A few days after hashing out the basic details of their little beach trip, Nyxia once again found herself making her way to her partner’s high school. Since the Neon Tempest didn’t want any of the club members to know where she lived (besides Rei, who seemed to know everything about everyone), she and Roche had agreed to meet up outside the school and then “collect” the others. Since it was closed for summer break, there wasn’t likely to be anyone around, which was an added benefit to meeting there, instead of her house.
As Nyxia expected, her little theft had caused her parents to have a not-so-minor freakout, prompting them to triple the usual security detail. While this wouldn’t inhibit the Neon Tempest’s ability to leave the palatial mansion, it
would prove a rather substantial obstacle for anyone trying to enter the property uninvited. Of course, there was still the problem of being gone for an entire day without anyone noticing, but as it happened, even the mysterious break-in and burglary wasn’t enough to keep her parents from visiting their relatives in Osaka. That meant she would only need to deal with the servants who barely paid her any mind in the first place. She only had to tell them that she wasn’t feeling well, and thus would not be having any meals, to ensure they never tried to enter her room and subsequently discover her absence.
Since she would be attending the upcoming outing in her magical girl form, Nyxia had chosen not to bring along any of the usual beach supplies. After all, there wasn’t any need for goggles, sunscreen, or anything similar when her practically superhuman body could shrug off such mundane issues with effortless ease. And as far as beach attire went, her outfit might as well have been a swimsuit anyway. That just left the transportation, something Roche had assured her that
she would be taking care of.
“Hopefully it’s big enough that I don’t have to sit anywhere near Suki…” the Neon Tempest muttered as she leaned against the school gate and waited for her partner to arrive. Then again, for all she knew, the code keeper could have borrowed the track team’s bus…
Unfortunately for Roche, the track team rented their bus and didn’t have it just laying down on their off season.
But much as Suki could abuse her magical powers for less-than-honest pursuits, Roche had no issues going to a car rental lot and driving out with a van. A Magical Girl’s ability to go unseen meant things like paying for goods was more optional than requirement to life.
Nyxia would be visited by the sight of a white can rolling to a stop before her, the driver’s side window down with an untransformed Roche leaning out. She gave a small wave before slapping the door beneath her.
“Bad news, it’s not as comfy as a bus. Good news, you get shotgun and it’s got better AC then the track bus. Come on in, we got to round up the others and you’ll have to wrangle Suki into the back.”Given how much the blood fiend tried to avoid her, Roche was entirely serious in thinking they’d be forcing Suki into the backseat at laser point. At least she expected Tsubomi to be easy.
As Nyxia came around she would catch glimpses of the trunk already loaded, flashes of colorful umbrellas, towels, and the long plastic tubes of snorkel gear. Roche didn’t draw attention to it, but in her ‘requisitions’, she had made a considerable effort to try and address everyone’s needs. It didn’t take someone with intimate knowledge of her to know Earthshaker was definitely an enthusiastic prepper.
“As long as I don’t have to sit anywhere near that perverted freak, I suppose it’ll work,” Nyxia conceded as she climbed into the passenger seat and propped her massive death ray between her and the closed door.
Its size was so great that the barrel threatened to impale anyone sitting directly behind her, but that would be a problem for said hypothetical person to deal with. Still, as she pulled the seat back and made herself comfortable, the Neon Tempest couldn’t help but catch a glimpse of the pile of beach equipment Roche had gathered for their trip. In particular, the colorful foam tubes called to mind her physical therapy sessions with Kaito at the family’s pool. Those sessions had predictably ended with her brother’s passing, but they remained cherished memories, nonetheless.
“You sure didn’t skimp on the supplies,” Nyxia noted with an amused smirk.
“So, where to first?”Roche would have liked to have corrected Nyxia and explained that Suki wasn’t as much of a freak as she thought her to be. That she was simply as warped as the rest of them, just in her own unique way, but try as she might it was hard to deny that Suki had set some awful examples of herself before Nyxia. That they even congregated in the same room together was miracle enough for the Rule Keeper not to press her luck.
