Scene #2796: Picking Bones

Owner	Pose
Hinoiri Kirara	was sitting in one of Radiant Heart's MANY gardens... Waiting. There had been quite the text conversation earlier... Takashi. Radiant heart. Roof. Meet me. Now. After he made the... rather wise confirmation that he'd prefer to meet her somewhere without elevation, she agreed to meet him at one of the gardens. And was admiring one of the rock gardens as she waited for him. But judging by the texts she sent? Yeah... He was in trouble. Especially if she was telling him to meet her on the grounds of Radiant Heart. Oof.
Takashi Agera	The question for Takashi was, honestly, given the events of the last few days, what he was working on, and what was coming... which of the things was she upset about? He didn't know, but he had some mundane solutions to nonmagical angry unicorn problems in his pockets when he walked up, hands shoved into those same pockets. "You know, I'm feeling like I've got a second job just having discussions with random sparkles. It's starting to feel like you guys think I don't have anything better to do..."
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara blinked and side eyed him. "Oh, your majesty, I'm so sorry," Hinoiri said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I didn't mean to take up much of your very valuable time, but it has come to my attention that you have been up to some bull shit. And I felt it might be a good idea for me to give you a chance to tell me your side of the story, rather than I just assume the story that Usagi told me was entirely correct and unbiased. However, if you would prefer that I only listen to her side of said story, I can," Hinoiri said. "Now, considering the fact I know how much you love to hear yourself talk... Hidden-ite..." Hinoiri said, before sighing. "... Really? Can you tell me your side about what happened between you and your brother? Did you actually snap and attack him when he was out of henshin?"
Takashi Agera	"Hey now, unlike some folks, I don't go around misappropriating royal titles I haven't earned." Yet. "I would tell you that in order to get a truly unbiased record of events you should be going to me and Chiba-san, but since he and Tsukino-san are basically one unit now I suppose getting the story from her is close enough that it's effectively the same thing." he notes. At the comment on his rock name he can't help but smirk just a bit. "But look, just saying I attacked him out of henshin is grossly misrepresenting what actually happened. Did they on any level accurately inform you of the events leading up to that point and the depths to which they sunk to push my buttons until we all simultaneously discovered it was even possible to do so to such a degree that I fell victim to my own capabilities - to capabilities I didn't even know I was in posession of beforehand?"
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara just gave him a flat look. A flat look of she was having none of it. Oh, she very much doubted he would hesitate to take a royal title in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself. Heck, even if he was in the mood for it. He was Takashi. For the moment. Still, she, for the moment, was giving him the benefit of the doubt... somewhat. "Uh huh. Well, they are married now, so they're close, at least. Closer than most people are who aren't in such a relationship, at least." She crossed her arms, ruminating on the words he used, her tongue moving around her mouth as she poked at her teeth, as if trying to decide if it was better to say the words or bite her tongue at times... "So, what exactly did he say to make you lose control like that?"
Takashi Agera	"It's hard to explain. Like, I did have Axion in Norie's hands - it was supposed to be a fistfight - but I was admittedly unprepared for the degree of the invective." he says. "Like, let me explain it to you like this. You remember the trip to the maybe-before-time-or-dimension? The end of the Silver Millenium, those last days - that you all went on? And you remember how I closed the portal by absorbing it? I got all of those memories, all of those feelings, to a certain degree, though it was a bit hard to tell what was real and what was false, I had nightmares for weeks while my mind tried to digest it." He waits for her to indicate she remembered that. "Well, in wartime, people throw a lot of insults around. But even with all of that energy collected, all of the anger and hate and suffering that was condensed in the memories of a fallen magical empire that stretched across worlds - all of those emotions I felt and remembered - and yet nobody suffered the indignities I did at the hands of my own brother!" Takashi says, throwing his arms out. "Why, the things he said were both so impossibly wrong they struck at the very heart of the concept of truth itself. Merely those words escaping from his was an attack on truth as anyone can understand it, they were so false and venmous. And I endured them - for as long as I could - before finally I could no longer resist the urge to bring the universe itself back into alignment - when my energy erupted out to correct a most destructive wrong. Yes, I lost control, but control itself was being eroded." he says, crossing his hands. "There was nothing more ''anyone'' could do - nobody could have endured what I did for as long as I did!"
