Scene #8875: How To Build Up After A Meltdown

Owner	Pose
Touta Konoe	It had only been a day since the events of the most recent evaluation that L Corp. had provided to the Elites. Yet, it was with such inconsistent frequency that one of them had made notice of their return the next day. The Elite in question being one that had succeeded along with the others that had arrived, and avoided pressing the button and yet...Probably one that still left some with doubt. After all, Touta Konoe was likely one of the few that had left such a distinct taste during the events of the last Meltdown that even one of the Department Heads had made it public that she intended to sell out his info. And even now, well... "Malkuth...? You there?" The last time he had arrived alone, it was Malkuth had been the one to take him to Angela's office. One who seemed all too eager to chat whether it be about the party they had at the time, or the fact she had been kind enough (or just didn't care enough) to scan him. He wouldn't be surprised if things have changed. Even now, his reason for arrival hadn't been to meet with Angela. It was something much more vague. Keeping a 'promise' with a few of the staff. For Touta the story was simple...Once upon a time, he had a very pleasant meal with a few Agents as they went about hunting for mutant turtles that were also apparently ninjas! A surprisingly delightful experience getting to see them indulge in pizza for the first time So, he told them that one day that he'd go about bringing them another few pies. Which is where he finds himself this day, as he requests to visit Shajo and a few of the other Agents. A few boxes of pizza in one hand, but otherwise there appeared to be no weapons that could be seen on him from the cameras, no ill-content expression that would have signaled a questionable intent. Though, while there was no malice to his expression, there was one other reason he was coming up now, and one thing he had wanted to say to them if he could... And yet, even with all that, even with passing the recent evaluation as he continues to wait at the door with no response...There's a tension that builds.Toxic thoughts, that while would have done nothing to him physically, taint him all the same like such toxicity would any other body. And thus, he tries speaking up again, if only to hear some voice speaking in the silence. "...Anyone...? I know I gave notice so it shouldn't be a big deal, right...? ...Please...I'll be in and out...At least let me get this to Shajo and them before it goes cold..." There's only a camera there and yet for a moment it sounds like he really is just pleading with empty air. Bargaining with the invincible forces that be...
Angela	There is no 'door entrance' to L Corp. There's a Warpgate that leads in and out though as Touta finds--the cell door from the Warpgate isn't ALWAYS open and it isn't today-- And despite everything, Touta is still allowed at L Corp and did successfully complete the button test--even if the button test was far closer than Angela really believes it should have been. Nevertheless, she is in a better mood after seeing Hibiki reach out to Lilian and might be feeling a bit charitable. But in some ways Malkuth is even more strict than Angela--she's just friendlier about it. The boxbot form of Malkuth has been moving through Control and guiding the team--now bereft of Petra--in restructuring their work now that they have less reason to go outside of the facility than before. Not much has changed since YESTERDAY, at least but most people are a bit busy to talk to Touta. Malkuth is eventually directed to Touta, opens the door, and makes her way over to him. "Well if it isn't this little troublemaker!" Malkuth says. "Angela is discussion a matter with Chesed right now but if you need to get something to Shajo I can bring it--" A thought occurs to her. "Hmmmm... Pizza huh...? People sure do like bringing our Agents snacks... but I'll allow it! Even if I get the feeling you've an ulterior motive here, Mister Touta!"
Touta Konoe	As he makes his way through the Warp Gate waiting for the cell door to open properly into the facility, there's still a look of genuine relief to see Malkuth in whatever form she's in. Though he does wince a moment at her words. "Thanks for picking me up, Malkuth. I appreciate it. Though, if you call me a troublemaker...Feels like that's probably putting it mildly compared to what the others have been saying, huh?" He regards her before she speaks up again about Angela. To which his expression sombers a little. His eyes turning towards the nearest camera before looking back to Malkuth. If Touta had heard that Angela was in a good mood today, then well...It'd be all the reason he finds himself deciding that it'd be best to leave her to enjoy it without more complications than necessary. "It's okay, I promise I was just hoping to catch up with him and a few others. Hadn't seen them out in the field in a while ya know? And yeah, if anyone deserves comfort food, I'd imagine it be the Agents and clerks. They're really busting their asses, huh? So I apprecia--" He gets ready to just walk through though when she calls out the distrust well... Rather than deny or admit it, he just looks to Malkuth with a questionable look of curiosity, a bit of a friendly look that he would have imagined she'd have given him if she could and asked next. "Do you think if I did, it'd be a bad one?" He waits for the response only for a moment as he starts stepping past a tad. "Anyway, can you point me in the direction of the department he's in again? Hope he and the others aren't in the cafeteria getting full already..."
