Super long collab with
@Luma
[spoili]
[fieldbox= OSHIRO KIRA, #ffa938, solid]
[November 4th, Afternoon / TTC]
When Mana left, Kira considered whether to stay put with Nyoko and Sayuri or follow her. She decided to get up from the table in the end, because even if she liked Sayuri well enough it was difficult to be alone with Nyoko for too long without ending up in an argument. Kira got the blame for starting most of them, yet that wasn't always the case.
"Don't do anything inappropriate," Nyoko said.
"I'll tell Kyouko if you do."
"I don't care what Kyouko knows!" Kira stated, but it wasn't true, especially not after what had happened earlier. She was a bit disappointed that Turbo Lover didn't seem to be at the TTC.
Kira stopped outside the room, where she could listen in on the conversation without being spotted right away. Why did Mana bring up her hospital stay with a stranger...?
"Did she now..." Raptor responded to Mana, though she couldn't be seen anywhere in the room. The voice seemed to be coming from a large pile of clothes where she slept.
"Are you going around telling everyone? When you see her again, tell her I hope she gets better so we can kiss some more, huhuhu."
"Mmph," Mana groaned. Of course this wasn't gonna be easy. Turning to the source of sound, Mana spoke out towards the clothing heap,
"Come on now, Raptor-san! If you found someone special, I wanna knoooow," she dragged out the last word. It sounded a bit whiny, hinting that she was reaching the point of impatience.
"I'd tell you if I got a boyfriend.... or girlfriend."
"Pfft, I'm not interested in 3D girls. I thought you knew that," Raptor said, and the pile of clothes shifted slightly.
"I doubt you'd ever get a boyfriend or girlfriend anyway. You're way too... precious."
Precious wasn't what she'd meant to say, originally, but it was better than insulting a fellow red panda without provocation. Besides, Mana was cool.
"Hey now...." Mana replied, a bit hurt at what Raptor had hinted at. Doubly so because it was true: she really wasn't the romantic type and pretty much everyone knew it.
"I can be charming if I try, 'kay? I'm just waiting for the right moment." Her mind immediately wandered to Michio. Mana hadn't really put on any kind of charm for him.... maybe that's why she lacked success.
"Anyway, you are dressed in there, right?" Mana took a few steps towards the mountain of cloth, having adjusted slightly to the lower light of the room. She breathed in and out in a sigh; time for serious business.
"I've been put in charge of taking you for a walk," she brought up the topic bluntly, sounding resolved to carry through with it.
"You shouldn't have to be charming for anyone. They should be coming to you, huhu," Raptor said, trying to keep herself from laughing to loudly, as she lost interest in Mana in favour of the computer on the other side of her hideout in the pile.
"I'm not entirely naked, but I could remove what I'm wearing if you want."
Kira could hear well from where she stood outside the room, doing her best to listen in. She wasn't being particularly discreet to those in the TTC. This girl Mana was talking with intrigued and annoyed her. She sounded unagreeable, making Kira wonder if she sounded like that herself when she talked with others. No wonder some didn't like her. Her attention peeked when Mana mentioned a girlfriend. Kira'd assumed she was as straight as they came. Hmmm... She wondered if... Nah... Kyouko seemed too innocent.
"Oh no, you're not going to do anything of the sort!" Raptor called out, bringing Kira out of her daydreams.
"I'm calling the police if you do. That's straight up kidnapping, you maniac you. Mana the maniac that's what they'll call you when you serve your life-sentence!"
"Sunlight won't hurt you ya know." Mana remained calm, having expected this sort of reaction. She considered the threats more like a little kid throwing a tantrum. What she really needed was leverage, which was hard to get with Raptor being so detached from reality. Mana really wanted to just grab Raptor and force her out the door, but she restrained the urge. Brute force wasn't her style.
"One way or another, I have to get you outside, 'kay? Not for long, just a few minutes. I was hoping you'd just come quietly and help me out as a friend?" Mana pleaded sweetly, trying to lay some guilt on her. Their 'friendship', if it could be called that, was probably the only thing she had on the table. It was kind of a long shot though. She wandered up to the clothing pile and tried to peek in without actually touching the dirty mess.
"It burns the sssskin. I don't expect someone from the surface to understand the plight of those of us who's lived their entire lives underground. I'm sorry, Mana, but you have to go on without me. It's best for both of us if you forget me. I will always love you," Raptor said, quoting movies and comics which she'd pirated.
