Yoshiro collapsed in the chair, grinning like a loon, his hands were moving quicker than his brain and he was running them over Ceclia's hands squeezing them till she moved away, his eyebrow rising as he looked down,"Oh...no pants....oh.....hands are hard......purple hair so pretty......" He looked up at the potion,"Potion? Do I need to look at you? So pretty...blue eyes.....hmmm, tie those hands up above your pretty blonde hair.....that would be nice."
When she tilted his head back his hand slid along her arms, up to her shoulders and as the potion went down his throat it looked for all the world like he was about to fondle the teachers breast and then his hands pulled back as the taste of the potion hit him,"Uggghhh." Shaking his head he was still drunk, or luciud enough, to stare at her real hard like he expected the same reaction as the potion she had given Igara but he blinked as the heat faded and his normally calculating mind returned and he frowned his hands dropping to his lap,"Yes....I do.....umm, could you turn around, I need to put my pants on."
He blushed terribly and shook his head,"What happened? Where did you guys come from? Where is Igara?"
The crowd cheers politely for Fuuko’s introduction. Most of the crowd seems to appreciate the show, though some Igara fans in the back seem intent on being miserable. As things progress, the students seem to get more into it, a several of them bobbing along with the beat …
Fuleiko oversees the lighting controls, pestering the tech as he works, “Is that the right button? Oh I hope so! So what’s next? I think it’s the green, right?” She blinks at a spare copy of the instructions, trying to figure it out. “Oh wait, I think it’s the blue spot one.” Glancing up she gasps in horror. The blue array seems to be stuck! Dashing for the side of the stage, the cheer girl panics, “Oh no, oh no … everything will be ruined … how can I get up there?”
She doesn’t hear the tech’s response, “No, you were right the first time, it’s the green.” Glancing back over his shoulder he shrugs at the missing council member. Oh well, one less annoyance to deal with.
Keeping his trench coat pulled shut, Sleggy grins from side stage, watching that ditz of a pretend-idol out there performing. He was looking forward to this. If the girl thought a few sex toys on the stage were reason enough to break down, wait until his got a look at what he was hiding in his coat. He just needed to wait for the right moment, a few bars into this ‘special song’ she was planning. Then a little dance, a little flashing … with any luck, she’d break down sobbing and learn to leave singing to real professionals.
Hidden off stage-right, Fuleiko vaults onto a table, slinging the end of a pull rope up over the lighting bar. If she can just tug the blue array loose … oh crap, it snagged over the curtain slider. “Come on, get loose, come on …” Fuleiko tugs insistently, causing the curtain to slide further back on its track.
“And now!” Sleggy starts to rush forward, only to have the edge of the heavy curtain get in his way. What the hell was that doing there! He stumbles back, having missed the opportune moment. Well, no matter. Akiko will still freak out when she gets a load of …
“Oh. My. God! They took your clothes, too? Those freaks! Come on, I’ll help you out. Just don’t put on any panties. Not that you’d wear panties, I suppose.” A hand seizes Sleggy’s wrist and tugs on it insistently, “Not that way, silly. Everyone will see! And besides, it looks like it was the green after all. They got all kinds of costumes back this way.”
Fuleiko starts dragging the Igara fan off by the wrist. “But I …”
“I’m sure we can find something that fits you. What size do you wear? You don’t like sequins, do you? Cause I think they’re kind of garish. But I’m sure we can find you something without sequins. Maybe a nice scarlet, don’t you think? It wouldn’t really match your trenchcoat, though. We might need to keep it safe. Like navy or black or something. Does that sound good to you? Well, come on, what are you waiting for?”
Sleggy sighs and lets himself be led off by Fuleiko.
Meanwhile, Kei clutches her hands together. Oh, she isn’t, is she? Singing about *her*?! She flushes a little in embarrassment. Still it was kind cool. And it was a good song! Everyone was really enjoying it. And this could be their little secret. Kei feels a little weird cheering for a song she is in, but still, it was important to show support, so she cheers really loud when it is over!
*****
“Oh. That’s nice, that you have something like that. Yes, I’d like to see it.” Jeremiah smiles at the student council president. No sooner has he finished speaking when Ms Ibeloki emerges from the swim coaches’ office, striding along until she spots the pair.
“Ms Kojima, Mr Storm. And here I thought all the third years were at a special event. A student council event, no less.” Her eyes burrow into Hikaru’s. “What brings you to the pool?”
*****
A small horned head pops through the portal, and blinks proportionately big black eyes. “S’all clear! Let’s go!” Hopping out of the opening, the nine-inch tall (23 cm) scaled figure lands on clawed feet on the magical gear table, “C’mon, C’mon. Before they come back!” Another, similar creature plops down behind the first. “Hehehe! This is gonna be great!”
