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Free time was a luxury of the young that they sacrificed to take upon themselves greater responsibility. School life was already a large part of the day sunk into scholastic pursuits, but with an athletic club and the Detention Club monopolizing her after-school hours, Roche had precious little free time she could afford to spend upon herself. 

What remained was a preciously consistent glimmer of time, those wee hours between waking and the first bell of school that were truly her own. A time she found herself not lounging in an empty home, but pounding the pavement on a jog. Feeling the cold air rustling against her wind breaker, trailing puffs of hot air between each stride. 

As the city still blinked open its bleary eyes, Roche was already wide awake with only the steady beat of her heart for company. Peaceful. A refrain before the mundanity of academia and the chaos of a city-spanning conflict with creatures of darkness and the GEMS from beyond. She may have wished for company, but its absence wasn’t entirely without its own charms. 


But there were days when the serenity lost its luster.

[color=orange]A shame Shuuko isn’t into jogging. Can’t ask Nyxia either.[/color] The Rulekeeper thought, her senses spread as she scanned the city block by block. What had begun ages ago as an exercise to pick up Miseria trying to hide in the shadows left by the night was now ingrained habit, a trifling exercise at broadening her perceptions. [color=orange]And I can’t feel Ashbringer or the GEMS either.[/color]

Roche hummed, finding her jog halted at a cross walk, sinking into her thoughts as she waited for the light to change. As she stood there, a presence crept into the edge of her senses, a couple blocks away and moving at a pace similar to her own had been just a moment ago. It wasn’t a Miseria, and the feeling didn’t line up with that of a fellow dark magical girl, which only really left the possibility of it being a light girl.

When the light changed Roche was off like a shot, quashing the impulse to transform outright leap over the streets rather than aggressively push the socially acceptable standards for jogging. 

Anger was a close friend in recent days, never too far and easily roused to her side at the prospect of one of the GEMS or Sayuri rearing their head so soon after the last debacle. The early hour was certainly strange for a Light Girl to be about, but she could worry about the question of why once she had an idea of who she was dealing with. 

[color=orange]Just a little bit…there![/color] The Rule Keeper came skidding around a corner, grasping a street lamp to swing herself around and come face to face with what could only be another Magical Girl.

Her sudden appearance nearly caused said girl to collide with her. Rather than do so, she tipped over backward in her haste, falling on her ass with a yelp and a groan. [color=fff79a]“Oww. . . Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”[/color] She looked up, greeting the Rule Keeper with a familiar face. [color=fff79a]“Roche?”[/color] Haruna asked. [color=fff79a]“Is there something wrong?”[/color]

[color=orange]”Hizuki?!”[/color] Roche gasped as she came to a halt before a staggered Haruna. Ire turned to embarrassment and the Rule Keeper was quick to reach out, offering her hand to pull up the Club’s resident Light Girl. Said girl took the hand, allowing herself to be pulled up.

[color=orange]”Sorry, it’s Haruna, right? Looks like I can add that to the list of apologies you’re owed. I had a feeling a Light Girl was around, and after the GEMS showed up I got a little hot headed.”[/color]

[color=fff79a]“That’s understandable.”[/color] She gave  a sort of rueful shrug. [color=fff79a]“They’ve messed with you - with us - a lot. No, just me, on my morning run. I use it to think, so I didn’t notice you were getting closer. I would have said something.”[/color] She tilted her head to the right. [color=fff79a]“Should we keep running together? I don’t mind changing my route around to hang out some.”[/color]

[color=orange]”No need to worry about it.. I’m the weirdo who invested a bit too much in that magic sense. When you have to punch most your problems, it pays to be able to find them quicker.”[/color] Waving off Haruna’s concerns at being caught unawares, she stepped aside and motioned onward with a sweep of her hand. 

[color=orange]”I’d be glad to join you. It’s pretty rare I find a Magical Girl who doesn’t sleep in on the mornings. After you.”[/color] She was happy to let Haruna set the pace, as it was only polite not to impose on Haruna. Between Shatterscape and Suki, the girl had taken a whalloping from the Club on both her encounters. 

[color=orange]”It’s been hectic lately, but I haven’t really had the chance to talk to you. Have you been taking to Miso well?”[/color]

Haruna shrugged, starting off on her previous route. [color=fff79a]“More or less. School is kinda school anywhere, I think, and between studying and magical girl stuff I haven’t actually done much in town besides that. I’ve pretty much got the whole layout down already, though. Perks of flying everywhere.”[/color] 

[color=orange]”That’s good to hear. From some of our out-of-town club mates, the move can be a bit rough.”[/color]

Roche was a city girl through and through, so moving wasn’t anything she had experience. 

[color=orange]”You handling the club alright? I know we probably aren’t anything like a Light Girl team, but you are one of us now. Rei, Kiyo, and I are here if you need anything to adjust…or if anyone is giving you trouble.”[/color]

[color=fff79a]“I wouldn’t really know what a light girl team is like, either. I was never a GEM.”[/color] She shrugged. [color=fff79a]“I guess I’d say I’m doing. . . okay, at handling the club? I don’t think I’ve managed to make anyone dislike me, yet, and aside from a couple, um, incidents, there haven’t been many huge conflicts.”[/color] She thought back to her main source of strife within the group, and her mouth twisted a bit. [color=fff79a]“I think I mostly just wish everyone was more willing to talk to each other about things.”[/color]

[color=orange]”We wouldn’t be Dark Magical Girls if we were paragons of emotional maturity and communication.”[/color] Even one such as Roche was self aware enough to acknowledge she wasn’t mentally well. But there were few miracles that couldn’t be worked with sufficient grit, stubbornness, and sheer spite.

