2020-07-16 - Cue The Training Montage!
| Title: Cue The Training Montage! | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Sourisi invites her fellow Miraculous Hero Serpentina Ruse out to practice their powers and to figure out what the other can do. It's not just their skills that become stronger from doing so. | |
| Who: | |
| Where: Shitamachi Low City - Abandonded Shopping Complex | |
| OOC - IC Date: 7/16/2020 - 9/13/2015 | |
.**************************** Shitamachi Low City *****************************.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* Shitamachi Low City +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
The traditions that the Shitamachi cultural region keeps alive were ancient
long before the Shogun turned the fishing town of Edo into Tokyo, "Eastern
Capital." The area has evolved greatly since then, but though Shitamachi is
a highly modernized metropolis, its traditions somehow coexist with bullet
trains, research universities, and electronics markets. The occasional
person in kimono and sandals will wait at the crossing alongside salarymen
in business suits. Compared to Yamanote, there are more bicycles, family
businesses, and food carts, and fewer scooters, corporations, and
convenience stores. Certain wards in Shitamachi can be just as dense and
urbanized as anything in Yamanote, but there's a tendency toward low-rise
apartment complexes in the residential areas, and office buildings rather
than office towers in the commercial.
The distinction between Shitamachi and Yamanote is messy, both
geographically and demographically, but significant enough that it remains
the most significant cultural divide in Tokyo. Shitamachi people, as a
whole, take themselves less seriously, and have a stronger sense of
community that feeds upon their active street culture of markets, shops, and
festivals. They may not be fashionable, but they are /fun/. The Juuban
public schools, undistinguished but in some ways better off for it,
exemplify this plebeian joie de vivre quite well. The Shitamachi dialect is
less distinct than it used to be, but it is still a force to be reckoned
with, with a broader, less refined, and more energetic sound to it than
standard Japanese.
COMBAT: Niramo Umokeshi transforms into Sourisi! COMBAT: Fumiko Inoue transforms into Serpentina Ruse!
<Pose Tracker> Sourisi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
The need to keep a secret identity...well, secret from your fellow Miraculous Users can make meet ups a little more difficult to plan out. No chance to ask if Serpentina is free over the phone or through messages with a chat application. Even letters are out of the question, though it seems like a really bad idea to leave out plans anyone can read in a mailbox. That only left requests whenever Sourisi chances upon Serpentina Ruse in passing or after battles together. It's more an idea than any actual plan of joint training that Sourisi asks of her friend, but it's something!
It's only after they parted that she realized she need materials if she wants to set this off right.
So a hour before Serpentina was asked to arrive, Sourisi could have been seeing bringing in a large bundle of 'training supplies', wrapped up in cardboard and clinking with each movement, into an abandonded shopping complex on the outskirts of Shitamachi. It wouldn't be as spacious as her normal practicing spots, but maybe a little more secrecy could be found here.
Slapping her hands in satisifaction and to get rid of imaginary dust, Sourisi steps back from her final preperations and take a look at her handiwork. Empty glass bottles were set up on barren counters, rusting clothing racks and on top of dusty metal shelves. In one corner, some shelving has been dismantled and reassembled into a precarious jungle gym held together with willpower and duct tape. And along one wall was a fascimile of a military tank made out of cardboard taped onto a metal half-wall, complete with a caricature of a yelling man poking his head out of the top hatch and drawn with an inexperienced hand and colored markers.
Even if it was rather shoddily done, Sourisi nods her head in satisifaction at all her hard labor brought to fruition. The only light source was whatever Tokyo provided with the other businesses nearby coming through shattered windows, but Sourisi felt this might help hide some of the flaws of her efforts. "There we go, hopefully she'll be surprised when she comes in and see it all!"
<Pose Tracker> Serpentina Ruse [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
It has been quite a wild ride for Serpentina Ruse. Many ups and downs - and lately, the downs have felt more significant than the ups, even if the severity was just in her head. It was capped with depression that her friend and partner in anti-'magical crime' Sourisi has helped snap her out of. Despite her help, unfortunately, lingering worries about not being good enough still remain. More fortunately, however, she is channeling them into a different form- she is not good enough YET.
This is why Serpentina jumps at the chance to train with Sourisi. Together they can improve each other! Sure, she feels Sourisi is almost perfect the way she is, but everyone can use improvement! But what form of training are they going to do? Sparring? Sounds a bit rough. Target practice? What would the targets be, and could they avoid collateral damage? Maybe... butterfly catching?
