Igniting Hearts!

[Skyswimsky]

IGNITING HEARTS
A Mahou Shoujo Fantasy!

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Location: Kirikiri Shopping Street - Café Raum
Day: 14th April 2019 - Sunday

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@Ehb @Luma @Karyra

"Hello Snowball." Kaede greeted the ex-bully with a smile. "You're just..." Her eyes shifted a bit to another place in the café before finishing her sentence with a gentle smile. "...early."

"One of us!" Namiko raised her arms in a slight pseudo-cheer, though before she could get another word out, Akane's arrival quickly soured the mood of the entire table. Sasara, who was still stalking from afar could easily see Kaede's slightly troubled expression. A mix of sadness, regret, and guilt. 'If only I had been there...' was likely something along the lines she was thinking...

"For having 'died' you look pretty alive!" While Kaede fixated her gaze on her numb legs, the red-hair didn't seem to be deterred at all. "How bout you order something sweet first and we get that sweet smile of yours back?" Before taking a sip of her own latte as she noticed how Kaede pretty much made herself even smaller than she already was. "May I remind you that time flows like, super different in that other-space? And it was also localized entirely in our wonderful school! So unless Kaede was around in the first-" — "It's alright." Kaede finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry for what you had to go through... but the fact you and Sasara survived, and Snowball survived an encounter, too. Gives me hope that together, we can manage to beat what is about to come." Still not too much information, though considering Sasara was still missing, it wasn't wrong to wait on her...

"And for your information..." Namiko now pointed her coffee covered spoon at Akane. "There's a valid good reason I don't do the fighting stuff! I'm just kinda watching from the side lines and cheer you on!"

---

@Ehb

"How much milkshake did she have!?" Ino asked into the round. "...?" The other two girls looked at her confused. "What stupidity is going through your head right now?" Yuki asked. "Well, you see-" - "Actually, stop. I rather not wanna know." Yuki sighed.

"Or... or did we do something to offend her and she ditched us!?" Inori was loud enough to disturb the one or other guest at the cafe easily... which - considering the ambient volume - was a feat in and itself. "Or maybe she drowned." Karen threw in, looking very unamused at Ino. "...!!! Do you think?" Ino perched up from the table, nearly knocking whatever foodstuffs they had over. "Hey! Be careful! Can you stop being yourself for just one minute?!" Yuki complained as Ino slowly sat down on her chair again.

"But what if..." - "No if! I, uh, not gonna deny she's kind of weird, but give a girl some space, yes?" Ino gave Yuki a slow nod. "I suppose we have to bond some more first before unlocking the shared bathroom visits!"

For now, Sasara seemed 'save', it was only a question of how long...

 

[Ehb]

How was Sasara supposed even hope to respond to what she had just heard from Akane?

A murderer?
She killed Akane?

That was all wrong. They saved Meguru Chise... together.
Did she have another lapse in her memory?

In a panic, she checked her phone.
It had only been a day. But Sasara remembered everything. She remembered trailing Meguru, pressing the 'dive option' entering the strange mind-space and fighting off the monsters to save her friend. She never saw Akane after that. And even more confusingly, it had only been a single day.

What on earth had happened in that timespan between then an now?

Sasara didn't want to think about it.
There was this feeling coming off Akane that told Sasara that trying to address it here in the cafe would only lead to trouble. Sasara wished she could just blow through the emergency exit and leave, but she still had Ino and the others waiting for her back at the table.

Thus Sasara walked by Kaede and the other girls. Ignoring their presence as best she could.



"Sorry I took so long, I just wanted to wash my hands really well before eating." Sasara said as she took her seat. However, instead of engaging on conversation, she reservedly ate her slice of cake. It's amazing taste seeming to be getting ruined by the exceedingly bad vibes going on.

Sasara still didn't understand all this magical girl business. She still didn't want to really have anything to do with it. In yet she kept on getting dragged back into it over and over again. Sure, the last time she made the choice to go after Meguru. But, seeing this latest 'fallout' from it put a dent in her confidence.

Sasara pretended to enjoy her cake by eating it slowly. But it was apparent to the other girls that something had just brought her mood down. Almost like she had gotten dumped by her boyfriend right there in the cafe. Sasara seemed so excited to show them the cafe when she invited them here yesterday, and she even had her favorite cake slice ordered too. But it was like her mood took a nosedive after coming back just now.