[color=orange]”Give it time. We’re a prickly group at our best, but between the GEMS and Ashbringer we’re living on borrowed time.”[/color]

Haruna tilted her head, slowing slightly. [color=fff79a]“Ashbringer?”[/color]

The Rulekeeper blinked, catching herself on the ball of her foot as Haruna’s confusion hit her full to the face. Had no one really….

[color=orange]”You know how the GEMS are gunning for us? Well there’s a Dark Girl who we got into a fight with and now she wants to take us down. She seems to be putting together a team, but there’s something…off about it. Sure she’s stronger then most of us bar Rei, but her motives never sat right with me.”[/color]

Haruna shook her head. [color=fff79a]“No, nobody’s mentioned her yet.”[/color] She slowed her jog as a few dots connected in her head. [color=fff79a]“Oh. . . that’s why you guys messed up that beach. You’re trying to get strong enough to fight her. Right?”[/color]

[color=orange]”Yeah. It wouldn’t have been such a mess if the GEMS youngest weren’t there causing a ruckus the entire time. Now that I think about, they probably told the others we were trying to commit some mass sacrifice to lure the Giga Miseria….We weren’t. It just wasn’t going to come out with a lot of negativity emotions.”[/color]

[color=orange]”We damn near died keeping those people alive, and neither Morganite or Pearl were any help on that front.”[/color] Roche growled, turning her head aside to spit out her displeasure in a literal fashion.

[color=fff79a]“I wasn’t there, so I’m not going to take either side here.”[/color] Her tone made it clear that she didn’t approve of causing negative emotions on that scale, despite her words. [color=fff79a]“It seemed out of character for what I’ve seen so far, but if you’re being hunted by multiple parties, it makes perfect sense.”[/color] Haruna realized she’d slowed her pace, and picked it back up a bit, though it was still less intense than she’d been doing by herself.

[color=fff79a]“What about Ashbringer’s motivations? Did she say something that sounded strange? It sounds like more than just a struggle over territory or a clash of personalities.”[/color]

Roche brow furrowed, a feeling of internal strife warring within that line of questioning. It had been weighing on her mind aplenty as it was, so she ultimately relented as she drew close alongside Haruna.

[color=orange]”It seemed to start over a fight with Nyxia and a flower shop that got burned down, but I’m starting to think that was all just a pretense for something. Not only did she give us a year but then she decides to put together a team as well? If she wanted the territory or just to crush us, she didn’t need the time. Or maybe she does for Rei. I can’t say yet without finding out more. It’s something I’m working on, but I haven’t had much time to commit with everything going on here.”[/color]

The light girl frowned. [color=fff79a]“Any way I can help? With either looking into Ashbringer or getting strong enough to fight her.”[/color]

Finding her darkening mood brighten, the Rule Keeper’s hand clapped against Haruna’s shoulder. [color=orange]”You’re doing plenty already. This girl is my issue to dig into. But if you don’t mind, I wouldn’t mind a running mate for my morning jogs.”[/color]

[color=orange]”Who knows, maybe I could poach you for the track team. You’re certainly fast enough for it.”[/color]

[color=fff79a]“You think so?”[/color] She was already mentally rearranging her schedule. [color=fff79a]“I was okay in track in middle school, but I guess with everything else going on I hadn’t considered getting back into it.”[/color]

There was certainly a desire to poach a Magical Girl for her personal pride and joy, though the tanned girl had the decency not to salivate.

[color=orange]”You’re still getting settled in so I’m not asking you to jump in, but maybe stop by and see how it goes. I’m….a bit of a slave driver, but I think the Team can make it to Nationals. With another Magical Girl to anchor the team, the sky is the limit!”[/color]

[color=fff79a]“Yeah, it sounds like fun.”[/color] Haruna nodded. [color=fff79a]“I haven’t actually competed in anything since I got my magic, but I think I’m a little more coordinated at least.”[/color] She thought back to some time spent with Suki. [color=fff79a]“. . . Or maybe a lot more coordinated. I don’t think I could do quadruple backflips before.”[/color]

[color=orange]”Hey, I like the confidence! It’s nice to have someone who can enjoy some athletics that don’t involve Miseria. We put in the work and, and assuming we survive everything coming to this city, we’ll have scholarships waiting for!””[/color] 

An excited grin was pulling at Roche’s lips as she released Haruna to put on some speed. [color=orange]”Come on, I’ll show you some spots. There’s a few parks around here to take breaks out, and they keep the vending machines stocked for drinks.”[/color]

Haruna couldn’t help but smile too as she sped up to keep pace with Roche. It was nice to share a hobby. [color=fff79a]“Only if you’ll let me show you my good spots next time.”[/color]