Instead she looked back at the beach going supplies, pleased that she’d left enough of a gap to still see out the rear window.
”I tried to account for everyone. Got a propane camping stove if we manage to knab some fish or crabs, and there’s a cooler back there with drinks and garnishes.”Even with Suki’s disastrous cooking skills, it was hard to screw up melting butter over cooked fish, after all.
With Nyxia aboard and the Omega Obliterator angled towards the backseat like a massive threat towards children whining if they were there yet, Roche pulled out of the empty school lot and onto the streets. Unlike when she ran as a Magical Girl, her driving was slow, methodical, and both hands remained firmly glued to the wheel. Her eyes slid briefly to Nyxia before returning to the road.
”We pick up Tsubomi first. She and Suki seem to get along, so having her already here should keep Suki from making you use your baby to settle her down.”“What a pity,” Nyxia remarked with a wry smile.
“And here I was thinking that would be the highlight of my day.”Despite her words, the Neon Tempest knew that this course of action was probably for the best. After all, the less interaction she had with Suki, the better. Stretching herself out, Nyxia closed her eyes and allowed a contented smile to spread across her face. One arm rested over her stomach, while the other was wrapped around the Omega Obliterator, her hand gently caressing the beloved energy cannon. Now that she thought about it, this was her first time riding in a vehicle in several years. Indeed, she had only been allowed to leave the house a mere handful of times in her young life. Thus, this opportunity was one to be cherished. Perhaps it wasn’t as exhilarating as hunting Miseria, while leaping across the rooftops with supernatural agility, but it still had its own unique charms all the same, and thanks to Roche’s unhurried pace, she had ample time to savor it.
A relaxing drive through the city, with Roche stopping for exactly three seconds at every stop sign and maintaining a respectful distance between her and any car ahead. Fortunately for her Nyxia seemed to enjoy the painfully slow driving and they both came to relish the peaceful drive.
But all things had to come to an end, and they soon pulled up before the home of their resident drug dealer. Roche pulled out her phone and snapped off a text to Tsubomi announcing their arrival before settling back to wait, hoping she’d be as smooth as Nyxia’s pick up was.
For her part, Tsubomi was strangely already ready to leave when the others arrived. Though by “ready,” really, she was just awake. She didn’t bother bringing anything with her, nor with leaving a note for her working aunt and uncle. Instead she simply walked outside, and after considering getting in the trunk for a few moments, got in the car behind Nyxia.
The Neon Tempest barely acknowledged Tsubomi’s arrival, simply half opening one eye to watch as the emotionless girl slipped under her energy cannon’s barrel and into the seat behind her. This arrangement met with Nyxia’s unspoken approval, since she doubted someone so utterly apathetic would do anything to bother her relaxation, and the girl’s presence would hopefully prevent Suki from doing likewise.
Seeing the lack of reaction from both passengers as a blessing, Roche pulled back onto the road and set them steadily trundling along to find Suki in her hovel. This would likely not be easy, but she hoped seeing them all together in the car already would keep Suki from making too much of a fuss.
And worse comes to worse, Nyxia can wing her in the leg and drag her inside.
”That’s her place. Let’s hope she’s ready.” Roche murmured to herself, shooting off a quick text before leaning back, only the tightness of her hands on the steering wheel betraying her apprehension.
If there was something the motley crew knew about Suki, it was that she was despised just as much, if not more, by her own housemates than the rest of the detention club. If she was ready to go, she’d have been waiting in the picnic area where there was sure to be no one at this hour of the day. And sure enough, there was no one there.
Not even Suki.
One of the picnic tables had a piece of paper with the words “Have Fun” taped to the top of it. The rough, scribbled kanji could only belong to Suki, unless tsome underclassmen with a learning deficiency had come by.
The trio however didn’t need to vacate their vehicle and see the scribbled note to know Suki wasn’t anywhere there. Roche’s head hit the steering wheel as she groaned in misery, the seconds trickling by without any sense of Suki’s saccharine magical energy nearby.