It was time to find out. Serpentina tries running like a ninja, fast but quiet (and no, she didn't put her arms behind her while leaning forward). Finally she arrives in the appointed spot - an abandoned shopping complex. Maybe... maybe it would have something to do with zombies! Nah..."
Then she spots the zombie. Oh no! Wait... that was just a man in a tank... sort of. "Oh, hello Mister Mayor," she jokes. "It is nice seeing you again. You are looking as cardboardy as ever, sir. Though you might want to see a doctor about your skin condition." She then shouts out, "Hey Squeaks, did you do this to the Mayor?"
However, the tank man, and all the other training stuff, was rather impressive for a spur -of-the-moment thing. "This is pretty cool, actually. Sorry about the teasing about the Akuma build, the craftsmanship is...not bad... for the time you've had to build it all and all the stuff you had to... set up."
<Pose Tracker> Sourisi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
As she waits for Serpentina Ruse to show up, Sourisi is starting to wish she had a way to keep track of time while she's using her Miraculous. Anything she had on hand disappears while she's transformed, so no watch or cell phone. Sure, she couldn't always untransforming real quick, but what if Serpentina shows up right then and there? Knowing her luck, that's exactly what would happen and she would be in for a lecture of a lifetime from Takk if she did!
Sourisi jumps in shock as Serpentina speaks up to greed the mighty visage of the MEGA-MAYOR, causing her to let out a nervous giggle. "Heheheh, nope, nothing to do with me! Honestly, this is why you shouldn't worry about everything so much, mister Mayor. What will the voters think?"
The praise over her spontanous dojo gear gathering is appricated but Sourisi shakes her head, her braid moving like a whip for a moment. "I-I would say thing I did this all up in the moment, but really, this is all stuff I built up over time. Well, the Major is new, but I just had to carry everything where I keep it all stashed and bring it here! Though...finding scissors strong enough to cut cardboard was the hardest part."
Serpentina seems to take all the preperations all in stride, and the anxious weight in Sourisi's gut starts to lessen up. "I usually train on my own, so having someone to practice with would be nice, actually." She motions towards the bottles glinting in the artificial lighting and then the jungle gym with one hand, then towards the cardboard MEGA-MAYOR with the other. "I usually use the bottles as target practice, and the obstical course over there I threw together for practicing running and jumping. And our kind Mayor is offering his services as a practice dummy for attacking as well!"
Sourisi then rubs at the back of her neck with a gloved hand in nervousness, with her left hand tapping on top of one of her tonfa with an exaggerated motion. "Aaand, well, we could always try fighting one another? N-not that I mean we should go all out but more as a spar! I seen a Kendo Club do it a few times, so it could work as well! I'm good with whatever you wish to try out for, Slithery."
Mentally, the Miraculous User is berating herself on showing her nerves. 'How does Kasagami make this look so easy?!'
<Pose Tracker> Serpentina Ruse [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Serpentina smiles at Sourisi's double reaction of shock and playing along. But then her smile sinks a bit at Sourisi's explanation of everything. "You... train with this stuff a lot?" Serpentina tilts her head, her long, ribboned braid falling to one side. "I... hardly ever have trained. The only person I could train with and knows about this Miraculous stuff... well, they don't one hundred percent exist when I'm Serpentina, you know. I've been more on-the-fly, on-the-job experience. Explains a lot, really..."
Serpentina then perks up. "But this is a great setup you have here! Thanks for sharing it with me, I really am honored! But are you sure the Mayor can withstand any of our moves? We are pretty amazing."
Serpentina looks just as nervous as Sourisi at the mention of sparring. "I am not.. um... not exactly sure about that. I don't want either of us to hurt the other. I mean, we could go easy and figure out how to both be careful and figure out how it would improve our skills if we aren't going all out. Although..." She giggles and looks at nothing in particular as if daydreaming. "Yeah... next time we find more training partners... o-oh, sorry, just had a funny idea. Aaanyways... what do I really need to work on to get better...?"
