pixel skylines
ojovivo
Aqua Utopia｜海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
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"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
h
occasionally subtle
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
tannertan36
Jar Jar Binks Fan Club
YOU ARE THE REASON
RMH
Interview Vampire Daily
sheepfilms
★
blake kathryn
macklin celebrini has autism
Cosimo Galluzzi
noise dept.
NASA
seen from Pakistan
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seen from Palestinian Territories
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seen from Türkiye
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@thegreatestoosuzuki
Bow, Peasants!! You're in the presence of an Oosuzuki!
Ask me whatever you want, but I don't have to answer to lowly peons!
______________
Mod: Grave (he/they) (adult)
Love this silly tomato girl :D
Also, warning, this blog contains slightly nsfw/suggestive art
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IMPORTANT: Replies will be slow through the month of July due to artfight
Time for a Halloween event!
This is a non-canon event, separate from any timeline or story events going on. It's just for fun! A really lighthearted event with no consequences!
What do we mean when we say "Cast and Crew party"?
We've used a theater metaphor here for meta stuff before. The idea that the muses/characters are "putting on a play" and that anons are an "audience" watching and interacting. This is kind of an extension of that.
For this event, most of what we've seen is a play where the muses are actors playing themselves. Now, we're seeing a behind the scenes event! See what everyone's "really" like when they're not "on stage"!
(If you don't get it, that's fine, its mostly just something silly for a few of us muns. We're happy if you just sit back and enjoy our shenanigans, and really happy if you send in questions!)
Who exactly is participating?
Any blog in the group that reblogs this post can be considered "participating" and will engage however they see fit. (If any blogs outside of the group wanna interact our muns tend to be pretty open to that, but I'd recommend sending a quick hello and stuff first!) Oh, and anons, especially our regular anons, are welcomed! Questions and the like always make things easier for us!
Is this just a normal halloween party? You're not planning anything?
Hehehehehe.....
-mod lane
What Allegations Is My Muse Not Beating?
Put a Pokemon in my muse’s askbox and they will either catch it or let it go; but they can only catch 6 total!
Not that I care AT ALL, but you mentioned once you've done more types of competitive fighting than just pro wrestling. Am I remembering that right? Don't answer that, of course I am. Anyway, you ought to hone those skills or else you'll get rusty. Spar with me?
(Kurara stands in front of Moko while strapping on a pair of boxing gloves. At least she had changed into athletic wear instead of her typical layers upon layers of expensive fabrics, but the mask had stayed on regardless)
- @thegreatestoosuzuki
"Sure am, Kurara-chan! ☆ Great timing too, I was about to let loose on this dummy for, like, the umpteenth time!"
Moko smiles brightly at her friend, waving cheerfully as she straightens herself from her pre-training stretches. There's a pair of boxing gloves of her own off to the side, bright pink and covered with prints of stars and strawberries. Timing couldn't have been more perfect.
She bounces a couple of times, letting a bit of energy out before bending down and picking up her gloves, beginning the process of strapping them on.
"I'm glad you showed, I feel like us Second-to-Last girlies don't hang out NEARLY as much as we did, and training's waaaaaay more fun with friends," she look mildly forlorn a moment, "Seriously, can't stress how perfect the timing is. I was about to drag the burliest dudes I could find down here. I'm getting sick of punching dummies."
She punches the dummy next to her.
"Well, training dummies, you know," she jokes with a little wink, "I guess boys are still dummies."
Kurara grins as she takes to stretching, loosening up a bit now that Moko has agreed to train with her. "Especially the boys here. You have no idea how many times I've almost let Gaku have it."
She pulls her arms across her chest, closing her eyes at the relaxing sensation. "The five of us really do need to spend more time together. All of you are common riff-raff, but the particular stench of the rats who lived here first is getting too normal for my liking."
After a few warm-up punches to the dummy, she takes a few steps back and faces Moko. "Ready? I won't stand for you going easy on me, you know!"
Moko guessed that was Kurara-speak for, 'I'm getting used to everyone else here, but I miss spending time with you guys'. Kurara wasn't exactly the most straightforward type about her feelings, at least with Midori on; it almost made talking to her a sparring session in and of itself, though that's just part of what makes Kurara, Kurara.
"Wouldn't dream of it, especially against you!" There was a fire in her eyes, excitement in her voice distinct from her usual bubbliness. She extended an arm out, tapping gloves with the other combatant in a show of good sportmanship.
She bounces back swinging her arms to loosen up, before rolling her neck and taking up a defensive stance and grinning at the smaller girl in front of her.
"Aaaaalright! HRAH! Gimme all you got, Kurara-chan!"
Kurara waits hardly even a second before rushing in for an attack, a flurry of punches and strikes that only a trained martial artist like her and Moko could hope to defend against. Naturally, most of her attacks are blocked or dodged, but she manages to get a few of her hits to connect. When Moko moves to strikes, Kurara dodges deftly, expertly. It's the sort of match people would travel around the world to see. It's certainly a little unfair that Kurara has her mask to protect her face right now, but extenuating circumstances wouldn't allow for anything else.
"Y-You may just be as good as you claim," she huffs out, breathless. Training against someone on her own level was so much more fun than she was expecting it to be.
"What have you been up to lately, anyway? It's hard to coordinate anything when we hardly see each other."
Not that I care AT ALL, but you mentioned once you've done more types of competitive fighting than just pro wrestling. Am I remembering that right? Don't answer that, of course I am. Anyway, you ought to hone those skills or else you'll get rusty. Spar with me?
(Kurara stands in front of Moko while strapping on a pair of boxing gloves. At least she had changed into athletic wear instead of her typical layers upon layers of expensive fabrics, but the mask had stayed on regardless)
- @thegreatestoosuzuki
"Sure am, Kurara-chan! ☆ Great timing too, I was about to let loose on this dummy for, like, the umpteenth time!"
Moko smiles brightly at her friend, waving cheerfully as she straightens herself from her pre-training stretches. There's a pair of boxing gloves of her own off to the side, bright pink and covered with prints of stars and strawberries. Timing couldn't have been more perfect.
