genessia | [Action] Skipping Little Stones

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[Action] Skipping Little Stones

... She had been there before, right?

A seemingly young unchaperoned girl with light mint hair and glowing green eyes was walking down the sidewalk, attempting to balance on the curb with arms outstretched, trying to avoid any pedestrians. She wore an unusual mix of a rose-patterned green skirt, black sunhat, and a bell-sleeved shirt colored an impossible to miss shade of yellow. Next to her floated an indigo-blue sphere just larger than a baseball, twin cords coming from either side, suspending themselves of their own accord, looping, twisting, tangling around her before ending at a pair of decorative button hearts pinned onto a pair of heavy boots. Every little thing distracted her, her head turning this way and that to oogle at whatever caught her fancy. This caused her to lose her balance more than once, the girl catching herself and hovering in mid air momentarily before setting herself down and resuming her walk.

No one seemed to be paying any attention to her, a few people seeming to spare her a glance before dismissing or losing sight of her. In fact, it was hard to keep track of her in general. She seemed to vanish between blinks or cause those around her to look away, the girl slipping from their minds. It made sense, really. Many of these people had somewhere to be or someone to meet. Only those curious enough to focus or those looking for the unusual could perceive her for more than a few moments.

(NOTE: This scene is open to anyone who wants to join.)

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Satsuki has been making it a point to make regular visits to The Bay, and it would seem today is another one of those days. However after about twenty minutes of looking around and apparently not finding what she was looking for, she proceeds to head back with a somewhat thoughtful look upon her features rather than her usual, rather stony frown.

But all of a sudden something was amiss. Her purposeful march steadily slows as she thought she saw something, but perhaps that was a mistake. But then she's certain that something is there- Something besides the occasional pedestrian that passes by. An assassin maybe?

The Deputy Guardian comes to a full stop, then eventually murmurs, ".. And you are?"

It took a moment, maybe several, before Satsuki's reply would be given an answer. Seeming to dissolve in from nowhere the girl appeared in front of the taller woman, completely solid and clear as day. She hovered in the air at just under eye level, cocking her head one way, then the other, leaning in gradually.

"Hello Miss!" She dropped down suddenly, her boots making a dull thunk as they hit the ground. "I'm Koishi! And you can see me!" She seemed elated for some reason, the strange, hovering blue sphere swaying from side to side as the cord twisted itself up into a heart. Both the sphere and cords seemed organic. "It wasn't even just seeing. You actually noticed me! Without me waving or jumping!"

Her volume was a bit on the loud side, though she wasn't drawing nearly as much attention as one would expect, though it was still significantly more than before.

Edited 2014-07-02 10:16 (UTC)

Satsuki isn't going anywhere anytime soon, but if Koishi waited too much longer, things may not have ended so.. Clean. After all, the Satori could have been an assassin! What she wasn't expecting is such an energetic and chipper girl sporting an unusual accessory. It isn't very infectious, though, Satsuki continues to look rather unfriendly.

"Ah," she confirms, "It sounds as if you were not doing that on purpose, though. That seems rather inconvenient.."

"I am Satsuki Kiryuin, Deputy Guardian of Nova City. Are you some sort of unsent spirit, perhaps?" A conclusion Satsuki would have never come up with at home, but Genessia has shown her many fantastic things.

Edited 2014-07-02 20:58 (UTC)

"That sounds like a really important job. Are you really important Miss?"

Koishi tilted her head again, not waiting for an answer, looking up and turning in a small circle. As eye contact broke she became a little more difficult to focus on, her presence once again becoming more defined as she settled back onto Satsuki. She blinked several times before she brightened further, if that was even possible.

"Yeah. I don't do it always on purpose. But I can do it more if I want. Then no one can see me, but that's no fun... And I dunno what an unsent spirit is. I just got here!" She was growing more excited. "Miiisssss! You have really really pretty hair! I like it. It's so shiny and I bet it's soft!"

Without waiting for permission the satori reached forward and began playing with her hair. The blue sphere had risen significantly higher now, nudging the much taller woman's cheek. It had a slightly unsettling air about it. Like a slight sense of vertigo.

"You seem like a really nice and observant lady Miss! Let's be friends, okay? That would be a lot of fun! Do you like picnics? There's a pretty place full of big sunny flowers that crinkle and laugh that's perfect for picnics. I got sis to come up to the surface with me and we sat there once. Food tastes better when you're on a picnic."

Edited (wanted to add just a bit more) 2014-07-02 23:02 (UTC)

"Indeed. Every city and sub-city has a Guardian and, ideally, a sub Guardian. An unsent spirit is, essentially, a ghost that refuses to ascend to heav-" before Satsuki can finish, she finds Koishi doing that unusual 'vision' thing again, then her eyes half-lid once she proceeds to play with her hair and the eye thing pressed to her cheek.

This. This is a thing that is really happening right now.

And she honestly isn't certain why she isn't reacting violently, though the sudden sense of vertigo does force her to raise a hand to try and bat the sphere aside, then smack her hand with the handle of her sheathed blade. Frowning intensifies.

"I suggest you get it under control as soon as possible, Koishi. You will have a difficult time adjusting if you fail to do so. And, yes, It is an important occupation. Both important and time intensive, which means I have no time for picnics with-" Children? Her brows furrow. "How old are you?"

"I'm not a ghost! I'm a satori youkai. But don't be scared. I can't read minds anymo-" She was cut off very abruptly as her third eye was smacked away. The sphere itself had some rigidness to it, perhaps filled with firm cartilage or small bones. It did give a little from the impact, but not much.

