View source for 2022-11-06 - Taking a Leap

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! style="background:#CC6699; border: 2px #CC0033 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Title: Taking a Leap'''
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|'''Summary''':<br>
''A chance rescue of a wind-blown hat leads to a new friendship.''
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|'''Who''':<br>
[[Kyouka Okazaki]], [[Ren Aizawa]]
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|'''Where:'''<br>
Shibuya Shopping Ward
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|'''OOC - IC Date:'''<br>
November 06, 2022 - Sunday, January 24, 2016
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 *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ Shibuya Shopping Ward +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+
   Any rural ingenue looking to come to the big city and get swept away at       
   first sight would be well-advised to get off at Shibuya Station, where you    
   could fill a high school yearbook with the people teeming over a single       
   crosswalk, and a legion of ten-story department stores offer a choice so      
   broad it resembles existential crisis. Shinjuku might administrate Tokyo,     
   but Shibuya is its style capital. Its densest concentration of boutiques,     
   retailers, and restaurants is bound together by Shibuya Crossing, a bustling  
   pedestrian intersection resembling an even gaudier Times Square.              
                                                                                 
   Within walking distance to Harajuku, Shibuya is less whimsical, and far       
   grander. Its most iconic symbol is the Shibuya 109 department store, a        
   cylindrical grey monolith famous even outside of Japan. Each floor of 109     
   has about a dozen shops, and with ten flights of escalator to ascend, it      
   doesn't take a mathematician to realize that even this single store can be a  
   lot to take in. But Shibuya too has its side streets and quirks, and it's     
   not hard to find a chic little cafe to rest in. Those who find themselves     
   energized instead have recourse to the night clubs that trade on Shibuya's    
   stylish reptuation.                                                           
                                                                                 
   Shibuya Station has a humbler landmark as well. It was here that the loyal    
   dog Hachiko waited for his owner each day, even after the owner had long      
   since died. A bronze statue of Hachiko waits here still, a reminder that      
   love and loyalty never die.                                                   

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka has only been in Tokyo for a few months now, and there is still large parts of the area she hasn't gotten to explore yet. She's found lots of cool niche places that one wouldn't necessarily know about before moving to the area, but others... well, others have a reputation that extend far beyond just Tokyo, and Shibuya is definitely one of those.

It's also an area she hasn't taken to exploring yet, mostly because high society, fashion, and glamour... aren't really her thing. And yet... today was just a day where she hadn't had anything planned, and most of her fallbacks just weren't appealing to her, and while the morning hangout in the arcade was fun, there was only so long the outdoors-loving girl could stand the lights and noise of the arcade.

So why she came to ''Shibuya'' of all places still eludes her. She's not exactly the trendiest person around: dressed in a comfortable and lived-in purple parka, and an equally pae of lived-in hiking boots (they're both warm and functional and that's all she cares about), and jeans, hair dyed black with purple streaks.

The Japanese-American girl is slowly milling through the area, not even window shopping but more like sight-seeing, though... she does seem just a smidge overwhelmed by it all.

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Ren doesn't consider herself to be all that trendy as well. But she has to admit that Shibuya has the best arcades in the city. And being the fan of fighting games she is, she can't stay away from said arcades for long. She'd just finished playing "Super Kickboxer 5", having beaten the final boss to the amazement of a group of young boys who'd been watching her with widened eyes. Smiling, she gave them a polite wave and stepped aside. "All done! Unless you guys want to play me...?"

Long story short, they did not, muttering something under their breath as they scooted away. Giving a shrug, Ren turned around and walked out of the arcade and into the chilly evening. Of course she'd lost track of time as usual. But, she didn't have anywhere to be, thankfully, which meant she could take all the time she needed before wandering home.

Pulling the puffy blue jacket around her tighter, she was thankful to have dressed for the weather -- an equally blue hat and scarf, a cream-colored sweater under the jacket, comfortable denim jeans, and white sneakers. Of course, the wind would choose that moment to pick up, blowing said hat off of her head.

"Ahh!" She exclaims, turning sharply to run after it.

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka didn't bring a hat, though her parka has a hood on it. Underneath it, for layers, she's got a t-shirt and a long-sleeved flannel shirt.

She had seen a few of the arcades as she'd been walking around, and was briefly--very briefly--tempted to check them out, to see how they might differ from the one she'd seen earlier, but... decided to pass. She'd started to ponder looking for the food court or maybe going into one of the stores when a particular movement caught her eye.