She bounces a couple of times, letting a bit of energy out before bending down and picking up her gloves, beginning the process of strapping them on.
"I'm glad you showed, I feel like us Second-to-Last girlies don't hang out NEARLY as much as we did, and training's waaaaaay more fun with friends," she look mildly forlorn a moment, "Seriously, can't stress how perfect the timing is. I was about to drag the burliest dudes I could find down here. I'm getting sick of punching dummies."
She punches the dummy next to her.
"Well, training dummies, you know," she jokes with a little wink, "I guess boys are still dummies."
Kurara grins as she takes to stretching, loosening up a bit now that Moko has agreed to train with her. "Especially the boys here. You have no idea how many times I've almost let Gaku have it."
She pulls her arms across her chest, closing her eyes at the relaxing sensation. "The five of us really do need to spend more time together. All of you are common riff-raff, but the particular stench of the rats who lived here first is getting too normal for my liking."
After a few warm-up punches to the dummy, she takes a few steps back and faces Moko. "Ready? I won't stand for you going easy on me, you know!"
"Heya there, mortal!"
A lone figure sits perched on a table nearby, kicking their legs like a child. They almost perfectly resemble Kyoshika, save for the black crescent moon on their forehead, catlike smile, and malicious glowing, golden eyes.
"I'm a little new around these parts, but looks like one of my minions already got to you~! You look like a fun little one to play with. Now, what would be fun, what would be fun..."
They tap a finger against their cheek as they hop down from the table, flitting about Kurara like a particularly annoying fly, poking and prodding and dodging any attempts to shoot them off.
"You're a techy little thing. Blech! Hate your new-fangled machines. No whimsy at all, at least until they decide to take over and flaaaaay all the little meatbags. But that does give me an idea! You should live the luddite life for a little while! How long? Eeeeeeeeeeh, iunno. Wears off when it wears off, I guess!"
They poke Kurara, and a curse takes hold. It isn't spoken, but Kurara can feel it. Any machine or electrical devices she comes into contact with will break. Minus what's needed to interact with anons and such, but that's meta and doesn't count!
"Smell ya later sweetie! I have a few more of your friends to have fun with!"
(Kurara is completely stunned, watching the not-Kyoshika thing taunt and tease her. She misses her so, so much, so even though she can tell this isn't her (obviously, Kyoshika doesn't act or look like that), she can't help but...wish she was.
So, when whatever this thing was gets in close and curses her, she can hardly bring herself to try to avoid it. That said, when she feels the curse take hold, her senses come rushing back to her.)
H-Hey, what the hell?! What in your broken, psychotic brain possessed you to dare harm an Oosuzuki?! You aren't going to get away with this!! I'll have your head for daring to taint Kyoshika's memory like this!!!"
(She launches herself at the doppleganger, but, of course, she misses. Instead, her hands land on the sewing machine in the metal shop, and all at once it crumbles to pieces, beyond repair.
Her first reaction is horror—her specialist skill, her defining hobby, gone from her in an instant—, then all-consuming rage.
But when she turns around to attack again, it's gone.)
By the way this fell off of Kakowhen you guys where gathering the elephants
🐁
O-Oh, Sukoshi. You ought to be more careful, you could've been squished, and then I'd have to deal with Kako's depression and however the hell Ima would've handled that.
(She has to hold Midori onto her head. He doesn't fit quite right with the ears stuck on her head).
Midori get that headband off
The hell am I supposed to do? I don't have hands! Lol!
An oddly-undulating cloaked figure wearing a cat mask sneaks up behind Kurara. It knocks off her mask, before slipping a headband with floppy puppy ears on her head.
"how adorable, Sss-sss. Hope it's not too tight. You can't take it off, Sss-sss~"
It slinks off as quickly as it arrived, and the headband appears to be stuck on by some kind of magical force. Probably at least 24 hours...
Wh-What?! Hey, don't g-go! G-Get back here! I can't take it off?? I-I don't wanna be stuck like this!! That's not fair! I—That's not—You're—
(She pulls at the headband, but like the anon said, it didn't even budge.)
...I-I'm not a p-p-puppy....
Kurara, is there any cool weapons or traps you want to make? Everything you make is already so cool, I wanna know about any new designs you're working on!
Now that you mention it...behold, my brilliance!
I've designed small artillery drones that look like our various enemies, to infiltrate enemy lines and confuse them! We'll take them down from within! I have the robotics and firepower working well, but right now the challenge is getting them to differentiate between us and their targets.
It's nothing that an Oosuzuki can't handle, of course...but it is taking some time.
"Wh—Hiruko?! I heard what happened to you, I—
"Why are you still taller than me?! That's not fair!!!"
Kurara crosses her arms, sulking.
"How old are you now, anyway?"
- @thegreatestoosuzuki
"I'm...sorry?" She was tall for her age, she guessed, but who was this girl to bring it up? She must be another one of the students of this "Last Defense Academy."
"I'm eleven years old. Hiruko Shizuhara. But it seems you already know that. Do you know me too, somehow, senpai?"
Senpai, huh? Kurara was used to the twins calling her that, but it was different coming from Hiruko. It felt wrong, like the world was playing a prank on her. Maybe it was.
"I'm the Scion of the greatest family ever to grace the world with our presence! Kurara Oosuzuki!!" That...well, she knew it wasn't how it really was, but part of her was too scared too confront that, so she decided to keep playing out the fantasy until she could figure out what to do.
"You're supposed to be one of the other students here, but I suppose that isn't the case anymore. But don't worry, I'll help you get reacquainted to who you're supposed to be."
Greatest family in the world, huh? Hiruko was never all that impressed with rich or powerful people. They always tended to be rude and obnoxious, stuck in their own world even more than everybody else. But she knew better than to say any of that out loud. It was better to be on this girl's good side as much as possible.
"Everyone keeps saying that, but then, what is this place? If I'm a student here, what do I study? And what am I 'supposed' to be?"
"Last Defense Academy isn't that kind of school. We're soldiers in a war for all of humanity here. It's...kind of complicated, but if we don't fight, we'll die."
