'll have no doubt Takashi is 'in the know' by the way he keeps looking at Gretchen. A very large part of him wants to steal her and run off and figure out what in the devils she is.

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Well-known motto. Kazuo's eyebrows twitch upward again; he applies himself quite suddenly to rice with a bit of fish. There will be no commentary from him on Kyouka's words. None. Whatsoever. No, none.

"Don't be silly, Inai-san," he adds after he swallows. "Weeks to come? Hours. The word you wanted was hours." He aims a blithely innocent smile up at her, which works absolutely not at all on his face.

This means that he's in a good spot to put on a more reasonable expression and nod a greeting toward Madoka and company. "Good morning. Please forgive me, I don't think we've been introduced? Kazuo Saitou." ... Absently, there's a piece of better fish cut and left aside. Odds that Gretchen will go after it when there is pizza available? Pretty low, but it's done anyway just in case. After all, they have emu history, after a fashion, even if without direct interaction.

Open-air patios. "I'm at least glad it doesn't sound like there was a fire to go with it," he comments to Takashi and Naru. "Or that if there was, it got suppressed pretty fast."

-- and now it's Amy's turn. "You keep asking everyone else. How was your New Year?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Not having a coffee maker in there also makes for a good excuse to get up and stretch one's legs." Naru points out. "Not that I'm about to get rid of the one in our room, but sometimes the excuse to go for a walk for a different coffee maker isn't such a bad thing."

The fact that one of them is in Chrono and Adrien's room isn't commented on. Minor technical detail.

"I mean.. she was really shaken up, but at least she's alive." Naru points out to Takashi and she nods. "I think it's our first explosion at the school. At least in the dorms."

Naru actually does reach over to the pastry she's been largely ignoring and break off a corner of it, to nibble at that. "Hey Madoka." There's a smile to the pink haired girl, and her attention and that smile slides over to Gretchen as well before back to Madoka. "How's things?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Gretchen gives Takashi a dirty look. She doesn't really know why, she's just pretty sure that she doesn't like him. Fortunately for everyone here, her mouth is full of cheesy goodness and thus she is unable to make rude comments at him.

    Kazuo, meanwhile, eventually gets recognition from the Emu Incident (the one she's aware of) as one of the good guys, or at least one of the people trying to manage the situation. The piece of fish is looked at and then accepted, half out of politeness and half out of curiosity. After munching it down she beams at him and then returns to her Bearer's side.

    Naru, meanwhile, is met with a smile from Madoka. "Well, they've been... pretty busy actually. I had a nice holiday break, though. How about you?"

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka just shakes her head a little bit in disappointment. "Imagine, letting the kids have coffee makers while denying it to the hardworking adults. Something about not seeming professional yadda yadda. I swear, what about me says 'unprofessional'? A coffee maker isn't going to make that big of a dent."

    She gives Kazuo a look. "Don't make me regret all the nice things I've said about you, Saitou-kun. Though if you want to just stop by to chat, you know where I work." She grins.

    Then she turns to go. "Alright kids, I've got actual stuff to do. Y'know the stuff they pay me for. Try not to blow anything up today, alright? The semester's just begun."

    And off she goes, coffee in hand.

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
    "You've said nice things about me? What have you been putting in your coffee?" Kazuo tosses a grin back at Kyouka, then settles back easily to regard Madoka. (Not Gretchen. Honest! Gretchen has cheeeeese.) "Glad you had a good break. Somebody should have. No explosions for you? You're not stuck staying in the club building?" One has to doublecheck these things, apparently. It's a good cover for making a mental note on the percentage of Narupastry consumed.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru grins after Kyouka with a laugh. "Is that now Rule #2?.. wait no.. Rule #3. Rule 1 is don't get shot. Rule 2 is don't be on fire.. then Rule 3 clearly has to be no explosions." She lifts her coffee in salute to the 'teacher' as she takes her leave, making no comment on the professionalism or not of coffee makers.

"They really have been busy." Naru nods in agreement wiht Madoka. "I'm glad it was nice. Mine was pretty good too. I'm glad Usagi's back, our dorm room was really quiet without her, that's for sure."

