Disclaimer: If we claim we own the series, we might get crushed by a giant Hot Spring Turtle, in addition to the aforementioned weapons. Thanks, but no thanks.
Okashira: ((Rubs a new bruise and glares at a particular reviewer.)) Although it's taken a little while longer than we'd intended, chapter 4 is finally up.
ChibiSecchan: ((Snitches a black belt from her Karate sensei as she comes out of the closet in full Karate gi.)) Mine's still going through stitching, but I'm a qualified black belt...NOW WHO WANTS TO KICK AND STEP ON US FOR UPDATES!
Okashira: ((Grins and steps back.)) We welcome reviews, of course, as it gives us a chance to exercise. We hope you'll review this chapter as well. ((Nods for ChibiSecchan to proceed.))
ChibiSecchan: It's just that we don't take physical abuse well, after all the laser beams, Aerial Aces, Water Pulses and whatever Juraian weapons we've endured...((takes on the violent reviewer))
Okashira: ((Averts his gaze and pretends it's not happening.)) We're steadily gaining more and more characters as this progresses, so please watch for their appearances and roles. ((Coughs.)) And weapons.
ChibiSecchan: ((Walks into the closet again and changes back to her school clothes after dumping the dougi into the laundry.)) Yep, although we suggest those with an allergy to fluffy animals prepare a mask as they proceed.
Okashira: ((Nods with a grin.)) You're gonna be seeing a lot of them soon!
ChibiSecchan: ((Grabs her bag and makes a rush to the door for the hell that's known as "college.")) And feathers too!
Gradual Changes Book 1 - Newer Bits of Life
Chapter 04 Settling In
By OkashiraShinomori and ChibiSecchan
Beta Reading by Spiritmage and Shinmeiryuu
"Never become a relationship counselor, Secchan."– Konoe Konoka
Konoka sighed heavily, her shoulders drooping with the sound. Secchan's already in trouble... She shook her head sadly and turned her gaze on the well-mannered swordswoman who sat a few feet in front of her, back straight and eyes ahead, focused firmly on the large oaken desk. Only the slow, constant swinging of her right leg betrayed her nervousness, and then only to Konoka.
The young healer turned to look at the two young men who sat, slightly removed, to Setsuna's left. They were obviously upper-classmen to some extent, and seemed rather accustomed to the circumstances they found themselves in as they chatted freely about their schedules, no longer paying the least attention to either of the girls. When the red-headed teacher that had caught Setsuna and the other two had left, on her way to retrieve their profiles from storage, Konoka had worried that something more would happen, but to her immense relief the two guys had immediately launched into conversation while Setsuna fidgeted in her own unnoticeable way.
I don't think Secchan's ever really been in trouble before... Konoka had also never landed herself into enough trouble to equal what her girlfriend was apparently in, but she found it likely that the raven-haired girl, judging by her personality alone, was only slightly perturbed. Although her military posture would tell someone who didn't know her as well a very different story. The healer squirmed in her seat, wanting to go over to Setsuna and just stand there, or talk to her, or say something. It always helped to have a little support when one was about to get in trouble.
But that wasn't a good idea, lest Konoka end up in the same trouble that the three before her were in, though likely with a less harsh punishment. The teacher had specifically instructed her to wait in the seat she was in, though she hadn't forbidden her from talking. Regardless, she decided not to press her luck and remained silent, drumming her fingers on the wooden armrest as they awaited the return of the woman.
As Konoka shifted her weight to the other side of the chair, bringing her left leg up under her, the door opened silently, admitting the woman they waited on. Konoka turned immediately to look at her once more. She really was the definition of beautiful; long red hair, though she kept it in a bun, a full figure despite her slightly above-average height. Her smile was kind, as were her eyes, and Konoka had the strangest feeling when she looked into those violet spheres. It was a familiar feeling, but she couldn't seem to place it.
The teacher, clad in a relatively loose sundress with a conveniently similarly colored school staff jacket, smiled at her as she passed, headed for her desk. She sat the papers on the desktop as she rounded the side, sitting gracefully into the high backed chair. "Now, Sakurazaki-san, Shirai-kun, and Haitani-kun, would you mind explaining what happened at the docks?"
All four sets of eyes went to her, but all four mouths remained silent. The two guys, Shirai and Haitani apparently, looked between each other, then at the swordswoman, though her ponytail obscured her face from view. The one with longer hair spoke up first. "We were just talkin' to each other and she," he jerked a thumb at Setsuna who chose to ignore him, "decided she had to go all samurai on us and tried to attack or somethin'. You saw it."
The woman nodded and looked at Setsuna. "Do you have anything you wish to add, Sakurazaki-san? What they said is what I saw."
The girl cleared her throat, blushing slightly. "They were discussing, although whispered, Konoka and myself, Sensei." The woman seemed nonplussed until Setsuna turned darker and continued, "Inappropriate things."
The teacher's mouth formed a small "o" of understanding and she turned, a little angrily, on the two young men. "Is that so?" Despite the still kind sound of her voice, both boys cringed and exchanged looks.
"It wasn't insulting or anything, Kusanagi-sensei." This time it was the one with a buzz-cut. "Most girls'd take it as a compliment, really." He glared across the room at Setsuna, although she once again ignored them with her old stony stubbornness.
She shook her head. "That doesn't matter, Haitani-kun." She regarded him sternly and raised an accusing finger. "Girls do not appreciate being made the center of guys' lude conversations." The teacher spared a glance at Setsuna. "Although Sakurazaki-san's actions were a bit extreme, they were not unwarranted."
Kusanagi Mizuho sat back in her chair, still looking at the boys who were appearing increasingly more uncomfortable. "If the two of them wish, they could charge you with sexual harassment, I'm sure." Both boys whined plaintively at this, and she held her hand up for silence and instead looked at both Konoka and Setsuna meaningfully. "But I don't think there's cause for that."
Setsuna nodded acquiescence. "If it's not too much, Kusanagi-sensei," she said the name unsurely, but continued when she made no protest or corrected her, "I would ask that they both apologize to Konoka, at least."