She motions for Hiruko to follow her, leading her on a cursory tour of the school. "You weren't exactly our leader, but your strength and guidance was key in making sure Takumi didn't lose his shit, which wasn't anything compared to my greatness, of course, but was important anyway."
Hiruko followed and listen, but she was still skeptical. She supposed she wouldn't mind fighting. Honestly, it sounded kind of exciting. But leading- or well, guiding? Being in charge of keeping that guy in line? No way, she didn't want to be responsible for anyone. She would handle herself, and everyone else was on their own.
"What do you do, then, Oosuzuki-senpai?" If she was so great, what was she handling in this supposed war?
Kurara smirks cockily at her over her shoulder. "During battle, the school is surrounded by a barrier that keeps the enemies out. If they break the barrier generator, then it's all over for these idiots. I keep that barrier strong even when enemies attack. I build all sorts of weapons for us, especially artillery."
She ends the tour with the leisure lounge. "You could say it's the most important job here! Only someone as great and powerful as me can be entrusted with keeping the barrier strong."
Looking around, Kurara quiets, her mind drifting to when Hiruko helped her when she monumentally fucked up a few days ago.
"...This was your favorite spot, I think."
This is probably the biggest pool she's ever seen. Which really isn't surprising considering it somehow had a waterfall in it? And there was a gym in the same room! She could see why this would be her favorite spot.
She was trying to keep herself calm and listen to Kurara. But once the masked girl became lost in thought, all her focus returned to the water. She wanted to swim. But she didn't have a swim suit, and there was no way she was going in in her clothes. Hm...
Slowly she approached the pool and sat down next to it. She removed her shoes and socks and stuck her feet it. This wasn't too bad, right? Even in front of someone rich and powerful like Kurara? She kicked at the water a bit and smiled. This was nice. It wasn't like it was hot in here, but the water was refreshing all the same. And watching the droplets splash down...she kicked again, more this time. She managed to make the water reach almost her entire height in front of her. With a few more kicks she was making waves throughout the entire pool. For a moment, she'd completely forgotten Kurara was there, but when she remembered, she stiffened.
She looked back, trying to keep her face even and hide her embarrassment. "...Your job seems very important, senpai. You must be very smart."
Kurara blinks. That has to be the cutest thing she's ever seen Hiruko do. But, more importantly, her fondness for the pool meant she was still the same person inside, which was a reassurance she didn't know she was looking for until she found it.
"I sure am. I'm much smarter than all these morons roaming around here. Buuuut, if I had to pick a second-smartest around here...it, um, it would've been you."
She fiddles with her sleeves for a moment, then sits down on one of the pool chairs, stretching. "Don't let me stop you from enjoying yourself. Cherish your youth or whatever."
Hiruko kept watching her for a few moments, unsure of how to proceed. This was a rich older girl, Hiruko's social better. She should be scolding her, telling her to be more mature, to stop playing around. Especially if they were both supposedly soldiers.
The dark haired girl went back to dragging her feet around in the water. It seemed like they had a lot of freedom in this place. She hadn't seen any adults at all actually. Maybe...she really could relax...
A mischievous smile crossed her face as she decided. Then, she pushed herself off the edge, and jumped in the pool.
"Wh—Hiruko!!" Kurara bolted upright and rushed to the edge of the pool, scared little Hiruko would get herself waterlogged, especially with the (albeit weak) current the waterfall caused. "D-Don't just jump in like that, you maniac! You need a swimsuit!!"
Hiruko's head sank under the water. It occured to her not only was she swimming in her clothes, she'd forgotten to take off her glasses. Her parents would kill her if she lost those, but at the moment, she didn't care. As she floated there she felt weightless. Free.
Of course, she didn't stay under long. Her surprise jump hadn't given her much time to take a good breath, so she was quickly out of air. She returned to the surface, her hair and clothes clinging to her. Oh, so thats why you didn't do this. The collar of her sailor top was particularly annoying, a large wet flap if she rose above the water, and a weird dragging thing if she were below. Was this really something sailors wore in the old days? It seemed impractical...
She grabbed on to the side of the pool and looked up at Kurara. She was...so freaked out. Finally, Hiruko couldn't help but laugh.
"I'm okay, I promise. I know how to swim, see." She paddled back and forth to demonstrate, hoping to ease Kurara's worries. It was a bit harder in her clothes than it would be in a swimsuit, but it wasn't too bad. She went back to the edge as she continued. "...where are we? There's not a lot of pools in the TRC, especially not this nice. We're...outside, somehow, aren't we?"
Maybe the older girl had been trying to explain that all along but...it was hard to accept. There wasn't supposed to be an outside, at least not with anything in it. It made more sense if they were fighting something, though, that it'd be outside...
"I want to fight. Teach me how, I'll help. I want to fight and explore and..." So many possibilities were rushing through her mind now, she couldn't keep up.
Kurara scowls when Hiruko laughs at her. And here she thought she was worried about the kid!!
"Not if you're going to disrespect me like that! I should let the water take you under for daring to laugh at me!!" Even though she says that, she doesn't leave the edge of the pool. "And...yes, we are outside the TRC. We're on a different celestial body, even."
She sits back and crosses her arms. She probably wouldn't be able to hold out on Hiruko's request for long, no matter how embarrassed she felt being laughed at when she was genuinely worried about her. The SDU needed her and her fighting prowess. Protecting the barrier didn't mean squat if the enemies weren't put to a stop.
Hiruko pulled herself out from the pool. She wrang her clothes out as well as she could and sat down next to Kurara.
A different celestial body? She knew about those, in theory. Orbs that all floated around in space. Big chunks of rocks. That really sounded too outrageous to be true.
She decided to not press that. She'd rather focus on finding something else exciting to do.
"Kurara-senpai, I'm hungry. Didn't you say there was a cafeteria? Could we get something to eat?"
"Jeez you're a handful—fine, yeah. The cafeteria is on the first floor, but go get a towel! You'll get sick if you walk around in wet clothes!"
Kurara hasn't worked with kids before. Ever. This is exhausting.
