2019-07-03 - The Dodge Ball
| Title: The Dodge Ball | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Ye-jin Song, attempting to host a normal Ohtori ball, instead hosts the 1st Annual Ohtori Dodgeball Tournament. | |
| Who: Rei Hino, Niramo Umokeshi, Shizuru Fujino, Ye-jin Song, Fumiko Inoue, Kasagami Araki, Setsuna Meioh | |
| Where: Ohtori Academy | |
| OOC - IC Date: 2019-07-03 - 06-14-15 | |
<Pose Tracker> Ye-jin Song [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
A ball at Ohtori is nothing new. Theres always one reason or another to clean a ballroom, arrange a dozen bouquets of roses, and send out a barrage of glittering invitations across the three Sister Schools. This one is the Ohtori Athletic Appreciation Ball, a celebration of the sister schools athletic clubs and departments brought to students by eternally fashionable Ohtori Vice-President Ye-jin Song. All are invited, athlete or not, and its been made known that a very special prize will be given to one lucky attendant--though no more specific details have been made available.
The two-storied ballroom where the event is taking place has been rearranged in a square, immensely long tables with ornate chairs set at each cardinal direction and draped in voluminous white cloth. Wine colored roses are arranged artfully across the space, filling gold and ivory containers dotted across the room. Smaller tables dot the landscape as well, though the most impressive decoration is a towering triangle of white cloth near the center of the room that may hide a fabulous cake.
The upper balcony is littered with more floral decorations, broken up by athletic banners inter-spaced between them. Each club has a representation among the hanging cloths, a list of members names sewn in gold and exquisite depiction of their sport in action.
There's no sign of Vice-President Ye-jin amongst the mingling crowds, though no doubt she will arrive at some point. There is a podium after all, adorning with banners, flowers, and a microphone. At some point there shall be a speech.
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Even /if/ she's been ousted from her beloved kendo club, Kasagami Araki is the Student Council Secretary. So she automatically has a reason to show to this lovely ball. And if you ask her, the Falconry club is definitely an athletics club. Birds can be heavy!
Given the occasion, she's also decided to come wearing something a bit fancier than the usual Student Council Uniform! Surprise of all surprises, Kassie is wearing a dress, with full on hat and shawl! The hat borders on being a bowler, jet black. The dress itself is striped reds-and-blacks, to no one's surprise. She has an /image/ after all. It's one of those slit-legged types, the left up to the thigh, the right almost conservative in how it flows and drapes in frills that hedge just south of excess. A single belt is across her hips, and there's a flower pinned to her chest in white to add that dash of color, and a long white shawl is wrapped about her neck to cover her further.
The Duelist walks in, confident, and smiling as though she belongs here. Which she does, as with the proof on her finger and her newly regained position on the Council, for that alone she has no worries tonight.
Already she's mingling, gaining more than a few glances and ooooh's from her sudden change in fashion! She's starting a small commotion in the rumor mill! Nor is she alone, her companion for the ball none other than the genius student, Setsuna Meioh!
One may note, however under all of that glitz and feminine glamour: Kasagami Araki is still wearing those blasted combat boots.
<Pose Tracker> Rei Hino [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
The Athletic Appreciation Ball..!
Rei Hino is certainly one of the girls to be appreciated, here. As a long-standing member of the Archery Club, she has brought their school honour in many showings... even if she's been a little more distracted, these days.
(Just a few more late nights. It's fine.)
She's in a lovely black dress, one shoulder flowing over her upper arm, the other cutting off around the neck. Its skirt is pleated with the modern trend and falls in waves, the top layer sheer and reflecting a subtle array of colours in the darkness, the lowest layer opaque-black. It's a style which matches the shawl around her shoulders, sheer fabric which reflects a slight red undertone. It's as lovely as a crow's feather, which is, in fact, the entire point.
Unlike /some stubborn girls,/ she has a nice pair of red dress shoes on, with a slight heel.
Rei smiles as she comes to rest by one of the tables, once she manages to disentangle herself from one of those Ohtori boys. She's eminently polite, of course. Losing one's cool at a function like this... well, it's a sport in itself, for some people. Rei will be fine, of course.
<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed. The Ohtori Athletic Appreciation Ball, or any Ohtori Ball for that matter, usually doesn't interest Niramo Umokeshi. If she attends a dance at any of the Sister Schools, it's often to be moral support or to be there for a friend going. Add in the part where she feels like she doesn't belong whenever she's in an elegant dress and it tends to be an uncomfortable evening for her, even if she says nothing about it. But with the possibility of a mysterious prize to be given to one lucky dancer, and needing a way to make up to Yuhira...well, maybe it won't be too bad of an evening!
The dress on loan for the evening is a beautiful flowing beige brown dress with forest green frills along the puffed shoulders and hem. Fitted with petticoats to give the dress a bit of a puff to allow the dress to just touch the ballroom floor daintily, a pair of 2" green wedge heels can just be seen. With a pearl necklace and emerald stud earrings finishing the ensemble, Niramo just hopes she fits in well enough.
Letting out a soft sigh and stopping herself from giving her braided bun a tug, the Juubanite is looking out at the rest of the ball from one of the tables. She can see Kasagami waltzing right in and just shakes her head at her elder friend. And Yuhira calls her stubborn when it comes to fashion.
<Pose Tracker> Georgia Jenks [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Georgia is here and present and already scoping out the food options. What? Why else would she be here? She's not in any sport clubs -- just the Music Club, which is great and awesome and better than any other sport thank you very much. Yeah.
She's dressed in a snazzy green dress, which is likely one of /the/ nicest things in her closet. It becomes apparent she doesn't wear it often from the way she's fidgeting and readjusting the straps on her shoulders. At least she was smart enough to forego heels. Instead she's wearing a pair of sneakers. What? It's still chic!
<Pose Tracker> Setsuna Meioh [Infinity Institute (U)] has posed.
Setsuna Meioh is neither an Ohtori student nor an athlete, but that is not to say she has no connection to either. She has arrived alongside with a very Ohtori athlete, after all, kendo club or no -- a tall young woman her gaze keeps finding whenever there is a quiet moment or conversational lull, and sometimes when there is not.
"That hat is just cheeky enough to be the perfect flourish, I think," she comments, a smile in her voice. "I hope Hino-san is here so I can compliment and thank her, all at once."
She turns and the floor-sweeping hem of her deep violet gown swirls about her feet, which happen to be clad in dark stilettos. A criss-cross harness of the same rich silk tops the bodice, baring her shoulders. Understated glamour suits her mood tonight; she's chosen to be a contrast to Kasagami's dramatic dress, and to deliberately and subtly support the other's shine.
Besides, that nigh-endless fall of unfettered and shining hair makes a statement all its own.