The both of them cringed when Kusanagi Mizuho smiled warmly at the idea and nodded. "I think that's a fine idea, Sakurazaki-san." She turned to Haitani and Shirai, still smiling brightly at them. "I do think you owe both of these young ladies an apology, don't you?" Although her voice was as kind as always, there was clearly no question in her words.
Looking between each other and grumbling low beneath their breaths, the two boys stood slowly and turned towards Konoka, bowing shallowly at the waist. "We're sorry, Konoe-san." As they straightened, the sound of their teacher clearing her throat caused Haitani's eye to twitch and with great reluctance they repeated the gesture towards the swordswoman.
Still grumbling to themselves, they looked at the door in unison and Konoka got the idea the two were rarely parted, so attuned to each other were their movements. Regardless of their behavior, it made her happy to know that they were close friends.
"Yes, you are dismissed." The seemingly imperturbable teacher waved them off with a friendly smile. "Please remember to keep your thoughts about girls to yourselves from now on, gentlemen."
"Yes, Sensei," they muttered as they walked quickly out, avoiding the triumphant gaze of the Konoe heir. The door closed and Konoka gathered herself for a moment as the woman at the front of the room pulled the small stack of papers that were their files over and took out a pen.
"Um, Kusanagi-sensei?" Her voice was quieter than it had been in a while, and Setsuna motioned to her to come up to take the seat beside her. She smiled at the girl and hurriedly did so, smiling shyly at Kusanagi Mizuho as she paused in her writing and looked up quizzically.
"Setsuna and I just got here, we were getting off the boat when this happened, and I was wondering if you could, um, tell us how to get to our dorms." After their immediate apprehension, the group of four students had been led quickly to one of the large buildings they had spied to the trees. Much to their dismay, the layout of the corridors hardly seemed logical, and they took numerous twists and turns on their way to what was presumably the office of the woman before them. Konoka knew there was no way she could find her way out, though she hadn't been given the chance to ask Setsuna about it.
The woman again smiled brightly at her and nodded, making an affirmative noise. "Sure thing, Konoe-san." She tapped the sheets of papers. "Let me finish up this paperwork really fast and I'll help you two find your rooms."
Setsuna and Konoka both nodded, deciding it best to let her simply get her work done so they could move on. The moment of silence was short, and Setsuna's gaze was the first to be drawn by the unusual light show at the edge of the large wooden desk. She blinked in disbelief and pointed at the little creature that had appeared as it floated around the edge of a book towards the teacher.
"That's the thing that stole your Prech, Konoka!" Both the chocolate-haired girl and the young teacher looked at the small yellow form. It merely smiled and produced a stick of Prech from behind its back.
"Noh." Almost tauntingly, it took a significant bite from the stick, crumbs scattering across the glossy surface of the desk it stood upon.
Mizuho turned back to Setsuna and blinked. "What?" She looked back at the thing, "Marie stole food from you, Konoe-san?" Her voice held a note of innocent disbelief. As Konoka nodded silent confirmation, the thing dubbed "Marie" began to, as inconspicuously as it could manage, float back behind the stack of books he'd appeared from behind. "Marie!"
The irony that, despite having just handled a disciplinary situation, this was the first time they'd heard the rather mellow woman raise her voice, did not escape Setsuna, and she couldn't help the small smile that flitted across her face when the Marie thing stopped instantly, hovering in place, its back still facing the tall woman. "Noh..."
She raised a finger at it as if scolding a child and placed her pen on the desk. "I know you like Prech, Marie, but it's wrong to steal, and especially from a student!" She shook her head and sighed, "I don't know where you pick up these bad habits." Konoka raised a curious eyebrow when their teacher shook her head and sighed. "I know it's not from Kei-kun or myself, so where are you getting these things from?"
She seemed to remember something and again shook the finger accusingly. "Have you been visiting Kamishiro-kun without my permission, Marie?"
Setsuna almost laughed out loud when, like a small child, the thing scuffed its little foot across the surface of the desk, its hands playing idly on its apparent floating device, not meeting Mizuho's gaze. "Nonooh..."
Still watching the figure with a disapproving gaze, Mizuho stood from her chair and faced Konoka, clasping her hands before her politely and bowed, her hair cascading down over her head and shoulders, then bounced back up, smiling apologetically. "I'm terribly sorry, Konoe-san, that Marie took your Prech." She glared again at him out of the corner of her eye and he hurried behind the stack of books, peeking his head back out once he was hidden. "I assure you it won't happen again."
Konoka smiled and waved her hands before her, shaking her head. "No, Kusanagi-sensei, it's okay, really." Setsuna made as if to comment, but decided not to, figuring her love already knew how she felt about the foreign looking thing. Konoka walked over to the edge of the desk and extended her hand towards Marie, still smiling. "His name is Marie?"
Mizuho looked a little relieved that the high profile student wasn't angry about the stolen snack and relaxed a bit, nodding. "Yes, that's what we call him. He seems to like it."
"What is he, if it's okay to ask?" Marie looked up at Konoka's face hesitantly, trying to gauge if she was friend, foe, or Prech, then floated a little closer to her.
"He's actually an active example of the subject I teach." She sat down at her desk and pushed a textbook labeled "Applying the Arcane to the Mystic, Vol. 1" closer to Konoka. "I'm the head of the electronics department, and I teach the class concerning the effects magic and technology have on each other."
Setsuna stepped up to Konoka's side, curious to learn more about such a broad subject, her eyes resting intently on the fair-eyed teacher.
"So he's a combination of magic and technology?" the young healer asked as he floated into her hand, stabilizing himself with her thumb as his feet touched down on her palm.
With a casual air hardly befitting to a teacher, Mizuho pulled her chair up beneath her and sat heavily into it, clasping her hands and stretching backwards. "Mmm, yes." She sat up straight again and watched her little friend examine Konoka's hand, no doubt looking for anything she might have stashed away, regardless of such being impossible. "I was there when he was activated, and cast the enchantments on him myself to do so." She smiled at the memory, probably like she would if it had been a child of hers.
"Where was he created?" Setsuna asked, the first real interaction she'd had with the conversation.
