2022-08-23 - Two Girls Tresspassing on a Roof
| Title: Two Girls Tresspassing on a Roof | |
|---|---|
| Summary: While Kyouka does her daily parkour jog, she notices Yumi watching her while flying on a broomstick. Conversation ensues. | |
| Who: | |
| Where: Chofu Suburban District | |
| OOC - IC Date: August 22, 2022 - Wednesday, Jan 06, 2016 | |
.****************************** Tama Outer City *******************************.
- +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* Chofu Suburban District +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Chofu was built on a vast natural terrace that reinforces the town against
the slope down to the sea. It has its own town limits, and it is large
enough that you can get anything you need without leaving them. It has
lovely houses and apartments, well-appointed town centers, and beautiful
green fields around it. But the Tama River that flows through and past Chofu
feeds into the main city, and the great splay-legged power lines that follow
its course at a safe distance link town to metropolis. This is and is not
Tokyo.
Just fifteen minutes (and a scant 230 yen) by high-speed rail from Shinjuku
Station, Chofu is one of the largest "bed towns" for central Tokyo. Most of
the people who live here work in the Special Wards, the short commute buying
them vastly cheaper, less cramped lodgings, though some maintain local
businesses. While this makes Chofu a suburb of inner Tokyo, it is certainly
still Tokyo, and the expansive lawns and sprawling development one envisions
when thinking of a suburb are not to be found here. Still, there are no
skyscrapers here, and freestanding houses replace the massive apartment
buildings of Tokyo.
Chofu's river banks host old-fashioned festivals that draw many from
surrounding areas at the proper times of year. In contrast, Chofu is also
home to the headquarters of JAXA, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency.
Though Japan is not yet involved in manned space travel, those interested in
Japan's satellite or other space-related technology can find ample materiel
for research or wrongdoing.
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka is continuing her tour of her new environs in perhaps one of the most oddest but most Kyouka ways possible: jumping and climbing all over it. Specifically, she's using her parkour skills to get acquainted with different aspects of the city around her, as well as generally looking for new jogging routes that might be appealing to use on a regular basis. But it's also just fun to get out and push her limits--sitting inside a classroom for a large portion of the day is... pretty confining sometimes. Not that she didn't work hard before (her mother is a teacher, after all), but while she worked a lot she certainly didn't have the same rigid structure.
So it's nice to be able to cut loose, to stretch her legs a little, and engage in some perhaps slightly risky jumping and climbing, though for her it's a well-practiced and managed risk.
She's dressed for warmth and exercise both: Sneakers, sweat pants, and a hoodie, and a small, carefully positioned bag strapped to her front meant not to impede her rolling or climbing needs. And of course, her ever-faithful companion Strike Wolf resides in his standby form on her right wrist: a leather bracelet with a small, 5-sided purple gem on top.
At this particular moment she's leapt off of a small stairway, over the railing, and down to the sidewalk below with a careful tuck and roll back to a full sprint. Next is a jump onto a crate, springing from there up at a wall and then a kick up to grab the fireescape of a building. She scrambles quickly up to get to the top of the building, then heads full bore to the edge to make the death-defying leap to the next building over--
Someone at ground level might not notice, or easily loose track of her, but from up above...
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Yumi is not the parkour type. Oh, she has friends who are good at athleticism--Mikoto's climbing ability might be unparalleled--but she is definitely not one of them. She has a different way of getting around when she doesn't wnat to take the train, and finds it likewise fun. She is dressed for the cold, in layers and a thick coat, because that's especially important high up... and she was mostly staying out of sight!
Right up until Kyouka scrambles up to the top of the building, and if she looks up she will notice a girl in pink and green peering down at her through thick glasses. "Uh?" she starts, coming to a slow stop. Her broom is almost a living thing, its bristles green and flowering in places, the pole gnarled wood. And she is...
Well.
"Oh, shoot."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka is leaping, between two buildings, down to a rooftop lower than her starting point. Absorbing all of that impact is, of course, ill-advised. So with a well-practiced motion, she lands, and legs her legs crumple in that oh-so-careful way as she drops into a roll to translate her momentum from down to forward. And as she comes up the odd sight sweeps across her vision, but Kyouka herself just launches into another forward run towards the edge of the current rooftop--
--until her brain, in the brief moment it has to just run and not have to worry about doing anything, processes that odd image. That gets her to skid to a halt, and she whips around, eyes scanning across and then up to see the witch.
... Huh. Girl on a broom. Between magical pocket supercomputers and fairy-inhabited cell phones, a...
Well, she can't know for sure, but really, the only thing you can think of when you see a girl on a broom is a witch.
But a witch, now, seems somehow both quaint, completely expected, and completely unexpected all at once.
She holds a hand over her eyes to protect her eyes from the sunlight a bit, but it's still awfully clear that she's looking right at Yumi. But she's not screaming or reaching for her cell phone, more just... looking.
In fact, from Yumi's vantage point--and depending how good her eyesight is--she might be able to see Kyouka's mouth moving, as if she were talking to someone, or possibly the slight flicker of purple light on Kyouka's wrist in between those mouth movements.
