2022-12-15 - A Magical Girl by Any Other Name
| Title: A Magical Girl By Any Other Name | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Kyouka and Ladybug cross paths while on their respective patrols, and one of them is distressed by the other's lack of a secret identity. | |
| Who: | |
| Where: Akihabara Electric Town (Shitamachi Low City) | |
| OOC - IC Date: 12/15/2022 - Wednesday, February 3, 2016 | |
.**************************** Shitamachi Low City *****************************.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* Akihabara Electric Town +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Brave Akihabara, holy land of nerds, Akihabara of the cartoony signs and
gumball-machine colors. One can buy anything in Akihabara, as long as it is
computer gear, electronics or anime merchandise. The main strip is the
glitziest, with a large percentage of the visible building faces covered in
electronic signs, huge posters, or garish paint jobs, and there one can
purchase coveted new items at (or just a hair before) their street dates.
The streets to either side are home to a messier brand of store, where one
can, with a little luck and persistence, find used goods like that rare
out-of-print first edition Sailor V figurine or vanity press Pretty Cure
doujinshi. These smaller stores compete ferociously for space, and can be
found crammed into alleyways and spilling out onto sidewalks as well as in
more standard configuration.
Those whose tastes run more to programming than fandom can find the area,
also known as Akihabara Electric Town, quite rewarding as well. It's the
perfect place to shop for computer parts and other gadgets for projects both
personal and paranormal, with the venue ranging from a posh cutting-edge
robotics store on the main strip, to tiny stalls wedged into alleys that
sell high-grade electronics on the cheap. The latter category manage this
feat of thrift by selling unpackaged items taken from wholesale lots, and
piled up for display like supermarket apples.
It's relatively safe to be seen wearing unusual clothing here; it's likely
to be taken for cosplay, or the uniform of one of the diversely themed maid
cafes.
COMBAT: Kyouka Okazaki transforms into Barrier Jacket Wolf Fighter!
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
It's a lovely evening in Tokyo, but Akihabara doesn't really sleep. The signs shine brightly, some stalls have shut while others remain open late, and there are a handful of lines already winding their way down the lanes for midnight releases of some game or other. There's a background hum of those countless blinking lights, and the murmur of the crowd below.
It's the kind of evening that monsters or dark generals might seek to prey upon. And so, for some, there's a duty to watch for the evil that seeks the heart of humanity.
Not everyone is obliged to be out and about. Some girls technically have studying they should be doing instead, but...every few hours, a break. And patrolling Akihabara for signs of evil is a kind of break, right? Harsh the judgmental stare of a little Kwami might be, but it's a justified excursion. Kind of. Ish.
So Ladybug patrols the rooftops of the district. If her spots are spotted from below - well, either she's the real thing or a particularly athletic parkour-loving cosplayer. From one roof to another she runs, foregoing her yo-yo for the moment to instead practice vaults and leaps and in a few cases wall-hopping her way up a narrow alleyway.
She's grinning, in spite of the chill, in spite of being alone here, in spite of what she should be watching for - because it's a breath of fresh air and there's no smells of baking here.
Ladybug finally comes to a stop on the platform supporting one multicoloured sign, leaning against a support to catch her breath, and just...casting her gaze about for the moon. She did promise she wouldn't stay out too late...
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka does often go into the city transformed at night, but she doesn't always consider it patrolling, per se. Sure, she's keeping her eyes open for trouble--she always is, these days, for better or worse--but most of the time she categorizes it either as 'searching' or 'training'--a missing creator on the one hand, and getting more used to her magic and her bond with Strike Wolf on the other.
Searching an entire city when you don't have access to long-range spells is... well, it's a bit of a challenge. But tonight she's searching Akihabara. It's a place she hasn't looked at yet, either for her own curiosity or in her search, and maybe the creator of a highly advanced intelligent device might take up shop in the section of the city moving lots of electronics.
Okay, so none of the stuff on offer is nearly as advanced as Strike Wolf is, but it's a better idea than no idea, and it certainly beats narrowing it down to 'all of Tokyo.'
