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(Canticle of Hope) Ch. 7: Cut Wood, Carry Water

"A ninja movie night. Yes. Indeed. As we are big fans of those."

Hitomi nodded along with Kye's words, nudging her glasses back up onto her nose and generally doing a terrible job of pretending that the catgirl hadn't said anything unusual at all. The white-haired kitsune was still a little flustered from second-hand embarrassment, her cheeks still a little pink, but catching sight of Orpheus - and particularly hearing the wolf-girl mention his name - had gone a long way towards helping her focus. While she was adjusting her glasses, Hitomi was also surreptitiously examining the new girl out of the corner of her eye, casting a sharp, curious gaze over Orpheus' latest student.
 
Yumena raised an eyebrow at the girl that had just grabed her arm but didnt say anyhting about her strange mannerisms. she gave a polite smile. "yeah a movine night does sound fun. have you guys been having... umm... movie nights together often?" she asked trying to figure out how long this group had been together.

The wolf girls tail was starting to wag a little at all the attention. a little bit of happiness and a bit of nervousness.
 
"Movie nights, almost everyday, though ninja movies are a bit more rare." Kye was getting into this, and enjoying the spy game a lot. "We seem to be competing for screen time with the botany club. They have lots of harvest meetings, but never seem to clean the rec room afterwards." She smiled with a fun contemplative expression as she processed how to disguise their discussion. Composing a message using storylines and such, she continued, "Last night, it was A Stranger Among Us, followed by Oh Brother Where Art Though, then Swamp Thing, finally the Cleanup of the Exxon Valdez. Oy, that was a fun night, but in all truth a long one." She thought about finishing the story but didn't have enough X rated plotlines to draw titles from. Though she did burn with a flash of blush as she remembered this morning. Her eyes fell on the wolf-girl beside her with a new appraisal, undressing her with her eyes and liking what she saw.
 
"The... botany club... is a problem," Hitomi agreed. "We're still working on a solution for that." She smirked a little at Kye's code, appreciating her friend's quick wit - though she was a little dubious about the new girl's chances of putting it all together without having been there herself. Still, the bit about harvest meetings was pretty clear, if Orpheus had already introduced her to their enemies. Hitomi watched the wolf girl carefully for her reaction to that... up until she noticed Kye's blush. That brought a rapid, powerful blush to Hitomi's own cheeks, as she mentally filled in the story missing from Kye's list.

"A-a-at any rate," the kitsune stammered, suddenly flustered again and looking to change the topic. "Sensei only introduced me to the group a few nights ago." And we've gotten very close in that time, her mind added, deepening her blush. "Um, Kobiashi-san and Suzuyume-san have been watching movies together longer." Was she referring to their activities as magical girls, or their other activities together? She wasn't sure herself now. She kept talking. "Isabella-chan, too; she's not here right now, we'll have to introduce you later..."

For that matter, she'd also forgotten to introduce herself. "Oh, I'm Hitomi Jin, a third year," she added suddenly, ducking into a bow. Her reddened face vanished behind a cascade of loose, white hair.
 
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"And I'm Ryoko," the rose haired tenshi added with a bow, "Nineteen years old. I'm a second year here. It's a pleasure to meet you. Do you think we can get together for lunch? I know a nice spot on the roof."

Maybe she was a halfu--or it was just the way neo-human genetics worked out--but Ryoko's skin was slightly more golden and less freckled than a typical ginger. She had full pink lips emphesised by a littlle gloss, saphire eyes wiht just the right amount of eye liner. Angelic wings were dove gray.
 
"botonny club..." Yumena mind twisted for a moment and then she remembered the plant monsters she had fought herself jsut a night before, they must mean them. she wasn't sure she could keep with this double talk forever!

"ah yes... the botonny club i think i ment a few members last night... we arelly should find some time to talk about them. maybe at this rooftop lunch meeting?" she asked looking over at the Tenshi that had introduced herself.
 
Kye giggled at the silliness of the double-talk, but let her mind race away in cloak and dagger supposition for a bit. Her thoughts a million miles away, buried in heavy trench coats and dark sunglasses and clandestine meetings under streetlights or in dark alleys. Then someone mentioned lunch and she remembered with their activities this morning, they hadn't exactly had time for a good breakfast. Her stomach growled, "Lunch sounds great, though, I needs something to push me through the day. Hey, come by the vends, I got breakfast this morning." She brandished her card as a sword, approached the hot food vender, ramen or tartar meat burgers for all. She stirred up the chāshū and toppings in her ramen and ate as she walked.
 