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Yumi winces as Kyouka hits the rooftop. She expects it to hurt her more than it does. As it turns out, Kyouka really knows what she's doing, and... has definitely seen Yumi. So Yumi thinks about it for a moment. From up here, she could just be a trick of the light. It would be easy to just leave, and the other girl would probably forget about it, or at least not be able to convince anyone that she really had seen a girl on a broom. On the other hand...
...Being able to run across buildings like that is really cool.
Yumi's eyesight isn't incredible but she can spot the little light even if she can't see Kyouka's mouth moving. After another moment she puts both hands on the broom and starts to dive gently down towards Kyouka, until she's nearby over the roof. Yumi, now that she can be seen up close, is a very tall girl in a pink coat and blue skirt, along with pale green tights and dark sneakers.
"Hi," Yumi says. "...So that's pretty cool, jumping around like that. You can just... do that?"
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka doesn't seem to react as Yumi descends down to the rooftop, dropping her hand when the girl is no longer high enough to warrant shielding her eyes from the sun. She's watching Yumi's approach with equal parts curiosity and caution. There is, of course, plenty of folklore about witches (and she's read a work or two of Shakespeare, of course), but on the other hand, she counts at least one reformed villain as a friend, and magical girls seem to be a thing here, so... who's to say?
Strike Wolf goes silent long before Yumi gets within earshot, and Kyouka starts to stretch to stay limber, now that she's no longer running. She quirks an eyebrow at Yumi's question--jumping across buildings is cool, sure, but this is coming from the flying girl on a broomstick. Still, she can't help but grin a bit. "Yeah... it's taken a lot of practice but I like to think I'm pretty good at it. Can't help but notice that you're flying, though, which is also pretty cool."
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Yumi is dangerous!! She could... curse Kyouka!! Yes, she could.
But she doesn't. She just doesn't seem to remember how cool flying is until Kyouka points it out, though, at which point she tilts her head. "Oh." Pause. "I guess that's true!" She laughs, and then says, "I'm sort of used to it by now. I was never any good at it before, but a while back I figured out the knack, and now here I am!"
"Oh, but you shouldn't tell anybody that. I should really have pretended you hadn't seen me, but..."
She waves her hand vaguely. "Whatever, we're both trespassing, right? It's fine!"
She considers and then says, "My name's Yumi Ohzora. I'm, as you might've guessed, a witch. But keep that quiet, OK? The fact that you're not freaking out at all suggests you already know to keep this kind of thing quiet, though..."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka hasn't figured out flying yet, herself, but would like to.
"Pretty nice knack, then..." she comments. "But I guess it's probably like the parkour. Gotta get that ah-ha moment where it all comes together. But yeah, I guess I'm the same way about what I do. Like, I still know how it looks to everyone else, but when I'm in the moment... it's just me and the wind, you know?"
She laughs a bit at the trespassing comment. "I mean, I suppose we are, but... I'd like to see someone try to catch either of us," she says with a big grin.
"Hi, I'm Kyouka Okazaki. Nice to meetcha. And I was thinking it but I didn't want to assume anything..." She tries to keep from rolling her eyes as she nods along with the comment about freaking out. "Yeah, yeah. Nobody would believe it if I told them anyway." There's maybe just a touch of bitterness in that last remark.
"Though..." she says thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I did see another girl on a broom recently... though she had the whole witch's hat and staff thing going for her."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka hasn't figured out flying yet, herself, but would like to.
"Pretty nice knack, then..." she comments. "But I guess it's probably like the parkour. Gotta get that ah-ha moment where it all comes together. But yeah, I guess I'm the same way about what I do. Like, I still know how it looks to everyone else, but when I'm in the moment... it's just me and the wind, you know?"
She laughs a bit at the trespassing comment. "I mean, I suppose we are, but... I'd like to see someone try to catch either of us," she says with a big grin.
"Hi, I'm Kyouka Okazaki. Nice to meetcha. And I was thinking it but I didn't want to assume anything..." She tries to keep from rolling her eyes as she nods along with the comment about freaking out. "Yeah, yeah. Nobody would believe it if I told them anyway." There's maybe just a touch of bitterness in that last remark.
"Though..." she says thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I did see another girl on a broom recently... though she had the whole witch's hat and staff thing going for her." She looks up and to the side, as if searching her memory and mumbling to herself. "... what was that name... was it Ivy...? There was so much going on..."
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"Kinda, yeah," Yumi agrees. "I think it's really cool, though. I could never move like that." She gestures to herself, and what she means may not be immediately obvious. It's obvious to Yumi, though. "But on the broom I can go all kinds of places I never could on my own. ...And it's better than a crowded train a lot of the time! Though it gets really cold... if I hadn't met you, I'd think maybe I should've taken the trains after all..."
But meeting Kyouka is a nice thing anyway. "Ha! Yeah, like they could, right?" A beat, "Good to meet you too, Okazaki-san." Yumi is a little formal with a new acquaintance, but for her that's politeness. She notices that bitterness though... "Yeah," she says. "Probably not. But--Ah?"