Amanda Faust has posed:
(Oops I conflated Kazuo and Koji earlier. Whooooopsie!)

    
    Amy nods to Kyouka's discussion of her meal, then waves off her concern about intruding. "It's fine. You can talk to me any time."

    Madoka! And the Witchy minidoka. "Not at all!" She pats the empty seat next to her. And she quirks an eyebrow at Takashi looking at Gretchen, and glances between them, which is its own sort of giveaway.

    You keep asking everyone else. How was your New Year?

                                   .........                                    

    Puella Magi Amy dodges laser beams fired by the evil mermaid that interrupted the quiet recital, the evil mermaid who is also Coco's sister and Taro-sensei's ex-girlfriend!

                                      ...                                      

    A flying sleigh pulled by reindeer just landed in the quad. WHAT. She has to check this out.

                                      ...                                      

    It's Mrs. Claus. She's real. Santa is REAL?! And he needs her help?!

                                      ...                                      

    "o/~ They call me Heat Miser, whatever I touch, starts to melt in my clutch. I'm too much! o/~"

    The red Puella Magi stares. Not only is she saving Christmas, but it turns out that Christmas specials come with musical numbers in real life, too. "Did he just melt the wooden handle of a shovel...?"

                                      ...                                      

    Amy wakes up in her bunk. She pulls the covers over her head to shut out the light. There's no rush, she can stay warm and toasty in here as long as she likes.

    Amy's brain: So hey, have you ever thought about boys?
    Amy: WHAT
    Amy's brain: Wouldn't it be great if one--
    Amy: Oh GODS no.
    Amy's brain: Just imagine--
    Amy, curling up under the covers holding her hands to the sides of her head: Nonononononononono! This isn't happening. This can't be happening. This cannot possibly be a real thing!

                                      ...                                      

    Amy sits in front of the computer reading.

                                      ...                                      

    Amy sits in front of the computer reading more. This story has the protagonist rooming with the formerly-a-thirty-year-old-IT-'guy' who didn't know that the school he worked for was actually established to help people that crazy magic stuff happened to and gather them all in one place so they won't be alone in a world that doesn't understand. When a redhead named Amanda is mentioned she glances behind her. No one is watching her, right?

                                      ...                                      

    The school feels like a ghost town, but new Year's Eve is spent with Hannah and all is right with the world.

                                      ...                                      

    Amy is sitting in front of her computer playing videogames when EXPLOSION. The whole building shakes! She transforms and searches in a panic for the youma or dark general or for hurt people who need help, but somehow everyone has ended up safe and now she's dealing with the weirdly mundane disaster of a random explosion and being full of adrenaline and being surrounded by uneasy worried people and emergency services swarming into what was her nice, safe, cozy home.

                                      ...                                      

Amanda Faust has posed:
                                      ...                                      

    Sailor Moon just disintigrated a giant dog. That escalated quickly!

    'You saved me!' Uhh hi hello yes I have been your magical girl for today I mean so have these fine people I mean I totally know what to do in this situation um AWKWARD GIRL: AWAY!

                                      ...                                      

    Amy sits down at the table and takes her coat off and is very uncomfortable. Her hands were full so she forgot to sweep the skirt under her when she sat down and so now feels the bench against underwear and bare thighs, and oh wait that's today, that was just now, we're caught up now.

                                   .........                                    

    If this were an anime, the sounds of a battlefield would be playing over a slow zoom in on Amy's eyes staring into the space between her and Kouji. She blinks and shakes her head. "Uhh. I mean aside from the explosion, it was nice! I uh, got to relax. Chill. Went on a magical adventure to save Christmas. A new girl came by RPG club, she seemed interested and might join our campaign. You know, the usual." She smiles.

    Try not to blow anything up today, kids! "I'll try!" Amy chipperly replies.

    She gives Naru a curious look. "What list of rules is that from...?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka waves at Kyouka as she leaves, while Gretchen just casually munches her food. She... eats a lot considering her size. A whole lot. Those two pizza slices are wider than she is, but one of them is almost halfway gone.

    "Oh! No, not me," she responds to Kazuo. "I actually walk here from home, so I got to avoid all of that mess. Pretty crazy what happened, right?" Granted, Madoka has no idea why anyone would want to blow up Hinoiri's room. No idea whatsoever.