A blue hat, blowing through the wind. And going up--Kyouka crouched, jumped, and just ''barely'' managed to snatch the hat out of the air as she reached overhead with her right hand. The reaching motion pulled the sleeve of her parka back just enough to reveal a black leather bracelet on her right wrist, with a five-sided purple gem on it--a device's stand by form.

"Aw sho--"

Landing is a trickier matter, requiring a little twist to avoid landing someone who had briefly tried to enter the space she had just vacated, which left her on poor footing and needing another step or two to recover, which really inconveniently and unexpectedly put her in the way of several pedestrians. "Sorry, sorry!" she said hastily with equally hasty bows, "Just trying to catch this hat! Sorry!"

Once she's regained her footing she looks around for the hat's owner. Her sleeve is caught on the bracelet, leaving it visible, for the moment.

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Luckily, Ren doesn't have to chase after it for long. A very nice stranger actually ''jumped'' up to grab it, landing safely with it in hand. Ren stops briefly, blinking at the girl's seemingly effortless agility. Oh wow. Shaking her head, she ran forward, smiling brightly as she came up to her.

"Ahh! Hello! That's my hat! Thank you so much for catching it!" She says with a quick bow. As she straightens out, the wind blows again, and she holds up a hand to shield herself from it partially. And as she does so, a silver ornate ring with a bronze-colored gem in its center is visible on one of her fingers. Maybe it's a family heirloom? It's ''really'' elegant...

"This wind is pretty fierce, eh?"

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka made a safe landing! Maybe not the most ''elegant'' one given the crowds of pedestrians milling through, but she stayed upright and didn't sprain an ankle, and that's what matters. And as she's looking around, a girl comes her way to claim the hat. "Oh, cool, here you go," she says, handing it over.

"And you're welcome! I'm just glad I managed to snag it without crashing into someone." Her Japanese is pretty fluent, though she's got ''just'' a bit of an accent. She raises her own hand to shield her face from the wind, squinting a bit at the cold.

"No kidding! Makes me even happier that I snagged the hat so you wouldn't have to chase it down the street. I'm Kyouka Okazaki, by the way."

That's a pretty ornate ring this girl's got, but then again, she's seen a lot of jewelry in the area, so it doesn't seem that out of place to her.

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Ren takes the hat back and places it on her head a bit more firmly than before. Now, hopefully the wind will have a much hard time sweeping it away!

The slight accent is noticed, though she can't quite place it at the moment. It wouldn't be too outside the realm of possibility for the girl to be a tourist. They ''are'' in Shibuya after all. Tokyo in general tends to attract a lot of people from other countries as well, though.

"Oh, I'm Ren Aizawa. Nice to meet you! Are you visiting Tokyo for the first time?"

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
"Nice to meet you, too!" She looks puzzled by the question for a moment. "Oh, um... I'm still kind of new in the area, but I actually moved to Tokyo a few months ago. I'm a 10th year at Juuban, in fact. This ''is'' kind of my first time visiting Shibuya, though. Still exploring the area and seeing what's around, you know?"

She pulls the bottom hem of her parka down to help shield herself from the wind better, since it'd gotten all bunched up when she made her daring rescue of a hat. She hasn't fixed her sleeve yet, though, so her bracelet is still visible... until she puts her hands in her pokets to keep them warm.

"What about you? Are you from the area?"

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
"Oh! Well, I hope you've been settling in nicely then. And I used to go to Juuban too! Well, for elementary and junior high. I transferred to Infinity when I entered high school and I've been there ever since." She says, assuming that Kyouka has been made aware of the whole Sister Schools connection that Juuban, Infinity, and Ohtori all have with one another.

Her eyes flick down to the very interesting looking watch the other girl has on. Hmm. Maybe she got it here in Shibuya? Or from wherever she may be from?

"Where are you from originally, if you don't mind me asking?" She queries, tilting her head a bit, smile still present.

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
"Oh, cool! I actually got to take a tour of Infinity while I was trying to decide on a school. Easily my number 2 pick of the three. I respect the work ethic. What made you transfer?" She is aware of the Sister Schools concept, and has no desire in particular to mention the third of those schools at the moment.

