“You’re going to go bald doing that!” Yuuki said she used another tree to protect herself from the volley of needles. This attempt seemed more scattershot than the other ones had been, more desperate to hit as many people as possible. And, more importantly, it seemed whatever Iris had done had finally worked and the needle lady was finally on the ground which meant it was now or never. Yuuki grabbed a hold of the tree and pulled herself around the thick trunk fast, a real mess of people were in the clearing now, and she sprinted forward. She made certain to hug the curve of the tree as she moved to keep a line of sight open for Iris, the girl had made several quips so she needed to be careful that she didn’t make a hindrance of herself.
She was really making Yuuki want to go on a picnic though.
Yuuki shook her head as she slowed, her weight forward onto the balls of her feet. That short boy (girl?) and the needle hair girl were already in a scrap it seemed. Great. Yuuki ignored the hammering of her own heart as she adjusted her posture. Back straight, shoulders back, eyes open, a smile with just enough teeth, she put on the little affectations that made people feel uneasy around her. Or well more uneasy than they already were.
“Ah, finally decided to come down? See, isn't that much easier?” She stepped forward, staring down at the other girl as she held her hand out. “So how about you just hand the bell over now and save ourselves from having anymore trouble.”
//... into the dark she stepped, but never did she feel free of the gaze...//
It was impressive some withstood the assault. This years freshmen were really something. The three fell to the ground, clones dispersing on impact as the real one bounced. Being grounded against so many opponents was not ideal! Before she could manage to get comfortable Tsubasa had already closed in slashing at her with a blade of blood. So much for trying to keep things easy.
Tsubasa's assault was quick but the reaction was quicker. To avoid the first slash, strength in one arm was used to prop herself up while twisting. Mimicking a signature Capoeira technique. The blade cutting some fabric from her attire. The second slash was anticipated. The momentum allowed her to land on her feet just as Tsubasa was beginning the upward slash. The second before making contact she rolled her head like a boxer. Whiffing the upward slash and positioning herself just right for a clean counter. In a low squat, her toes dug into the fertile soil preparing to shoot upwards. An arm shot upwards, with the intent of delivering a skull-shattering uppercut into Tsubasa's chin.
Her attack was halted. A feeling of dread washed over from no where. This was a familiar feeling, but what was it? Was it some sort of powerful Shade, attracted by the battle? No impossible. Then it hit. A voice.
Shit. Yuuki took advantage of the fight. So much attention was focused on Iris and Tsubasa's attack that there was a blind spot in her sphere of awareness. Yuuki. Not a bad strategy.
"Fine, fine. You brats got me. No tricks, here's your bell."
Standing straight up her hand scurried within her attire. A few seconds later the bell was in her palm.
==
"Maggie, huh? Name's Julian!" He gave her a thumbs up. "Nah, you can keep it."
"A nice display of adaptability you all!" Coaches projected her voice. Sliding out of the bushes, covered in leaves and twigs. Carrying a very thick branch, something that would be good for hitting skulls. "I see you all met my lovely assistant, an upperclassman, Junko."
Junko the ninja waved her hand. "Sup."
Coach dropped the branch, clasping both hands together.
"Well you guys managed to pass this small and easy test in...a disappointing amount of time. Don't worry though by the end of the year that won't be a problem." She shook her head.
“See? Much easier this way.” Yuuki said, her lips turning up into a friendly smile, or however friendly her smiles ever looked. She reached out and plucked the bell out of the palm of the upperclassman’s hand, and rolled it between her fingers for a moment before turning her gaze towards Tsubasa. She gave the, they had to be a girl right, girl a nod of her head. “Thanks for the assist, was worried this would’ve taken all day.” She said as she dropped the bell into her pocket and stepped away. She scanned her surroundings before finally catching sight of Iris’s mask, and made her way over.
