Überwelt 4

[21:42]	`GM	Thursday afternoon turns into the evening, and soon becomes Friday morning. Tiara, having gone through her strange “baptism by magic”, is filled with new confidence for life, and so feels ready for the first time in a long time to actually go back to school. The sisters walk the road to campus, trying their hardest to ignore the surreal violet-hazed world they are forced to walk through.
[21:43]	`GM	"Fluffy" has wandered off to check up on the other girls for the time being. Whether its absence is a detriment or a blessing is likely a matter of opinion.
[21:45]	Miaka	is clearly uncomfortable about going to school when things are the way they are. Her head is darting back and forth, watching out for anything that might be trying to attack.
[21:45]	Tiara	touches her hair again to check if it's in order. It's been a long time since she come to school. Back then, her hair was still short and tidy, now even her face is obscured from view by how long it is. She tries her best to tidy them up, but it still look very uncomfortable.
[21:46]	Miaka	Hey, sis. I know you said that you /wanted/ to go to school today, but with things still looking strange, should we really be going?
[21:48]	Tiara	We'll deal with it when the time comes.
[21:49]	Tiara	Ally of justice, love, and courage. Right?
[21:49]	Tiara	pat Miaka's back reassuringly.
[21:49]	Tiara	You used to say it all the time.
[21:53]	[9]Ashley	is walking a short ways behind the sisters, looking ahead with vacant eyes.
[21:54]	Miaka	Yeah, but I say it now because I think we should be out hunting and trying to turn things back to normal!
[22:00]	Miaka	notices the other girl who was there at the store that night.
[22:00]	Miaka	...oh hey! Over here!
[22:00]	Miaka	waves her over
[22:02] [9]Ashley	looks at the girl with a blank expression for a moment before walking over.
[22:06]	Miaka	Hey! You're that girl from the other night!
[22:06]	[9]Ashley	Mhm.
[22:08]	[9]Ashley	...Oh! You're that girl who was there when I met Fluffy!
[22:08]	Miaka	Yeah... have you fought any more of those monsters?
[22:09]	[9]Ashley	Monsters? No, I don't think so.
[22:09]	Miaka	...really? I've fought like 5 of them.
[22:09]	Miaka	There's a lot of them, I'm pretty sure.
[22:09]	Miaka	says this as she looks around at their surroundings.
[22:10]	[9]Ashley	Is that so?
[22:10]	Miaka	nods
[22:10]	[9]Ashley	walks with her eyes pointed straight ahead, not really caring to see her surroundings.
[22:10]	Miaka	Yeah, I met another girl like us too!
[22:10]	[9]Ashley	Hmm. Another girl with powers?
[22:11]	Miaka	nodnods
[22:11]	[9]Ashley	Is she friendly?
[22:11]	Miaka	Yeah! Me, the other girl, Dizzy and her went hunting yesterday.
[22:11]	[9]Ashley	Hunting is fun.
[22:12]	[9]Ashley	...What did you catch?
[22:12]	Miaka	A bunch of those glowing orbs like the one we got that night.
[22:12]	[9]Ashley	Hmm. Neat.
[22:13]	Miaka	reaches into her pocket and pulls one out, showing it to the girl.
[22:13]	Miaka	We split them among ourselves, since that's fair and whatnot.
[22:13]	Miaka	...still no idea what they do though.
[22:13]	Miaka	And that stupid little monster thing is stupid and doesn't know anything.
[22:15]	[9]Ashley	Hmm. Not sure what good that is, then.
[22:16] Miaka	shrugs
[22:17] Miaka	Well, if these things are invading or something, it makes sense to try to hunt as many of them as we can, right?
[22:18]	[9]Ashley	I don't know. I haven't seen any others.
[22:18]	Miaka	I think they're getting smarter, that's why. They know we're trying to hunt them.
[22:18]	Miaka	Also, I think they have some kind of grudge against the little monsters.
[22:19]	Miaka	So... we're not their first targets.
[22:21]	[9]Ashley	smiles.
[22:21]	[9]Ashley	So Fluffy and his friends brought them to us?
[22:22]	Miaka	frowns.
[22:22]	Miaka	Yeah. Pretty sure it's all their fault.
[22:23]	[9]Ashley	Have they been attacking people?
[22:23]	Miaka	Not that I've seen yet.
[22:24]	[9]Ashley	So the fuzzy things brought them here and now they want us to be their bodyguards. Right?
[22:25]	Miaka	shrugs
[22:25]	Miaka	I just want things to go back to normal...
[22:26]	[9]Ashley	It's a little too late for that.
