2020-06-02 - A Turtle Made It To The Water
| A Turtle Made It To The Water! | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Save the turtles! | |
| Who: | |
| Where: Tokyo Bay | |
| OOC - IC Date: June 02, 2020 - September 02,2015 | |
<Pose Tracker> Kimiko Akane [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
With school break winding down, Kimiko is trying to enjoy her last moments of freedom before getting back to the grind of school work and her nightly routine in the city. It's a really hot and windy day today so she is wearing a short sleeve black shirt with a rainbow across the front and jean shorts with her hair pulled back in two high buns and a red headband. She is not currently wearing her earbuds but they are draped around her neck for now.
As Kimiko approaches the beach area, she glances back up towards the intricate house up on the hill. It really stands out here and she admires it for a few moments before taking out her phone from her bag and snapping a few pictures for later. She imagines it would prove to be an inspiration for her budding artistic talents.
Heading back to the beach, she doesn't seem to have a care in the world. There aren't many people around which is good for her but then there is a sudden commotion to her left side. There seems to be a large flock of seagulls gathering around something in the sand! At first she imagines someone just left some food there but curiosity gets the best of her and she walks towards the birds.
It only takes a moment for her to see what they are going after and she gasps. "Oh no!" There is a bunch of baby turtles emerging from beneath the sand and the seagulls are very eager for a meal. Thinking quickly, Kimiko grabs her bag and uses it to help her shoo them away. One baby turtle falls from a seagulls mouth and flops around on the ground before uprighting itself and heading towards the water.
Kimiko works to help them for awhile but there are SO MANY baby turtles and it feels almost impossible for her to save them all but she is doing her best!
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.
At the sound of screaming, laughing seagulls, something stirs near that contemporary beach house. More precisely, underneath it. The sand udner the decks shifts as a large shape begins to move. A pair of white glowing eyes can be seen in the shade.
Suddenly, it erupts into motion! A blur if cotton candy colors, and it is running right at Kimiko at extreme speed! Faster, and faster, until...!
It runs right past and begins snapping at seagulls, chasing one down the bachside. Its... Lion! And he has a vendetta against these LAUGHING DEMON BIRDS. They are LOUD and OBNOUXIOUS and they INTRRUPT NAPS.
"What was that?!" comes a muffled voice from beyond a screened door atop the decking. It opens as a stout child runs out on the deck. It is Steven, of course! Who else would live here? ...Actually a lot of people probably, it is a nice spot! "H-Hey! Lion, leave the seagulls alone!" he shouts. The boy begins to run down the stairs, grumbling with each creak of the board. "If he catches another and brings it inside, it'll take forever to catch again. Who woulda thought three gems and a kid would have such a hard time catching a bird..."
Flip flops touch sand, and the boy starts running out toward the commotion. "Hey! Sorry if the lion scared you! He has a thing against birds, and--"
Then he sees them. His eyes grow wide and fill with wonder!
"Baby turtles...!"
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Sun, sea, and the last dregs of freedom...at least for students in Tokyo! Kasagami Araki has managed to get herself away from the crush of Student Council duties enough to sharpen up her kendo skills! Sadly, still alone: she's yet to find a partner willing to spar with her since quitting the kendo club.
Ever since then, it's been high on her mind to keep her talents up, to improve. And so the beach with sand and sounds of sea birds is a nice getaway so she can concentrate. She's dressed in the red-and-black wetsuit she prefers whenever she's out on the beach for something that might end up involving water. For now though, the Duelist has her hair tied back a bit extra today, and the long wooden blade swings over and over again in the air.
Uneven makes for difficult footwork, and that's exactly what's on Kassie's mind as she evenly flows from strike to strike to strike. Overhead, side, sweep up, turn! This process repeats itself until two figures as well as the birdly commotion has her pausing. Sweeping aside the neat footprints she's made, the young woman slips back on her waterproof boots after a quick toweling from the sand, and her blade is over her shoulders.
"Kimi-chan, Steve-kun! ...Hey, aren't those...?" A smile, warm rather than her usual ferocious one blossoms for a moment, before she notices the seagulls. Ah. Ah. Well, she can hardly fault the gulls, given her own affinity for large birds of prey.