Spotting the creatures, Blessed Veika strains to start closing the portal, but it is clearly difficult work that she is straining to perform.
Everything had gone exactly how it was supposed too! Akiko was inwardly extremely relieved as the new song came to an end and a lot of cheering broke out from the crowd of assembled students. She knew that some of the student body were die hard Igara fans, and she didn't necessarily expect to convert them to her music, but it was good to actually get to show how her performances went without sabotage and interference, especially for her hometown. She had no idea how close Sleggy had come to emerging and flashing her and the crowd, and that was likely fortunate, because Akiko had no intention of allowing such sabotage again....
"It's always a great honor to perform before my friends and neighbors, and to get to make my hometown proud!" The blond idol continued with her show and began to wrap things up. "I know that with such wonderful students, we can make this year the best one yet here at Jiinagi!" She twirled around on the stage and gestured with her microphone before lifting it up and waving to the crowd again.
"I think we have time for one last song. Let's see..." She raised her other hand to her chin as if deep in thought before smiling broadly. "Ah I know..." And then without further comments she launched into one final song, which was notably the very first of her songs that had become a hit, one about being the very best you that you could be and taking pride in yourself. It was very upbeat and happy, a perfect send off for the end of the short concert performance.
When the last song came to an end, Akiko bid the crowd a great day and slipped back off the stage into the back room. It would take a few minutes to get back into her normal attire, though she considered whether it was necessary. After all the day was half over already and she had kind of enjoyed how Kei had been staring before.
Hikaru smiled back, clearly the thought of showing off one of her more prized possessions was positive for her. "I hope you are enjoying the tour so far, I think the aud..."
The white haired girl cut off as a teacher emerged from the swim coach's office and looked at her before addressing them both. "Ms. Ibeloki, I am giving the new student a tour of the school facilities!" Hikaru proclaimed resolutely. "Fulieko and others are handling the concert." She nodded. "And Akiko won't cause trouble, she's been a safe performer here several times before."
"But we just going to be going to the audio/visual studio when you came out. Then the student council chambers, and the cafeteria." She continued and smiled. "I have a whole itinerary!" She gestured with her pda.
Cecilia was relieved to see that her potion had worked as lucidity returned to the young man's gaze. She wasn't overly bothered by his state of undress, she'd seen enough people without their clothes on, particularly with her predilection towards helping people on their journey to love that it didn't faze her much at all. Though she did respectfully turn her gaze away to allow the young man to put his pants back on. "I was coming in to be preparing for alchemy class and finding you and Igara here." She began, as usual her speech a bit awkward due to an imperfect grasp of the language.
"I then sent her to find Blessed Veika." Cecilia continued, though her focus was then stolen away by the sight of small creature leaping forth from the shrinking portal. It was clearly necessary to help. Her hand rose and it filled with an odd burst of light again, once again the light seemed to filter strangely through her gloved hand before it flashed and pulsed several times, each time aiding Veika in shrinking the portal with every flicker.
Yoshiro, perhaps a little oddly, was unconcerned about the demon and the portal with two teachers to deal with it he focused on pulling his pants back on, watching the pair of them work he licked his lips looking around for his belt as he frowned,"Where is Igara, is she in trouble?" The beautiful idol! He needed to be close to her, he knew she was going to be worrying about him and he needed to make sure she got all the attention she needed...things had been going so well with her!
He frowned, eyeing Cecilia and Blessed Veika as he considered them both. They were powerful woman, clearly.
At first, Fuuko takes occasional glances towards the controls, checking whether Fuleiko manages fine... and ready to interfere should the cheerleader decide to to climb the lighting farms to unstuck the array herself. Can't allow the panty-less girl to climb stuff!
But pretty soon, the music takes her whole - Fuuko counts herself among Akiko's fans for a reason, after all! - and the whole exchange between Fuleiko and the Igara's would-be saboteur passes unnoticed to Fuuko.
As the concert ends, though, she seeks Fuleiko again - it sure was a hectic day, and Fuuko already has some plans as to how to relax after school... she just needs to check whether she'll be alone for those plans, or with someone...
The little mini-demons chitter excitedly and one sets its eyes on a nearby array of beakers, “Ooh! Pretty colors!” He picks one up and sniffs at it. The other snatches up one of the Y-shaped aetheral calibrators, and jabs at the buttons, which produce an angry buzzing sound. “Hehe! Guess code. Lemme see … 6969, nope. 59009. Maybe 1,2,3,4,5. Not look like luggage, but who know?”
Finishing off the beaker of black liquid, the first mini-demon belches loudly. “Not like. Too sour.” He tosses the beaker off the desk to shatter on the floor, before checking out the next one. “Oooh-oooh! What this? Ambrosia?” Sampling the azure goo with a claw the critter hmfs, “Nope. Too copper.”
