2018-10-02 - No Swords In The Hallways
| Title: No Swords In The Hallways | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Kasagami Araki gets ratted out by a student, and faces discipline and the loss of her own social status. Yumi Ohzora uses her witchly wiles to save Kassie, and dispenses sage advice to her friend. | |
| Who: | |
| Where: Ohtori Academy Hallways | |
| OOC - IC Date: <10/02/2018 - 05 - 18 - 15> | |
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Kasagami Araki is not having a good day.
The tall Kendo Club captain of Ohtori is gripping a long, heavy bokken currently laid across her shoulder at an angle. She stands straight, hair perfect and the sunlight cast down on her from behind so that her shadow falls over the two people she's currently looking at. A little trick she's used to intimidate during her tenure as the Disciplinary Executive, it's doing little to help her as the math teacher before her waggles a finger disapprovingly at her. Beside the teacher is a short brown haired Ohtori middle schooler nodding along with every word coming out of the teacher's mouth.
"...You truly are a disgrace to this school, Kasagami Araki! Walking around with a weapon like a delinquent! I can hardly believe someone like you was on the Student Council. Hmph! You probably cheated to get there too."
The student pipes up. "Of /course/ she had to cheat to compare with President Kiryuu! She's a cheating, violent loser! Maybe you should transfer to Juuban, Araki-kun! You'd fit right in! Oh~ho~ho~ho~ho!" The student's laugh is nasally, and /carries/.
Kasagami's eye is narrowed to a slit, and the absolute rage and humiliation radiating off of her palpable. Her hand is clenching the hilt of the bokken hard enough that it's actually creaking under the force.
"You know that I'm the Kendo Captain. I have every right..."
"Don't you back talk me, young woman!"
Kassie's stance seems a little more tense, her mouth a thin line. The student smiles smugly. Already, there's a small crowd forming by passing students.
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
That sure is a bath to a bad day. It's not something Yumi was expecting, exactly, but she's not unaccustomed to this /kind/ of thing happening. ...More to her than Kasagami, though. She happens to be preparing to lean against a wall, to keep moving towards the club rooms on her way, but--she hears the voices...
'Kasagami Araki', in anger. That's not ideal.
So it is that a girl in an Infinity uniform turns the corner, mostly regulation save for the bright green tights against a chill she feels more than most. The laugh carries, and Yumi, through her glasses, glances over the student, the teacher... This is... not something she's really prepared to help with that much. Not normally anyway--isn't this part of why she wanted to avoid Ohtori to begin with?
She thinks about it, bites her lip, and is easy to miss in the crowd since, sure, she's tall, but she's not doing much /interesting/ yet. So instead--
"Oh, hey!" Yumi says, straightening her shoulders and walking closer after she speaks up. "Oh, it's--it's terrible!" Yumi says, not having to fake that she's a little out of breath as she stops by the teacher. "There's--there's blood and everything, she just--she /fell/ up on the next floor!"
Is Yumi lying? Oh yeah she's making it all up /entirely/. "Just back that way!"
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
As much as Ohtori lives and breathes gossip and drama, there's nothing like a medical emergency to drive a nail into the thumb of the social backstabbing. The crowd instantly disperses, either to be nowhere near it or to go rubberneck at the gruesome sight. For more gossip, of course, and morbid curiosity.
It seems that Yumi's lie has planted a good seed, because it's Kasagami herself that reacts first. Old habits die hard, and the Girl Who Would Be King is nothing if not protective of the student body. The tension remains, but shifts as the Duelist turns away from the teacher sharply enough that the student and teach both have to duck to avoid the edge of her longcoat across her back as both it and hair billow. She takes two steps forward, concern writ on her face as she has her phone out in her free hand and starting to raise it to her ear.
"Go on ahead, I'll call the nurse!" Barks Kasagami with force, if not quite the authority that it once carried. Still, credit to the math teacher, it seems the sword issue is dropped hard as Yumi and Kassie's voices kicks her into gear.
"We'll talk later Araki-kun." Comes the teacher before rushing off. The student scowls, offering Yumi a look that is /blistering/ in disapproval and promised Ohtori payback, before she too is among those fading into the mass of the student body.
It's on that third step that Kasagami's higher level brain functions kick in, she recognizes the voice, and something jives in her head and instincts. Just shy of hitting that button to actually call the nurse, she blinks.
".....Yumi-chan?" There's a pause. Blink.
"I didn't hear any shrieking." All of Kassie's tension dies as she finally realizes just what happened.
That bokken is leaned against one of Ohtori's brilliant columns, and after a brief glance to make sure they're alone, Kasagami Araki is coming for Yumi Ohzora with both arms to try to grab-and-swing her in an exuberant hug as she laughs aloud.