Mizuho looked at her, almost having forgotten her presence in her remembering and explaining. "It was a laboratory in Japan. Connected to another campus, actually. The Mahora Robotics Institute, or something like that." She shrugged, thinking the tidbit of information to be inconsequential until Konoka drew in a breath in surprise, causing her to look her way once more.
"Mahora? In Saitama Prefecture?" She looked excitedly at Setsuna who merely cocked a half smile to sate her. "That's the school me and Secchan transferred from!"
Their new teacher took half a second to comprehend that, then smiled and clapped her hands together. "Is that so? What a coincidence that we should all meet first thing upon your landing on the island."
Konoka smiled back at her and nodded, half of her attention on Marie who had taken to floating along her sleeve, traveling up her shoulder to float in circles around her head, muttering "noh"s of various meaning under his breath.
As if suddenly recalling something, Mizuho landed her right fist in her left hand, the noise drawing the attention of both girls. "Do you know if they've ever completed their large-scale robotics project?"
"Large-scale..." Setsuna looked at Konoka, who nodded, figuring they were both on the same track and were correct. "If you're speaking our classmate, Karakuri Chachamaru-san, then yes, it's been completed." She cringed at a more recent memory of others like Chachamaru, but fundamentally different. "And then some."
Mizuho cocked her head at the last statement, but decided not to ask. "How big of a success is, Karakuri-san, you said?"
Setsuna smiled, one corner of her mouth twitching slightly, not wanting to particularly destroy the young woman's hopes for the project. "She's...pretty normal looking, I guess." If you read a lot of manga...
The red-head didn't apparently catch the indecisiveness in her voice as she simply smiled brightly. "That's really good to hear. Perhaps there can be mass construction once Karakuri-san has been fully evaluated and tested to her full potential."
"Ooh, I hope not..." Setsuna muttered, just loud enough for Konoka to hear it, who giggled and wagged a finger her direction in a mock authoritative manner.
Mizuho looked curiously between them, then shrugged. "I suppose I really should have contacted Hakase-san by now about the project, but I've been so busy since getting my post here," she continued as she picked her pen back up and returned the majority of her attention to the documents before her, seeming to be half finished with them at least.
"You know Hakase-chan too?" Konoka inquired, her voice rising once more in excitement. It seemed too good to be true that the first member of the staff they'd meet would know some of their previous classmates well enough to recall their names after as long as it had been since she'd met them.
She nodded and flipped another page, scanning it quickly before jotting her name across the bottom of it. "Yes, we worked closely for several months before Marie's activation." She looked up at them and smiled a little in embarrassment. "She's so much younger than me, but she knows so much more about electronics and technology than I, and I'm the one who's teaching a class concerning it." She laughed nervously at the thought. "Isn't that funny?"
"Er, I suppose," Setsuna acknowledged. Is she really as old as she looks? She seemed to vary in levels of maturity at times, and Setsuna hoped it was merely due to it still being summer vacation. Although, she had to admit, if she's like this in class, at least It'll stay relatively interesting.
The conversation seemed to evaporate as Konoka's attention became slowly more focused on Marie who, in a sudden need to show off for his attentive new audience, had taken to teleporting small objects this way and that, floating upside down, and performing various other antics with which to draw a laugh from the chocolate-haired girl.
The swordswoman smiled to herself and sat back down in one of the chairs, contentedly watching Konoka, basking in her love's happiness. Fortunately, by the time Marie's antis began to get repetitive, Mizuho sat her pen down and smiled at the two. "Alright, that's all." As she began filing the papers back into the appropriate folders, the couple walked quickly to their original seats and shouldered their respective duffel bags and gathered at the door to the office. Arriving at the island itself had certainly brought to life the fact that they were indeed at a place that many only dreamed about, and that they were fully at the helm of their own lives. But being shown to their dorms, their homes for the next several years, was another step entirely. Setsuna silently prayed that they had been assigned the same dorm, having disliked being separated at Mahora Academy enough to last her for a decade or better.
"Are you girls ready?" Mizuho asked brightly as she rounded the desk, producing a key from a previously unnoticed pocket, Marie floating along behind her. The smile she wore betrayed the question as merely a ploy to increase their agitation and make them more excited, but the both of them feel prey to it regardless.
"Yes, Kusanagi-sensei!" Konoka returned enthusiastically, threading her arm through Setsuna's, affectionately resting her head on her shoulder, smiling. "Do you think me and Setsuna might have the same dorm room?" Her eyes were hopeful, and although her face was a bright red color, Setsuna too turned to look hopefully at the teacher.
Mizuho considered the question thoughtfully for a moment, then shrugged apologetically. "Well, I don't know. The process of dorm assignment is pretty random..." She stepped outside the room, holding the door open for Konoka and Setsuna, turning to lock it once they were out.
Konoka bit her lower lip and shook her head, despite knowing that Mizuho couldn't see her anyway. "No, we weren't the ones who actually did the applying. My grandfather did, and I don't know if he told them..." She trailed off worriedly, and Setsuna found her hand with her own and gave it a gentle squeeze of reassurance.
"If we have different dorm rooms, I'll just have to come visit, won't I?" She smiled at her love and saw her face light up a little at the reassuring prospect.
"Definitely!" Smiling again, Konoka pulled Setsuna along as Mizuho walked ahead of them, paying little attention to where they were, knowing the halls of the massive school by rote now. Setsuna, however, was careful to make note of the room numbers and labels on each of the doors. She knew she wouldn't remember them all, but it would be helpful in eventually learning the layout completely.
As they walked, Konoka and her new teacher carried idle conversation, most of which concerned Marie and his various habits, both good and bad, while Setsuna observed in silence, her arm linked with Konoka's. It didn't take long, though the distance seemed considerable, that they were once again outside the building. The sun had already passed its zenith in the sky and begun to wane, shadows lengthening slightly across the campus.
The swordswoman took a deep, experimental breath and sighed happily. It smells like home. The air was crisp and clean, even with the faint scent of the fire from a forge that had permeated the Shinmeiryuu's small establishment. Somewhere in her it registered as surprise that she was so relaxed in a new and potentially dangerous environment, and her sense of protection for Konoka began to reassert itself, much to the chagrin of her aesthetic side. A breeze wafted through the trees, masking her sigh with its own.