"Oh, well... Kind of all over, really? My dad's American, but he's with the military, so we've kind of moved around a lot. ''Technically'' I'm a U.S. citizen, but I've only been a few times to visit my grandparents, you know? Mom's originally from Japan though. She taught me Japanese growing up, which, you know, came in kind of handy when we moved here."

She squints into the wind and then glances around. "Were you headed anywhere in particular? Wanna get out of this wind?"

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
"Oh! I got an offer to transfer, actually. I took a tour with my class and liked it, and then they offered me a spot..." She says, which is ''mostly'' true. She leaves out the part about how it was ''technically'' a setup to get her and her device together to reactivate said device that had been inactive for a very long time but...

"America? That's neat! I've always wanted to visit there." Ren reveals with an eager nod. Honestly, traveling ''anywhere'' outside of Japan would be a welcome thing. Seeing the world has always appealed to her, even though she's slightly worried about the language-barrier. "And yeah, your Japanese is good!"

At the mention of getting out of the wind, she agrees wholeheartedly. "Yes! We can go and sit in that cafe. They have a really good menu."

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
"Oh, cool. How are you liking it there? I've always been homeschooled, but I always really wanted to go to an actual school, and Juuban was... well, it's not quite an American school, but it's kind of the closest to what I pictured one might be like, you know?"

Her own experience with her device was definitely less planned and much more happenstance. A response to a call for help.

Kyouka laughs a little, "That makes two of us. There's so much more of it I want to see, but... being able to see a lot of the world's kinda cool too, you know?" She grins at the compliment, "Thanks! My mom was ''very'' insistent that I practice... she's actually the one who homeschooled me. Annnnd she's also a teacher, so... no way to get out of homework when your teacher's your ''mom'', you know?" After a beat she adds. "She's actually teaching at Ohtori now."

"Oh, cool. Please, lead the way. So, any part of the states you wanna see in particular?"

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
"Yeah I really did like Juuban. It... took me awhile to adjust to Infinity, but now I really like it as well." She leaves out how during those first few months she felt like a complete and utter fraud, wanting to spare Kyouka the details of her old insecurities. And the fact that Infinity has a ''lot'' of weirdness going on within its walls. Emphasis on a lot.

Ren laughs when Kyouka mentions her mom and her status as a teacher. "I can kind of relate. My parents aren't teachers, but they're both scientists. So they were always really into academics and such, and were ''really'' happy when I got offered a spot at Infinity. My older brother is pretty much following in their footsteps -- he used to attend Ohtori, actually, but he's graduated and gone on to University now."

Ren refrains from speaking on Ohtori more than that, aware that it too has its own fair share of oddities.

With her new companion by her side, Ren led them over to the previously mentioned cafe, finding a booth with a nice window view of the bustling outside plaza. "Well... I've always wanted to see what New York City is like. And... maybe somewhere in California?" She supposes, tapping her chin as if in deep thought. "There's a lot of neat looking places in America from what I've seen."

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
"Cool, I'm glad that switch worked for you." When she mentions the difficulties with scientist parents, she nods. "Ohhh, yeah, I can see that. My mom was pushing hard for me to go to Ohtori but..." She makes a bit of a face. "''Not'' my scene. Oh, and cool, you have an older brother? I'm an only child, so..."

Once they're inside and out of the cold, Kyouka takes her parka off and puts it on the seat next to her, and then rolls up the sleeves of her flannel shirt so her hands are free... revealing her bracelet and gem once more. If it ''is'' a watch, there's no hands or, seemingly, even a display embedded within that purple gem at the moment. A pentagon is an odd shape for a watch, anyway....

She starts to look over the menu, but lights up when Ren mentions New York City. "Oh! My grandparents are from there! On my dad's side, anyway. And that's where my mom and dad met, too, after she left Japan. And yeah, there's a lot I wanna see in California, too. San Francisco, LA, the national parks... Well, there's parks all over, really. But yeah, there's just... a lot to see there."

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Ren nods, sympathizing. She didn't think Infinity was her scene at all. It took awhile for it to grow on her, though having Lera and Fuu there as friends certainly helped speed things along in that department.

As Kyouka gets comfortable, that watch is revealed again, allowing Ren to get a much better look at it. "Oh. That watch. It's... really different." She notes out loud, hands resting on the table in front of her, which allows Kyouka in turn to get a better look at the aforementioned silver ring on her finger. The bronze-colored gem stands out starkly in the artificial overhead lighting of the cafe. Hmmmm...