So tonight she's making her way across the rooftops, largely by way of parkour, using her considerable non-magical talents in the skill to leap, climb, and sling herself across rooftops and up fire escapes, though every so often she stops to take in some of the sights around the city. All of the anime and other stuff is fairly alien to her, but... she appreciates that others are enthusiastic about it, at least.
And of course, lest she be mistaken for a particularly athletic and avid cosplayer of some sort, at one point she crouches, a bright purple spell circle appearing briefly at her feet before she catapults herself across the street at a high height, landing in a roll on a rooftop that's within a stone's throw of Ladybug's perch.
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
There's a flash of light somewhere nearby - violet, and that particular colour sparks a little alarm in the masked red-clad figure. Ladybug snatches her yo-yo from her hip, looking over to the adjacent rooftop to see what's approaching, listening for sounds of distress-
Oh. A spell circle. "...not a butterfly." It's a comment aloud, followed by a sigh, followed by a cheerful if cautious wave.
"Nice jump!" she calls out a little more intentionally. One deep breath, and then Ladybug pushes off of the beam she'd been leaning against, grabbing a support strut to swing herself a little faster, and vaults an air-conditioning unit to approach the mysterious probably-not-a-cosplayer.
"So - what brings you to a rooftop this time of night? Looking out for trouble?" The young woman in the black-spotted red bodysuit has a smile beneath her domino mask, and a plate-sized disc in the palm of her hand - held low near her hip, but held all the same.
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka would probably need an extra layer or two if she wasn't encased in several layers of magical protection that also double as protection from the cold, with an outfit consisting of shorts, tanktop, vest, visor, an armored pair of gauntlets and a matching pair of of armored boots. But she does look ready to move quickly and without impediment (though being able to clear a city street with a jump doens't hurt that image either.)
There's a briefest flash of purple rippling over her form when she lands into that roll, and she stands up again and dusts herself off to look back and make sure she didn't cause a fuss. The wave catches her attention, and she looks over in Ladybug's direction quizzically, returning the wave, and then watching as Ladybug makes her way over with some impressive moves of her own.
"Thanks!" she says, as Ladybug lands. "You've got some nice moves yourself."
She shrugs a little at the question. "Well, we're looking for something. But we're also keeping an eye out for trouble as we go, too. What about you?"
The outfit may be unfamiliar, but the dyed black hair with the purple streaks might be kind of familiar...
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
There's a laugh, as Ladybug shifts her weight a little, crossing one foot behind the other. "I mean, I do try." She lets go of that disc, and it snaps to her hip like it's magnetized. Maybe it is? There's an approving look in her eye as she glances at the armored parts of the outfit.
"I hope I'm not distracting from anything critical, then. It's not, ah..." She casts her mind back. "-no, those fell into a rift... Sorry, I was just trying to remember what some allies were hunting for a while back."
There have been a...few incidents in the last year or so.
"Anyway, I'm mostly just keeping an eye out for trouble. My partner and I like to keep an eye on the city, try to step in if there's minor troubles on our watch - and of course watching for butterflies." She seems deadly serious about those - and then clarifies. "Akuma, that is. Evil butterflies."
A beat.
"...normally I'm explaining that part after one's caused trouble and it just hit me how silly it sounds." There's a laugh, half-hidden behind one hand, and a slight bow. "Anyway - you can call me Ladybug when I have my mask on."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
"Well, you succeeded," Kyouka says with a grin. She's looking over Ladybug's outfit, a bit of a contemplative frown as she considers the red and black outfit. It's reminding her of something...
"Oh, no, it's not urgent it's more of a... well, an ongoing project, I guess you'd say." Ladybug tries to remember, and Kyouka snaps her fingers as she also tries to remember. "Right, the Lots, what's it."
<Logia,> supplies Strike Wolf from the back of Kyouka's right gauntlet.