"Ah -- there she is now. Shall we go say our hellos?" A tilt of her head sends a shimmering ripple through evergreen, and indicates where Rei has found a table. As the question feels very nearly rhetorical, Setsuna begins gliding smoothly in that direction.
"Hino-san, good evening to you. What an astonishing shade of black you're wearing," she says, taking in the crows-wing glory. "More and more I think we should go shopping together sometime. You had my admiration already..." And now she's giving a warm smile at Kasagami in her dress to indicate exactly what she means. "Your eye is clearly exceptional."
<Pose Tracker> Fumiko Inoue [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
An Ohtori event? And a dance? Interesting... Fumiko ponders whether or not to go. In the end, it was a simple decision. There were surely be some of the people she met at the arcade there, under very different circumstances. Maybe she could learn more about them through such a different context? And maybe she could dazzle a few people.
Her dress is not necessarily the fanciest at the ball - a barely more than simple white dress - but it is hopefully going to be enough. Same with the white short-heeled shoes. Both give a slight air of elegance, but are not overly fancy or stunning. Instead, she would use them for the range of motion they'd give her, not holding her back as she danced at this fancy Ohtori ball. It will be all about her moves, not her looks - though as she thinks this, she smirks. She surely has the looks too.
<Pose Tracker> Ye-jin Song [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
One the majority of the guests have filed in the low hum of music (because there's a band, of course) begins to fade into silence. "Hiii~"
At some point Ye-jin Song has appeared, melting out of the crowd and stepping up on the small stage near the center of the room. The wine-haired girl wears a high-necked dress of pristine white, shoulders left bare and legs nearly concealed in the frills of her dark skirt. The microphone in her hand pops as she bats her hand against it, calling all to attention. Once she has it Ye-jin clears her throat, beginning:
"I'm so glad you all could join us for the first annual Ohtori Athletic Appreciation Ball!" There's a pause for applause, and once the polite round of clapping comes to an end she continues: "Tonight, we have a very special guest joining us, to help commemorate this fantastic event. Please welcome former Vice-President of Ohtori, Shizuru Fujino!"
Once again there's a round of applause, one which even Ye-jin joins in. She shuffles to the side of the small stage, hands extending microphone for her guest.
<Pose Tracker> Shizuru Fujino [Ohtori Academy (U)] has posed.
Wine-dark, the term is--an old one, for the ocean, in fact. But ancient tales of shipwrecks are surely unrelated to anything happening /today/. No, no.
Once she is announced, one Shizuru Fujino steps towards the stage, her heels clicking against the beautifully polished tiles as she ascends the stairs and pleasantly takes the microphone from Ye-jin. She is dressed more for a business meeting than a ball, in soft colors with a smart skirt and heels, the glint of her omnipresent engagement ring obvious as her hand lifts with the microphone. "Why, thank you, Vice President," Shizuru says pleasantly, smiling winningly at Ye-jin.
She looks out over the crowd, or, well, does that thing that /looks/ like looking over the crowd, without actually needing to focus on any of them in particular.
"And thank you all for coming out to show your support for this event and for our school's athletic programs, which continue to shine brightly with all of the Sister Schools, an example to all Japan." She smiles. It's a perfect photo opportunity. Eyes closed, bliss, as if truly pleased by the spirit of her fellow students now that she's in university.
There's a glint from her necklace, but--ah, the light makes it hard to see.
"So of course I'm sure everyone is excited to hear about the /prize/ for tonight's event as well! In this case it is an all-expenses paid trip to Hakone for the winning participant's team or club!" "Now..." Shizuru brings her hand to her heart--no, to her necklace. And picks up... A whistle? There is a whistle on it. "This is certain to be the most /beautiful/ exhibition of skill yet! I hereby call the tournament to a beginning! left side, right side, make yourself ready!"
A student emerges from behind her in uniform, glasses fogged and expression harried as she produces a... large, red ball? for her supervising... Shizuru. "Ready?" Shizuru blows the whistle hard enough to wake the dead without seeing to /try/ in the least, and then--
Balls erupt from the wings of the room, thrown by dignified servants to /begin the game/, as Shizuru herself smiles and steps back out of the way. Watch for your faces!
<Pose Tracker> Shizuru Fujino [Ohtori Academy (U)] has posed.
Wine-dark, the term is--an old one, for the ocean, in fact. But ancient tales of shipwrecks are surely unrelated to anything happening /today/. No, no.
Once she is announced, one Shizuru Fujino steps towards the stage, her heels clicking against the beautifully polished tiles as she ascends the stairs and pleasantly takes the microphone from Ye-jin. She is dressed more for a business meeting than a ball, in soft colors with a smart skirt and heels, the glint of her omnipresent engagement ring obvious as her hand lifts with the microphone. "Why, thank you, Vice President," Shizuru says pleasantly, smiling winningly at Ye-jin.
She looks out over the crowd, or, well, does that thing that /looks/ like looking over the crowd, without actually needing to focus on any of them in particular.
"And thank you all for coming out to show your support for this event and for our school's athletic programs, which continue to shine brightly with all of the Sister Schools, an example to all Japan." She smiles. It's a perfect photo opportunity. Eyes closed, bliss, as if truly pleased by the spirit of her fellow students now that she's in university.
There's a glint from her necklace, but--ah, the light makes it hard to see.
"So of course I'm sure everyone is excited to hear about the /prize/ for tonight's event as well! In this case it is an all-expenses paid trip to Hakone for the winning participant's team or club!"
"Now..." Shizuru brings her hand to her heart--no, to her necklace. And picks up... A whistle? There is a whistle on it. "This is certain to be the most /beautiful/ exhibition of skill yet! I hereby call the tournament to a beginning! left side, right side, make yourself ready!"
A student emerges from behind her in uniform, glasses fogged and expression harried as she produces a... large, red ball? for her supervising... Shizuru. "Ready?"
Shizuru blows the whistle hard enough to wake the dead without seeing to /try/ in the least, and then--
Balls erupt from the wings of the room, thrown by dignified servants to /begin the game/, as Shizuru herself smiles and steps back out of the way. Watch for your faces!
"And happy dodgeballing!"
<Pose Tracker> Ye-jin Song [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
As the first volley is launched the landscape suddenly changes. Or, rather, things once hidden are now revealed. The tarp covering the cake falls to reveal that it was not a cake at all, but a tower of red balls that tumble and bounce free across the floor. Tablecloths are pulled away in billows of white fabric, revealing nests of dodgeball ammunition.
Ye-jin, on stage next to Shizuru, looks horrified. At least until she flings herself out of the way of a hail of red spheres, vanishing into the scrambling crowd.
Now that the first volley is cast it's kill or be killed. Metaphorically speaking. Hopefully. Some of those balls are flying very fast.