The sword hit never connected, the once faint sense of vertigo becoming unbearable for a single moment, the youkai vanishing completely for a breath before coming slowly back into focus. She was crouching down, holding the sphere delicately to her chest. Satsuki hadn't hurt or damaged the eye in any way, but it was a very sensitive organ.

It took several moments for Koishi to recover. There was a mental pressure coming from the girl now; a slight sense of displacement. "That's not very nice miss! I do my best but no one can control the unconscious. And even if you're important you shouldn't bully others like that. I just wanted to be nice and say nice things!" She straightened up, unharmed, though she didn't let go of the eye. The looped heart was also gone.

Her age? She paused, her frown lessening a little bit. "Umm... When my head broke and tilted I was two hundred and eighty one." Considering many youkai could live thousands of years, that was, indeed, young, but satori youkai were not supposed to be eternally young. They were, in fact, some of the most intelligent, hence the name. "But that was a long time ago. And time is all mushy now so I don't know. Sis knows. But she doesn't like mean people."

Edited 2014-07-03 00:53 (UTC)

"..."

Just when Satsuki's thought she's seen everything; now she's speaking with a Satori. Koishi's manner of talking isn't nearly as annoying as MewTwo's though, so she'll give her that.

That said, she didn't mean to hit the girl very hard, but personal space invaded far too long. Don't let Satsuki be a babysitter. But that said, she raises a brow, "I meant no harm. But a word of advice, Koishi Komeiji: Not everyone appreciates being touched by strangers. Learn that lesson now and you will avoid worse repercussions in the future."

She does notice that looped heart vanished, though. She doesn't feel particularly bad about it, but she also doesn't want to make any unneccessary enemies. Especially two-hundred year old ones with broken brains that vanish in and out of existance. Surely ice cream will solve this problem, and there just so happens to be a truck just down the street.

"Come, I shall treat you to ice cream." and withtout a second thought the long-haired woman steps forward to take the lead. "It sounds like you are new arrival. Are you originally from the Netherworld, perhaps?"

Koishi seemed to be calming, the distorted aura slowly dissolving, leaving her as she was before. She was gently massaging the third eye, focusing around a small dent on top and slightly to the left, though sh seemed to be taking care not to touch it directly.

"You didn't have any harmful intent. That's why I didn't lash back. It was far more startling than painful." Her voice was a bit clearer than it had been before. Perhaps a brief moment of clarity, though it seemed to gradually dissolve. "Sometimes I don't know what I'm doing. And you are an unusual person. And you are very pretty but you have a frown and a lot of gravel and prickly things. You shouldn't have that. It's not good for you. You'll get all the bad wrinkles really early."

There was a moment of silence... "Ice cream!" Instantly back to her good mood. Wasting no time she darted forward to catch up to Satsuki, falling into stride next to her and reaching up to take her hand. Again with the touching... though this one seemed more justified seeing how short Koishi's attention span tended to be. "Sis's homemade taffy is my favorite favorite but ice cream is my second favorite!"

She turned her eyes from the ice cream truck, looking up at Satsuki at the question. "New arrival? I dunno. I woke up and they gave me a shiny necklace and now I'm in a place where I don't know where I am... But I like it!" She was beaming. "And I've never been to the Netherworld but a nice lady with a puffball tells me it has lots of cherry blossoms! I live in the underground. Hell used to be there and then they moved so we moved in. There are lots of oni. They have lots of parties!"

This is getting difficult to adjust to; and she thought hanging around with Ryuko felt awkward. Though this was less awkward and more... Disorienting?

Still, in Koishi's serious moment, the words she speaks make her faulter in her steps- It's not the compliment that bothers her, but the dangerously close assessment of her psyche. If the Satori could feel such a thing, Satsuki proceeds to emotionally distance herself even further from the youkai, like a heavy door creaking shut. "Wrinkles are the least of my concerns."

Her brow twitches when her hand is taken, but for now she just.. Puts up with it. She'll get the girl her ice cream, fill her in then be on her way, as she won't do.

"Is that so," she replies flatly, though she's hardly interested in any of the facts given to her. "You are currently in Genessia, which I believe is separate from your original world. That necklace will allow you to move further beyond the main city, so long as the lit color matches the archway entrances."

And at last the pair reach the truck, your run of the mill white truck chiming some unfamiliar tune; the signs boast having all sorts of neat shaped popsicles, and various soft-serve flavors.

"Genessia?" Koishi struggled with the name a bit. "Genessia Genessia. Big shiny place with big shiny buildings and big shiny colorful things and big shiny people. It's all so new and pretty. So many things in one place. So many different things. How do they all fit? This place must be sad too. With everything all mixed and twisted sour things are always made. Sour and bitter and icky. Not too many I hope."

The momentary distraction from the intended goal didn't last as they reached the ice cream truck properly. Elated would not be an accurate word to describe the little satori's current behavior. She was hopping up and down a little, third eye swaying eagerly from side to side, her hand tightening around Satsuki's. She had never seen such a wide assortment of ice cream all in one place before. It was certainly a new experience. One he was enjoying immensely.

"Colors! And music! And colors! There are so many! Which one? Which one? So many! Which one?" She raked her eyes over all the various options, unable to decide. Each new thing she saw seemed to excite and intrigue her just as much as the last. It was nearly a full minute before she turned back up to Satsuki. Her smile could not have been larger. "I can't decide! You pick for me miss. Something sweet and crackly and different! I don't get a lot of special ice creams and there are so many here. I can't pick!"

This girl is growing increasingly strange. The child-like, abundent energy that radiates from the small Satori combined with her almost riddlish speech is a little overwhelming, even. It isn't wrong, per se, but difficult to adjust to- she finds the music annoying, for one thing, "'Sad' is one word for it, I suppose."

