LuckyBlackCat

After the Dawn (LuckyBlackCat and SimpleWriter)

~ Imamura, Seika ~

The patter of rain that had started outside grew to a heavy staccato. Putting her bag and jacket in her locker, Seika glanced at the drops streaming down the window. Good thing she'd avoided the downpour. If she hadn't, she'd make a terrible first impression on the newcomer - wherever she was. She looked towards the door to the hallway, hoping the new recruit had arrived in time to keep out of the bad weather too.

Footsteps sounded, not in front of her, but behind her. She turned to see a girl burst in, damp dark hair hanging in her face as she bowed with a frantic apology. Seika approached her, only to freeze in place when the other girl stood up. That familiar face bore the same look of surprise she probably did.

"Hito..." A flood of buried emotions welled up, choking off the name Seika tried to utter. Her formed friend hadn't changed much, but everything else had, turning all those happy memories too sour to savour. Just looking at her brought on the same stabs of anger and regret the fights had. "Ogasawara," she said instead, body stiff as she folded her arms and inclined her head. "Welcome." Glimpsing an odd look from the manager at her frosty greeting, Seika sighed and forced her muscles to relax. She couldn't let herself drop the act, no matter what.

"So I see you already know each other," their boss commented, an edge to his voice that didn't ease the tension any. "Imamura-san, I trust you to show Ogasawara-san around and help her learn the basics."

Face impassive once more, Seika nodded. She had to steel herself to meet Hitomi's gaze. "Well," she muttered, "once you're ready, we'd better make a start."

After the Dawn (LuckyBlackCat and SimpleWriter)

Imamura, Seika

19

Likes

• Dogs
• Movies
• Stylish clothes and accessories
• Casual socialisation (without letting anyone too close)

Dislikes

• Creepy guys
• Being cooped up inside for too long
• Showing vulnerability
• Pushy teachers/family

Studies

Seika's chosen university course is media studies, as she aims to go into journalism.

Work

Part time waitress/barista work in a small cafe on campus, to contribute towards rent and expenses of her studies.

Room

Rents an apartment in a student complex amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, in a convenient spot near transport and shopping areas. The main room, with an en-suite bathroom, is decently large, neat and filled with bright colours as she likes it. Part of it is a kitchen/lounge, complete with TV. In the bedroom part, where her desk is, she keeps handheld game consoles hidden away, her interest a memento of her time as Hitomi's friend. She has a few cityscape pictures, as well as photos of her mother's Shiba Inu named Aya, but none of her friends or family.

After the Dawn (LuckyBlackCat and SimpleWriter)

~ Imamura, Seika ~

Click. Click. Click. Kitten heels tapped against the path as Seika strode with her head high, shoulders back, face neutral. The pose felt as restrictive and uncomfortable as her starchy waitress uniform, but it played just as important a part in the code she stuck to. With morning classes over, and the midday sun starting to dip, she had to switch the mask of ideal student to that of ideal employee.

Stopping outside a building, a modern-styled cafe of cubes, glass and steel, she took a handheld mirror from her bag, smoothing her hair. Maintaining said mask wasn't easy, but she couldn't let any cracks show, not even as her teacher's snarky comments from earlier stuck in her mind. Sure, the professors were like that with most of the class, but she could just imagine what her parents would say... and what he'd say.

Watching herself shiver, she scowled at her reflection and shoved the mirror back into the handbag. Why the hell was she still dwelling on that? He was out of her life, and good riddance. Get a grip, she mentally chided herself as she marched forward, ponytail swishing. Get a fucking grip.

She took a deep breath, then pushed the door open, her customer service persona in place even before she reached the staff room. "Good afternoon," she greeted the manager, bowing her head, her tone as falsely bright as a mechanical recording.

"Afternoon, Imamura-san," the man before her said, returning the bow. "If you wouldn't mind, I have a favour to ask of you. We have a new member of staff starting today, would you be able to show her the ropes?"

Seika hid the jolt of panic with a smile. Would she be able to, as a fairly new employee herself? In any case, she had to act capable, more than capable. "That'll be no problem," she chirped. She could only hope that would be the case.

Be my Sanctuary

Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey

"Uh, well..." Jess blurted, panic rising. Some of the questions, given the situation, were bound to turn out awkward. Although the presence of two anchors muted surrounding emotions, it was obvious just from Roxy's face that she thought the same. Yet neither could explain why. The display of uncertainty had already prompted Laura to write down notes, and Jess couldn't risk letting on anything more.

"Yeah. Sounds like a good idea," she continued, trying to keep her tone sounding calm. "We're not exactly used to asking each other things, but... Well, that's the point of the exercise." She forced a laugh before turning to Roxy. "Speaking of exercise... Physical exercise. How about that as an activity?"

She took a deep breath. There was no shame in asking for help. It wouldn't inconvenience Roxy. On the contrary, if they connected better, it would benefit both of them.

"Would you be ok helping me train?"

She didn't specify what kind of training. Best to avoid mentioning anything that could bring on suspicion, but the fact was, learning self defense could be more than just a way to bond. It could become a necessity.

Mahou Shoujo no Hex Night: A Magical Girl Battle RP

@VitaVitaAR Finally got my reply up, sorry for the wait, work hasn't let up lately.