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Already, Kassie notes several people she knows! And they're all so stylish! Niramo gets a wink out of the corner of her gaze, Fumiko gets a curious look, but the Duelist has two more immediate people that grab her attention.
The first of course is none other than her beloved Setsuna, who she plays a game of traded glances and smiles with. Every moment near the other girl has the Duelist's heart walking on clouds, even /if/ she has to tamp it down here at the ball. She can't look as enraptured as her heart feels. There's social expectations to meet!
"I have a feeling she will be. It's /expected/. She has a very important father, after all." Kasagami tries, but fails, to quash that note of jealousy in her voice.
She doesn't let it linger though, and she's grinning to Rei! "Are you really surprised, Setsu-chan? The graceful, well-known socialite and miko of Hikawa shrine is a picture of Ohtori's pride, and the manners we give each and every young woman here at this Academy. Isn't that right, Hino-san?" Comes Kassie, extra polite, extra laying it on thick here.
"The very best in fashion is in the raven's eye." Raven, rather than crow. Kasagami had to sneak in bird language somehow.
But the VP Ye-jin arrives with her speech, which the Student Council Secretary adds in her own polite clapping. Shizuru taking the stage after, though, is a bit of a surprise. Eyes lingering on the woman, her lips thin for a moment as she spies the engagement ring. It's still so odd to see that, rather than a Duelist's ring.
Hmm. She doesn't have much time to think on it though, as she makes the ball's purpouse clear! /Dodgeball/!!!
As the balls fly, Kasagami laughs aloud, grinning from ear to ear! "Isn't this the best ball we've come to, Setsu-chan!? I knew our new Vice President was something!" Hey, she actually /likes/ Ye-jin. Even if she'd happily stomp over her for her position if it came to it.
She too manages to peek to Rei as she's ducking low to dodge a trio of balls aimed for her! "Are my boots so ridiculous /now/ Rei-chan!?" Teases the young woman, ducking into a roll and snagging a low tossed ball. She pops up behind Setsuna, back to back near an ammo dump of red destuction!
Kassie luckily is well within her functioning vision, and one of the servants that /dared/ throw a dodgeball at Setsuna is eyed. One hand /grips/ hard enough with nodachi-honed strength to leave lovely indents as she squeezes. And then she puts in a full-body toss with a loud war-cry!
The Duelist wants at least /one/ person on the floor during the ballgame if she has anything to say about it.
<Pose Tracker> Rei Hino [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
Long, dark hair is a statement all its own, and here's three for the record. Rei, of course -- and Kasagami and Setsuna, approaching. "Meioh-san, Araki-san, you look great," Rei smiles, as they makes her way to her; for once, tonight, there's nothing manufactured about the expression. It's an expression which brightens, dark eyes crinkling at the edges as the glamourous /Setsuna Meioh/ compliments her style.
"You think so?" Rei asks, before a hand comes to her mouth to cover light laughter as Kasagami steps in with the praise, too. "Please, you're both too kind. I'm especially pleased to see the Secretary joining us in our fashionable efforts -- what an honour." To get a member of the Student Council out of their standard uniform for an event, most likely. She can't help but add, though: "As for shopping... I'd be happy to! Ah, but you won't find this dress in a store," there's a note of pride which /isn't/ for herself, for once, as she swishes her skirt with a hand. "This is a Dupain-Cheng original! She's terribly talented, don't you think?"
The voice of the Vice-President cuts through the chatter, and with a little "oh!" to excuse herself from further comments, Rei turns to face the stage and clap with the others. There's the usual introductions, of course -- and then an appearance from the /previous/ Vice-President.
That's one way to secure legitimacy, Rei supposes.
It's not at all surprising, to see her performance -- and it is a performance, Rei is entirely sure of that. Shizuru has been playing the game for... well, let's just say longer than Rei has. It's not that she doesn't have any appreciation for the art. It's just...
No, that's a good way to put it, she thinks. Rei has an appreciation for the art. That's why, when Shizuru keeps /talking/ after those first few introductory lines, she starts feeling a little suspicious. The way Shizuru is dressed, this must be some way for her to advance -- right?
Rei's still smiling, of course. It's fixed right on, gracious and understated. And from between that increasingly taut smile, as Shizuru pulls out a whistle, Rei can be heard losing air, to the tune of: "Ehhhhh...?"
FLASH BACK TO YESTERDAY:
'Look, what's with those? This ball isn't the type you kick around the field! Your feet will be okay if you put on something else for the day, /promise./'
SMASH CUT BACK TO THIS EXACT MOMENT:
Rei shoots Kasagami's boots a look which is halfway between alarmed and /frankly offended/ as her hubris looms large over her shoulders.
That's about when the whistle blows.
"Oh come on!" Rei cries, exasperated, as a ball flies towards her. She hops out of the way, wishing all the while she'd settled on flats. She soon finds herself scrambling out of the way of another volley, including a ball thrown from that boy she brushed off not so long ago.
Well, /that/ won't do.
Grabbing some of that ammunition, Rei tries to remember the things she's picked up about volleyball, and lobs the ball right at his centre mass. Teach /him/ to hold a grudge. Rei is the /best/ at grudges.
Which is a crown position Kasagami immediately challenges. "You know /very well/ this isn't how balls usually go, Kasagami-chan!" Rei snaps back, forgetting her politeness in a harried moment, because she has to duck out of the way of /another/ ball.
<Pose Tracker> Fumiko Inoue [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
The meet-and-greet begins. Fumiko does her best to SPARKLE, greeting and smalltalking as she twirls and flutters from person to person as if she was everyone's best friend. She shoots Kasagami a smile at her weird glance, and waves to Niramo.
"Hello friends," Fumiko says cheerfully, slightly bouncy and bubbly. "Good to see you again! Crash any digital cars lately Niramo? Hello Kasagami-san, I like your boots, are we going to dance war?" Hopefully this hides her nervousness, and helps secure the deep friendship she wants and is pretending to have with Niramo and Kasagami.
And now for announcements. First a special guest Fumiko was not entirely familiar with: Shizuru. She seems to have quite the reaction on the crowd. But what has more of a reaction - and quite a reaction from Fumiko - is Shizuru's own announcement: this wasn't a ball. THAT was a ball. A DODGE-ball!
She looks down at her dress, then back at the ball, and gulps. This was NOT dodgeball attire! Or... was it? She DID choose it for mobility! As if to prove it, she practically pirouettes out of the way of a hastily thrown ball by someone in the crowd. This... could be fun.
<Pose Tracker> Setsuna Meioh [Infinity Institute (U)] has posed.