"Why do you have to dooooooo it?" Raptor whined, growing increasingly aggravated when Mana tried to peek into her fortress of solitude. Superman never had to deal with this kind of harassment.
"The beautiful and elegant empress should be doing it. She's so nice and soft, huhuhu."
Raptor threw a sock at Mana's face when she got too close.
Kira pondered if she should butt in to help Mana, but she might turn her down if this was a test. She didn't seem to be doing great without help.
Mana brushed the sock off her face, shuddering, partially from the smell, but mostly from the knowledge of how dirty it was. She let out a low growl. Raptor had a knack for trying people's patience.
Spawn Illusion -> Architecture -> Modern Home -> Window
Mana set a few parameters and turned to the wall as the illusion of a sizable, open window appeared on the wall to let in a great deal of bright, virtual sunlight. On the other end was a massive empty field over a blue sky.
"The surface just wouldn't be the same without the friends I've made in the underground. Come with me! A whole new world awaits!" Mana wasn't entirely sure what Raptor was quoting, but she matched the dramatic style of speech with her own and posed dramatically in front of the window. She actually sounded pretty authentic, seeing as she'd played the voice of similar characters before.
Raptor hissed, like an angry cat, when Mana decided to spawn an actual sun in her dungeon. It may be a virtual illusion, but it was still an intrusion on her peaceful existence. Cricking her neck, Raptor decided she could use a short break from her personal project. She'd stop playing nice with Mana, and she wouldn't go outside.
Leaping up from the pile of clothes like a wind-up toy, Raptor scattered clothes everywhere. She was only wearing a black bra and a pair of shorts. She didn't usually go around naked in the TTC. There were weird people about.
"Oh, Mana, my dear," Raptor said, pouncing on her before she had a chance to stop her.
"I'm touched by your affection for this creature of the depths, but our love can never be!"
She gave Mana a squeezing, tight hug, as she put a hand on her head and one around her back, pulling her close to her.
Kira had shied away from the door when she'd noticed the light, but what she heard of the conversation was too weird to not make her curious. What were they doing? Acting? She kind of wanted to jump in herself, but it seemed to be a strangely intimate moment.
"Ack!" Mana jumped at the sudden burst from the clothes. As she got a clear view of what Raptor was wearing, Mana looked off to the side and her face began to pale. That didn't count as clothes....
Mana began to back away, but let out a short squeak of surprise as Raptor pounced on her. The affectionate speech and hug made her blush slightly, more from the embarassing situation than any arousal. Grab her. Grab her and carry her outside.... but no. As important as this was, she couldn't bring Raptor outside wearing so little.
"For someone who hates 3D girls, YOU ARE REALLY CLINGY!" At this point, Mana was looking very flustered. She tried to break free of Raptor's grasp.
"What'll it take to get you outside?! Can't you just pretend I'm Nyoko when I ask you?"
This was around the time Mana would ordinarily leave; she very much disliked Raptor's errotic teasing. However, this time she had a very powerful reason for getting her outside, and it compelled her to stay.
"I don't hate you, Mana. You're okay for a 3D girl," Raptor drawled, but let go off her before her poor fellow panda had a heart attack. Nyoko wouldn't have liked it if she gave one of them permanent mental scars.
"Nothing, you should give up. Besides, wouldn't it make more sense for you to pretend to be Nyoko than for me to pretend you are Nyoko? You've got everything you need to do it in the VR system. You just lack conviction, passion, and most importantly her personality. Could just borrow her appearance if you knew how."
Raptor yawned, scratching her back. She sat back down on the pile of clothes. It wasn't easy to bury herself in them, but it could be necessary for people to leave her alone. Few ventured inside her dungeon usually. Smacking her lips, she looked off to the door, which was still open. Someone was peeking inside. Hehe, she hoped Mana wouldn't be too embarassed when she found out.
"Anywho, time for you to leave, unless you want me to teach you biology or something. I've got better things to do."
Mana's blush slowly faded, though some color remained. Any embarrassment she'd felt was quickly getting replace by another emotion: anger. There she was, just sitting there insulting her determination. Fine then! She'd make it perfectly clear how determined she was.
"I don't think you understand: I told Nyoko I'd bring you outside for awhile." Mana's tone had grown dead serious and her hands had curled into shaking fists.
"She's counting on me, and I'd really like to show her I'm dependable. I'm not asking for much: a 10-minute walk! That's it!" Her anger surfaced as Mana began to shout.