A laugh, then. "Oh, yeah! Welllll I don't wear the full regalia just walking around, you know?" she asks, and then straightens her back, stepping off the broom to her full height. "But that's me! At least, it sounds like me."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka doesn't see it, but has also only known the girl for all of a minute or two, so can't really draw any inferences. "Ahh, yeah, I can see that," she agrees about the cold. "The nice thing about what I do is that the physical exertion usually keeps me warm. At least, until I stop moving long enough," she adds. "Yeah, I love parkour for just, getting around and getting a new perspective on the city, though I guess you've got the best perspective at all. And parkour doesn't really help with trains, either."
Kyouka doesn't mind formal. She's probably formal to a fault, really, still trying to figure out how to navigate social conventions properly. "Likewise, Ohzora-san."
She blinks a bit. "Full regalia-- Wait, was that you?" And now she's looking, scrutinizing you more closely. "Diiiiiid you happen to fight an orc by the river recently?" She knows full well it was an ogre, but she's waiting for the other girl to volunteer that information, just to confirm.
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"Oh yeah, that makes sense. Flying doesn't really take a lot of physical exertion, so..." She gestures vaguely and expansively. "I dunno, seeing things from on the ground is an important perspective, too. If you only have one you'll miss a lot of important things."
She smiles at the finished introductions, and then--
"Ahahah. Yep! It's a great hat, right?" Yumi asks. "Yeah! Or, well, they're called Ogres. They serve someone called the Hungry Queen. I fight... a lot of them, actually. But usually I'm stuck doing it on my own. I had a lot of help, this time."
"...So, I want to ask questions," she says, "But one of the first things you learn in this business is peoples' pasts are their own business. So if you wanna tell me anything, go ahead, but I won't pry."
"Me, though, I've got no big secrets! I'm the Witch of Lost Ivy. That's the staff's name--Lost Ivy. It's a long story, but Ogres are basically my responsibility... so if you helped, then thanks!"
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka nods enthusiastically to your comments that the perspective from the ground is important too. "Oh, definitely! It's just, good to have the big picture as well as the little one, you know? You never know what you'll find out that way."
She nods when you mention the hat, and then you mention the Ogre, and she just grins even more. She looks around, though--they're on a freaking roof, of course nobodys watching them. With that, she says, "Iiiii might've met one of the people that helped you fight the last one." She brings her right hand up, and tugs the sleeve of her hoodie down to clearly display Strike Wolf's standby form. If she knows Fate and Endo, maybe she'll recognize it. If not, she then extends that hand to shake. "Hi. I saved that falling woman, and hit the ogre with the ladder." Well now that dyed hair is rather obvious now that she's said that, isn't it?
"I don't have a fancy title, though," she adds. "But that's my partner."
She nods to the device, who in turn says, <Strike Wolf.>
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"Hmmm, well. I won't argue with that!" Yumi might've, once, insisted that someone else's way is better... but she's gotten a lot better at that herself. She can appreciate her own good points!
Nobody is watching! That's true. But then, "Oh, yeah?" Yumi says, and looks to see--Yes! "Oh! A Device!" she says. "Looks Midchildan," she comments, and then smiles. She'll reach out and shake Kyouka's hand. Her grip isn't very strong, and true to what she said about cold, her hand isn't very warm. But she shows enthusiasm for a pair of new friends, anyway.
"Strike Wolf! Nice to meet you, too."
"Nice moves! Hitting the Ogre with a ladder was really cool. And obviously saving that woman was great--I was way too slow, I didn't even have my broom out."
A smile, as she takes her hand back. "You don't need a title, I think. I just have one because... Well. The Staff is really old. And my cat is kind of super formal so it's like that too..."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka is a bit amused by the second person who's identified the type of device she has. She did notice Endo's used different magic, though she hasn't had a chance to grill him about it yet.
"I guess it is, that's what Strike Wolf said."
<Affirmative.>
Her grip is firm, though she's not out to crush anybody's hand, and softens just a bit when she notices your grip. Wouldn't do to injure a new friend, after all.
The device, meanwhile, replies, <Likewise> to Yumi.
Kyouka laughs a little at the compliment, feeling a tad awkward--she used the ladder 'cause she didn't have a spell ready to go like her fellow device users, but... no need to get into all that right now. "Eh heh, thanks! And yeah, I'm just glad I got to her in time. I've been training really hard, and even just a few days earlier..." Well, no need to finish that thought. "But hey, that's why it's good that there's more than one of us, huh? We can all support each other."
"Yeah, I know I don't." She withdraws her hand when Yumi does, and continues lightly stretching. "Your cat is... super formal." Take a moment to process all of that. Cats that are formal. Sure, that might well be a thing. "Okay then."
"That was actually my first time in a real fight," she admits. "It was... kind of daunting. I know there's some stuff I definitely need to work on still."
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"Cool. I have to be up on my magic. A witch can't go slacking off." A siiiigh. But she smiles back again anyway, nodding to the device and the wielder both.
"All that matters is what you can do today, right? And 'today'--well, yesterday--well--OK it got away from me," Yumi admits. "What was I saying...?" Oh, well. "Anyway you're right! We can support each other. That's really key. I wouldn't have gotten nearly as far as I have without some help."
"OK cool," she says of not needing one, and sees that... moment of processing. "Ahahah. She's not just a regular cat, she's a familiar. Also she's a lot older than me." Pause. "I think she's actually older than Tokyo," Yumi reflects thoughtfully. "Or at least she talks about what it was like a few hundred years ago here..."
