Post by xXxStitchesxXx on Mar 18, 2021 18:53:23 GMT
The sudden and eerie silence was less concerning than the fact that everyone had suddenly turned into statues. She spun around, her mouth open in awe as everything went quiet and still. Kiyomi’s hand was still in her’s, and as she spun, she weaved her fingers through the other girl’s instinctively. There was a strange and undefinable pressure in her throat, and she knew that even if she wanted to, no sound would come from her lips if she tried to speak. And then, as quickly as it had gone, the sound returned, and everyone spun into dazed motion.
Her mind started reeling at high speed as she processed what had just happened, before turning to Kiyomi with a wide, crazy smile. She started gesturing fast, stumbling slightly as she tried to mime that her powers ran off vibrations, and that the other girl must have been able to freeze the vibrations of the molecules that formed their classmates and instructors. She tried a couple different hand gestures to mimic the movement of vibrations, but eventually shook her head in excited frustration.
And to those Gods I will speak bluntly, We have an accord if you ever touch or harm him Please rest assured, you may not fear a man, But by the end to a woman, you'll kneel and plead Because I'm more than my mom taught me to be.
Kiyomi pressed her free hand to her lips as she squeezed Hotaru’s hand. How had she done that? Her powers had done weird things before when she mimicked someone else but never freeze an entire room for a full five seconds. She shrunk slightly, eyes wide as Miss Selkie looked momentarily in her direction looking for the culprit, but the teacher looked away after a moment. She released a breath, and her shoulders slumped with the relief that she wouldn’t be on the receiving end of whatever the teacher was going to say.
Soon enough Hotaru turned back to look at her, the other girl’s eyes wide and bright, with a wild smile. She started to gesticulate wildly, at first it was hard to decipher what it was Hotaru was trying to say, but after a moment the other girl seemed to catch herself and her hand movements seemed to have more thought behind them.
Something about motion and stopping motion? Wait, Hotaru’s magica had been vocal right? So sound waves and something about stopping waves?
“So, you make things move, so I can make them stop?” Kiyomi asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The teacher cleared her throat, “anyway, we are a little before the bell, but please do head to your next class. Kiyomi?”
Kiyomi straightened reflexively. “Yes?” She asked.
“Could you please take Hotaru to her next class?”
“Yes, no problem!” She said quickly before before looking back to Hotaru, “let’s get out of her quick before people start asking questions.”
//... into the dark she stepped, but never did she feel free of the gaze...//
Post by xXxStitchesxXx on Mar 19, 2021 1:29:48 GMT
Taru nodded enthusiastically. There was so much to unpack with this discovery. Her entire body seemed to buzz with excitement, leaving her worried that they might lift off her skin and fill the air. She looped her hand through Kiyomi’s as she suggested that they leave before anyone questioned them about the strange skip. Her eyes flashed with so many questions as she let Kiyomi lead her out of the practice hall. She withdrew her palm after they were far enough away from the building and began rapidly tapping her palm as she tried to think of what to say.
Well you are so stuck with me now! I want to try that again. That was so cool! After she finished gesturing and signing, she ran a hand through her hair, pushing the top layer back off the sheared side for a moment, her pierced ears flashing silver from the metal in them. She was bouncing on her heels as she looked over the other girl with a bright smile. It was rare for her to hit it off with someone, and she had high hopes now of being friends with Kiyomi. Hopefully the other girl felt the same.
And to those Gods I will speak bluntly, We have an accord if you ever touch or harm him Please rest assured, you may not fear a man, But by the end to a woman, you'll kneel and plead Because I'm more than my mom taught me to be.
A clean getaway! Her heart fluttered in her chest and Kiyomi half expected the teacher to call their name as the two of them hurried out of the training building and onto the school ground. She split from the rest of the group and lead the way to a side path lined by two rows of trimmed trees in their autumn finery, it was a prettier walk than the main path between the training complex and the school proper, and more importantly it lead directly to a door on the east wing. A cool autumn wind rustled through the leaves of the trees, and Kiyomi slowed as Hotaru slipped her arm free. With a smile she glanced down at Taru’s hands as the girl started to sign.