"It's beautiful, isn't it Secchan?" Setsuna looked down at the girl beside her to find her gazing at the surrounding trees with a peaceful expression on her pretty face, almost wistful as well.
"It is. It reminds me of home." Konoka looked up at her and frowned, drawing closer. She knew Setsuna better than Setsuna, in some respects, and heard something wrong in her voice.
She whimpered, knowing it would draw Setsuna's attention, and looked up at her curiously. "Then why are you so tense?" Mizuho wasn't paying direct attention to them, so Konoka brought her hand to rest on Setsuna's upper arm, squeezing lightly. "You're not relaxed at all."
Setsuna smiled down at her, perhaps a little sadly. There are times I think she's psychic. "I'm fine, Konoka. Just a bit uptight about being in a new place; that's all." Her love frowned skeptically, and Setsuna chuckled. "Really, nothing's wrong."
The Konoe heir still wasn't satisfied, but could tell from Setsuna's eyes that it was something Setsuna didn't wish to bother her with, and she decided to drop it until later, perhaps when they were alone. She tightened her grip on Setsuna's arm and rested her head against her shoulder, gazing out once more at the landscape.
The young Shinmeiryuu turned a bright scarlet when their teacher, still leading them to, apparently, the dorms looked back at them and smiled slightly at seeing them together as they were. I was just getting used to being with Konoka with people we've known for years, and now we don't know anyone here... A sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that things would be a little strained for a while, and it was her fault as usual. Even after the incident on White Valentine's day, she still had an aversion to affection in public, although she couldn't find a cause for it. She knew, and believed fully, that Konoka didn't care about her history, though she still didn't know all of it, and she herself didn't really care what her classmates thought, and yet still she turned red, still she panicked, and still she hurt Konoka with her inhibition.
I really need to work on my self-control while I'm here. It was her best chance in the last year or so to do so, seeing as how there were plenty of secluded places, no doubt, on an island such as this. It also seemed logical that some of what she learned would be useful in reigning her instincts back in. Kono-chan deals with my shortcomings for now, but it may become too bothersome to her in the future. She suppressed a shudder at the thought and clenched the hand Konoka hadn't attached herself to into a fist, vowing to force herself to work to improve their relationship.
Konoka gasped quietly as they came over top a hill overlooking the next several hundred meters of the campus. A river cut the green land from East to West, flowing at a gentle rate to the West, depositing the clean water from a lake at the base of the mountain several miles away. The water was a blue and pure as azure, clear enough that they could see the silt covered bed and the randomly grouped fish, none very large, that swam to and fro within it, unbothered by the current. A wide wooden bridge, constructed in the manner of Japan's middle ages spanned the distance with ease, seeming to meld into the scenery itself to appear natural.
Kusanagi Mizuho smiled proudly and pointed at the long wooden construct. "That bridge was one of the first things built here by the mages that founded the school. They say it's over 500 years old." Marie confirmed her statement with a wise looking nod and a "noh," before speeding up and soaring out over the water, dipping down to skim its surface, sending the fish scattering in fear. Mizuho started down the hill towards the bridge, trying to repress a chuckle and call Marie away from the fish. It was apparently a regular occurrence, Setsuna decided as Marie playfully skipped further along the water, chattering his single syllable in what seemed a taunting manner to the woman who merely laughed and ran along the bridge, following him as best she could.
Setsuna felt a tug on her arm, and she looked down to see Konoka grinning up at her. "We're gonna get left behind, Secchan." She tugged again, and with a laugh, the two broke into a run down the hill, following the path their new teacher had taken. The sound of their feet on the wooden planks of the bridge echoed beneath the structure, no doubt frightening more fish. Hand in blushing hand, they caught up to Mizuho. The taller woman was standing at the end of the bridge, one hand resting on one of the support posts, the other holding her hair in place. Marie floated behind her, demolishing a Prech absently as he floated back and forth. She gestured at the river and the mountains in the distance. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Both girls nodded, Konoka slightly breathless from her run, Setsuna not the least the worse for the wear. She brushed a lock of fiery hair from before her face and gazed off at the ocean, still visible on the horizon. "I hope you two like it here." She winked conspiratorially at them. "It's a perfect island for couples. Lots of secret little retreats." The couple looked at each other and both turned a cherry red, not meeting the woman's eyes again.
She took on a stern tone they had come to recognize already as her teaching voice and wagged a finger at them authoritatively. "But you didn't hear it from me. Public display of affection, according to the academy's official rules, must be limited to hand-holding and hugs." She looked around, as if looking for a spy, and smiled at them again. "Publicly."
Setsuna turned yet darker and Konoka laughed quietly, obvious understanding and thinking about what Mizuho had left unsaid. Her grip on Setsuna's arm tightened and pink tinted the chocolate-haired girls face once more. "We'll remember, Kusanagi-sensei."
She broke into a wide smile again. "Good! Now, I bet the two of you are tired of carrying your bags around the campus, so let's hurry on to the dorms, shall we?" They nodded in agreement, Konoka especially beginning to truly feel the weight of her luggage as she wasn't as strong, physically, as her companion.
The trio, plus Marie, slowed their pace back to a walk and started again towards the buildings that stood across the grassy field before them. Konoka recognized the vast open area as a massive courtyard, seeing as they approached that there were wooden benches beneath stands of trees and a wide fountain in the approximate middle. Around the courtyard stood three massive buildings, each nearly identical in construction.
At first glance, they seemed to have been taken directly from the Victorian Era of Europe, the graceful architecture seeming to fit in perfectly with the scenery. They had high vaulted windows and extended eaves, all painted a sky blue with pristine white trim. The only sign of modern technology were the uniform air conditioners that stuck several inches from the window of each dorm, although they were painted in such a way to be nearly invisible.
Mizuho led them around the edge of the first building, the one to the West, and stopped at the corner of the building, waiting for them to catch up. "I'm really sorry, girls, but I have to drop you off here."
She straightened and pointed along the front of the building to the rather spacious porch that extended from the walls in the middle. "If you go through the main door, you'll see a table set up with papers on it. There should be somebody there that can tell you what your room assignments are." She bowed again, Marie mimicking her. "I'd escort you if I could, but I have a date with my husband soon, and I don't want to miss that."