Still, a sigh passes her lips as Koishi's grip tightens, her free set upon her own hip. ".. Something.. 'Sweet and crackly'," she repeats. The only kind she enjoys personally is green tea ice cream and he doesn't appear to have that. Still her eyes glance over the selection then breaks it down by ingredient until finally she orders, "Strawberry ice cream with white-chocolate covered pop rox."

'Comin' right up for your cute little sister!' the vendor chimes with a laugh, though it fades into a more awkward laughter when it's met with a sharp glare.

Koishi seemed to perk up at the mention of strawberry ice cream. It was her favorite ice cream flavor though paused when Satsuki mentioned pop rocks. She had no idea what those were, but they sounded interesting at least. Especially if they were covered in chocolate. Looking up at Satsuki, Koishi tilted her head a little.

"Miss! That's really amazing! Can you read my mind? You would be the first in a long time. I really like strawberry!" A small lapse. "Rocks though? Are they good rocks? Like candy rocks? Not real rocks, right? Even if they're dipped in chocolate... Even in strawberry ice cream! That's my favorite. Did you know that? Is that why you picked it?"

Again she was distracted, turning to the man for a moment. "She's not my sister. She's my friend and a really nice lady. My sister is shorter than she is and has more hearts. But that's okay. I wouldn't mind a sister like her."

And turning back to Satsuki once more, positively beaming now. The floating cord twisted around, again making the curling heart. "You should smile more often. It would suit you. Because you have a pretty face. It would be good for you too. Because you're full of starch and charcoal and that's not good for humans. It will make you sick. Don't get sick, okay? It's really dangerous."

Edited 2014-07-06 07:39 (UTC)

Satsuki finally makes eye contact with Koishi again, and can't help but look a little confused. It really wasn't that big a deal, was it? "All I did was order what you asked for." she replies, "It was little more than observation and logic, not.. Mind reading. And no, they are not real rocks, they are hard candies that crackle in your mouth."

Not that Satsuki had them before; she's done plenty of looking around. Plenty. The vendor seems to warm up to Koishi pretty quickly, though he ends up looking confused when he returns with the cup and spoon as if he can't see her. After he rubs his eyes, that seems to fix itself and he hands it over. 'Oh! Heh, I see. Lucky you!'.

If Ryuko weren't already here, Satsuki may have responded very.. Poorly. Thank god she has her own sister. Instead she's just annoyed. After she pays for the ice cream she replies with a flat, "I shall take your advice into consideration. You should eat your," damn "ice cream."

Edited 2014-07-06 08:21 (UTC)

Koishi was jittering excitedly as the man came back with the cup of ice cream. She had started to hop in place again, finally letting go of Satsuki's hand so she could reach out and take the frozen confection. Poking at it with a spoon, she turned it this way and that, her eyes brighter, third eye weaving around excitedly as she took the first bite.

"It's good! It's sweet and creamy and-" She froze, eyes wide, blinking a few times. A faint popping sound was audible. "It crackles!" She sound legitimately surprised, her voice dropping in tone a little, becoming more focused, her third eye twitching. That's... That's uncanny! It actually crackles!" Another, more controlled spoonful, taking her time a bit more with this bite, mouth shifting, appreciating the new texture.

Her shoulders dropped after a moment, her thousand watt grin returning with a vengeance, the little youkai rising into her air under her own power. Her levitation was smooth and steady as she took another, rather large scoop and held it out to Satsuki. "Here! You should try it Miss! Have some! It's really amazing! I've never had anything like it!"

It really didn't sound like she would be taking no for an answer. Perhaps even those two bites had given her a significant burst of sugar energy. It was hard to tell with how easily excitable the youkai tended to be regardless. Hopefully that wasn't the case.

Edited (Spelling and grammar.) 2014-07-06 09:36 (UTC)

.. Wow.

Ice cream is certainly a dessert of miracles, isn't it? Watching Koishi's reaction is actually.. Amusing. And once her hand is released, she casually brings it behind her back to hide it.

Her other hand, though, raises to her lips to block the spoon- Koishi may not be the type to take 'no' for an answer in this state, but Satsuki can be just as stubborn. "I am lactose intolerant," she blatantly lies, "Dairy products make me ill. But it is fine that you enjoy it."

"So you have an sister?"

"Nooo~" She drew the word out, giggling a little. She didn't drop her arm, still offering the sweet treat. "You shouldn't lie miss. I know when people are lying. I know because little blinking things swirl around in their head. You don't need to lie to me miss."

The spoon was surprisingly steady, despite the awkward angle it was held at. Clearly the little youkai was very adept at her flight. "Yeah! I always share dessert with her and since you're really nice like she is I want to share it with you! Her name is Satori, but its spelled さとり and not 覚..."

Koihsi paused, her arm dropping a little, tilting her head slightly in one direction. She opened her mouth once... then closed it. "I'm not speaking Japanese... Huh... That's really odd." The third eye began trembling, sporting a sliver of white as she turned in a small circle. "Nothing is. I hadn't even noticed..."

She dropped to the ground, putting the spoon (and the ice cream it contained) into her mouth to free her hand. She reached up and into her shirt, pulling out the necklace she had been given, turning it over in her hands before letting it go as the ice cream in her mouth began to crackle again, the sliver of white vanshing. She took the spoon out of her mouth, looking up at Satsuki, eyes alight, she took another big spoonful of the ice cream, offering it again. "Here! It's so crackly! Do you live here Miss? Whats it like? This is a very special place if I'm talking different like this. Stranger than I thought before!"

Blinking.. What? All the same, she simply watches as Koishi further puzzles out the situation she's in, and nods in agreement. "Correct, it is a very unusual sitation we are in at present. I cannot really explain how it works but I believe the intent is for us to be able to communicate with non-japanese speakers. I am not native to Genessia, I have been here for about a few months now. Others have been her for longer or shorter periods of time."