”We….we can’t just go without her. It wouldn’t be a team building exercise without us all there.” Roche was certainly speaking more to convince herself then anyone else. In a shimmer of magic she was transformed, letting her sense for darkness steer her head in the direction of the nearest concentration. Given it wasn’t even midday it was unlikely to be a Miseria, so she quickly turned onto the streets and went off in pursuit of the feeling of Suki’s presence.
”She might not come willingly, but she’s coming with us even if we need to tie her to the roof.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” Nyxia noted, not even bothering to open her eyes.
“It’s better than having her bothering us in here.”In all honesty, the Neon Tempest would have preferred if they’d just left without the blood witch, but she knew how persistent Roche could be, and that it was pointless to try and sway her once she’d fixated herself on a course of action.
The van rumbled forward. The magical signature grew stronger as Roche neared what was sure to be her target. She turned the corner and looked to the roof… only to see Willow whimsically playing on her violin. She bound away without giving the van a second glance.
Suki might have had a magical signature if she was transformed, but an untransformed magical girl was pretty difficult to spot. But Roche had been told something recently. What was it? Something about having an expert on things you’re less familiar with? Was there a Suki expert around somewhere?
After unhelpfully coming across a fellow Detention Club member Roche growled in frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose as they settled in at a red light. She’d hoped she could have simply sensed Suki out, but this was a girl who had made an art form of avoiding Roche.
Clearly if Suki didn’t want to be found, Roche wouldn’t find her….but would another manage it?
”You know, this might be a long shot, buuuuuuuut,” Roche rolled the word off her tongue as she returned to her normal state, no doubt startling some drivers when the empty driver seat was suddenly filled.
”Tsubomi, where do you think Suki is?”It took a moment for Tsubomi to respond. And then another moment. And another moment. And another. And another. Finally, after staring out the window for long enough that one would think she hadn’t heard, she replied.
”Somewhere with no people. Or just enough people for her to play with. The school? The pool? Hmm…” She was saying more words than normal, but they were slow on their way out of her mouth.
”If Suki wants to feel good, she might be somewhere quiet where there’s a handful of people. If she already feels bad, she might be somewhere where she can be alone.” A spark of thought traveled through her brain.
”It’s hot out.”About fifty seconds of silence passed.
”It would be hard to catch her in the forest…”After a bit of rambling, the resident Suki expert seemed to decide on the forest as where the blood molester magical girl might be hiding. Roche might have scoffed at the idea of Suki running off into the wilds, but it wasn’t as if she’d ever looked there before either.
”Okay if she’s in the woods, we’ll at least have an easy time sensing her. Though if she’s got any thralls I’ll need a hand carrying them out.” She grumbled as they pulled up at the nearest parking spot, hopping out and storming into the woods in her transformed state.
“Let’s hope she doesn’t,” Nyxia muttered, not opening her eyes or making any move to exit the now parked van.
…
…
…
Somehow the universe had conspired that a simple team building activity, really more a thinly veiled vacation in reality, had turned into a nature hike for Earthshaker alone.
And it may not even prove fruitful. Not only was the forest spread across the steep mountainside, but it wasn’t as if Suki was going to sit in one spot. By the time Roache looked everywhere, Suki could be anywhere. That was provided Tsubomi was even correct with her guess.
It would have seemed a fool’s errand if not for the frogs. Those slimy amphibians were a less-than-innocent sight in Miso given there had been a frog manipulating Magical Girl, but these ones were out cold. First it was just one or two tree frogs, but now there were whole piles of them.Their unconscious state raised some unpleasant questions as she followed them deeper into the woodlands.
Roache followed the trail of unconscious frogs for a bit, and she started to feel a magical presence.
Upon going a bit further up the mountain, she noticed a massive pile of frogs. They were very much awake, hopping and croaking like crazy. Their slimy bodies glistened in the scattered light that came through the canopy.
A blood soaked hand stuck out from under the pile, twitching occasionally.
”You know, if you hadn’t wound up like this trying to avoid me, I’d maybe feel a smidgen bad for your state.” Shaking her head at the absurdity she put up with as Rule Keeper, Earthshaker carefully stepped around the amphibians, toeing aside those that wouldn’t give her solid footing and ultimately reaching out to take the bloody hand. A tug would see her dislodged from her trapping, scattering the frogs in every direction.