Setsuna /clearly/ takes another long moment to look over Rei's dress again, taking in the details with an enthusiast's eye. "An original? Quite talented indeed, the design and craftsmanship both..." With a small and graceful hand gesture begging pardon from conversation for the time being, Setsuna gives the full of her attention to Vice President Ye-jin Song as their hostess commands the stage. Ah, she thinks, Fujino-san; this will be interesting. She has some small experience with the former Vice President and her capacity to surprise.
...It isn't /nearly/ enough experience for this.
She'd heard something about some prize in connection to the ball but in truth had paid it little mind, one small privilege granted by Outer Senshi levels of obscene wealth. Setsuna had another reason to attend, beauty her eyes refused to do without for the evening, and fully intended to gracefully refrain from entering any raffle or party games involved in the giveaway. Her plans are crushed like a paper crane in a singularity when Shizuru sounds the clarion (whistle) and the ballroom becomes a dodge ball pit. Setsuna's lips part in a subtle -- but for her, notable -- expression of shock. "They did /not/ well communicate the proper dress code for this event," she murmurs in a politely affronted aside to Kasagami and Rei... and looks down at the gleaming, pointed toes of her stilettos, with their nearly eight centimeters of heel height.
The delighted crowing of her combat-booted beloved has Setsuna glancing upward, as if to the hidden heavens... but when she looks back to Kassie there's a lively gleam in garnet eyes, one which only lights her up when they're in motion together. Then she crouches and leaps with long-legged grace, and a pair of volleyballs whiz through the space thus vacated. A pair of shiny black heels, also vacated, are left standing on the spot -- at least until another volleyball bangs into them and sends them flying.
She's back to back with Kasagami now instead of side by side, and that works just fine for them. "It shall certainly rank among the most memorable," she replies drily. "But any dance with you makes it a worthy event, whatever form the dance takes." Taking up a volleyball two-handed, Setsuna shifts it quickly -- to try and block an incoming ball headed for the Duelist's head!
"You say that as if it will stop or slow her down in the least, Hino-san-" she says when the other girl comments on how balls usually go, but then cuts herself short to shout, "-Watch your left!" It's supposed to be a competition but competition is not so much in Setsuna's nature, and watching out for others is.
<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Setsuna and Kasagami walk off to greet another Ohtori student, with Setsuna leading the way, and Niramo waves a hand in greetings even if she can't get a chance to talk with them yet. The wink gets a twin in reply, however! Another dancer seems to be enjoying the fine dining that Ohtori offers this evening and...oh, Fumiko's here too! Niramo finds herself a little jealous of her fellow Juuban student just because how she was wearing simple yet fitting dress. Alas, Niramo made her bed when she accidently snapped at Yuhira, and the fashion-focused friend of her made sure she rested in it.
People watching is one of the greatest pleasures when it comes to dances, at least. Everyone acts completely different from how they normally would!
A microphone being abused has the Juubanite look up towards the stage, applauding cheerfully as Ye-jin makes her presence fully known. The fact she's sharing the stage with Shizuru catches Niramo off guard, and the ravenette blinks in surprise several times as the guest takes the stage. The fact she doesn't seem to be wearing clothing meant for a dance means she's likely going to be observing from the sides, then. "Maybe she's co-hosting the dance for tonight?"
The beginning of the speech seems to be the standard fair, explaining what the ball is in honor of and what could be awarded tonight, and a trip to Hakone is certainly attention grabbing. The posibility of just enjoying the well-known hot springs with one of the best views in the country? But it's likely going to be awarded to whoever can dance the best tonight. With a sigh, Niramo prepares to let that trip sail beyond the horizon...
That's before the flurry of dodgeballs filling the air has Niramo diving to the ballroom floor in instinctial fear, the petticoats giving a bit of a cushion against the cold floor!
Physical education is already one of Niramo's least favorite school activities. Memories of red inflated rubber slamming into your body and actually pushing you back from the impact is never a pleasant one. Trying to do that in an outfit meant more for slow dancing and not throwing weapons of bruise-causing destruction means it's going to be a very messy dance for all schools!
Climbing upright and staying crouched to present even less of a target, Niramo starts to move as fast as she can in her low heels. "That's it! Next time, i'm making Yuhira-chan know running shoes is perfectly fine dancing apparel!" There's little cover to hide behind to wait out the storm, though. The best way to save herself is to just keep moving!
The press of bodies scrambling to survive and take the prize is astounding, and Niramo has to take the path of least resistance to keep herself moving. Unfortunately, the path turns out to be a dead end towards a solid stretch of wall just in front of her. Sensing an easy target, an Infinity 11th Year in a rented tuxedo grabs the nearest moving ball and twists around to hurl the red bludgeon at Niramo. "Think fast, pipsqueak!"
Unforunately for the softball club member, the Juuban dancer did just that, throwing herself to the floor again in a slide and just barely out of the ball's path. The projectial bounces against the wall and returns back towards the sender...
- THUMP**
...and right into his stomach, causing him to kneel over in pain. "Next time, don't call out your surprise attack!" Months of experience has taught her that, after all.
<Pose Tracker> Ye-jin Song [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
The dodgeballs are coming thick and fast. There are plenty to go around, and plenty of bodies to be hit.
Kasagami's thrown ball strikes down the servant who dared to send a volley at her beloved, while Setsuna's own efforts deflect the red sphere that was about to smash into the back of the duelist's head. It rebounds into the air amidst a hail of others.
Rei's admirer falls, though she soon has a hail of more balls to avoid. The same for Niramo and Fumiko, who find success in avoiding the rebounding spheres that fill the ballroom. Soon the battle is spilling into the halls as students retreat to more fortified positions, the fighting extending out into the manicured gardens, up on the balconies, into the club rooms. Nowhere is safe and nowhere is sacred.
It's a massacre.
ONE HOUR LATER
The halls of Ohtori are deathly still. In the ballroom red spheres litter the floor, some full and round, others punctured puddles of rubber. The neatly hung posters and banners to celebrate the Athletic Ball lie fallen and scattered. A dodgeball has been wedged into the side of a topiary elephant. There are bodies in the gardens, fallen students in the great war. One of them asks if they can go home yet. They are told no.
Eventually, as things begin to quiet an announcement is made: "DODGEBALL FINALISTS:" Comes a booming message across the vast Ohtori PA system, "REPORT TO OHTORI CENTRAL GYMNASIUM."
<Pose Tracker> Shizuru Fujino [Ohtori Academy (U)] has posed.
Shizuru continues to look blandly delighted. Someone takes a ball to the face. She doesn't miss a beat. Instead, it would appear her disappearance is taking hyer... briefly out of view...
If there were any justice in this world, she would at /least/ break a nail here. But she does not. She merely weaves through parts of the crowd, murmuring, and causing players to stare, wide-eyed, forward. ...None leave.