Ren too looks at the menu, listening to what Kyouka says about her connection to New York City. "Ahh! That sounds so romantic!" She says with a wistful sigh. Obviously she's read books/manga and watched shows that dealt with two people from different places meeting and falling in love. Very mushy stuff.

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka can relate to making friends helping settle you into a place. If Setsuna hadn't reached out to her when she was still freaking out about finding out magic existed, who knows where she'd be right now?

She blinks as Ren compliments her watch, looking down at it... and a sort of guarded expression crosses her face. "It's... just a bracelet, not a watch," she says quietly. Internally, she's apologizing to Strike Wolf. He's so much more than a bracelet or a watch, but she'd rather have someone see him as an unremarkable version of something than an odd-and-out-of-place version of something.

Though once they're inside, out of the cold, and she's not trying to shield herself from the wind, the gem on Ren's finger catches her eye. "That's a really nice ring, you have," she says earnestly. "What kind of stone is that?" She is genuinely curious, though she's ''also'' trying to deflect the conversation away a bit.

That comment makes Kyouka pause to consider. "... Yeah, I guess that does seem kinda romantic, huh? They met, got married, Mom followed Dad around the world... That's one of the things we bonded over, just exploring the culture of all the different places we ended up in, so... Maybe meeting my dad was one of the best things that ever happened for her. Never thought of it like that before."

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
"A bracelet..." Ren repeats, nodding slowly as her eyes trace over said bracelet again. She's not sure but there's something ''about'' it that--

Of course, she's interrupted by Kyouka pointing out how nice ''her'' piece of jewelry is. "Oh! Yeah! It's uh... topaz! Yes! Topaz!" Several earnest -- or at least she ''hopes'' they look earnest -- nods are given to the girl seated across from her, which then leads to Ren picking up the menu with a wide smile. "I guess we should order something, huh? I'm surprised the waitress hasn't come over yet to take our orders..." Now ''she's'' the one trying to do the deflecting, though the way her hands are posed around the menu the ring is still somewhat visible.

When Kyouka starts to agree about the romanticism in the meeting of her parents, Ren peeks over the menu, smiling and seemingly more relaxed again. "That ''does'' sound amazing. I'd like to do some traveling when I graduate, if I can..."

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka is likewise a bit more relaxed when the topic has moved along from her bracelet, though... she is thinking that's an unusual-looking topaz, and tries to get a better look at it, to ask about where she got it, when she brings up the issue of menus and waitresses.

"Oh, good point, hmmm..." When the waitress does arrive, she orders soup and tea--perfect things to get you warmed up on a cold winter day.

"Oh yeah? How close are you to graduating? I don't think I caught what year you're in. And, do you have any destinations in mind yet?" She turns her head to look out the window at the street outside, watching the people pass by. She rests her chin in her hand as she does so... unintentionally bringing that bracelet up again into view. "I know graduation's a couple years off for me, but... I've got no idea what I wanna do after that."

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
The waitress coming over is greatly welcomed. Ren decides to order the same thing as Kyouka, she too thinking about how nice hot soup and tea will be on a day like this. Setting the menu aside she opts to fold her hands in her lap, smiling pleasantly across the table.

"Year 12." She replies, grin widening. "So I only have a little while left to go before I'm free!" She pumps a hand into the air -- which just so happens to be the one she has the ring on. Upon realizing, she blushes and puts it back down a bit quickly. "Sorry. I just felt like graduation would never come, yeah? It still feels so surreal..." She's both understandably excited ''and'' nervous for what's to come.

When Kyouka confesses about not quite knowing what she wants to do after graduations, Ren sighs in agreement. "I know that feeling. I... ''think'' I wanna go to university? But like I said I'd like to do some traveling. Definitely want to maybe hit up New York City first? Yes... that's it."

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
"Oh dang, year 12? Yeah, you're really close, huh? Just a few months left for you now, huh?" She laughs a bit at seeing Ren's excitement, fist pumped in the air. "Hey, don't be sorry. It's a good thing to be excited about." She nods as Ren explains how she feels. "I mean, you want ''surreal'', this is the first time I've ever attended a real school, so all of this is new to me."

She turns away from the window to face Ren again, holding her arms on the table, bracelet visible. "University seems like a pretty good path to pick. Do you know what you want to study? I can think of a few things I might like to pursue, but... dunno. Never really been good at planning ahead with all the moving around and such." She grins again when New York City is brought up. "''Definitely''. Let me know when you're planning your trip, and I can make some suggestions. I know this one pizza place that is absolutely ''amazing''."