Once scattered, the frogs froze in place, seeming to come back to their senses before hopping deeper into the forest. Suki on the other hand looked more surprised than harmed. There was blood on her hand, but that was normal for the blood witch. Roche’s eyes had wondered over Oros’s slimy figure, thoughts wandering along a familiar and frustrating track of aroused interest. Thankfully the Blood Magical Girl wasn’t interested in revisiting that song and dance, shaking Roche’s hand loose and letting clarity return to her eyes.
A sense of self that quickly had her rolling her eyes at the other girl’s pouting.
”I wound up like this because I wanted to be here. The frogs actually want my company.” The blood witch stood up.
”Avoiding you is too tedious. You have more spies than the paparazzi, and Boss Baby’s more or less given you the backing of the entire club.” She threw the side of her head into her palm, and a tiny frog flew out of her ear. It hopped away once free.
”Suki, I just climbed through the woods after driving through traffic trying to find you. I just pulled you out of a pile of frogs, for fuck’s sake!” It wasn’t often the track captain felt like cursing, but it was inevitably always due to the one standing before her.
”Nyxia and Tsubomi are waiting in the van. We all want to go together, and we are waiting on you. Honestly, I thought you’d be the most thrilled for this!” Roche threw her hands up, shaking off a few dim witted frogs who’d been clinging to her cloak as it billowed under the sudden movement.
”It’s warm sun, blue seas, and women everywhere in skimpy bikinis! You should be thanking me for driving you to a hunting ground where you can snatch up strangers at your leisure. And I even got you a camping stove to roast some fish. Come on, Suki, this is….it’s supposed to be fun. Even Nyxia is on board.””Fun.” Oros practically groaned the word through her smiling lips. But her eyes weren’t smiling.
”Somehow, I think Rainbow would be just as happy to stay home. She’s only coming along because she knows it’s what you want her to do, because it’s what Boss Baby wants her to do. And Nyx? I couldn’t buy her a ticket to watch a show with me. She shot me down instantly and is likely coming along as a favor to you. If either of them really cared, why are you the only one here?” She held up a finger.
”Don’t answer, I already know! It’s because the only person who really wants me to be there is you! And you only want me to be there because you’re a control freak. In fact, I think those were your exact same words when I signed up way back when. You said ‘It'll be fun!’ And it was, until I discovered what an obsessive controlling cunt you were.’”Unfortunately for everyone involved, shouting at a Dark Magical Girl seemed to only exacerbate matters. Roche’s eyes narrowed and she stepped forward, teeth grit with rising frustration.
”You’re right, I am a controlling cunt. Because look what happens when I’m not! Tsubomi would sit on her ass till Ashbringer cuts her throat, and you decide to fuck off into the woods to kiss toads, and that’s when you aren’t running with your tail between your legs when you hear me coming. For someone who churns through women like a gigolo, you’re awfully skittish about anyone you can’t kiss and dump. I’m not just going to lay down and let some outside bitch crush us, so I’m willing to get in a van and drive all of you to have some fun and unwind and maybe make some headway in getting better. And that means I’m not letting any of you girls fall behind either. So what’s it going to be, Suki?” The tribal themed magical girl crossed her arms, taking in a breath as she reigned in her temper and glared at Suki with a cooler intensity.
”If you have another idea, I’m all ears. Tell me and we’ll see if it can work. But if all you want to do is fuck around with normal women and animals, I’ll drag you back right here and now.”The corners of Oros’s lips curled into a sneer.
”Now that is the Bedshaker I know! The one who solves all of her problems with threats and violence.” She cast out her arms.
”Well your threats aren’t going to work on me, so you might as well use violence! You’ve wanted to do it for months, and now you have an excuse to do it!”Roche’s arms tremble with emotion, nail digging sharp enough into her arms that Oros’ would no doubt notice the smell of blood emerge. She exhaled sharply and took another step forward, slowly unfurling a hand and offering it palm upwards.