Now...
IN THE GYMNASIUM
It is a traditional indoor gymnasium, its floor marked as if for basketball, though the hoops are not out. One set of bleachers is closed up, done back to the wall like a very large armoire. It's made of some rare wood that's probably extinct now, but it looks /incredible/ in that varnish.
The center is polished wood; the markings are in Ohtori's cream yellow. And everyone else who both succeeded and is unable to escape is obligated to come... /here/. To this place. Where a set of red balls are placed in the center line, untouched.
There's a topiary elephant sticking out of the bleachers for some reason. It appears to have black-rimmed square glasses. ...As do the two beside it. But on the other side...
Near the top of the bleachers, in a high-backed chair, sits the former Vice President of Ohtori Academy. Shizuru Fujino reigns above the court, whistle hanging from her neck, microphone in her hand. There are /two/ people already on the court. One holds a ball; the other stares in terror. The one holding the ball looks up at Shizuru Fujino...
And she gives one graceful thumbs /down/. One thudding impact later, the gymnasium is cleared for the finals. ...It's for the best not to dwell any further on the two that were here...
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Does Kassie verbally respond to Rei's exasperation and snapping? Oh no. No, this time the Duelist is doing something /far worse/! Rei gets this smug, happy look that just radiates fulfillment and a /promise/! She is lording over the miko right now. Yes, Rei-chan, the supremacy of Boots has now begun!
"That sounds like a girl that's come unprepared, Hino-san! You should instead act more like your beloved Student Council Secretary!" Yeah, that silence didn't last. Kassie is /enjoying/ this! "My attire is perfect for tonight! All dancing is war, Fumiko-chan! Some just more subtle than others!" The pecking order at Ohtori surely is though.
There's a gleam in Setsuna's eyes that's mirror in Kasagami's face as the two move together! It's almost instinctual at this point, their hearts so close, so well used to fighting together. Even if their secrets make that small little dissonance, tonight the closeness completely devours it! A few balls aimed at faces certainly helps one dance spritely with your partner after all!
Kassie feels invigorated, shifting from edge of her bootheel to toes as she requires. Where she can't see, behind her, she completely trusts Setsuna, Guardian of Time, to do so for her! She doesn't even flinch as the ball headed for her head is defeated by her love...and the suspiciously not-Garnet Ball in her hands!
"We'll have to make it more memorable still by crushing everyone and winning the competition!" In turn, Kassie's defensive red orb has her ducking low to smash into a ball going for one of her love's legs! Not on her watch! The Duelist swats it away with contempt, before popping back up!
~One Dodgesacre Later~
Sweat dripping down her brow, cheeks a little red, Kasagami looks gloriously /happy/ after all of this. Her survival in all of this is due in one part enthusiastic relatively short-ranged violence with red rubber at the poor, poor servants, and another in relying on her beloved Setsuna! Truly the two make up for each other's faults, Kassie focusing almost entirely on closing in for bruising quick tosses and the occasional guardianship of her own! A good defense is good offense, and an even better defense is a Setsuna guardian for the longer ranged battle! Kassie will always cede to her love's much, much greater talent for elegant throws (and screams!).
So it's with a bit of swagger that Kassie makes it into the /finalist gym/, arm within Setsuna's own! She watches the 'execution' via ball and Shizuru's throne...well, one part passively, and the other with only slighly concealed greed.
Give. Me. That. Throne.
Those words are written in her eyes. This may well be her downfall some day.
<Pose Tracker> Setsuna Meioh [Infinity Institute (U)] has posed.
The boot-related exchange has not gone unnoticed in the least by a certain observationally-oriented senshi, nor has it failed to encourage the grand and esoteric gears in her head into turning. Kasagami's boast, Rei's exasperation, and then that absolutely ostentatious smugness... Oh yes, Setsuna hears, she sees -- and she already has thoughts on the matter, thoughts which bid to evolve further in the moment...
Except that there are round red missiles perforating the airspace around their heads, and so she shelves the thoughts for later in favor of ducking smoothly. For now: dodgeball! ...Dodgeball?! Dodgeball. The university student skipped all the previous grades and gradations of the educational system, including, of course, gym. That would make this Setsuna Meioh's very first game of dodgeball. What's more, her stoic sentinel's approach to conflict -- endure hits and then hit back harder -- does not behoove her here.
She holds onto the ball she grabbed, rather than zinging it into the fracas, using it to rebound incoming as best she can. Kasagami is always in her peripheral vision, the better to fulfill trust given: the senshi shifts to cover the swordswoman's back rather than, you know, dodging. This also allows her to cast a quick smile of a glance over her shoulder in thanks for that block of Kassie's.
It must be said that even with these challenges, Setsuna plays an excellent defensive game... but dodgeball cannot be won on defense alone. Her trust, then, is in turn placed in Kasagami's strong dodgeball-winging hands. "You and your conquering spirit shall lead the way, Kasa-chan," comes the low shout. "Show them all what that admirable sword arm is capable of!"
Not that she doesn't wing her own missile from time to time, having a long arm of her own -- always quick to pluck a replacement from the nearby pile after. It just doesn't feel right to engage in any sort of combat without a weapon to hand.
-=-=-=-
Her life's task of solitary guardianship out on the farthest-flung reaches of the Solar System and of Time Itself has required, nay, demanded of Setsuna Meioh a supernatural level of determination and endurance. Such suffices to keep her standing at the end of even grueling battlefield marathons -- she is /determined/ to help Kasagami win this, after all.
Thus also Here and Now. Setsuna plants her bare feet together, almost daintily, amid the carnage of fallen students and burst dodgeballs; in truth the long cut of her gown's silk skirt requires a certain narrow stance of her. As the dodgeball dust settles, so to speak, she sets hers down on a nearby table. "Ah, it was a fresh manicure..." she rues to her girlfriend, noticing the way one of her lacquered nails has snapped. How unfair...
One evergreen eyebrow rises at the announcement, even as she links arms with Kasagami to head for the central gymnasium together. "Is this how dodgeball normally goes?"
Upon their arrival as a group, Setsuna observes from her customary still and quiet: Shizuru Fujino passing down judgment from her throne, and the hungry look in eyes grey and white as they covet. Ohtori, she thinks; and the name holds a wealth of misgivings for her. She doesn't voice them, nor ask Kasagami if she really wants to win that trip to Hakone.
"It is a more complex sport than I had imagined," is what she says instead.
<Pose Tracker> Rei Hino [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
Setsuna cries out for Rei's safety, and in doing so saves her from a narrowly-averted dodgebally fate. "It's too open out here!" She tells them, as ducking behind the table almost leads to ruin when a ball is lobbed underneath it. "We need to --"
SMASH CUT: the gardens
A middle-schooler creeps along the hedge, ball clasped firmly in her hands as her eyes dart from side to side. There is nothing in the air but dead silence as she slowly approaches her prey: an older boy. A little closer, a little closer...