"You beautiful, brilliant jerk, that was /genius/! You witch, you!" It's said with nothing but affection and as if it was the highest compliment in the world.
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
...It won't take people long to realize that they aren't /finding/ anything, of course. The confusion should help a little on that front. Yumi watches Kasagami take charge and take a step, and as that one middle schooler gives Yumi a blistering look--
Yumi actually sets her jaw and looks /right/ back at her. It's only for an instant, of course, before Yumi turns towards Kasagami and nods.
"Yep. Aaaand you sure didn't. So let's get moving before somebody comes back to yell at you, all right?"
...A hug is the /opposite/ of leaving! Blinking in surprise, Yumi is all too easy to pick up and swing, /way/ too light for her height, and after a noise of surprise she actually laughs back. "Hey--"
"I mean it's not gonna last long. C'mon, let's get out of here." Not that... Yumi knows where /to/ go, of course.
"...And don't worry about that girl," she answers, shaking her head. "I don't even know who she is."
...In this context that somehow sounds like a pretty harsh insult.
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Yumi, once all the hair and coat and general spinning subsides, will get a front row seat to the second 'Kassie's brain engages' of the night. Oh. /Oh/! Says her face as her thick skull takes the bricking it sometimes needs.
She drops the tall witch without warning, smooths out her coat, and uses the back of her boot to kick her wooden nodachi into the air. It's caught, without looking of course. The showboat even grins while doing so.
"Good thing I have someone so clever by my side, or else I would have been devoured by teacher's pets and adults." As much as it's meant to be a show of bravado, there's an edge to her voice. Kassie sounds hurt, frustrated, and the sting of embarrassment is clear in the set to her jaw.
"Right! Away we go!" Despite the opinion of some, Kassie isn't an idiot, and so she tucks that sword as best as something of it's length can be to take up less notice, her free arm is offered to Yumi's elbow, and she's hightailing it to the first place she can think of.
A classroom that's usually empty this time of day, and right up Yumi's alley at that. One of the few classrooms where it's not open to peering outsiders, this is used for model drawings and other such artistic pursuits. The door is all but punted behind her.
That's when Kassie drops her pretenses, sighs, and barely resists the urge to punch a wall. "Huh. Well, I'm sure she deserved it. Ohtori is known for many things. The amount of skeletons you could dig out of the dorm room closets is something to behold!" Grin! The insult to the poor faceless student seems to give Kasagami some kind of joy after all of that.
There's a couch currently in the classroom, and Kasagami drapes herself over the back of it. Legs cross, she leans back, and that bokken is placed across her body so that the tilt covers one eye. A dramatic, showy pose, even as her good eye seeks out Yumi.
"Yumi. Thank you. I...Hah. How quickly status and power slips through one's fingers. A /teacher/ giving /me/ talk about having a sword!" Snarls the young woman, scandalized. Maybe how far she's fallen from grace hasn't hit her since her loss of the Duel yet. Maybe it's willful denial.
"...Makes me wonder if people respected me because of me, or because of the Council. What do you think, Yumi-chan? Am I..." Her free hand runs through her hair. She leans back harder. A frown sits on her face.
"It's just like back in middle school. What am I going to have to do to get respect for what I've worked for!? Didn't I work hard to keep discipline, to set students straight and protect them!? People are so damn fickle..." Her voice is almost a whisper. Frustration, and maybe a little despair lurks in her voice.
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Yumi clatters a little, avoiding falling with mostly luck, and then--ah, clever is it? "Nah, you'd have been fine. You were holding your temper okay, anyway--it's if you'd let /that/ go then you would've had a problem, right?"
Yumi is not... the /fastest/, exactly, and on Kasagami's arm she kind of slows the two down a bit. She doesn't comment on embarrassment though--instead, once the door opens, Yumi steps in and leans on a wall, trying to catch her breath. "Ah--ha, ha--I bet that's..."
She's not the Ohtori type; hands against the wall beside her, back to the same wall, she glances back. "Ah, well..." She doesn't exactly argue /teachers/ all that often but in this case...
Yumi hesitates. She looks over Kasagami for a few moments... and shakes her head.
"...Looks like it was the Council," she says, quietly and not without sympathy. "Stuff like this... it's as much about what status they can get /from/ you as it is what you can do. Sure, you worked hard but..."
"You can't just yell at everybody and expect them to do what you want, you know?"
