Magical Fracas, Episode 4: School Rumble?

[PhoenixFlame]

Akari quietly sat down next to her sister, rotating her lunchbox and rummaging through the contents. Within moments, she was munching on delicious onigiri, the little riceball treat rather easily transported for such sudden lunchings. Hungry and thoroughly engrossed in eating (Bombardment spells were taxing!), Akari ravenously devours several various prepared edibles she'd stuffed in her comparatively tiny lunchbox. Unlike Mitsuko, she was very food-focused when the prospect of lunchtime presented itself.

Although quietly ''d' across the table from Shimizu, she couldn't help but overhear the group pondering the concept of a magic users club, which sounded really fun. Of course, they were kinda already a club, and Akari felt it kinda went agaisnt principal to randomly advertise super magical powers on the internet.

"Mmh, that sounds cool, Shimizu, but uh... Aren't we supposed to keep this thing secret? I mean, I'm all for getting together so we can train with each other, but how do you think other people'd react to it? We can't just have a website, can we?"

[Astral Harmony]

Shimizu frowned thoughtfully. "Well, I was kind of hoping that maybe only people who had magical powers or saw them up close and personal would think the site was serious and respond while regular folks would just think we're total lunes and never visit the site again."

Kiyuri swallowed down an entire riceball, struck her chest firmly with her fist to get it in successfully, and exhaled. "So you guys are set, huh? I mean, I guess you really can't talk to the police or something. Even if you showed them your magical powers, Shimizu kind of told me about how bad she'd been struck during your latest fight in the infirmary. I don't think the police could deal with that kind of power."
Shimizu's lips curled strangely on another bite. "Mmm...too much sour, not enough sweet. Maybe my cooking's slipped a bit since I took up the fight against magical terrorism or whatever we're fighting against. Anyways, the way I see it, the best the cops could do is function like some kind of information network, but in reality I think our own magichines are better at sniffing out these perilous artifacts for us."

Kiyuri looked at Shimizu. "Magichines?"
"Some word Kazuki invented early on while examining Ponpon. A combination of magic and machine, I guess. I thought it was pretty cute, myself. A lot easier than calling them Intelligent Devices like Ponpon insisted."
Kiyuri closed her lunchbox. "What about the military?"
"Too much prep time," Shimizu said with obvious disappointment. "We have the gear with us wherever we go and we're set for battle at a moment's notice, and so far as I've seen, our battles don't last all that long when you get right down to it. The military couldn't really help given that they'd probably have to gear up first and then deploy. Besides, I don't really like soldiers and war stuff like that. And more importantly, think about the steps the government would take when they found out a bunch of kids possessed technology and powers like the magichines. Arresting us and confiscating our gear while interrogating us and everyone we're affiliated with sounds like the least of what our problems would be if the military ever found out about us."

Kiyuri nodded. "I hadn't thought about it like that."
Shimizu closed her lunchbox. "The best we can do is get strong and respond to each new magical event as soon as possible if not even sooner. Mitsuko and Akari ultimately have the right idea. Nobody, not even the appropriate authorities, must know. They'd just be more of a hindrance than a help to us. At least, that's what Kazuki told me."
Kiyuri sighed. "I knew that you sounded too smart for your own good."
Shimizu had no hint of a smile on her face as she looked out the window. "I've got a sexy body, and that's what I think Kazuki likes enough to disregard the fact that I can be pretty dumb when I set my mind to it."

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

Iriumi barely managed to get back on time. She sat there quietly as she drew deep slow breaths to slow her racing heart from the sprint back before time started moving again. Tayuumi sat next to her, who didn't seem to remember what happened to her right before she faded, looked at Iriumi worriedly. She slipped Iriumi a small note asking her if she was alright, because she definitely looked pale.

Time to hit the medical facility, Iriumi.

Iriumi didn't need prompting. Straight after class finished for the lunch break, she managed to get up and - apologizing profusely to the young men and women all looking to share a lunch with her - excused herself to the sick bay. A few of the guys tagged along out of concern, but Tayuumi designated herself to be Iriumi's sick-bay buddy, shooed them all away eventually.

"Shoo! Go on! She can't have all of you around breathing her precious oxygen!"

"Yuumi," Iriumi protested mildly to the way her friend acted. Instead, it only gave Tayuumi incentive to hang onto her arm and steered her through the doors.

The nurse was surprised.