"Right, that. Thanks. And no, we're not looking for anything like that. Probably. More looking for a person. Or possibly a place? Kind of a 'we'll know it when we see it' kind of thing. At least that's what we're hoping."
Kyouka seems to take the idea of evil butterflies completely in stride. "Hey, I fought a robot that I'm pretty sure was made out of a scarf, so... evil butterfly, sure. Why not."
She offers a light bow of her own. "Nice to meet you, Ladybug-san. I just go by Kyouka. And this is my partner..." She straightens up and holds up her gauntlet so the purple, five-sided gem on its back is visible.
An internal light pulses within the gem as it responds, <Strike Wolf.>
"Though..." Kyouka looks at Ladybug. "I feel like I've seen you before..."
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Lost Logia. Ladybug snaps a finger, nodding in recognition - then doing a double-take at the talking gauntlet, and then nodding all over again. But she does breathe out a sigh of relief when informed that things like that aren't their goal.
"Admittedly I'm kind of looking for someone too, but that's a whole..." She waves it off. Problems for later.
It's a pleasure to meet someone new, and Ladybug just nods at the name, and then kind of freezes in place for a moment. Her eyes flicker from Kyouka's visor to the gauntlet, and she seems to be searching for words for a moment.
"Ah - nice to meet you, Strike Wolf." There's a faint smile, but it fades as Ladybug takes another look at the visor, another look at the face below the visor - or maybe she's trying to meet Kyouka's gaze directly, it is hard to tell with mask and visor between them. "Kyouka-san - ah, you're not using your real name to introduce yourself out here, are you?"
She waves at herself, indicating the mask. "Because I try not to...well, I assume everyone has secrets to keep. Almost everyone." She frowns, glancing to one side for a moment, then returning that solemn gaze to Kyouka.
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Strike Wolf is very helpful. And knowledgeable. At least about some things.
"I won't pry, but I hope your search is going better than mine..."
She tilts her head a little, seeing Ladybug freeze. "You... okay?" She doens't have any problem meeting Ladybug's gaze, though the longer she takes to reply themore time Kyouka has to scrutinize and ponder.
And then she asks that question, and Kyouka figures she was just surprised by the name. She shrugs a little. "My powers didn't come with a fancy name," she says, as if that cleared everything up. "Still, gotta call myself something, so if it makes you feel better, I just gave you an alias." Said in a tone of voice that indicates she's not trying very hard to sell the idea that it is, in fact, an alias.
She keeps studying Ladybug as she glances away and then looks back, and nods. "Fair enough. I'm not asking you to spill any of your secrets or anything."
She snaps her fingers. "Oh, I just remembered where I've seen you. It was at an art show. Someone had a photograph of you, or... well, I guess a photo of a... what's the word, cosplayer? That's it."
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Is she fine? Is Ladybug fine? Is Marinette fine?
...maybe not entirely if she's honest, but she's got a mask so she can't be fully honest.
Ladybug does breathe a sigh of relief at the revelation of where she'd been spotted - and shakes her head. "No, no, that one was me. There are people who...well, I have a few fans, and at least one is an avid and kind of reckless photographer. She usually gets my good side." It's a casual smile, because that's the persona, that's the mask.
And it's masks that still worry her. "Just because you didn't get given a name doesn't mean you can't pick one. It's...well, for some of us it's easier to keep some degree of separation. I don't really get a choice, because I'm guarding a certain item and there are people seeking it - so I keep the life of 'Ladybug' as separate as I can."
She backs up a step or three, hops up, and sits on the air-conditioning unit without even looking to see where it was. Because casual grace is part of Ladybug's style, and not something the likes of Marinette would be known for.
"So - I'm sorry." It's an awkward smile, maybe the most honest one yet, and it's a little sad. "They're not all my secrets to share. Chat Noir's in the same boat, if you ever run into him - for safety, my partner and I don't even remove the masks around each other. Not now, anyway."