Angela	Malkuth says, "Mm? Don't recall people speaking much about you at all, really." She quirks her 'head'at Touta. "Do you want them to be talking about you?" With thin scraping noises, the robotic body of Malkuth leads Touta further into Control, leading him to the elevators so he can deliver pizzas to Disciplinary as he'd like. "You know our objectives with the Meltdowns are to resolve them not exacerbate more of them right? That's why I think some of the Sephirah might be a bit upset with you." She pauses. "Well...Shajo did earn a vacation after 'The End of The World' but he's back to work now. He's Captain so he's usually a busy guy..." ''Do you think if I did, it'd be a bad one?'' "Mm.... Does it matter if it's good or bad? Either way it's not getting dealt with if you're being indirect about it." Malkuth then laughs. "What do you think I'm doing? Come on. We're going down to Disciplinary." She pushes a button on the elevator door once Touta is in and it starts descending.
Touta Konoe	"That so? Guess that makes sense for most the Agents." His free hand just starts casually slinking into his pocket as the other holds the box, chewing over his question for a moment. Though ultimately he just shrugs. Touta doesn't immediately respond. Sorta like he's chewing over the answer in his head. If anything the words that come next feel like they're more important to be addressed if anything. You know our objectives with the Meltdowns are to resolve them not exacerbate more of them right? That's why I think some of the Sephirah might be a bit upset with you. "I...I get that. I do. Though, I guess I've really been bad at executing on it. Which, I guess if you're not able to do what you have to do when it matters, that's bigger trouble huh...? Still, I think a bit upset might be another understatement though..." Another churning sensation rides in his stomach as he thinks back to the radio on that day. "I don't think when people are a bit upset with you, they decide that they're going to pass your info to someone who says they wanted to put you up against a wall by the throat or worse. At the same time...I get it." When it comes to the matter of Shajo getting a vacation, there's actually a look of relief that shows on his face. "Really that's..." The excitement comes and falls, "End of the World...That was the big one I heard about. Well, I hope he got the most out of it. He and a lot of others deserve it. Why I went for the extra toppings." The last sentence comes off a bit jokingly, at least attempting to as the tension of the moment feels to get tighter. Mm.... Does it matter if it's good or bad? Either way it's not getting dealt with if you're being indirect about it. There's a long pause for a moment as he chews over that. "Yeah. Though I guess that's the same way with wanting someone to talk about you or not, too, right? 'Whether you want them to or not...' Though that makes it sound like getting it /dealt/ with is the same as fixing it. If being direct is all it takes to get something dealt with properly, I'd be asking you to take us to a detour to Gebura while we're in Disciplinary to tell her I want her to back off." That remark definitely has a bit more sarcasm to it. For one, because the last thing he wants to do is involve himself with Gebura when everyone's already on high alert. "If there's at least one thing I'd like to avoid people talking about both in here and out of here, it's that I helped /start/ a meltdown..." As they finally reach the elevator though, there's a bit of silence that follows, though with just the sound of the elevator bringing them to Disciplinary and that word coming up again, he finds himself looking at the cubicle robot once more. "Hey, Malkuth...I've been wondering but...Could I ask you...About your Meltdown? About how you felt going through it all? ...If it's not too personal I mean?" While plenty of Elites had partaken in Meltdowns thus far, had heard some of the stories of the sephirah. He's not really sure he's ever heard /any/ of them express how they felt in the moment, or how they felt it changed them after the fact. From what he heard, the Meltdowns were a...Transformational experience. And so, it's hopefully understandable he might ask of what she felt at that time.
Angela	"Mm." Malkuth considers Touta thoughtfully. "I think I'm getting why Hook calls you a tourist, huh..." She doesn't clarify why but she admits, "You have been pretty consistent in coming here, but...it never really feels like you have purpose, you know? Kukuru likes to heal people and wants to protect her 'family', Sougo wants to be a great leader and so comes around to lend people a hand--instead of saying why you suck to everyone, what are you trying to be--besides 'hero'--that you want to center your actions around? If you know that and can keep it in mind, maybe you'll be less likely to aggravate magical girls uneccessarily because it's hard to imagine how that would help any sort of plan at all!" Her tone is as chirpy as ever. The elevator doors open up into Disciplinary. Touta gets a clear view of Nonon pinning Shajo against a wall via his collar! Malkuth is asked about her Meltdown. "Mm? How I felt? ... Mm... It was cathartic, when all was said and done! But it isn't as if it changed anything...yet!"