"Anyway the point is she nags me about doing things the Right Way and she's usually right, but it's still a thing, you know?"
First time... "Wow. You did pretty great as a first-timer. I think being a little daunted's the right approach, though. It keeps you careful, and keeps you alive."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
She nods as you explain that witches have to be up on their magic. "Yeah, that makes sense. I'm uh... well, I'm new to this whole magic thing, and... I'm also new to Japan. I just moved here... a month? Month and a half ago? It's been a bit of a whirlwind, moving, starting in a new school, finding Strike Wolf... So I'm still getting used to..." She gestures vaguely at Tokyo. "A lot of stuff." Her Japanese, meanwhile, is pretty spot on despite that.
Though, being up on magic... she has a thoughtful expression as she looks at you, but quickly moves on, for the moment.
She chuckles at the aborted metaphor, but nods along anyway, getting your point. "Yep. I'm just glad there were more of us there that day. I, uh, didn't have a plan for after I caught that woman, sooo... Ehheh... I guess you all helped me out, too, you know?"
"Familiar... okay. Got it." She just... nods along as you explain about the cat being possibly older than Tokyo. She'll just... accept that at face value and try not to question it too much.
"I mean... I get nagged at my mom a lot, so... I think I can relate? Maybe? Kinda?" Nagging from your mother can be like nagging from a centuries-old cat familiar, right? It wouldn't be the most ridiculous premise she's heard today.
"Ehheh, thanks..." She rubs at the back of her neck a little. "Yeaaahh... fighting isn't-- well, fighting with magic isn't something that I've practiced as much as the parkour, you know? Took me a looong time to get to where I am with that, but getting a broken bone in that kind of a fight is prooobably a lot worse than from a fall, you know?"
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"Oh, yeah?" Yumi asks. Then Kyouka explains, and Yumi gets an 'Oh!' kind of look as she realizes just the scale of how much new stuff Kyouka is getting used to. "Yeah, I grew up around magic, so the only real adjustment for me was also being a magical girl. Instead of just a girl who's magic. But I grew up here in Tokyo, so..." Hmm. "Where are you from?" she wonders.
But the conversation goes on. "Oh, yeah, that's fair. Well, I'm glad to have you around!"
Yumi smiles about her cat. She likes her cat. However... Her mom, well... "Aaah, yeah. I guess? I know some moms are like that. For me, Mother is..." Pause. "Well, she doesn't nag. She's too confident for that, I guess. She just says what she thinks."
"Oh, so you do like, martial arts or boxing or something?" Yumi wonders. "That's cool. I'm hopeless about that kind of thing. A fall sounds pretty bad too, but..."
"Yep!" Yumi says. "Ogres eat people, literally. So that's a lot worse than a fall."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka waves a bit of a hand as she tries to summarize, "Well, kind of all over. My dad's with the military, and he gets reposted a lot, so... my Mom and I go with him." She looks out off into the distance. "This is... the first time I've ever been enrolled in an actual school, or lived in a house that wasn't just on a base, or... a lot of things." She has an expression that's rather hard to read. Is she having trouble adjusting? Pining for the things she could have had but never got? Hard to say.
She shakes her head to clear the thoughts, and continues, "First time finding out that magic exists and that apparently I have it, too..."
She smiles, and nods, "Glad to be here. And glad I was there to help. If you ever need help again, you can count on me."
She sees how you react when the topic of mothers comes up, and internally winces. "Ah, I see. I mean, I wouldn't call my mom unconfident either, I suppose..." Their many arguments is a testament to that.
She brightens up again when you mention martial arts and boxing. "All of the above, actually! I've picked up a bunch of stuff here and there as we've moved, you know? I'mmmmm, definitely the outdoorsy type, heh. It's okay if you're not, though." Scratch asking for a spar, then. "Actually, what are you into? I've talked about myself waaay too much recently. Got any hobbies? Or... is there cool stuff I should try in Tokyo? I love trying new things, so... nothing's off the table. Hit me with anything you got."
She winces a bit. "Yeah, that definitely sounds worse. Did you see when that Ogre just chomped on the ladder though? What was he even expecting to happen, anyway?"
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"Ohhh, OK." Yumi nods. She doesn't have any experience with being military herself--but she's known people whose families are. "Oh, yeah? Well, I hope it works out for you, then! The schools around here are really good, I think. I go to Infinity, by the way. It's nice." Yumi can't read her expression, so she doesn't worry about it! Kyouka wil tell her or not.
"I bet it takes some adjustment! I've seen a few people have to get used to it... Let me tell you, the world's even weirder than you think it is now. But not all magic is bad or even dangerous. There's beautiful, wonderful things, too."
"Oh! I didn't mean to imply it, it's just... my mother is... Um. Well, she's the head of a big important witch family, so she has to be really firm, you know? It's just how it is."
"Oooh cool! I like the outdoors but... I don't get out as much," she admits. "But me? Oh, I'm an artist! I paint, mostly, though since I'm in school I'm always trying some other mediums for class. And I'm really into the Fashion Club! I actually do technical work for it. I'm not really... the modeling type, but I can make them look really good, you know? ...But mostly inside hobbies."