@Skyswimsky as GM
@Karyra @Luma as Ackward

 

[Karyra]

Kirikiri Shopping Street - Café Raum
Interactions: @Skyswimsky // Kaede and Namiko
@Ehb // Sasara Kaidou; Akane's demise
@Luma // Snowball
​

Akane startled at Namiko's rebuttal. Watching Kaede's guilt... Akane's heart twisted, and she looked away, guilty.

"I'm sorry. It's just... been a lot. I can't say anything to anyone, and messaging... looking at my phone and seeing that app..." Akane closed her eyes tightly, as if it would all go away. "But I wasn't kidding. That tree thing did something when I died."

Akane looked at Sasara's table again.

And ordered a hot chocolate. She held it close as they spoke, letting the heat spread through her hands. The feeling was relaxing, in a way. So she took the moment to affix her 'Akane' face, and smiled that smile she felt growing empty and pretended that she was who she was before all this.

"Snowball, she said you underwent an ordeal as well? Did you also dive like Sasara and I did?" Akane asked.

Speaking of, Akane wondered how long she wanted to let Sasara sit away from the group. No, she needed to let the others have a heads up as to Sasara's nastier side. She saw something dark and evil in those eyes when she left after the dive, and it was hard to tell exactly what the other magical girl was.

"Also, I really am sorry, Kaede. I just wanted to blame someone. It all... exploded out of me. Is this how you feel all the time? Like you're bottling up secrets and pain?"

 

[Luma]

Sunowobaru Rumiparo

Kirakira street - Café Raum

@Skyswimsky as Kaede and Namiko
@Karyra as Akane
@Ehb as In the Same Room​

Snow calmed sat there sipping her soda as one party member dissed her and the other looked like she'd seen death itself, hiding specifically on the other end of the room by the toilets. Odd.

She'd expected something strange, but more the flying anthropomorphic bottle of ketchup kind of strange, not this. At a loss for words, literally in the case of those words she'd prefer to say, it took a direct question to actually get Snow's input.

"Uhm... sort of...?" Snow answered Akane. "The details are a little painful to remember though..." she spoke, rubbing her neck a bit instictively. "I don't think you should worry too much about Sasara killing you though. It kinda looks like that's just a right of passage or something, ya know? Maybe it comes with the uhm... dress? Did you get a dress too? Mine's pretty fancy..."

She trailed off awkwardly back into her soda.

 

[Karyra]

Kirikiri Shopping Street - Café Raum
Interactions: @Skyswimsky // Kaede and Namiko
@Ehb // Sasara Kaidou; Akane's demise
@Luma // Snowball​

Akane thought about snowball's comment. "Oh. Uh, I don't actually have a dress. I have... shorts? And a hat. I remember the hat."

Akane shook her head to get back on topic. "What do you mean, 'getting killed is a rite of passage'! Sasara didn't need that, she just transformed. What does that even mean did you almost die because if you did then we need to install a buddy system so we don't get separated."

If Kaede couldn't arrive to help because she was at the hospital, then staying too far away from each other when they needed help was... not an option. They'd handled it so far, but if Namiko was saying stick together... it was possible that wasn't just off the cuff advice or just nonsense. Rare for Namiko, but not out of the realm of possible.

Akane considered the situation.

"But we should bring Sasara into this conversation soon. I saw her lurking around here earlier, so we should message her."

 

[Skyswimsky]

IGNITING HEARTS
A Mahou Shoujo Fantasy!

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​

Location: Kirikiri Shopping Street - Café Raum
Day: 14th April 2019 - Sunday

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@Luma @Karyra

Namiko narrowed her eyes as she took an intense stare towards Snow, though ultimately didn't say anything. For now.

"It's alright." Kaede replied to Akane's apology with a warm smile. "It's not your fault. Being... thrown into this, like that. Yes, it's a strange experience..." Their Senpai in all things magical went silent for a moment, as her eyes became just a tint sadder. "I... don't bottle it up all inside of me. No. And I wouldn't recommend you to do so."

Taking a bite from the piece of cake in front of her, the wheelchair girl smiled again. "You already feel better now, no?" She did a prove a point, didn't she? After all, Kaede did just talk... or vent, rather.

"So what's up with the youngest of you lot?!" Namiko glanced over to the other table, as Sasara had visibly walked past all of them. Shaking her head. "Of course, even the easy stuff isn't easy, is it?" - "It's alright." Kaede reassured Namiko with her warm smile. "It's not like I don't understand her decision, but sadly, we don't have the luxury of choice anymore." Before giving Akane a nod.