The turn towards discussing lunch plans worked out well for Hitomi; it gave the kitsune a chance to stop talking and compose herself again. This was going to be a problem. If she couldn't look at Kye or Ryoko without her thoughts turning back to that morning, to their skin glistening under the spray of water from the Donovan's shower, fingers and lips running down her...

She mentally shook herself again. Focus. The new girl was talking about the 'botany club' again. Hitomi latched onto that, making it an anchor to centre her thoughts around. So she'd encountered their foes already? The kitsune adjusted her glasses again, her blush fading as she gave the wolf girl another appraising glance. Had she fought them on her own? And won? That was impressive. "That sounds like a good plan," Hitomi added her agreement to the rooftop lunch suggestion. She could find out more about it then, when Minako wasn't so close by.

When Kye led the group over to the food vendors, Hitomi waved off her offer apologetically. "Nothing for me, thank you," she said. "I was planning to fit in some archery practice with the club before my classes." She'd technically spent the night practicing, from a certain point of view, but the kitsune didn't really count that. "I'll catch up with you at lunch time."

She turned to offer a farewell bow to Minako and the wolf girl before departing, but paused mid-motion as she realised that she still didn't know the new magical girl's name. "It was nice meeting you, Minako-kohai and, um... sorry, I think I missed your name?"
 
the wolf girl smiled her tail wagging at the acceptence she was getting from this group. "Yumena" she answered. "its a plreasure to meet you. good luck with the archery club" she sad with a little confusion of if it was a real club or more double speak.

"food sounds amazing, i didn't get much chance for breakfast myself."
 
Kye waved as Hitomi peeled away, "Don't show off too much, remember!"

Leaning in to her new friend, Yumena, cheek to cheek, she offers "She really is the best shot I know." Her smile grew as she swiped both the ramen and the burger machine. "Get what you want, Yumena. You will need a good appetite for our club." As she paced away, again on their way to class, her path often led her into unconventional lanes. A small leap and she was balancing along a fence or stepping over a chair or balancing on the curb. No matter the steps though she absolutely belonged there. She seemed to be humming, and even began following a path that lead her away from campus, as the music in her head carried her elsewhere.

Turning back as something caught her eye and reminded her where she was going, again she dashed back to their side, weaving through the walking girls, her shoulders and hips rubbing as she passed, too close for casual. Her humm almost a purr at this action.
 
"Yumena." Hitomi repeated their new companion's name with a small nod, committing it to memory. She couldn't help but smile mysteriously as she caught the note of confusion in the wolf girl's voice. Perhaps there was a downside to all of this spycraft after all, but Hitomi didn't say anything further to clear things up. She was enjoying the air of intrigue.

The bespectacled kitsune nodded to her waving friend before turning to begin making her way towards the athletics building to fetch her equipment - her smile becoming slightly smugger as she caught Kye's comment to Yumena, and her tail swaying behind her as she went.
 
Later that day, Ryoko made it to the roof a little early. Hitomi and Yumena found her there sitting on a bench between a little greenhouse and the fence overlooking the courtyard, with a palm sized computer out on an old wrought iron table. She had AR glasses on and was jamming to unheard music, fingers dancing over an invisible record like an old school DJ spinning and scratching.

* * *​

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Kye's desk was beside the window, and right outside the window a long winged butterfly—black with amazing red and blue wing markings, danced lightly through the air.

In the door to the room, Isa spotted her friend and lover. The words of her master echoed in her mind.

“The drama club doesn't meet 'til tonight. Bring Kye to me in the auditorium, back stage. I don't want to hurt her. I just want her to be mine. Once you get her there, you and my other concubines can warm her up for me. That should keep her distracted.”
 
Kye truly enjoyed class, as much as she enjoyed everything, but the always seemed to be telling the same story, the same pattern. AS the teacher continued through the lesson, one that Kye remembered from last year, she found herself drawn to the window. A smattering of giggles floated through the room, but truthfully it was such a common occurrence that the teacher didn't miss a beat to break the girl's drifting.