    To Naru she says, "Well, I'm glad your friend is back." Does she know an Usagi? Not off the top of her head, but she's sure she remembers hearing the name from somewhere.

    Madoka takes a set at the table next to Amy, and sets Gretchen's plate down. The tiny X-Chara settles down next to the plate and looks at everyone here. Basically everyone remaining is someone she was already pretty sure can see her or otherwise has looked directly at her at some point, but she doesn't want to talk with her mouth full.

    "You saved Christmas?" she asks Amy, somewhat surprised. Is that a thing that magical girls do? "Eheh... I mostly spent Christmas babysitting my brother, and then the day after I went to Homura-chan's dorm to go build a gingerbread house."

    She finger pets Gretchen's hair as the tiny Chara eats.

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
"I think it's an American thing," Kazuo provides to Madoka. This is not the only reaction he has to Amy's momentary fugue, but the others are tucked away in a little pocket labelled 'sometime not in the middle of the cafeteria.' "Cultural. You know. They're obliged to save Christmas annually for some reason related to department store cashiers? I don't really understand it, but that might just be me."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Adrien tried to explain French Christmas, and it seems to be mostly church and food." Naru gives a little bit of a confused shrug. "Which seems about half at odds with American Christmas. They do both have food."

About 3/4 of the pastry seems likely to be going home to Usagi, based on how much Naru's finished of hers. The coffee, however, is gone.

"The rules are mine." Naru smiles to Amy. "They seem like good rules to keep in mind. Dont get shot, don't be on fire, and apparently now also.. don't explode things."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Kazuo's explanation gets a look of amazement from Madoka. Saving Christmas is an American tradition? She had no idea! "So they have to defend their holiday annually? Wow. I guess that explains all of the guns." With a bright smile, Madoka decides to introduce herself to him, since she's pretty sure she's never met him before. "By the way, I'm Madoka Kaname, grade 8. It's nice to meet you!"

    Gretchen, who is pretty sure everyone here can see her, is getting increasingly amused at the fact no one is directly talking to her. She doesn't say anything about it though, content to continue eating. As she reaches the crust of her first slice, her gluttony starts to slow a bit. That second piece might get saved for later, or offered to Homura.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy nods to Kazuo, playing as if it were just a joke... for now. And to Naru. And bursts out laughing at Madoka's logic. If only that were why.

    That sounds like it'd be a fun holiday movie! Or weird videogame that is inexplicably only available in Japan and never translated until like 15 years later even though all the dialog is in English.

    After regaining compousre, she responds to Naru, "It's mostly about the commercialism anyway. I mean, you guys know about Santa here and it's nothing to do with religion. Instead it has to do with Kentucky Fried Chicken, of all things." She looks thoughtful and taps her fingers on the table. "It's like if everyone in America knew what Gundam was because of a WcDonald's marketing campaign. Although, that's Santa in America too, really, the iconic Santa look everyone knows is from old Coca-Cola ads."

    "Those are good rules! I hope they don't come up too often."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
"Kazuo Saitou," Kazuo says to Madoka, "with the poor taste to be a couple of years up on you; I hope you'll forgive me." Apparently he has decided to say absolutely nothing today that should be taken too seriously. "And clearly, that's good thinking." Holiday Defense Force! Should be more of a thing.

(Maybe not with emus.)

(Maybe also a Naru Defense Force, but Naru's working on that one herself.)

Naru Osaka has posed:
"How /dare/ you have the audacity to have been born earlier than the rest of us." Naru waggles her pencil at him with a giggle. "The travesty of it all!"

"Sure, we have Santa.. but it's not a /thing/." Naru nods to Amy. "Like I've never gotten a present from Santa under a Christmas tree. That's just in American movies."

Naru mmmms a little about the rules. "They come up more than I'd like." She admits.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Gretchen raises an eyebrow at Amy's mention of Gundam. It's known that the rocket Puella likes more brainy hobbies. Does Amy have any gunpla? Gretchen doesn't care that much about the show itself, but the fun of constructing mecha action figures hits a bit different when they are as tall as you.