Touta Konoe	"Ah--" He looks to her, eyes caught in a fluster. He becomes a bit more thankful that his hands are in his pocket as there's just the slight shiver of it. His face trying not to show the expression like he was delivered a gut blow. A forced laughter follows, "Ehehe...Guess you'd be caught up with a few of the others then...Actually, would you believe me if I told you I kinda heard it too just as I finished saying it?" For the time after he continues to have Malkuth speak up next. The entire time he finds himself trying to nod along with at least to show he's trying to keep track. "Yeah, I know it comes off that way. Not having purpose, being hollow, I mean, I've been hoping that even if it was only a little the, ''I know I suck a bit' would at least let people know when they're saying it I'm taking the words to heart... Rather than just ignoring it. I know it takes more than that and I have been trying to think how I can explain what I feel about purpose to people, and I've kinda had some thoughts but...I never feel good about explaining it...Never get the words across right...Right now it's still kinda abstract. But...If I had to put it into words" There's a stop before he speaks up again. "..Build the future...When you think about that...Do you think that's an honest catchphrase, or just something that was meant to sound catchy? It was something that Carmen came up with?" As the door opens there's a pretty big surprise that pops into view, even as Malkuth talks about the Meltdown. Enough of a surprise that he finds himself sorta jumping into the situation, "Malkuth, sorry! Can we hold on a sec--Oi!" Before she can even question it, she's being passed the pizza as Touta finds himself stepping through the doors. He doesn't know what the hell's going on, but... "Cut that shit out! I know not all coworkers get along but the hell?!" He's calling out to Nonon, trying to make his presence known. He hasn't stepped in between the two yet, but if it looks like things are going to escalate any further than what things are, he's just as ready to step in. His eyes turn back to Shajo for a second, "The hell you'd do that you got someone trying to put up the Captain of Disciplinary against the wall?"
Angela	Malkuth says, "Er, it's more that they say this stuff where anyone can hear it. Even if we're not always chatting, usually ''someone'' in L Corp is listening. And if it's an Agent, well ,they gossip. I think the only one who doesn't do a lot of gossiping would be Miss Angela." Touta continues to say that he knows how it comes off and the like but Malkuth ultimately adds, "Well...I mean... sometimes a meltdown helps you work stuff out if you're willing to learn from it, instead of just dive deeper into it. I think at a certain point it's not really everyone else's job to try and get you to that place, you just have to do it yourself and that's scary and takes faith and confidence--" ''Build the future'' Touta uses a power phrase from L Corp and Malkuth giggles a bit, "Fight the Fear, that's important too. Fight the Fear, Build the Future. It means seeing the past with a clear eye, facing the fears of the world, and building a future that you could like to see not just yourself in--but others outside of yourself." ''Do you think that's an honest catchphrase'' "Mm... If we didn't think it was honest, why would we be here? Why would we be...bothering with the work? It'd be easier to just sit around without bringing out Abnormalities and then having to deal with them, we could just sit in this coffin as an eternal purgatory rather than facing hell here." The pizza is set on Malkuth's head!! "Eck--" Touta busts on in on what's going between Shajo and Nonon. Shajo blinks blearily at Touta. "Uh." He says. Nonon interrupts this by placing her mouth on Shajo's and kissing him for the next 3 minutes, forcing her tongue into his mouth while pinning him to the wall there. Shajo seems into it and holds up an index finger to Touta to signify 'one moment'. ...Then kind of vaguely holds up his palm like a 'take five'. Eventually Nonon sets Shajo down, brushes her mouth with her wrist and shakes it out while looking at Touta. "Oh sweet, pizza!"
Touta Konoe	"Oh no, I wasn't talking about gossip here I meant..." He stops to think about it for a moment and well, with everything else that's been said well. "Yeah, never mind. Don't think it's important. Though...I'd believe that about Angela." His gaze turns to the cameras once more, and well...He does start smiling, a bit more earnestly, even as Malkuth adds that extra statement to it. At least up to the last part... I think at a certain point it's not really everyone else's job to try and get you to that place, you just have to do it yourself and that's scary and takes faith and confidence-- For a moment it looks like theres' going to be another 'I know' statement in there, but instead, it's a question that comes instead. "...Internalizing...Right? Not just having people tell you, but keeping it. The whole feed a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime." Fight the Fear, that's important too. Fight the Fear, Build the Future. It means seeing the past with a clear eye, facing the fears of the world, and building a future that you could like to see not just yourself in--but others outside of yourself. Mm... If we didn't think it was honest, why would we be here? Why would we be...bothering with the work? It'd be easier to just sit around without bringing out Abnormalities and then having to deal with them, we could just sit in this coffin as an eternal purgatory rather than facing hell here. "Yeah, I've liked that...Building a future that you want to see for others. I spoke about it a bit with Angela before, about my grandfather. And...Iunno, When I heard that phrase, I kinda always thought about him a bit. Though...People did call him a hero and all that. But..." He starts scratching at the back of his head... "Malkuth, did Carmen seem like a hero to you because of her goal? Was she...A hero to you?" He gives pause for a moment to let her say her piece on the matter, whether she needs to think on it or not. It's clear for this part that he is waiting intimately for the answer, just as he does for the next. "So...When you all start 'Fighting the Fear, Build the Future' you all don't feel like heroes, right? Do you?" Eventually he starts to try and make a point to his question. "I don't know about being a hero but...I think in some ways like my grandpa, and maybe like Carmen, but..." He thinks back to Meika and the words he said at that time, "I wanna one day do something that can build things up like they did. Maybe not like they did and maybe it's not one to one with what of how I'm trying to say it but...But...Still trying to build the future like how you and the rest of the Sephirat are?"
