Whom Shall I Fear?
Late September, Kyoto, Thanks-A-Latte Cafe
Sally hops off the train in a pair of tennis shoes, boot-cut jeans, a comfy hoodie, and her hair pulled through the back of a baseball cap she keeps just over her eyes. She was not expert in stealth operations, but this spy movie stuff was her best guess on how to do this without all of this blowing up in her face. She stood on the train to let her legs stretch out after a long day of classes, the action of sitting overdone for the day, especially given her usual routine at home of late night video games to help her keep up the verneer of normalcy.
As she approached the cafe, she looked around with paranoia, a manuver that unbenkownst to her only made her look all the more suspiscous as some pedestrians avoided the wierd foreigner. She focused herself as the propietress pointed her toward a booth in the back where Chris was waiting, tapping his leg nervously as he recognized the pure-blooded American and looked toward her.
"{Any breakthroughs?}" Sally said quietly, crossing her legs as she sat on instinct
"{In a way... yes}" The younger boy says to his classmate, promptin a raised eyebrow from the girl
"{Just roll with it, ok? I found a contact who said they know what the five are up to}" he adds in a pleading tone, knowing Sally's temper was even shorter than usual when she was jumpy and tired.
The two sit in awkward silence for a bit: "How'd you do on the math test, Sally-chan?" Chris says, an attempt to make this less painful while he awaited his contact to arrive.
Sally looks toward him for a moment, before her stoicism breaks for a moment, revealing dread and dissapointment: "I got way too close to failing... Sensei gave me a warning, so me and Noah have to focus on the math workbook along with the Japanese one.."
"Its alright, the stuff were covering isn't too bad so I can step in if your still struggling"
Sally grips her forehead and slumps back: "It gets harder?! I always heard Asian's were better at math and science compared to Americans but this is..." the girl trails off as she searches her mind for the write Japanese to fill the spot, closing her eyes to focus.
"..Crazy?" Chris says finishing her sentance and granting her some relief that her idea got across through her second language.
Sally nods, Miss Lysingen taking their orders as another reguler came in: The Somewhat-honourable Mr. Myoga. The girl scowls, and gives a hard look toward Chris as he approached their table. It didn't help that Inigo was wearing a long detectives duster with sunglasses in some attempt at levity. Chris looks to Sally with a nervous smile as he heard clicking noises, the sound of a round being loaded:
"{Calm down Sally.... he was promised he had useful information he could only give in person}" he says
"Fine. Talk" Sally says curtly, her eyes tilted in an aggressive manner.
"Good afternoon" Inigo says in a more serious tone as he attempts to sit by sally in the booth: His courage is met with a look that could cut a tree in half. He sits by Chris to avoid further angering the Gun Nun.
"I've heard what Desolator wanted with you Sally-chan, and I happened upon some information that will help all of us"
"{Get. To. The. Point}" Sally says as chris already has his notebook out, labelled "Homework No.207"
"He's in Nagoya with the rest of the Five. If we make a move out of the blue, we'll have eyes on us though" Inigo says, Sally softening when she seems to finally see he's taking this seriously. Chris has an expression of dead-on comprehension.
"Any more details?" The younger boy whispers, eyes sharp with intellect while Sally's burned with quiet anger.
"Their working with the Shie Hassaiaki gang, I don't have anything else to work off of" Inigo says, looking away from the wrathful visages of his friends. This wasn't what this arc is supposed to be, especially with Halloween and Christmas coming up. If good endings were going to happen, this needed to get done fast.
"Whats your source for all this?" Chris asks, Sally's needling eyes asking the same thing without the formality of words. Inigo looks away, prepared for the awkward question.
"Just trust me, okay? I've had a chance to grow" Inigo insists.
Sally grits her teeth as she notices Chris accepting the deflection: "You can't seriously be willing to trust him?!" Sally says louder than she intended as some men walked in, taking a seat on the other side of the cafe. One stays in their booth, while the other approaches the table non-chalantly:
"Some relationship troubles?" He says, Inigo scowling when the man speaks to him. He has a shady look, but given the part of town they were in that wasn't weird.
"{Yeah! This dipshit beleives-}" Sally starts, but is inturrupted by a quick-thinking Chistopher Cain.
