[i]We're not walking home together,[/i] thought Tokiko, as she and Hikari walked home together. [i]We just happen to be heading in the same direction, that's all.[/i] Which they technically were. Side by side. At the same pace. [i]I-it's for protection, that's all! If more magical girls come and attack us, then we'll be able to fight together![/i] Though magical girls wouldn't be able to find them easily while they were in civilian form. [i]Well, it's not like I asked to walk together or anything. She just started following me! So irritating![/i] Gritting her teeth and staring straight ahead, Tokiko urged herself to walk a little faster, and leave the other girl behind. To drag her feet, until Hikari ended up pulling ahead. Or just turn down some random corner and pretend that she was going a different way.

Each time she pictured it, though, there was a sinking in her stomach, a sadness in her eyes. [i]I guess... it isn't so bad, when she's not trying to lecture me.[/i] She seized hold of the excuse. [i]That's right! We're not really walking together, but so long as she keeps quiet there's no need to try and avoid her. In fact, I'm not even going to pay any attention to her at all![/i]

... five seconds later, she glanced sideways at Hikari, then immediately looked back towards the road ahead, her cheeks reddening a little from the sheer audacity of the gesture. [i]Was she looking at me? I don't think she was looking at me...[/i] It had been hard to tell, but the shorter girl had looked contemplative, as if she had a lot on her mind. Which made sense, given that she'd just been introduced to the world of magical girls with only the briefest of crash-courses to orient her. [i]Good! If she's wrapped up in her own thoughts, then I don't have to worry about her annoying me or anything. All I have to do is keep quiet.[/i]

... twenty seconds later, she cleared her throat. "So..." 

They'd reached the end of the secluded alleyway now, and were back on a larger street. Not too busy, but there were people walking around here and there, so she kept her voice low. "Um. I've seen better, but... you weren't bad with that hammer back there." Her hands silently clenched into fists, her fingernails digging into her palms as she struggled to find the right words. There were plenty that came to mind, like [i]'Hah, of course an idiot like you would use such a brutish weapon,'[/i] or [i]'But I was the one who actually did all the work in that fight!'[/i] Except... she'd seen enough of Hikari in the past half an hour to know that cruel words wouldn't scare her away. It'd just make her fight back, and then they'd be hissing and growling at each other all over again. Which wouldn't be a very magical girl way to act at all.

So she bit her tongue, and forced herself to keep her tone level. "Do... you do any martial arts or stuff like that?" Tokiko wasn't sure if there were any fighting styles involving hammers. [i]Hammer-fu? Hammer Kenpo?[/i] "Or, um... sports?"

[i]No, I'm definitely not trying to start a conversation. This is strictly information gathering![/i]

[@VitaVitaAR]