<Pose Tracker> Sourisi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Sourisi waves a hand back and forth a little in the air as an answer. "Kinda? Takk-san says I don't need to practice at all, that the magic of the Miraculous helps to guide my attacks, but I feel like it's a bad idea just to leave it to magic. It's building muscle memory!...though I still haven't figured out how my tonfa return back to me all the time." Really, throwing her weapons like boomerangs shouldn't work as well as it does!
The concerns for the MEGA-MAYOR gets a more relaxed laugh our of Sourisi and she nods. "Yep! He's nowhere near as durable as the original, but that just means I can always make another practice dummy later. He kept hiding in the tank so much so I thought this could work off a little fustration too!"
The cardboard copy of the Mayor that Sourisi made did have a curly mustache the original didn't have...
Thankfully, she's not the only one who doesn't realish the thought of fighting one another. It was one thing when Endo, Lancelot and Mami were crazed cop versions of themselves. Sourisi's morals shudder at the thought of intentionally causing harm to another person, even in practice. The faraway look Serpentina has garners a tilted head as Sourisi tries to figure out what that idea was. "I don't mind funny ideas! I just don't know if we'll ever have anyone else interested in training..."
The last question from the scaly Miraculous User has Sourisi motioning towards the bottles through the store. "Honestly? I'm curious how good you are with attacking anything from afar! I'm kinda sorta a one trick pony when it comes to hitting anything not right next to me, but I thought I saw you fire off some wind with your umbrella. Ooh, and any other tricks you can do as well, like I can make a chain using my tail."
Sourisi snaps her fingers as she just remembers something. "Oh yeah, and how you made a copy of yourself and slipped out of those waist-cuffs? That was really cool! Does it tire out Ressi though?"
<Pose Tracker> Serpentina Ruse [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
"Letting the Miraculous do all the work doesn't seem right anyways," Serpentina admits. "Otherwise, all Serpentina Ruses and all Sourisis would have been the same, yes? I don't like to think of myself as just a vessel. I need my own flair and skill to set me apart from my figurative ancestors. That is just my thoughts on the matter, though."
The Mega-Mayor being used to vent frustration... "Hm. That is definitely a good idea. I still am a tiny bit sore from being blown up by the tank, but Ressi says that is just in my head. It was a rough experience. Getting to bash his smug head in without actually hurtin anyone seems like good stress relief."
The two of them may be all that train together? A shame. Serpentina decides to share her silly ideas. "Training... against each other... that simulates fighting or hit and run techniques that is MOSTLY non-violent. Where have we most likely have done something like that at our age?" She pauses, giving Sourisi a chance to answer.
As for training, target practice seems to be on the menu. "Hm. That is a good start. I may have a few tricks on hitting the targets. I'll see what I can show you."
Sourisi mentions the technique Serpentina used to escape the other day. Perhaps she should explain it. "Yeah... that's... my special ability. Shed Skin. It does in fact tire Ressi out, hence my kind of panic after using it. Glad I was able to keep my cool as much as I was. It was.. pretty close." She then goes into Professor Mode. "Shed Skin creates a motionless double of myself while also allowing me to escape almost any bindings I happen to find myself in. It also allows me to alter the colors of my costume, perfect for verrry light camouflage while also repairing any damage done to my costume somehow. I have yet to find a way to alter my costume any further using it, and the next time I transform my costume is back to normal."
<Pose Tracker> Sourisi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
It's not something she usually brings up in any of the other magical defenders of Tokyo but Serpentina Ruse seems to feel the same way, if maybe for different reasons. Adding her own style to the attacks she can do is essentially what she's been doing, even if Sourisi never thought of it that way before. "That...makes sense, actually. I keep forgetting the Miraculous have been around for ages."
Sourisi has a gentle smile on her face as Serpentina warms up to the idea of fighting the cardboard cutout of the dummy. "Anyone would be after all that. Sure, you destroyed the cannon but it's nowhere near as good as hitting the Akuma Mayor too. I was really worried after I told you to rush in and then no one ran in to help..." This last part was said with a hushed tone, as if she was afraid of bring up those memories.
It may seem like a silly idea but Sourisi starts to rub at her chin as she mulls it over. "Maybe like a game of magical paintball? Laser tag could also work, but...ooh. Akihabara might have a place, and there's always cosplayers down there. Maybe we could pass ourselves off as some? It...seems kinda silly, but it might work!" But wouldn't being transformed give them an advantage over anyone who couldn't draw on magic? It's food for thought...