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara nodded as, well... She did remember that. Beryl's little nightmare realm. she'd been a part of it. "Exactly," she said. And she expected some big, dramatic reveal... And then he said... 'Nobody suffered the indignities I did'. And she rolled her eyes... and her head. She knelt down poking at one of the rocks before she found a nice, smooth one. Idly rubbing it as she stood back up and leaned against one of the trees. Glancing up at him. Occasionally tossing it up. Watching him. Rubbing it with her thumb. Watching him. Tossing the stone about a bit. Examining the rock. Finally, as he drew to a close, she waited a few seconds for him to finish and... Then? She threw said rock. It'd wizz about a foot past his head, clattering against a tree behind him and then clattering into another batch of stones. "That sounds absolutely terrible for you. I helped. I threw a rock." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "But what did he actually say?"
Takashi Agera	Takashi paused, smirked, shrugged, then laughed a little. "Gods, that felt good. Also, you missed. And yes, I'm being quite overdramatic right now. I'm sure it wasn't that bad." "But... honestly, mostly he was just talking ''mad shit''." I don't remember what he said specifically because my memory of that moment is a little clouded by the white-hot rage. But I know he said basically that he thought I was wrong and was always wrong, and that he'd always thought I was wrong. I think that's what bothered me the most. Like he wasn't just mad about the Beryl-rock thing, he was retroactively mad and dramatically incorrect about stuff for years." "It was like I didn't know him, and he didn't know me, and I was more alone than I've felt in a long while - Like, the last time I remember feeling so... abandoned, I guess, was when you dipped out of Obsidian and left me holding ''that'' bag. But even still it felt like we were still a little close once you recovered, so maybe once he gets his head on straight we'll figure something out but like..." "You didn't grow up with me, spend years with me, watch me grow into my powers, join Obsidian with me, watch me climb the ranks while you were just GIVEN a title, watch me recruit allies while his just kinda SHOWED up. You know? all of that? Like I had to figure he'd understand me and I realized in that moment he didn't? And was just lobbing insults at me." "...so yeah, without my limiter, without Axion to gate my powers, I learned at a really inopprotune time I can harness a lot more power out of henshin than anyone thought. Or... well, it was more like a henshin without Axion? Like a different one. But not one I had control over, so I've been just focused on making sure it doesn't happen again. That and... damage control."
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara was silent for a good bit after that, seeming to be thinking on it. Well... it was a lot to think on... So much to think on. She was silent, watching him... Because well... She'd had everything under control, too. It was all under control... until it wasn't. She'd been in check. In control. And then? Then the wrong thing had been said. Or hadn't been said. And it hadn't been said by Sora. It just took... Sora. And then it had all come crashing down, all of her barriers, and she'd hurt the most important person in the world to her at the time. And everything had crumbled down around her. Everything had shattered. "You know... when everything fell apart for me, that was how it all started," Hinoiri started. "And I didn't 'dip out', I was fired. With all but real fire. They were literally sending people to off me. But... yeah. It hurts... when the person you think should have your back the most... just doesn't. When you trust them to be there for you and they just aren't," Hinoiri said. "I get that. And so you turned on him in that moment. However, the reason I'm concerned... is that was where my turning point was. That was where I went Sunset of Sora. And before you say something snide about how you're just better," she said, cutting him off. "You know as well as me just how dangerous dark energy can be. And he was the closest family you had... And you've told me how important those groundings can be when it comes to keeping yourself controlled with dark energy. It was one of the first things you told me. So... tell me. If not him, who now?" "And before you try? Don't you dare try putting this on Sayaka alone. She's already put her magic at risk with her with her benefactor in her willingness to trust you."
Takashi Agera	"Well, it was a process that ended with the firing that started... okay let's not split hairs because I don't want to give you space to talk about me turning the conversation around." Takashi says wisely. "He was my most important ground - more important than I truly recognized, which I admit - and that snapped, yeah. But obviously I didn't snap. I snapped for a moment and then still had the wherewithal to evacuate from the environment. And I've been putting things back together, not taking them further apart. He wasn't my only ground. This isn't a cascade failure. It's a fire drill. It's exposed weaknesses for me to shore up, and I have - and clearly I put too much power on one ground, but I've got others." "I mean really the state of the world is one of them. Like... you can laugh or whatever, but this world is my responsibility." he says, rather solemnly, as he goes to look at the sky for a moment. "And there are people on it I care a lot about. You're one, sometimes." he says with a bit of a smirk at sometimes when he turns to look at her for that line, before he returns to looking up to the sky. "But look, Sayaka is absolutely wonderful, yes, but I would-" and then he pauses and his head snaps back to look at Hinoiri. "She did what?"