"It is.." What is it like? "Convenient. Much to explore. But it is not 'home'."

Koishi really is enjoying that ice cream.. But it doesn't seem to be appealing to the Deputy Guardian to even try, especially with the threat that it would bring them closer. She'll pass on that.

"Yes, I was lying. The truth is your offer is unsanitary. Knowing that, which answer did you prefer?"

"I've never even seen most things like this... And I lived in a palace! In the underground! We had a biiig nuclear fusion reactor and we provided everyone with power so that the parties could be bigger and we made it warmer in places. It was nice. There are actually a bunch of reactors all linked up in the center and if we were to light them all the metal under the dust and rock would probably heat up super hot and everything would burn. But we don't need that so we never use them all. Just enough. Without using it at all, though, it starts to freeze and snow. Sometimes we lower the power output on purpose because the Oni ask real nice. Then they party in the snow." It was a strange concept, really. Hell needing the power of a fusion reactor to keep from freezing over.

"It's actually connected to a really hot place if you look hard enough and fly around. You can find it but its not easy to see. It's far far away in a corner where things glow red and little bits of sharp metal are buried in the ground. So this place is nothing like home. I still like it but I don't know if sis would like it... Too many people. Too many thoughts."

She lowered her arm a bit, frowning, but she didn't seem all that upset, instead eating the bite of ice cream before it melted. "I'm not sick or icky though... You were real nice and bought it for me. I don't know how to make money. Sis does, but I don't. She says its hard sometimes. But okay. I like it better when people don't like. It's a good trait to have. Even when someone is really really good at lying. You practice a lot, don't you? That's okay. Sometimes people need to lie to stay safe. Especially humans. But you don't have to worry around me, okay? I prefer it when you're honest."

The concept being 'strange' is an understatement. It's almost like she's listening to some sort of Japanese folktale with added absurdity! And they're already pretty strange. Satsuki takes a moment to pay for the ice cream as she listens, but is impressed by the response to her truth, though of course the satori has to go and make it awkward with her additional questions. "I.. See.."

If the Deputy Guardian had to give Koishi work, it would likely be in the business of entertainment. Though it does raise the question of how well that would work considering her problem of coming in and out of existence. She decides to keep that in mind for later.

"I suppose I do not really have a choice though, do I? With that said, I believe I know of two persons that you may wish to interact with. One is a demon, Laharl, the other is a fallen angel, Flonne. I feel you and Flonne would get along particularly well."

Edited 2014-07-08 06:58 (UTC)

Koishi ate another bite... and then another, her glowing eyes seeming to stare right through Satsuki. "You really don't smile much, do you?" The eye was restless, weaving slowly, the looped heart twisting a little bit. "It's too bad... No one has to be happy all the time but everyone has to be happy at least some of the time."

She took an exceptionally large bite, her third eye tensing, eyes screwing shut tightly. An ice cream headache no doubt. She recovered quickly, shaking her head, forcing herself to pause for a moment before taking another big bite. "Focus focus everywhere. Everywhere that's not internal. Strange. It's very strange to see. You're concerned for me. Not about me... Not that I don't appreciate it.

She blinked. "New... People? New people! I love meeting new people!" She hopped up and down several times looking like she might throw her arms around Satsuki. "New people means new friends! New friends means that there is much more fun to be had. It's always better when you do things you like with people you like. It makes everyone happy. Don't you think so?"

"You're so nice to me. I want to do something nice for you, okay? I'm gonna do something real nice for you to like and enjoy. But not lots of origami animals. I tried that once and the lady with the bat on her head liked it but the lady with the vines growing out of her mouth did not."

Satsuki can't help but stare at Koishi, still fascinated by the reaction to eating the ice cream and boggling at the almost similar reaction by the third eye.

"I don't really understand what you are doing. You said earlier you are not reading minds, correct? So what are these 'readings' you are experiencin- Ngh." Satsuki tenses a bit as she notices the motion, and seems prepared to slip out of the way. But yes, Koishi is all over the place.

"To answer you question, yes, it does seem to make the most sense. Though ideally I would like to bring everyone together. I doubt whether I smile or not is relevant for such a goal." Satsuki then starts to look a little tired. A bat on her head? Vines out of her mouth? What the hell is she talking about? ".. If that it what you want to do.." she eventually concedes with a shake of her head. She'd rather Koishi be doing something than nothing anyway.

"It does not have to be today. In fact I insist it not, I have other matters that I need to tend to."

Koishi licked her spoon to catch a stray drop, placing it in the little paper cup and stirring the frozen treat around before pulling the utensil out once more and licking the back. "I can't read thoughts anymore. My eye is blind now." She sounded like she was struggling to keep her voice even. She stuck the spoon in the ice cream and gently reached up, plucking the eye from the air, holding it out to Satsuki, keeping it still. Her finger outlined a rough, off color indentation on the top. An old, but very severe looking scar.

"Missing pieces. Missing ties." She let the eye go, allowing it to settle again in front of her chest, frowning a little bit. Perhaps she was nervous. "I can't read thoughts but the subconscious is clear to me. I read emotions and shape and nature. I read people, not thoughts, and I can focus myself onto people. I'm really good at it too!" Her childlike nature was returning. "An oni once tried to get inside when Okuu was away and when sis was groggy. But I was there. Sis and I had to make her stop since she didn't want to danmaku. Minds are delicate little things. Pretty delicate shelf full of pretty glass things~"

Her smile brightened significantly. "But that doesn't normally happen. Because I can just hide. I'm good at keeping out of bad trouble. From grumpy scary monsters that want a little green snack~"

She picked up her spoon again, toying with it between her fingers. She was staring up at Satsuki now. "I can see you're a really nice lady. All hidden away and insecure. But that kindness is really beautiful miss. You have so many things you care deeply about. Don't be afraid to show it, okay?"