Sourisi is starting to wish she could write something down as Professor Serpentina gives her lecture to a classroom of one. "That sounds pretty handy, really! My own special ability is called Shift Flip, though it's more of a situational skill. I can change places with a person or object that I can see by focusing on them, but it has to be something I can see clearly. I can't just trade places with you if you were on the horizon, for example. It can't be something a lot bigger than me as well. I should be able to switch with a shelf here, but the whole building is out of the question. I've only done it twice so far, and both times was to get someone out of danger...but kinda puts me in the middle of it myself."
Sure, she's been hurt pretty badly both times she's done it, but it helped save others from that same pain she felt. Totally worth it in her book.
"You can be pretty sneaky, huh? But I think the time for talk is over, it's time to smash!" Littering isn't really heroic, but a few broken bottles here and there won't be too noticed in a place like this!"
<Pose Tracker> Serpentina Ruse [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
When Sourisi mentions that she forgot about the Miraculous being ancient, Serpentina smiles mischievously. "That's right," she says mysteriously. "The Miraculous and its users go way back. Some of my... predecessors have been mistaken for - or been the cause of - many mythological figures. Modern day fiction tends to call them lamias, nagas, Chi..."
Her brow furrows in frustration. "Chihu... Kihu... Cihuacoat... snake goddess of the Americas." She sighs and shakes her head. "Well... guess I'm not a supergenius, and I blew that presentation. But beware... this shows that the Snake Miraculous User can be quite monstrous~"
Serpentina agrees with her friend until she hears the near-whisper. The snake-themed superheroine scowls, looking almost angry. However, it was not because of painful memories, or her believing her friend messed up. "Look. Don't. Don't you dare. You told me to do that, but I'm the one who agreed, and I would've done it anyways. My pain was not your fault. So don't you even THINK about thinking about it!" She then reverses her angry expression and softly smiles. "Got it~? We got more fun things to think about anyways!"
For a less serious talk, paintball and laser tag. "Yes, exactly!" A wide, excited grin overtakes Serpentina's face as she gently shakes her closed fists with enthusiasm. "In a more general sense, games and play! Paintball, tag, dodgeball, laser tag, all of it! Taken to the next level~ Faster than the lasers or paint ball, strong and skilled enough to send a dodgeball bouncing a hundred times before hitting someone, using magic to do all kinds of crazy stunts!"
Shift Flip has Serpentina intrigued. "So many applications for that move. Saving someone, keeping an item away from the bad guy and suddenly hitting them when you weren't near them but the object was, getting someone else tagged or hit with a dodgeball instead of you... oh, sorry, got back to my silly thought again. Oh, maybe y-" She then pauses, blushing and facepalming. "I almost asked you something stupid, sorry. I would've liked to ask you to demonstrate that ability for me, but... I know how the timer works and I'm not trying to trick you into revealing who you really are. Or...who you are when you aren't who you really are, depending on what Sourisi is to you."
But enough talk, have at you! Serpentina stares down the bottle display. "Okay... watch closely. When I open my parasol like this-" She thrusts it forward and it suddenly opens - "Did you see that? That little split second moment when it opened? There was a little bit of magic going through it. That's how... tank.... boom... thing." She winces slightly, then shakes her head. "Now... watch this!" She focuses a little more, and the parasol goes whoosh as it turns inside out with incredible speed, launching the bottle targets a good distance with a sudden, powerful burst of air. "How's that?"
<Pose Tracker> Sourisi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
The mention of ancient legends would have normally caused her eyes to start to glaze over from boredom, a fate prevented due to it being the Miraculous that's the subject of those legends. While Serpentina might have fumbled her presentation to a class of one at the end, it's food for thought for the Miraculous User. "Huh, I've never tried seeing what legends there is of the Miraculous before, but i'm going have to ask Takk about it later. I never really bothered to look into his history or what kind of stories he has to tell."
Sourisi's self-loathing is smothered by Serpentina's almost irate scolding, shocking the shorter girl. "You're sure? I could have done things differently back then but...yeah, you're right. You can't change the past, we just have to focus on what's ahead." Besides, they came here for training, not bemoaning over what should have happened!
Serpentina seems to all for the plan to take Akihabara by storm! It seems like a silly idea, but as long as they don't have to show ID when they go for 'training'... "Maybe we can see if we can have a few others show up for this as well? Even if it's not all we make it out to be, it'll be a lot of fun to see if anyone's interested in some laser tag." Sourisi can't even remember the last time she went out for laser tag like this.