The both of them waved her apology off and returned the bow. "Thank you very much for leading us this far, Kusanagi-sensei," Konoka chirped, speaking for the both of them, Setsuna nodding behind her. The healer readjusted her duffel bag and smiled widely at her. "I hope you and your husband enjoy your date, Sensei."
Their teacher smiled back at her, her voice rising happily. "Thank you, Konoe-san. I'm sure we will." With a small wave and a mouthed "bye" she hurried off in the direction of a second, slightly smaller building, between the two large ones.
Konoka turned back to her love and smiled brightly. "Kusanagi-sensei really seems nice, doesn't she, Secchan?"
The student of Shinmeiryuu nodded, watching their teacher and her little floating friend retreat to the other building. She looked down at Konoka, and on a whim, leaned forward a little and kissed her nose, knowing there was no-one else about. "Let's go find our room."
The other girl nodded vigorously, a little tingle of delight running through her at her love's unexpected show of affection. "I can't wait to see what they look like!" Setsuna laughed as Konoka again took the lead, pulling her along by the hand towards the raised porch.
She jumped the steps in a single bound, her hand slipping from Setsuna's as she put more distance between them. Chuckling to herself, the swordswoman took the steps two at a time. "Hurry up, Secchan!" Konoka reached down and took her hand again, jerking her up the last three steps in her excited haste. The door was standing open and she'd been gazing through it while her love had been taking her time on the steps. "It looks so pretty, you've got to see it!"
Shaking her head an laughing, Setsuna walked faster to catch up with her. "I think you need a little self-control, Kono-chan," she muttered playfully as a blond girl looked up from behind a rather cheap looking table sitting in the middle of a cavernous room. The high ceiling held a painted relief of angels sitting amongst the clouds, and a single large chandelier hung down from the ceiling, illuminating the main room perfectly.
"Can I help you two girls?" The older student asked kindly, smiling at them cordially.
"Yes, could you please tell us our dorm room?" Konoka all but skipped up to the edge of the table, leaning over it to examine the papers as if hoping to find it herself.
Apparently the young woman was used to such behavior as she paid it no mind, merely flipping picking up a clipboard bearing what appeared to be a roster. "What are your names?"
Setsuna cleared her throat and stepped up beside Konoka, absently arranging Yuunagi better along her shoulder. "Konoe Konoka and Sakurazaki Setsuna, miss."
After several, seemingly long, seconds of flipping papers, the girl nodded victoriously. "I've got you right here." She looked up and grinned at them. "What a coincidence. I attended Mahora Academy for a year quite a while ago. Really nice place."
Konoka beamed at her but held in her need to tell her to hurry and divulge their room number and key. She seemed to get the point as she reached under the table and dug around in a small black box for several moments. Muttering an "aha" she produced two keys and held them out. "Konoe-san, your room is 202, and Sakurazaki-san, yours is 257."
They both looked blankly at the keys, then up at the girl, hoping they'd misheard. "They're not the same room," Konoka inquired, sounding deflated.
The attendant blinked and looked back at the papers before her, double-checking first their names, then their numbers, and finally the numbers on the keys themselves. "I'm sorry, they're not." The hand that held the two keys moved a little, shaking them enticingly.
Neither of the girls spared them a glance, and Setsuna instead stepped up to the side of the table, resting one hand on its surface, looking at the girl with a pleading expression. "Is there no way we could get them rearranged so that we may share a room, or at least neighboring room?
The answering head shake was immediate, and almost a little annoyed. They ALWAYS ask that... the girl thought, wondering why people couldn't just deal with setbacks and move on. Perhaps it was merely because she'd never had a significant other of any sort and merely didn't understand. Or it was perhaps because she just didn't care. "I'm afraid the sorting into rooms is random and cannot be changed unless it's for medical or emergency reasons."
Konoka's shoulders slumped forward a good deal, her duffel bag swinging around to knock the table, but she didn't notice. "Are you sure?"
The blond girl nodded, rolling her eyes. "Yes, Konoe-san, I'm sure." Again, she shook the keys slightly, and Setsuna all but snatched them from her.
"Thank you, miss," she said politely as she tugged Konoka off to the side with her free hand. "Come on, Kono-chan," she murmured, understanding full well the disappointment she felt. In silence, the couple walked across the cavern-like room to the other side where a double-staircase led up to the second floor and likely continued on to the third and fourth floors.
Setsuna wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed inconspicuously, choosing her words carefully. "It's not all bad, Kono-chan." She held the keys out. "They're the same floor, at least."
The healer nodded and took the key labeled "202" from Setsuna, turning it over in her small hands. "Yeah, that's true..." She smiled up at Setsuna and leaned in closer to her. "You'll just have to come over all the time then, Secchan."
She nodded, pocketing her own key. "Of course, Kono-chan." Still holding the smaller girl, Setsuna started up the steps, not letting the unfortunate setback weigh on her mood too much. The heavy carpeting was a little odd to the two, as they were used to thinner carpet or wood floors most of the time, and Setsuna decided she disliked the overly springy, slightly unstable feel. Reaction times would be slowed by a good eighth of a second at the least.
The stairs twisted around, separating in either direction, meeting at a landing that opened up to a long hallway, doors on either side. The numbers emblazoned on the doors confirmed the first number on their rooms corresponded to the floor. To their immediate left, the door with "201" on the little bronze plate stood slightly ajar, and there were sounds of stuff being moved around coming from within. Must be another student, Setsuna decided, hearing a drawer slide closed with a muffled bang.
She looked to the left and saw that, as she'd expected, door 202 was closed, no sliver of light coming from beneath it. "How nice, Kono-chan; yours is right next to the stairs." She stuck her tongue out playfully at the other girl, hoping to cheer her up a little bit more.
Konoka made a face back at her and released her hold on her arm, stepping up to the door, key in hand. "But that means I have to hear all the people who come tromping up and down the stairs. You're nice and secluded, I bet."
Well, that'd be nice. The swordswoman preferred seclusion, and it would be a nice change after how tumultuous her time at Mahora Academy had become. She stood behind Konoka, looking anxiously over her shoulder as she worked the key into the lock, turning it until a click sounded that the mechanism was successfully tripped.