“Good work.” She said. Her expression dipped into a frown as she noticed the needles sticking out along her side. She kept her gaze low, that seemed to help sometimes, not scaring people off as quickly. “Don’t know if we can do a picnic today, but I can give you a hand with the needles if you need it.”
Yuuki looked back over her shoulder as Coach addressed them, her frown lingering. Her hand slipped into her pocket and she pulled out the bell.
“Do you need this back?” She asked.
//... into the dark she stepped, but never did she feel free of the gaze...//
In an instant, Tsubasa's world stopped in place and her heart plunged into her stomach. She stopped for a moment longer than she needed, as did her target. She was open for a counterattack, but that was the least of her problems. When Yuuki spoke up, the realization that she was on her side was one of the few things preventing Tsubasa from lashing out. Without turning to look directly at Yuuki, she lowered her arm and let go of the breath she forgot she was holding. Clenching her teeth for a second, she turned to Yuuki and forced a smile. "Any time, happy to help."
Tsubasa's knife had settled into the shape of a butterfly knife, and she closed it with a flick of her wrist, crushing it back into liquid as it snapped shut. Fidgeting with something seemed to help, and Yuuki was rejoining the rest of the class. She smiled at the coach and shrugged as she walked backwards towards her classmates. "Goodness, coach. I hate to say it but, your standards for us are a little too high, aren't they? Aren't you worried for your poor, poor students?" She asked, jokingly.
Maggie paused, raising her hand expectantly - then promptly lowered it, looking incredibly embarrassed, when she realized nobody else was doing the same.
"Like - uh - Tsubasa said. This all seemed - a bit dangerous? Just a bit. For our first thing." She bared her teeth in an attempt at a smile, instead looking a bit more like a cornered animal. "I mean - you probably - probably know best. I'm just - I mean -"
In a half-choked word and a pop, she vanished, the gentle jingling of a bell suddenly sounding from some high bough in the tree above.
Yesterday, upon the stair, I met a man who wasn't there! He wasn't there again today, Oh how I wish he'd go away!
"Of course it's dangerous!" Coach chuckled loudly."That was gentle compared to the rest of the year." Coach dusted herself off and rolled her shoulders back."It only gets harder from here. Much harder, so get all of your tears out by tonight."
She looked towards the yellowing early evening sky."Next class we're going to meet in your homeroom instead of out here. Eight on the dot as usual!"
"Coach is a stickler for time and will make you do laps if you're even a millisecond late." Junko interjected."Take it from a smart-ass like me, it's not fun." The two superiors turned on their heels proceeding to walk away in some random direction of the forest.
" Class is officially dismissed and you all can disperse for the night. I hope you'll all enjoy your class tomorrow." Coach waved away. "Just follow the sun West and you'll reach the gate, it's always how you get out."
Junko looked over her shoulder to the kids."And if you see me around outside of class, I'm usually pretty sociable." Junko gave a goodbye salute before disappearing into the brush with Coach. ---
Julian raised both arms high up into the air. "Woo! Nice work guys! We showed em!" Looking around to his classmates he couldn't help but release his own excitement. First day in and they were already getting bruised and battered. As expected!
The sweat on his body began to dry, mixing with the dirt and grass stained on his person. "Well I guess we should all be heading home then? Get officially moved in and probably take some showers...and get some good food?"
Grumble! Grumble!
His stomach agreed with the last suggestion.
The dorms was located a bit further away from the actual school building itself. Located on one of the islands "residential" areas with the ordinary folk. There are an assortment of town houses that are split for each sex and gender identity that students feel comfortable with. And a short distance away are markets and restaurants that the students can enjoy as well as school faculty.
"G-gentle?" Magnolia wrapped her arms around her waist, suddenly feeling a bit ill. This wasn't what she'd signed up for. Yeah, the Stars did dangerous stuff out in the field, but this was supposed to be a safe place to learn, not real life. Her body was sore, her hair was a mess, and all she had to look forward to was a hard dorm bed to sleep on. The sooner her parents got their hotel on this godforsaken island out of legal hell, the better.