”It hurts me that my old partner never understood me. I don’t want to hurt you. Sheesh, I don’t even enjoy fighting. I just want things to make sense. I want some peace and consistency in my life, and no matter how much I try you girls just don’t make it easy. No threats, and I won’t hit you. So, if you come down to the beach with us, I’ll hold your hand the entire way down to the van.” The Rule Keeper offered, keeping her voice soft like one does when approaching a skittish animal.
”Of course I know what the means for you, but you have my permission to…act as you would.”Oros growled. She bit the corner of her lip. Blood oozed over her teeth, and trickled out of the corner of her mouth before rolling down her chin.
”Seems we were both misunderstood.” She folded her arms.
”I think I’m done with the Detention Club.” Oros looked away from Roche.
”I wanted some time to think, but what is there to consider? I don’t care about any of you, and from what I see, the feeling is mutual.” She sat down.
”The nice thing about having nothing is you can live wherever you like. So when Hong comes back to burn this place to the ground, it won’t be my problem anymore. So have fun with your camping trip, I'm not your responsibility.” She rubbed her fingers together.
Shock. Surprise, A smidgen of embarrassment. All flashed nakedly across Roche’s face as her hand returned to her side, digesting Suki’s shockingly negative words. This was more than just Suki’s usual evasiveness.
”You can’t mean that. You’re the one who kept trying to bring us together. You cooked. You got us to hunt for a new Magical Girl.” Even if those efforts all tended to backfire went unsaid.
”If anything you’re the one who cares the most about us as people!” Disbelief was clear in Roche’s tone, but her eyes were focused on Oros, passing over her slime coated form as though she could glean some cause for this about face.
”Suki, what happened? You of all people don’t go from trying to get Nyxia out to the theater to dropping everything without something going wrong.” There was a shimmer of light as Roche’s magical form faded, leaving the track captain vulnerable before Oros. It would take a touch and Suki could make the encounter end with a word.
”I’m not demanding and I’m not threatening you, but I need to know what or who hurt you.””I hurt me.” She said without turning around.
”I thought Tsubomi and I were closer than we really were, but she’s just another appointed babysitter. Really, it was pretty obvious.” She pulled out a pack of cigarettes, only to realize it was empty. She crushed the box in her hand and attempted to light one end on fire.
”So I’ve been in a reflective mood.” The tanned girl flinching, seeing quite clearly how the prospect of being crammed in a car with Tsubomi would be a major turn off at the moment. Appealing to Suki’s libido might have been a mistake for once.
”Shit, Suki, I didn’t know.” Roche said, watching the attempt to set alight a cigarette carton with some concern.
”I get that it sucks being rejected, but she’s still your clubmate. She’s just….a cracked case. You’ll find a Magical Girl for you one day. Who knows, we’ve already met one out of towner, maybe we’ll find a friendlier one at the beach? It is the summer break, so you might meet someone who's looking for a cute girl like you.”Was Roche laying it on thick? Yes, but she was feeling dreadful over Suki’s situation.
”As much as I don’t like how hard you can be, I think I prefer that to this version of you. You just seem so fake, you know?” She tossed the burning box off to the side and rested her arms on her knees.
”Drag me down the mountain, or don’t, but I’m done talking to you.” ”Fake?!” The Rule Keeper snapped back, her anger stoked even as she saw Suki deflate with dejection, unwilling to even put up a fight now.
”For someone who acts like they revel in all the dark shit we get up to, you can be pretty sanctimonious, Suki. Come on, let’s have a little honesty.”Oros rolled her eyes, but still avoided looking at her former partner.
”If I wasn’t a hard ass, everyone would walk over me. Poor little orphan girl, her daddy hung himself and she’s got NO ONE left. If I didn’t have these powers, I would be dumped in a foster home and own nothing in my life. If I didn’t stick up for myself, you’d have had no issue using your powers on me ages ago.””Not true.” Oros said under her breath.
With a growl of rising fervor she reached out, grasping Suki’s outfit and making the blood fiend face her. Her fingers fell away but she was now closer then ever, nearly nose to nose as she snarled at Suki.