A perfect opportunity! Hiruko dashed off in the direction of the towels, a stack of which just so happened go be between Kurara's turned back and the exit. She grabbed one and quickly blotted off some more excess water, before silently sneaking away.
Sure, there was probably no reason to run. She'd already spent plenty of time alone in this school. But then she was feeling lost and confused. Now, she'd learned she was who knows how far from home, from her parents, from anyone who would care if she acted out. And that this school could potentially have all sorts of interesting things in it.
Down the stairs she went, hoping to stay out of sight while she tried to remember Kurara's tour from earlier...
Kurara waits. And waits. And wait. The hell was taking her so long?? She didn't want to peep on a kid's privacy, but she was getting worried. When worry overtook the awkward hesitation, she found—blast!—Hiruko was gone!
"That slippery little—!" She charges out of the leisure lounge, making for the cafeteria. But then a thought occurs to her: what if Hiruko was lying about being hungry? What if it was just a ruse to mislead her??
She halts by the stairs, stiffening. What if something bad happened to her while she was supposed to be looking out for her? A number of scenarios flashed in her head, ranging from mildly worrisome to downright horrific. She had to find her.
She makes her way down several flights of stairs. She doesn't want to go to the cafeteria though... Instead she runs around randomly until she finds a door that looks interesting. She goes up to it and it opens for her.
The room inside is very dark. She can barely see anything. At first she thinks the room is empty, but as she wanders around, she runs into a strange pod. As her eyes adjust, she can see it's metallic and smooth. The room is actually filled with them, and not much else. Somehow...they're familiar to her. But what were they? Spaceships? Kurara did say they weren't on Earth... Or maybe some other strange sci-fi device, like a time machine or teleportation pod?
She started poking around, wanting to know more, but there was hardly anything to be found. It seemed whatever these were, they didn't have any sort of clues nearby...
Kurara starts with the rooms on the third floor, to no avail. She starts to fully panic as she flies down the stairs, which, through the mask, makes her significantly struggle to breathe. When she hits the second floor landing, she takes Midori off and tucks herself into a corner, taking a long time to calm down. Once she can finally breathe again, she forces herself to search the second floor more slowly, to keep her anxiety in check. It...doesn't really work.
"H-Hiruko, when I find you, I-I swear...."
final girls in the world's worst horror movie
"Wh—Hiruko?! I heard what happened to you, I—
"Why are you still taller than me?! That's not fair!!!"
Kurara crosses her arms, sulking.
"How old are you now, anyway?"
- @thegreatestoosuzuki
"I'm...sorry?" She was tall for her age, she guessed, but who was this girl to bring it up? She must be another one of the students of this "Last Defense Academy."
"I'm eleven years old. Hiruko Shizuhara. But it seems you already know that. Do you know me too, somehow, senpai?"
Senpai, huh? Kurara was used to the twins calling her that, but it was different coming from Hiruko. It felt wrong, like the world was playing a prank on her. Maybe it was.
"I'm the Scion of the greatest family ever to grace the world with our presence! Kurara Oosuzuki!!" That...well, she knew it wasn't how it really was, but part of her was too scared too confront that, so she decided to keep playing out the fantasy until she could figure out what to do.
"You're supposed to be one of the other students here, but I suppose that isn't the case anymore. But don't worry, I'll help you get reacquainted to who you're supposed to be."
Greatest family in the world, huh? Hiruko was never all that impressed with rich or powerful people. They always tended to be rude and obnoxious, stuck in their own world even more than everybody else. But she knew better than to say any of that out loud. It was better to be on this girl's good side as much as possible.
"Everyone keeps saying that, but then, what is this place? If I'm a student here, what do I study? And what am I 'supposed' to be?"
"Last Defense Academy isn't that kind of school. We're soldiers in a war for all of humanity here. It's...kind of complicated, but if we don't fight, we'll die."
She motions for Hiruko to follow her, leading her on a cursory tour of the school. "You weren't exactly our leader, but your strength and guidance was key in making sure Takumi didn't lose his shit, which wasn't anything compared to my greatness, of course, but was important anyway."
Hiruko followed and listen, but she was still skeptical. She supposed she wouldn't mind fighting. Honestly, it sounded kind of exciting. But leading- or well, guiding? Being in charge of keeping that guy in line? No way, she didn't want to be responsible for anyone. She would handle herself, and everyone else was on their own.
"What do you do, then, Oosuzuki-senpai?" If she was so great, what was she handling in this supposed war?
Kurara smirks cockily at her over her shoulder. "During battle, the school is surrounded by a barrier that keeps the enemies out. If they break the barrier generator, then it's all over for these idiots. I keep that barrier strong even when enemies attack. I build all sorts of weapons for us, especially artillery."
She ends the tour with the leisure lounge. "You could say it's the most important job here! Only someone as great and powerful as me can be entrusted with keeping the barrier strong."
Looking around, Kurara quiets, her mind drifting to when Hiruko helped her when she monumentally fucked up a few days ago.
"...This was your favorite spot, I think."
This is probably the biggest pool she's ever seen. Which really isn't surprising considering it somehow had a waterfall in it? And there was a gym in the same room! She could see why this would be her favorite spot.
She was trying to keep herself calm and listen to Kurara. But once the masked girl became lost in thought, all her focus returned to the water. She wanted to swim. But she didn't have a swim suit, and there was no way she was going in in her clothes. Hm...
Slowly she approached the pool and sat down next to it. She removed her shoes and socks and stuck her feet it. This wasn't too bad, right? Even in front of someone rich and powerful like Kurara? She kicked at the water a bit and smiled. This was nice. It wasn't like it was hot in here, but the water was refreshing all the same. And watching the droplets splash down...she kicked again, more this time. She managed to make the water reach almost her entire height in front of her. With a few more kicks she was making waves throughout the entire pool. For a moment, she'd completely forgotten Kurara was there, but when she remembered, she stiffened.
She looked back, trying to keep her face even and hide her embarrassment. "...Your job seems very important, senpai. You must be very smart."
Kurara blinks. That has to be the cutest thing she's ever seen Hiruko do. But, more importantly, her fondness for the pool meant she was still the same person inside, which was a reassurance she didn't know she was looking for until she found it.