"{Sally-chan, I know you and Noah get along well, but.. don't you want a real man?}" he says, barely able to say it with a straight face. Inigo catches on quick as Sally looks confused, even if he only understood half the sentance.
"Exactly, Sally-chan. Your tomboyishness is a charm point, but the logical end of that arc is accepting your femininity, right?"
Sally boils with anger as the two boys desperately try to signal to her non-verbally that their joking: Their efforts are in vain as warning shots start flying. The man runs off, seeming to have known of the gun-nuns volatility as he dives for cover.
By the time Sally gets a handle on herself, a windows, 3 light bulbs, and a table are broken. She looks around with a lump forming in her throat, with Chris still having his hands over his ear and Inigo putting his hands with a nervous smile.
Helene Lysengen rushes out to investigate the noise, sighing as she pieces the scene together. She looks toward the group of teens:
"Congrats! Earned yourself a part-time job!" she says with mocking cheer as she threatens to drag the three back into the kitchen.
The three are put to work cleaning dishes and taking orders until close to pay for the time Helene will have to take to fix what Sally broke in her outburst. The Gun Nun sulks as she washes cups, a faint ember of anger in her as she replays the moments of that jackass apporaching in her head. Chris started acting wierd, seemed to want her to shut up. Inigo must have picked up on something her tired and irritated brain couldn't and seemed to beleive lighting her fuse was a sure way to make things less sociable.
Sally adjusts the rags she put down her arm barrels to keep water out, notcing they were already soaked, which meant having to dry them out tonight to make sure the chemical receptors at her elbows could actually fire the rounds she made. Why was she too stupid to just not fire? Noah would have had the sense to play along and laugh it off, since he could actually control his emotions. But here she is, having a pity party while washing coffee cups: She felt pathetic more than vindictive at this point.
Inigo sidles up by her, taking the rest of the coffee cups and using the other sink: "Sorry about that, had to think of something to get him to leave..."
Sally gives him an angry look, but the fire usually behind her eyes was dulled: "Why... Why do you want to help us?"
"Cause were after the same thing, and I want to make sure its done"
Sally look down at her reflection on a cup's shiny surface. She can see Chris stacking all the chairs sweeping the floors with Helene from the kitchen door. The cafe had closed, and it was the least they could do to help the victim property damage clean up for tommorow.
"...Did you mean that thing about me being a tomboy?" Sally says with a hurt voice toward Inigo.
"Not entirely, your beautiful beyond words after all, and your outfits when were out of school have an elegant minimalism which really brings out your cuteness!" Inigo says, his usual happy-go-lucky personality back.
"Its a compliment anyways, since the boyish parts of you are good! Your couragous, strong, and practical alongside your girly side."
"And honestly? Don't change"
"...Even when I get mad at you and shoot at you?" Sally asks in confusion.
"You've never hit me too hard, so no harm done" He says with a joking smile, Sally looking away as she can't stop a smile from growing on her own face: One she refuses to give Inigo the satisfaction of seeing.
As the three head home, Sally is left alone with her thoughts. Her head hurt, she was tired, she had chores to do at home, and she needed to study tonight. She waves Chris a half-hearted goodbye, the nervousness clear on both of there faces before turning around with a last question for the Mirror Devil:
"..Who was that guy? Why.. why did he want to talk to us?" Sally asks quietly as she passes the boy.
"Someone far too interested in our business. Loose lips sink ships, after all" He says before entering his apartment. Sally gets back on the elevator and rides upward a few floors, rubbing her eyes and letting her hair down as she unlocked her apartment.
Once inside her own private space, she changes into a nightgown and studies her hiragana characters while using a cleaning rod and special solution to clean her arm barrels of soapy water. Her quirk tended to fire whatever was loaded into their chambers, though she was told when she was very young that putting too big of a rock inside will blow up an arm when it tries to fire it out. Little Sally was a menace as school since her quirk would fire dust bunnies and scare the entire class every few weeks, enough that her teachers didn't immedietly hit the floor at the sound of a gunshot.
As she reminisces on her bed, cuddling a stuffed animal with her hair braided up for night, she prays for forgiveness like she does every night before slipping off into the fortress of dreams.
The Outlaw and the Detective walk about the smoky city of the east, seeking passage to the land of snow that lied north. The ourlaw was unaccomponied by her angel, and dressed in workmen's jeans with her hat covering her eyes and her hand hovering neat her long rifle holster that hung off her belt.