She took the last bite of her ice cream, pausing to enjoy its crackle, a huge smile on her face. "I'll think of something real soon, okay? Something special and good!" She glanced around, quickly spotting a bin with several similar cups in it, adding her own to it.

Edited 2014-07-08 21:02 (UTC)

So.. Strange. Honestly Satsuki doesn't really know how she's keeping up with Koishi; maybe she's just filtering the 'nonsense', or just not dwelling on it long enough to grasp a particular point? Either way, she isn't certain how much longer she can keep going.

"Koishi, I... 'appreciate' your kind words, but I am not in a position to do what you expect of me. Perhaps you will come to understand better should you discover the frustrating atmosphere and troublesome company Genessia breeds."

"Though I doubt you are in any immediete danger. For the most part Genessia has been quiet, but your ability to hide is one you should attempt to gain better control over. That said, how does one 'danmaku'?"

"I have a good idea. Frustration leaves dust behind. I can see it! But that doesn't change the fact you're a good person. Back home there is a nice lady who lives with a tiny tiny oni and she is always fixing the problems. She's the exact same way. she wouldn't work so hard if she didn't care about everything. Even if it makes her really really grumpy because she wants to be lazy instead."

Koishi paused, and frowned a bit. "Okay. I'm already trying my best but I'll figure it out. Sis once talked about the decades passing so its been a long time. She said that in the very beginning I couldn't walk or speak. I can speak just fine now!"

She puffed up a little... And deflated just as quickly, her eyebrows raising a bit at Satsuki's question. Perhaps it was such a common concept that the idea that someone didn't know was that startling. She shook her head, her smile returning with full force.

She was ~really~ excited...

"I'll teach you Miss! It's the best! It's really fun and really hard!" A deep breath. "Danmaku is a form of non-lethal dueling where I come from. Everyone is so strong that a real fight would kill and break everything. So we use danmaku instead! To play you declare a duel and make pretty patterns of shots in the air to try and dazzle and hit the opponent while the opponent must dodge them as best they can. Most of the time its magic but not always! Some people use objects. There is a nice maid who lives at the devil mansion and she throws knives! You can even use melee if you're good enough but not many people do because its not as elegant." She paused to take another breath. "The shots hurt a lot when you get hit and can leave burns or bruises or cuts but that's hardly lethal. The duel is over when there are no more spell cards." She didn't go right into what spell cards were.

She tilted her head to the side, her smile growing a fraction. "Here! Let me show you." The little youkai held up her hands, a small ball floating between her palms. It shot straight upward with a startling amount of force, exploding rather spectacularly into a mix of pink and blue hearts, twisting around each other in opposite directions, contracting, and exploding outward, the magic fizzling after traveling a short distance. It truthfully looked a lot like a really fancy firework, though it wasn't at all loud like one, however the sudden lights and colors had certainly attracted a lot of attention.

Edited 2014-07-09 19:01 (UTC)

Satsuki is starting to question how wise it is to excite Koishi repeatedly like this. There might be a legitimate danger of her just... Detonating. That said, an annoyed grunt passes her lips and her cheeks darken in response to the insistant compliments; but she doesn't seem to agree.

That said she actually follows the explanation of danmaku for the most part, and she certainly won't turn down a demonstration. And said demo is quite the sight. The 'artsy' part of it doesn't seem to bother her, but instead intrigue her- If there's a way to use that power to further test the Goku Uniforms.. Hm.

"Impressive.." Satsuki murmurs with comperably more life in her expression. "And how many 'spell cards' did you need to perform that?"

Koishi was smiling hugely as she watched the magic fizzle into the air and vanish, though it is replaced with a rather bewildered look when asked about the spell cards.

"Oh! That didn't take any spell cards Miss! Spell cards are special!" She reached into a sleeve and withdrew a rather nice card with rose-vine patterning around the border and handed it to Satsuki. It was of good quality, almost professional feeling. Inside a little box across the top 記憶「ＤＮＡの瑕」 was written. Below it was a photo of Koishi as well as a double helix of blue and pink hearts and several rings of green bullets expanding outward. Below that in another box was a simple description of the card's movement and purpose as well as a length of time.

"Spell cards are super secret ultra moves! This one is Memory 'DNA's Flaw' and I really like it." She tapped the picture. "It has to have a good name. That's in the rules too. That way you don't look silly when you declare which card you're going to use. The card's are made before hand so you can't cheat and make something up. Before the duel each side says how many cards they're going to use, but the don't have to say which cards. Then the duel begins! You can declare cards whenever you feel enough time has passed or when you want to hit your opponent because they're dodging really well and you want to surprise them. The spell cards have a time limit." She pointed to the length of time in the description. "Or can end early if your opponent breaks your focus. A lot of people will give their opponent a copy of their card if their opponent broke their focus without declaring a card of their own. Oh! And the nice tengu on the mountain will even make you pictures of your spell cards if you let her take picture of them."

"You can also make cards that just use short bursts of power in order to clear the enemy's shots away if you need to. That's called a 'bomb' but if you were gonna use 5 cards before and you use a bomb that means you only have 4 other cards to use."

She was jittering a little, hopping up and down. "It's so much fun! And it's really hard. And I'm really good at it too. Dodging and shooting at the same time..."

A pause. "Oh! Don't forget you're allowed to touch the bullets intentionally with your arms and feet and legs and elbows if you want. There is a witch who likes lasers a lot and she sometimes kicks off bullets to help her dodge. That's okay because its not a direct hit."