[22:27]	Miaka	Not if we make things go back to normal. After all, isn't that what being magical girls is all about?
[22:27]	Miaka	says this with a little twinkle in her eye.
[22:27]	[9]Ashley	looks at Miaka with a blank face.
[22:27]	[9]Ashley	...Right. Sure.
[22:28] Miaka	Well, what do you think is the reason you're a magical girl now?
[22:28] Miaka	crosses her arms and gets all >:T
[22:28] Tiara	...
[22:29] Tiara	stays quiet during the exchange,absorbing information. She's not a social butterfly and prefer to let her sister do the talking.
[22:31] [9]Ashley	shrugs.
[22:31] [9]Ashley	Is there any reason?
[22:31] [9]Ashley	Other than being a bodyguard for these things.
[22:32] Miaka	Changing the world is what magic is all about!
[22:32] Tiara	tugs on Miaka's sleeve while still eyeing Ashley suspiciously.
[22:32] Tiara	...We're going to be late.
[22:32] Miaka	...oh.
[22:33] Miaka	Well... once we get to school, I think you'll see why being late might not be too important...
[22:34]	[9]Ashley	watches the two talk with interest.
[22:35]	Tiara	what do you mean?
[22:35]	Miaka	You'll see.
[22:37]	Tiara	...
[22:37]	Tiara	decide not to pursue this.
[22:40]	`GM	[They continue their walk to school without much other fanfare. Just like yesterday, the school grounds are fashioned like an industrial complex with steel plating everywhere and white and black smoke floating above them. Other students walk into the building like line workers trudging back for another punch-carded day of monotony, which is not all that far away from the truth.]
[22:41]	Miaka	...see why I didn't want to go to school?
[22:41]	`GM	[As before, no one seems to care that things look the way they do. It just... is.]
[22:42]	Tiara	...is this their doing?
[22:42]	Miaka	Yep
[22:43]	Tiara	...
[22:43]	Tiara	knows that coming to school is the right idea. Who else is going to protect her sister, then?
[22:44]	Tiara	I'll go gather some information.
[22:44]	[9]Ashley	looks at the school with disinterest.
[22:44]	[9]Ashley	So, why are we going here?
[22:44]	Miaka	Because it's school?
[22:44]	Miaka	shrugs
[22:44]	Tiara	walk in a more briskier pace towards the school.
[22:45]	[9]Ashley	It's the end of the world, though.
[22:45]	[9]Ashley	What will school do to help us?
[22:46]	Miaka	Hey, don't say that. You sound like you've given up already.
[22:46]	[9]Ashley	Hmm.
[22:47]	[9]Ashley	Well, I guess I'll see you two later, then?
[22:47]	Miaka	Well, we're in the same homeroom, aren't we?
[22:47]	Miaka	Or maybe we just should...
[22:47]	[9]Ashley	Are we?
[22:47]	Miaka	I mean, better if we stick together, right?
[22:47]	[9]Ashley	...I guess.
[22:49]	`GM	[As the girls mill about on the sidewalk outside, a familiar face picks up his pace and walks behind the group. Like everyone else the aura of the school has dressed him in dirty grey coveralls and a hardhat, but like everyone else he doesn't care.]
[22:49]	`Kyle	"...Tiara?"
[22:51]	`Kyle	calls her name sort of quietly from behind them, but loud enough to be heard.
[22:51]	Tiara	Ah-
[22:51]	Tiara	turns back, only to see one of the familiar faces before she 'left'.
[22:52]	`Kyle	looks at her awkwardly/bashfully.
[22:52]	Tiara	...K-Kyle.
[22:52]	`Kyle	"Hi, uhh... You, uhh, you came back."
[22:52]	Tiara	just nods., unsure of what to say.
[22:53]	`Kyle	"It's, well... it's good to see you, I guess!"
[22:53]	`Kyle	doesn't really know what to say either. Tiara just vanished from school for weeks, and now she's here again...
[22:53]	Tiara	looks around nervously. Her usual shy demeanor begin surfacing once again.
[22:54]	`Kyle	nods towards the other two girls. He knows Tiara's sister, and just assumes Ashley is one of their friends.
[22:54]	`Kyle	"Uhh, g'morning to you two too."
[22:54]	Miaka	Hi Kyle!
[22:54]	Miaka	smiles and waves
[22:55]	Miaka	likes Tiara's boyfriend. She thinks he's a good match for her.
[22:57]	`Kyle	scratches the back of his head. Man this is awkward. He's come to see her at her house a few times, but still...
[22:57]	Tiara	I... think that missing a lot of classes won't be good for my grades.
