maskormenacelogs | now you see me going through it // you may think there's nothing to it

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now you see me going through it // you may think there's nothing to it

WHO: Utena Tenjou and Futaba Sakura
WHERE: Sakura's place
WHEN: Early March
WHAT: Utena wants to become an honest to goodness superhero. But she can't do it alone.
WARNINGS: None so far, will edit as needed

hey are you free?? there's something i need to talk to you about. something important

That's the text she sent Futaba earlier in the day. Utena fidgets in front of her door, squirming as she rearranges her grip on the bag of snacks in her hand, before she takes a deep breath and knocks on the door. It's time to take the next step in her life here... but first, she must make a confession.

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Something about that text had made Futaba nervous. Maybe it was the way it was worded, or the ending sentence highlighting the fact that this conversation was going to be important. Whatever it was, it had Futaba pacing.

of course. i'm home, come over whenever.

The almost flippant response she sent off had alluded to any of her nerves. And it definitely hadn't done anything to calm them. She's pretty certain that she's starting to wear a pattern on the floor from the path she's been walking. She's so lost in thought, trying to figure out what Utena is going to tell her, that the knock nearly makes her jump out of her skin.

A few deep breaths, a moment to shake out a few of her nerves, and she finally goes to answer the door hoping that her anxiety isn't all that easy to read.

It feels like it takes Futaba forever to answer the door, but when she does, Utena decides that it must be all in her head. Her nerves are just getting to her, maybe. She forces a smile, holding up her plastic bag like a prize.

"Hey! I brought some snacks - and drinks, too. In case you're hungry. But if not, that's fine-"

Rambling. She's rambling. Utena takes a breath and relaxes, and says, "Anyway... thanks for letting me come over. I know it's short notice, but..."

Utena's rambling puts her a bit more at ease--at least they both appear to be nervous about...whatever this talk was going to turn into. She even manages a bit of a smile.

"It's fine. I wasn't busy so...don't worry about it being last minute. The snacks are a nice touch though, makes for a decent apology." She makes an attempt at teasing, but she fears it comes out a bit more awkward than anything else.

"Uhm. You...want to come in?"

"Yes," Utena says, speaking louder than she means to. She clears her throat and, using her indoor voice says, "Yeah, sure."

She steps in quickly and toes out of her shoes, looking around at the house so she doesn't have to look at Futaba. While she nudges them in place with her foot, she says, "It's just - I've been thinking a lot late. About us - about imPorts. About what we can do here. About what we should be doing here."

Utena finally looks at Futaba, and asks, "What about you? Have you ever thought about that?"

Whatever Futaba had thought this conversation was going to be, this was far and away from it. It was definitely a question she had considered up until recently, feeling directionless and less than confident in what use she could really be out here in the world.

Things were much easier back home in that respect.

"I have. I think...It's hard not to try and figure out what our place is here. What we're meant to do."

She shuffles awkwardly, teeth worrying at her lips.

"Do you think you have an answer?"

"Not yet," she says. "But I think I'm getting closer. The people here - they think we're heroes, right?"

She takes a deep breath, squaring her shoulders and mustering up all the confidence she can.

"Then that's what I'm going to be. I'm not going to just sit around and wait for the next disaster to happen, not anymore. I'm going to be a hero - a real one."

The confidence in her last statement was inspiring. And there was something in the way she said it, the stance she took as she defined her future in the place, that made Futaba believe all that much more in her.

"Let me help you."

It's blurted out, eager and without thought. She staunchly ignored the rising heat in her cheeks to keep talking.

"You know I'm good with tech. I can monitor positions, set up training. I...I'm support for my friends from home. I can be that for you here too."

And Utena just beams at her, her eyes glittering with enthusiasm.

"I was hoping you'd say that," she says. "I, well, I'm not really great at this kind of thing. I mean, when bad things happen, I try and stop them, but... we can't just react anymore. We have to find a way to stop them for good. But..."

Her smile doesn't disappear, but it does soften a bit as she looks down, her joy turning into something more bittersweet.