"I feel like it would be best if you'd message her...? I wouldn't say she is avoiding me, but..." More of a proposal than an order. "Or what do you think?" Before asking both Namiko and Snowball if they had any greater ideas.

Namiko shrugged. "You know how it is..." She simply replied, seemingly brushing the question of. "We could just go over and say hello, no?" Smiling somewhat mischievous, she crossed her arms, giving Snow a inviting look to her 'idea'.

---

@Ehb

"Did your boyfriend dump you!?" Ino blurted out after it became obvious that Sasara wasn't enjoying herself anymore. Too easy. Yuki, on the other hand, threw a death glare at her best friend. "Ah!.. Uh..." Seemingly realizing her mistake, Ino owned up to it. "D-Don't worry about him! I might not know anything at all, but he was a moron for not realizing how great of a- MMMHHMPPFFF!!!" Whatever stereotypical sentence Ino wanted to finish, she was stopped by a whole slice of cake being shoved into her mouth by yours truly.

"It's not like Ino's entirely wrong..." Karen now spoke up, as Ino was too occupied grasping for air. "I am sorry, Sasara, but it's apparent that something happened." Taking a sip of her hot chocolate. Yuki sighed. "Am I the only one with a brain here...?" She whispered to herself, nearly about to facepalm as her two friends were rather very direct.

"Well, since it has already come to this..." Yuki went silent for a moment, thinking. "Whatever it is, I'm sure you'd like to take your mind off things? If cake isn't gonna cut it. How about doing some karaoke?"

Karen perked up upon hearing this, staring at Sasara with a near blank stare as the question had been solely directed at her!

 

[Luma]

Sunowobaru Rumiparo

Kirakira street - Café Raum

@Skyswimsky is a Kaede and a Namiko
@Karyra is an Akane
@Ehb is a Sasara​

"Hm, a buddy system... that might be a good idea..."

Snow met Namiko's eyes for a moment, before suddenly wearing a defensive expression.

"I don't do that kind of thing anymore..." she insisted, reading who-knew-what into Namiko's innocent mischief. "I mean, getting ignored is still really annoying, but sometimes you just have to sigh and move on to make progress, ya know? Sasara probably has a reason for not saying hi. Maybe they're just hesitant to approach the senpai table? In which case, we should probably..... oh." Something finally clicked in her brain, and Snow blushed a bit, waving her hands in front of her face.

"Forget everything I just said, okay?"

Awkwardly, Snow stood from the table and wandered up behind Sasara, pausing, then butting into the conversation.

"Oo, this place has karaoke!? I love karaoke! We should do a duet~" Snowball suddenly pressured Sasara further, staring at her with a face so cheerful it was almost spooky.

 

[Ehb]

Sasara Kaidou
Town of Hisahiro, Kirakira street, Café Raum

The idea that Ino believed that she had just gotten dumped was more pressing than the reality of her simply being down due to Akane's words. In any case, Sasara was mentally fumbling around in her head to clear up Ino's misunderstanding when Karen brought up Karaoke.

And at the mention of Karaoke, Sasara found herself being pressed into a sudden duet with Snowball who had slithered her way from Akane and the others at the counter in order to pile on another facet of complication in the train-wreck of misunderstanding that was piling right onto Sasara's plate.

Sasara was invited to sing with Lumipallo.

"...Um. Karaoke?"

On Sasara's face was nothing more than a look of general helpless uncertainty at what was going on. What was she supposed even say here?



...As if fate had ordained it, Sasara found herself in a booth with everyone. Holding a mic. And singing along on her own.

You know the things my heart, is just dying to say out loud.
FANTASTIC CONFLICT!
If it's just you I know I'll be all right!

Sasara wasn't sure exactly what the song that was randomly picked from her came from but she thought it sounded kind of pretty as she attempted to sing along in tune with the unfamiliar lyrics.


Though she didn't say it aloud, Sasara absolutely abhorred the idea of doing Kareoke for the first time since she didn't really sing at all to begin with. But she was ultimately dragged along by the crowd. Ultimately she decided to let herself go first just for the sake of getting it over with. The bubbly pop song that was playing was forcing her to instinctively sing at higher pitch than she was used to.

Sasara's voice was squeaking along as it tried to match the beats of the music.There was so much noise in that song though, that it was pretty being semi-masked.