”Neither of us have the luxury of giving up, because we have no one waiting to pick us up…..but as much as you drive me insane, I still see you as more than just a problem kid. You’re a person, a comrade, and, grr, a friend.”Oros raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
”So when I see you deciding to throw your life away and live in the woods, you can be damn certain I will bring you back. So you can either walk down there with me, or you’re going to have to endure me giving you a goddamn magical girl friendship speech till one of us dies of embarrassment!”The empty carton of matches burned out. Normally there would be more than enough dry leaves and plant vegetation to facilitate a fire, but it had just rained the day before. It fizzled out without doing anything to the mountain.
”Fine.” Suki groaned.
”I'll go, but only because you’re annoying. But you can’t complain about me later.” She pushed past Roche.
”Let’s get this out of your system.”Roche didn’t cheer, but she was sorely tempted when she found Suki was cooperating with her. Earthshaker rose, transformed to better handle the long walk back to the van. She quickly caught up to Oros the Joyful, and reached out to clasp her shoulder briefly.
The expected feelings creeped across her thoughts, but she kept her focus on supporting Suki as a friend and held the contact for a minute before pulling her hand away.
”Thanks, Suki….And if you need to talk, I can lend you an ear ””Whatever….”The return to the van would be easier than the hike outwards, not having to worry about looking out for frogs. Though once she got there she quickly sped ahead, knocking on Nyxia’s window.
”Hey Nyxia, can you do me a big favor and scoot into the back with Tsubomi? It’ll make things a bit smoother, and you’ll have more leg room for you and the Obliterator.”“I guess this means you found her,” Nyxia remarked with a scowl as she opened her eyes. She doubted that she’d actually have more room in the back seat, at least, if she sat normally, but the implied notion that Suki would be sitting in
front of her, rather than
behind, was a good enough reason for her to acquiesce to her partner’s request.
“Okay, fine,” the Neon Tempest sighed as she got out of the van.
“I suppose sitting back there could be more comfortable,” she conceded as she gave her body a stretch. Despite the earlier talk of strapping Suki to the roof, Nyxia knew that such a course of action was almost never going to happen, and if the perverted pinkette
had to ride inside the van, then it was probably for the best if she was someplace Roche could keep an eye on her.
Getting into the back of the van, Nyxia laid herself out across the row of seats, while hugging the Omega Obliterator in the same horizontal position and using a blown up float as a makeshift pillow. This left her legs and the back of the energy cannon resting atop Tsubomi’s lap, but the Neon Tempest highly doubted Suki’s dead-to-the-world partner would mind the intrusion into her personal space.
“Isn’t this nicer, baby?” she whispered to her massive weapon, even as its barrel poked out the now-open window above her.
“Now mommy gets to hold you the rest of the way to the beach.”Tsubomi didn’t usually
get people. A statement that was only barely not true even when in her Acid Drop form. Something had to be wrong with her, but this didn’t actually go through her head as she carefully lifted Nyxia’s weapon and set it down on the now-vacated seat she had been in. Rather, the only thing in her mind was a loud static, or at least that’s what she thought it was. She went around to behind the van and sat down on the ground until Suki, Oros, had gotten into the front seat. Only then would she climb up on the roof and grab onto the racks. Though she instantly got bored of doing so, taking her shoelaces out of their place and tying her wrist to it instead. Feeling sufficiently secure, whether she was or not, she laid down flat on her back above Nyxia’s head, her feet above Roche’s. The static in her head died down a little once she finished.
Oros stared at the passenger’s side door. Even with all the clambering to shift seats, she didn’t react to any of it. She sat in the passenger’s seat and allowed her tendrils to unravel. Bloody ribbons floated around both inside and outside of the van, like an octopus at rest. She buckled herself in and looked straight ahead.
”Alright everyone, keep your hands to yourselves, relax, and let me know if you want the radio station changed. Nyxia can reach back into the cooler if anyone gets thirsty…..Tsubomi, please remain transformed, or we’re going to be pulled over.”With those parting words Roche took off, eager to put the city behind them and hope the change in scenery would help them all mellow out, or die trying.
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