Koishi pursed her lips, frowning in thought for a moment before looking back up at Satsuki, smiling again. "Yeah! That's everything I think! Maybe we can duel sometime now that you know the rules. Trying it is the best way to learn it!" Her eyes lit up. "Maybe we could have a danmaku party or something. Does that sound fun to you? Do you think your friends would like it? I bet they would! It's really really fun and challenging!"

Of all of that, Satsuki is most impressed that the talk of spellcards and rules went without an assortment of absurd analogies with it; she has no difficulty absorbing most, if not all of it. That said she accepts the card to look over; which is admittadly rather cute.

Lasers, huh? Fascinating..

"I suppose I would be willing to give it a try, but I am uncertain that any of my associates are capable of that amount of fanciness.." She's very curious now, though she does hand the card back. "Do you still have all the belongings you were given on hand? It is important you learn how to contact others over long distances."

Edited 2014-07-10 20:51 (UTC)

Koishi had indeed made an effort to be as clear as possible when explaining the rules. They were, after all, very important. Her grasp on her stability was again slipping, however, accepting the card back and turning it over to look again at the picture. The back was surprisingly decorated too with a lovely wood pattern and painted gold border. There was obviously a lot of care put into making the cards and were a work of art in and of themselves.

"Wha? Really?" It was doubtful the little satori could get more excited than she was now. "Wow miss! No on ever wants to play with me!" She clapped her hands. "Do you want to danmaku now? That would be a lot of fun Miss But we shouldn't do it here. Things might break and then people would get all grumpy." She frowned, turning in a circle, looking up and around. "Uhh..." Her enthusiasm fell a bit. "I... Don't know where there is a good place to danmaku around here. Open spaces are the best but some people are good at tight and closed space danmaku. When you live underground, though, you need to be able to do both. Because there's always a ceiling~"

She blinked and looked down, touching her necklace. "Belongings? I don't have many belongings miss. There were things when I woke up. I think I took them... She began rummaging in her pockets, taking out various things... and a small bag. Instantly her attention was diverted. "Miss! Miss look!" She reached in and pulled out a piece of candy hand wrapped in wax paper. It looked like taffy and was quite fragrant. "Sis makes the best taffy for me. There really special and delicious." She held the little candy out toward Satsuki. "Here. This one is for you."

Whoops. Satsuki should have known that would crank Koishi to 11 again, but.. She's somewhat starting to get used to it, even if her presence in general is still making the Deputy Guardian a little uncomfortable.

She finds it difficult to believe that no one would want to play with Koishi- maybe everyone she lives close to is as much of a hardass as she is? Who knows. What she does have, though, is an answer, "Attleton Colloseum," she murmurs, "That would be a suitable area. But today will not do, I've matters elsewhere to tend to."

She blinks quickly a few times, as she seems to lose focuse for a moment, but by the time that's fixed, the little Satori presents her with a wrapped candy. There's a moment of silence, but she eventually accepts it as she gives it a look over. It seems normal enough. "The rectangular object is a communication device." she starts, then explains how the device works.

"Okay! Attleton Colloseum~" She said it in a bit of a sing-song tone. "If it's really really big you should bring your friends along too, Miss. If you think they would have fun. Then I can meet your friends and we can all be friends! I bet that will be great. And we can have tea after. I like rose tea the best. It always tastes good after I duel." She did seem to have a thing for roses if the patterns on her skirt and on the spellcard were anything to go by.

"By the way, I don't know where the Colloseum is Miss... Will you show me? If I see it I probably wont forget it." She meant that too. She had a very hard time remembering a lot of things...

She did, however, make a real effort as Satsuki began to explain the workings of her communication device. Absently she pocketed the little bag, hand reaching up to cradle her third eye, absently massaging it gently as she listened to the explanation as best she could. It did seem to focus her quite a bit, a tiny sliver of white appearing once more as the lids parted just slightly.

'Fun'. That's certainly one word for it, but if this cute little girl finds this 'danmaku' thing entertaining, there might be some other uses for her yet. Oh, and enjoying rose tea helps improve her opinon on the satori as well; even if actually having to travel to Attleton would be rather inconvenient for her.

However a part of the explaination deals with a exercise in which the two of them stands with their backs to one another. Suddenly Satsuki's face appears on the video screen, and she murmurs, "I will look into bringing a few others, then. I can show you where that is another time; it is out of the way of Nova City which is where I am headed." Why, Koishi might even be able to ride along with them in their radical car.

Beat.

"By the way.. I appreciate the candy, Koishi Komeiji."

Koishi looked just a touch unsteady throughout the duration of the explanation, the little youkai rubbing her temple delicately. Staying lucid and focused, even for a short amount of time, was starting to give her a bit of a headache. She jumped a little as Satsuki's face appeared on the video screen, the satori turning this way and that, turning around and looking back at Satsuki and then back to the video screen, clearly very confused. She had never encountered technology like this before.

"That's really amazing miss!" She talked directly to the Satsuki on the video screen, blinking and turning over to address her directly. "It's like a moving picture that can talk. I like it! I wish sis had one of these. Then she could talk to me and then she wouldn't be lonely... But I suppose if she did she'd never leave home. Since she only pokes her head out sometimes to look for me. It's not good. She's cooped up too long."

Koishi finally turned around proper, the eye closing completely once again, relief touching the corners of her eyes. "Okay Miss. Make your face show up in the box soon, okay? I think its a very pretty face and I'd like to see it again so I can talk to it!" A huge smile. "Where is Nova city? Is it car away? Is it a nice place full of nice people?"