At the end of the song, Sasara set the microphone down, internally very disappointment in herself even though she was expecting to not to too well to begin with. Looking at the room, she was flanked by Snowball, Ino and everyone. This was... fine? I mean this was normal things that high schoolers did right? But, why did it feel like something was off?

It was probably the looming fact that there was this whole Magical Girl thing that was looming over her mind.
'Being secretly a magical girl' seemed like it was fun on the side. Leading a normal life, spending time with friends and attending school on one side, and fighting off foes with fantastic magic on the other side. But, this reality wasn't anything like that. The fantasy was so romantic that it made this fantastic reality all the more sour.

Monster, nightmares, and the possibility of being hurt or worse. This wasn't a fictional person on another side of a screen. The things that were going on affected the people around her. Meguru's personality took a 180 degree turn from the wierd plant thing. And one monster could've eaten her alive. Those troublesome thoughts were proverbially shouted back at her in reminder every time she saw Snowball and Akane now.;

This outing with Ino and friends would've been completely normal if it wasn't for running into Snowball and Akane here.


The Magical Girl world seemed to want Her to get along with the two of them. Be friends.
But Sasara, even though she had said she'd forgiven Snowball, still didn't particularly like her still. And as of now, Sasara didn't particularly like Akane. If Akane wanted to make up some lie that Sasara stabbed her in the back then fine. Sasara didn't have any investment in This 'magical girl' club that she had no investment in. And she didn't need to be on fantastic terms with Hanako Mirai's faithful secratary.

She just wanted to continue her normal life enjoying high school with Meguru till she had to grow up and go into the real world.

But, if the monstrosities that she had seen in the strange spaces as a magical world was what the 'real world' was, then was it worth growing up to begin with?


Sasara looked at Snowball. the song for their duet was still pending.

"I don't want to sing in a duet at all, I'm sorry."

Sasara bowed a little as she apologized. The gesture seeming to make her decision all the more concrete.

"If you want to sing in a duet with someone, why not Tachibana-senpai?" She suggested politely. Finally cracking a polite, reserved smile, the first of such since Snowball had seen her today. "It seems a little odd you're latched on to us when it seems you came to meet with her."


@Luma as Snowball
@Karyra as Rebuilding Momentum
@Skyswimsky as Gaia

 

[Karyra]

Kirikiri Shopping Street - Café Raum
Interactions: @Skyswimsky // Kaede and Namiko
@Ehb // Sasara Kaidou and Friends
@Luma // Snowball​

Akane shook her head. "No, I mean I didn't have anyone to talk to until today. I can't tell anyone, right? Even if I did, they wouldn't believe me. I... I still don't believe me."

Namiko and Kaede talked amongst each other for a little while and Akane drank while they did so. Akane decided that she wasn't super interested in talking to Sasara right now, anyway. Snowball was desperate to patch things up and so why not let her. At the word 'karaoke' Akane proceeded to choke on her drink, and before she had even caught her breath she was sitting in a booth full of Sasara's table, their own table, and Sasara.

"We all tried to meet up today, but you're ignoring us, miss Sasara." Akane said icily. "It's almost like you don't want me in your club, either."

Akane sighed. This wasn't her, she was being rude and the others were thinking that she was just being strange, but she knew what she saw in the magical girl's eyes.

"Maybe you should honor prior commitments and do the duet anyway. I mean, we haven't seen you all that much lately." Akane said, wanting to project sunshine rather than venom, but... "Whether or not you are comfortable with doing the duet shouldn't matter. I mean, you're just being mean to miss Lumipallo here."

Ah she wished a monster would attack so she could yell at Sasara without using these weirdly coded words. Her fear sat in the back of her mind, but it had twisted to anger out of survival. The silence waiting for the answer from Sasara made a creeping feeling crawl across her skin, like something was loosely moving under it. Just like when she died.

No no no, not here. Akane stood abruptly and ordered a warm drink. Something real to hold and feel. She didn't need to hold her hands over her ears to hear her blood rushing through her hands. She didn't.

 

[Ehb]

Sasara Kaidou
Town of Hisahiro, Kirakira street, Café Raum


Why?
Why was Akane Tachibana just spilling out such cold lies like they were nothing?

Sasara didn't understand what she'd done to Akane to get her to act like this towards her. Just thinly veiled hostility. In front of Ino and the others nonetheless.

Up to this point Sasara had just been confused at Akane's behavior. But it was starting to edge over into something more negative.

"I... I never even agreed to meet with you in the first place. I already had a prior arrangement with Ino and the others. Plus..."