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
"Yeah. A few months." She agrees, sighing wistfully. Everything that Kyouka says makes sense. She ''should'' be feeling this way. Goodness knows she's talked with Endo about what they'll do together after graduation. She sometimes wishes she could be as nonchalant as he is at times...

"Me?" Ren asks, as if Kyouka was currently having a conversation with someone else. "Well..." She couldn't just tell her that what she wants to study is ''Magic''. Kyouka doesn't know about anything like that... right? Her eyes sloooowly move back down to the bracelet, the gears starting to turn faster and faster as she starts to get a hunch...

She looks back up at Kyouka and nods. "Oh for sure! I'd love to get any suggestions you can think of!"

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Endo can be a little ''too'' nonchalant, sometimes. Especially when describing things like the Book of Darkness. But that's neitehr here nor there.

Kyouka definitely wouldn't know anything about that. Yep. Totally normal device-wearing girl over here. When the other girl stalls on answering, Kyouka ducks her head a little to try and catch Ren's gaze, seemingly not aware of where she's looking. "Well...? You can tell me, I promise I won't laugh. ... Or are your parents pushing you into something in particular...?" She can relate, and that'd make her hesitate, if she was planning on doing something she wasn't totally invested in.

"Oh yeah, I've only been there a few times, but I do have some favorites... Oh, and I can ask Grandpa and Gramda for ideas, since they know the area way better. Though... I guess it also depends on what kinds of things you like.... What are you hoping for? Sight seeing, concerts, shows, dining?"

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Hmm? Oh. Right. She hadn't given her an answer about that, had she? Again, she looks at the jewelry on Kyouka's wrist. She'd ''said'' it was just a bracelet... but of course, Ren told most people the ring on her finger was ''just'' a ring. Taking a deep breath, she brought her gaze up to look directly at Kyouka, weighing the options. "Well, if we're being honest..." She pauses to make sure no one is paying attention, and then leans forward before continuing, "...I want to study Magic." And just like that the cat was out of the bag. Of course, if Ren is completely wrong about Kyouka, she could just pass it off as wanting to learn ''stage'' magic, not ''real'' magic. And wouldn't that be funny?!

Leaning back again, she nervously drums her fingers on the table, waiting for the other girl's reaction before any further talk continues between them...

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka is patient, waiting for Ren to answer, even with the gentle prodding. She is just genuinely curious, though when she sees the other girl's eyes flick down to her wrist again, follows the gaze, and ralizes... This time it's her pulling her hand into her lap to try and escape scrutiny, though now she's got a few gears turning, too. But she's a few steps behind Ren on that count.

Kyouka's still new at this. There's still that gut instinct, that inpulse to react with skepticism and incredulity at the thought of magic. But she scarecely gets the first syllable on her retort started before she cuts herself off. The second one is a newly-developed attempt to a blanket denial, but... well, she's not being asked a question here.

The third reaction, that follows the very quick first two is a bit of guardedness. A glance around to make sure nobody else will overhear, the careful weighing of what to say and how much to reveal... Ren's not the first one to recognize her device, and if she was just after ''that'', she could've attacked. And besides, now that she's got that possibility percolating in her head, she's drawing an inference on osmething else.

Her eyes flick to Ren's ring now, or at the very least, where she imagines it to be, before moving back up to look Ren in the eyes. "... 'Topaz', huh?"

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Gauging Kyouka's reaction tells Ren that her hunch just might be correct. She understands the reaction. While there are a lot of "good" magical people here in the city, there are just as many "bad" magical people. Hence the secrecy that everyone tried to abide by. It made things a lot less complicated. And kept those you cared about safe.

Kyouka's gesture in Ren's direction, obviously referring to her ring, is met with a smile. "Well, no... not really." She moves her hand onto the table, putting the ring in the empty space between them. "...He's actually named Souverain Heraut."

As if on cue, there's a soft chime from the newly-revealed device as the gem pulses. &lt;Hello!&gt; It's not too loud -- just enough to be heard by the two of them. Ren smiles.

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Her question was a challenge, of sorts... There were many possible answers, but that... is a pretty good one. When the ring comes out, and Souverain Heraut finally speaks, she smiles, relaxing her guard and bringing her arms back up on the table. "It's nice to meet you, Souverain Heraut," she says, just as quietly. And then to Ren, she says, "And this is my partner..."