Konoka looked back at Setsuna and smiled before turning the door handle and pushing forward. It swung open easily and both girls peered inside.
The room wasn't especially large, though small was certainly the wrong word for it. It extended nearly twenty feet outwards, ending with a wall empty except for a single large window overlooking the courtyard. On either side of the door was a wooden dresser tall enough to reach Konoka's shoulder, containing four drawers each. Several feet back from the dressers were identical beds, the tops of the mattresses coming to about waist height on Setsuna. The frame was wrought of pine, it appeared, and the mattress looked to be extremely soft based on its thickness and the way its own weight caused a small depression in the center of the bed. The sheets were the same color as their uniforms, although they were not of the same slightly coarse material, instead made of much softer cotton with a thick white comforter atop them. At the foot of each bed sat a wooden roll-top desk with a wheeled computer chair sitting just under the edge of each.
The carpet, much to Setsuna's chagrin, was the same as that of the rest of the building, although it felt nice when she took her shoes off to step into the room, despite it not being Japanese style. Gazing around, a look of wonder in her dark eyes, Konoka laid her duffel bag on the bed that sat on the wall against the stairwell. "This one's mine," she stated as she peered around the room, taking stock of what she couldn't see from the doorway.
Setsuna, not being able to set her stuff down, immediately proceeded to a door to the immediate left of the entrance between the unclaimed bed and dresser. "Is this a closet?"
Konoka shrugged as she began opening drawers in the desk at the foot of her bed, checking out how much space she had to store her school stuff. "I guess so. It could be a bathroom too."
The swordswoman nodded her ascent at the idea and twisted the handle, pushing it open to gaze curiously inside. "You were right, Kono-chan. It's a bathroom. She looked behind the open door and whistled low in appreciation. "And a nice one at that."
"Oh?" Curious, Konoka skipped back between the beds and stood on her tiptoes, peering over Setsuna's shoulder at the bathroom. The floor was linoleum, as one may expect, white to match the walls and pristinely clean. A toilet sat along the wall to the left, with a shower/bath module just beyond that, nearer to a door on the opposite side of the wall than their own. Opposite the toilet and bath were two marble sinks, complete with toiletries arrayed beside each; enough for a total of four people.
Konoka pushed past her love into the bathroom and ran her hands across the smooth, nearly reflective surface of the marble sinks, her eyes wide. "Wow, this is really really nice! I've only seen marble in really expensive hotels!"
Setsuna frowned and nodded, taking stock of the soaps and other items lining the tops beneath an expansive mirror. "Makes me wonder how much your grandfather had to pay for this..."
"Oh, Secchan, don't think about any of that stuff," Konoka huffed as she put her hands against Setsuna's shoulders and pushed her back into the main room. "You're already here, so don't worry, okay?" She stepped up closer to her love and looped her arms loosely over her shoulder, toying with the ponytail on the left side of her head.
The swordswoman turned a light shade of pink at how close the marginally younger girl was getting, becoming distinctly aware of the proximity of her lips. Setsuna wrapped an arm around Konoka's waist and gently pulled her a little closer against her, bending her head to capture the other girl's lips with her own, though only for an instant.
"Feel better, Secchan?" Konoka asked, her voice softened by the kiss as much as her heart was. The taller girl nodded and didn't relinquish her hold on her. The healer sighed happily and rested her head against Setsuna's chest, closing her eyes. We made it. We're here, together, to learn magic. It kinda happened fast, but, she tangled her fingers in Setsuna's ponytail again, I'm glad.
They stood there for several seconds more until the open door caught the swordswoman's eye and, turning redder, she reluctantly let go of the chocolate haired girl in her arms, stepping back a little and readjusting her duffel bag on her shoulder, beginning to find its weight uncomfortable. Konoka looked at the door and understanding dawned on her. She smiled a little sadly and placed a hand in the small of Setsuna's back, gently pushing her towards the hallway. "C'mon, Secchan. Let's go find your room."
The lack of spark in her love's voice echoed in Setsuna's ears, nearly making her wince, but there was little she could do except kick herself mentally for it. Why can't I stop myself from doing that? I've been trained in how to maximize my control over the mind, but every damn time I think someone will see Kono-chan and I together like that, I freeze up! She shook her head, sighing as well, and forced a smile at Konoka as she was forced from the room. "Sure."
The both of them slipped their shoes back on and stepped outside, Konoka closing the door and locking it behind her, as much to simply do it because it was hers as it was to protect her things. Setsuna saw, instantly, that the door across the hallway was closed and its lights off. She probably DID see me and Kono-chan like that... She managed to catch her train of thought and halfway derail it before it could go further. But she could've left when we were looking at the bathroom too, and not seen anything...
She jumped slightly when Konoka again looped her arm through hers, tugging her gently down the hall towards the opposite end. "Is everything alright, Secchan?" She peered worriedly up at her, her dark eyes begging her for an answer.
"Just excited, I guess," Setsuna stated, smiling down at her, not caring whether it was the entire truth or not. She didn't want Konoka to know of yet more of her stupid jumps to the wrong conclusions or bouts of unnatural nervousness. Konoka nodded in understanding and tugged harder. With a small laugh, Setsuna sped up to match the now unencumbered girl.
"245, 247, 249, 251," Konoka counted off the doors as they made their way down the hall, watching the side opposite Konoka's room. "253, 255, 257." She stopped short, letting go of her swordswoman's arm. Setsuna dug around in her pocket for the key, producing it with a grunt and holding it up to the door as if verifying that the numbers matched.
With much ado, she inserted the key into the lock and twisted it, feeling the latch give as she did so. She popped it back out and easily opened the door. As Konoka's had been, there were no lights on, but this room's blinds were drawn, casting almost complete darkness throughout it. Her well-trained eyes adjusted almost immediately and focused on the bed nearest the bathroom.
A lump stretched most of the length of the bed beneath the blue covers, and a lump of unkempt azure hair rested on the pillow. The raven-haired girl winced when the sleeping woman flipped over in her sleep, mumbling something loudly and reaching out blindly for something or someone in her sleep. She suppressed a chuckle and stepped inside, quietly laying her bag on the bed and standing Yuunagi respectfully against the head of the wooden structure.