How did they even have her contact information to begin with? She had to hold back on going in too much detail before the others though.

"Nnnn...."

This was just like before.
Just like before.

Just like Chihaya before, Akane, out of nowhere, was trying to tarnish her reputation towards the others.

Sasara didn't want this.
She didn't want to need to play this dumb game of footsies with Akane.

"I don't like this. Tachibana-san... what's your problem!?"

Sasara said in an accusatory tone, she tore down any veil of discretion by saying that aloud. For just that moment, Sasara broke composure as she felt something terrible seeming to replay in the back of her mind. What was Akane doing? What was wrong with her?

@Karyra as Akane Tachibana
@Luma as Witnessing This
@Skyswimsky as Penut Gallery

 

[Karyra]

Kirikiri Shopping Street - Café Raum
Interactions: @Skyswimsky // Kaede and Namiko
@Ehb // Sasara Kaidou and Friends
@Luma // Snowball​

Akane looked at Sasara's friends. She wanted that drink to be here already. Akane took a breath and she looked tired. "Sasara, after the shopping experience," Akane said very, very carefully, "you avoided us. I messaged you last week," was it last week? Time didn't flow right for Akane right now but she pressed on, "and you never so much as replied."

"Now as much as I'd like to explain to you about why I'm mad at you, I don't think that's quite right considering," Akane looked at Sasara's friends again. "Please just sing the duet and get over yourself."

Where was that drink? Akane carefully moved her left hand over her ear, acting as though she was bored but she was covering the silence. That festering memory made her gut twist and all she could do was drown it out with her shaking hand.

"That's my problem, Sasara, by the way. That I've tried to reach out to you, and you ignore me, treat me like trash, and then-" Akane cut herself off forcefully, closing her eyes. Not here not here not here not here. "L-let's not do this now." Akane moved her hand from her ear to grab her upper arm as though she were hugging herself. Her knuckles went white from the force of her grip.

 

[Skyswimsky]

IGNITING HEARTS
A Mahou Shoujo Fantasy!

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​

Location: Kirikiri Shopping Street - Café Raum Second Floor
Day: 14th April 2019 - Sunday

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@Luma @Karyra @Ehb

Somehow, the karaoke that Sasara's group of friends had suggested - with the intention to move OUT of the cafe - was now suddenly above the cafe.

"I didn't know this Cafe also had a karaoke bar above it!" Ino said, somewhat confused. Though it did make some sense. After all, it was all popular with kids nowadays!

Yet, as if that wasn't enough, the two group of four people each suddenly combined to be eight people. An awkward mess that each of the participants reacted to differently. Ino and Namiko seemed to enjoy themselves, while Yuki was somewhat troubled, and Karen simply enjoyed their drink. Kaede, too, displayed her usual always-smile.

"So many people!" Ino said in surprise as they settled down, long before Akane went on her little crusade. "I didn't know you had so many other friends, Sasara! From other classes, too! Nice to meetcha, I am Ino!" As they exchanged greetings, Yuki stared somewhat intensely at Snowball. Like a police officer just waiting for a redeemed criminal to screw up.

HASHIRE SORI YO
KAZE NO YOU NI
TSUKIMAHRA WO
PADORU PADORU

"What? I heard this is some local christmas jingle! I… always wanted to sing it." Karen simply explained herself, as the group rotated through - though some apparently were waiting for Snowball and Sasara's duet.

…

It was then that things suddenly seemed to turn more sour.

"Now now…" Namiko tried to calm the two down with a troubled smile. Though neither of them seemed to have any of it. "Can't we just…" Ino also tried to say something, but then...

"Shut up!" It was Yuki then who stood up, joining Sasara's side as she glared at Akane. "This. Is. Weird. And I've been dying to say it."

"Friends meeting is weird?" Namiko tilted her head. "We're not friends! As is evident by how Akane is treating Sasara." Yuki stated, as a matter of fact. Shaking her head, she continued. "I… think I get the picture. It makes more sense that way, too. So, can we just stop this charade and save whatever's left of this? It's not like I hate any of you but, again, this is awkward."

"But the more the merrier!?" Ino put her fist up in the air, trying to garner support - which she only got from Namiko. "You're not helping…" A somewhat annoyed glare from Ino's best friend.

Slurp. Karen was simply watching, maybe even enjoying the show?

"I understand where you're coming from." Kaede finally spoke up, with a gentle voice. "We also had plans to meet with Sasara today here. It's not unusual for a screw up like that to happen, is it?"

