4613/On the Horizon

On the Horizon
Date of Scene:	05 January 2021
Location:	Gramercy Park Hotel, New York City
Synopsis:	Katsumi Oshiro and Nessa Donovan get together to enjoy a little downtime together while trying not to think too much about Katsumi's inevitable and impending departure from the country...
Cast of Characters:	Katsumi Oshiro, Nessa Donovan

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Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
The afternoon has dragged on, with Katsumi finding herself growing restless in her hotel room. Training has become somewhat stale with nothing to really work on, and under the strict rule to not "interfere" with anyone else from the team. Apparently the breakdown she'd suffered some time ago was enough to put everyone on edge. In fact, no one seemed to really trust her at this point, if the 'bodyguard' Delaney hired was any indication. Sure, she wasn't hired specifically for Katsumi, but she was for-sure told to keep the Punk Princess out of trouble.

So what is she to do? Her eyes are still the wrong color. She can't be sure, but it feels like it's become more and more apparent, with only faint 'cracks' of pale green showing here and there. She suffered another fainting spell a few days ago in a darn toy store of all places. The event is looming just on the horizon, but she's been here so long, she can't help but wonder if this isn't a lifelong complication.

Those thoughts are the most troubling.

The Gramercy Park Hotel remains very nice, and she knows she should be enjoying it. She just can't. Her insides are knotted up in stress no matter what she seems to do. And finally, at a loss, she throws herself onto the bed and checks her phone for any messages. One person has managed to both understand and put up with her crap, and somehow manage to make her feel better about all this. She won't admit it, but she's actually going to miss her quite a bit when she leaves to go home; her one friend.

No messages, though. Maybe it's a good sign. She nestles her face into the blankets, her shins and feet hanging off the mattress. "Nnggh. My kingdom for a guitaaarrr." Music was always a nice succor...

As for the friend in question? She'd received a message earlier asking her to come by the hotel.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"Someone ordered chicken and waffles?"

The knocking on the door is accompanied by Nessa's familiar voice. The rustling of plastic bags is also a good indicator that she's brought some with her. Dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a forest green turtleneck, the colder weather actually seems to go a little bit better with her style. Being on the beach in long sleeves during the sumer was always problematic. She leans against the doorway as she shifts the bag of food and a cardboard drink holder.

"I didn't really know what you wanted so I just made a bunch of stuff when I was leaving work. I got chocolate shakes too. With sprinkles." While sprinkles don't equate to a guitar... they're certainly something.

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
A voice!

A knock!

A voice again!

Katsumi is already on her feet. She hurries to the door and pops it open, immediately spotting the bag. She reaches to relieve Nessa of the burden, but is more interested in setting it aside on a hardwood desk in favor of focusing on her guest. "You made it! You're here! Ugh, Nessa!" The moment she's inside, she pulls the door shut behind her. "I'm kind'a low-key wigging out. And I've not seen you in forever. You been visiting family or what?"

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa allows the bag and drinks to be scooped away from her as she enters the hotel room, her attention focusing on her friend. "Yeah, sorta. My parents were trying to get me to go visit family in Ireland for the holidays and I was a little 'meh' about it, so it was a bit of an argument and I just ended up working at the diner for the holidays. Pretty boring. Kind of stressful, honestly. Sorry if I've been a bit AWOL."

She glances to the rest of the room as if to use it to determine the state of exactly how Kat's fairing. "Is it /actually/ low-key or are you just trying to downplay it?"

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
In fairness, Katsumi maintains a very tidy living space. One might even doubt Katsumi is the one who's been living there. But this is a habit that came from having excruciatingly strict, posh adoptive parents. They accepted nothing uncouth. Not even a personal room. So if Nessa is using the room to gauge her condition, it may be misleading!

"Well," begins Katsumi as she turns to sit on the edge of the bed. "I don't know. It's all become sort'a baseline. I've not, um... had any.. breakdowns or anything." By which she means sobbing fits. "But I know I'm still really on edge. And at the same time, really tired. Just... being pulled in two directions at once." Her right hand lifts to press the hand's inner edge against her face. "I don't wanna be baggage to you either, though. Just thought hanging out could make things suck less. You're not, uh.. busy or anything, right?"