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara gave a sigh and shook her head. "Her boss didn't think that Hiddenite was worth taking the risk over. She disagreed and said he was. You were. That it could all go bad, and who knows . I still don't think this is a sign of that. But there's no telling what he's going to say. But... she thought the chance of love was worth it. That you were worth it." "... But that doesn't answer the question, Takashi. 'The world needs me' isn't something that keeps us in check. How many of those psychos in that tower think the world would be better in THEIR hands?" she asked. "It's the people we care about that help keep us in line. So, which ones are there for you? It used to be your brother. Now it's... what. Me, Sayaka? You always talk about how smart you are... then don't try and dodge the question. Face it head on, and figure out who keeps you in check. If it's not your brother any more, if that block is gone, what stops you from going to the point you devour the sun?"
Takashi Agera	Takashi sighed and put his hand behind his head, rubbing his neck. "Well, 'Hiddenite' probably 'wasn't' worth that." he admits, and looks down at away. "I didn't know all that. I mean. You would think the sparlkes wouldn't need signed permission to have a relationship? Or put anything on the line for it? Like. Damn." he says. "At least she knows me now. Takashi." Not Riventon. "I'll have to be worth it." he says, quietly. If there's one thing that'll get to him, it's giving away power, magic, for him. Yeah. "Look, the key note is, the psychos in the tower ''are psychos'' or muderclowns or whatever, and I'm not. "But you know, there's a lot of people who need me. You, Sayaka, Hotaru, Norie - Fate, especially with how her mother's health is declining - and my new employees wouldn't do well in Obsidian without me to guide them. But that's kind of - still a foregone conclusion since without me the world goes to shit anyways, so that's what I mean. The world yeah, but that is crystalized in those people important to me."
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod. "Yeah, but she trusted you. Hiddenite, at least. But... she's also Sayaka. She's not going to let this stop her. Even if he decides to take back his endorsement from her, she's not the sort of girl to let this stop her from trying to help people. Not for a second. And before you even think of saying 'there's always dark energy', you should know her well enough to know that's not an option. She's way too dedicated to helping and being a knight of justice. And even now... she's still wanting to help you." "..." She sighed and leaned back. "And without you? Believe it or not? The world would survive... But I think some people would die. I think the world is better with you in it. But I think it would live without you. It would keep turning without you. One of us isn't that pivotal." "... Do you really think you're that important, or is that you BSing me more?" she asked him.
Takashi Agera	"Yeah, I... at first she was just a pretty face but the more we talked... you know, the more I saw of her? The better it was. The more I wanted to like, actually protect her. Even though when I was Hiddenite she was probably better equipped to protect me!" he adds. "At least the whole Hiddenite farce is dead and buried now." he says. "And I didn't know she was her ex till it was too complicated to pull it back or anything. But just so you know." And then she continues, and he looks at her like she's grown an extra head. "Look, I've been to one dimension, one timeline, that was still kinda like our world, and it didn't have me in it. And the whole world was a literal zombie apocalypse with the 'royal family'..." a term he delivers with such disdain "... and their protectors cowering in a castle while they had to get enough help to end the destruction of the world from a whole other dimension - help that included me and NEEDED me." he adds, possibly overstating his own contributon a little - but it was a LOT of damage. "Then you add in the help I provided in the background against Beryl and to disrupt you when you lost it, and that's TWO entire dimensions that not for me go out." he says, crossing his arms. "Do you really ''not see that'' yourself? Do you think I'd allow my niece to have to run off to get help from another whole dimension in a last ditch effort? Do you think this is even all the times I've helped the world keep itself together?" he asks, his hands now much more animated and his tone serious. "When Walpurgisnacht floated its way into Tokyo it sent the Dusk Reactor - you know, the one in the Tower - into a meltdown and you know who fixed it? That's right, me. Precia wasn't available for hours. Do you think anybody else could have done it? Do you think Tokyo was ready to deal with that and Walpurgisnacht at the same time? Hell no." "This world needs ME." he says, emphatically pointing at his own chest.