"Yeah? The same place, too?" Yuki crossed her arms, having nothing of it.

"Yes! That is weird. But… you see, I wouldn't call us the best of friends, though we are working on a project together. And this meeting is rather important..." Despite her soft voice and smile, Kaede had a certain seriousness under it.

"Oh? What kind of project?!" Ino perked up. "It's a secret for now!" Just to be shot down by Namiko.

"Oh yeah? Is it? I think that decision is alone Sasara's to make." Being, apparently, the most adult under all of them, Yuki now gave Sasara a glance. "No hard feelings from your friends here." Assuring here that she wouldn't hold it against her.

Kaede looked at Sasara, too. Though it was hard to tell what she was thinking.

 

[Ehb]

Sasara Kaidou
Town of Hisahiro, Kirakira street, Café Raum

If Akane wanted to keep on playing the game then it was fine. It still bugged Sasara that Akane was acting that way, but it was easy to conclude that maybe Akane Tachibana wasn't the person Sasara thought she was. It wouldn't be the first time that's ever happened.

But the intrigue was extending out to the others present as well. Ino's imagination seemed to be going wild... that seemed to happen a lot. But Kaede and the others whom had come along with Snowball Akane were being... cryptic. Somehow it felt like Sasara was in some kind of secret society. Ino wanted to know more, but it seemed that information wasn't something that would get leaked out that easily...

Unless Sasara chose to do so.

Somehow, focus seemed to be on Sasara... again. Uh... could it be possible to maybe get an abridged version of what had just went on now? But ultimately it seemed to simmer down to whether Sasara wanted to... talk about magical girls in front of Ino and the other girls whom had nothing to do with it.

So what was Sasara Kaidou's answer to be?



"Kaede-san. I apologize for not getting your text message. But, ultimately the reason I came here today was to spend time with these guys." She looked over to Karen and the others. "I still have no idea what sort of project you're trying to get going, or why you want me to help out with it. But, my promise today was to be here with them."

"If you want to talk about whatever project then, maybe it's best for another time?"

Sasara's answer was rather short and curt.

How would they respond?

@Skyswimsky as NPC Delegation
@Luma as Snowball
@Karyra as Akane

 

[Luma]

Sunowobaru Rumiparo

Kirakira street - Café Raum

@Skyswimsky as Everyone.
@Karyra as Akane
@Ehb as Sasara​

"Oh, hi Ino! Nice to meet you too."

Whilst the drama boiled to overflowing, Snow was bouncing around the stage in song like a kid on Christmas day. Happy, expressive, enthusiastic... her whole heart poured into singing bubbly pop songs with a sweet, high-pitched voice. Astonishingly, it was superb, which made it all the more shocking to hear the sweet notes coming from the girl whose voice had only screeched insults before.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Snow was left alone, holding a microphone with a queued up song no one wanted to sing with her. She glanced between people like a puppy wanting to play fetch with anyone who could pick up a stick.

The stick never came.

"Well now it's weird..." Snow snarked in complaint, bubbly personality returning to normal Snowball. Putting hands on her hips, she turned to Sasara with a disappointed look.

"If you just wanted time with your classmates, you could've said so. We'll just start the project without you and you can jump in whenever," Snow asserted for the whole group, driving home a sense of finality she wasn't qualified to.

"But you can't hide your true self forever ya know...!" Snow pointed a dramatic finger at Sasara. "Someday soon, our team will have our Sitzprobe, and we'll be amazing~!"

Snow whirled around and began to head back downstairs, dragging Kaede with her by the wheelchair.

"Sitzuprobe... siiitzuprobe... heheh," she chuckled to herself on the way back to their table. "German words are crazy."

 

[Skyswimsky]

IGNITING HEARTS
A Mahou Shoujo Fantasy!

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​

Location: Kirikiri Shopping Street - Café Raum Second Floor
Day: 14th April 2019 - Sunday

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@Luma @Karyra @Ehb

Kaede gave Sasara a long, silent, stare. She smiled, albeit empty, for a good long while, too.

...
...
...

Namiko scratched the backside of her ear.

"That is unfortunate." Kaede simply spoke, sighing, as she let her head hanging in defeat. "The rest of us are going to start ahead, then. Just keep in mind..." Would she dare? "... Chise-san could get in trouble again, but I'm sure we'll manage without you for the time being!"

"Chise... eh? Wasn't that your other-other friend!?" Ino stated the obvious.

