Texts: Likeable Liability

Texts: Likeable Liability
Date of Scene:	05 September 2023
Location:	Texts
Synopsis:	Naru and Hematite/Darien text surrounding scene 371 (Fries and Diet Coke).
Cast of Characters:	Mamoru Chiba, Naru Osaka

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(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: hi sorry this is Hematite, who was at the mall explosion and helped SM out with a rose? i'm going to the mall with a friend and we're not going to do anything bad, if you want to come have fries with us.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: I have about 9 thousand other things I should be doing, but I would like fries.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: fries for you are on me. fries for kazuo and usagi too if you bring either of them, but you might not want to

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: for various reasons

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: One of them I'm not providing any excuse to skip classes, dammit. The other is busy I think.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: ok cool. also we're not going until after classes because im not skipping, but thats probably a good idea anyway

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Same answer, but about excuses to skip homework.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: 👍

--- later at the next break between classes, from Darien's phone number instead ---

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: hey so did you talk to Inai-san about the dark energy? are you clear of it?

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: I did, and mostly? Ish? She didn't comment on it when I saw her, but it was also in public.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: good. if you still have a problem and a way to get in touch with, idk, that singer girl in yellow with the floating stage and get her to sing at you

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: She's very sweet. I'll keep that in mind. I think I'm good though.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: she annoys me but her songs hurt me and made everyone else happy, so they'd probably do the trick. just fyi

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Oh and can you either pass on a message to Maxwell or tell him to text me, with or without scholarship stuff?

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: sure!

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Which would you prefer? Playing middle man, or telling him to text me? (Or both, I suppose?)

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: Both! I'm nosy.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: <link to an artcle about the photos from the James Webb Space Telescope> He's probably already seen it but I read the article and thought of him. So can you pass it on to him?

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: Sure thing! I think he'll be happy you thought of him.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Thank you.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: Of course!

--- later still after the nonsense at the mall ---

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: now you know why im losing my mind like literally all the time.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Is it always unrelenting levels of chaos? Like, I thought I was random, and now I'm realizing that I'm like captain of Team Order.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: somewhat? usually it's snarkier. and i'm ostensibly in charge of them.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: 'in charge'.. that's mostly like herding cats at a rave. (Although Zoi's boots really are cute.)

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: yeah exactly. ... we do have the same boots you know :X

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: And they're cute on you too. 😉

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: well thank you 😂

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: i'm sorry about Jadeite

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: It's alright, although I was pretty sure he was considering if he could just shiv me at the table and be done with it.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: And you are the only one there I'd spar with, yes.. but I didn't feel I should call you out like that.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: Well Nephrite might. And Pyrite would, but after I teach her how. But yeah. Also I said you were my friend so I hope Jadeite won't come after you. I'm sure we'll have a shouting match about that later.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: thank you for not broadcasting my flub.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: I figured texting was the easiest way to point it out quietly.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: I think Pyrite will understand in theory and then she'll break me accidentally. Jadeite will probably shiv me and then apologize later. Nephrite.. not sure.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: i'm so sorry everything's a shitshow

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: ❤️ We live in interesting times. Unless you are secretly the ultimate mastermind, then it's not your fault, no matter how much you feel responsible.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: thanks. i'm not, but i don't feel like i'm doing enough mitigating of evil to make up for not destroying it. even though i know i can't by myself and im a liability to basically everyone. but hey! holding patterns!

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: No one person can do everything alone. You're a liability, but we like you. 🙂

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Is it epic weird that it feels like being aggressively normal at your pack of co-workers is useful? I'm not sure it is. (And thank you for the fries)

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: it is wildly helpful please continue. (yw. and jadeite did buy you more.)

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Thank him for me too. I can't exactly text him myself.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: i will when im ready to get yelled at

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: I'm sad that he'll yell at you. He's really not in a happy place, is he?

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: he's really not, and i dont know how to make it better for him. but at least he knows-- i hope he still knows-- that in private he can yell at me without consequence.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: That is not a sustainable model. You are not his emotional punching bag because he's not coping. That's not cool for you, and dont even /try/ the whole 'oh no no, its fine, I can handle it', cause it doesn't make it cool (nor should you have to handle it) But I totally get why you do it.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: literally none of this is sustainable

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Yeah. I just aspire that the whole pack of you come out with slightly less trauma. Which seems delusional when I write it out like that.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: once it's over we can worry about it. there's nothing for it when we're in the middle of it

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: it's not the first consideration, but hey, worth mentioning.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: <3