[22:57]	Tiara	So...
[22:58]	`Kyle	"W-Well, but, you were doing the assignments at home, right?"
[22:58]	Tiara	's voice trails off. This is normal.
[22:58]	Tiara	...Mm.
[22:58]	Tiara	nods.
[22:58]	Tiara	Study is important after all...
[22:59]	`Kyle	"So, uhh, I guess... Man, this is so WEIRD. But I'm, I'm really glad to see you, still!"
[22:59]	Tiara	M-me too!
[22:59]	Tiara	perks up.
[23:00]	Tiara	Why is it weird, though?
[23:00]	`Kyle	shrugs. He does that a lot.
[23:01]	`Kyle	"It's just... Well, like, uhh... Well what make you come back? I guess I was never really all that sure why you left..."
[23:02]	Tiara	becomes more alarmed of her surroundings, looking for a certain 'person'...
[23:04]	Tiara	Lots of things happened.
[23:04]	Tiara	use this as her means of saying 'let's not talk about that'.
[23:05]	`Kyle	"Oh, uhh... okay."
[23:06]	`Kyle	thinks maybe he should change the subject...
[23:07]	`Kyle	"Oh, did you uhh, do you know anything about that gas explosion that happened in your neighborhood yesterday?"
[23:07]	`Kyle	"It was on the news last night. A couple houses, like, exploded or caught on fire or something. I only caught a bit of it."
[23:07]	Miaka	...oh.
[23:10]	Tiara	looks at Miaka.
[23:10]	Tiara	we... uh....
[23:10]	`Kyle	thinks maybe this is a bad topic, but he IS kind of curious.
[23:11]	Tiara	nudges Miaka. Salvage the situation, please!
[23:11]	Miaka	We were home all night last night watching a movie. We didn't notice anything. I guess it was a little far away.
[23:12]	Miaka	shrugs
[23:13]	`Kyle	"Ehh, yeah, just wondering. I mean, like, I don't have a CLUE what happens over in my development most of the time. It's like, you just pretend that stuff happens to someone else and not you, you know?"
[23:14]	`Kyle	"Course, with all this random vandalism and property destruction they've been talking about lately... I dunno. Kinda freaks me out."
[23:15]	Tiara	y-yeah, I guess...
[23:15]	Tiara	Anyway... h-homeroom...
[23:15]	Tiara	is even more awkward now.
[23:16]	Miaka	Yeah, you coming Kyle?
[23:17]	`Kyle	"Oh, y-yeah, yeah, sorry."
[23:17]	`Kyle	feels bad for holding them all up. They probably have stuff to do before class and all...
[23:19]	Tiara	proceed to her class, though she slow her pace to match Kyle's.
[23:25]	`GM	[Class is deathly slow for them all, now that they have rather bigger things to worry about. The work seems a little less meaningful; college planning, somewhat of a joke now. But they manage, and the short periods between classes are a welcome reprieve. They finally make it to lunch, and take solace in the time where they can all huddle together and be part of something that, to them, feels infinitely more real.]
[23:26]	Miaka	is getting her lunch and looking for a place to sit, with Tiara in tow. Then, she sees that girl Rika sitting off by herself and makes a beeline.
[23:26]	Miaka	Hey! What's going on?
[23:26]	Miaka	looks very happy to see Rika
[23:27]	Tiara	?
[23:27]	Tiara	has never seen the new girl before.
[23:28]	Rika	"...Hm?" She glances up. "Oh, it's you." She doesn't seem nearly as enthused to see the other girl, but it doesn't seem like she's unhappy about it at least.
[23:28]	Miaka	Hey, I wanted you to meet my sister, Tiara!
[23:28]	Miaka	leans over and says more quietly...
[23:28]	Miaka	She's a magical girl like us...
[23:29]	Rika	"Izzat right."
[23:29]	Rika	takes a bite of sandwich
[23:30]	Miaka	sits down and starts eating, deciding to catch up on events.
[23:30]	Miaka	So... have you had any fights, lately?
[23:30]	Miaka	I... /we/... were attacked last night.
[23:31]	Rika	grins. It's not a kind one.
[23:32]	Rika	"Oh, yeah?" She asks, "Not much on my own side of things. Just some punks who don't know their place."
[23:32]	Miaka	Punks...?
[23:32]	Miaka	You mean... more than one?
[23:34]	Rika	"Weren't them, or nothin', mind you." She clarifies. "Just oridinary punks."
[23:34]	Miaka	...wait, what? Why?
[23:35]	Rika	shrugs.
[23:36]	Rika	"Hey, gotta keep an eye on the boys."