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Kasagami's eye twitches. The fury and venom comes back to her easily. "That's what gets me, Yumi. Holding back, bowing to...to a /teacher/! To an adult! She isn't my mother! Nowhere /near/ deserving that kind of respect! Mom would've sent her fleeing in terror with just a /look/!" Rants the Duelist, both boots hitting the floor. Toes flex,scrunch and it lets her give her athletic form just /that/ little bit more of an arch to her pose that she holds. Bandages wrap both of her feet. Maybe she came from kendo practice when all of this kicked off.
Still, she relaxes just a little bit. As she listens to the tall witch, her face turns more and more thoughtful. A small smile that's almost sad comes to her lips.
"...Maybe you're right. I mean, it's proper to respect the Student Council's authority. To earn a position on it, is to show that you're skilled and have talent." A small nod, self assured. One finger rubs the rose signet that adorns her, guarded so jealousy. Silence.
"For your information, I don't yell! I'm simply assertive. That's the sort of thing a King should do, after all. They have to shine harder than anyone else in everything they do! To gain the skill and power to lead everyone to a better world! To..." Bring Revolution.
Kassie bites her lip.
"Still. What am I missing? I don't care how much work it takes, what do I have to do to be worthy of leading?" Kasagami's body shivers. She turns a questioning gaze to the young woman she'd dare call friend and perhaps, family.
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Yumi can tell--the anger's there quickly, and she looks back to Kasagami thoughtfully, looking over that anger, listening to the rant... If her heart weren't already beating overfast, the anger would make it do it. But she spots a smile, and--...Is Kasagami going to listen? She's not sure. But...
"Mm."
She tilts her head, at that. "I dunno, it sounds like yelling. ...Yelling stresses me out," Yumi answers with a shake of her head, and reaches down to her purse, pulling a small bottle of water out of it. She starts to open it, and bites her lip, looking down first, and then--
"...Kindness," Yumi answers. "You're acting like you're already in charge--and that people should just... get in line. But most people aren't going to listen to you that way."
"You act like holding back, being polite to a teacher's a bad thing--but that's normal. You don't hold a position by disrespecting everyone else's. They're an adult--so that's why you need to be polite to them. Maybe your mom could send her fleeing... But you're not your mother."
Yumi lets that hang, lifts the bottle and takes off the cap. "You need to show them you have their best interests at heart. Don't order; show them why they should /want/ to listen to you. You've got to demonstrate that skill you're talking about before you do anything else. Just being better than everybody doesn't make you a leader, you know?"
"...Thinking about what the people who follow you need, that does. Think about how Eri-chan does it."
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Kasagami seems to be listening, at least judging by the utter silence she offers to Yumi for about three minutes after Eri's name is uttered. Slowly, sloooowly over the course of the Lost Ivy Inheritor's wisdom on offered does the Duelist more and more relax. More and more kind of slide into this disheveled position on the modeling couch.
She even pops a button or two on her uniform while doing so, stuck between dramatic performance model piece, and peering at Yumi in utter disbelief. She takes up her bokken that sparked all of this initial conflict, and lays it along the couch for a better angle.
"Darn right I'm not Mom! I'm nowhere near her!" Kassie is 'asserting' right now. Vigorously.
"She was strong and brilliant and...even after she'd been at a tournament, she'd call me up or race home..." Her voice breaks up a bit. "Of course I'm not! An Araki has to be better! That's what we do!" Her voice breaks a bit more. The bokken falls off the couch with a heavy thud of wood on marble, ruining that picture perfect lounging.
"What are you talking about, Yumi-chan!? That kind of attitude is why the world is so...so messed up! Being /normal/ and /ordinary/ leads to weak, mealy-mouthed leaders that don't look beyond their own noses! The strong and skilled and brilliant deserve to be at the top! To be examples to those they're above!" She might be listening, but perhaps Kassie isn't understanding. Her words are passionate.
Another shudder, and more silence. "Eri-chan?" A beat. "I...I've tried. It's the duty of the strong to care for the weak. To lead them. I don't get how she does it. She does everything so /quietly/!" There's admiration, and yet, frustration surfacing. Both eyes close again.
"I want to shine, Yumi, bright and proud. I can't be Eri-chan. That isn't me, that isn't my family name. I'd be spitting on my parents' graves. I want to burn long and brilliantly." Offers Kassie.
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Yumi sticks with the wall. It's pretty good, and besides; it lets her keep watching Kasagami as she answers. ...The way Kasagami's voice breaks... Well, that's something Yumi can get; she gives a sympathetic look, but--when Kasagami argues with her...
"I'm not saying you should /be/ Eri-chan," Yumi answers, finally pushing off the wall, moving to stand a little closer. "Just--learn a little. She pays attention to what everyone is good at, what they need. Knowing is the first step, you know?"