"First Alex, and now you, Hana Iriumi. My, you look like you've run a mile with less than half an hours' sleep!" she exclaimed. Iriumi looked slightly guilty. She felt like it too. The lady hustled her onto one of the sickbeds, took her temperature and pulse and did some more cursory medical analysis before announcing she'd just been suffering from exhaustion, and that she should have a good drink of water and a good rest at lunch. Iriumi shifted uncomfortably on the bed.

"Can I please have the blinds open, Nurse?"
"Of course, darling. A good bout of sunshine is what you probably need too. My, you look pale as death!"

Golden light bathed the room from the now unshuttered windows. Iriumi heard Ivy mentally sigh with relief.

"Now you be a good girl and sit there for the lunch. I'll be back right before class starts to see how you're feeling. Apparently a couple of the other students have also come around a little ill too. You make sure she gets some good rest, Tayuumi!"

"Yes'm!" Tayuumi almost saluted. The nurse bustled out, leaving them in silence. The other girl turned to Iriumi. Her eyes spoke before her mouth.
"I didn't go crazy, right? It really happened, didn't it?"
"What did?" Iriumi asked cautiously. She remembers...
She had traces of magic after initial interaction with you during the travel to school. The residual effects was enough to allow her a brief protection against the draining field's effects.
"Oh don't play silly, Iriumi! I saw you standing around, and other people too! Suddenly the room froze and faded out and I couldn't get everybody to move, and suddenly everything goes back to normal and you look all tired. I'm not crazy, am I? You did something."
"I didn't," Iriumi stated simply. It was kind of the truth. She didn't really do much at all and even the last bit where they struck the final blow she was almost swept away by one of the Autekkan's attacks. Tayuumi looked as if she was about to cry.
It will be hard to placate her. 'I don't know what happened. When you froze too, I stood up and ran around the entire school to see if everybody else was like this too. Then when it started to stop i panicked and ran back as fast as I could.'
"I don't know what happened. When you froze too, I stood up and ran around the entire school to see if everybody else was like this too. Then when it started to stop, I panicked and ran back as fast as I could," Iriumi repeated. Tayuumi looked relieved. She wasn't going bonkers. Iriumi looked down at her hands. She could feel the warmth of the sun literally revitalizing her. She'll be back to a suitable energetic level by the end of lunch.

"Sorry I don't know much else. I'm a little tired right now," she added. She did look it. Tayuumi nodded and sat down next to the secret verda mage.
"Ok. I'll stop bothering you. Just let me know if you need anything." Iriumi smiled and nodded her assent, thanking her with her genuine expressions.

[phil_]

Synopsis: Panko eats lunch with Erika and Ohno, and by "eats lunch," I Erika wasted no time in bullying a frehman into getting them lunch. That, and Erika grills Panko about ditching them for the weekend, then gives up on it.

Panko met Erika and Ohno for lunch in their usual spot, an out-of-the-way breezeway near the gym. Shortly, a scared-looking girl approached carrying two bags of fast food. Erika must have coerced a freshman into picking up lunch for her. The girl nervously presented the bags at arms length, like she was hand-feeding a crocodile, as she stammered out a lame "Here you go."

Panko silently snatched a bag from the poor girl. Ohno took the other with a polite and completely out of place "Thank you."

After handing over the food, the girl lingered awkwardly, as if she wasn't sure if she could go or not. With feigned annoyance to hide the fun bossing this girl around clearly gave her (clearly to Panko, anyway), Erika dismissively waved her hand and said, "What are you still doing here? Get lost, I'm done with you."

The nameless girl disappeared into the school and Ohno started to divide up the food.

"So, Kowaiza, where the heck were you this weekend, really? And don't just say you were sick 'cause I'm not buying it."

Taken off-guard by Erika's sudden question, Panko took a bite of her sandwich to buy some time to think.

"Maybe she went on a date?" Ohno chirped excitedly.

Panko nearly choked.

Erika laughed. "Ha ha, really? Kowaiza with a boy?! Yeah right!"

Panko now wished she had choked, but she forced out a weak "heh" and hoped that Erika would drop the subject after her little laugh.

She didn't. "Seriously, though, you want to explain why you blew us off for two days?"

Panko did the only thing she could think of and asked Picky for help. "Picky! Picky, they didn't buy it!"

"Who's 'they' and what didn't they buy?" Picky responded, sounding unconcerned.

"I need a new excuse for where I was the last two days."

Panko could almost hear Picky roll his eyes. "Really? And you can't think of something yourself because...?"