With how much Serpentina talked about dodgeball, it brings back memories of Niramo hiding out in a classroom kitchen and fending off waves of frantic students. "You'll be surprised what a dodgeball can do even without magic."
It was the last way that her fellow Miraculous User talked about using Shift Flip before the dodgeball tangent that has Sourisi looking surprised before she taps a finger on one of her tonfa. "You know, I never thought about doing that before, doing a fake-out attack like that. I wonder..."
Sourisi smiles and waves a hand to wave off Serpentina's concerns. "Didn't even think about that, Slithery, but you're fine. I'll tell you what, when we are done here i'll show you Shift Flip in action!" But...what did Serpentina mean by her not being who she? Did she really act that different when she was wearing her mask?
Dark green eyes focuses upon the parasol as Serpentina starts to show it off. While she can't see the invisible magical force going through it, she nods in understanding. "So, like a shield, right?" The second way she opens her umbrella would make Sourisi think it was destined for scrap if it wasn't reinforced with magic! The bottle she was targetting goes flying across the empty store, shattering as it hits a wall, with several more close bottles being sent tumbling from the wind. "Ooh, very nice! Maybe...I don't know, if there's some arrows or magic blasts coming your way, maybe you can deflect them with the wind?"
Sourisi finally pulls one of her tonfa free from a clasp and twirls it idly. "Your parasol can be a tricky weapon, which makes a lot of sense for you! I'm...kinda as blunt as my tonfas, honestly. Direct attacks are what i'm best at. Like so!" Sourisi throws out her tonfa towards a bottle, the twirling rosewood insturment shattering the glass bottle easily before turning around in midair and back towards Sourisi. The mouse girl catches it with a practiced hand. "Aaand before you ask, no, I have no idea why they return like boomerangs!"
Sourisi was smiling like she's proud of the fact she doesn't know how her own weapons act.
<Pose Tracker> Serpentina Ruse [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Serpintina sighs with relief when her friend accepts that the past is the past and that it isn't worth dwelling on. Besides, the more important conversation takes over quickly. "I'd love to get people together for laser tag! That would be entertaining, useful, and maybe even informative! Thanks for the support!" Dodgeball also seems to be an interesting topic. "Oh? Your civilian identity has had some interesting experiences with dodgeball?"
But the most interesting conversation - at least to Serpentina - was about Sourisi's Shift Flip. "Yeah... a fake out attack seems like a perfect use! You may not have thought of it because you tend to not need sneaky moves, due to your skill, experience, and just plain awesomeness... but someone like me... I'm pretty good at thinking sneaky, unfortunately. Or fortunately?"
And then an offer to show Shift Flip in action? "Thank you Squeaks! That would be great! In exchange... oh, right, I already have shown you mine." She winks at her mouse-y friend. "Guess we're even~"
Weapon explaination time: go! Parasol shield? "Yes... like a shield, though timing it right makes it many times more effective than just using it as a regular shield." Wind wall? "I might be able to do something against projectiles like that, with practice. Right now though, it isn't super effective, but it does allow me to push enemies away that get too much in my face." Sourisi's tonfa? "They suit you well. Not because you are 'as blunt as your tonfas' though. Good striking weapons with a good surprise, seem straightforward but have more nuance and tricks and skills to them." Sourisi throws them as boomerangs, proving Serpentina's point. "Yeah, like that! You really are incredible."
As for another projectile... Serpentina can't think of any. But then she spies a bottle that rolled to her feet. "Hmm... yesss... hey watch this!" She hits the bottle with her umbrella like she was playing golf. It would be a pretty incredible shot - good power, enough to hurt pretty bad if it hit you - if it didn't go wide and barely hits one of the bottles at the edge of a bottle on the second stand of bottles she was aiming at. "Er... can I try again?"
<Pose Tracker> Sourisi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Sourisi nods her head a few times as she imagines the general chaos that could happen with so many magic users playing a game. "Alright, i'm sure I can find a few people to join us. It'll be different but after everything that's been going on, we can all use a break. And besides, we can get to know one another more!"