And there's a flicker of light from deep within that gem, in time with the words, &lt;Strike Wolf.&gt;

"So..." Now that this bit of information is out in the open, the gears are turning. Another quick glance to make sure the waitress isn't headed in their direction. "... that wouldn't have anything to do with why you transferred to Infinity, would it?"

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
"Hello, Strike Wolf." Ren replies, unable to stop her smile from growing wider. It was always great to meet other device users. If there was one thing she learned during her time as one, devices came in all shapes and forms and had a wide range of personalities.

"Yes, actually." Ren says to Kyouka's question. "It's a whole... thing." She winces a bit, remembering the business with Jaren. "But it worked out pretty well in the end. Infinity is... well... there's a lot more to it than meets the eye at first glance."

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka is grinning a bit herself. She was already in a good mood from having struck up a conversation and, hopefully, a friendship, but finding out they had something in common, especially magic and in particular devices... well, it's nice to widen her circle of friends who share both of chose commonalities.

She nods as Ren confirms her hunch. "Yeah... a friend of mine told me there's... some stuff there that's not... in the brochure, let's say. I'm... still getting used to..." she makes a vague gesture. "All of this. Was not how I anticipated my time in Japan going, that's for sure."

If she's only been in Japan a few months, then...

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
"Not in the brochure is a good way to put it, yeah." Ren laughs a little, feeling relieved at how open she's able to be with Kyouka now. "The whole city has a lot more going on, actually. Have you... fought any monsters yet?" She asks with a slight head tilt. "I know you said you're new and still getting used to it all. Most of us who got involved in this sort of business kind of got thrown face first into it."

At least that was the case with her own personal introduction to the world of magic -- fighting a horrible monster in an alleyway. The memory of Souverain Heraut activating and talking her through defeating it still feels fresh -- like it happened just yesterday, in fact!

"If you ever need someone to talk to about all of this stuff..." She takes out her phone, displaying her number on it before turning to screen so that Kyouka can see it. "I'm always available."

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
"Yeah, I'm... definitely still getting the lay of the land... in both respects." When Ren asks if she's fought any monsters, she grows a little somber.

Her ''most'' recent fight is still only a couple of days old, and... well, not an experience she wants to repeat any time soon. Having her heart snatched twice by an ogre. But she doesn't go into the details, and instead just nods. "Yeah. A few. Always... well, always something new to learn about in each one, so far." Getting thrown face first... She nods to that. "Yeah. I, uh... only got involved in it by accident, actually."

She looks down at her wrist. "Someone was trying to steal Strike Wolf, I came along and heard his call for help, got him away from the mage, and Strike Wolf offered to synchronize, and... boom. Magical girl."

She lights up, the offer to exchange phone numbers chasing away the gloomy thoughts. "Oh! Yes, thanks! It's always nice to have more friends to count on for this stuff." She pulls out her cell phone, and quickly copies the number down... then sends Ren a text so she's got her number, as well. "There. Did that go through?"

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Ah... yes. Ren notices that somber look on Kyouka's face. She's seen it multiple times -- both on her own face and on those of her friends. This line of work is tough. Remembering all the rough patches does still sting, but she likes to imagine she's grown better for having gone through them. Her and Heraut. Together as a team.

She listens to how Kyouka and Strike Wolf came to form their partnership, nodding, before doing some sharing of her own.

"Heraut was left in an unused science lab in Infinity. I felt drawn to him. When I found him, I was confused since he looked like this." She holds up her hand, showing off the ring for emphasis. "...And I took him. I felt ashamed that I had stolen something. And then later he activated and we've been inseparable ever since."

The exchanging of numbers then follows, Ren beaming. "Yep! Got it!" She saves the number in her contacts before putting her phone away, just as the waitress comes over with their orders. "Thank you!" Ren says, feeling her stomach rumble at the smell of the delicious soup that awaited them. "Well then, shall we?"

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka is still learing how to navigate the whole magic thing, but, well... there's a lot to adjust to, of course. And some of it still doesn't sit right with her.

Kyouka frowns a little at that. "Who'd leave a device just laying around...?" she wonders aloud. And then she nods a little when Ren explains she just took Heraut. Stealing is wrong, of course, but... well, it might've also been a strange form of... destiny, perhaps, if one wants to believe in such things, so... she's not going to judge that too harshly.