Suddenly: "HYAH!"
Bare feet lift entirely from the ground as Rei leaps up from behind the topiary, slamming a ball into the other girl's back. She cries out, and falls. "Oh," her original opponent says, "come on, that's dirty pool --"
He is shortly cut off as Rei grabs the girl's ball and lobs it at him while he's busy complaining.
SMASH CUT: the dojo
The sound of a deer-chaser donks down, as the wooden floor is lit in chiaroscuro. Someone's left the doors open; a wind whistles through the hall, sending a curtain of dark hair fluttering. "So," Rei says, grave, "it's come to this."
"Seems that way," says a girl in shadow.
Donk, goes the deer-chaser, as two red balls fly through the air, so close the air claps together.
One girl falls.
Rei turns, and strides from the theatre.
SMASH CUT: the balcony
"Oh, my hero," a twelfth-year girl sighs, as she looks out into the massacre, "so far away now. Will I ever see your smile..?"
A mournful refrain filters in from somewhere. Someone's left a record playing.
Suddenly, it scratches, because a dodgeball slams straight into her back, staggering her. "If you want him to notice you, you at least have to fight!" Rei advises her, before she flees the scene.
SMASH CUT: T H E G Y M N A S I U M
Here, upon the final stage, Rei Hino steps inside, the victor of a thousand struggles. She walks with the purpose of someone striding over a thousand graves.
One more falls. She looks from the terrified duo to the empress sitting above.
Rei sighs, a hand brushing back the curtain of her hair, as she looks up to Shizuru. "... render unto Kaizaa, huh?"
(She never skipped English. She's just not great at it.)
<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Despite how many balls that go flying, bruises that are gained and club hopefuls losing their chance to nurse away their injuries in the famed hotsprings, the onslaught in the *ball*room only seems to be intensifying! With what shelter there is completely occupied by other clubs, trying to dodge through the red onslaught is becoming more and more impossible. But Shizuru didn't say that everyone had to stay in the dance hall. And a kitchen door is only a few meters away...
Snatching a rough ruby round of ammunition, Niramo barges her way through to safety, hoping that she can somehow survive until the end. "At least it's not just music and most of Ohtori looking down at me anymore!"
One Hour Later
The last hour at Ohtori is one to be spoken of for months to come, to become legend for those who have taken part. Niramo doesn't remember too much of what took place once she managed to escape Ground Zero. Endless marble hallways, doors being used as stationairy shields and thundering impacts all blend together into a senseless blur. All that Niramo knows is that it has been too quiet for the last 5 minutes. The Home Ec classroom she claimed as her sanctum has the doors covered with overturned desks being used as a bunker. Inflated ordiance is only an arm's reach away no matter where you go, some even sticking out of pots. About a dozen students lay down in the hallway and recovering themselves, a litter that forewarns that danger lurks within.
What was once a loaned dress of elegance now clings to Niramo skin with sweat. The skirts were pulled up thanks to ingenious uses of clamps, and her wedges couldn't be seen anywhere she looks. The ravenette's hairbun is on the verge of falling loose completely, but Niramo pays little heed to that. The last 60 minutes have been terrifying yet exciting at the same time. She's not going to voice that out loud, however. From the look on Ye-jin's face, today hasn't gone exactly *quite* to the Ohtori student's plan.
The PA system wakes up with a spark, and a speaker receives a dodgeball for cathing Niramo off guard. The message it offers is hope, that the terrible night will finally coming to an end. "This...it could be a trap, but I have to try. And other students will be heading there too." Now to move those desks aside...
And so, it's a disheaveled Niramo that enters from a side door, being as cautious as a mouse planning the greatest cheese heist ever. A dodgeball rests in her hands, the very same lucky dodgeball that she first grabbed from what seems so long ago, but upon seeing that no dodgeball destroyer squad waits for her in ambush lets her relaxed just a little.
A duo of Duelist and University that waits for her inside doesn't surprise her in the slightest. Kasagami and Setsuna were the closest of friends, after all. Niramo just gives Setsuna a weary wave and rolls her lucky dodgeball to the side. "They should just call it Exhaustball. I would try to take a nap but i'm sure i'll get a rude wake up call if I do..."
<Pose Tracker> Fumiko Inoue [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Dodgball-pacalypse has ceased... for now. Fumiko had severely overestimated her skills, thinking her Gymnastics training and abilities as Serpentina Ruse were enough to win. She forgot that She doesn't have those Miraculous abilities in normal form, and Gymnastics skills weren't entirely enough to be as exceptional and extraordinary as she hoped.
However, they were enough to survive. She put the dodge in dodgeball, at least, avoiding every ball that hurdled her way - if many just barely. In fact, she was sure she was hit dead-on once, but her reflexes caused her to catch the ball in that instance, before she even knew she had it. She must have looked awkward, staring at the ball in her hands as if she thought it appeared out of thin air. In the end though, she made it to the finals.
What was even going on? Fumiko tilts her head, taking in the strange scene. A throne. A Roman gladiator sentencing. A dodgeball execution. Is this the Ohtori way? Then she smiles. Ah yes, drama. Belonging to a whole club of it, she can appreciate theatrics. "Hm... perhaps..."
She gives a slight bow to the apparent royalty, then smooths out her dress's possible wrinkles after standing back up. Maybe this is how fitting in at Ohtori Royal Academy for Princes and Princesses works.
<Pose Tracker> Ye-jin Song [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
EARLIER
In the Student Council office Vice-President Ye-jin sits with her head in her hands, staff and dance club members huddled around. Her skirt has been torn, the longest parts shorn away for ease of movement. She is, as she tends to be, upset.
"They're STILL playing?" The red-haired girl demands. He first pounds into the long table she sits at when she receives nods of assent. "That's it. I'm putting a stop to it."
"Give me a ball."
NOW
The door at the far side of the gymnasium swing inward with a crash.
From between those doors strides in Ye-jin Song, purposeful steps taking her forward into the building. Strands of hair are matted to her forehead by sweat, and her gown looks in much worse shape than it started in.
Her eyes scan the building for the remaining survivors. They fall on Shizuru of course, squinting up at the former Vice-President turned dodgeball empress. Ye-jin puffs air from her lips, attempting to remove hair from her eyes before she manages are forced smile for the girl on the bleachers. She has to be polite to her senpai, after all.
Also to her remaining guests. "I'm glad everyone's having so much fin." She says, busily creating revisionist history. "What great sportsmanship. Let's all work together to have a great final match for Fujino-senpai to judge." Pretty much every work is said through gritted teeth.