You’re stuck with me now! That was really cool! We should try it again.
Kiyomi looked back over her shoulder to be sure that no one had followed after them before flashing Hotaru a conspiratorial grin. “Yeah that was a lot of fun wasn’t it?” She asked, her voice low but her gray eyes flashing with a touch of mischief, “if you don’t have any plans we can meet up after school. There’s a part on the north side where the trees are all losing their leaves, it might be fun to freeze.”
//... into the dark she stepped, but never did she feel free of the gaze...//
Post by xXxStitchesxXx on Mar 19, 2021 2:09:47 GMT
Absolutely! I can meet you there!!
Hotaru bit her lip in a wide smile, her eyes gleaming at the thought of doing whatever it was they had done again. She had so many questions about Kiyomi's powers, and so many ideas. A part of her almost wished that she had somewhere where they could practice even bigger things, but she also knew she didn't have the control to operate at that capacity quite yet. Eventually, though, she was sure she'd be strong enough to reign in the energy and use it to help others. She owed the world that.
A brief thought of introducing Penny to Kiyomi crossed her mind, but she tucked it away. That would have to wait until she was sure Kiyomi was, well, cool. It wouldn't take long for Taru to decide if she could trust the other girl- but trust was necessary in this situation. For the time being, she'd let herself be excited about having a new partner, one she hadn't received any backlash from. Partner. I wonder if she really means that.
I'll meet you after our classes, for sure!
And to those Gods I will speak bluntly, We have an accord if you ever touch or harm him Please rest assured, you may not fear a man, But by the end to a woman, you'll kneel and plead Because I'm more than my mom taught me to be.
And all too soon the duo found themselves outside of Hotaru’s next class. She paused a step, her gaze flicking this way and that to be sure no one was earshot. One group of girls a little down the hall, but it wasn’t like any of them were likely to eavesdrop. Still Kiyomi leaned in and spoke low, “I’ll meet you at the front gate after class.” She said. “Then we can sneak over to the edge of campus.”
Kiyomi winked and turned away, “I’ll catch you later Hotaru, I hope class goes well!”
-~~—~~—~~-
Overhead the bells marking the start of club activities chimed as Kiyomi rested her hip against an empty bike rack. A cool early autumn breeze slid it way through the courtyard as students left for the day. Kiyomi’s eyes flicked this way and that as she looked out for Hotaru. This would be so much fun once they could get started! There were so many things they had to test out!
Kiyomi’s eyes lit up as she raised a hand in greeting.
//... into the dark she stepped, but never did she feel free of the gaze...//
Post by xXxStitchesxXx on Mar 19, 2021 2:38:58 GMT
The rest of the school day passed in a excited blur for Taru, who could do nothing but think about what waited after school for her. When the time finally came, and the bells rung out her freedom, she made straight for the gate, her book bag hitting her hip in a rhythmic bounce. With her head held high, she found she was almost half a foot to a whole foot taller than all of the girls who she passed, some of whom stared up as she passed. Not uncommon, and something that would normally make the mute girl pretty uncomfortable- but not today, at this moment, when she was so excited. Instead, she looked confident and happy, something that attracted even more stares. Stealthy was definitely not the word as she made her way out to the gate. There, there were far less students, and the ones who were there didn't pay her any mind, getting their bikes ready and heading to cafes and each other's houses, as girls tended to do.
Kiyomi saw her coming- hard to miss, she guessed, and waved in greeting. Something in the other girls eyes lit up when she saw Taru, and it made her heart skip a beat. That must mean she was excited, right? Taru raised her own hand in greeting and started to pantomime to the other girl, I'm so excited. I don't think anyone really watched me leaving, so I'm ready when you are.