A nod, then. "They're just always hungry for whatever they can get. They're pretty dumb, really. It'd be funny if they weren't so dangerous."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka smiles at the well wishes and nods, "Thanks. I... I hope it does, too." There's definitely a bit of trepidation in that sentiment, but then she perks up again as you mention schools. "Oh! Cool. I'm at Juuban. My mom's a teacher at Ohtori." A pause. "Yeah, super glad I picked Juuban. Oh, and I'm a 10th year. I checked out Infinity when I was visiting different schools, though."
"Yeah, magic hasn't been... I don't know, anything like I might've expected. Like, okay, you're a witch, and you have a cat for a familiar, and we fought an ogre, and those are all things I've heard about in all the myths and folklore I've heard, but then Strike Wolf is... some sort of magical future supercomputer or something and I'm still not sure what to make of that."
"... No offense, buddy."
<None taken.>
"And the fact that normal people seem to forget magical stuff is..." there's a slight frown. "a thing," she finally finishes.
"Ohhh..." she says, as you explain about your mother. "Yeah, I don't... think there's anything like that with my mom."
"Oh, cool!" she perks up when you mention you're an artist. "What kind of stuff do you like to paint? I'm not really much of an artist, but, I've been in a lot of museums, so I've seen a lot of it, and different sculptures and the like." And then you mention Fashion Club, and she nods along. "Still, even doing the design work or whatever is cool! I'm... eh..." She looks down at herself. "I guess I'm more just into whatever's practical, you know?"
And then you mention indoor hobbies, and that triggers a thought. "You... threatened the ogre with your cooking, didn't you?" She crosses her arms and takes on a mock serious tone. "Food is never a proper thing to threaten someone with." She breaks the character after a moment, "But seriously though, if there's one thing I love more than sports, it's food. Making and eating it, so if you ever need help with that..."
When you mention that the ogres are always hungry, she pauses, and contemplates that. "That... sounds like a miserable existence, honestly." And this time, she isn't joking.
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Yumi smiles. She can't exactly wave her hand and make it all better, but she does hope good things. And, "Oh! I like Juuban! And it's not too sprawling so it's not too hard to get around, like Ohtori is." A beat, "I'm an 11th year. I've been going to Infinity since I was younger."
"Yeah. Sometimes myths and folklore are right! They're kind of... what people can remember about things. Of course, sometimes they're also just stories, I guess. But oh, a Device isn't futuristic so much as alien--he's from another planet! Cool, right? Midchilda actually has an exchange program with Infinity; I know a couple students from there."
A sympathetic look. "Yeah, it keeps people safe, but... It can be difficult, too. And of course, we have to hide it anyway. Can you imagine how much people would panic if they knew how many monsters were running around?"
She doesn't dwell on her mother for now. Instead she talks about, "Mostly landscapes, but I can do a pretty good portrait too. I like painting nature--seeing a new perspective on the world around us, you know?" Museums!! "Practical's good too," Yumi says of fashion. "Clothes should be fun, not stressful. I think everybody can feel a lot better about themselves in the right outfits."
But the ogre and her... cooking. Yumi laughs a little, but it's awkward, sa she rubs at the back of her neck. "Trust me. When it's my food, it's a threat. I don't know why it doesn't work like mixing potions, but every time I try it goes really badly."
"But really? I love good food! So if you ever need help eating it..."
"It is," Yumi says. "I don't think they're very happy, but... their mistress keeps summoning them forth to go out and terrorize people. I guess she doesn't care that they're unhappy."
"I always think, what makes someone do things like that...? But I just don't have an answer."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
"Yeah, me too. I've... well, mom's a teacher, so, you know, basically homeschooled all my life, but Juuban felt like... the kind of place I'd always imagined a school to be like, you know? Ohtori... yeah, there's that," she says. She leaves her other thoughts unvoiced. "Actually, I thought Infinity looked really cool? It's just... well, being in a tower all day wasn't that appealing to me." She smiles apologetically. "But I did like the vibe of all the hardworking students there!"
As you explain about folklore, she considers that. The stories being the leftovers of what people can remember makes... a certain amount of sense, actually. "Huh. Is there... a way to tell the difference between what's real and made-up? That might be useful to know."
When you explain about the exchange program, though... she just stares at you in shock. "... Wait, there's an exchange program?" That's what's grabbed her attention, apparently, not the existence of other planets. "I wish one of them could've mentioned that sooner..." she says to herself. "Oh! Right, yeah, I knew that. I was just... comparing the two different things, you know? Comparatively... he's a lot more advanced than anything we've got on Earth." A beat. "Anything that's commonly known about on Earth."
"You're telling me. I have magical powres and it still makes me uncomfortable that I've even fought the one. Well, two, I guess, if you count the guy I rescued Strike Wolf from. Buuut I don't think he waw in the ogre's league. Anybody else... Yeaaaaaah."
"Oooh, I'd lveo to see some, sometime. I also love camping and hiking, and I've taken a lot of photos I could share, too. They're not paintings, but... I still think they're neat." She nods as you discuss fashion. "I mean, that's good to know. I'm... uh..." she tries to figure out how to say this without seeming like a total rube. "Not that experienced with Japan's fashions yet. I'm not even used to the school uniform yet." and under her breath she adds, "Or the skirt."