"Beautiful, aren't they? The circle of life can be beautiful." Her head tilts thoughtfully. Hmm. Can she really break the harshness of predators to such young kids, ponders Kassie in her own head.
Not that she's too many years removed from Kimiko, anyway!
"And a bit brutal." States Kasagami, watching the two as much as she is the competitions of seagulls and tiny turtles!
<Pose Tracker> Kimiko Akane [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
Two more seagulls are batted away before Kimiko notices the blur coming towards her. Her eyes widen in surprise. She remembers seeing the cat before so Lion's presence isn't as much of a shock as his speed is. For a second she is worried the pink cat would make her efforts to save the turtles futile. That is until she notices he seems to be only going for the seagulls. She smiles and continues helping. The first batch of turtles is getting closer the the waters edge and a few quickly get swept up in the current and taken out to sea. It's a relief to Kimiko that some have already been saved.
Steven races towards Lion and Kimiko's face still shows just how scared and worried she was. She didn't care for the seagulls any more than Steven did and she nods at his exclamation. "Steven-kun, please help! There are so many seagulls and....and...." She's out of breath from her efforts already and pauses for a second. "... they are so tiny and need our help!" One of the turtles seems to have trouble flipping over and Kimiko gives it a gentle nudge before it speeds towards the water. Behind her, a seagull flaps its wings close enough to feel the air on her neck and she shudders before waving it away with her hands.
As more and more sea turtles emerge it seems like there is no end in sight. She wonders just how many of them there are lurking beneath the sand. A worrying thought about not being able to save them all crosses her mind before she shakes her head. She had to try to help as many as possible. It seemed super important to her.
Kasagami's presence isn't noticed until she speaks up and Kimiko stumbles a little. "Kasa-chan!" It feels like its been awhile since she has seen the older girl. It is a welcome sight and surely she would help them, right? Instead she doesn't seem to be as worried as Kimiko is. "Can you help us? I...they need our help." She doesn't seem to think about the circle of life when she is here right now and can do something to help them. "They are just babies. So tiny... helpless..."
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.
Lion is ambivalent toward the little turtles. They aren't crystal lizards and shiny, so he doesn't want to eat them. Nor does he really care what they are doing. However, seagulls are LOURD AND BAD, and thus, Lion keeps chasing that one seagull he has separated from the rest all over-- his sueprnatural speed keeps up with what would be an advantage the bird would have by flying fast.
Steven gets a good few seconds to see the situation. "Oh no! They are gonna be dinner like that one guy in the cartoon I watched where he talks about turtle soup!" Okay, not exactly the takeaway from that cartoon but sure. "Go away! Shoo!" Steven says, flailing wildly at birds that try to sweeop low and grab a mouthful of turtle. Being so small, Steven is less of a threat to them. "Ugh... we need... Kasagami!"
A sweeping gaze finds another person he knows coming down the beach. "Help us stop the birds, they are being mean to the turtles!" But there are so many of them... "This isn't gonna work! We need some kind of distraction!"
But what could distract a buncha seagulls?
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
It's the look more than the turtles that do it for her. Kimiko is just so worried and really Kassie thinks the world of the young puella. And Steven is asking her too! The two kids are an unassailable wall of innocent concern! The Duelist relents. Hasn't Kimi having to deal with an evil rodent enough of a problem? She smiles reassuringly to the young girl.
"They are, Kimi-chan. The little ones have to learn to survive on their own." Offers Kassie. Is she really going to leave them to their fate!?
Luckily, no. Stepping forward as one of of the seagulls gets brave enough to try buzzing for one of the little turtles that's slid nearly onto its side with the lightly crashing waves, she adroitly steps around the swells of turtles trying to make their way to the water.
SWOOSH! Kasagami swings her two-handed weapon just outside of diving range, making the bird bank roughly to avoid crashing into it.
A seagull is probably saying something unkind about Kassie from the sheer shrieking volume the bird pierces out.