And to those Gods I will speak bluntly, We have an accord if you ever touch or harm him Please rest assured, you may not fear a man, But by the end to a woman, you'll kneel and plead Because I'm more than my mom taught me to be.
“Yeah! This is going to be fun!” Kiyomi said brightly as she stepped away from the bike rack. Her gaze flicked this way and that, no teachers in sight. Kiyomi wasn’t even sure if it was against the rules to use their powers out in the open, it wasn’t like they would be going off campus. Still, better to be safe than flicking paper footballs in detention while Miss Aoi took a nap.
“Yep, no one watching, so let's get going.” Kiyomi said with a wink. She stepped around the bike rack and with a tilt of her head she started away at a brisk walk. What crowd there was thinned quickly as the duo made their way around the school building and past sports fields where girls were gathering for club activities.
“For the magical girls they have little mockup sets for them to train in,” Kiyomi said looking back at Hotaru as she spoke, “we’re going to go to the forest one.” She said pointing towards some trees in the distance. Hues of reds and pinks and oranges wavering together in a cool autumn breeze. “Falling leaves can probably give us a good idea about how far the power can reach, right?”
//... into the dark she stepped, but never did she feel free of the gaze...//
Post by xXxStitchesxXx on Jun 16, 2021 18:27:10 GMT
Taru followed after Kiyomi, shortening her stride slightly to match pace with the girl. They were almost the same height, so it wasn’t nearly as difficult as it tended to be with others. As they skirted around the sports fields, she listened to her new partner talk in hushed tones. The colorful leaves up ahead caught her eye when Kiyomi gestured to them. They twirled in the air like ballerinas across a stage, gracefully spinning past each other. A world of bright and warm colors that Kiyomi was leading her into.
I think that will work, yeah. We should be able to see pretty clearly how far the freeze can go, and how long it can last.
The temperature fell a few degrees as they passed beyond the tree line, the sun filtering through the branches overhead to create a kaleidoscope across the forest floor. The tall girl buttoned her sweater the rest of the way up and looked over at Kiyomi, untying her hoodie from the strap of her bookbag. She held the black, oversized article out to her new friend and sheepishly smiled.
Would you like this? It’s cold here.
And to those Gods I will speak bluntly, We have an accord if you ever touch or harm him Please rest assured, you may not fear a man, But by the end to a woman, you'll kneel and plead Because I'm more than my mom taught me to be.
“And I’m sure it will look really pretty too.” Kiyomi said with an agreeing nod as they stepped into the forest. What warmth the sun had offered seemed to vanish almost as soon as the duo stepped into the shade of the trees. A cool autumn breeze caused Kiyomi’s skin to prickle as it rustled the long branches of the trees above. Color shifted and danced in long flowing waves that likely would have been much more pretty if not for the shiver currently working it’s way up her own spine.
Maybe she should have grabbed her jacket before leaving this morning, not that it could help that now. Then, seeming to sense her discomfort Taru untied a hoodie hanging off her bag and offered it. A flash of surprise soon became a wide smile as Kiyomi reached out for the hoodie.
“Thank you,” she said, taking the clothing and pulling it on over her head. “That’s so much better, I was freezing!” She added with a laugh.
As the two walked the forest thinned as the bark of surrounding trees began to show signs of past damage. Kiyomi reached out and ran her hand along one curved cut that had long ago healed over.
“They say two upperclassman used to spar out here all the time, so it should be the perfect place for us to test out our powers.” Kiyomi winked as she turned to face Taru. She held out her hand.
“You knock the leaves off and I’ll keep them from touching the ground. Probably!”
//... into the dark she stepped, but never did she feel free of the gaze...//
If the jacket was oversized on Taru, it was even more so on Kiyomi. While the girl was nowhere near as short as the other students all seemed to be, Taru still had a good two inches on her, and so the jacket hung low around her legs. Something about that made the mute girl blush as her partner extended a hand to her.
“You knock the leaves off and I’ll keep them from touching the ground. Probably!”