Sourisi almost starts to speak about how she managed to survive until the very end and aided a friend to take the grand prize of Ohtori's ill-fated ball, but she could almost hear Takk warning her against it. It still doesn't feel right hiding someone she's working with... "There was this fake dance at Ohtori that turned into a campus-wide dodgeball free for all. I tried my best, but I wasn't meant to win." It was the truth, just not all of it. Good enough for her!
Sourisi giggles and gives Slithery a toothy smile as realizes she's being paid back, not offered a trade. "Yep, we'll be even after this!"
The two Miraculous Users trade notes about the strengths and weaknesses of their unique weaponry. One of the comments gets a raised eyebrow as Sourisi thinks she detects a little bit of gaming slang, but it fits what she knows of her friend. The praise of her weaponry causes Sourisi to look away from Serpentina and tug on the end of her braid in embarrasement. "I'm not all that great, really! I just try to help everyone and give them support where they need it..."
Serpentina's golfing skills aside, Sourisi is impressed by the shot. "You're pretty good at using the enviroment to your advantage, huh? You're pretty smart for thinking like that!" Sourisi laughs softly as the bottle manages to resist the pull of gravity and remains standing before she jogs over to a counter.
Reaching down, she pulls up a plastic bag that fills the empty room with the sounds of clinking glass as it moves. She walks back over and sets down another bottle down on the cracked tile and nods. "Sure, there's unlimited ammo on this target range. You can keep going for the bottles or mister Mayor over there if you want as well!"
<Pose Tracker> Serpentina Ruse [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
"You didn't win?" Serpentina looks incredibly surprised. "Does that mean... there are more athletic people in the school than you? Who won? That person is probably one of 'us' if you know what I mean."
Serpentina pats Sourisi gently on the back. "You are all that great. And helping everyone... not something that every person you'll meet has as a personality trait, to give one of the world's greatest understatements. You're not only great, you are also good."
Serpentina's golf skills... not as much. Although she manages to smile at the compliments. "Heh... thanks for trying to make me feel better about that, but I'm not feeling bad about it." Serpentina gets another shot thanks to Sourisi. "Thank you. I got this, this time." She lines up the shot, pulls back her swing... and stops. "...no, that's not right." She flips her grip, holding onto the pointy end of the umbrella, using the handle as the club head. She swings hard... and this time it hits center mass, scattering the bottles. "Got it! Next... I'll think of what to do to the Mad Mayor."
<Pose Tracker> Sourisi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
It seems like Serpentina really has a lot of faith in her abilities, but a small part of Sourisi can't help but feel it's somewhat misplaced. There's were tons better at sports than her, that's for sure. "I mean...maybe they are? I try not to pry into someone's secret identity if I can help it." Wait, does Serpentina think Fumiko might know how to use magic? Ooh dear, she better not give off any hints to who it was. She doesn't want to see her friend getting badgered by a Miraculous User! "I don't think she's one of 'us', anyways. I met her a few times and while I didn't get to see the very end of the competition, she did pretty good!" Which was still technically true. She had to blink sometime, right?
Souris feels her face heat up from the constant praise but it's harder to push off this time. She's seen how a lot of people react to situations every day, but it's true not everyone wants to give constant aid. "W-well...okay, fine, you're right about that, Slithery. Geeze, you're making me as red as Ladybug's outfit!" The smile she gives Serpentina is a bit more reserved than what she usually shows, but it seems more genuine as well.
Sourisi steps back to get out of Slithery's swinging range. The reversed stance to hit the bottle with the base of her parasol caused the Miraculous Ninja to tilt her head in confusion at first, but it does the trick! The pyramid of bottles are sent flying everywhere in the room from the critical hit, with a stray bottle hitting the jungle gym Sourisi had made. It shudders under the impact for a moment before collapsing in upon itself, causing Sourisi to wince and close an eye from the racket. "Uh...construction is clearly not my strong suit here."
Sourisi straightens up and looks towards the MEGA-MAYOR cutout still taped to a shelf and gives Serpentina a thumbs up. "Sure, and don't worry too much about any damage. It doesn't look like anyone has used this building in a while, and i'll clean up here later! I haven't really done a lot of practice tonight, but this is a lot more fun in my opinion. Beats smashing bottles on my own!"
After a few seconds, Sourisi snaps her fingers as a thought strikes her. "Oh yeah! Have you thought about using your Shed Skin like a decoy, since it's so lifelike? Like you could use Shed Skin, hit a youma with your umbrella in their blindspot then hiding again? They'll attack the fake you and you can deal a pretty sneaky attack."