"If you change your mind, we're downstairs!... I think." Namiko gave Sasara a wink as she turned around, with Wheelchair in hand, all downstairs again. "Have fun on your little date~!" She waved them a bye-bye.

"Ah..." Ino sighed, letting herself down on the couch as the Mahou Shoujo Group left the booth/room. "That white-hair didn't seem as scary as people made out to be!" She added, not seeming to be bothered in the least. "You still up for some karaoke, friend?" Yuki now asked Sasara, who seemed a bit absent-minded.

"Now that this is out of the way, there should be nothing left that stops you from enjoying your day, no?" Karen chimed in as she took a sip from an orange juice box that she had apparently an unlimited supply of in her back pocket.

"What project could possibly be so important to do it on a SUNDAY anyway?" Ino crossed her arms. "Bunch of nerds! Hmpf." Before a sudden idea came to her. "Hey Sasara-chan, are you and the rest part of some super-secret society that you can't to talk about anyone!?" Letting her imagination run wild yet again, it was Yuki who put a stop to that nonsense through a karate chop on her head.

"Stop bothering Kaidou-san with your nonsense."

...

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Location: Kirikiri Shopping Street - Café Raum First Floor
@Karyra @Luma

"I hope you're giving this information to Kaidou-san when you get the chance." Kaede started to speak up as the group got comfortable around their table again. Another sigh. "W-Well... I was really hoping..." She shook her head, looking somewhat troubled. "I'll keep this short." Menacing silence.

"I know I promised you I do my utmost to protect you if you choose not to fight. But... I don't think there's a choice anymore." She started with some kinda bad news. "Two weeks from now, an Aramitama class Youma will appear in Hisashiro and attempt to corrupt the Life Seed here." Aramitama, the 'worst' kind of Youma as Kaede had given a brief explanation. The one that she was positive they wouldn't meet anytime soon.

"If it succeeds, I..." She shook her head. "It won't succeed. We'll make sure. Together. This is, why I was hoping to have Kaidou-san here with us. It's not as hopeless as you may think. If we work on our teamwork, I am sure we can defeat it. There's still time, after all."

"That is, if my readings are correct anyway!" Namiko chimed in. "But, yes, no need to worry! You just gonna have a neat training montage, and woosh, the bad guys don't even know what hit em!" Kaede nodded. "Usually, there are two, sometimes, three Mahou Shoujo chosen around a single Life Seed. With four and a half... I think we'll stand a good chance."

While their location wasn't THAT secluded, it wasn't their intention to eavesdrop - and even if, people would likely just think of them as Chuunibyou.

 

[Luma]

Sunowobaru Rumiparo

Kirakira street - Café Raum

@Skyswimsky as Kaede+Namiko
@Karyra as Akane
@Ehb as Maybe​

Snow took her seat and promptly proceeded to zone out for several minutes while things were explained to her. How well she was following wasn't clear as she kept idly nodding the entire time.

"Okaaay..." Snow replied. "So brainstorming a little bit... if there's a big scary thing coming for the seed, what if we lured it away by shooting the seed into space? Can we do that? Together maybe? I bet if we told the space agency, they'd lend us a rocket, right? But they wouldn't believe it, would they? We'd have to prove it somehow... does this work anywhere, because maybe we could demonstrate it...?"

Completely disregarding the wisdom of numerous tropes that implied it was a terrible idea, Snow pulled out her phone and opened the app.

 

[Karyra]

Kirikiri Shopping Street - Café Raum
Interactions: @Skyswimsky // Kaede and Namiko
@Ehb // Sasara Kaidou and Friends
@Luma // Snowball​

Akane turned away from Yuki's words, swallowing her own fear down and trying to be civil. Too late for that, she thought, but the best she could do was stay quiet.

Just like-

No, not here. This was fine. She was fine she just needed to... Akane stood up and walked out. She found the restroom and stomped to make some noise on her way then inside the stall collapsed to her knees, muffling screams and cries. That thing that Sasara had in her eyes that day... it didn't come out. Of course not. Akane couldn't breathe and yet that... that thing was real and waiting to kill her again.

She only needed a few moments of alone time to sort out her emotions, but it was clear. No one was going to believe her, and worse yet, they brushed it off.

Wasn't this what you wanted?

A moment where she died. Go down in a blaze of glory and prove a point. Yet here she still was and still remembered. That was fine. This... this could work. She just needed to.... to what? Pretend to be Akane again? Hanako. She'd pretend to be Hanako. Hanako wouldn't let this bother her, because she had a job to do.