"So if you can't be bothered to do something so simple - so stupidly easy! Then I won't be coming in here anymore!"
Mana glanced at the door for a second to emphasize the idea of her leaving before turning back to Raptor. She was still angry, but she tried to keep a calm face. "I'd like to think we're friends, but what does that even mean to you? Is it really so meaningless that you won't even step outside for a fraction of an hour?" Now that Mana had thought of it this way, she looked hurt. She hated acting so drastic, but if Raptor honestly valued 10 minutes indoors over her friendship, she was better off taking her friendship elsewhere.
Raptor had never seen Mana this angry before. Honestly, she hadn't thought the girl could get angry. Raptor watched her outburt with a mix of amusement and worry. Maybe she shouldn't have pushed her this far, but it wasn't her fault that Mana generally was about as imposing as a cucumber.
Friends didn't mean much to Raptor, because she'd never thought of herself as the social type. The only people that seemed to genuinenly care for her was Nyoko and her sister. Surely, Mana could find another way to prove she was dependable? Why did Raptor have to be dragged into it?
This was too much of a bother for her. Raptor got up from the pile of clothes, stumbling over to a closet in the corner. Flinging it open, she started rooting through the stuff she'd crammed inside. After a minute or so, she came back out, clutching an umbrella in one hand. Raptor ignored Mana, as she headed for the door, muttering about
"that time of the month", "crazy 3D girls", and
"locking her door in the future."
"Hello Kira, I hope you enjoyed Mana's show," Raptor said, as she passed by her.
"She should start charging money for her dramatic performances."
"Uh..." Kira wasn't sure how to respond, especially when Raptor opened the umbrella inside while heading for the exit. Instead she turned to Mana, who was her friend as well. She made a note to herself not to push Mana too far.
"How are you doing?"
Raptor hadn't bothered getting dressed, and it was unclear if she knew what time of the year it was. Ten minutes outside during winter may be torture for someone with such a frail frame, who never left their room, but at least she seemed intent on going outside. She'd already left her dungeon.
Mana was glad her verbal explosion hadn't hurt Raptor too much. It was honestly an awful feeling shouting like that. As Raptor stumbled over to grab an umbrella, Mana threw her a wide grin. What a relief.
"Thanks a bunch, Raptor-chan! I owe you one." No doubt saying that would come back to haunt her later, but for now she was really happy with her.
As the door swung open, Mana noticed a familiar red-head waiting right there. Oh gosh, how long had she been listening? She glanced over silently in yet another awkward moment. Why was Raptor always involved in embarrassing her somehow?
"Errm.... pretty good. I think I convinced her."
It was just then that the reality of Raptor going outside without proper clothes on hit her.
"Oh, just a sec, 'kay?" Mana scanned the pile of clothes for a sweater or something similar. Picking the warmest top she could find, Mana ran past Kira and threw it over Raptor's head.
"Here. Extra protection from the scary 'surface light'. And thanks again, it means a lot to me, 'kay?"
As Raptor fiddled with the shirt, Mana gave her a little hug of her own and promptly wandered back to Kira, giving her a thumbs up.
"Sorry you had to see that. I don't.... I'm usually...." Mana struggled to find what to say.
Raptor didn't respond to Mana, though she would remember how she'd said she owed her one, and how she'd called her Raptor-chan. Huhuhu, maybe they'd get a chance to study biology together after all. When she got to the dragon guardian by the gate, she realized something.
"I need your shoes," Raptor told the dragon, waiting for her to comply.
"Yus, no proobleem," the dragon said, removing her shoes so she could borrow them.
"No worries, I understand..." Kira told Mana, but she wasn't certain that she did. Why did they have to drag someone outside? Wouldn't she just go outside when she had to go home anyway?
"I wouldn't like it much either if some clingy boy came on to me like that, though I wouldn't have minded if she..."
Maybe she shouldn't say that if she'd been in the same situation it would have ended a lot differently. This Raptor looked like they needed to freshen up, put on some proper clothes, but she could imagine her as quite pretty. She had a certain raw attractiveness.
"Anyway, I understand. It must be quite uncomfortable, since you're not into girls... Right?"
Kira knew she shouldn't have asked, but ever since Mana had mentioned a girlfriend she couldn't help but wonder about her relationship with Kyouko. What if they were more than she thought?