<Pose Tracker> Serpentina Ruse [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
"Hm, interesting." Serpentina listens to Sourisi's explanation of how Fumiko - her - wasn't one of them - her. While she finds this humorous, she maintains a straight face. "I see. I'll leave her alone then, if I ever find out who you are talking about." She shrugs nonchalantly, 'letting it go'.
What Serpentina does not let go is the compliments she gives her friend. 'Heheh, you look good in red," she jokes at her Sourisi's embarrassment. "Really suits you. But... I meant every word. I..." It was then her turn to look embarrassed, glancing away and awkwardly rubbing her head. "I'm about to say something corny, so please don't make TOO much fun of me but... I kind of see you as an inspiration. You are the kind of hero I want to be and let's go back to training now and blow stuff up okay?"
And the training was going well, too. At least, if destruction was the system of measurement for training. Complete bottle dispersal, utter devastation of the jungle gym... and yet the MEGA-MAYOR still stands. "I don't know, he seems to be sturdy enough construction. He seems to be the last thing we need to break. Sooo... how are we going to do it?"
Ideas go back and forth about the miraculous powers of the Miraculous. "Hm... I usually use it just for escape. Escape from bindings or escape from enemies, but a strategic attack could be a useful move. Could get two good hits out of that! Not a bad idea at all..."
<Pose Tracker> Sourisi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
It takes some considerable effort on Sourisi's part to keep calm and collected as Serpentina accepts her explination, but internally she's wiping away some mental sweat. 'Oh, oh thank goodness. I'm not sure if Fumiko would want to strangle me or thank me after getting her attention.'
The smaller smile doesn't hide the growing blush under Sourisi's mask, but it's the final bit of praise that takes her completely off guard. Sourisi is an inspiration to someone...the ideal hero they aspire to be? She's still looking up to several of the magical defenders of Tokyo every time they're in a battle, like Sailor Moon, and now she's being a source of creativity? Sourisi's tugs on the end of her braid as she looks aside, grateful that Serpentia is already moving on ahead. "Uh...t- thank you, Serpentina. It really means a lot to hear that from someone."
She's just a girl who does her best to protect the city she loves. Is it really that special?
Glancing back at the mess of metal and tape that was an misguided challenge given form, Sourisi gives a shrug. "Well, he was cut just from cardboard, but...why not try to see if we can pierce through him in one clean blow? We did it to the barrel last time but maybe practice can make our combined attacks stronger?" Sourisi twirls a tonfa in her hand, letting the weapon gather speed and causing the air to start whistling. It only seemed to be going faster as well. "I'll follow your lead this time, Slithery!"
Sourisi winks and gives a cocky smile towards the other Miraculous User, trying to mirror one of her own mentors. "We're just helping each other improve, right? Think of it as me paying you back about how to use my Shift Flip more often!"
<Pose Tracker> Serpentina Ruse [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
It was hard for Serpentina to admit looking up to Sourisi, but it felt... good. She finally got that out there. Having a friend who is also a hero to her... this was an incredibly new experience. Has she looked up to anyone before? Who has been her inspiration up until now? She has a lot to think about, but it was still nice to finally admit it to both herself and Sourisi.
Although thinking about it too much is a bit odd... so it is nice to quickly shift gears back to the training. "Team attack part two?" She stretches, touching her toes on her left boot, then her right, then overhead left and right stretches. "I think that works!" She picks her umbrella back up... then slams it point first into the ground while opening it, sending her skyward - or at least ceilingward. Luckily it was a really high ceiling. "READY?" She points her open parasol at the tank, readying her assault. At the moment she knows her partner is prepared to attack, she'd give the signal, and...
<Pose Tracker> Sourisi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Sourisi nods in agreement as Serpentina gets into a ready position, even as she idly makes note of the full-body stretches the Slitherer Surpreme was doing. Was she an athle-NO! Bad thoughts, no prying! The springboard motion of the umbrella is a little surprising but Sourisi lets her smile grow into a full-blown grin as she ponders just how that would be great for future combo attacks.