"I sure am. I'm much smarter than all these morons roaming around here. Buuuut, if I had to pick a second-smartest around here...it, um, it would've been you."
She fiddles with her sleeves for a moment, then sits down on one of the pool chairs, stretching. "Don't let me stop you from enjoying yourself. Cherish your youth or whatever."
Hiruko kept watching her for a few moments, unsure of how to proceed. This was a rich older girl, Hiruko's social better. She should be scolding her, telling her to be more mature, to stop playing around. Especially if they were both supposedly soldiers.
The dark haired girl went back to dragging her feet around in the water. It seemed like they had a lot of freedom in this place. She hadn't seen any adults at all actually. Maybe...she really could relax...
A mischievous smile crossed her face as she decided. Then, she pushed herself off the edge, and jumped in the pool.
"Wh—Hiruko!!" Kurara bolted upright and rushed to the edge of the pool, scared little Hiruko would get herself waterlogged, especially with the (albeit weak) current the waterfall caused. "D-Don't just jump in like that, you maniac! You need a swimsuit!!"
Hiruko's head sank under the water. It occured to her not only was she swimming in her clothes, she'd forgotten to take off her glasses. Her parents would kill her if she lost those, but at the moment, she didn't care. As she floated there she felt weightless. Free.
Of course, she didn't stay under long. Her surprise jump hadn't given her much time to take a good breath, so she was quickly out of air. She returned to the surface, her hair and clothes clinging to her. Oh, so thats why you didn't do this. The collar of her sailor top was particularly annoying, a large wet flap if she rose above the water, and a weird dragging thing if she were below. Was this really something sailors wore in the old days? It seemed impractical...
She grabbed on to the side of the pool and looked up at Kurara. She was...so freaked out. Finally, Hiruko couldn't help but laugh.
"I'm okay, I promise. I know how to swim, see." She paddled back and forth to demonstrate, hoping to ease Kurara's worries. It was a bit harder in her clothes than it would be in a swimsuit, but it wasn't too bad. She went back to the edge as she continued. "...where are we? There's not a lot of pools in the TRC, especially not this nice. We're...outside, somehow, aren't we?"
Maybe the older girl had been trying to explain that all along but...it was hard to accept. There wasn't supposed to be an outside, at least not with anything in it. It made more sense if they were fighting something, though, that it'd be outside...
"I want to fight. Teach me how, I'll help. I want to fight and explore and..." So many possibilities were rushing through her mind now, she couldn't keep up.
Kurara scowls when Hiruko laughs at her. And here she thought she was worried about the kid!!
"Not if you're going to disrespect me like that! I should let the water take you under for daring to laugh at me!!" Even though she says that, she doesn't leave the edge of the pool. "And...yes, we are outside the TRC. We're on a different celestial body, even."
She sits back and crosses her arms. She probably wouldn't be able to hold out on Hiruko's request for long, no matter how embarrassed she felt being laughed at when she was genuinely worried about her. The SDU needed her and her fighting prowess. Protecting the barrier didn't mean squat if the enemies weren't put to a stop.
Hiruko pulled herself out from the pool. She wrang her clothes out as well as she could and sat down next to Kurara.
A different celestial body? She knew about those, in theory. Orbs that all floated around in space. Big chunks of rocks. That really sounded too outrageous to be true.
She decided to not press that. She'd rather focus on finding something else exciting to do.
"Kurara-senpai, I'm hungry. Didn't you say there was a cafeteria? Could we get something to eat?"
"Jeez you're a handful—fine, yeah. The cafeteria is on the first floor, but go get a towel! You'll get sick if you walk around in wet clothes!"
Kurara hasn't worked with kids before. Ever. This is exhausting.
A perfect opportunity! Hiruko dashed off in the direction of the towels, a stack of which just so happened go be between Kurara's turned back and the exit. She grabbed one and quickly blotted off some more excess water, before silently sneaking away.
Sure, there was probably no reason to run. She'd already spent plenty of time alone in this school. But then she was feeling lost and confused. Now, she'd learned she was who knows how far from home, from her parents, from anyone who would care if she acted out. And that this school could potentially have all sorts of interesting things in it.
Down the stairs she went, hoping to stay out of sight while she tried to remember Kurara's tour from earlier...
Kurara waits. And waits. And wait. The hell was taking her so long?? She didn't want to peep on a kid's privacy, but she was getting worried. When worry overtook the awkward hesitation, she found—blast!—Hiruko was gone!
"That slippery little—!" She charges out of the leisure lounge, making for the cafeteria. But then a thought occurs to her: what if Hiruko was lying about being hungry? What if it was just a ruse to mislead her??
She halts by the stairs, stiffening. What if something bad happened to her while she was supposed to be looking out for her? A number of scenarios flashed in her head, ranging from mildly worrisome to downright horrific. She had to find her.
"Wh—Hiruko?! I heard what happened to you, I—
"Why are you still taller than me?! That's not fair!!!"
Kurara crosses her arms, sulking.
"How old are you now, anyway?"
- @thegreatestoosuzuki
"I'm...sorry?" She was tall for her age, she guessed, but who was this girl to bring it up? She must be another one of the students of this "Last Defense Academy."
"I'm eleven years old. Hiruko Shizuhara. But it seems you already know that. Do you know me too, somehow, senpai?"
Senpai, huh? Kurara was used to the twins calling her that, but it was different coming from Hiruko. It felt wrong, like the world was playing a prank on her. Maybe it was.
"I'm the Scion of the greatest family ever to grace the world with our presence! Kurara Oosuzuki!!" That...well, she knew it wasn't how it really was, but part of her was too scared too confront that, so she decided to keep playing out the fantasy until she could figure out what to do.
"You're supposed to be one of the other students here, but I suppose that isn't the case anymore. But don't worry, I'll help you get reacquainted to who you're supposed to be."
Greatest family in the world, huh? Hiruko was never all that impressed with rich or powerful people. They always tended to be rude and obnoxious, stuck in their own world even more than everybody else. But she knew better than to say any of that out loud. It was better to be on this girl's good side as much as possible.