The look she turns to Nessa is sheepish, even embarrassed; possibly at her own weakness on display.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"I made you chicken and waffles, Kat. If I was busy I wouldn't have bothered and I wouldn't be here. So no trying to feel guilty over this," Nessa pulls the two shakes from their cardboard holder and moves to sit down next to Katsumi. She offers the shake in her direction: plastic lid holding in whipped cream and festive holiday sprinkles. "Besides, friends aren't baggage. Just cause things are rough doesn't make you any less of a friend."

Sticking a straw into her own shake, she chuckles. "Besides, if anything I'm the ass who didn't keep in touch."

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro takes the shake and looks at it, continually taken aback by what many might consider baseline kindness to a friend. Indeed, it's unusual for Katsumi. And unusual because she's typically hurt or otherwise run off the other person by now. Speaking of:

"Hey, that's true!," Katsumi perks. "What the Hell! I know like one person in this country and you bail on me! Ugh." But she tilts with the 'disgust' to nudge her shoulder against Nessa's, confident in her rolled-sleeved buttonup shirt that she's not at risk of catching frostbite. "You know I've gotta go back to Japan soon, right? Real soon. Show's gonna happen, then my work visa's gonna be up, and I'll head back home. And you're gonna be bored hanging around here just... dealing with your parents and Satan."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
There's a bit of a grin from Nessa once she's seeing Kat's at least back to her normal 'abrasiveness'. Taking a sip of the milkshake, she shrugs a little. "I know, I'm an awful friend. Life's rough." There's amusement in her tone, though when Katsumi mentions going back, she seems to have forgotten about that. She stops mid-sip and blinks in Kat's direction.

"Oh shit. You're going back soon?" For the moment, the gears seem to be slowly turning in her head, then she takes another sip of her milkshake to cover her taking a moment to process things. "I mean, I'm sure Lucifer gets that joke all the time..." She straightens up. "I mean, are you looking forward to going back?"

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
The question gets an uncharacteristically solemn nod from Katsumi, straw connecting her mouth to milkshake. It's released to fully answer the next question. "Yeah. Mostly. I do fine in America, I think. But it's been more than a month since I've been in the ring. And back home, I can do that more. Weekly, when the booker thinks I'm going over well. And I might get my eyes back, and this... god**** f***ing passing out bull**** might finally stop."

Can Nessa tell where the majority of her stress is coming from?

"But..."

Katsumi falls silent, unsure how to finish her thought. The end of the straw finds its way into her mouth again, front teeth gently worrying over the plastic.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"I can imagine all the health issues will probably be less stressful back in Japan. I mean, you haven't had them until you came here. It'll probably clear up when you go back. That'd be good, at least," Nessa's mostly staring at her milkshake for a moment, stirring it with her straw a little bit. "I'm sure your eyes will be just fine again and everything will improve."

She pauses. "Doesn't mean I'm not going to miss you. Kind of wish you were a break-out hit here or something."

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
Her gaze half-lids at that. It's a nice thing to say, but she knows why she's saying it. And Katsumi feels the same way. Not just for her own career and life fulfillment, but something special happened this time. If not the eyes changing color, and the alarming, rapid fatigue, it would almost seem an ironic, cosmic cruelty to go back to the way things were; hated everywhere but for fans.

Katsumi chances a slow look to Nessa from the corners of her eyes, and the straw is released.

"I'm gonna miss you, too. You're stupidly nice." Despite her wording, she means it in the most appreciative, heartfelt way. "Why /are/ you so nice to me?"

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"Why wouldn't I be nice? Honestly, I don't typically get a lot of close friends. Always worried about the ice thing, always worried about just being a little too weird," Nessa shrugs a shoulder. "You needed help, though. You needed a friend and so did I. Life gets incredibly boring when you throw yourself into work and keeping people at a distance."

The blonde offers a grin towards her. "So, mutually beneficial friendship. I'll just have to deal with my parents and Satan and be bored." There's a bit of a nudge from Nessa's elbow.