Her fingers were trembling slightly as she reached out and took her hand, her eyes drifting to the old score marks that marred the bark of the trees around them. Something about this section of the forest, with it’s scars and it’s autumn colors, reminded Taru of the forests that her mother used to read her stories about. Stories, where kitsunes ran away from their human lovers when they were discovered, where the kodama would wander through the bush and clearings, where tengu would take sanctuary. A small pang ran through her chest at the thought of her mother, and she quickly focused on the task at hand.
Make the leaves dance.
Taru took a deep breath and loosened her scarf around her neck. Letting go of Kiyomi’s hand, she took a few steps in front of her, and facing away from her, let out a sharp but short scream. The pitch overlapped with itself, layering and spiking to the range of tinnitus. It was the kind of sound that should have been coming from an angry spirit, not a teenager.
The trees around them began to vibrate as the wave hit them, and hundreds of already loose leaves disconnected, showering down like meteors. She winced as she saw how dense the blanket of twisting yellows and reds was, and she silently apologized to the forest for the damage. At least none of the branches had decided they would be following suit.
And to those Gods I will speak bluntly, We have an accord if you ever touch or harm him Please rest assured, you may not fear a man, But by the end to a woman, you'll kneel and plead Because I'm more than my mom taught me to be.
“Thanks, didn’t think it’d be so chilly out.” Kiyomi said with a laugh as she pulled the jacket on. It was longer than she expected it to be, Hotaru did have several inches on her, and the jacket’s hem tickled as it brushed against the back of her legs but it was pleasantly warm in the cool of the forest. She zipped the jacket up, and took a second to roll the sleeves back to her wrists. Kiyomi grinned up at the taller girl. “It’s so nice and toasty, watch out or I might not give it back.” She said with a playful wink.
Her attention returned to the trees as Hotaru prepared herself, her smile lingering on her lips. There was a sort of whimsy to the forest, the trees weren’t old enough for a kami to take residence, but from years of being subject to magic they looked far older, and their branches were alight in color as the sun filtered through the autumn foliage. The sort of sight that made you half expect to see some yokai up in between the branches ready to play a trick on passerbys.
Well, if there was then they had their own surprise didn’t they?
Kiyomi took a step back as Taru released her hand, the wings of anticipation fluttering in her stomach. She winced as Hotaru screamed, though it didn’t hurt anymore than any other loud sharp noise would. The discomfort only seemed to be with her for a moment before a look of awe returned. Above was a flurry of color as hundreds of leaves were shook loose. They danced and twisted in the disturbed air, a mass of shivering and shifting color that rippled like ocean waves. Kiyomi reached up, her fingers brushing against a leaf as it slid past, her gray eyes bright.
“Wow,” she said, a faint sigh of wonderment escaping her lips. A few leaves shivered in place as the sound passed them, stuttering like they had scuffed their toe unexpectedly. “Oh, right.” Kiyomi pulled in a breath of her own, filling her lungs. She parted her lips once more but no sound came, nor did there come any sound from the world around the two girls. The forest paused for them, the branches above stopped their swaying, and the leaves their dance, they simply lingered there, filling the air with color and the phantom of motion.
Kiyomi looked back to Hotaru, her lips still spread into a wide smile.
//... into the dark she stepped, but never did she feel free of the gaze...//
It was as if the leaves were suspended by wires in the air, frozen in place. As far as Taru’s voice had reached, the leaves were now floating, still, unmoving from Kiyomi’s inaudible whispers. In fact, not only was there no movement around them, but she was fairly certain that she couldn’t hear anything other than their own movements. No insects, no birds, no animals- absolute silence other than their clothes shifting. The term “the silence was deafening” had never meant much to Taru before– after all, if anything was deafening, it was her. Deafening was noise so loud that you couldn’t hear yourself think, let alone anything else.
This, too, was deafening.
She turned to look at Kiyomi with wide eyes. She could make an entire forest grind to a halt- what could she do to her? Was it safe for her to talk around this girl? Could she stop her if she lost control?