"C'mon, it can't be that bad, can it? If you can make a potion... Maybe I could show you a thing or two?"
She grins at your offer to help eat food, "We'll have to find an excuse to do a cross-campus study session at my house so I can cook a bunch of food for people."
Kyouka scowls a little when you mention that fact about the ogres and their mistress. "That's... pretty deplorable," she says grimly. "I guess we're here to protect the people, but... it sounds like the ogres need someone looking out for them, too."
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"My mother taught me a lot, too--my early magical education was all at home, until about middle school." She smiles at Juuban, though. "Yeah, Juuban's really nice. I like it. I mean, I appreciate Infinity's better facilities and all, but I've got a lot of friends at Juuban." Then she laughs. "The tower's great! We get elevators! Just don't try to climb it from outside. My friend Mikoto tried that, and..." From the way she trails off, it did not go very well. And the way she laughs a little. But suddenly--
"Yep!" Yumi answers. "Though it's only for mages and witches; I'm not sure you'd even be able to apply without having to tell your mother what's going on..." A beat, "Oh that's fair. Definitely more advanced than we tend to have on Earth."
"It's pretty crazy," Yumi agrees about fighting. But...
"Sure," Yumi says. "I've got some on display at Infinity. The photos sound great--I love nature, even if I'm not... good at being in it." Then she grins. "That's fair. We do a lot of things differently around here. But hmmm..." She considers, "Not a girly type, huh?" Yumi of course obviously is, just to look at her makeup. "That's fine. AoAka's got stuff for the more masc side, too, you know." She winks.
But hmm... "It really can," Yumi says. "I've mostly given up on it... But if you wanna try I'd be happy to watch!"
Then, "Yeah!! Study time is great for eating!"
But Kyouka's scowl gets a nod. "Don't get me wrong," Yumi says. "The Ogres are evil, bad, bad news--all they want to do is hurt and destroy and consume. ...But I think it's sad to live that way, all the same."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka smiles when you say you like Juuban, too. "Yeah, I'm still getting used to it but... yeah, it's pretty nice." But when you mention climbing the outside, then she looks thoughtful. "I do like me some freeclimbing every once in a while..." she muses, but the grin makes it clear she's joking and taking your warning to heart. "I kid, I kid. I'm sure it'd be a fantastic view but getting down again would be tedious. I take it it didn't go to well for your friend?"
She blinks a little when you mention more details about the transfer program. "Oh. Oh! Sorry, no, that's not what I meant. I..." she tries to think of a plausible explanation that won't rouse too much suspicion. "Just... been trying to learn more about Intelligent Devices, that's all." Hopefully that statement is innocuous enough--it also happens to be true, but for other reasons she doesn't want to get into. "And, y-yeah... I haven't... told her about any of this. I'm not even sure how I'd start that conversation."
A beat, and then... "You said your mother's involved in magic, but... does she know about the whole Lost Ivy thing?"
Kyouka smiles when you mention some of your paintings are on display at Infinity. "Well, then now I've got an excuse to go to Infinity sometime." She chuckles a little at your comment about not being good at being in nature. "Should I skip the invite if I ever organize a camping trip, then?"
"Yeaaaaah, there's... well, I mean, it's kinda silly 'cause I've been in so many places, but... I guess this is the first time it feels like I'm living someplace and not just visiting, you know? Kinda makes everything hit differently." She laughs a little and shakes her head at the comment about not being a girly type. "I mean, I guess not... Kinda spent most of my time outdoors being active, and it just sort of... never came up for me, a lot." There's... maybe a slight blush. Or it's just her cheeks being flushed from her previous physical exertion. Yeah, that's it. "Ao... Aka...?" she repeats, phonetically. "I'm... Okay, I'm sorry, but I don't know that word." But when you comment on them--whatever they are--having stuff for the more masc side and wink--that's definitely a blush. "Ah... okay?" She sounds even more lost at that.
Kyouka's not sheltered, per se... She was just outside running around and missed a few things. Or a lot of things.
But she's all smiles again at the mention of cooking and food. "Well, that sounds like a challenge, so I'll at least give it a shot at some point." She beams, "I'm kind of excited to like, be able to have friends over. I've never been able to do that." It's kind of sad if she thinks about that too long so she doesn't.
"Mmm," is her entirely noncommittal reply when you explain further about the ogres. "I mean, I'm not about to say we stop fighting them, I'm not an idiot... I just... hate seeing people being mistreated, no matter who it is."
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"Ahahah, it didn't," Yumi laughs a little more about her friend. "Just imagine a cat squeaking down a sheer wall and it's pretty much like that."
Yumi takes Kyouka at her word for the moment, "Oh, OK. Well, there's a lot to learn about them!" And mothers, well. "It's hard, huh?" She hesitates at the question turned to her. "I'm... not sure," Yumi admits. "We don't talk about it. It wouldn't surprise me if she knew, she knows... everything, after all."
She smiles about the excuse. "Oh, invite away! If I bring supplies and plan in advance I can do camping and stuff sometimes, I just prefer not to do it alone?"