"I'm the last person that's going to criticize some hunting, Seagull-kuns. What I AM a bit mad about is that you're acting like one hundren-yen store knockoff eagles! Come back when the turtles are grown up and you're royal avians!" SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH!
Kasagami Araki is, as usual, trying to compete with the loud birds for volume as well as pure intensity. Her wooden sword is swung about as much as her glare is! Grrr! Grrrr!
"If we had some fish maybe?" Suggests Kassie vaguely. She knows eagles and falcons, not seagulls!
<Pose Tracker> Kimiko Akane [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
While Lion enjoys chasing the one seagull around, there are many more still flapping around the trio and the baby turtles. Steven does his best to help and Kimiko is thankful that he is there. It seems like they are getting more angry and agitated though. Before she can help, a seagull takes off with a turtle in its beak and Kimiko gasps. "Nooooo!" Ugh. This is terrible, she thinks.
But then Kasagami is there helping! She is relieved and the seagulls are definitely NOT happy about this sudden development. Their squaking gets louder and more fierce it seems like. There really aren't that many but it feels like there are hundreds of them just by the noise level.
Steven and Kasagami mention two things that get Kimiko thinking and she remembers something in her bag. Taking it back in her arms she quickly shoves a hand inside and rummages around before there is a small crinkle under her fingers. What she brings out is a bag of crackers. Not just any crackers though... fish crackers! Even though her and Mikoto had munched on some yesterday there were still quite a bit left.
Without much thought she rolls it up and tosses it to Steven. "Take those away from the nest please! See if you can get them distracted!" Birds liked crackers right? She can only hope so!
With more and more baby turtles reaching the rippling tide along the shore, Kimiko feels a little relieved but there is still work to be done and she goes back to sheltering the turtles with her body rather than swiping at the seagulls around her. One can only imagine how much poop will end up on her but that doesn't matter right now as the line of turtles grows and finally, after what seems like forever, the nest appears to be almost empty. As the last batch of babies make their way to the water, Kimiko follows them, trying to shield them all the way to the waters edge.
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.
Kassie to the rescue! "What were you doing with that? Training?" Steven asks, trying to wave his arms wildly to spook some more birds. Why else would she have a weapon out and about? Speaking of... he needs to remember sometime to ask her about her cool powers! She's like the only person in his magic friends group that he doesn't know a bit about!
Shes very cool and mysterious like that.
The boy sees Kimiko fishing around in her bag for something. "Have an idea?" he asks. A seagull naps at one of his fingers as he swats at them. "Ow! Hey, they are really mean! What's gotten in to them?" He just frowns and looks at the finger. No blood or anything, just sore. He does furrow his brow some however.
She produces... "Crackers!" The boy exclaims, running over. "They like to steal chips and fries and stuff, these might totally work!" he says, The boy quickly empties most into his hand, and throws a few onto the ground, which near immediately get taken, and pulls attention toward Steven. "Its working-- oh thats a lot of-- AHH!"
Within about ten seconds of the child holding his fully hand up, there is a cloud of white feathers around him. "Don't eat me!!!" he yells, and starts running off in a random direction, flailing with a free hand!
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Kassie's ears are protesting at the volume. The Duelist still barks back with various quips though!
"Wing off!"
"Go fly into a vat of uncooked cheesecake batter!"
"Tailfeather rot on both your houses!"
Each one gets a swing, though she never actually hits any of the birds! Quite on purpose. She really does have an affinity for hunting birds.
A glance over to Steven, and a quick grin! "Even someone as good as I am has to keep their skills up! I hate to shatter the illusion, but it's not JUST my natural genius, athleticism, and tenacity that makes me so good with a sword!" Yup. Ego still very much there despite her various kickings and general deflatings since losing to Utena.
Ah, yes, the ancient Cracker Distraction! It seems to be working, and Kasagami laughs. "Excellent work you two! Always exploit the enemy's weaknesses upon the battlefield is the quickest way to victory! ...Huh. Faster than I thought Steve-kun! Charge my friend! Like a great golden bull! Gem bull!" Encourages the Duelist even as she steps before some of the remaining crowd of feathery fiends! And most importantly, defending the defender of tiny-turtles, Kimi-chan!