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro opens her mouth to interject, then seems to pause. She glances to her knees, then back to Nessa with the nudge. The corner of her lips quirk upwards in a weak smile. "Hey." She leans back to reach across the bed, finding the cellphone she'd abandoned moments before. A few quick thumbstrokes later, and she's straightening out the supporting arm and angling the phone's screen on them both. She leans closer to Nessa and nimbly taps the capture button. Candid selfie achieved with little to not warning, and the phone is set back on the bed.

"You better not hate me when you see me fight," she advises. "Because I'm the total opposite. I'm not nice." Which is part of the issue. She's fairly certain Nessa has the expectation that Katsumi will turn out to be some kind, warm soul, when she's rather certain she's the opposite. So best to prepare her now, right? Maybe if she does that, there won't be so much falling out?

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa doesn't even have time to protest that her hair isn't properly in place, but she doesn't seem to mind the picture, nor does she even make a comment on it. She takes another sip from her shake. "I mean, I won't hate you. I know you're a badass that people hate, though. So you get to either have me being the loudest one cheering or boo'ing. Your choice. But you'd better bet that I'm gonna be the loudest."

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro gives her an odd look at that, then a helpless exhale of a laugh. "It's not fair," she laments at last. "...whatever."

She doesn't explain what she means by that, nor does she tell Nessa which way she wants her vocalizing to go. Instead, she scoots back on the bed a little further. "You dating that dude yet?," she asks abruptly. "Or has he still not made a proper move on you? Do you need me to smack'em? Let'em know some other dude is gonna sweep you off your feet?"

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa rubs the back of her neck with the hand not holding her shake. "Not dating him or anything," she chuckles. "I've been busy, he's been busy, I'm sure he's got plenty of people fawning over him in his club so I'm sure it's no real skin off his nose." She shrugs a bit. "I'll figure it out. I doubt you'll need to smack him, though. If it's going to happen, I'm sure he'll figure it out. Not sure if this is the kind of thing /I/ should be making a move with."

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
"It's not! He should see the value in you!," fusses Katsumi, clearly a love guru and not at all a lifelong single. "I mean, look atcha. All blonde and smiles. Ugh. I hate you." She squints and delicately sucks on the straw, fake-pouting.

The expression softens a little, however. And finally, she adds, "I've spent so much of our time fussing or being lame, we never got to spend any time doing what you wanna do. I, uh..." She glances sheepishly to the milkshake, "...sorry about that. We should do something you want."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"Dating's not really something I have a lot of experience with. I have experience with watching people from a distance and pretending to be unaffected by things in the world around me," Nessa makes a face at Katsumi. "What, should I dye my hair and frown at people? Maybe that's a more effective way to get people to leave me alone..."

She distracts herself by fetching the plastic bag of food, setting it on the bed. "But honestly, we /are/ doing what I want. It's just nice to get to hang out with someone. I can't say I've done a very good job having friends before. Still not sure I'm doing a great job, but I'm trying."

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
Oof.

Katsumi's shoulder's sag. "You're doing a good job," she assures, voice softened to an unusually sincere tone. "You're like my only actual friend. You're not someone I've done something crazy to impress, you're not a fan, you're not trying to get something from me. You're just..."

She nips onto her bottom lip for a moment.

"...you're my friend. And I'm gonna miss you." A slight quaver enters her voice. "So much. And if you /weren't/ such a nice person, I dunno what I would've done out here. Y'know?"

She turns her head slightly with a sniff and muttered profanity, lifting her free hand to brush her wrist beneath her eye.

"You're killin' my reputation with this."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa glances over to Kat, then busies herself pulling out the styrofoam containers that are heaped full of food. It proves to be a good distraction for the moment. "Yeah, well, I can still try to be an asshole so it's easier when you have to leave? I can certainly dramatically snub you in public and make everyone think you being friends with someone was a publicity stunt. Not entirely sure how that works but..."

She stirs her shake again. "Besides, reputations are just based on what people see of you. It's the stuff that they don't get to see that's more important... good or bad."

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
"Ugh...," Katsumi grunts. "You'll just wind up looking like a monster. Cuz I- I'm pretty sure I'm gonna cry."