Living, instead of visiting... "I bet it would, huh?" Then a smile, as Kyouka seems to have a little embarrassing trouble with the subject--she's not going to tease her too much about it, guessing from how she is. "Oh, it's one of the local fashion brands--one that's run by people at Infinity's Fashion Club! I just mean there's a lot more than skirts, you know?"
"Oh... that does sound great! It's no big deal to me, since--I mean, I live in the dorms, so I've had roommates forever and ever."
"...That's a good impulse, though. Not wanting to see people mistreated, even when they're not exactly people."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka laughs a little at that mental image. "Okay, I like freeclimbing, but only when it's, you know, possible. Guess I'll take Infinity off my list, then."
"Yeah, tell me about it," she says in regards to learning more about Intelligent Devices. And then nods a bit as you explain about your mother. "Ah... uh... sorry, I didn't mean to touch on a sensitive topic."
But when you say to invite her anyway, she grins again, nodding enthusiasticaly. "Of course! All the best camping is done with careful preparation. And it's really nice to be able to share the outdoors with others."
She makes a little 'Ah' sound as you explain about the brand. "So that's a name and not a word, okay," she says to herself to just cement it in her head. She looks surprised when you mention it's run by Infinity students. "Wow, really? A whole fashion brand as part of a school club? Is... is that typical for schools? Or is that just a Japan thing? Or an Infinity thing?" She honestly has no clue. If students can run newspapers, then...
When you comment about skirts again, she realizes you heard her earlier comment, and she has to look away to try and hide the great big blush on her face. "R-right... I'll remember that." For all her bravado in combat (daunted or not), she seems to have a glaring weak point, of a sort.
"Roommates, huh...? I mean, I have a pet husky, does that kinda count as a roommate?" She pauses to consider that. "Guess I couldn't have brought him if I'd decided to move into a dorm, huh? Oh wait, but you have your familiar, don't you?"
Kyouka nods solemnly in agreement, "Yeah..." Then she smiles a little, "I mean... it's that impulse that lead to me meeting Strike Wolf, after all."
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"It's fine," Yumi says. "It's not sensitive or anything; Mother's just.. Well, I don't know. But it's fine."
"Yeah! I'll just have to bring a few extra things, is all. ...And I'm not exactly great at hiking..."
"Right!" she says of the brand. But then she grins. "Yeah, that's an Infinity thing. It's pretty normal for our clubs to do things like that. Like, the Art Club has a lot of stuff in galleries around the city. I'm holding off, though."
Giant blush!! Yumi grins a little more because she can't quite help it, it's fun to see an extra side of a new friend. "Great!" she answers.
"Oooh, a dog! I like dogs. They don't usually like me very much, but that's changed a little lately..." Hmmm. "Depends on the dorm. Infinity doesn't mind a familiar because she can help with my studies. ...And does." Yumi glances into the distance for a moment. "Trust me, when a cat tells you to do your homework..."
Then forward, and she smiles back. "It's a good impulse," she says again.
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
She nods a bit as you say it's not sensitive. "Okay, good then. Sorry, I'm just... figuring out how to deal with all of this and my own mom, so I was curious." She glances away. "I hate lying to her, but if she wouldn't believe it or even remember it anyway..."
She nods as you explain you'll need extra stuff for camping. "Okay, flat trails, and plan to help you with extra stuff. That's totally doable."
She thinks she's heard about, school club stuff getting displayed in places before, that doesn't seem too outlandish... though the way you're phrasing it makes it seem like it might be a bit beyond the type of thing she's imagining. "What kind of other things do Infinity's clubs do? Me, I just joined Track because I figured I'd need an excuse to run around and get some fresh air after being in a classroom all day. Though, uh... there's not a lot of jumping from rooftop to rooftop involved," she says with a grin. "Sadly. Would make it a bit more exciting if it did, though."
Kyouka isn't really used to being caught this flat-footed emotionally, and eventually has to just try and forge ahead onto a different topic.
Wolfy. Wolfy's a good topic. "Yeah, he's a Siberian Husky. I've had him since I was 8, he pretty much loves everybody, I've found. I'm sure he'll love you." When you mention your familiar helping with your studies and thus being tolerated, she nods. "Oh, okay, that makes sense."
Then she seems to connect a few dots that seemingly slipped past her before. "Wait wait wait. You have a familiar, who helps with your studies, you make potions, there's an exchange program with people from a world that makes Intelligent Devices... Are... are they teaching magic there? That definitely wasn't in the brochure I got." Japan is just full of surprises, it seems.
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"...Yeah, that's fair," Yumi says. "Everybody's got to decide for themselves what to do about that. But... do you think your mother would let you run around doing stuff this dangerous if you told her?" Yumi wonders. "Of course, some of us don't have parents to tell."
"Cool!"
"Let's see. We've got computer clubs, sports clubs... I guess they do all kinds of things. The same stuff as any other club, except we've got more of them. You can make a club for pretty much any pursuit you can imagine if you can get a few more people to sign on to it. Infinity's big on self-directed study like that." A grin. "Yeah, I bet you'd like more jumping around."
Siberian Husky...! "I'm looknig forwared to meeting him!"