The detective was dressed in an ordinary suit, blending into the crowd like a ghost. He carried no weapon, as he was more practiced in techniques which used the weapons of others to greater effect. They moved along the busy street, men and women of the east rushing from place to place in their busy lives. For once, These two were no differant.
They had tried talking to every two-bit smuggler in the area with clear schedules, and none were willing to take them along. Even under threat of a fast-drawn rifle, they insisted: The North was too dangerous to go to.
The pair approach their last stop in a back alley with lowlifes and trash strewn everywhere, A bottling company with a faded sign was their target as the Detective held the door for the outlaw and started to work on the talking:
"Two in the Bush?" the detective to the gruff looking man near the back of the office.
He grunts and knocks on the door: sally notices his hand inside his coat: Its relaxed as the door open and the two see an older man of at least fifty nursing a bottle of wine.
"Ah, Detective, to what do I owe the pleause?" He says, looking at the rough-and-tumble girl standing to the side of the exchange.
"Casework, need to bag a suspect with lots of protection who fled north"
"And the dame?"
The outlaw takes her rifle out, cocks the lever-action, and supports it on her shoulder. Her eyes peek out a bit from under the shadow of her hat, revealing an angry and restrained look.
"...I see, personal matter" The old smuggler says with a nod to the Outlaw
"Path up North's filled with patrols: Both for the law and against. It'd turn into a shooting war pretty quickly unless your mans in jail up there"
"Its not likely, you got any wagons or counterfiet tickets lying aorund we could borrow?" The detective asks
"Sad to say, but that is a negative. The wagons are on duty and my I got out of the ticket racket a recently: There is something though..."
The outlaw raises an eyebrow toward the man, lifting her hat up a bit: "Cities holding a Misses East competition, and it include a tour who's fist stop is the Northern city. Course' you'll need one hell of a pretty girl to beat some of the debutants who have been waiting for this..."
The Outlaw looks at herself as the Detective thinks to himself: The both of them look at eachother, knowing neither of them have the skills needed to guaarentee a win in this, but that its their only way to make the trip to bag their target.
Principal Anzu looks over the schedule of the adacemic year at her desk with worry: The tournament had gone well, despite the worrying amount of hospitiliazations and Vigilantism she had to sweep under the rug this year. The students already had to come to and leave school in pairs after targeted attacks on Shiketsu students that are assumed to be Night Parade work, their was an atmosphere of unease amongst the students and faculty after Rosethorn was hospitalized.
Rosethorn's class in particuler was made up of oddballs and a few charity cases witth too much talent to leave in the wild: A mind reader, a quirk copier, a dragon construct user, and an empatheticly powered robot to name a few besides the 7 foot tall girl of unkown origin who slums in the school. Even with Rosethorn back, the fact remained that the situation was at a tipping point.
An avant-garde idea hit her, something to distract from the students injuries and misdeeds while still showing the school in a positive light.
Anzu would stay late that night, her pitch needing approval from financiers and staff, and that approval being something she could get after the smashing success of the broadcasted tournament.
Shiketsu High, Lunch Hour
Noah and Sally work through a returned math test with their desks pulled beside eachother in a classroom, the boy helping to explain to Sally what she did to receive a 69 percent and a technically failing grade on the test.
"And here, some of your points got taken away for not showing your work: Its helpes to get the right answer to show all your work" Noah says, his kind smile making his words sound less condescending to his girlfriend.
"Got it, I'll be better about that" Sally says, her Japanese slightly mroe natural around Noah
"I've heard that assembly in the middle of lunch is gonna be about our class"
Noah cocks his head, his wings fluttering a bit: "What do you have to be worried about? You've been doing much better at school lately, and its nice seeing you get along with everyone else!" he says encouragingly.
Sally Blushes: "T-Thanks, I just.... Everyones talking about how their gonna adress the fact the Chris and Kaylee got hospitalized in fights and make things harder for us.."
"Even if our class was in trouble, we would be allright"
"Are your study sessions with Christopher going well?" Noah asks with his usual smile that shined as bright as the sun.
"Y-Yeah, he's really... helpful, way more than Hoge's ever been..." Sally says with spite in her voice.