Konoka stepped in warily, her eyes on the other, unnoticing, occupant, trying to be sure not to wake her. "You've already got a roommate, it seems," she whispered to the girl beside, her though it was an obvious statement.
With a frown, Setsuna swept a rather spacious bra from the foot of her bed and surveyed the room, not liking what she saw. "And not a very cleanly one." Perhaps from her upbringing as a child of Shinmeiryuu, she was not at all fond of clutter. She'd had few things to spread around her room, as did all others who lived in the village, and she'd become used to keeping few things, and keeping them organized. Konoka was mildly messy, but not more so than most people, and Setsuna didn't particularly mind. This woman appeared to be quite the opposite.
Konoka giggled as the swordswoman began moving articles of clothing and other miscellaneous items from what was now her side of the room over a clearly defined invisible line to the other side. "I don't mind so long as she keeps it out of my way..."
The healer ventured a little further in, peering around, curiously trying to glean as much information as she could about Setsuna's roommate from the surroundings. She barely stopped herself from crying out as her foot slipped on a hard cylindrical object on the floor. She windmilled her arms to keep her balance and the object skittered across the floor, ricocheting off the sleeping woman's bed frame. Setsuna was, without a sound, at her side, a curious and worried look on her normally stern face. "What happened?"
She brushed several strands of loose hair out of her eyes and pointed down at the floor. "I'm not sure. I slipped on something." She bent and peered under the edge of the bed, then reached out, bravely in Setsuna's opinion, and fished around for whatever it was that had nearly tripped her. Her hand closed around the cold hard surface of what she thought it was, and she nodded in confirmation when she pulled an empty bottle out into the low light.
Setsuna raised an eyebrow and took it from her. There was no label, so she quickly passed the mouth beneath her nose and grimaced in disgust. "It's alcohol." She dropped the bottle into the nearly full trash can she found tucked under the edge of the other occupant's desk, seeing several more of the glass containers within it. "And she drinks a lot of it, I'll venture..."
Konoka made a face and walked a wider path around the other woman in her haste to back to Setsuna. "Is there a rule against drinking here?" She slipped an arm through Setsuna's once more and looked at the number of bottles in the can and around it.
The swordswoman thought back to what little she remembered of the rules and shrugged. "I don't remember, honestly. I would think so. It IS a school after all..."
"Maybe the dorms are special?" Konoka cocked her head in thought, also hearkening back to her set of rules, trying to remember if the student lodging hosted a different set of rules.
Again, the swordswoman shrugged and turned around, Konoka still on her arm, and passed back through the two foot space between the two identical beds. She nearly leapt out of her skin when the azure-haired woman who they had thought to be asleep suddenly sat up in her bed, her back ramrod straight, staring blearily at the closed blinds, Konoka latched tightly onto Setsuna's arm in surprise.
Slowly, as if her mind was processing at half speed, Setsuna's roommate turned to blink at the startled girls. "Who're you?"
The smell of alcohol floated strongly across the small space to the hanyou, and she coughed, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Most regrettably, I am your roommate." The other woman blinked once more, then nodded as the sentence began to make sense through her hazy mind.
"Well, that's nice, isn't it?" She smiled widely and raised her arms into the air invitingly. "We're gonna have a great time, roomie." She reached beneath her pillow and pulled out another bottle, holding it out to Setsuna with a sly grin.
"I've got some liquor if you want any." She grinned and folded her legs in the manner of an Indian, stretching back with a groan, seeming very catlike. "It's real good stuff."
"No thank you," Setsuna replied stonily, her arm tensing in order to draw Konoka slightly closer to her, her eyes not leaving the woman in the bed. "If we're going to be roommates, please tell me what your name is."
The long, azure-haired woman pouted and looked at the bottle, then decided it shouldn't go to waist and twisted the top off, grinning when the small "pop" that indicated it was open echoed in the room. "The name's Ryoko," she stated in a slightly clearer voice after gulping down a third of the bottle in a single swig. The liquid seemed to actually throw off the effects of her previous amount, much to Setsuna's wonder.
The woman looked back at the two and peered curiously at them. "What about you guys? Who're you?"
"I'm Sakurazaki Setsuna, and this is Konoe Konoka," the swordswoman answered immediately. In truth, she was a little surprised at the aura the young woman radiated. She obviously possessed strong magic, and her eyes were sharp when they weren't blurred with liquor. Her voice was strong and confident, somehow managing to seem like someone else's and fit her perfectly.
She stood up and bowed in a half-attentive manner. "Nice to meet you." She stood up and flicked her hair back over her shoulder. "Sorry if the room's a mess." She winked conspiratorially at the two. "I wasn't expecting company. For the last two years, I've been lucky enough not to have a roommate."
She looked blankly around the room, then frowned. "Ryo-ohki! Come on out and stop hiding." She placed her hands on her hips and glared around the room. "I know you're in here!"
The chocolate-haired healer blinked and looked around. "Who's she talking to, Secchan?" she whispered up to the slightly taller girl.
Setsuna opened her mouth to respond and nearly, once again, jumped out of her skin. A small brown lump launched itself from beneath the covers of her bed and attached itself to her skirt. She managed to suppress the urge to hurl it across the room and instead peered down at it curiously.
"It's so cute, Secchan!" Konoka squealed in delight, kneeling to examine the small furry creature attached to her girlfriend's clothes. The swordswoman didn't respond, silently asking whatever powers may be why she was subjected to such on a regular basis. The small animal, in turn, only looked up at her with large golden eyes, one ear twitching randomly.
Ryoko crouched down beside Konoka and, scowling, pulled the little thing from Setsuna's skirt by the nape of its neck, glaring at it. "Now that's not a very good way to greet your new roommate, Ryo-ohki. Where'd you get the idea to attack her?" She shook the little animal slightly. "Huh?"
Konoka looked worriedly from the animal to the seemingly angry woman, to Setsuna, wondering if it was healthy for the little thing, apparently Ryo-ohki, to be shaken like so. With a world weary sigh, Ryoko dropped the brown bundle of fur to the ground, shaking her head and replacing her hands on her hips.