"I'm dumb, ok! Now help me figure out-"

Tired of watching Panko make faces, Erika crossed her arms and sighed weightily. "Listen, if you're just going to make something up again, forget it. I don't care." Her last sentence was less than convincing. "It just better have been darn important for you to ditch us."

[PhoenixFlame]

Akari was thinking about the things Shimizu and Kiyuri were discussing, and it wasn't long before Ceres interjected the obvious answers to questions that Akari rolled over in her mind. The military and police were kinda scary and a little extreme to think of, but... Maybe they were right?

"Your military and police forces consist of mundanes, yes? Obviously so, since your population has not yet discovered magic. Involving them would be unwise, no matter how well armed, they are not able to penetrate even the weakest phantom zones with any regularity. Resistance to actual offensive techniques would be... Well."

"I donno, Shimizu, even if they were prepared, how do we know how our weapons size up?" Akari interjected, but before she could continue, she was cut off by a pair of familiar face.

"Hey Akari!" "Oh, there she is!"

Miyuki and Reiko wasted no time finding their friend, carrying trays of the school's mass-produced and mildly edible lunches. This would explain why they were late, but it did not explain why Akari hadn't looked for them earlier. The whole concept failed to cross her mind after the events on the rooftop.

"Oh, hey Miyuki, Rei!" She sheepishly waved, the former of the two looking far more acceptive of this than the latter. Reiko was obviously playing, but Akari was nonetheless wounded by her accusitive glare.

"New friends, huh? Akari's cheating on us!" She declared, forcibly seizing the seat next to her and making her presence known. Miyuki tried to hold back a restraining suggestion that Reiko shouldn't speak so loud, but she fell in line with the others silently.

"Oh, no... Nothing like that!" Akari tried to defensively explain herself, gesturing to the others at the table, "Ah, Mitsuko, Shimizu and I, and... And Kiyuri were talking about what happened earlier."

"Ah, I was wondering about that... Everything seemed strange for a second, and then it got better... But you could tell something was wrong." Miyuki said with a musing tone.

"Pah, everyone's overreacting! Two clocks stop at the same time and everyone freaks out like it's the end of the world." Reiko on the other hand was quick to dismiss the event as little more than an overactive set of imaginations.

"Ah, I guess you're right... We're just imagining things, I guess?" Akari agrees, looking at Mitsuko and Shimizu with a 'Ah, help me out here ^^;' glance.

[Krylo]

Keitaro Akihito, captain of the kendo team at back at Chuuko (OOC: is that right?), strode up to Akari and Mitsuko's table with a confident smile, as he dropped his gym bag, a boken sticking part way out, by the seat across from Akari.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked, as he took the seat, not bothering to wait for an answer. "This new school's pretty big, huh? You been finding everything ok? I had their kendo team show me around right after I signed up if you need any help." He smiled across the table at the Akari and the girls around her.

Rei Shoda, meanwhile, could only look on and sigh as Keitaro sat down next to his 'team mates' acting cool and charming as ever.

Kaemon seemed entirely clueless as to Rei's plight, rambling on with the look in his eyes of a true pervert, "So hey, Shoda, I think that girl, Iriumi? Yeah, that was her name. I think she might like me. She was nice to me and everything. No girl's done that before. Mmmm... and she was QUITE a looker, huh Rei? What I wouldn't give to..." Keitaro mumbled off for a moment, the thoughts going through his head visible on his face for a moment before he turned to toward Rei, noticing his silence at last, "Rei!"

"Huh? Oh yeah, she's pretty..." he mumbled, satisfying Keitaro and sending him off on another tangent.

[Astral Harmony]

"Yeah, that's what the nurse told me," Shimizu said, covering for Akari. "Just imaginating stuff. We're all right, the school's all right-"

"But you're not all right, Miyasaki Shimizu-chan!"

Kiyuri and Shimizu craned their heads to see who suddenly addressed the group. It was a girl who wore the uniform of the student council. Her hair was dark green, her eyes were a pale brown, and she wore square-rimmed glasses. Shimizu smiled to herself. "Well, Kiyuri, we must be off. I wouldn't want to bring down the generally good mood here by arguing with this bitch."

"I heard that and-hey, stop! Miyasaki, I'm talking to you!"

