Texts: the tutor thing sounded fake

Texts: the tutor thing sounded fake
Date of Scene:	31 August 2023
Location:	Texts
Synopsis:	Naru was visited by Maxwell Stanton and has questions for Darien.
Cast of Characters:	Naru Osaka, Mamoru Chiba

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(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Do you actually have a tutor who comes to campus?

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: And good morning. And ❤️ and I'll find you a cute kitten gif, or a coffee gif to apologize for the lack of greeting.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: What?? lol no why

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: coffee kitten

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: (kitten-in-coffee-cup.gif)

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: eeeeee ❤️

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Cause a dude turned up yesterday claiming to be your tutor, but got the day wrong and instead chatted me up about the school. Maxwell Stanton

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: i'm gonna kick his ass, omg

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: But the tutor thing sounded fake. 🙂 I'm going to guess you know him. Cult dude?

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: coworker, and one of my best friends.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: which is to say 'yes'. He was super nice, but I suppose he's obliged to be. Trying to pitch scholarships from 'Beryl Holdings' also felt sus, but less so than claiming to be your tutor.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: you realize there are a LOT of people at my job and not ALL of them are in my division right. and not all the divisions are nightmares

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: anyway how dare he, my grades are MY effort

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: It felt like an excuse to be here that in theory, I wouldn't question. Except that I know you, and so it was super sus.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: Yeah but like what if he told someone that didnt know me?? it'd be all over the school in a heartbeat. darien shields with a tutor

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: So 1) there's no shame in having a tutor 2) Anyone who does know you would also think it was super sus 3) He may have been actually looking for me, not a random student (I doubt it, but that's possible).

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: 4) He didn't tell someone.. cause he found me first.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: I honestly have no idea what he's doing. Like. I have no idea what hes doing o.O maybe he likes you and doesn't have the faintest clue how to express it

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: But now you can give him a hard time about his cover stories if he's one of your besties. 🙂

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: oh believe me I will hahahaha

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: and i know theres no shame in having a tutor, but i don't

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: It was an enjoyable conversation, but I get the sense that he was sad I didn't know anything about astronomy. So I dont' think there's any pining going on or anything. In theory he's going to text me about scholarships, but we'll see if that was wholly a front, or a cover or what.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: astronomy, huh? well he does have a

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: i cant finish that, sorry

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: I'll go with fondness and/or telescope. Both fit in context.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: telescope, yes

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: And a poetic turn of phrase, and a tendency for the philosophical.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: yes. i love him a lot. also he's a bigger nerd than me

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: He did not come across as a nerd, but I think that's cause he was trying hard to seem older than I have a hunch that he is. No proof, just a hunch.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: yeah... im not actually sure how old he is. i mean i'm pretty sure he's my age but at the same time im pretty sure he's not

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: I mean, it doesn't actually matter in the grand scheme of things.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: btw please stop calling it a cult to me because im still stuck and it makes me cranky :< feel free to call it that once im out though

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: and now i DEFINITELY have to delete this

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Okay. What would you prefer I call it?

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: spoilers i delete them anyway

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: You told me you did, I have no reason not to believe you.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: my job, because it is my job.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: That's your position.. but it's bigger than just you. The Corp?

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: for example you could have been like 'is he a coworker'

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: or a colleague. like. job words

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: if i don't think of it as 'work' i shall surely scream all the time

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: i'm sorry to be so cranky

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: It's okay. You are allowed to be cranky and you're allowed to want to call it whatever you want.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Do any of your coworkers want out too? Or do you know?

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: there's a literal demon making that difficult. you know how i am frequently forgetful?

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: that's without it being in my head

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: I'm pretty sure demons are not OSHA compliant.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: boss's boss

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: That really /really/ makes HR complaints tricky.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: yes

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Can I just note that right this second, the appeal of a business job after graduation is even lower, which I didn't think was possible. May I always sell enough art for instant ramen.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: i wanna be a lifeguard. at a beach. i told kazuo.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: That sounds good. Lots of sunscreen.

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Do you swim?

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: i don't know yet! i need to find out.

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: on the plus side i have a lot of my memories back, but on the minus side i still don't remember who i told what

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Are there good memories in there too?

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: some! there's a sense of identity which is really handy

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Oooh, that is super handy. (although not necessarily a required identity. You can be who you want to be, even if it seems impossible right now.)

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: i'm talking about 'oh i am a person and have been for longer than two years, i have a history and i had friends and took care of other kids and i remember all the stuff my other bestie and i went through and did together'

(PHONE) Naru Osaka texts: Excellent. I'm glad. You are awfully big for a two year old, and articulate too. (And I figured a reminder about being who you want wouldn't go amiss for either of us.)

(PHONE) Mamoru Chiba texts: yes <3