"And you're welcome! I'll show you how to make it sometime. Sis showed me how before everything tilted so I remember it really clearly. It's the best recipe because its not too salty like some taffy. Sis uses some of the Oni's sake instead. Just a little tiny bit instead of salt. So it has a tiny zing to it and its really good. You should try it miss. Oni sake is strong but there is so little that its just the taste."

"I suppose it is.." Satsuki murmurs and actually seems amused by the reaction. Well that easily reveals that youkai, or at least this particular youkai, doesn't have much technology in hell other than that.. Thing she spoke of earlier. And that was assuming it wasn't a strange metaphor.

The device is turned off as she faces her company, then a bit of an 'ulp' passes her lips as her cheeks pinken yet again. ".. Enough with the compliments already," she mumbles under her breath, though seems to regain her composure afterward. Another glance is given to the wrapped taffy. "I see.. I will be certain to try it after dinner tonight."

"Nova City is a place that is populated by devices like that, but by a significantly larger scale. There's no doubt you would find it quite overwhelming and would actually recommend a place like here or Fayren to settle into first."

Koishi tilted her head a little, pursing her lips a little. "No. I don't want to stop. Because they're not compliments They're true!" She apparently heard Satsuki's muttering.

"And I bet it's a really pretty place. If it has lots of things with people's faces on it. I bet they're nice faces too." A bright smile. "And I bet they glow and are nice and shiny and lovely. I want to see Nova city sometime, okay? I like going to new places and seeing new things. It's my favorite thing to do, even if I don't understand it. I just like seeing it."

She paused, something that Satsuki said finally processing. "Fayren? What is Faeren? Is it another big shiny place?" Her third eye was hovering a bit lower than it was before, the little youkai far less excited than she once was. Maybe her energy was waning a little bit.

Edited 2014-07-13 04:10 (UTC)

A sigh passes Satsuki's lips. For now she decides to let it go, and maybe.. Just maybe it won't be brought up again. But at least she can answer that question, "If you would like, I have no problem with that. Nova City is actually the area I am Deputy Guardian of. Fayren is another sub-city that is deeper rooted in magic. In fact I believe there is a guild there that is quite proficient in it. Though I do not believe they perform 'danmaku'. I am rather certain I would have heard of it."

"There is also Everglade, to the West, which is rumored to be a haunted city; at least from what I have heard, I have yet to explore it myself. Finally to the East is Attleton, where the arena is of course. Despite it having such an area, it is arguably the most mundane of the sub cities."

"That sounds really nice Miss! I bet I'll like the city you guard." She clapped her hands. "And I bet I'll like the things and the people in it. Gensokyo is so old fashioned. Sometimes humans from the outside world find their way in and they have so many little devices. They all have a glowing rectangle they always take out too. And they put it up to their ear and get really distressed about it after they wander for a bit. I've always wanted to see one up close but the humans are always uneasy around me."

She tilted her head as the other cites were brought up. "Oh... Fayren sounds like home. Do they have an underground? I like it underground a lot. It's nice. If I could find my way home from here then I could show you my home. Sis has a lot of pets. All sorts of pets. They're super nice. The ferret is funny. He hops around and attacks your socks." A pause. "Why is Attleton mundane? No place is mundane. It just means its merits are more subtle."

"Hmn.." Satsuki can't help but furrow her brows as Koishi talks about Gensokyo; it's apparently seperate from the real world.. Or rather, exists in another plain? Maybe another state of mind? Either way, she decides it best not to worry about that for the time being.

"I have yet to explore Fayren enough to confirm if there is one or not." So.. Koishi likes animals. She would probably like Fluttershy as well then, but before she can mention that, she's thrown off by yet another profound statement from the satori.

After a moment of silence, she can't help but give what sounds like an amused snort. This girl is truly something else. ".. I suppose I cannot argue with that. and before I forget, those bills in that envelope are currency; you will need to trade some of those for shelter." beat "Assuming youkai need such things.."

"Then I'll have to explore it a lot to find out!" She didn't seem at all phased by the scope of her task. "It's so exciting. I'll get to meet so many new people and make new friends! Like dot dot dot dot when you're looking at some water all lined up in a row. Be quiet or the row will break~"

She turned her gaze up to Satsuki. "Currency?" She looked down, pulling a very abused envelope out of her pocket. she had opened it but hadn't really touched the money inside. "Sometimes sis gives me money and tells me to fly above ground so I can buy things like rice and sweet potatoes and honey and jam. The nice devil maid makes really nice jam." She stuck the envelope back in her pocket without bothering to examine or count the money. "I'm really good at getting things like that because sis gives me a list. And she doesn't like going outside. So it works out fine."

She patted her pocket. "Paying for shelter is silly. Trees are free. When I'm wandering around sometimes my head rolls away and I have to look for it. When it does I have to find places to sleep. There are lots of them so its okay. Sometimes I forget to eat though which is bad. Then I realize i'm really hungry and I can't remember where I am because my head is somewhere else... But that's okay. I always find a friend!"

"....."

Satsuki is fairly certain of all the newcomers she's met, Koishi has to be the most optomistic. And strange. Her frown deepens as a result of the girl's blabbering- not because she's upset, but because it takes more effort to seperate the 'nonsense'.

"Right.." Well at least she understands what money is, so that saves her the trouble of going any further. With that said, Satsuki thinks she may have explained everything she can for the time being. "I shall be on my way, then. Until next time, Koishi Komeiji, and do not forget the names I have mentioned."

When one took the time to think about it they would discover that very little of what Koishi said, if any, was truly nonsense. A riddle? without a doubt. But never nonsense. It took a significant amount of time and effort to understand her, though it was something that could be mastered with a little time and effort. Over-thinking or under-thinking the little youkai's words would probably be the mistake most people made. She was simple, but not simple-minded.