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod. "Yeah, I can understand that. She... really knew how to make things difficult, even when I was Sunbreaker. The more I knew, well... And she's just the sweetest. I was such a disaster when we were dating, yet she continuously stepped into it and jsut... didn't seem to ever mind, or object. She was always there to support me, you know?" she said, shaking her head. "She could be really good for me." And Hinoiri listened as he talked. And then, slowly... she nodded. And well... "Okay, fair enough," she said. "Yeah, it sounds like you were really important for all of that. Maybe the world does need you." The thing is? She'd seen a lot of 'One in a million chances'... And she had begun to realize that there was often... something that happened. Something to save them. To fix things. And she felt, in a lot of cases, there would be something. Someone. To help in those cases. But she didn't know if it would be better, or worse, than Takashi. She didn't know it would result in more, or less deaths. For all she knew... it needed all of them... And she smiled. "Actually, you're probably right. The world likely does need you. Just like it needs a lot of the sparkles. Right time, right place. But it needs you to keep being you. Just remember that. And don't break Sayaka's heart, okay? Because I've... already kind of vouched for you to her..." "... As an aside, I ended up telling Usagi about Hiddenite because I thought she knew, due to how things were said, but... my bad. Frankly, I don't see why you were so freaked about her knowing you were Riventon. Apparently you've known she was Sailor Moon for like a year, so like... why hide it?"
Takashi Agera	It's a good thing Takashi and Hinoiri weren't meeting over foot or with him having a smoothie in his grip - because he absolutely would have spat whatever he was drinking into Hinoiri's face. Not because of the comments about the world needing him. Or Sayaka. As it is though, he has to stop himself from gripping one of the chemical mixtures in the pockets he'd recently put his hands back into, and detonating it. "SAILOR MOON?!" he says, taking his hands out of his pockets so he can wave them around. "Usagi is Sailor Moon?! SERENITY IS SAILOR MOON?!" he says, and it's only some weird point of sense that has him not yell it out, but thankfully, nobody will hear it. "What the SHIT?! WHEN WAS HE GONNA TELL ME THIS." he growls. "I guess he wasn't. That settles it. My identity isn't worth shit. But his wife's is. Okay fine. Guess he's just SOME GUY." Takashi growls angrily.
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara stared at him. Opened her mouth. And then just... face palmed. "She told me you've known for like... a year. She told me for like a year. How did you NOT know? Did they tell you and you JUST DIDN'T LISTEN?" Hinoiri asked, the frustration just. RADIATING off her. She let out a little SCREAM. "GAHHHHHH!" She was... this close. To just... Frustration. ALL OF THE FRUSTRATION. HANDS. FINGERS! SHAKING! FLAILING! MANGLE THEM ALL! "... Well. FINE! I guess you know. And now they know. Buck. Is there... anything else they... are supposed to know... or not know that... they can't... or do... know that..." She rubbed her forehead, trying to endure the headache that was just... growing. "... Wait, then who did you think... that he..." Eye twitch... Finally she just SCREAMED! "... Okay. Right. You good?" she asked. "They know you're... Hiddenite, Riventon and Takashi. You know they're... Usagi, Mamoru, Mask, Sailor Moon, Princess and Bob Thorton. And I swear we need a chart at this point. Really, though? Seriously?"
Takashi Agera	Takashi is equally frustrated. "No, they never told me. I thought he had two similar girlfriends! I mean now it's obvious, stupid Veil." he growls. Just like how Usagi thought she had two brothers-in-law. "I don't even know if I'm good anymore." he says, frustration clear on his face. "Look, I'm gonna go make some angry texts now. Do you have anything else you need from me today or can you send me angry texts yourself if something comes up?"
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod. "Yeah... yeah. That should be fine," she said. "I'm sure I'll have something else to yell at you for later, but I think that's good for now. Just... keep an eye on those connections. People here need you to keep being you. A lot more than they need you with fancier powers or a bigger... well... whatever. Don't fly too close to the sun for a snack, okay? I think you got enough information from when I did it. And I'd hate to lose my lab partner."
Takashi Agera	Takashi sighs, and then looks at Hinoiri. "I'm... glad you care enough to still give me lectures, I suppose." he says, after a moment. "I'm thankful for that, even if I'm not great at showing it. And hey, if I'm right about how important I am... this is you helping save the world, ne?" he says, before turning and starting to walk away.