"It would be really hot if Earthshaker started adding little quotes under their banner.” *wink wink*— Suki OyamaHibusa Town once had a a Kabuki theater. Though a very long time ago, the troupe disbanded and the theater was repurposed to show movies. For many decades, blockbusters would air on the big screen and delight locals and visitors alike. It wasn’t very big, but it was able to stay in business due to being popular with dating high schoolers.The advent of streaming, a certain pandemic, and increasingly frugal students made the theater unviable as a business and it eventually closed. However, the theater has since been reopened for public use, as locals organize and host Kabuki plays. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
One of the things the new kabuki trope borrowed from the theater’s movie showing days was their use of posters. Every play that came out was accompanied by an expertly composed poster, featuring bold vector art or photography.. This week's play featured several women painted as black and white silhouettes against a green background. They appeared to be holding onto one another and reaching for something far above the poster itself. It was a striking image, and one that caught Suki’s attention instantly.
Her eyes wandered over each silhouette. Kabuki actors were known for their elaborate costumes, but it looked like these girls might be in their birthday suits. There wasn’t anything to suggest they were even wearing underwear. Obviously the play wouldn’t be so wild, but what was this? A forbidden romance between many sisters? A harem “biding their time” away from their sole lover? Maybe it was the summer heat, but she found herself imagining a bunch of pure white women trying to get a tan. They were all sprawled out on the beach under the midday sun. The ocean kissed their bodies before making retreat, only to come back seconds later for another taste.
Going to the beach would be better than watching some play, Suki reasoned
But who would she go with? The Detention club had been on edge ever since Ashbringer showed up. Rei didn’t seem to think it was a big deal, but Violet and Roche were taking their training pretty seriously. Suki was too, but she wasn’t blind to the fact that they weren’t getting strong enough fast enough. The evening miseria hunts were starting to yield more powerful monsters, likely because of the flower shop fire. But it still wasn’t making them stronger. Weird.
Oh well. Seeing the Detention club all in their swim gear was a dream. Maybe this play would be worth checking out later.
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In a few more days, the school will be closing for summer break. But Roche wasn’t going to lighten up on the track team. Most of them had already cued up for the last run of the season, and would have their performances compared to the start of the next season to make sure they hadn’t been slacking in her absence. But before Roche could start the run, a girl that she had seen a few times approached her out of the blue. It was Misoka, all suited up for a run. While Roche was familiar with her, this would be the first time they’d spoken with one another.
"Miss Hananami." She bowed her head.
"I had meant to come sooner, but my classes ran longer than expected. Would you allow me to run with the track team today?"Roche’s expression was one of a storm as she eyed her track team with the critical eye of one hunting for a failing, a flaw, a single incongruity to crash down upon. Yes the team was haggard, worn raw and run hard by her increasingly demanding expectations. The discontent simmering under the surface may have unnerved a lesser team captain, but Roche cared nothing for it so long as they ran their hardest when she blew the whistle.
They could hardly call it unfair when she was right there running on the outer curve alongside them. Even between laps her muscles were screaming with the burn of lactic acid, and it was more will power then magic that kept her breathing evenly through her nostrils rather than panting like the rest. There was a goal in her mind’s eye, a distant flame she needed to smother, and even in the restless hours of sleep she managed to snatch that flame still flickered in defiance of her.
”Hmm? You’re….Misoka.” Her intense gaze flit over the popular girl, her reputation preceding her, yet more than just that, Roche knew Suki held an odd degree of antipathy towards her. Nothing terribly overt, but she could pick up on a stiffening of her former partner whenever they passed or heard mention of Misoka. An oddity given she imagined Suki would have been all for defiling such a prim and proper flower in the bloom of youth.
”Normally I’d be disinclined, but we aren’t prepping for a Track Meet, so you can run with me. Keep in mind this isn’t a jogging group, and if you lag behind we won’t slow the pace.” The tanned captain answered, nodding her head to a spot next to her. While Misoka didn’t look to be unfit, she didn’t want a stranger in the middle of the pack throwing off the other’s groove. Better to keep her close, even if it gave her a longer and harsher run.
"Thank you. I wouldn’t want it any other way." Misoka got into position beside Roche.
She cast a look to the side, a student appointed as her assistant stood with a whistle alongside a tripod mounted video camera to record the times of each runner. Catching her eye a count of three was given before a shrill screech of air through metal sent everyone careening ahead around the track.