"She's so impossible, sometimes. Sorry 'bout that, really." She fixed a glare on Ryo-ohki as she once again gravitated to the swordswoman, brushing affectionately against her ankle.
"No, it's okay," Setsuna assured her, watching the furry animal with a hint of surprise. Many animals were naturally frightened by her aura and massive amount of Ki, but Ryo-ohki either didn't notice it, or perhaps because of Ryoko, was simply used to such a thing.
Waving her hand dismissively over her shoulder, the well endowed woman turned around and flopped back down on her bed, not caring that part of the alcohol in the bottle she still held sloshed out onto the covers and onto her loose t-shirt.
"If she bothers ya too much, just gimme a yell." She sat the bottle by her pillow and stretched with a yawn. "I kinda stayed up late last night, so if you'll excuse me I'm gonna try to go back to sleep."
There was almost a hinting quality to her voice, but both Konoka and Setsuna dismissed it, although her personality seemed to the type that would do that. The swordswoman nodded and picked Yuunagi back up, trying not to trip over the animal, cabbit, as she did so. Cabbits, the unofficial name of the species, were a rather are breed of rabbit, looking more like they were crossbred with a cat than a pure rabbit. Generally two-toned, they have long tufted ears and a small rabbit-like tail. Few have escaped into the Outer World, being called an incarnation of "Carbuncle" when they did, though it's been long forgotten what Carbuncle was, or even where it originated from.
"Are we leaving, Secchan?" Konoka whispered, mindful of the apparently temperamental woman in the bed at her side.
Setsuna nodded an affirmative and slung Yuunagi over her shoulder, gathering the plastic bag that held the remains of their lunch in one hand and the nape of Ryo-ohki's neck in the other. The adorably little animal cocked her head at Setsuna and mewed softly. With a grimace, Setsuna relaxed her hold and sat the animal hesitantly on her shoulder.
"Come on, let's not bother your owner." There was a slightly acidic tint to her voice, but she suspected the rowdy woman had already fallen back asleep.
Konoka giggled at the site of the little animal on Setsuna's shoulder, curiously licking her ear. A red blush covered Setsuna's face and she murmured an excuse about not liking the way Ryoko treats her, and that it would be cruel to leave her in her company. Konoka stepped out the doorway as her love motioned, still chuckling quietly to herself. Secchan really is perfect. I didn't know animals took to her so quickly, but she still tries to keep up a tough exterior.
Silently, Setsuna strode back down the hallway, trying to ignore the little warm spot on her shoulder. She could see, easily enough, that there was something Konoka liked about the cabbit getting attached to her, and was secretly considering keeping Ryo-ohki around, even if just for the sake of Konoka's amusement. There were more girls in the hallway now, they found, though none of them stopped them to talk, rather to the swordswoman's relief.
They threaded through the thin crowd with ease, their sights set on the healer's dorm room. Konoka, grinning at the newness of her room, stepped in front of her girlfriend and unlocked the door quickly, finding to her disappointment that her own roommate, assuming she had one, hadn't arrived yet. Setsuna walked in after her, chuckling to herself when Ryo-ohki immediately leapt from her shoulder to the empty bed opposite Konoka's, walking in very deliberate circles before settling into a small brown lump in the middle of the pillow.
Konoka collapsed onto her bed, smiling widely, and flopped backwards on it, her arms spread eagle. "Isn't this great, Secchan? We've got our rooms, our supplies, you have a roommate and," she nodded at the now sleeping bundle of fur, "a new little friend."
Setsuna mocked a grimace and sat lightly beside her love, her gaze flicking momentarily to the door to see for sure that it was closed. She sat the bag down by the pillow and lay down on her side, facing Konoka. "Yeah, I suppose it's all pretty good except my roommate." She jokingly made a face as she reached one hand out to mess idly with the other girl's chocolate locks. "I don't know how well we're gonna get along."
The Konoe heir laughed and rolled over to face Setsuna, smiling when she blushed at noticing their closeness. "Just think, if I never get a roommate, you can be over here all the time." She snuggled closer, trying to contain her laugh at her girlfriend's growing blush.
"I was just thinking that myself, Kono-chan," Setsuna stated, her voice a little lower than usual. Konoka's heart sped up at the sound, finding that it had the odd effect of raising her inner temperature.
Konoka wriggled yet closer, raising one hand to brush a strand of hair from Setsuna's eyes, smiling a smile rarely seen at her.
"Do you know what I'm thinking right now, Kono-chan?" Oh she's gonna smack me so hard for this...
Konoka's heart beat faster yet again and she moved closer, kissing Setsuna's hand as she drew it from her hair, achingly away from her. "What's that, Secchan?" A blush was beginning to show on both of their faces, proof that the mood was becoming powerful for both.
Not really expecting an answer, Konoka leaned in slightly further, feeling her eyelids droop as she got closer, ready for the kiss she was sure would come. Suddenly the bed shifted and she opened her eyes, blinking in confusion. "I'm thinking we should finish this food before it goes bad," her girlfriend stated in something a little closer to her normal voice, now sitting normally on the edge of the bed with the bag of food in her hand.
Her heart was thundering in her ears, and blood was rushing through her with extreme speed, fast enough she could feel her fingers pulsing with every beat. God that was difficult to pull away from... She had wanted so much for their lips to meet and to reach out and draw Konoka's soft body closer, hold her tight, and remind her who would protect her always, but the moment had been too perfect to resist throwing her love a curveball as she so rarely did.
As Konoka sat up, disappointment weighing heavily on her features, the cabbit awakened at the smell of food and bounded from its bed to Konoka's, brushing happily against Setsuna's back, mewing its want for something edible. "You're cruel, Secchan," the healer stated simply as she scooted next to the swordswoman, their legs touching, and took her lunchbox from the other girl's hand.
Setsuna grinned at her, beginning to feel the effects of their earlier closeness fading so that she had total control back. "They say surprise is an important part of every relationship."
Konoka blinked then chuckled softly to herself as she arranged her chopsticks in her hand so they were more comfortable. "Never become a relationship counselor, Secchan."