"She sighs, shaking her head, but tries to keep her smile. "But for you - I think it's up to you. What you're in the mood to protect, what you're ready to defy - or maybe who you want to try being, when you're out with a magical visor and an outfit change. If you decide you want to take up another name while out and about, you can just pick one. Wolf Striker, or Fighter K, or - I think there was one girl running around calling herself 'Cheeseburger Propane' for a while."
She sighs, again. "But - there are also those who don't seem to hide themselves at all. And then those who hide their names from the public, but open up to their friends - I suspect even Sailor Moon has people she trusts. I'm just...someone who really does have secrets to keep."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka looks a little bit surprised when Ladybug reveals that was, in fact, her. "Oh, huh. That's... cool?" She searches Ladybug's face to try and gauge her reaction to having fans. Then she looks to the side a little, and in a quiet, slightly grumbly voice, says , "First person I ever saved forgot who I was after. Made for a really awkward conversation after when I tried to check on her."
She nods when Ladybug speaks about picking names, finding the back of a lit up sign to lean against, turning thoughtful for a few moments.
She definitely would never connect Ladybug with the girl who managed to kick a bag meant for punching... by accident.
She waves it off when Ladybug apologizes about not being able to share secrets. "Hey, no worries. I understand." She thinks a moment. "I think I met him fighting the scarf monster... Lots of cat puns, extending staff?"
But on the subject of picking names, and some suggestions... She thinks a moment, and then hesitatnly says, "I mean, I didn't really..." And then she stops herself.
She didn't expect to be a magical girl for long. But... explaining that is something one could consider secret, and as much as she hates being secretive herself, it's not fair to put her secrets onto other people who may not want to shoulder them.
"She blinks at that last one. "Wait, really? ... I'm getting used to Japanese pop culture but that still sounds weird to me."
Ah, whoops. And now she's given away something else about herself instead.
"I mean, the first few magical girls I met after finding Strike Wolf were pretty honest about their own identities, so I guess I just followed suit." She looks off into the cityscape. "Doesn't mean I'm not still keeping it secret from some people, though. I'm pretty sure my mom would freak out if she got wind of any of this."
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
There's a wince on Ladybug's face when Kyouka grumbles. "I...hear that. Most of the victims of the Akuma forget the entire experience, which is nice, but some people...remember. Not always a good thing. But the more you're seen, the more you'll get a reputation..." She gestures, a little sheepishly, to the street below. Where there's a stall featuring Sailor Senshi merch, possibly bootleg.
But that's just how things go. A familiar expression of sheer exasperation falls over Ladybug's face when the cat puns are mentioned, and all she can get out while holding a hand to her forehead is, "Yup. You've met him."
But names. Names are a thing that...matter, sometimes, and she kind of feels she should hear Kyouka - Strike Wolf's bearer - out. A nod at the ridiculousness of that one name, and...yeah.
"...family makes a difference. Some of us have more loved ones to worry about than others, which...might matter, if I'm honest." She doesn't look directly at Kyouka - she turns her gaze to the cityscape too. "Don't treat me as an authority on this - I'm just one extreme point of the range you'll run into. When I'm out here like this, my everyday self is in a closet somewhere - but that's how I'm handling things. And it helps me be a little more confident than I might be, otherwise - Ladybug has her own style, and there's more than one way to wear a mask."
She turns, then, to wink - and leaves the enigma where it is.
"And from what I've heard, yes. It was a thing." She pauses, frowning at the slip - but qualifying it. "Don't worry too much about the pop culture. I slip into foreign languages sometimes, myself - and whether you're from distant countries or other worlds, a bit of weirdness is kind of to be expected of people running around in strange outfits on rooftops."
A bit of a giggle - and then with one more glance over, a bit of honesty. "Think it over. And maybe think carefully. Legacy aside, 'Ladybug' was kind of a spur-of-the-moment pick. If you've got the luxury to think over what you're going to call yourself...take a little more time than I did? Please?"