"Noah thinks Hoge is nice, she helps very much as our class representive after all"
"It'd help if she wasn't such a bitch while doing it..."
Noah looks toward Sally as she stands up: "Perhaps theirs more to her than what you see, Sally"
"If she is your Zacchaeus, then Noah already knows you know how to treat her"
Sally sighs and nods as she heads to the girls bathroom, seeing a familiar blurry figure pass her in the halls. Many barely noticed Hoge, but Sally always kept an eye out, and was always listenting for her. She stares the staticy figure down as she passes her, sure in her mind shes doing the same.
Principal Anzu looks over the masses of students, hero, support, and general course alike. They grumble a bit as their teachers sit in the back on the gym/training area, as having a shortened lunch was a mild pain. She had heard rumours about the Hero course kids expecting doom and gloom, and some clearly beleive it as they stand up straight and bow to impress.
"Good afternoon!" She says into the microphone
"I have called everyone together today to announce a change in our schedule concering the cultural festival: It has been decided amongst the staff and I that the event in question will be held in in Late October, on the 27th and 28th of the month. Classes will decide their theming and work on their activities as normal"
The crowd mumbles in a mix of curiosity, groaning, and excitement:
"..Its gonna be cold the whole time"
"More time for focusing on exams during spring at least"
"My parents are gonna be mad about this.."
Anzu clears her throat: "Any specific questions should be directed toward your homeroom teachers at your leisure. This decision was made as a result of scheduling conflict and a desire to have a complete year of activities. We also have lined up a little competition..." she says, TV screens around the gym descending and lighting up, depicting pictures of Nagoya.
"Guests and students visting the school during the festival hours will be given physical ballots to vote on their favorite class, based on their work during the cultural festival: wheather this is a performance, exhibit, establishment, or activity. The class with the most votes will win a trip to Nagoya that includes specialized training with Pro Heros for those in our Hero Course!"
The prospect of an extra trip AND the potential to meet some valuable people manages to get the students excited, many muttering their ideas to friends or speculating about the details of the ballots. Anzu had predicted attempts at cheating the system, and prepared metal based ones that required machinery to accurately mark down. Made out of Aluminum with all the staff at the exits using etching machines to mark down the ballots and collecting them.
Was it expensive? Yes.
Would it provide enough joy and competition to distract from potnetially large scandals? Also Yes.
As the classes of Shiketsu returned to their routines, the buzz was inescabapable. Hero students propsoing schemes to make ballots based on guess as to what "Physical" meant, Class reps trying to organize groups to invite parents, friends in other schools, and whoever they else they could get to come, Supporters being asked under the table to make costumes or effects for a wide variety of differant themes.
After school, Sally, Christopher, and Inigo met on roof. One somber, one calcualting, the last scheming actively.
"So we don't have a choice but to win this.. somehow" Sally says.
"Yeah... no idea how were going to do that though" Chris says as they lean on the fence.
"Don't worry, I've got a plan" Inigo says cheerfully, earning a look of contempt from Sally.
"Tell it to me. Now" She says bluntly.
"Its a pretty intricate scheme that I've had in my head for a bit, should draw attention and bring a few couples closer... though were gonna need votes in class to get it chosen"
"I trust you on this" Chris says in a tone which sounds like the words were pained
"I don't! Its probably one of those weird maid cafe things you keep trying to get me to go to!" Sally says to the blonde boy
"Calm down! Your right about hte maid cafe thing but theres more to it, we'll have maids AND live performances. I already have a few ideas of who to tap for that. I just need your vote Sally, and we can win that trip, and a way covered, protected way down to Nagoya"
"You want that as badly as I do, right?"
Sally looks away at him, looking to the North: Chris looks at her with a pleading face.
"F-Fine! But this does NOT mean I give you permission to parade me around like a piece of meat! Got it?!"
"I'm sure Inigo doesn't have ANY ideas like that, right?" Chris says, looking over to the boy who nods.
Sally stands up, and looks toward the two boys: "I'll do what I can to help, but... I'm pretty sure nobody in class besides Noah puts any weight behind what I say..."
"Its alright, We'll make it through this Sally: We all just want this to get resolved" Inigo says as the group collectively agrees with a nod, seperating to contemplate what tommorow may bring.