"Y-yeah. H-heading home s-sounds good. And sleeping. Taking - taking a long nap, right? Er. Right."
If only she could head to home home. Glancing awkwardly at the rest of the class, Maggie shifted closer to Tsubasa.
"How do we know what d-dorm we have? Was th-there an email?" she whispered, shifting from foot to foot. "Because if th-there was an email, I d-didn't get it, and I d-don't remember c-coach saying anything, and I n-never got any letters or any - anything, so I ... you know, just sorta - don't know w-what's up with that."
Yesterday, upon the stair, I met a man who wasn't there! He wasn't there again today, Oh how I wish he'd go away!
“Hey! Wait! My question…” And there Coach went, vanishing into the forest. Yuuki frowned and her brow scrunched as she looked down at the bell sitting in her palm. With an annoyed sigh she slipped the bell into the pocket. She’d just have to ask during class tomorrow, or maybe just resign herself to the fact she had a bell now. Could start wearing it in her hair to announce her presence like a cat, perhaps if she did that she could get that timid girl to stop popping away every time she looked vaguely in her direction? Though doesn’t the sound scare birds away or whatever? With a shake of her head Yuuki crossed her arms tight over her chest as she turned her gaze back to her classmates.
“A long shower and some food sounds great. Should probably get moving before the sun goes down.” She said, rolling her shoulders. Out of fear of causing Maggie to again go on a popping spree she made an effort to not look in her direction or get any closer. It’d be such a pain if they had to go searching for her. “Don’t think I got any email. Might have a list once we get to the dorms or something. Let’s walk and talk.”
Yuuki took a step in the direction Coach said the gate was in. “We’re students so it’s not like they can just ignore us asking where our rooms are.”
Having said that, why did Yuuki feel like that would be entirely possible?
//... into the dark she stepped, but never did she feel free of the gaze...//
Tsubasa simply shook her head and sighed exaggeratedly. Not like she expected it to be easy, but it seemed like Coach enjoyed inflicting pain. "My, oh my. Won't this be an enlightening semester. Hope I don't keel over and die from all this learning I'll be doing." All in all, she guessed that becoming stronger wouldn't be so bad; Stars could do anything they wanted if they were strong enough, and that was certainly enviable. She rolled her neck and stretched before turning to leave with the rest of the class. Oh, wait. Maggie had apparently asked her something or other. She wasn't listening and stared at Maggie for. A full. Second, trying to recall what Maggie said before responding.
"..."
"Unfortunately, I hadn't received anything of the sort, either. Must be some kind of mistake." Tsubasa fixed her shirt as she walked, leaving faint red stains on it wherever she touched. Again, she tried to filter out the background... radiation that came from her classmate. "I wonder where it is I'm staying, then." Tsubasa ran over and clapped a hand on Mask Girl's shoulder. "You don't happen to know who's with who, right?" Tsubasa smiled, but someone who was observant could see that it didn't reach her eyes. She knew she would've remembered if someone told her where she was staying, but seeming helpful was useful. "You seem to be put-together enough, so I figured I'd ask you."
The game was over. Which felt very wrong to Iris. She'd planned for longer--not that she had tactics or strategies in mind; just that she'd expect this to keep going. God, but this meant they'd done well, right? Tolerably? That took the edge off it.
The black-haired girl was--hm. Yep. She rocked back on her heels a little, not visibly acknowledging the question, but seeming to sway, slightly, forward and back. The wave of unease rolling off her made her want to curl up in on herself and go to sleep for a while. She caught something about a picnic--what was she talking about? Had Iris said something--yes, of course she had, earlier--crowded--but--
Oh--somebody had their hand on her shoulder, and was halfway through asking her a question.
"... who, right? You seem to be put-together enough, so I figured I'd ask you."
Iris slipped her mask off her face so that she could properly beam at Tsubasa. The eyes she'd slipped onto the real half of it closed. She didn't really feel like acknowledging the hole in her side; ignoring it would be easier without her face on. What was she asking for; an introduction?