---

Akane headed back downstairs and settled in next to Snowball and smiled as the two other magical girls explained the situation.

She nodded and tried to suppress the churning in her stomach at the fact that a huge Youma that made those two uneasy was on its way to ruin everything.

Akane lifted her cup to her mouth and waited for Snowball to finish. "Certainly, Lumipallo-san, if it was that easy then it would have been done much longer ago." Akane crossed her arms, "though... how do you know about this youma coming in the first place? And as for how specifically you know about the size and date it's going to arrive... is it in the app somewhere or did Namiko somehow divine it?"

 

[Ehb]

Sasara Kaidou
Town of Hisahiro, Kirakira street, Café Raum

After riding all of this out, in the end, Sasara still was left with more question than answers. Even though Kaede and the others departed politely, and were trying to nudge her to rope her into it, she wasn't sure what this secret magical girl society ultimately after. She wasn't sure how they got a hold of her information. She did not even know what she was chosen over anyone else either. Sure, she liked a magical girl show, but after the events of these past few days, it felt like someone... anyone.... -even Ino even would be a better fit to play the role.

Sasara shook that idea aside though. The things she had seen were horrifying. She wouldn't - she shouldn't wish something like that to befall anyone.

The fact that she didn't want to be involved persisted. But, after this she began to wonder in her mind: could she even trust these people?

At what point was Kaede going to decide to let her off? Or at what point would Akane take her lie too far? Would Sasara have to go rouge just to silence her?

Sasara didn't know.
She didn't want to get dragged into this any further.


"Um, well. I'm not too sure why they're so insistent on it. At first I was thinking that it had something to do with one of my Senpai's clubs she was trying to form, but somehow it feels like this is something else entirely."

Sasara shook her head. Trying to rid herself of her doubts for the time being.

"No... Ah! I think it's just some kind of misunderstanding I'll need to sort out later. I'm sorry you all had to see that. Let's just... go ahead and try to continue were we left off an enjoy the day."

Sasara attempted to return thing to normal, and continue this day with her new friends the way she was hoping it would go.

@Skyswimsky as NPC Delegation

---

Where was she running to?
What was she running from?

What was she fighting for?
Why was she still alive?


Sasara Kaidou did not realize on that day, that she wouldn't see anything of Akane, Snowball, Kaede, or any of the other apparent individuals 'in the know' about the magical going on in town. She didn't see any of them in school. Out and around the city. Not even during the times where she was inevitably drawn back into the strange alternative world where the monsters lurked.

All those girls seemed to have just vanished. Additionally, in these several months, no one was even acknowledging it. Even when Sasara tried to dig into it, the teachers, police officers, everyone just shied away from the topic like it wasn't anyone's business. They were right sadly.

Haven never reached out to Kaede, or be contacted by anyone else, Sasara was ultimately forced to fight in order to survive the situations where she was slipped into the altered reality. Donning the appearance of the Cotton Candy Witch, using the cards that represented her magical power, she fought to escape each time. The first time she realized she was truly alone was horrifying. But she eventually grew to understand 'how' to escape.

She simply destroyed all the strange creatures she could find. Eliminating them till the world finally decided to let her return to normalcy. At some point Sasara began to catch onto how she was now actively hunting them down.

Was she happy with the sort of person she was turning into?



In the normal world, she was doing her best to maintain her normal appearance. Living out wistful day-to-day life with Ino and the others. But without fail, she would continue to be sucked away, and forced to fight in order to return to that mundane life. But as things dragged on that facade became harder and harder to maintain. Nowadays, Ino and Karen oftentimes pointed out how tired Sasara had been looking as of recently.

It was easy to make an excuse and say that it was related to schoolwork. Upcoming exams... but that wasn't the case. In truth, these forced excursions into the alternate world were increasing. The foes she was being faced with were growing more difficult. No matter how many of them she was taking down, it felt like she was still fighting a losing battle.

Now... only now when she wanted to find out where Kaede and the others were did she truly start to feel helpless.


What was she even fighting for?
This fake life that she was putting all this effort into with no payoff?

Sasara Kaidou at this point simply wished for it to end.

Maybe...
possibly...
this next time she was dragged into the alternate world, she would just allow herself to be defeated.

Surely that would put her misery to an end, with complete finality.

Eventually and thusly, Sasara Kaidou endeavored to do as such.