[23:38]	Miaka	...well, ok...
[23:41]	Rika	munches away at her sandwich.
[23:43]	`Kyle	, meanwhile, has been trapped in the lunchline and is now looking for a place to sit. He picks out Tiara's table, but... He's not too sure.
[23:44]	Tiara	just poke her waffles with a fork, being her usual absentminded self.
[23:44]	`Kyle	wonders if maybe he should just give her her space and get readjusted to school first.
[23:44]	Miaka	sees Kyle and brightens up, waving him over!
[23:45]	`Kyle	bites his lip and awkwardly comes over. It was Tiara who invited him, but...
[23:45]	`Kyle	"I, uhh, can I sit, here...?"
[23:46]	Miaka	Of course!
[23:46]	Miaka	grins as she stands up and urges Kyle to sit next to Tiara before heading back over to her side of the table.
[23:47]	`Kyle	was technically asking Tiara, but... ah well. No one ever tells guys like him how boyfriends are supposed to be...
[23:47]	Tiara	was about to say yes but got the cue stolen by her own sister. Oh well...
[23:47]	Tiara	glances.
[23:47]	Rika	sizes him up for a moment, before looking back at her sandwich. Eh, not someone interesting...
[23:48]	Tiara	decides to scoots a liiiiiiiiiiiiiittle bit more close.
[23:48]	Tiara	\SUCCESS!/
[23:48]	Tiara	...
[23:48]	`Kyle	"Hi again, Tiara. You, uhh... Good first day back?"
[23:50]	Tiara	It's good, yes.
[23:50]	Tiara	fidgets.
[23:51]	Tiara	Since I... get to see you.
[23:52]	Tiara	quickly focus her brain power to decode hidden meaning behind school cafeteria's table layouts. THAT WAS EMBARRASSING.
[23:52]	Rika	snorts, quietly.
[23:52]	Miaka	squees inwardly. THEY'RE SO CUTE TOGETHER.
[23:53]	`Kyle	fidgets too. He's horrible with girls, so at least his girlfriend is just as awkward as he is. Takes some of the sting away.
[23:55]	`Kyle	sort of wants to put his arm around her, but that would be too much. He can... He can hold her hand, right? That's okay, right?
[23:57]	`Kyle	"It's, it's good to see you back in school. Didn't want you dropping out or anything..."
[23:57]	`Kyle	"Ohh, but, umm..."
[23:58]	Tiara	recoils in surprise when Kyle's finger touch hers. But as she identify the source, she clams down a bit and place her hand where it was, keeping her face calm and the blush at bare minimum. It's not very effective.
[23:58]	Tiara	Th-thanks.
[23:58]	`Kyle	"Ohh, but, umm..."
[23:58]	`Kyle	remembers something and almost takes his hand away, but remembers something else and keeps it there.
[23:58]	Miaka	So Kyle-!
[23:59]	`Kyle	's remembrance is interrupted!
[23:59]	`Kyle	"O-Oh, yeah, Miaka?"
[23:59]	Miaka	Whatcha been up to?
[23:59]	Miaka	is grinning like a cheshire cat.
[23:59]	Tiara	is panicking like Bambi the deer.
[23:59]	`Kyle	shrugs, trying to eat his food with one hand to somewhat hide his embarrassment.
[00:00]	Rika	very firmly does not laugh at the two. It would be a bit mean, to just laugh in their faces, after all. She focuses on her sandwich.
[00:00]	`Kyle	"Things, I guess? I mean I don't really do much."
[00:01]	`Kyle	"Well, nothing exciting to you I mean."
[00:02]	`Kyle	"But, like, what have you been up to? Probably the same nothing things, see what I mean?"
[00:02]	Miaka	What? You're not still with the AV club?
[00:02]	Miaka	tilts her head
[00:02]	`Kyle	shrugs again.
[00:02]	`Kyle	"No, I am, but like, nothing DIFFERENT with it. It's... a club?"
[00:02]	Miaka	shrugs
[00:02]	Miaka	I've always thought of it as a club.
[00:04]	Tiara	thinks of the underlying meanings of AV.
[00:04]	Tiara	blushes even more.
[00:04]	`Kyle	"I didn't say it wasn't, though."
[00:04]	`Kyle	"Look, uhh..."
[00:05]	`Kyle	tugs at his hair nervously, trying to say something.
[00:05]	`Kyle	"Miaka, have you... You don't really know, like, have you told her...?"
[00:05]	`Kyle	is doing a very bad job at doing anything right about now.
[00:05]	Tiara	hm?