"To do that, you need to be able to think ahead. You need to make a plan. And, well... like I said, I'm not really great at that. But you-"

She brightens up again, and says, "You're one of the smartest people I know, Futaba. That's why I wanted to talk to you about this."

That color in her cheeks, so close to fading, flared back to life with the praise. She had been told she was smart by her friends and others before, but the enthusiasm behind it was a bit new and unexpected.

"Then just leave the planning and strategy to me." She smiles brightly, really starting to get excited about this idea. "Besides, you're the amazing one on the field--we can't have you be talented with everything."

There's a pause before she jumps in on that planning bit. "I guess first we should try and get a list of people that have either caused problems before or are likely to...If we're trying to be more proactive that's definitely a good step."

She laughs a bit at Futaba's teasing, letting herself get caught up in the excitement buzzing between them. They can't joke around forever, though; it's time to get back to work, starting with their targets.

"There's OTO, but to be honest, I don't even know where to start with those guys..."

Utena sighs, and in a voice that's half sheepish and half hopeful, she says, "I don't suppose you've got any ideas?"

She allows herself a bit of a laugh before getting back to business (complete with the Serious Business Face™). If Utena was taking this seriously, so would she.

"OTO is a pretty big target. I've been gathering some information, but it goes in circles...Honestly, something that big would probably require a team effort..."

She frowns, trying to think of where they could start. "We might want to look into some of the petty crimes in Maurtia Falls. I mean, it's not like consequences will really last up there, but it gives us a small start. A chance to become a recognizable force, you know?"

"That's a great idea!" she says, with an enthusiasm usually reserved for particularly bad ideas. Surely nothing bad can come of sticking one's nose into arguably the most dangerous of the porter cities.

"I mean, it's not like there's nothing to do there," she continues. "And it's far away from home, too, so nobody would think of us - not that I mind being more public, just... well, if we're going to be investigating, then we should probably keep quiet about it. At least until we find something good."

"Exactly! We can start to dig into things, build a name for ourselves. one separate from what people know of us...maybe clean up the place a bit." It's all said with a wide grin and enthusiasm to match Utena's. They can definitely do something with this. They could really make a change.

"Maybe we should go up there sometime soon. See what we can find."

"I'm ready when you are! Though...hmmn."

She rubs her chin, and says, "We still have a lot to do to get ready, huh? If we're trying to keep quiet, then I'm going to need some kind of disguise. I, uh, kind of stand out here. Oh, and we'll need a way to keep in touch - we can use the network for that, right?"

"Mm...good point." Utena definitely didn't have the abilities her teammates from home did--it's not like her rebellious spirit would just generate a rad costume for her. "We could probably put something together if you have an idea in mind...a mask is definitely essential."

As for the communication, that's when Futaba grinned widely. "The network can definitely be used if we keep it to private messages. But...if we end up needing something more secure I could manage to put something together."

"Like our own mini-network?" she asks. "Or some kind of machine? You know, like you see in spy movies and stuff like that."

She says, tapping near her ear for emphasis.

"I mean, I'm good with whatever - you're the tech wiz here. I just want to know if I'll need to stuff anything else underneath a mask."

"Something like that...I have a private network set up with some friends from home." She doesn't need to elaborate or explain just what she and the rest of the thieves use that network for. Not yet anyway.

She tilts her head for a moment, considering Utena with a thoughtful look.

"I might be able to arrange a short-range comm unit into your disguise or the mask--it wouldn't be bulky if I do it right. That might be better if you need to reach me while in the middle of something..."

She nods, and says, "It's probably easier, too. Anyway, I guess I'll grab whatever I can for my costume. Though, uh, my options are going to be pretty limited... but hey, beggars can't be choosers, right? And the important thing is that it hides this-"

She says, pointing to her face.

"-and all of this."

She finishes, pointing to her hair.

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now you see me going through it // you may think there's nothing to it

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It is I! The slowest of beans!

Worth the wait!

<3~

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