"Everyone keeps saying that, but then, what is this place? If I'm a student here, what do I study? And what am I 'supposed' to be?"
"Last Defense Academy isn't that kind of school. We're soldiers in a war for all of humanity here. It's...kind of complicated, but if we don't fight, we'll die."
She motions for Hiruko to follow her, leading her on a cursory tour of the school. "You weren't exactly our leader, but your strength and guidance was key in making sure Takumi didn't lose his shit, which wasn't anything compared to my greatness, of course, but was important anyway."
Hiruko followed and listen, but she was still skeptical. She supposed she wouldn't mind fighting. Honestly, it sounded kind of exciting. But leading- or well, guiding? Being in charge of keeping that guy in line? No way, she didn't want to be responsible for anyone. She would handle herself, and everyone else was on their own.
"What do you do, then, Oosuzuki-senpai?" If she was so great, what was she handling in this supposed war?
Kurara smirks cockily at her over her shoulder. "During battle, the school is surrounded by a barrier that keeps the enemies out. If they break the barrier generator, then it's all over for these idiots. I keep that barrier strong even when enemies attack. I build all sorts of weapons for us, especially artillery."
She ends the tour with the leisure lounge. "You could say it's the most important job here! Only someone as great and powerful as me can be entrusted with keeping the barrier strong."
Looking around, Kurara quiets, her mind drifting to when Hiruko helped her when she monumentally fucked up a few days ago.
"...This was your favorite spot, I think."
This is probably the biggest pool she's ever seen. Which really isn't surprising considering it somehow had a waterfall in it? And there was a gym in the same room! She could see why this would be her favorite spot.
She was trying to keep herself calm and listen to Kurara. But once the masked girl became lost in thought, all her focus returned to the water. She wanted to swim. But she didn't have a swim suit, and there was no way she was going in in her clothes. Hm...
Slowly she approached the pool and sat down next to it. She removed her shoes and socks and stuck her feet it. This wasn't too bad, right? Even in front of someone rich and powerful like Kurara? She kicked at the water a bit and smiled. This was nice. It wasn't like it was hot in here, but the water was refreshing all the same. And watching the droplets splash down...she kicked again, more this time. She managed to make the water reach almost her entire height in front of her. With a few more kicks she was making waves throughout the entire pool. For a moment, she'd completely forgotten Kurara was there, but when she remembered, she stiffened.
She looked back, trying to keep her face even and hide her embarrassment. "...Your job seems very important, senpai. You must be very smart."
Kurara blinks. That has to be the cutest thing she's ever seen Hiruko do. But, more importantly, her fondness for the pool meant she was still the same person inside, which was a reassurance she didn't know she was looking for until she found it.
"I sure am. I'm much smarter than all these morons roaming around here. Buuuut, if I had to pick a second-smartest around here...it, um, it would've been you."
She fiddles with her sleeves for a moment, then sits down on one of the pool chairs, stretching. "Don't let me stop you from enjoying yourself. Cherish your youth or whatever."
Hiruko kept watching her for a few moments, unsure of how to proceed. This was a rich older girl, Hiruko's social better. She should be scolding her, telling her to be more mature, to stop playing around. Especially if they were both supposedly soldiers.
The dark haired girl went back to dragging her feet around in the water. It seemed like they had a lot of freedom in this place. She hadn't seen any adults at all actually. Maybe...she really could relax...
A mischievous smile crossed her face as she decided. Then, she pushed herself off the edge, and jumped in the pool.
"Wh—Hiruko!!" Kurara bolted upright and rushed to the edge of the pool, scared little Hiruko would get herself waterlogged, especially with the (albeit weak) current the waterfall caused. "D-Don't just jump in like that, you maniac! You need a swimsuit!!"
Hiruko's head sank under the water. It occured to her not only was she swimming in her clothes, she'd forgotten to take off her glasses. Her parents would kill her if she lost those, but at the moment, she didn't care. As she floated there she felt weightless. Free.
Of course, she didn't stay under long. Her surprise jump hadn't given her much time to take a good breath, so she was quickly out of air. She returned to the surface, her hair and clothes clinging to her. Oh, so thats why you didn't do this. The collar of her sailor top was particularly annoying, a large wet flap if she rose above the water, and a weird dragging thing if she were below. Was this really something sailors wore in the old days? It seemed impractical...
She grabbed on to the side of the pool and looked up at Kurara. She was...so freaked out. Finally, Hiruko couldn't help but laugh.
"I'm okay, I promise. I know how to swim, see." She paddled back and forth to demonstrate, hoping to ease Kurara's worries. It was a bit harder in her clothes than it would be in a swimsuit, but it wasn't too bad. She went back to the edge as she continued. "...where are we? There's not a lot of pools in the TRC, especially not this nice. We're...outside, somehow, aren't we?"
Maybe the older girl had been trying to explain that all along but...it was hard to accept. There wasn't supposed to be an outside, at least not with anything in it. It made more sense if they were fighting something, though, that it'd be outside...
"I want to fight. Teach me how, I'll help. I want to fight and explore and..." So many possibilities were rushing through her mind now, she couldn't keep up.
Kurara scowls when Hiruko laughs at her. And here she thought she was worried about the kid!!
"Not if you're going to disrespect me like that! I should let the water take you under for daring to laugh at me!!" Even though she says that, she doesn't leave the edge of the pool. "And...yes, we are outside the TRC. We're on a different celestial body, even."
She sits back and crosses her arms. She probably wouldn't be able to hold out on Hiruko's request for long, no matter how embarrassed she felt being laughed at when she was genuinely worried about her. The SDU needed her and her fighting prowess. Protecting the barrier didn't mean squat if the enemies weren't put to a stop.
Hiruko pulled herself out from the pool. She wrang her clothes out as well as she could and sat down next to Kurara.
A different celestial body? She knew about those, in theory. Orbs that all floated around in space. Big chunks of rocks. That really sounded too outrageous to be true.
She decided to not press that. She'd rather focus on finding something else exciting to do.
"Kurara-senpai, I'm hungry. Didn't you say there was a cafeteria? Could we get something to eat?"