What made Misoka the popular girl was her seemingly limitless skill set for everything. She always had time to help others, held several leadership positions, and was easy on the eyes. Related to that last point, she was well endowed. While that was great for getting hired as a secretary for some corporate conglomerate, it was not the ideal body for anything athletic. Women of the same fitness level had more difficulty running the same distance as their smaller, flatter counterparts. For a magical girl, the physical shape of their body had little impact on how well they could perform. But Misoka was a normal, albeit impressive girl that very much couldn’t ignore her physical limitations. Moreover, it was clear she wasn’t used to running like this. Half way through the run, her flesh was starting to glow bright red. Sweat was pouring down her face, and her hair was sticking to her back.
By the end of the run, Roche only had to wait maybe ten or fifteen seconds for her to catch up to everyone else. She must have been on the verge of dry heaving, but she kept her head up with a stern look on her face.
"That was-" She inhaled sharply before pushing her hair out of her face.
"Do you have room for any more members?"The sprint wasn’t what Roche would have called tournament ready. The members were far past their first laps and it was nearing the realm of endurance running rather than the sprints they trained for. So that Misoka was fifteen seconds behind wasn’t the best impression in terms of speed.
Certainly she could admit that Misoka’s figure would always be a handicap. Roche’s high B-Cup was an obstacle enough in her own pursuits, but a tight bra and guts was enough to get past it. The blonde, popular girl was up against an obstacle perhaps a bit too steep to truly excel in the sport, just as she would struggle in the swim club. Yet in spite of that Roche could admit to being mildly impressed by Misaka’s resolve to finish that sprint without a complaint.
Reaction? Yes, and it was enough of one to distract some of the weaker willed track members with every heaving breath. But was she moaning about the effort? Not at all.
”You wanna join? You seem awfully busy….” She scratched her chin, wondering if she heard of any athletic teams that Misaka was part of. Drawing a blank she rolled her shoulders, smirking briefly at a few of the stares turning her way before scattering the club members with a scowl and a whistle towards the stands. When she felt enough of them had cleared out, sprawling across the grass and attacking bottles of water turned tepid and warm under the afternoon sun, she faced Misaka fully.
”I’ll be honest, as you are now I wouldn’t put you out for any meets. You’re coming half way into the season and have a lot of ground to cover, but if you’re willing to work at it, or hell, just want the exercise, I’d let you stay. Probably the only one I don’t have to worry about motivating if that was any indication.”Misoka nodded along to Roche’s words. Her skin color was starting to return to normal as she caught her breath.
"That’s fine. It just occurred to me how out of shape I was when my kites got away from me the other day. I was too slow to save it." She straightened out her posture.
"But I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. Yes, I’m very busy and I likely won’t be available for a lot of extra activities. But I used to help my mother run the flower shop after school. I’m sure you heard what happened to it. It feels like they were talking about it every day in the paper. Yet nobody understands what happened." She pinched the bridge of her nose.
"The insurance company… Well, that’s our problem. Dad’s workplace didn’t burn down so we’re okay. If you’re concerned I won’t have time to run, I have a lot more time now. Too much, in fact. But I’m fine with just participating in the exercise too. If you’ll invite me to do that I would be most appreciative."For all that the run hardly ruffled her, Roche’s composure cracked like an egg cast boldly against pavement. Sudden horror, a quivering of the lip and widening of the eyes as the dots connected with the ease one only finds with a subject that never truly left the forefront of her mind.
How could she forget the impetus for her mania of training, the literal bonfire that consumed one bright spot in the horrid life of her manic partner. Never mind that universe seemed determined to sully and stymy her efforts to truly connect with any of her fellows.
Her hand twitched, almost reaching over before her composure returned, a shell of more banal concern thinly forming as her eyes slid just to the side. Not quite meeting Misoka’s eyes as she feigned interest in the team beyond her.
“Yeah….I heard the news. I can understand needing an outlet. You’re welcome to run with us.””Is….” She wanted to ask about her mother. About the store that burned and the livelihood lost. Everything that changed because of one girl’s capriciousness. But there was so many more reasons not to say a word. Her gaze hardened with resolve and she stepped forward, a palm outstretched.
”Look, the team’s going to be on break. Rather then wait till they come back, you could join me on my morning jogs. Help work on your cardio, and I can point out some tips for breathing. It won’t be much but it’ll get you closer in line with everyone else.”The Track Captain was still sheltering herself, not letting her guard down, but she wanted a connection even if it was built on the charred dreams of Misoka’s family.
"Only a fool would turn down the opportunity to train with the track team’s captain. Thank you." She nodded her head.
