View source for 2019-01-24 - TIMELINE 2: The Amazing Race! Marriage On The Line!

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! style="background:#CC6699; border: 2px #CC0033 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''TIMELINE 2: The Amazing Race! Marriage On The Line!'''
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|'''Summary''':<br>
''It's mandatory school marathon day, and Madoka and Eri are doing better than they used to.  Sayaka challenges herself with an extra burden.''
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|'''Who''':<br>
[[Madoka Kaname]], [[Sayaka Miki]], [[Eri Shimanouchi]]
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|'''Where:'''<br>
Southern Cross Island Bridge

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|'''OOC - IC Date:'''<br>
1/24/2019 - 04-20-14
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 <Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
 <SoundTracker> Postmeridie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ6P_M0a0KA

What a lovely spring day for a run.

Madoka's twintails stream behind her. Her sneakers pound the concrete of the pedestrian walkway on the edge of the Southern Cross Bridge. Her arms pump and her breathing is controlled.

Well, mostly controlled.

Turning her face into the wind that's kicked up, she giggles in an overflow of joy. Her cup brimmeth over. 

Then she windmills her arms as she turns, and starts running backwards.

So that she can look at her companions.

There are a stampede of slower students so far behind them that they can't even be seen, and some serious sprinters way ahead (who may well get tired before this day is done). Somehow or other, though, Madoka has wound up in a pocket of space -- of privacy, even, given the distance of other students -- with two of her very best friends.

"I wonder if we should try to win this year," she wonders aloud, with the twinkle in her eye that spells mischief.

 <Pose Tracker> Sayaka Miki [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Sayaka has the same gym uniform on as the others, the only points of customization being her black kneehigh athletic socks and a blue sweatband on her wrist. She grins at Madoka as she comes to face them.

"Ara ara," Sayaka says. "If you want to win, you should run face-forwards... everybody's gonna feel bad if you beat them running backwards. But come to think of it..."

Sayaka surges forward and grabs the back of Madoka's thighs, hefting her up over her shoulder stomach-down. Speeding forward to try and make Madoka squeal at the speed, she further damages the efficiency of the group's run, bearing Madoka along like a Viking captive.

"I'm not so sure about you winning! How much competition do you think I can handle? If a girl as cute as you wins the whole race, I'm going to be fighting off boys for weeks!"

 <Pose Tracker> Eri Shimanouchi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.


One year ago she was near the top of the bottom half of her class in this. It's strange what surprises a year can bring. Her legs were feeling the burn, a sheen of sweat was matting the bangs of her green hair making it a shade darker. And yet her side didn't hurt, her breathing was staying slow, rhythmic. And most of all...

... she was keeping up with the other two.

When Madoka turns around she picks up the pace just long enough to catch up a little to the other girl running backwards. "Show off." She accuses in a good-natured tease. Which is when she nods, "Right? Right?" Agreeing with Sayaka on people feeling bad if Madoka beat them like that.

Which is when her hand reaches up to pluck a cherry blossom petal off her forehead, presenting it forward. During this time in Spring, they were everywhere. Holding up that petal like a trophy, while her other pumps from side to side.

She doesn't say anything, but after a moment she starts to giggle on her own between her breathing.

Which is when Sayaka acts, surging past her as well, and hefting Madoka up over her shoulder like that, cutting her off, as she gets a wry look from Eri. "... I stand corrected." She adds playfully on who the show off is. 

Before then deciding to play along, "Hey don't elope with her mid-race just because you don't want the competition for her hand!" 

Abruptly she picks up the pace, into a sprint, hands slicing at the air and feet stabbing at the concrete as she tries to gain on her, looking her friend in the eyes. "Don't worry Madoka...!" As if she were going to save her, however then she starts to gain on Sayaka on her right side, as she says solemnly, "I may not be able to stop her but - I'll remember your single days fondly-!"

Which is when she then catches up to Sayaka's right shoulder and declares, "On your right!"

Before then picking up the pace further, trying to get ahead in a slight lead in the opportunity presented by Sayaka carrying two, "Because after I win this race - I'll dedicate it to you!"


 <Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Madoka is accessorizing with her ribbons, of course, but she also has a headband. She can feel the kanji written inside it burning on her forehead -- whenever she thinks about it too much, her cheeks start burning too.

That isn't right now, though.

"Uehihihihihihiiiiiii--!" she shrieks as Sayaka accelerates, any hint of protest subsumed by the raw and infectious glee. Highly trained at the art of being Picked Up by her best friend, she kicks her legs and squirms exactly enough to not disrupt the stride of her captor.

"--ehe," she pants, in time with her tummy smacking Sayaka's shoulder. She wasn't out of breath before but now she's lost all her air to laughter. A worthwhile sacrifice. "My feet -- will still -- cross the finish line first!"

She bends her knees to a right angle, and points her toes like she's in ballet.

Eri starts to pass them, and she jukes her outer leg to one side, trying to (very gently) fend off the pass like a racecar might do by opening the passenger door (in a very unconventional race).

"Watch - us - beat you!" Something smacks the top of her head. "Oof!" It's Kyuubey, he's jumped down from somewhere, so now Sayaka is running for three (well, two plus fairy).

Mad Madoka: Furry Road.

 <Pose Tracker> Sayaka Miki [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Sayaka woofs a bit as Madoka's pointed toes shift her center of balance way forward. "You clever little... what if I run backwards too huh? ...well I guess then your head will stick out. Oof." Kyuubey doesn't weigh that much, but somehow it's the thought that counts, having him up on there as well. "This is a bridal procession, not a taxi," she scolds Kyuubey.