Mahou Shoujo no Hex Night: A Magical Girl Battle RP

❅❄ Fuyuko Yamazaki ❄❅

---

@VitaVitaAR

A few seconds of silence passed. "Uh..." Fuyuko considered her options. On the one hand, it seemed wisest to wait for Shining Fist to respond and take the lead. On the other, Hoshino and waiting didn't exactly go well together - and what if someone else got hurt in the meantime?

"We could do," she finally replied, "as long as we're both careful, since it's just the two of us. I can stay out, I'll just quickly tell..."

Right on cue, a hand clapped onto her shoulder, a cry of "GRAAAHHHHH!" making her whirl around. Seeing Noriko and the exaggerated scary face she pulled, Fuyuko accompanied her sister's guffaws with a much softer laugh.

"Hey, how could I resist?" Noriko chirped, that grin spreading across her face - although it wasn't her usual one. Too wide, failing to reach her normally warm brown eyes, which seemed empty. She gave off the air of an actress in a comedy play. "C'mon sis, Mom's waiting for us."

Once more, Fuyuko fell quiet. "Well, uh..." Her eyes darted between Noriko and Hikari. "I'm actually planning on staying out and about, if that's ok with everyone."

With a look she knew, one that said she didn't blame her, Noriko nodded. "All good, I'll let Mom know." Again, her voice sounded a little too chipper. "Just tell us when you're heading back, ok? Well, see ya!"

Fuyuko returned the nod. "Later," she murmured, noting the unusually heavy steps as Noriko left. The thought of the responsibility she'd burdened her sister with made Fuyuko's heart ache. Head drooping, she faced Hoshino.

"L-Look, on second thoughts, maybe..." She glanced over her shoulder, staring into space. Shouldn't she spend the afternoon supporting Noriko with the home situation? Wouldn't be be best to wait for nightfall and Shining Fist's reply after all? If she did, though, and Hoshino investigated on her own, were problems to arise, she'd be responsible for having abandoned her. Magical girls tended to work in teams for a reason. "Uh, never mind."

She lifted up her phone, wondering whether to invite her sister along. Hoshino surely wanted to meet a magical girl she could trust. Then again, if they got caught up in this mission past evening, there'd be nobody to protect the home. Sighing, Fuyuko lowered the device. Beep. Right then, a text notification blinked onto the screen.

"Hey, if this is Hex Night stuff and you won't be back until much, much later, I'll tell Mom you're staying with a friend. I mean it's not like she won't understand. Again, best of luck! Sweep through 'em like the snowstorm you are!"

Giving a twitch of a smile despite the pang of guilt, Fuyuko typed a reply. "It is, sort of... Sorry I can't be around, but thanks." The instant she sent the message, she wished she hadn't written "sort of". Someone as perceptive and protective as Noriko would worry, want to know more.

Trying to focus on the task at hand, Fuyuko raised her eyes from the phone. "S-Sorry. Just a quick message," she muttered. "Uh, anyway... If you're ready, let's go." She started on her way to the school gates, towards the path to the woods.

Pokemon Spiral

@ItMeGritty Approved, mayhem making can now begin.

Be my Sanctuary

Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey

Jess hadn't expected an anchor as a counsellor, but that was a much-needed stroke of luck. An empath would surely pick up on things that couldn't be ignored, especially considering Roxy's difficulty hiding emotions. Plus, when she thought about it, it made sense - people like Laura could put struggling empaths like her at ease, and relate to other anchors. From what Jess had read, the troubles of anchors were often overlooked, simply because they weren't the isolated ones.

She nodded, backing up Roxy's brief and to-the-point statement, and listened to Laura's calming tone. "Nobody's to blame," she replied, recalling her mother's tireless efforts to get her matched. "But yeah... It's certainly different. Familiar yet different, if that makes sense." A weak smile accompanied her words.

"We're starting to connect better," she continued, "but, well, it's the first time in five years I've interacted with anyone face to face, and Roxy lived alone too until we were matched up." At once, she regretted that last part. Yes it was inevitable if any progress was to happen, but would Roxy take it as an insult, or be at a loss for an explanation? It wasn't as if she could mention why she kept a safe distance - or that it had turned out no amount of distance was safe enough.

Catching herself chewing the inside of her lip, Jess stopped and spoke up again. "This connection we're beginning to build... What's the best way to work on it?"

Mahou Shoujo no Hex Night: A Magical Girl Battle RP

❅❄ Fuyuko Yamazaki ❄❅

---

@VitaVitaAR

It looked like there was no talking the headstrong new recruit out of it. All Fuyuko could do was resolve to make sure nothing went wrong on this mission, but uncertainty and self-doubt chipped at her morale. "Well... If it's what you feel is right," she whispered, lifting up her phone, "I'll let the person I'm working with know." She hesitated, then remembering the girl's dislike of waiting, tapped a quick message to Shining Fist.

"Hello? It's Yamazaki here, and it's about the watcher situation. Sorry I couldn't find much last night, but there's someone else who wants to help us, is that ok?"

Pressing send, she could only hope none of them would end up regretting this.

"Thank you..." She inclined her head to the brunette, that strained smile tugging at her lips. "We'll need a plan, but hopefully with three of us, we can make some leeway this time. And uh... Sorry I haven't introduced myself yet. Yamazaki Fuyuko, and your name is...?"