Taru was getting ahead of herself, but she couldn’t help it. She had spent so much of her life terrified of her own voice. Now here was someone who she might be able to be safe around, someone who could keep others safe from her. She grabbed Kiyomi’s hands and spun, the excitement bubbling up from all of the possibilities that now seemed to open up before her- talking to someone, learning to control her powers, and— maybe— even being able to use her powers to help others like she had always wanted.
This is amazing!! You’re amazing!! God, this is beautiful!! She let Kiyomi go and ran out into the leaves, and they bounced off of her before slowing back down, freezing in their new places. Soon, the leaves began to turn again, twisting down through the air like snowflakes. Taru danced in them, laughing silently as she watched the leaves pick back up speed.
And to those Gods I will speak bluntly, We have an accord if you ever touch or harm him Please rest assured, you may not fear a man, But by the end to a woman, you'll kneel and plead Because I'm more than my mom taught me to be.
Disturbed leaves shivered with the passage of her hand, vibrant colors wiggling with the murmur of motion while others that her fingers grazed turned in drunken circles like a top that had all but lost its momentum. She laughed, a light and airy sound which more than filled its share of the silence before being entirely swallowed by it. It was so strange how much more keen she felt she could hear when there wasn’t much to listen to, the drumming of her own heart within her chest, the gentle sound of fabric rustling from their movement, even the sound of Taru’s breathing. Each sound was so clear that Kiyomi was certain that if she closed her eyes she could visualize whatever move Hotaru might make.
Kiki looked up and met the taller girl’s gaze, offering another wink at Taru’s look of wonderment. She could still move so was there a way to let other people do the same? Or a way to stop just one thing in particular? Could she…
Thoughts were cut short as Taru took hold of her hands and they spun in the open space, their bodies leaving a trail through the frozen leaves. Kiki laughed again as she spun in place as Hotaru released her hands, leaving a lingering warmth on her hands and on her cheeks. She watched as Taru continued to dance in the leaves, eyes wide with amazement as the colors that filled the air moved and twisted to the motion of Taru’s body. She too reached up to swipe her hand through clumps of untouched leaves lingering over her head, a smile lingering as she caught bits and pieces of signed word as Taru danced, watching the flow of color until the spell began to unwind and the leaves finally drifted to the ground.
“That was so much fun!” Kiki laughed as she spun in place, a red leaf caught in the strands of her hair. She came to a stop next to Taru and held out her hand. “Would you like to try talking next?” She asked.
//... into the dark she stepped, but never did she feel free of the gaze...//
Post by xXxStitchesxXx on Sept 20, 2022 21:13:36 GMT
Taru brushed a handful of fallen leaves from her hair and shirt as she turned to Kiyomi. There was a hesitancy in her face as she thought about speaking. Either bad things would happen, or Kiyomi might mute her entirely. Either way, something would happen, and the odds of which left Taru stuck. She looked at Kiki’s hand with a look that slowly turned serious. What if I hurt you? I don’t know if you can stop it entirely, or if I’ll be able to say anything at all.
She took the other girl’s hand before it fell away and gripped it tightly, looking away. She watched the trees, now shaken of a large amount of their leaves. She watched the leaves that still fell slowly through the air. Anything to avoid making eye contact now that she’d grabbed her new friend’s hand. Something about the action left her nervous and her cheeks flushed slightly. There was something about Kiki that left her feeling more comfortable than she had in ages. The quickness of how her anxiety and fear had dissipated in the girl’s presence was something that shook her a bit. Taru had never really been allowed to have friends after her mother’s death, so she wasn’t sure if any of what was happening was normal.
I don’t want to be the reason another person gets hurt. There’s a reason I was in such basic courses. I know we’ve been having fun, but I am dangerous.
And to those Gods I will speak bluntly, We have an accord if you ever touch or harm him Please rest assured, you may not fear a man, But by the end to a woman, you'll kneel and plead Because I'm more than my mom taught me to be.