"My name's Iris! It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, locking her real eyes on the other girl's. Tsubasa's face seemed friendly enough--her eyes were cold, but it was the thought that counted. Iris' own eyes were plenty warm. She thought she might be blinking a little too much, but the pain was making it a little hard to judge that properly.
... But, no, it didn't seem like she'd been asking for an introduction.
"Sorry; I've got no idea!" That was usually a pretty safe fallback option in situations like this.
“The only thing that ever stopped me being exactly who I wanted,” she said, “was the worry that I would soon be dead … and now I am dead, and I am sick of roses, and I am horny for revenge.” -Harrow the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir
Post by kurusuthebluecat on Jul 22, 2022 16:24:15 GMT
"Well, good one Maggie! It was Maggie right? Like the sauce you put on sunny side up eggs?" Mary said as she approached Magnolia all of the sudden, somehow performing cool down stretches as she walked and looking both awkward and graceful at the same time. She was really stretching her muscles, uncomfortably so, yet in such a way only a professional athlete can do. "Impressive that you stopped that bell with your head!"
Mary felt like Magnolia would be a nice girl to hang around somehow, and it was not just because Magnolia did that "impressive" bell catch. Something about this scaredy popping girl felt really familiar...
"Wait... Maggie... Magnolia... Wait are you Magnolia L'ordure?"
Then it clicks. All that family vacation to a nice hotel that she enjoyed their huge swimming pools and steak buffet. Mary often remembered a certain girl on the hotel's poster, a bit pale and on the scrawny side. Silvery blonde hair, a very cute yet relatable smile, always seem to be enjoying whatever she's promoting in the poster. Mary had always wondered what it would be like to be in a luxurious hotel every day and every weekend like that poster girl. The very one in front of her.
Although she wasn't big on traveling, the beaches are some of the best places for workouts! Then there's the spa that helps her muscles recover, and the food like the huge roasted beef, and the nice bicycle route around the resort, and the islands, and the food! The huge swimming pools were always better for stamina training than the one at home. Then there's the unlimited steak...
Mary's eyes were shining. She had to shake herself back to the present before she started drooling over some of the best protein heavy dishes in her memories.
"You are that cute poster girl! I saw you like every month! Ahhhh"
Here comes the Merry Mary Train. Excitement in full force and there are no stops. Maggie would likely see that Mary was rushing her, but really, she was just excited.
The day was over..for the most part. The thick aroma of sweat and mud mixing into a thick odor. Everybody was going their separate ways for the night. Julian was no exception. Listening to Coach's directions to get out of the forest and to the dormitory. He forgot to register earlier and was hoping that they still had room somewhere for him. It was probably going to figure itself out.
Life always had a way. ...
...
... "WADDYA MEAN MY ROOMS NOT IN THIS BUILDING?!"
"Do you have to be so loud? It's exactly like I said, you're not on this list."
"Then where am I?"
The main hall of this building was chaotic and rowdy. Feathers floated around like snowfall as pillows were being slung around at the already moved in residents. The energy here felt wonderful. Julian could already see that he was going to be well adjusted and make some awesome memories.
The attendant sighed. His heavy eyes glossing over the billboard standing behind the rolling chair he was seated in. "Let's see Julian was'sit? Yeah you're in-" The attendant slid his finger down the smooth strathmore paper pausing at Julians name. Snickering like a conniving fox he turned back to Julian. A widened grin and red in the cheeks. Something felt off and often that wasn't a good sign.
"Oh man kid you're gonna get a kick outta this."
... ... ...
It didn't take too long to reach the instructed facility, considering that it was just down the road and a single turn at a particular store. Everything was different. especially so when the stainless steel elevator doors smoothly slid open. Nice thin corridors with freshly cleaned fiber carpets, a lavender film enveloped the air. This was hell. Definitely had to be. Every step forward a presence of dread and animosity seemed to get more and more thick. The walls and doors felt as if they were curving in....or away as Julian finally reached his instructed destination.