"Jeez you're a handful—fine, yeah. The cafeteria is on the first floor, but go get a towel! You'll get sick if you walk around in wet clothes!"
Kurara hasn't worked with kids before. Ever. This is exhausting.
"Wh—Hiruko?! I heard what happened to you, I—
"Why are you still taller than me?! That's not fair!!!"
Kurara crosses her arms, sulking.
"How old are you now, anyway?"
- @thegreatestoosuzuki
"I'm...sorry?" She was tall for her age, she guessed, but who was this girl to bring it up? She must be another one of the students of this "Last Defense Academy."
"I'm eleven years old. Hiruko Shizuhara. But it seems you already know that. Do you know me too, somehow, senpai?"
Senpai, huh? Kurara was used to the twins calling her that, but it was different coming from Hiruko. It felt wrong, like the world was playing a prank on her. Maybe it was.
"I'm the Scion of the greatest family ever to grace the world with our presence! Kurara Oosuzuki!!" That...well, she knew it wasn't how it really was, but part of her was too scared too confront that, so she decided to keep playing out the fantasy until she could figure out what to do.
"You're supposed to be one of the other students here, but I suppose that isn't the case anymore. But don't worry, I'll help you get reacquainted to who you're supposed to be."
Greatest family in the world, huh? Hiruko was never all that impressed with rich or powerful people. They always tended to be rude and obnoxious, stuck in their own world even more than everybody else. But she knew better than to say any of that out loud. It was better to be on this girl's good side as much as possible.
"Everyone keeps saying that, but then, what is this place? If I'm a student here, what do I study? And what am I 'supposed' to be?"
"Last Defense Academy isn't that kind of school. We're soldiers in a war for all of humanity here. It's...kind of complicated, but if we don't fight, we'll die."
She motions for Hiruko to follow her, leading her on a cursory tour of the school. "You weren't exactly our leader, but your strength and guidance was key in making sure Takumi didn't lose his shit, which wasn't anything compared to my greatness, of course, but was important anyway."
Hiruko followed and listen, but she was still skeptical. She supposed she wouldn't mind fighting. Honestly, it sounded kind of exciting. But leading- or well, guiding? Being in charge of keeping that guy in line? No way, she didn't want to be responsible for anyone. She would handle herself, and everyone else was on their own.
"What do you do, then, Oosuzuki-senpai?" If she was so great, what was she handling in this supposed war?
Kurara smirks cockily at her over her shoulder. "During battle, the school is surrounded by a barrier that keeps the enemies out. If they break the barrier generator, then it's all over for these idiots. I keep that barrier strong even when enemies attack. I build all sorts of weapons for us, especially artillery."
She ends the tour with the leisure lounge. "You could say it's the most important job here! Only someone as great and powerful as me can be entrusted with keeping the barrier strong."
Looking around, Kurara quiets, her mind drifting to when Hiruko helped her when she monumentally fucked up a few days ago.
"...This was your favorite spot, I think."
This is probably the biggest pool she's ever seen. Which really isn't surprising considering it somehow had a waterfall in it? And there was a gym in the same room! She could see why this would be her favorite spot.
She was trying to keep herself calm and listen to Kurara. But once the masked girl became lost in thought, all her focus returned to the water. She wanted to swim. But she didn't have a swim suit, and there was no way she was going in in her clothes. Hm...
Slowly she approached the pool and sat down next to it. She removed her shoes and socks and stuck her feet it. This wasn't too bad, right? Even in front of someone rich and powerful like Kurara? She kicked at the water a bit and smiled. This was nice. It wasn't like it was hot in here, but the water was refreshing all the same. And watching the droplets splash down...she kicked again, more this time. She managed to make the water reach almost her entire height in front of her. With a few more kicks she was making waves throughout the entire pool. For a moment, she'd completely forgotten Kurara was there, but when she remembered, she stiffened.
She looked back, trying to keep her face even and hide her embarrassment. "...Your job seems very important, senpai. You must be very smart."
Kurara blinks. That has to be the cutest thing she's ever seen Hiruko do. But, more importantly, her fondness for the pool meant she was still the same person inside, which was a reassurance she didn't know she was looking for until she found it.
"I sure am. I'm much smarter than all these morons roaming around here. Buuuut, if I had to pick a second-smartest around here...it, um, it would've been you."
She fiddles with her sleeves for a moment, then sits down on one of the pool chairs, stretching. "Don't let me stop you from enjoying yourself. Cherish your youth or whatever."
Hiruko kept watching her for a few moments, unsure of how to proceed. This was a rich older girl, Hiruko's social better. She should be scolding her, telling her to be more mature, to stop playing around. Especially if they were both supposedly soldiers.
The dark haired girl went back to dragging her feet around in the water. It seemed like they had a lot of freedom in this place. She hadn't seen any adults at all actually. Maybe...she really could relax...
A mischievous smile crossed her face as she decided. Then, she pushed herself off the edge, and jumped in the pool.
"Wh—Hiruko!!" Kurara bolted upright and rushed to the edge of the pool, scared little Hiruko would get herself waterlogged, especially with the (albeit weak) current the waterfall caused. "D-Don't just jump in like that, you maniac! You need a swimsuit!!"
Hiruko's head sank under the water. It occured to her not only was she swimming in her clothes, she'd forgotten to take off her glasses. Her parents would kill her if she lost those, but at the moment, she didn't care. As she floated there she felt weightless. Free.
Of course, she didn't stay under long. Her surprise jump hadn't given her much time to take a good breath, so she was quickly out of air. She returned to the surface, her hair and clothes clinging to her. Oh, so thats why you didn't do this. The collar of her sailor top was particularly annoying, a large wet flap if she rose above the water, and a weird dragging thing if she were below. Was this really something sailors wore in the old days? It seemed impractical...
She grabbed on to the side of the pool and looked up at Kurara. She was...so freaked out. Finally, Hiruko couldn't help but laugh.