"...Don't discount normal, you know? A lot of people out there are normal, and that's okay. They're the ones we're helping, you know? The ones who we protect, who we lead... Whatever. But 'above'..."
Yumi puts a hand to her temples and sighs, adjusting her glasses and moving to sit down on the couch, too.
"Okay. Here's what I think. ...Mother's taught me a lot about authority, about where it goes, what matters, and it comes down to a few things. The big one is..."
"It's not about 'deserving'. There are people all over the world who deserve things they aren't getting, or who get things they don't deserve. That's not /enough/, on its own. You want to lead? You have to show people why they should follow you. Give them a reason to /want/ to lead, that isn't just because you're so great--because sure, you're great, but what does that matter for them?"
"If kindness is what's messing up the world... Then the world isn't messed up enough yet. That's what I think. I know... Mother would say ambition is good, but..."
"You're using all stick and no carrot, you know?"
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Kassie's boots fall to the floor as she sits upright when Yumi approaches. She gently pushes the sword on the ground away from Yumi's path, watching the Infinity student as she settles in. The Duelist is still for a moment, and then she's trying to throw an arm around the taller girl's shoulder as she tries to process what she's been told.
Yumi will even get a ruffle and scritch of the scalp if she allows it, affection clear in Kasagami's motions.
"The first rule of combat is shifting your tactics to fit the opponent." Quotes Kassie. Her gaze is cast downwards. Her heart beats, and silent struggle plays out on her features. Earning, rather than deserving. That hated 'normal'.
"'The world is unfair'." Kasagami adds, picking through the advice she's been giving. Another moment, she tilts her head.
"Yumi Ohzora, I'm lucky to have a friend like you. That's it. That's /IT/!" Grin! She's smiling as if she's had an epiphany! Arms suddenly cross.
"People are self-centered, so I need to show my greatness /and/ how they can benefit! How could I be so stupid!? True nobility is to shine bright, radiate loudly, and to raise up others kicking and screaming if I have to!" Her laugh radiates in the large art hall.
Cue the Duelist draping over the couch again, head nearly touching the floor in order to do so. Brilliant white teeth flash. Her toes wiggle again.
"...Hey. Yumi-chan. How about you draw me like one of your Italian girls?" Yeah, she's been saving up for that one.
"Setsu-chan deserves a present, huh? And I know of no one more brilliant as you in the arts. Name your carrot!" Wink.
Pause. "As long as that carrot isn't green. I have enough red right now." Kassie wilts a bit at the thought spoken aloud.
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Yumi accepts the arm around her shoulder, but deflects the attempt at a ruffle. "Hey, watch the hair," she answers pleasantly enough, and then--well all she can do is really think about whether this is what to say, or it's going to work, or--
"Yeah, the world can be. But we can make it better, right?"
Lucky to... "I-is it?" Yumi answers, not quite sure--and she sort of... stares for a few moments as Kasagami certainly gets /a/ message. Not... the one she meant, exactly, but--
"Ah, that's... not..."
She sighs, and shakes her head. "Ah... You want me to draw you, huh?" She considers, a thoughtful cast to her expression. "Hmm..."
A wave of her hand and a shake of her head, "I don't need money. Italian girls, though, huh? I don't... know a lot of Italian girls..." Pause.
"I'll think about it. I don't usually take requests unless I get inspired, but it would be nice to give her something. I'll get back to you, okay?"
She smiles after a moment. "Just... Well, I know you won't give up, you know? ...Just remember people have their own lives, I guess."
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
"Oh, don't be that way! Your hair is wonderful, Yumi!" Retorts the Kassie without hesitation. Maybe juuust a little teasing.
Still, she doesn't force the issue, instead choosing to railroad down her track of message wrongly received. "It /is/! Really, Yumi-chan, when I'm King you'll make a fine Court Witch! A King can't rule without their advisors. And I fear, this thick skulled Ruler-To-Be will need all the help she can get!" Her eye sparkles, her sigh long, and her lean back in the chair overly dramatic. Ahhhh~!
Blink. "An artist of high standards. I can respect that! I'll have to groom up properly then, so I can be worthy of your peerless touch of the brush to canvas, and so that we can bring joy and a smile to Setsu-chan's face! You drive a hard bargain, but I'll convince you yet!" Her face is full of love for that particular Outer Senshi, and yet her voice is almost a threat. Sorry, Yumi, she'll not be letting this go.
Her laugh is utterly amused. "An Araki doesn't know the meaning of that word! That's for /normal/ people!" She shakes her head. Own lives?
"I'm sure they do."