Knock! Knock!
"Yo! Paper says I'm supposed to be rooming here in room-" he glancing over a paper given at the previous building, "-230?" Julian adjusted the strap of his black duffel bag. Looking further down the hall, only what could be described as something that would be in a horror film, made Julians stomach drop. The murderous glares of his floormates. All focused on one outsider. He was surrounded. No room key. Could he take all of them? What would his mother think? The conjoined malice of the floor created an aura of death...Ren, one of the core disciplines of Nen.
"Hey! Hey! Really I don't know why it says I'm here but I swear its not my fault!" His knocking continued and more panicked. This punishment, God wanted penance for the sin of procrastination. Sloth.
"Sauce...?" Maggie replied, looking a little bit cornered by the sudden, unexpected attention from the muscled girl. She visibly shrunk a bit, hunching her shoulders and frowning. She'd never heard of a sauce named Maggie before. Maybe it was a regional thing...?
Then, the girl mentioned her name, and she flinched again.
"Er. Yes. Yes, I'm... her. If you have any... complaints... p-please direct them to our legal dep - AH!"
The girl rushed her. Not angry, just excited, but - still enough for Maggie to screw her eyes shut and pop. She reappeared a few feet behind the girl, stumbled, and fell on her rear.
"I don't know what poster you're t-talking about!" she bleated, scrambling back to her feet. "There are a lot of p-posters, or, probably, I d-don't know, I d-don't think about that stuff a lot, and m-most of it was just m-marketing, and s-some of them are p-probably just photoshops of older ones or s-something, and why are you so excited!"
Yesterday, upon the stair, I met a man who wasn't there! He wasn't there again today, Oh how I wish he'd go away!
Two short sharp bangs pulled Yuuki’s attention away from her book and up to the door to her dorm room. Her lips bowed into a frown as she stood from her seat, why was someone at her door? Was it her roommate? But if that was the case then shouldn’t they have their own key awayway? Their arms could be full of things they were moving in with, that seemed like it would be possible. She could hear the voice of someone talking as she crossed the room over to the door, followed by several quicker and more frantic knocks.
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Yuuki called as she placed her hand on the doorknob and turned the lock. She pulled the door open, her lips parted to continue to talk, but instead her body froze when she saw who was standing on the other side. Surprise kept her still as she stared at that hot headed boy who had been in her class, Julian she thought his name was. Why was he here? She blinked as her moment of surprise finally passed.
“What.” Yuuki said flatly, it came out as less of a question than a statement, before her eyes narrowed dangerously. “What are you doing here Julian? Was there something you needed?”
//... into the dark she stepped, but never did she feel free of the gaze...//
Post by kurusuthebluecat on Aug 21, 2022 11:17:07 GMT
A few moments earlier...
"DO YOU ALSO GET TO HAVE PERSONAL TRAINING EVERYDAY AT THE GYM?"
Mary, without fail, followed Maggie's every pops. She was so excited that she completely forgot about Maggie's quirk of 'popping' away every time she was startled. It was like a dog chasing a car's wheel, or a cat after a bird. This kept on going until Mary managed to finally catch Maggie. Glomped.
With a disorienting pop, Mary find herself lost in direction for a moment. Her surroundings shifted, her ears felt a slight change in pressure, her eyes strained to adapt to the sudden change in light level, and her skin felt suddenly cold as she was teleported from the warm outdoors into an air conditioned indoors. Teleportation is certainly not something everyone will ever experience, but thanks to scaring Maggie's pants off and managing to grasp her physically, Mary had obtained that privilege.
Also, she felt a great sense of dread. Very very oppressing dreadfulness. "ha." was all Mary could utter as she find herself in the same room with Yuuki. Mary immediately let go of Maggie and assume a Muay Thai stance against Yuuki out of instinct. "I'M SORRY."