This prompts chiding from the other, “No be stupid! Ambrosia white. That blue.”
The first demon pushes the beaker behind him and tugs another one over, “Nuh-uh, see. Is white! Am big alchemist. Make lots of recipe.”
“No fool me! You hide blue!” He tosses the aetheral calibrator at the first mini-demon’s head, which bounces off and knocks over the blue not-ambrosia, spilling it across the surface.
Meanwhile, the portal finally slams closed with a fhwumping noise. Blessed Veika, drained, finally responds to Yoshiro, “I sent Igara to find Ms Ibeloki, she wasn’t in her classroom. Oh dear, not the aetheral calibrator!”
Blessed Veika looks at the squabbling creatures. "That's fragile equipment!"
*****
Fuleiko is just having Sleggy try on a faux-leather jacket from a production of ‘Grease’ over a white wifebeater. Dark jeans complete the look, with Sleggy’s trenchcoat discarded at the side of the costuming area. “The hair isn’t right though. We need product for that.” She starts rummaging through the drawers.
“Oh hey, Fuuko! Do you know where they keep the cosmetics?” Fuleiko nods in Fuuko’s direction. Sleggy gives the other girl a ‘save me’ grimace.
And about that time, Akiko starts to retreat backstage as well. The crowd is raucous enough by the end of the performance, and it takes Kei a while to push through the mass of studentity.
*****
Ms Ibeloki purses her lips at Hikaru’s recounting of her plan. “I see. Normally, Ms Kojima, we call such an expedition a safari, not a tour. An actor would be quite the lion’s head for your mantle, I suppose. Well, do not let me keep you.”
Jeremiah’s brow furrows. He gets the sense the teacher was discussing him, but is having trouble following the reference. Maybe she’s talking about his hair? But what was that bit about the fireplace? He looks over to Hikaru quizzically.
Yoshiro looked at the two woman, his mind ticking over as he connected that they were both attractive, magical and powerful woman. He stood, thrusting out his skinny chest, pulling his tablet out of his recently recovered pants and drew several sigils on the screen before dragging them out, black runes swirled through the air. Apparently his time in the other plane had given him a little more insight into who these beings were and what kind of energy would be most effective!
The black runes slashed through the air as he pushed up his glasses, his willpower driving the runes towards the first demon the runes circled the creature for a few seconds and then sank into it's flesh, one, two, three a black lattice of energy pulsing around the creature as he tried to gain control of it and banish it from the realm back to where it belonged but he could feel the magic slipping and he just tried to impose his will on the beast.
Akiko was in high spirits. She had put on a great show, everyone had seemed to love it and get into the spirit of things, and she had gotten the chance to give her soulmate an extra special gift of a song composed just for her. The idol was filled with the warm and fuzzies, waiting happily for Kei to rejoin her backstage and wondering just what her reaction would be. However as Akiko pondered and returned backstage she also noticed the presence of Sleggy. And she was quite surprised. Why was one of Igara’s die hard fans back here?
Akiko fixed the young man with an inquisitive look as she inquired of Fulieko and Sleggy both. “What are you doing back here? I know you are one of Igara’s fans. If you like me too I‘m happy to keep it secret.” She smiled. Akiko always tried to see the best in people. Perhaps the young man was both a fan of hers and Igara. It would be unusual but possible.
Hikaru tilted her head to the side and smiled. “I suppose it could be a safari, or an expedition!” She agreed. Then the implication of what Ms. Ibeloki was saying sank in and her eyes widened and she blushed. And then, taking Jeremiah’s hand to lead him on quickly moved at an even faster than normal Hikaru pace away from the pool. After a moment as the two of them were on the way towards the audio visual studio she spoke, offering an explanation. “Ms. Ibeloki compared you to a lion on a safari. Though I don’t quite think that’s accurate, you are a participant, not a target of a hunt.” She shook her head.
Cecilia is not amused by the small demons meddling with her alchemy materials for the lesson. They could cause an explosion if they combined the wrong things, or else endanger everyone. Plus they were demons... she didn’t exactly trust her magic to banish them though. “Hey you two.” She spoke in their direction. “If you are mixing those. They will explode on you. I thinking you do not want to die.”
"Cosmetics?" That was an unexpected question for sure... "Nope, sorry... but why?"
Well, she did have some idea, actually, from the short glances she threw towards Fuleiko and the Igara's saboteur during the song, but... it didn't make it make that much of a sense, to be honest. "Just leave him alone", she waved her hands, "After all, Akiko-san's concert is pretty much over... and it all went without a hitch, so I say our job here is done - think we can afford to go and celebrate? And maybe let's see if Akiko-san and Keicchi have any plans?"
"Great job!" she shouted as Akiko descended the scene, "Don't mind this guy! Hey, do you have any plans after school?"
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