"READY!...GO!" Sourisi throws the miniture wooden cyclone in her hand towards the MEGA-MAYOR, the throw a little wild as it zigs and zags as if it was off balance, but the aim is true. It pierces cleanly through the middle of the cardboard facade and the metal shelf support beyond, with only the split second of molten metal fragments flying being any indinication. And with Serpentina delivering the follow-up? The MEGA-MAYOR SURPREME stands no chance!
<Pose Tracker> Serpentina Ruse [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Serpentina was surprised by the 'ready... go!' - she thought it was on HER signal - but she rolls with it. "NOW!" She shouts in response, twisting her body as she closes her umbrella, gaining a burst of speed as she rotates faster and faster... and faster... and FASTER... just a flash of a moment after Sourisi's attack hits, Serpentina's spinning drill-brella of doom attack goes through the villain like cardboard!
Oh, wait... right... He IS cardboard. Still, such power! Such teamwork! Such destruction of paper products!
<Pose Tracker> Sourisi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Sourisi kinda jumped the gun - after all, the signal /was/ supposed to be up to Serpentina - but the joint attack was well executed! The tonfa of the Miraculous Ninja cuts an impressive wake through the practice dummy, but it's the follow-up assault from the Slitherer Surpreme that finally spells doom for the water-resistant foe. Serpentina pierces cleanly through the shelf with no effort on her part, passing through the other side of the shelf. If it wasn't for the gaping hole through the direct center, an observer might believe the MEGA-MAYOR to be impassively ignoring the grevious wounds he just took.
Then with a dramatic pause just as Serpentina would come to a rest, both Mayor and Shelf collapse into a heap.
Sourisi gives a cheer towards her friend at the mass destruction they both just caused and beams with pride. "Now that's more like it! We'll have to practice some more, but...uh...i'll need to make a few more targets first."
The abandoned store certainly looks the worse for wear now, the aftermath of their joint training evident. There's plenty of shattered glass littering most of the floor, and what little shelfing that still stands would be quivering in fear in capable of animation. "I'll have to come back to clean up after us, but...I did promise you I would show you."
Picking up a lucky survivor of Serpentina's assault on the bottle targets from the floor, Sourisi motions towards the remains of what was a window in the distant past. "I'll show you when we go to leave, and I don't have anything else set up for tonight...um..." The mouse-suitted heroine rubs the back of her neck for a moment as she thinks. "Oh, got any questions, maybe figure out what we want to do next time?"
<Pose Tracker> Serpentina Ruse [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Poor tank mayor. His reign was short but eventful.
"Whew! That was... really something." Serpentina surveys the damage around her with an awkward, strange smile - a mix between pride, excitement, and 'what the heck did we do to this place?' - then lets out a single half-giggle. "Are you sure you can clean this up all by yourself?"
It was time for the main event! "I... have nothing I can think of. I think it's time. But... anything you'd like me to show you in return? Last chance for tonight, whatever it is. Otherwise... I'm quite interested in seeing what you've got!"
<Pose Tracker> Sourisi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Sourisi gives a thumbs up towards Serpentina as she takes what the training session has wrought. "It's...a lot messier than my normal training, but it's fine. A big push broom and a little bit of effort, and everything will be back to the normal kind of dilapidation." Now she just need to find a push broom she can borrow for later...
Even as Serpentina questions what she can show off, Sourisi is already shaking her head. "That's...kinda why I asked you to come train with me in the first place? I wanted to see how you fight so I can figure out how I can help out in the future." It was a subtle plan out in the open, but one for all the right reasons!
Sourisi raises the bottle in her hand to bring attention to the empty glass container. "Alright then, just keep your eye on the prize!" Rearing her arm back, Sourisi throws the bottle clearly overhead and into the evening Tokyo sky, the lighting coming from the nearby buildings causing the bottle to glitter in the night. Sourisi seems to be tracking the bottle with her eyes, following her own advice, and not moving a muscle. It's only as the bottle starts to arc back down to the ground does the ravenette speak up. "See you later, Slithery. Shift Flip!"
If Serpentina wasn't fully paying attention, she might miss it as it happens. One moment, the Miraculous Ninja was standing next to Serpentina, the next, the glass bottle lands with a solid 'thud' on the store floor. In exchance, Sourisi takes a moment to orient herself in midair before going to land on a nearby rooftop, boots first.
Sourisi waves an exaggerated hand towards the building Serpentina's still in before breaking out into a run. Despite tonight just being some practice between friends, the masked heroine hasn't had this much fun in quite a while.