Besides, she knows well enough that if Heraut objected, they wouldn't be a team now.

"... Did you ever find out who his original owner was?" she asks, purely out of curiosity. "I'm still trying to find Strike Wolf's so I can return him."

"Thank you!" echos Kyouka, who then nods to Ren. "Yes! Let's eat!" She inhales deeply and nods. "Yep, definitely the right call for the weather," she says, before she starts to dig in.

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Indeed, who would just leave a device lying around? Well, a certain jerk with sideburns under orders of an even bigger jerk, that's who. "There was a guy. A really nasty guy. He had Heraut and was looking for someone to activate him. And then I came along and was a match. After that he tried to take Heraut away and did a whole bunch of other horrible things. My friends and I beat him in the end. I don't think I could've done it without them by my side." She smiles fondly at the memory of them all standing together after that final battle with Jaren, battered yet relieved it as all over. Though of course, other battles came and went, and were just as tough -- if not tougher, even. But still, they all came out of the other side -- together.

"I did. Heraut and I had a long talk during a really dark time during the stuff with Jaren. His original owner isn't living anymore... But he sounded like a really courageous person who always tried to do the right thing. It was inspiring... I told myself I'd do whatever it took to honor his memory and live up to what he stood up for."

After that talk, the bond between Heraut and her was truly unbreakable.

Ren sighs heavily, looking down at her soup as her stomach rumbles again, telling her she ''really'' needs to eat. She too digs in.

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka frowns a little as Ren describes more about the circumstances of her finding Heraut, and how that fit into some larger machinations. Trying to get a device activated so it could be stolen later. That sounded... familiar. Or at least, it's not out of line with what she's learned about Jail so far, even if she doesn't know all of the specifics. "I'm glad you all made it through that in the end, then."

She listens with interest as Ren explains. "Oh, shoot. I'm so sorry to hear that." But then she smiles a little as Ren describes trying to live up to his legacy, and nods. "Yeah, that sounds like a memory worth honoring. I'm glad Heraut was able to find another partner that was equal to the task."

She looks fondly to her own device. "For me and Strike Wolf, I think it's just... a willingness to protect or help those in need. That's how I heard his call for help, after all... Even without knowing about magic I still responded to it. Strike Wolf doesn't know much about his creator, though, which has made returning him... difficult."

She's silent for a while as we eat, enjoying the warm brought by the soup and tea.

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Ren pauses, looking over at Kyouka. "Would... you want to give Strike Wolf back?" She asks curiously. "If you find his owner, I mean. I... don't know if I would've wanted to give Heraut back, honestly. I'm not doubting you or anything. And I don't ''want'' to make you doubt your decision. Just... Strike Wolf chose you so maybe he'd rather stay with you?"

Again, Ren flashes back to the mission she went on with Lera and the others to essentially ''bury'' a device whose master was long gone. The device was adamant about not wanting a new master, and they ultimately honored its wishes but... it still made her feel awful.

Ren stirs the soup around absent-mindedly with her spoon, biting her bottom lip.

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
''That'' is a bit of a loaded question for Kyouka, and she switches from eating to absent-minded stirring as well, as she considers it. There is no doubt in her mind that returning Strike Wolf is the right thing to do, but even so... That leaves her with a worldview that's been fundamentally altered and no way to ''act'' on that information. She'd be aware of magic and all of the wonderful and terrible things contained therein... and still powerless.

"It's what Strike Wolf wants," she says, finally. "The mage I rescued him from ''stole'' him. It's not right for me to keep him once I figure out how to return him to his creator. If I keep him despite all that... I'd be as bad as that mage was. He was trying to forcefully activate Strike Wolf. I don't know if he could have succeeded, but... That's not the type of person I am." That last part is said very firmly.

She shares a long, meaningful look with Strike Wolf, and it seems like they might be having some internal conversation. And finally, she concludes with, "... and he's not done being built, so... he deserves to be returned to his creator, so they can finish building him. I want Strike Wolf to reach his full potential, even if..."

... it's not with her.

She's pretty adamant that it's the right thing to do... though she doesn't necessarily sound ''happy'' about any of it.

She takes another few spoonfuls of her soup as she waits for Ren to process all of that.