    Kazuo's own introduction earns a giggle from Madoka, and she jokes back with, "All is forgiven."

    As for Christmas, Madoka glances off to the side for a moment. "I mean, it's not that different than New Years cash I guess. Having to think of the perfect Christmas present every year seems kinda stressful, though."

    She's not sure what to think about the rules. "I can only imagine what disasters led to that kind of ruleset."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy giggles at Naru's joke chiding Kazuo for being older. Although, there's a bit of nervousness in it. She nods at the bit about movies. And isn't sure what to say of how often the rules come up.

    She nods at Madoka's comment about presents. "I was never any good at coming up with presents."

    "So uh. What are you all looking forward to this year?"

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
"I know," Kazuo laments, hand over heart, though he refrains from doing anything regarding the back of his other hand and his forehead. "It was shameful of me to get in early. I might have missed people." Gray eyes sparkle, and he angles the smile to include Madoka and Amy, as well as Gretchen.

Then there's a pause, and he gives Amy a perplexed blink. No, it's not to the nervousness. It's to the question about looking forward to things. Abort, retry, fail?

Naru Osaka has posed:
"A little less chaos." Naru decides on the topic of what she wants to see this year. "A pipe dream, I totally know.. but girl can hope." She tucks her sketchbook into her satchel and gets to her feet. "I have to meet someone soon. Thaks for the company everyone. Talk to you later." She grins, collecting up her pastry to take back to her room. It won't go to waste, that's for sure.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "Not dying," is Gretchen's blunt response to Amy, and also the first thing the little fairy has said since sitting down.

    Madoka starts to shift a little awkwardly after her X-Chara's words. That was... pretty direct, considering the tone of the conversation. Her own answer is a bit different. "Eheh, well... making friends, staying safe." Glancing down at the dark fairy, the Chara Bearer adds, "Discovering a bit more about myself, maybe."

    Gretchen takes a napkin and uses a corner of it to wipe her mouth, then turns to her magical girl and says, "Hey, I wanna take the rest home. Will you carry it for me?"

    "U-um... sure, but can't you put it in your little Labyrinth?" asks Madoka.

    "I mean I could," said Gretchen. "But the last time I left a bag of chips in there, they grew eyes and started singing."

    Looking slightly mortified at that, Madoka quietly picks up the plate with one slice remaining on it and starts to get up. Then she addresses the rest of the table. "Well, it was nice catching up with you all. Saitou-san, it was nice to get to know you. Amy-san, I'll see you on the front lines I guess."

    With that, she turns and walks away, kindof in a hurry.

Takashi Agera has posed:
    Takashi looks up from his steadily faster-as-time-goes-on scribbling. "I wouldn't mind a little less chaos." Takashi adds. "And maybe getting ahead of all the work I have to do." He says this as though he is not a likely source of chaos himself, particularly for most of the other people at the table... he recognizies Madoka as the girl he had to stop attacking because she didn't have a henshin. She's leaving, and it seems like the group is starting to break up, so he files it in his mind somewhere, but for now he's got a few more things to finish up, so he stays put himself.

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
"Good plan," Kazuo says aside to Madoka and partner. Making friends, staying safe. Not dying. Very good plans. Not ... having pizza grow eyes ... also a good plan.

"A little less chaos does sound pretty good," Kazuo admits to Takashi. "But let's face it. If you got ahead of the work you have to do, wouldn't you just figure out more work? I've seen where your grades rank."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    A little less chaos... yeah, if only. Amy nods. She can scarcely imagine what a normal life would be like. If all the craziness ended and the world were suddenly saved... what's Amy going to do, just be a normal student?

    She's surprised at Gretchen's words. Can Chara die? How do they even work? She nods sadly to Madoka at the front lines comment. Speaking of which...

    Takashi mentions work too. "Are... is that the homework from over break?" Shit, that's right. There's homework to do. Even if she can take care of it all in a few hours, she'd... better get started. "Uhh... I gotta go." She stuffs the last couple bites of pizza into her mouth, and grabs her coat as she stands up, and waves. "Wha nah eeing hyu." She says around the pizza, before walking back towards the dorm trying to remember what all the assignments were.