"Of course!" Yumi answers about teaching magic. "That's why I go to Infinity, in fact. I mean, the art program's also great, but I need to learn a lot of magical stuff to take over for my family when I get older."
"It wouldn't be in the brochure though--they don't exactly publicize it..." Huh? (Type "help" for help.)
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka holds up a hand and gives it a little bit of a wobble. "I mean... 'let' is maaaaybe a strong word for it... she knows I'm into parkour, and martial arts, and all of that. I kinda get the sense that maybe she just tolerates it at this point. I know she'd definitely be happier if I was..." and there's a frown and maybe a bit of a return of her earlier blush. "... if I had different interests," she finishes. "She wanted me to go to Ohtori, for instance. Magic though... I don't know. I'm... not fond of lying. I don't even think I'm particularly good at it, either. But if I can use this power to help others..."
She nods along as you explain about the clubs. It's useful hearing it from another student's perspectivem, and not just... learning about Japanese culture in a more academic way. "I mean... we've got a set of hurdles, I think, so I'm looking forward to giving those a try! I'll just have to remember to jump and not vault over them," she says with a small laugh.
"Cool! And I'm looking forward to having people over to meet him. But I think I kinda said that already."
"Yeaaah, I wouldn't say no to a class or two on magic right about now, considering everything that's happened since I found Strike Wolf." She perks up when you mention taking over for your family. "Oh, so you've already got a plan for when you're older? That's cool."
"Yeah, yeah, I kind of figured it wouldn't be, it's just... feels weird how much I'm learning now that I have access to magic. Seems like it just kinda pops up everywhere I'm not expecting it."
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"Hmmm..." Yumi considers the matter of Kyouka's interests. "I see." She does see, she thinks--at least a little. But, "You can do whatever you want with your power! I'm glad that it sounds like you want to use it to help people. Not... everybody does."
"Nice. I think I'd break something if I tried jumping hurdles," she laughs.
"You did, but it's still nice!!"
Hmmm. "Well, I could give you some notes, or something. But--yeah. I'm taking over the family business. I've known since I was little that I would."
"Well, if it popped up where you expected it, it wouldn't be popping up, right?" A smile. "...I should probably get going shortly, but... I'm glad I didn't run off and pretend I didn't see you."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka shrugs a little with a smile. "I mean... it seemed like the obvbious thing to do, you know? You're fighting ogres, I'm... well, I guess I've fought exactly one ogre and one mage." She looks down at Strike Wolf. "That guy definitely wasn't interested in helping anybody."
She chuckles a little, "Right, I'll make sure our hiking trails are flat and also don't have hurdles."
"I mean, I'll take whatever I can get. I do have a friend who offered to help train me, but you know... wisdom drawn from only one source grows stale and all that." She nods as you confirm taking over the family business. "That's cool, though... assuming that's what you want to do, at least. I kinda don't have any real plans. I mean, it's not like being a magical girl is going to pay the bills when I'm older or anything."
"I mean, I guess that's true..." She nods and smiles, reaching into her bag and pulling out her cellphone. "Yeah, I'm glad, too! It's nice making new friends." She holds up the cell phone. It's a model that's a few years old, definitely not the current year's, but at least it's not a flip phone. "Wanna exchange numbers?"
<Pose Tracker> Yumi Ohzora [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"We all started somewhere," Yumi answers brightly. "...He doesn't sound like a great guy, though."
A laugh back. "Right. No hurdles!"
"Oh, yeah?" she asks. "I'm more on theory than practice anyway. I can tell you a lot of stuff about magic but I don't do a lot of... 'training' so much as studying." A smile, but it's a little distant. "Well, it's what I'm doing either way. Responsibilities, and all." She considers. "...Well, it can pay the bills, if you stick with it. I'll hook you up with the Tuner Organization if you want, sometime--I don't really like how they do things, but they offer bounties on monsters and stuff. Just something to think about for later."
Cellphones! Yumi pulls out her own, which appears to be one of the latest models--very sleek and shiny. "Yeah, I agree," she says of new friends, "And totally! Here's mine..."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka gives the very short version. "No, he wasn't. He stole Strike Wolf, I rescued him, together we kicked his butt." She shrugs as if it were really that simple and not a very interesting story. She's certainly told it enough by now to figure out how to condense it, at least.
She shrugs a little when you profess to doing more studying than training. "Hey, I'm no stranger to hitting the books. My mom's a teacher, remember? I mean, it's not my faaaavorite thing in the world, but... if you're going to do something, you may as well do it right, you know?"
She catches that slightly distant look and files it away. "Hmm. I guess." She doesn't sound terribly convinced that you're choosing that freely, but she's not about to press the issue when she doesn't know you that well yet.
There's a blink when you mention the Tuner Organization. "Wait, really? Huh. Yeah, I'll... think about that. Kinda got a lot on my plate as it is, so probably not best to add that in there just yet. ... I should probably get more used to my powers, at the very least."
She grins as you give her your number, and gives hers in return. "... and there!" she says, as she hits the Save button. "And yeah, thanks for saying hi instead of flying off. Chasing you down on foot would've been difficult," she says, obviously teasing. Probably. Hopefully. It's a little hard to tell from that cocky grin she's wearing.