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka's had more experience since the first with people forgetting about magic stuff. And as much as keeping lies and secrets galls her, Kyouka is honestly relieved that her mother doesn't seem to remember what happened in Sanbu. The fact that she's at least somewhat okay with her mom not knowing still doesn't sit right with her.
"Oh the other hand, that did inadvertently lead to me meeting some of my first magical girl friends, so I guess putting up with some gossips and rumors was worth it, maybe?"
She glances to where Ladybug gestures, seeing the merchandise--she doesn't recognize those ones, specifically, but she is starting to recognize the general style, at least.
"Being more confident by wearing a mask... Hmmm..." she muses on that. "I don't think confidence has ever really been my issue. Well, not a lack of confidence, anyway..." She might have a bit of a reckless streak when it comes to protecting others, but that's not... quite the same as being over confidence.
She laughs a bit at the joke about weirdness being expected. "Yeah, adjusting to magic and alien worlds being a thing has definitely been... an experience, that's for sure."
She nods solemnly at Ladybug's plea to give a name more thought. "Well, I don't know if I'll come up with one, but if I do, I'll definitely give it some serious thought. It... would have to be a really good one to make me take it up, but..." And there's that same hesitation from before, that cutting herself off. "I dunno. I'm not really a person who likes being secretive. Spent too much time just trying to be myself to try and take on an alter ego." She looks to Ladybug, "I'm happy if it works for you, but I'll have to give it some serious thought first."
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Ladybug does offer a smile at the mention of first friends. "Oh, there are friends I never might have met otherwise. There are bright sides to this - one being that most of us will be able to share some sympathies about the not-so-bright sides."
And there's a delighted little laugh, like some fancy lady, at how confident Kyouka seems to be. "Then my approach definitely isn't what you need. Still, it can be fun to have a dramatic title to announce yourself with - if you're into that kind of thing." There's a bit of cockiness Ladybug has at times, to keep the energy going, to make it seem like she has a plan even when she doesn't...
...but there's that hesitation, and Marinette's facade drops a bit in response. "I do hear that, Kyouka-san. I hate lies and lying. And having to keep this secret at all really..." She flails one hand angrily a moment. "...it's for a good cause. But one day I hope I don't need to be this secretive."
And then, as soon as it disappeared - Ladybug is shaking her head. "...but maybe by then I won't need the rest of the mask either, because I'll be everything I'm pretending to be. And maybe that's why the mask appeals for now - I'm pretending to be what I aspire to become, in a way." She winks. "So if you ever feel like trying out a different self - this isn't the worst place to become it."
She hops off the air conditioner, then, stretching out her arm. "...and I think I've been sitting still too long. Care for a race across the district? It's good practice." There's a flash of a grin, but real or fake is hard to tell with Ladybug.
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
"Yeah, it definite helps, not being alone to handle the... not-so-bright sides, as you say." Kyouka's been doing a lot of ruminating about one a few moments in particular, but... having friends who get it helps. "Friends I'd trust my life to..." she says, a bit absently.
She laughs a little in turn. "I suppose there is something to be said for having some dramatic flair... 'Kyouka' is hardly going to strike fear into the hearts of villains and evil-doers, is it? It might be interesting to consider it from that angle, I suppose." A thoughtful look. "... Though it has made a few bullies back down before..."
She stands up and starts to stretch a little to get the blood flowing. "Hey, I feel that. I might be confident in a lot of things, but it doesn't mean I'm not still figuring out some stuff, too." Her turn to be more purposefully enigmatic, as she doesn't elaborate on just what that is. "But thanks for the talk. It's given me a few things to think about." She stops her stretching a moment to raise an imaginary glass in a mock toast. "Still, to the day we figure ourselves out and stop needing to keep secrets."
She positively lights up when Ladybug suggests a race though, pumping her fist in the air. "Yes! Let's do it!" -- no question about the enthusiasm on her face. "And hey, if you ever need someone to spar with, let me know. Well, let... you know what, you'll probably see me around searching the city. Just hit me up."
And with that, she takes a runner's stance, and at the agreed-upon signal, takes off into the night.