Shimizu stood up and promptly left, with the student council girl in hot pursuit. Kiyuri stood up. "Yayoi Hiragi. She's had her designs on my brother for over a year and now that him and Shimizu are dating again, I can already smell the blood. I'd better go as well to head off any impending violence in the love triangle. Take care of yourselves."

And just like that Shimizu, Yayoi, and Kiyuri all left.

-----

The fight was moved to out in the hallway. Before Shimizu and Yayoi stopped walking, Kiyuri dashed in between them and raised her hands to part them. "Here are the rules, girls. One, you will stand six feet apart from each other at all times. Two, you will not throw anything. Three, try to keep profanities down to a minimum. If either of you violate these rules, I'm kicking you in the stomach. Now fight."

Yayoi looked at Kiyuri with one raised eyebrow. "Is she serious?"
Shimizu folded her arms. "Yep, she'll kick you. She's kicked me plenty of times."
Yayoi looked at Shimizu. "Why, Miyasaki? Why did you start going out with Mitsurugi-sama again?"
"Not that it's really any of your business, but at first I just needed him to look at some electronics for me."
Yayoi's eyes narrowed. "That's it?"
"That was it," Shimizu shrugged lightly. "But I really didn't like breaking up with him. I felt terrible for a long while after we broke up last time."
"So you're doing it out of pity, then?" her tone was accusatory.
"I wouldn't date Kazuki if it was just out of pity or if all I wanted was for him to fix some machine," Shimizu said earnestly. "I like him, okay? I really like Kazuki. And hell, it may even turn into love, y'know? But I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, Hiragi. Kazuki's never been interested in you, and he never will be. To be honest, he once told me that he finds you calling him 'Mitsurugi-sama' a little frightening."

Shimizu was about to get into Yayoi's face about it, but Kiyuri raised her leg and Shimizu shrunk back at bit. Kiyuri meant what she said and Shimizu had suffered enough punishment today. "That's always been the problem with your pursuit, Hiragi. You have a scary obsession with him that just puts him off. And I dunno why you're even getting angry. Kazuki and I were separate for a good while, and yet you haven't managed to get any closer than 'a good friend' with him. Shouldn't that clue you in? If you really love Kazuki, then respect his decisions instead of blaming me because I happen to be what he wants in a girl."
"I can be what he wants in a girl, too!" Yayoi nearly screamed.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes, I am!"
Shimizu folded her arms. "Fine, then, let's do that."
Both Kiyuri and Yayoi looked at Shimizu with "What?" expressed on their faces. Shimizu held up one hand. "Tell you what, Hiragi. We'll have a competition, and it won't be like the casual competition for Kazuki we've always had. I'm going to help you transform. I'm going to help you transform into something that Kazuki would like."
"Into something that Kazuki would like," Yayoi said to herself.

Shimizu stepped forward, but Kiyuri ignored the rule she laid out. It seemed Shimizu had already ended the fight. "You're going to have to come with me, though. And you're going to have to do exactly what I say. Some of it will be very embarrassing, which is a given considering the conservative life you've had. But you're not going to get Kazuki any other way than by following my instructions."
"How can I trust you?"
"What've you got to lose?" Shimizu asked rhetorically, then swung her arm around Yayoi's shoulders. "Kazuki's mine and he's going to stay that way if you keep on behaving like you always have been. But I think you deserve more than a fair chance at true love so we're going to go do some shopping right after school. You meet me by the main gate right after school."
"B-but the student council-" Yayoi was quivering.
"B-but Kazuki." Shimizu countered.
"Grrrgh, fine!" Yayoi said. "Miyasaki, I'm counting on you!"

And then Yayoi walked away with brisk steps. Kiyuri gave Shimizu an applause. "Are you sure it's gonna work?"
"With Kazuki? Doubtful." Shimizu said uncaringly. "Yayoi could probably never get Kazuki, but if she just came out of that whole 'sheltered and rich girl' shell, she could easily come out of this competition with some male attention, either with Kazuki or some other decent guy."
"So that's the plan, eh? Get her off your back by reforming her and getting other guys to notice her?"
"She's got the looks, but they're going to waste inside her stuffy clothing and refined mannerisms," Shimizu said with finality. "Anyways, I hope no asshole guardians attack this afternoon. I don't feel like standing her up."

[Arhra]

OOC: Yup, Chuuko.

Mitsuko half raised a hand, as if she had a point to make when Shimizu took her vague idea of possibly making a club and ran with it until she vanished over the metaphorical horizon but then froze when she realised she had no idea of what to say.