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
"Oh." Ren says after hearing Kyouka's reasoning. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I mean... I understand. If it's what Strike Wolf wants..." She trails off, giving a slow nod. She felt a bit silly for assuming that Strike Wolf would've desired to stay with his current master. She spoke without knowing the full circumstances, which causes her some internal shame.

"Well, Heraut and I will help in any way we can." Ren says after a short moment of silence. It seems like the right thing to do, after all. There's a chime from Heraut, who speaks up as well.

&lt;Yes. We will aid you both.&gt; The intelligent device reassures.

"See? It's settled then."

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka shakes her head. "Oh, you don't have to apologize. Until we can find his creator, Strike Wolf and I are, you know, fighting the good fight and all that. And once he's completed, I'm sure he'll be able to do even more amazing things than he can already. So, you know, he'll be even better at fighting the good fight." She's doing her best to put on a bit of a brave face, there.

The fake cheer turns into a more genuine smile as Ren and Heraut both say they'll help. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

And Strike Wolf chims in as well, saying, &lt;Thank you both.&gt;

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Kyouka's assurance about Strike Wolf being able to reach is full potential is very heartening. Still... Ren has to wonder if she's as sure about this as she's portraying herself to be. But, she doesn't want to sit here and ponder it for too long. Ultimately, it wasn't her choice. It was Kyouka's. And Strike Wolf's. And she and Heraut have to respect that.

"You're welcome. Both of you." Ren replies, pausing after to eat more soup and sip more tea. By the time she finishes she's full and content, leaning back in her chair a bit.

"Wow! That really hit the spot, huh?"

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka is a bit more cheered by the time they finish the soup, able to put the questions of what comes ''after'' off for a while longer yet once they've sort of resolved the topic of conversation for the moment.

She nods in agreement and sits back in her seat, nursing at her tea a little, though honestly, she's had more than her fill of warm liquids with the soup. Still, hate to let iot go to waste. "Definitely! I'm glad you spotted this little cafe. It was perfect for a day like today."

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
"Mmhmm!" Ren agrees, "This cafe always has such a good selection. Everytime I come back here there's something new and delicious on the menu. They really go all out."

The waitress comes over to settle their bill and clear the table. Once that's done, Ren clasps her hands together. "Thank you so much for the excellent company, Okazaki-san! We should do this again sometime, yeah?"

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka definitely perks up once she hears that the cafe always has something new on the menu. "Really now? I'll have to keep this place in mind the next time I'm in the area. I love trying new food!"

She grins and nods enthusiastically. "You're welcome, Aizawa-san! And I definitely agree. Maybe you can show me around more of Shibuya sometime or something." Shopping in a place like this definitely isn't her wheelhouse... but having the right company can definitely make the experience better, she's recently learned.

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
"Oh of course! I know a lot of the shops around here. Sometimes they have pretty good deals. The tourists don't usually know any of this." Ren giggles a bit at that, obviously enjoying the little "secret" she just shared with Kyouka.

Glancing at her watch, she gasps. "Oh! Is that the time? I guess we lost track, eh?" With that she stands up and stretches a bit, waiting for Kyouka to do the same before walking out with her. Once they're outside, she turns to face her again.

"Are you doing anything afterschool tomorrow? Maybe we could meet up and I could show you around some more?"

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka chuckles, "Well, good thing I'm not a tourist, then... Though I guess I do kinda feel like one, sometimes."

She ''could'' probably ask Strike Wolf for the time, but... it's a little mean to treat him as a watch when she's got a perfectly good cell phone, after all. She pulls it out to check, blinking. "Oh, yeah. I didn't think I'd be out this long."

She also stands, stretching a moment with her arms overhead, and then shrugs her parka back on as she walks out the door with Ren. "Tomorrow? Let's see... Just homework and training, but I can spare some time for hanging out, I think."

 <Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
"Awesome!" Ren clasps her hands together happily. "I'll text you tomorrow, ok?" As soon as she thought of where they'd end up going, that is. Tokyo is a big place.

"Alright then, I'll see you tomorrow, Okazaki-san. And you too, Strike Wolf. Thanks again!"

And with a wave she's off, heading for the nearest station to hop on a train back home for the evening.

 <Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka grins and nods, "Looking forward to it!"

"Nice meeting you, Aizawa-san and Souverain Heraut!"

&lt;Travel safely.&gt;

And with that, she's also heading off to make her own way back home for the night, happy to have made two new friends.

[[Category:Logs]]