Touta Konoe	When it comes to 'purpose' that's all he can seem to articulate before the events that follow. Which ultimately... Shajo blinks blearily at Touta. "Uh." He says. Nonon interrupts this by placing her mouth on Shajo's and kissing him for the next 3 minutes... To which Touta's only immediate reply is, "Uh." It does not take him three minutes to say that. In fact, by the first ten seconds he's turned right around to give the two some privacy making his way back to Malkuth to take the pizza from her head. Though even as Shajo gives him that sign, there really doesn't seem to be an end in sight. In fact...He even finds himself leaning in towards Malkuth for a moment cause he's starting to have another concern come up, whispering to her a little. "...You sure he's getting enough air there?" That tongue just seemed like it was really putting in work...Especially when that one finger turns to five! By the time that their kiss ends and Nonon comes over there's a moment that he stops to recognize her from the Meltdown. And another worrying thought comes to mind. Yet, she doesn't seem to be thinking about it...So why should he? Thus he opens up the box, offering up a slice, before just handing her one of the boxes instead "Thank Shajo. I promised him a while back that I'd bring some pies this way when I could. Make sure they get shared around though, kay?" At the same time, he brings the next box over to Shajo. There was a lot that he wanted to say, but he imagines this man needs some air. "...Hey...Thanks for trusting me..." There's an honest look in his eyes. Because, as Touta has learned from others...The people of the City, the place that it is, trust is not something given lightly. And because that's the case, he at least wants to say in that moment that there's appreciation in that fact. "I'd say I wanted to tell you something else. But you look like you're still catching your breath. I'll tell you later though maybe...If you still trust me?" He doesn't push it one way or the other, if anything he pushes him along to keep going with Nonon to make sure she's giving that pizza to others in the department before walking back to Malkuth. "Alright. Pizza's delivered...I think we can go back up." At this point, he's ready to go back up the elevator like he said. Though as they go up, he finds himself looking to Malkuth as one final question comes to mind. "Hey, a purpose is important, but it's...Not something you should just hash out in a few hours. It's...Something you should take your time knowing, right? And even when you think you do...Keep thinking on it? I'm...Still not sure how concrete my 'purpose' is...But...If I told you I think I found a way to center myself...To show that I was being more genuine...You think that'd be good?"
Angela	''Did Carmen seem like a hero to you because of her goal? Was she... A hero to you?'' "Hmmm? She was very persuasive and charming, everybody looked up to her--Maybe Ayin most of all. And some people had a little...more than respect for her, you know? I think we got into this because she was just so different from everyone else in the City, you know? Most people in the City don't...really think about CHANGING the City... But I think at this point we're pretty cottoned onto the plan too. We're convinced! Convinced enough to keep at it again and again." She stalls. "Do you understand? ... Anyway, we know we're not heroes. We're doing this half as much just to let things end as we are hoping for anything good to happen. I don't think we could say our intentions are entirely pure at this point. But it'd be nice, isn't it? If our sacrifices could lead to something better for everyone?" He speaks of his own dream for a moment, though Malkuth doesn't exactly see herself as forging her own legacy so she doesn't have as much to say about that than he might think. "Think of the future you want and work towards that, unflinchingly. I don't think your dream is ''actually'' to harass teenage girls because one hurt you in the past or something!" Shajo wobbles considerably as he's set back down. He blinks blearily at Touta and says, "I'm okay." He says, blinking twice and then taking a deep breath before sinking down to the floor, smiling dreamingly and goofily at Nonon. "Hey all good. Funny timing but not like you planned it. Thanks for the pizzas." Touta asks something strange to him. "Eh? Why wouldn't I trust you?" Either not every Agent knows about what went down or not all of them actually care. Shajo doesn't really know Meika. Nonon barely knows her any better, though that's mostly because of her previous time in Central leaving her with friends who have more sympathy for the magical girl. "Eh? You're not sticking around for pizza?" Shajo asks. Regardless, Malkuth is willing to answer Touta. "Mm... Meltdowns are hard on everyone. I wouldn't beat yourself up too much for not acting perfectly during one. Just, you know, you can't just leave it at the meltdown--face the fear, right?" Something they should take their time with? "Er, I guess... I don't know if it always works that way though. If you found a way to keep your cool, that's certainly something!"