The girl in the white and black dress makes a gesture behind her, to summon the remaining three members Ohtori dance club--the best minions she could find on short notice. They are not armed with dodgeballs. They are armed with a dodgeball launcher. Really it's more just a few commandeered planks of wood from an arts and crafts club and a big rubber band, but it'll do the job. "Good luck~" Says Ye-jin.
And then the dodgeballs start flying. Kasagami, Setsuna, Niramo, Fumiko, and Rei all are soon peppered by a volley of red spheres.
<Pose Tracker> Shizuru Fujino [Ohtori Academy (U)] has posed.
Boots... can be key. Key, to the experience of... ball.
When Kasagami looks up to her, Shizuru smiles at her. Naturally it is perfectly angelic. Beatifc, even.
But she sees a broken nail.
As the players enter, Shizuru Fujino watches each of them in turn. Those who have used sneaky, underhanded tactics; those who have worked with dogged determination--those who have... hidden in the kitchen!! Shizuru nods to Fumiko who bows to her, naturally. She seems to approve.
And at Ye-jin's introduction of the game the brown-haired young woman claps in delight, beaming. "How exciting!" she calls, not even seeming to raise her voice and yet somehow audible over the din of the machines. "Our Vice President really does have /impeccable/ taste."
Two nervous girls look at one another, as one pours tea into the cup the other is holding, and extends it on a saucer to the referee.
Apparently a dodgeball launcher doesn't count as a broken rule.
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Kassie leans in, and blows at Setsuna's shattered nail like it were an NES cartridge. Mournfully so! There's a glare in her eye!
"How /dare/ they!!! Such a beautiful nail!" There will be vengeance from the Girl Who Would Be King for this state of affairs! Some day!!!
For now though, arm in arm, she nods three times to her beloved. "This is how /true/ dodgeball is played Setsu-chan! The sport of royalty! Don't think that the lesser schools' version of dodgeball is anything like ours! With things like teams and rules!" Who needs things like that right? Only money! Somewhere, Kasagami's wallet is crying.
The Duelist is particularly thin, straight lipped as her former mentor is oh so beatific up there! Cursed beautiful unflappable Shizuchan! That lovely cocktail of hate, respect, and envy is choked down. There's more to worry about that going throne tipping though.
Namely a dodgeballista!
Kasagami's eyes go wide, and she grits her teeth! No, she won't abandon Setsuna! But there's just so many being shot! And Kassie is without blade or ball to defend herself!
She dodges, jukes, and sidesteps a few shots, only to pull Setsuna into a spin! She gazes into her love's eyes, voice a dramatic octave! They'll be overwhelmed at this rate!
"Go on without me Setsu-chan! Don't let my sacrifice be in vain! Claim us victory against our foes!" Pause. Noseboop!
Then with a warcry, Kasagami charges straight into the ballfire as if she were against a horde of arrows. The Duelist leaps, and catches a ball mid-air, flinging it back at one of the three girls assaulting them all with rubber!
A single ball hits Kassie as she lands! Right in the chest! Hands go to her 'wound', and sloooowly she sinks to the floor!
"Noooo! It's all....going...dark! I'm too young to go to Dodgevalhalla!" Lay out. Flop, like a dramatic King Noodle on the ground!
<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Five survivors have arrived to the final destination of the Ohtori Athletic Appreciation Ball, each ready to give it their all in the twilight minutes of the 'game'. Kasagami and Rei of Ohtori, Setsuna affilated with the Student Council Secretary, and Niramo and Fumiko of Juuban. Not exactly the best of odds even if she included if Fumiko was willing to work with her until the final moments. But with a lucky dodgeball at hand, things might work in her favor--
And then Ye-jin marches in at the head of a dodgeball commando squad. At first Niramo assumes that Ye-jin will bring down the reigning dodgeball queen from her throne, but those hopes are quickly dashed as she aims the dodgeball cannon in the finalist's direction. The Heiress is going to end the war, but she's going to claim the prize for herself! In a situation like this, it isn't really about the prize anymore. As much as it would be amazing to go enjoy some hot springs herself, Niramo can live with it if she can't be the winner. Now there's only one goal on her mind.
And that's preventing Ohtori from claiming victory yet again.
Her lucky dodgeball firmly clasp, Niramo stands her ground as one of Ye-jin's rounds comes flying for her. 'Wait for it...waaaait...NOW!' With a hurried swing fueled with panic and adrenaline, the ravenette manages to bounce the ruby sphere away from her and towards Fumiko, slowed by the impact against it's brethren. "Fumiko-san, quick! Grab that dodgeball and protect yourself. Juuban will hold the line!" With her rallying cry towards her friend, Niramo plays the game rather unconventially now. Ye-jin's volley is used to her advantage as she does her best to 'jab' her rubber shield against incoming fire towards Kasagami, Rei and Setsuna. It wouldn't count as an actual KO but it would distract them. The slower rounds thrown her way would be hastily thrown at Ye-jin and her dodgeballista crew. Each block and deflect is getting closer and closer to catastrophe, though, and Niramo has been fighting for so long. Just a little...bit...more...!
<Pose Tracker> Fumiko Inoue [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Dodgball... launchers. Dodgeball. Launchers. DODGEBALL LAUNCHERS!? What the heck kind of dodgeball do they play at Ohtori!? This was completly unfair! How could she survive THIS? Fumiko starts to panic a little.
And then Niramo offers teamwork. A blocked ball and a rallying cry. Perhaps...
"Time to take down these AIs?" A mischivious grin overtakes Fumiko's still half-worried face. If they were to go down, it would be together, with a fight.
Fumiko quickly grabs the ball Niramo helpfully blocked for her, just in time to use it to deflect another ball. Together, they stand a chance!
Not a high chance.
Okay, together they can at least put in a good showing. But it is obvious that Fumiko is wearing down. She sighs tiredly, muttering something about 'Ressi' and wishing whatever that is was here.
Is there a chance that Fumiko could take at least one of them out?
Would she even have an opening?
At least she'd go down swinging, with a friend.
<Pose Tracker> Rei Hino [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
"Those things can't be legal!" Rei protests, seeing the dodgeballistas.
... apparently, they are.
Snapshots scatter around:
Rei sneaking up to peg a student in the shoulder while they're distracted.
Rei tossing a dodgeball down from above to catch a student who didn't think to look up.
Rei flourishing a curtain aside for a sneak attack on a student who didn't think to look too hard.
There's an awful lot of Rei being underhanded in those snapshots. Oh, there are a few where she meets the charge, of course. If someone brings the fight to her, there's no way she's running. But all warfare is deception, don't you know that?
And it's not like archery and dodgeball have much crossover, aside from the aiming.
(There's a reason she hasn't missed many of her shots.)