Standing at the window, Kye marveled at the butterfly, how it was so out of place on the green plant with the yellow flower. It was quite conspicuous. It could never blend in there. Even as she gazed at the butterfly and its yellow perch, she was designing her outfit for tomorrow on the butterflies color scheme. It would also work with her school uniform, if she made the red a scarf or sash that could be removed. She watched the occasional flutter and timed them, almost sporadic, yet a pattern, a beat, and then a symphony was running through her mind, and the nekomimi began to sway to the music, her finger on the pane of glass, marking notes and drawing music staves. A part of her mind noted that she would need to preserve the window to copy the music from, and she drew a sharpie from her purse and bent to write on the window.
 
Food in hand Yumena walked with the others to the roof, taking a moment to watch Ryoko on the little "dj stand," even with other seeing what was going on in the other girls head it looked like she was having a great time. The dog girl's tail waged behind her as she smiled and looked at Hitomai "should we interupt her? or just start eating"

the stomach growl that came out of Yumena voted for the second idea.
 
Hitomi most certainly did not regret her decision to attend archery practice - she relished her time out on the range, alone with her target and the hum of her bowstring, a gentle breeze in the air - but an hour or two later, sitting in a theater listening to a lecture which simply would not end, she was beginning to wish that she'd taken Kye up on her offer. She knew exactly what she'd have ordered; #14, the sweet shoyu ramen with kamaboko and chicken stock that warmed you right to the tips of your ears. She could almost smell it now...

Needless to say, the moment class concluded Hitomi headed directly for the food vendors. She happened to run into Yumena again shortly after securing her treasure, and joined the wolf girl on her way to the roof. Once they arrived, a growl from her stomach seconded Yumena's vote.

"Eating." The kitsune nodded once, quite seriously, then slipped onto the bench across from Ryoko. A plume of steam rose from her ramen as she placed it down on the table and popped off its lid, and a smug, fox-like smile settled on her face as she inhaled deeply of its scent. This was what she had been waiting for!

She didn't even mind that it was fogging up her glasses.
 
Isabella was extremely happy an energic even after the morning event she had gone through. She was glad to see the girls before the first ring of the school bell. She move closer to Ryoko and kiss her passionately in front of the other girl "Morning love, how was your night and morning ? morning practice for the gymnastics club was hard and steamy but the coach know his job very well. He's pushing us so hard but in a good way".

She nods and smile looking at Kye and kissing her gently on the cheeks knowing how to bring her back from her wandering mind "Hey Kye-san, i was wondering if you could help me at lunch in the auditorium. I was ask to find some equipment for the gymnastics club but since i don't know the school that well yet i was wondering if you could help me get the stuff from the backstore ? It's not big or anything but i don't want to spend all my lunch time looking for where it might have been put. We could go only the two of us." She wink an eye at her and smiles micheviously hoping Kye would take the bait.
 
Kye lifted up from her intended graffiti, "Kye-san, yes, that's me!" She smiled to herself. We are supposed to meet the girls on the roof, we need to be quick about it. Yumena will be there." Kye cut out of the room, her bag snatched up and her violin case tossed over a shoulder to land with a gentle flumph. "There are three shortcuts I would use, but not sure if you are up to one of the jumps, so we will cut through the robotics lab." Her words rambled as she coursed through the moving crowds as if they were parting just for her, unfortunately this often left Isabella struggling with the aftermath of Kye threading the needle. "So, what are we getting from the backstores? I once had to get something from the office, and finally found it back there in stores, not sure why I didn't just start there. Though I never would have thought about the stores or even the trilling of that bit of music, it fit so well into my last piece. It was inspired by the sound of an electric pencil sharpener. Someone had put their pencil in backwards and the note it made as it ate the metal grommet that binds the eraser to the pencil was intense."

With a skip, she through the robotics lab, waving to several of the boys, and their female instructor, before leaving by the back bay door. It was open so they could enjoy the day while hammering the kinks out of their latest design. It either moved plates from high temperature cleaners, or flipped records for continuous play... A thousand uses perhaps.

Dashing across the square, she missed getting hit by a golf cart driven by the track coach and took three bounding steps across the stone boundaries of the raised flower gardens in the center of the square. Then she slipped around the corner of the Athletics building and was heading behind it to the backstores. The obstacle course was almost complete. It was a straight shot to the side door of the storage building.
 