"It'd be uncomfortable with anyone I think," Mana replied, picturing the situation with several different people. Really, she couldn't imagine herself in any kind of romantic setting without her making it awkward. Maybe Raptor was right about that.
"Just between us, there's actually someone I'm interested in, but I don't think he feels the same way about me. It kinda hurts.... sometimes. I won't let that drag me down though, 'kay? Someday I'll confess my feelings, but I need the right setting, a laser light show, and a dozen chickens." Mana was either referencing something, or just overly imaginative. Probably both.
"Besides him, I've never really looked at anyone the same way. Maybe if it doesn't work out I'll look for someone else, but for now I just can't picture it." Mana smiled and continued with a joke,
"So don't worry, I won't be stealing all your girls just yet." Giving Kira a playful wink, Mana closed the door to Raptor's den. Honestly, it felt strange, that door being open.
Kira laughed at Mana's joke, shuffling awkwardly. She wasn't any good with boys either, but she really didn't want to be. Maybe Mana's idea was not as insane as it sounded. As she understood it, boys would pretty much just fall over for a girl if they were cute. Mana was certainly cute. Kira didn't think she needed to worry. She kind of wished girls were as easy as boys appeared to be.
"I don't want all of the girls," Kira confessed, though her actions would probably make it seem like she did.
"I just want one or two, and I'll be happy. I'd love to find a sweetheart early on, so I won't have to worry about love or golddiggers when I become rich and famous."
Technically, she was already pretty rich, but her parents would never let her marry another girl. She needed to free herself from them before she could come out. It would suck to never talk with any of them again, but if they couldn't accept her they were not worth her time.
"Who is this boy you have a crush on?" Kira asked, curious if it was someone she knew.
"I umm...." Mana looked away for a moment. This was the sort of conversation she shyed away from wherever possible. If you had to level up certain conversation topics, Mana was vastly underleveled when it came to the 'Romantic Feelings' topic.
"I haven't actually told anyone this yet, so maybe don't spread it around, 'kay?" Mana leaned in to Kira's ear and whispered,
"It's Michio." Backing up again, Mana continued with normal volume,
"I thought I might have a chance after his big breakup, but he's been all distant lately. I haven't seen him in about a week."
Kira's face visibly paled, when Mana told her who she had a crush on. Michio was her friend, but he already had a girlfriend as far as she knew, and his connection to the yakuza made him dangerous. He was a sweet boy, going down a road which Kira had come to accept she could not follow. Should she tell Mana? Warn her?
This was too much for her to deal with. Maybe if she told Nyoko she could tell Mana the truth, but then she would have broken her agreement not to tell anyone.
"Oh... Uh..." Kira raised her eyebrows, staring at the wall, shrugging, as if praying to a god she didn't believe in to rewind time.
"Mana he's... I've been friends with Michio since we were tiny children, but he's,,, Not good for someone like you."
Well, she'd said it. It was just her opinion, but if Mana knew the truth she was bound to agree, no? In fact, Kira thought Michio himself would agree. He was upstanding, honourable, proper. All great traits until you remembered he was also yakuza.
"Fuck."
Of all the reactions, Kira's was perplexing. Mana may as well have told her she had a crush on a skeleton. Not good for her? What on earth was that supposed to mean? Mana raised an eyebrow and tilted her head in confusion.
"What do you mean he's not good for me," Mana asked in confusion?
"I don't get it. He's upstanding, kind, plays beautiful music on the piano...." How long had it been since she'd heard him play anyways? Too long.
"He's even a Social Morals officer."
At this point, something clicked in Mana's brain. A theory as to what Kira might be assuming.
"Ya know, just because I'm a Red Panda doesn't mean I'm a delinquent. We're not some organized crime gang." Mana sounded a little disappointed in Kira; maybe she was really joining in the hopes of epic bank heists and other illicit activities. Honestly, she didn't know Kira well enough to assume otherwise.
She should have kept her mouth shut, and Mana wouldn't be asking questions, yet if she didn't ask questions and she got close with Michio she might get a lot more than she bargained for. What was she even supposed to say? The truth? Then she would have picked Mana over Michio, but some part of her wanted to think that he would have approved. Indeed, he was a social morals officer. Weren't they supposed to protect fellow students...?
She had to stifle a laughter when Mana said she wasn't part of an organized crime gang. No, she wasn't. Nyoko would probably never have joined an organized gang, and definitely not started one.
Goddammit!