"Okay Miss!" She was all smiles. "But I can't remember names usually. I'm really bad at them because names don't have anything to associate with who the person is. It's hard to learn them when there's nothing in my head for them to stick to." She looked down at the necklace, fiddling wit it a bit, turning it over and checking both sides, examining it and how it reacted with the light. She didn't really bother moving from the spot, though her outline became a little hard to discern when gazed directly at.

...

Satsuki really shouldn't be surprised. However she's finding herself less irritated by her behavior at this point and simply shakes her head. "I believe I understand. Very well, I shall keep that in mind." and upon looking at the necklace, she can't believe she had nearly forgotten! "Ah, the colors on that necklace match the colors of each archway that leads to each sub-city I've mentioned before. It is important you wear that or the archways will not allow you to pass."

She'll go into detail about 'expanding' at another time.

"Yeah..." She didn't raise her head. "It's why I'm calling you Miss. Because Miss is polite and people like it when I'm polite. If people like me then I wont get into real fights. It's not good if I get into a serious fight with someone. Because I don't want to hurt them. People don't get better if you hit their mind hard enough."

Koishi blinked as Satsuki explained about the necklace, becoming more focused again, looking up at her, and then back down. "Ohh! So it will help me explore? That's really great! Mine is green. I like green a lot. It's one of my favorite colors." She tapped it gently with one nail. "Which archway is green? Can I go through any color with this? Even if its mostly green?"

"Green.. That would be to Fayren. And yes, you are actually allowed to pass through any archway, but the green one is lit for a special reason. But I will explain that to you once you have spent some time exploring." Satsuki replies, as she doesn't really have anything to comment about being called 'Miss'. She knew the satori was being polite.

And while she believes that Koishi is primarily peaceful, she can't help but question her stability. The fact that she has to be in a different mindset to perceeve the girl bothers her. Perhaps her true temperament will become clear in battle.

She's not entirely certain why but.. She feels compelled to share her own favorite color, "Mine is white."

"Fayren? The place that's full of magic? green is an interesting color for magic. It's somewhat unusual. Except for a grumpy spirit that lives near the city... And don't most things that are special glow a bit?"

Koishi tucked the necklace away under her shirt and looked up at Satsuki. "You're crinkly and prickly again. But more crinkles now. You should drink some jasmine tea. That always helps my crinkles." Another floral flavor. Maybe that was simply her favorite variety of tea...

Koishi did perk up at the mention of Satsuki's favorite color. "A color that contains nothing but is hardest to make. It is very nice. I don't see a lot of white in Gensokyo. It's really hard to make. Most of the time I see peach or off-white. Nothing as pure as your outfit." Her smile brightened. "It looks really good on you! It works well with your hair and your skin and your eyes. And it fits well. Did someone make it especially for you? And the gold and blue make it look nice." She blinked, tilting her head. "The tiny bit of red really... It's a good accent to the blue and gold like that..." She frowned, and leaned in a bit, looking to either side of Satsuki before rocking back a little, straightening up. She seemed a bit confused, her third eye drifting closer, hovering around the woman's collarbone... But the youkai she didn't say anything. probably too focused on her thoughts to notice she was being invasive again.

Considering life fibers were a type of life form, it would make sense that something like a kamui would generate a bit of a psychic field. With her attention drawn to Satsuki's outfit, she might have noticed it.

Unusual? Satsuki can't say she really gave the colors any thought but.. Maybe she should; it's very possible that even with what little information she has, the colors could be some sort of clue. Though to the second question, she seems just as thoughtful, ".. I suppose so."

An annoyed grunt passes her lips as her 'crinkliness' is pointed out again, but even with that she mentally keeps Koishi's suggestion in mind. Jasmine tea, huh?

Koishi's breakdown of the colors reminds Satsuki greatly of Nonon; perhaps the pink one doesn't talk about the colors to that level, but she's certainly fashionable.

Then, there's the eye in her business again. Satsuki's brows furrow as she leans back, then actually ends up taking a step back instead of moving to touch it- she's learned her lesson about that. She's also uncertain how she feels about the trailing of her voice like that, and suspects a question she doesn't wish to answer is going to come up. "Thank you; I should be on my way now."

Koishi blinked, looking back up from Satsuki's uniform to her face, her third eye pulling back to hover in front of her chest once more. It took her several beats to regain her senses, eventually that familiar smile spreading across her features.

"Oh! Okay Miss." She sounded a bit disappointed, though she didn't move to stop Satsuki. "We should talk again really soon, okay? I like you. And I want to show you how to danmaku. I think you'll like it a lot. Also, you should go get that tea then, okay? It will be good for you. But if you don't like jasmine you should just have your favorite, okay? But jasmine is especially good. Especially if it has just a tiny bit of honey."

Her eyes had drifted some, looking a bit distant, caught up in her fantasy about delicious teas of various flavors.

"Of course. It should be an entertaining exercise at the very least," Satsuki replies, clearly in agreement. But really all she needs is some time to sort her thoughts out and figure out a better way to handle her focus upon the little Satori.

The easiest answer, of course, would be simply trusting her but.. Obviously it'd be foolish for her to do that so easily. On the other hand, the fight, ideally, should provide the experience to make her doubts fade. .. Hopefully.

"Of course." is her simple reply. She raises her free hand in a half-hearted farewell wave, then turns to go along her way.

Koishi waved to Satsuki as she turned to leave, all awareness of the little youkai fading after several steps, becoming invisible even to those who knew she was standing right there. Little unheard footsteps followed; those of heavy boots on concrete, weaving carefully around the walkway. They never quite faded as Satsuki left, lingering a distance behind the taller woman moved about her day. Finally stopping at the place she called home...

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