Hitomi and Yumena started pulling out there their bento boxes and setting up their lunches. They were about halfway done when Ryuoko joined them at the little table and sat down her own bento. "Let's share. We can divy up all our stuff and and all have some of everything."

The tenshi girl had a big bento and started spreading it out, offering her stuff to everyone. Then she added, ""I made something for you, Yumena-chan. It's just a quick little mix. It's for you. It's not you. When i know you better I'll make mixes that are you and you can tell me if i'm right."

Ryoko set up a little plushie wiht a speaker system instide and played her mix.
 
Yumena smiled politely but gave a little blink of confusion on music being here but decided that it was a nice enough gesture that she shouldn't push it.

"oh... have you made Mixes for everyone? how long does that take? it seems like a lot of work"
 
"i just finished," she explained, harkening back to the invisible DJ booth she'd been standing at. "I did this one in ten minutes, though really i've been planning it out in my head all night, and I've got really good software. It used to take me a day or so each. Longer when i add video mixes."

Then she gave a big grin, "And i only make them for people I want to be my friend."
 
Tenshi said:
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Click to expand...

Tenshi said:
"Hi Orpheus," The Ryuko continued as the black squirrel hopped up onto the table, bobbing his head to the music. He danced around and snatched a rye cracker and sesame seed cookie.
Click to expand...

Then he chuckled. "Did you think I wouldn't approve of music that wasn't composed centuries ago and played on instruments just as out of date, girls?" He chuckled. "I predate that particular musical arrogance by over a millennia. A musician needs to be able to improvise and let her heart guide her art."

The song ended and orpheus added, "Euridice is off lookign for Kye and Isabella. It seems we have the roof to ourselves if you'd like to ask questions, Yumena."
 
Isabella smiles and nods at Kye, she was so strange some time that she wondered what was going on in her mind. She was a little bit older then her but that what she liked about her, she was like the big sister she doesn't have. With Ryoko, it was different because she was madly in love with the girl and she would do anything for her.

She smiles as the good to the storage room door and she answered Kye "The coach asked me to get some box that are supposed to have the gymnastic club uniform, he was about to go get them but class started and he didn't have the time and as i am the new girl, it became my task to get them. it shouldn't to difficult to find."
 
"Gym uniforms, got it, yeah, not too difficult," Kye let the 'too' stretch a bit for emphasis, but leads the way through the door. The store room to the Auditorium belonged to the drama department. Kye fully expected to find the place in full swing as many of the students would normally be here, rehearsing independently, working on set designs, or just hanging out. It was quiet for a change, and Kye felt a little thrill. "Think we will meet the theater's ghost?" She made her way through odd set pieces, Raya and the Last Dragon was popular, though there was the piece from Our Town, and even the derelict Chevy from Grease, the drama department was apparently using the bench seats as make shift couches though someone had gone through the trouble of anchoring them with plenty of ballast bags, so perhaps not so makeshift.

Kye wove her way through the set pieces heading towards wardrobe, she wasn't as at home here, though grace made her movements confident. She kept looking over things instead of leaping onto them and passing over them. Wire and paper mache did not have the strength of reality. Wardrobe and props was on the far side of the stage, but Kye wove through backstage as she felt in her bones that the stage would be where the ghost hung out when the world was quiet. As she entered the wardrobe department, she saw three costumes in mid project next to their respective sewing machines. Poodle skirts and a sleeve repair on a black leather jacket. Grease it was again, oh well, at least this was a musical. She would have to see it of course. She wandered the racks, heading for the rear, but this was where she was slowest, for her thrill was shifting. Something wasn't right here.

Seeing the wall where shelving held case after case of uniforms for the other departments brought a wash of relief to the young girl, and she almost pranced the last several steps, bending low, ass high in the air, to read the labels. She giggled at the gymnastics Men's uniforms, remembering the tight tights with a different nuance to her thoughts now.
 
Straightening with shock, for Kye had truly thought the auditorium deserted, she looked to Isabella. That sounded intimate, should they leave? "Ummm, sorry. We were just getting some clothes for gym, we will be gone in a moment." She called over the rack as she waved for Isabella to hurry and show her where the gym box was so they could go. Did she recognize that moan, and one had said Minato.
 
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