[00:06]	Rika	leans forward a bit, resting her chin in her hand, and her elbow on the table.
[00:07]	`Kyle	"About, you know... HER?"
[00:08]	Miaka	What her?
[00:09]	`Kyle	"HER her. Tiara never...?"
[00:11]	Tiara	grit her teeth. It's true that she never told anyone about her 'real' reason of not coming to school...
[00:11]	Miaka	OH, you mean that skank, right?
[00:11]	Tiara	...except someone as close as Miaka.
[00:12]	`Kyle	hushes his voice.
[00:13]	`Kyle	"Not so loud. Just 'cause she's out skiing with her family today doesn't mean she won't pick up you're calling her that."
[00:13]	Miaka	You say that like I give a damn what she thinks.
[00:13]	Miaka	turns her nose up as she takes a bite of her lunch.
[00:13]	Tiara	I'm... prepared, too.
[00:14]	`Kyle	raises an eyebrow at Miaka.
[00:14]	Tiara	I won't back down this time.
[00:14]	`Kyle	"You might give a damn about what she DOES, though."
[00:14]	Rika	is becoming interested despite herself.
[00:14]	`Kyle	looks at Tiara directly now.
[00:14]	`Kyle	"Look, I..."
[00:15]	`Kyle	is trying to word it simply...
[00:15]	Tiara	smiles, unlike her usually kind one, but this time more to the vicious side.
[00:15]	Tiara	I'm stronger.
[00:15]	Tiara	I'm stronger this time.
[00:15]	Tiara	(fufufufu...)
[00:16]	`Kyle	just says it directly.
[00:16]	`Kyle	"Tiara, she thinks she's won me back. After you left... She thinks it means she won."
[00:16]	`Kyle	"I've just... I tried to tell her, but..."
[00:17]	`Kyle	shrugs.
[00:17]	`Kyle	"And she's had a month to think that way now."
[00:17]	Miaka	That's because she's a stupid blonde. All that hair bleach has made her retarded.
[00:18]	Miaka	says this with all the vitriol a nerd can muster for a cheerleader
[00:19]	Tiara	H-however!
[00:19]	Tiara	The food is getting cold!
[00:19]	Tiara	wants to steer the topic away from this she use the generic topic changer speech!
[00:19]	`Kyle	looks at the lame cafeteria pizza and such.
[00:20]	`Kyle	"I don't think it was ever warm..."
[00:20]	Tiara	pokes on her waffles some more. It has ice cream on it. Oh the irony.
[00:20]	Tiara	I guess...
[00:20]	Tiara	deflates.
[00:20]	Rika	chuckles softly. It really is like a soap opera.
[00:21]	`Kyle	isn't giving the topic up, though. This is important to him. Tiara is important to him. Not so much as a girlfriend as just a friend. A friend who has shown she's not the most assertive.
[00:21]	`Kyle	"Tiara... Are you sure you're okay? I know it's been... weird, but..."
[00:22]	Miaka	Tiara, don't worry about it. You and Kyle both know that you're together and that stupid bitch is just in denial.
[00:23]	Tiara	I don't know... maybe it's not okay... or maybe it is...
[00:23]	Tiara	is even more unsure of herself. Her waffles got way more holes than it should be. The ice cream is also melting.
[00:24]	Miaka	I don't even know why you guys even pay attention to her.
[00:26]	`Kyle	"She's... kind of a big deal at school, you know."
[00:27]	Rika	would ask about this girl, but if she reminds them she's there, they'll probably stop talking...
[00:36]	Miaka	Big deal. Pssh.
[00:36]	Miaka	My thoughts exactly.
[00:36]	Miaka	focuses her efforts on finishing her lunch
[00:38]	Tiara	does the same. It's sort of hard afer she turned her waffles with ice cream into smoothies.
[00:40]	Rika	stands, brushing the crumbs off of her hands as she does.
[00:41]	Rika	"Well, I'll see you around, yeah?" She says.
[00:41]	`Kyle	"Oh, y-yeah, see ya... Oh, uhh, I forgot your name, sorry?"
[00:42]	Miaka	Hey, Rika, wait!
[00:42]	Rika	"Ah? 'S cause I never gave it." She grins "I'm Rika."
[00:42]	Miaka	stands up and leans close, so Kyle can't hear.
[00:42]	Miaka	...wanna go hunting, later?
[00:42]	Tiara	nods, registering Rika as someone she heard of.
[00:43]	Rika	"...Yeah." She nods. "Sounds good." She waves a hand. "Well, later."
[00:43]	Miaka	nods back and waves
[00:43]	Miaka	Later!