'Pick on someone your own size' says the Duelist's glare to them! SLASH!
<Pose Tracker> Kimiko Akane [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
As Kimiko turns back towards the nest, she sees Steven get bit and grumbles to herself something about birds, lower life forms and extinction. "Are you okay Ste-" Her question is interrupted by the birds suddenly swarming him. Kimiko runs over closer. "I am sorry Steven-kun! Just hang on for a few more minutes. The nest is almost empty!" The birds are distracted by the crackers enough that the final wave of turtles makes it's way to the water.
Once Kimiko is sure there are no more turtles, she turns her attention to helping Steven. "Throw the crackers away from you!" Hoping he will just drop the rest, she bats a few birds away from him as the birds start to converge on the ground wherever the crackers land.
In all of this, Kimiko can still hear the familiar encouragement of Kasagami. She laughs a little. "Thanks for your help Kasa-chan!" She seems more at ease now that most of the turtles have made it to the water. "Even if I couldn't save them all, at least I helped most of them right?" That has to count for something she thinks.
Her attention turns back to Steven, "How are you doing over there? I think it's safe to head away from here." Kimiko sighs a little, feeling suddenly exhausted and she is definitely going to need a shower after all this.
She covers her eyes with her hand one more time to scan the waters edge without the glare of the sun and it seems like most of the turtles have disappeared under the water. They were on their own now but at least they had a good start. "Thank you guys for helping me.... for helping them." If she can get over quick enough, Kimiko will give Kasagami a big hug and a thumbs up to Steven.
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.
That was an extremely Kasagami response, all right! "I think you are pretty good at the sword!" he shouts quickly through the SQUACKING cloud aorund him. He himself has never really been good with a blade-- even a wooden booken at the occasional training classes shows he might not be suited for it, despite his best efforts.
He doesn't slack off or anything! But he is really flinchy.
"I'm okay, the birds just really want the crackers!" he screams as he runs around, constantly zigzagging due to vision obfuscation. And then, he trips!" Oh noooo!" he cries, hitting the sand. Steven quickly balls up on the ground (like a turtle!) and the seagulls just go nuts. Soem crackers hit the ground, but not all of them, the ones in reach are quickly fought over, the rest of the birds fly around and land on top of the boy, trying to fingure out how to get the rest in the hand underneath him.
Hearing Kimiko's voice, he gives a thumbs up out of a blob of white and gray.
When he hears the all clear, the hidden hand flings the rest out to the side, and every single seagull leaps off the boy after it. A bit disheveled and bleary-eyed, but otherwise okay. "We... did it...!" he says, holding his fists up and slowly walking over. On the way over, the boy grabs the collar of his shirt and sniffs it once or twoce. "I smell like birds... ew."
Lion trots over to the group as well. he seems content.
There is a bird foot sticking out of his mouth.
"No! Lion, drop it!" the boy scolds. The cat hesitates, but eventualyl relents, his giant maw opening. A seagull SCEECHES and takes off, coated in slobber. "Good boy."
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Wiping some sweat from her brow, Kassie can't help but smile a little as she watches the little things amble into the sea! From somewhere in that suit, she produces a small camera. Snap! Snap! Tuck away!
That one is getting shared with Setsu-chan later!
That smile grows however as she's caught up in a hug from Kimi! Leaning down just a bit, she wraps one arm around the younger girl and squeezes tightly. There's genuine warmth there for a bit. "We will be remembered as the heroes of the sea! Just remember Kimi-chan, birds of prey need to eat too." She gently cautions, before looking over to Steven. Wince!
"Those must be good crackers. This is where I'd try to haul you two off for impromptu anti-bird sword lessons." She raises her blade, and swings it one handed thoughtfully in the air.
"...I guess I haven't lost my touch. Wasn't a sparrow, but I have seagulls down!" What is she talking about!?
"But yes. Showers, both of you. We're going to smell like feathers and flying jerks if we don't!" Time to engage Older Sis Kassie mode as she prods her two younger charges towards the beach changing rooms! Prooood!