"I'm okay, I promise. I know how to swim, see." She paddled back and forth to demonstrate, hoping to ease Kurara's worries. It was a bit harder in her clothes than it would be in a swimsuit, but it wasn't too bad. She went back to the edge as she continued. "...where are we? There's not a lot of pools in the TRC, especially not this nice. We're...outside, somehow, aren't we?"
Maybe the older girl had been trying to explain that all along but...it was hard to accept. There wasn't supposed to be an outside, at least not with anything in it. It made more sense if they were fighting something, though, that it'd be outside...
"I want to fight. Teach me how, I'll help. I want to fight and explore and..." So many possibilities were rushing through her mind now, she couldn't keep up.
Kurara scowls when Hiruko laughs at her. And here she thought she was worried about the kid!!
"Not if you're going to disrespect me like that! I should let the water take you under for daring to laugh at me!!" Even though she says that, she doesn't leave the edge of the pool. "And...yes, we are outside the TRC. We're on a different celestial body, even."
She sits back and crosses her arms. She probably wouldn't be able to hold out on Hiruko's request for long, no matter how embarrassed she felt being laughed at when she was genuinely worried about her. The SDU needed her and her fighting prowess. Protecting the barrier didn't mean squat if the enemies weren't put to a stop.
"Wh—Hiruko?! I heard what happened to you, I—
"Why are you still taller than me?! That's not fair!!!"
Kurara crosses her arms, sulking.
"How old are you now, anyway?"
- @thegreatestoosuzuki
"I'm...sorry?" She was tall for her age, she guessed, but who was this girl to bring it up? She must be another one of the students of this "Last Defense Academy."
"I'm eleven years old. Hiruko Shizuhara. But it seems you already know that. Do you know me too, somehow, senpai?"
Senpai, huh? Kurara was used to the twins calling her that, but it was different coming from Hiruko. It felt wrong, like the world was playing a prank on her. Maybe it was.
"I'm the Scion of the greatest family ever to grace the world with our presence! Kurara Oosuzuki!!" That...well, she knew it wasn't how it really was, but part of her was too scared too confront that, so she decided to keep playing out the fantasy until she could figure out what to do.
"You're supposed to be one of the other students here, but I suppose that isn't the case anymore. But don't worry, I'll help you get reacquainted to who you're supposed to be."
Greatest family in the world, huh? Hiruko was never all that impressed with rich or powerful people. They always tended to be rude and obnoxious, stuck in their own world even more than everybody else. But she knew better than to say any of that out loud. It was better to be on this girl's good side as much as possible.
"Everyone keeps saying that, but then, what is this place? If I'm a student here, what do I study? And what am I 'supposed' to be?"
"Last Defense Academy isn't that kind of school. We're soldiers in a war for all of humanity here. It's...kind of complicated, but if we don't fight, we'll die."
She motions for Hiruko to follow her, leading her on a cursory tour of the school. "You weren't exactly our leader, but your strength and guidance was key in making sure Takumi didn't lose his shit, which wasn't anything compared to my greatness, of course, but was important anyway."
Hiruko followed and listen, but she was still skeptical. She supposed she wouldn't mind fighting. Honestly, it sounded kind of exciting. But leading- or well, guiding? Being in charge of keeping that guy in line? No way, she didn't want to be responsible for anyone. She would handle herself, and everyone else was on their own.
"What do you do, then, Oosuzuki-senpai?" If she was so great, what was she handling in this supposed war?
Kurara smirks cockily at her over her shoulder. "During battle, the school is surrounded by a barrier that keeps the enemies out. If they break the barrier generator, then it's all over for these idiots. I keep that barrier strong even when enemies attack. I build all sorts of weapons for us, especially artillery."
She ends the tour with the leisure lounge. "You could say it's the most important job here! Only someone as great and powerful as me can be entrusted with keeping the barrier strong."
Looking around, Kurara quiets, her mind drifting to when Hiruko helped her when she monumentally fucked up a few days ago.
"...This was your favorite spot, I think."
This is probably the biggest pool she's ever seen. Which really isn't surprising considering it somehow had a waterfall in it? And there was a gym in the same room! She could see why this would be her favorite spot.
She was trying to keep herself calm and listen to Kurara. But once the masked girl became lost in thought, all her focus returned to the water. She wanted to swim. But she didn't have a swim suit, and there was no way she was going in in her clothes. Hm...
Slowly she approached the pool and sat down next to it. She removed her shoes and socks and stuck her feet it. This wasn't too bad, right? Even in front of someone rich and powerful like Kurara? She kicked at the water a bit and smiled. This was nice. It wasn't like it was hot in here, but the water was refreshing all the same. And watching the droplets splash down...she kicked again, more this time. She managed to make the water reach almost her entire height in front of her. With a few more kicks she was making waves throughout the entire pool. For a moment, she'd completely forgotten Kurara was there, but when she remembered, she stiffened.
She looked back, trying to keep her face even and hide her embarrassment. "...Your job seems very important, senpai. You must be very smart."
Kurara blinks. That has to be the cutest thing she's ever seen Hiruko do. But, more importantly, her fondness for the pool meant she was still the same person inside, which was a reassurance she didn't know she was looking for until she found it.
"I sure am. I'm much smarter than all these morons roaming around here. Buuuut, if I had to pick a second-smartest around here...it, um, it would've been you."
She fiddles with her sleeves for a moment, then sits down on one of the pool chairs, stretching. "Don't let me stop you from enjoying yourself. Cherish your youth or whatever."
Hiruko kept watching her for a few moments, unsure of how to proceed. This was a rich older girl, Hiruko's social better. She should be scolding her, telling her to be more mature, to stop playing around. Especially if they were both supposedly soldiers.
The dark haired girl went back to dragging her feet around in the water. It seemed like they had a lot of freedom in this place. She hadn't seen any adults at all actually. Maybe...she really could relax...
A mischievous smile crossed her face as she decided. Then, she pushed herself off the edge, and jumped in the pool.
"Wh—Hiruko!!" Kurara bolted upright and rushed to the edge of the pool, scared little Hiruko would get herself waterlogged, especially with the (albeit weak) current the waterfall caused. "D-Don't just jump in like that, you maniac! You need a swimsuit!!"