"Though there is a second reason I’ve sought you out. I’ve been told by an acquaintance of yours that you were a little out of sorts recently. I won’t pretend to know you on our first meeting, though I do deal with a lot of people. You are showing some signs of being a little… Distracted?" She raised her eyebrows.
"They noted that you looked particularly dower while entering and leaving the Detention Club. I don’t mean to pry, but if something’s bothering you, I might be able to help." An acquaintance? Roche blinked owlishly, caught flat footed as she tried and failed to conjure up who could be navigating both their social circles well enough to confess Roche’s disturbance to one without magic of her own. Her gaze slid once more to the throng of runners who’d since recovered their composure and were luxuriating in the extended break their conversation was offering, and assumed it was one of their lot.
”I’ve been trying to overcome a hurdle of my own.” The words came, vague and in spite of her desire to remain reserved. Was she truly this starved with an outlet?
”And my normal methods aren’t working. Or at least, not working quick enough for what I need, but I can’t let on to the other’s at my club. It just wouldn’t be proper.”As much as they proclaimed themselves a support network for Dark Magical Girls to hunt together, she couldn’t afford to show that kind of weakness. Suki proved well enough that a moment’s openness would be exploited, and with the threat of Ashbringer and some foreign club to worry about, the pressure was even higher. She had to get stronger, because failing that would lead to her entire world crumbling around her ears even if she survived the firestorm to come.
”It’s like….I know the techniques. I can…run as fast, as long, and as hard I can. But at a certain point the diminishing returns kick in and I’m left frustrated.”The word came out with a sigh and her shoulder sagged just a bit. Misoka’s charisma was wheedling out her stressors, or perhaps it was simply guilt over her part in destroying her mother’s livelihood that loosened some honesty from her tongue.
"I…See..." Misoka raised her brow at Roche’s cryptically worded problem. She stared at Roche for a moment before cracking a smile.
"You know, everyone in my class acts like I’m some unfailing super student who is perfect at everything. Not many of them get to see me out of my element like you did just now.“ She was still breathing a little rough, but it really was like nothing had happened.
"Behind every perfect test score or successful project is a lot of studying. But more than that, I allow myself to be humbled by a ‘success coach’, which is just someone who’s done what I want to do. If I want to learn archery, I turn to someone who’s been practicing for years. If I want to learn how to run a business, I’ll talk to someone who has a successful business. But you want someone who’s specific to what you wish to accomplish. So as an example…“ She took a moment to think of a specific scenario.
"There’s this guy I like. But he’s a little bit shy. I could talk to someone who has experience dating shy boys, but I talked to some of his classmates to learn more about him specifically. Turns out his best friend is one of my classmates, who knows almost everything about him. We had already established trust between each other, so he was fine playing matchmaker for us.“ Roche received the words of advice with a mix of acceptance and frustration. She could see the wisdom, just as she could see Misoka was practising it herself in approaching Roche, but the rub lay with where would Roche apply that in her own circumstances. The very crux of the matter was that Ashbringer was stronger then her, and her flames weren’t exactly something she could avoid just by putting her shield between and it.
Still, Misoka was offering her good advice, and a rather alarming degree of candor into her personal life.
”I think I see how that works, but in this case the Success Coach themselves is the person I’m trying to surpass.”Perhaps she needed to see if Ashbringer had enemies of her own? She wasn’t exactly local so the odds of that are about as slim as finding a hostile Light Magical girl still worth fussing over in Miso city. Though maybe the answer laid more in improving her endurance then her strength. Now that was something even Suki and Nyxia wouldn’t be opposed to working on, if only for the former’s perversion and the latter’s love of trying to vaporize anyone she wanted.
”Hmm, this might help. If nothing else I’ll be keeping my eyes open for opportunities. Thank you, Misoka. How about one more lap and we’ll call it a day?”She sighed.
"I feel like I’ll just lag further behind, but I feel like that’s what you want to see." She grinned before stepping off the track.
"Sure, just let me get something to drink first. It’ll just be a second."”Hey, it’s constructive sadism. I can only push people as hard as their willing to go, and if they aren’t, then they’re well prepared to rub out the door.” Roche fired back at Misoka’a back, a flicker of a smirk ghosting over her lips before she pulled a whistle from out of her top. It’s shrill cry had the runners return to their places, only a few groans truly being aired after she let them have a bit too much time to cool off.
”Alright Team, one more for the road. I expect you to hit this mark when we come back, so if you pig out over break I better see you running hard on your own time. Let’s go!”””
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