2024-01-23 - A Moment of Reflection
| Title: A Moment of Reflection | |
|---|---|
| Summary: After dispatching a Cardiax and meeting magical girls (including a Siren she is now in competition with), Ginka returns to her dorm after classes let out to reflect with Coraline on what she's learned. | |
| Who: | |
| Where: Ginka's Dorm at Ohtori Academy | |
| OOC - IC Date: 01/23/2024 - Tuesday, May 10, 2016 | |
Ginka let out a satisfied sigh as she stepped into her dorm room after school. Fighting a Cardiax certainly provided a break from the monotony of the school day, but even so, it was just as well that it had been resolved quickly. Her studies were important, after all. But for her reputation and for her future prospects as a Queen of the Sea of Tears.
Still, it could have been resolved faster...
The dorm room, of course, was tastefully appointed and very spacious. After closing the door behind her and kicking off her shoes she called out, with a slightly singsong lilt, "Coralie! I'm back!" She didn't see her anywhere, but had a feeling she knew where she'd be.
She entered her bedroom and smiled as she saw the sea mink stretched out luxuriously in the sunlight of a bay window. Her glossy red-brown coat caught the sunlight as Ginka approached. Coralie was reading a book spread out before her, and when she looked up, her dark brown eyes glistened with intelligence.
"Welcome back, Ginka," she said in a warm voice. She rose to all fours and made a leap into Ginka's waiting arms, then climbed up to her shoulders to drape across them. "How did it go?" She didn't mean the classes.
"Mmm. Well..." Ginka threw herself onto her bed, on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She was still in her Ohtori uniform, and she crossed her legs as she considered. "I killed it, but..." She made a face. "I was too slow. There were three other magical girls fighting it by the time I got there."
Coralie leapt off of Ginka's shoulders as she threw herself onto the bed, landing on the pillow next to where her head was about to fall. She sat up, looking down at Ginka with concern. "Did something happen?"
Ginka sighed and shook her head briefly, closing her eyes. "No, not really. I just need to get better at navigating Tokyo, that's all." She frowned. "I should have gotten there faster. I don't like leaving my responsibilities to others."
"A temporary setback, dear. You can't expect to have as complete mastery of Tokyo as you did Kyoto, after all. We'll take some trips this weekend to familiarize ourselves with the city better."
"I know, Coralie." Ginka drew in a long, slow breath and then let it out just as slowly. "I still managed to deal the killing blow, but... I'm not letting the next one get away from me."
Coralie considered that for a moment. "Well, how did the other magical girls fare?"
There was a long, silent moment as Ginka replayed the events in her head. "Acceptable. They got the man out of the way and even put a protective shield over him, but they let the Cardiax run loose for far too long. The street was a mess. Still, they did get it to reveal its true form. I think they would have resolved it without me."
"Well, well." The mink curled up on the pillow, watching Ginka. "What else did you learn about them?"
"Mmm... I think one of them was a Puella Magi. She called herself Mami Tomoe. She actually kept her temper when I tried to provoke her." Ginka smiled at that. "And she has a way with words. I think I rather like her." The smile vanished. "She's probably best avoided, however. She seems to fight with long-range tactics, and if I can't bait her into making a mistake, that might leave me at a disadvantage."
"We should find out where her territory is, then."
The siren nodded. "I was thinking about that. I'll have to look around. See if I run into her or spot some wraiths."
Coralie nodded slowly. "Yes. That may be wise. What of the other two?"
Ginka laughed softly. "Oh, the second one calls herself Sailor Mars. She seems to use fire magic, and I think I saw an ofuda in her hands at one point. Fiery personality to match. Very easy to provoke. Why, she almost slapped me!" She should have been horrified by that, but instead she just sounded amused.
She rolled to her side to face Coralie, propping her head with an arm. "But the last one, Coralie... it seems we have found another of our dear cousins. La Sirene de Diamant."
Coralie sat up at that. "Mm. This could prove tricky, then. What was your impression of her?"
Covering her mouth politely, Ginka chuckled softly for a moment before letting it drop to continue with a full-bellied laugh. "Oh, oh Coralie! You should have seen her face! She was so perplexed, when I dropped in and finished it off at the last moment. She could hardly speak!"
The mink smiled and laid back down again. "Well you certainly do know how to make an entrance, dear. How did she do, fighting the Cardiax?"
Ginka took a moment to consider the question. "Not bad, honestly. She's been at this for a while, but... I don't think she's been at it as long as I have. She had someone with her advising her, who seemed knowledgeable. A sea otter. So it seems she's still reliant on frontline support. If it were just me and Diamant, I don't think I'd have anything to be concerned about."
"But...?" prompted Coralie.
"She's made allies. Mami Tomoe and Sailor Mars were quick to jump to her defense, and she was quick to praise them as well. There's probably others, given the number of magical girls I've seen around. She may not be up to my level, but she has support."
"I see... then we should be careful about confronting them directly."
Ginka nodded. "I agree. Provoking them all to see how they reacted was fun, but I probably shouldn't do that again." A smirk crept its way onto her features. "Well, not too often, at least."
Coralie chuckled softly. "Perhaps not. Did you learn anything else?"
The siren rolled back onto her back, draping her forearm across her forehead. "Mm. Well, if what they said is true... they only average one Cardiax a month, sometimes two."
That news made Coralie sit up again, eyes widening in surprise. "That's quite low. Do you think it was a bluff?"
"Not sure. It's possible, I suppose, but... they'd know we could sense them just as well as they could. Even if they caught us off guard a few times, it wouldn't take us very long to catch on."
Coralie's brow furrowed in thought. "Then... we shall have to prepare our own plans, non?"
Silence lulled in the air for a moment before Ginka nodded. "Bien sûr."
"Is something wrong, dear?" Coralie uncurled herself, slinking up to nose at Ginka's cheek.
The girl sighed and reached up to pet Coralie's back. "Not exactly, just... There's a lot more going on here than I'm used to. More types of magical girls I've never seen before, new creatures with new plots. I'll have to be in top form if I want to survive here."
"My dear, I have seen you overcome every challenge set before you. I have every confidence you will do the same here. And don't forget, I am by your side."
Ginka turned her head to face Coralie. The smile she wore for her friend was warm and genuine, and she leaned in to touch her nose against Coralie's for a brief moment. "Yes, of course. I'll be counting on you, as always."
She stood up with a stretch, "Right then. Let's get to work." She stepped behind a screen to get changed.
Coralie scampered back over to the bay window, where she picked up a tiny notepad and pencil. "Certainly. Did you find any new leads today?"
From behind the screen, Ginka smiled. "You know, I spent my lunch chatting with this charming boy who was in the culinary arts club, and he was telling me about a big event they were preparing for..."