She grins with a little laugh as Eri voices, if not support, at least acceptance to the idea of a destined marriage. "I'm glad I have your--whoa!" Sayaka loses her balance, stumbling around a bit as Madoka's leg shoots out to one side, but she wobbles onward as best she can, in fact trying to increase her speed to keep Madoka's leg in Eri's way.

"Aaa...! Gah!" Eri's unencumbered speed is too much, and she finally wins. Sayaka lets Madoka down, pulling her thighs down to send her feet towards the ground, and letting her hands slide to catch Madoka's waist to stabilize her as she lands.

"Hey," she asks, setting aside her raucous demeanor for a moment to examine her best friend's eyes. "Do you really wanna win?"

Sayaka's been Madoka's constant companion for a long time. She knows that Madoka, historically, never comes first in much of anything, even if she doesn't come last either.

 <Pose Tracker> Eri Shimanouchi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.


Madoka sticks out her leg, which forces Eri to either take the circuitous route around her leg or duck under. 

While sprinting she first tries to duck her head, but then as Sayaka wobbles precariously in a way that might cause the leg to actuallys trike her if she tried... she starts to do a little diagonal run to the side and takes the longer route. It cuts off her attempt to gain the lead. "No way! Don't be so selfish! Winning the race on your wedding day would just be too much!"

Kyubey leaps down and Eri catches the flicker of motion, holding up one arm that was previously knifing the air, "Good thinking Kyubey! They'll be that much slower while carrying you too!"

Still, she's only gained a little bit despite the encumbrance of the two of them. Just a few paces ahead when Sayaka puts Madoka down. Instead of taking this oppurtunity to pull even further ahead, she actually slows down a pace, to allow herself to catch her breath some while she has this lead.

It's hard to say whether she catches the exchange between the two.

Instead Eri calls backwards from perhaps just two dozen meters ahead, "You have my acceptance-!" 

As one might accept a force of nature, Sayaka Miki's adoration of Madoka Kaname in her own way is simply one she does.

The girl slows down further, deciding to turn around rather than use this oppurtunity to truly pull ahead. She'd realized that right now... winning didn't matter as much to her as enjoying this with the two of them

Cupping one hand over her mouth, she calls out almost gleefully, "... if you want my support then you two will have to win the race and fend her other suitors off properly!"


 <Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Madoka's eyes are still laughing, even without her voice.

They aren't running at all now, and their lead on The Great Mass Of Students will evaporate to nothing far too quickly. She quickly composes herself to seriousness, to match Sayaka's.

"Nn-nn," she decides, and since they're nose to nose, Sayaka's is kissed by the shaking of her head. Sayaka's cheeks smell like strawberry shampoo now too. "That would mean having to see other people." She probably means ''during the race'', disrupting their bubble of privacy, but it kind of intersects with all the supposed attention their victory would achieve, too.

The sun dims a little as a smile unfurls across Madoka's lips. It can't take the competition.

Then she moves a step back and lines up next to Sayaka, scrupulously fair as she proposes they start again: "Set, go!"

And they're off. They'll blow right by Eri if she doesn't speed up.

"Better hurry!" she calls forward. "Loser has to marry Kyuubey!"

&lt;&lt; I don't understand humans. &gt;&gt;

 <Pose Tracker> Sayaka Miki [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

A hesitant smile tickles the corners of Sayaka's cheeks. Humbly, she dips her head, not finding the words for who Madoka is--that she'd want to spend time together rather than win. Sayaka used to be a Sailor Moon fan, but Madoka is what Sayaka had always hoped Sailor Moon would be like, and she's been here the whole time.

She bops her nose into Madoka's, like two bumper cars. "Okay," she agrees.

Gaily Eri calls back, and the provocation causes Sayaka to stand bolt upright and raise her fist. "Hey! Who asked for your support anyway? You and the rest of 'em can object at the wedding, if you dare!"

Turning back to Madoka, she smiles gamely. "Whoa! High stakes!" Tossing herself into a sprint, she keeps pace with Madoka, whose athletic progress lately has been startling. Sayaka's used to either hanging back with Madoka and her tiny little legs, or waving while lapping her.

"On your right, Ericchi!" Sayaka calls.

 <Pose Tracker> Eri Shimanouchi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
 <SoundTracker> Sora wo Miagete - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOnXWk-Bwno


"Just try inviting me and see what happens!" The girl calls back just as gaily as before, not wilting at all despite the raised fist.

And then - 'set go!' "Huh!?" The girl wonders what happened during those few moments when the two were alone. And suddenly she's stumbling into a quick pivot to turn around, forcing herself into a sudden momentum to not outright not just lose her lead, but to fall behind. She prevents the two gaining an explosive lead but- 'On your right, Ericchi!'

With the two of them just ahead of her. The race isn't lost yet but...

"No way!" With a tiny wail, like she's caught in the despair of suddenly being in last place...

Rather than dwell on it, she asks ahead to the fluffy little tailed mascot, "Hey Kyubey - just in case - how do you feel about being a house husband?"

However, she then breaks into laughter.

She starts to pick up the pace under the momentum of the thought of Kyubey in a little tuxedo. The sky is clear, the air is fresh, and she's running almost in time with the two.

She never thought she'd enjoy running as much as she is right now.

Funny how things change.



[[Category:Logs]]