She gently bumps her heels against the bed as she sits there. She's basically emotional already just thinking about leaving again. It's weird how important someone can become so quickly, but she'd like to see anyone else easily walk away from water in a desert. It doesn't make her any less self-conscious about it, however.

"Anyway. Um. It's still not for a little bit. And you're magical or whatever, so just.. just f***ing teleport there. Don't be such a jerk."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"Don't I wish magic worked just like that," Nessa rolls her eyes. "I can give you a chilly beverage or a really cool snow sculpture, but it's not like I can just teleport to the other side of the world. Maybe I'll just have to find someone to teach me." She seems amused at the thought, then winces. "Well, finding someone to teach me was how I ended up as a bunny in the first place, it's probably not wise. Looks like I'll have to come visit or something."

She pops the lid off her milkshake to pick a sprinkle off the whipped cream and eat it. "Anyway, it's good it's not for a little bit. I'd prefer not to cry."

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro winces as well, and more or less at the same spot. "I can't handle you being a bunny again," she chides. "I nearly had a heart attack." She vividly remembers the panic and fear seeing her friend in that state caused. Nevermind that Nessa was just trying to live her best bunny life and didn't seem all that bothered by it, Katsumi was a /mess/. People don't just do that where she's from!

Then a sigh escapes her. Crying is her kryptonite. Not her own crying; other people crying because of her. She can't stand it. If someone cries because she beat them up or got sassy in the ring, that's whatever. Occupational hazard. But causing someone to cry on /accident/ is a whole other ballgame that eats at her. Add onto that that the presumed cause for it would be because she's /leaving/? Not because she hurt her? That's a new one. She's positive it's going to be a really rough day.

"Um." She sneaks a glance to Nessa again, then back down to the milkshake. Everything seems so bitter right now. "Please visit." She quickly adds, to try to cover, "I'll show you all the cool places. I won't even mistranslate things to you."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"Actually I'm surprised I didn't give myself a heart attack from that. It's not... one of my best moments. I also feel really bad I dragged you into things, but I didn't want to just make you think I was ditching you on purpose. Honestly, it was really scary, so at least having you come by for a while helped."

Nessa did talk about being pretty good at pretending to be unaffected by things. "Ireland's the only place I've been abroad. Japan has always seemed too trendy to me, I'm definitely not cool enough to go there. No pun intended there."

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
"Ugh, shut up," fusses Katsumi. "You'll be with me, and I'm definitely cool enough to cover your fee. Unless you're scared. Or-"

She squeaks a gasp, recoiling in fake scandal.

"You're not racist about Japanese people, are you!? Nessa! I thought you were better than that!"

This flow of topic is a little easier to handle and more native to the punkette. Prodding, barbing, teasing - these are her security blankets. And even while affecting a shocked and stunned look, she sneaks the milkshake up a bit to mouth blindly for the straw before finding it. Suck, suck.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
There's an amused look on Nessa's face. "I just meant if you take me anywhere in Japan I'm going to stick out even more than I do here and not in a cool hip 'I'm a trendsetter' way. Which, of course, means that as soon as I come visit you that you'll have to give me some kind of makeover so I don't look like a total..." She seems to be in thought. "What's the Japanese word for 'clueless foreigner'?"

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
"'American'," supplies Katsumi cattily. And then she innocently suckles on the straw while watching Nessa, anticipating an annoyed reaction. Whether it comes or not, Katsumi relents and buddies her shoulder against Nessa's again with a giggle.

Seriously, you'd love it. I'd take you to onsen. Bet you've never done something like that before, ah? Maybe one of those places in the mountains, where we might find some snow monkeys. That could be cool."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"I mean, that's accurate," Nessa says with a laugh, using her finger to scoop some of the whipped cream out of the shake to eat it. "Honestly, I'd like to try everything I could. Kind of feels like I've spent a lot of my life so far not living it. I'd happily take any opportunity to really try something new. You'd definitely have to play tour guide, though, I know next to /no/ Japanese and I don't have any nifty magic tricks to learn it fast either." She nudges Kat back. "It'll be fun, I'm certain of it."