"No, you're not," Kira said, shifting the inflection of her voice in such a way that she hoped Mana would catch on. She wasn't explicitly revealing any secrets. It still felt like she was betraying one friend to protect another. It was the right thing to do though...?
Wait, what? Mana lowered her voice, since the topic felt sensitive.
"You mean to say.... Michio's a gang member? Like a really real gang member? That robs banks and murders kids and um.... steals kidneys?" Her hand found its way to her stomach area. She tried to picture Michio doing those things. It seemed so out of character for him: like Raptor camping, but slightly more believable.
Mana didn't even know what to think about it if it was true. It felt like Kira was being honest though. Like she was trying hard to hint at a big secret without 'officially' spilling it. Those were the sort of confessions you could usually trust.
"No way...." Mana's face took on a distant, wide-eyed stare towards nothing. It wasn't an especially happy expression either - more of a shocked, saddened look worn by a confused girl whose heart was slowly being crushed.
Kira decided to neither confirm nor deny anything which Mana said, because she didn't know a whole lot about the crimes of the yakuza in this town. She knew they were searching for a new leader, and they'd picked two of her oldest friends. She despised them for that now, even though she'd kind of wished she would have been picked herself just a few weeks ago. It was a silly naive thought. She really did need to stop acting like a delinquent. Nyoko was correct.
Kira hesitated about hugging Mana, when she displayed a defeated expression, even though that was her natural reaction. She probably didn't want a hug by another lesbian, after the first one had been so... aggressive. It had to suck to find out this way, but it had to suck to find out no matter what. She remembered when she'd had all kinds of silly thoughts about Summer Nights, like how they would be together forever, and how they were destined for each other. Mana hadn't even gotten a chance to get to know Michio before some asshole told her this news. Aaah, Kira felt torn.
She patted Mana on the back instead of hugging her, feeling awkward about the entire event. It wasn't her place to reveal these secrets, but who else was going to do it?
"Do you, uh..." She needed something that might distract Mana.
"Do you want to do something...?"
Wow, she was awful at this.
"Are you sure about him?" Ignoring Kira's offer, Mana droned on, remaining on the topic.
"Like, did you ever actually see him steal someone's kidneys? Maybe you just misheard?" Unsurprisingly, she didn't want to believe he was a bad person. How could he be? Her crush wasn't like that.
Mana reached down to open her satchel and pulled out a small box of sugar cubes, throwing one in her mouth. The wonderful taste cheered her up a little bit. She offered one to Kira out of politeness, and forced a smile.
"I mean, every guy needs a hobby, right? Maybe they're just like us? Yeah! Misunderstood. Everyone thinks their evil, but they're actually really sweet. Helping people cross the street, adopting cute little kitty-orphans, playing beautiful instruments. I wouldn't mind that." It all sounded pretty far fetched out loud, but she kept at it.
"Anyway, I think I'd better ask him myself, 'kay? Don't worry, I won't mention you: Your kidneys will stay safe." And if Kira knew, then obviously knowing wasn't a death sentence. What a secret though. It was actually really nice, learning such a huge secret. Even if it still worried her.
Of course she hadn't seen him steal anyone's kidneys. What kind of silly question was that? Did Mana think Kira was part of the yakuza as well? It made her wonder what kind of person Mana thought she was. It didn't sound particularly flattering to be thought of as someone who stole kidneys with their childhood friends.
Kira shook her head at Mana's offer of a sugarcube. Why would she want to eat that?
She grew concerned when she heard what Mana had to say next. She didn't think the yakuza in general was misunderstood, though certain individuals might be. In the end, it didn't make a difference, because she imagined they would all be corrupted over time, or killed off because they were liabilities.
"You do that," Kira said, sighing, hoping that Mana had more sense than what she made it sound like. Maybe she would have to break another secret, just to tell Nyoko what Mana was planning to do. It was erratic behaviour, and Kira would bet money on Nyoko being able to talk sense into most individuals, especially if they were red pandas.
"I should probably go home for the day. Don't imagine Nyoko wants me around. Not really. I'm missing out on drum practice here anyway."
"Right, right. Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you from practicing. I think I'll stay here a while and research a bit, 'kay? I don't wanna get my kidneys stolen either." She gave Kira a faint smile.
"Thanks for the concern. I'll be careful." Mana began to walk away, but she turned to say one last thing.
"Really though, welcome aboard, 'kay? I think you'll make a great Panda."
[/fieldbox]
[/spoili]