Luckily Akari and Kiyuri stopped Shimizu with their words before she dragged Mitsuko off and forced her into a bunny outfit.

Mitsuko had just thought over the talk about the necessity of secrets and what they should plan to do next when Akari's friends, Miyuki and Reiko, turned up. It was necessary to clam up. They had a secret.

Miyuki suspected there was a secret with this morning's strange events. Reiko, not so much. Akari turned to Mitsuko and Shimizu for help.

Bright Day declined to comment on plausible explanations in much the same way the Device had not commented on planning, politics and policing. Mitsuko held in a sigh.

Shimizu ran off with Kiyuri, fleeing from a student council girl in hot pursuit. Mitsuko let out the sigh in relief. The point seemed safely derailed by the abrupt exit. Then the massively popular captain of the kendo team from back at Chuuko showed up and started talking to her... sister.

Mitsuko speculated. He couldn't possibly be the enigmatic Masked Man, could he? There was definitely something similar about the way he carried himself.

Time to find out. "Oh, a little trouble." Mitsuko confessed about finding her away around the new school. "It's weird though, I thought I saw this weird belltower at one point."

"Hoy! Mitsuko! We've been looking all over for you!" Sakiko called out, dragging a rangy, dark haired boy behind her. The drama devotee and Sosuke, an athletics club member were an odd couple.

Sakiko's eyes flicked over the group. They hovered on Keitaro for a moment. She let go of Sosuke's sleeve. They slotted in, filling the space Shimizu and Kiyuri had abandoned. "Sakiko's been dragging me all over looking for you." Sosuke grumped.

Mitsuko felt a little stab of guilt that she hadn't tried to catch up with her friends. It prodded her more deeply when her next thought had been that it seemed they'd never get down to business with so many others around.

"I think I took a strange way here, heh." Mitsuko said, with a weak laugh.

Sakiko looked around the assembled group brightly, running a hand through her hair a little self consciously. "That's alright." she said. "Oh, seeing we're all together like this, would you all be free this Saturday? I'm getting the details finalised for my birthday party and it would be great if you could all come."

Mitsuko suspected this little outburst had more than a little to do with Keitaro Akihito.

[PhoenixFlame]

"Only a little." Akari smiled to Keitaro's question, glad that the situation had been elegantly defused and that more normal things had replaced it. Keitaro Akihito wasn't a boy she'd talked to often before, and while she tried to be as polite as possible, she couldn't help but wonder if he was the masked boy that'd helped them earlier. His timing, and arrival at their particular table was curious, and he was about the same size...

Surely, he knew who she was, right? Of course, there's no way he'd admit to it, the boy wore a mask for a reason, right? Ceres wouldn't say anything either way, but Akari did remember her earlier suggestion. 'I would encourage any martial extracurricular activities', she said. Well, what better way to find out who the masked boy was?

"Ooh, Kendo! Our older brother was really good at that, and I've thought about learning things myself." Akari tried to be conversational, blissfully oblivious to Keitaro's motives while her friends quietly whispered between each other, no doubt about the unfolding scene. Around that time, Sakiko arrived, and everything went silent. Too silent, and Akari could feel a palpable tension she hadn't anticipated before.

"Aah... I suppose it wouldn't be a problem?" She finally replied after a short moment of strenuous tension, immediately after which Reiko and Miyuki both followed suit with equally nebulous affirmative responses.

[Inbred Chocobo]

"Seems you are getting settled in finally Keitaro." Ito Nori stated in greeting as he walked up to the table. The boy looked around, seeing the girls he was sitting around. "Haven't even been here a week and you already are going after the girls?" Nori joked passingly. After a chuckle at Keitaro's witty response, Nori seated himself at the table, taking up whatever empty space he could.

"You best be careful, you are now trying to compete with the legendary Kazunori in terms of attractiveness. Most girls here always get that dazed look in their eyes when they see him. Along with his dashing best friend." Nori jokingly said, trying to pose and look sexy while he cracked out another line. "You would have liked to meet Kazu, I think he would give you a run for your money in not only women but Kendo as well. It's too bad he is out sick today." Nori took a bite of some food he had on him, giving it a good chew while he thought for a moment.

"Over the weekend I checked up on him and he seemed fine. Probably wasn't looking forward to being attacked by girls and wanted to delay it for a few days." Nori started to go into a rant. For him, this was normal behavior, and for those people that would be used to him would learn soon that they should just tone him out after a while.