The first volley, she scrambles from. Another is easier: there's Niramo, bravely holding the line, and the light brigade called 'Kasagami'. Fumiko's deflecting balls, too.
"Tch," Rei grits her teeth, grasping a ball, and aiming true...
Right... ... for... ... Shizuru.
"Render unto God," she huffs, as the balls thwack-thwack-thwack into her and she collapses to the ground.
<Pose Tracker> Setsuna Meioh [Infinity Institute (U)] has posed.
From rueful to quietly pleased she goes with Kassie's nail ministrations. Still... "Lesser schools? Mm, so what you are saying is... Ohtori may be relied upon to consider itself above the established dodgeball regulations," she replies in a tone too deceptively mild to be called out as arch.
That arched evergreen eyebrow arches infinitesimally further as Ye-jin grinds out her inspirational words. That delivery... At a gesture, the Vice President summons her minions and /they/ summon a makeshift artillery, and Setsuna's other eyebrow joins in the climb. She comments, "This seems to be another case in point," but doesn't let that keep her from getting a move on.
That is a LOT of dodgeballs, though. Duck, leap, and slide as she might, Setsuna can feel the battle being lost, the margins of her dodges growing rapidly more narrow... and at the grasp of a hand she'd know in the most sightless dark she's pulled away from worries of dodgeballs! A moment of drama amid zinging red missiles -- she feels one ball whiz by with a palpable tug at her hair from the wind of its passage.
"Kasa-chan...!" comes the reply. "Could victory taste like anything but ashes if I stood alone to claim it, knowing you fallen?" But there, beneath a finger-tapped nosetip, is a subtle curve of lip which could inspire Mona Lisa herself.
"For you," she calls after that ferocious charge -- and, it must be said, lingers a dangerous moment to appreciate the power and grace on magnificent display -- and again, "For you, Kassie!" ...and let's be honest, only one of them needs to win a trip to afford one, which is not something Setsuna wants lingering in the air if neither of them /does/ win.
Like a fleet shadow she runs in the lee of Kasagami's charge, taking what shelter she might from that sacrificial valor. Beneath that leap she slides, bare feet first, fine dress rippling as she goes. She slides ahead of Kassie and turns as she rises, just in time to see the death-ball strike true...!
A hand goes over her own heart in tender salute to her love's brave sacrifice. "You were magnificent," she mouths without voice, and kneels as Kassie goes down. She reaches toward her falling love, hand outstretched, fingers grasping...
...and catches the fatal ball as it bounces away from Kassie's chest, with a fire of determination lit anew in garnet eyes! "With this... you shall be avenged," she promises.
A single smooth rotation on one heel, a perfect three hundred and sixty degrees -- a precise sweeping of the dial -- has her facing the dodgeballista operators. A winding-back of her arm, a moment spent in contemplative aim as she screens out the chaos of distractions around her, and then Setsuna Meioh HAULS OFF with the dodgeball that took down Kasagami, winging it right at the gaggle of girls!
Perhaps she, too, will go down after. She is prepared to suffer those consequences if that is what it takes to properly honor Kassie's valor.
<Pose Tracker> Ye-jin Song [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed. <SoundTracker> Cranes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI37LsI0HJU
The ball flung by Kasagami strikes one of the dodgeball launching operators, the girl taking the blow to her shoulder and making a dramatic rotation before she falls. Even as Kasagami herself succumbs to one of the red projectiles, her sacrifice not in vain.
But that is not enough to stop the launching of dodgeballs, and Rei is soon punished for her blasphemy. If not from Shizuru herself, certainly from the hail of unending and unforgiving projectiles that rain down upon the valiant, dark-haired warrior.
Niramo and Fumiko's valiant effort to push forward against the torrent of dodgeballs leads them on a grueling path, red spheres bouncing all around, barely deflected. It's Niramo who falls first, one of the balls going too low even for the short girl to deflect, striking her in the leg. Her efforts, though, have allowed her fellow Juubanite to advance nearly to the catapult.
Only to have a white-nailed hand abruptly stop her. Ye-jin's fingers close around the dodgeball that Fumiko's been using for cover, forcing it aside and raising her own to dunk it down on the girl's head-- But then comes the vengeful hand of Setsuna Meioh. Even as another ball soars to strike Setsuna down her own ball flies true. It bounces off Ye-jin's outstretched arm-which elicits a string of words in her native tongue that are best left untranslated--and ricochets to strike the remaining member of the dance club. The dodgeballista falls silent.
And only Fumiko remains standing.
<Pose Tracker> Shizuru Fujino [Ohtori Academy (U)] has posed.
Blowing apparently didn't actually work on NES cartridges any better than it does on the nail. Something about corrosion from saliva. It, like all illusions, must pass into the light of day and be undone one day. ...But this is not that day.
...Today is a beautiful display of teamwork, of love, and of /utter underhandedness/. Shizuru Fujino on high watches all of it... even as she is /brutally targetted by one of the players/.
"!! Senpai!!" One of Shizuru's assistants watches in horror as Rei Hino rears back her mighty arm, honed by years of throwing flames at terrible villains in secret. The mighty soldier has targetted the referee herself, and time for some seems to slow. The girl gasps, and turns her head towards Shizuru herself, who sips her tea placidly. The ball is loosed, and...
...Shizuru tilts slightly to the side, without so much as shifting her neck, letting the ball sail /right/ over her shoulder where her face was, before tilting back upright again. Sssssip.
The ball hits the bleachers, bounces upward, and then starts bobbing down the stairs. Both assistants now sort of stare at it, awkwardly looking between it and Shizuru and... the pile of dodgeballs where Rei Hino once stood.
"It's so nice to see such spirit in our competitors, isn't it?" Shizuru asks of them, and then lets it hang a beat. "Incidentally, I think you'll find the detentions you were worried about were a simple misunderstanding, in the end. Allegations of littering would be /terrible/ applied to either of you."
Ssssip. Shizuru hands off her teacup, and rises unassumingly from her seat, with an unfair quantity of grace. If either of the girls happens to have a drop of sweat fall from her temple, no one involved seems to feel the need to comment on it. Shizuru brings her delicate hands together--
And claps. "How wonderful," she says. "We have a winner. Juuban Public School has shown us valor and skill both today."
"As have you all. But the trip... shall be awarded." Pause. "Personally, I think this was our Vice President's best idea yet. I'm truly honored to have such a creative successor."
The brown-haired girl smiles once again, and begins to step down the bleachers. From up above, confetti begins to fall down towards the gymnasium floor. There are /balloons/ released from all around. And the referee, well--
Sometime before the day is out, in earshot of Rei Hino alone, there will be a familiar voice that says...
"You don't /have/ to call me God, Rei-chan. But if you'd like..."
