The rush of euphoria that always comes with the transformation somewhat overrides your dour mood, but it sweeps away just as quickly; leaving you feeling more level-headed, but still glum. Regardless, you're now clad in your shimmering purple dress, and as ready to start practicing as you can be at the moment. You don't have the energy for something especially complex, you decide, not today at least; so maybe you should start simple. You've known the Auroras the longest, and thus far they've been the easiest to create, so you may as well focus on perfecting that. With a swing of your naginata, you begin.
~~~ .oO◯Oo. ~~~
At first, all you succeed in doing is swinging your weapon around pointlessly, the strings of beads hanging from the blade flailing wildly and getting tangled up in each other. Even if nobody's around to observe, you still feel thoroughly embarrassed with yourself. You're sure an actual practitioner would be either amused or disgusted by your unskilled thrashing, and you have to wonder what's different now compared to before. When you were fighting the Gushiken-san beast, you were just hoping for something to happen; then later against the corrupted spirit, you weren't even thinking about it at all, more worried about the imminent danger you were in. Last night by the river, of course, you were thinking of that memory of the northern lights. Now that you're here and intentionally focusing on channeling your power, though, it's not working at all.
With more than just a small bit of annoyance, you're reminded again of Death's vague advice. "
Just, what I do know is that it's something easier to do when you aren't thinking so hard about doing it. Something along those lines." As much as you hate to admit it, she might be onto something. Brute-forcing it just isn't happening, and you're not in immediate danger like the first two times… So perhaps the third time should be your inspiration?
Closing your eyes, you cast your mind once again to that snowy, gorgeous night. In the sunlight, with the rustling of autumn leaves and the smell of the forest around you, it's harder to visualize it as vividly as before, but you are still swept up in awe and comfort. This time, you see success again, a slower, more graceful swing overhead leaving a shimmering trail of light. Glad to see it working, you double down on that feeling.
Even while keeping that memory at the forefront, you still do your best to observe the trails, experimenting as you trace through the air, and soon find that you can change their properties, to an extent. Jerkier, faster swings produce auroras that fizzle out fairly quickly; while more gradual movements create longer-lasting ones, that remain hanging in the air for several minutes before even beginning to show signs of fading. Similarly, the more strongly you hold that memory in your mind, the brighter and more solid-feeling your weapon's wake is, while it becomes hazier and less bold whenever you become distracted, more like a cloud than a curtain. It even cuts out a few more times altogether when you're struck by intrusive thoughts -
How much longer until the meeting? Did Kichirou make it back to his classes on time? - but you're able to refocus back on what you're doing more easily each time.
Additionally, you pause your aimless sky-doodling a few times to more directly test their properties. Trying to hold one, you're surprised to find your hand passing right through it. Then you scoff, remembering you're still a ghost, too… and then sit down on a nearby boulder without the slightest bit of phasing. It takes only a bit longer after that to realize you were wrong - the aurora simply seems to be selective about what can pass through it, with pebbles and twigs thrown at it bouncing off, while you yourself can walk back and forth through without any trouble, aside from a slight ticklish sensation against your 'skin'. You wonder if anyone else would be permitted through as well, but there's a distinct shortage of nearby volunteers right now. At the same time, recalling the staircase you had made during that first fight, you find you can still step on them without falling through. Perhaps your intention is all it takes; it thankfully seems much more consistent than your usual phasing attempts.
Finally you experiment with the rigidity, trying to create an aurora that's more flexible and banner-like instead of the rigidly fixed trails you've been making thus far. Despite your best efforts, though, nothing you can think of seems to work, and your efforts are beginning to draw you out of the memory. Your instinct is telling you that it should be
possible, but you just can't think of how to make it happen.
~~~ .oO◯Oo. ~~~
By the time the sun's nestled comfortably between the western hills and beginning to sink behind them, you feel you're a bit more familiar with how this is supposed to work. You're not as confident in your ability to call on it in an emergency, given how specific the trigger seems to be and how much concentration it takes to center in your mind, but you decide that that's a problem for another time. As if on cue, a now-familiar door rises from the ground between two trees at the edge of the clearing, and Nel comes through - before abruptly jumping back in alarm.
"Are you fighting something!?" they ask, glancing quickly around the clearing as if expecting something hostile to leap out at any moment.
Belatedly, you realize you're now surrounded by an uneven dome of shimmering light, the leftovers of your experimentation. "No, I'm fine. Just getting in some practice." Stepping outside of the accidental shell you've made for yourself, you stand beside the Shade and cast a critical eye over your handiwork. "I think it should fade soon enough?" You suggest, before gesturing at the large boulder you've been working beside. "And well, at least it's hidden from the path down there. I… don't know if I can erase all this myself."
"Well, as long as it's hidden, we can worry about that another time," Nel decides, before turning to you with a shift in posture. "I've gathered everyone else already, for our first proper meeting as a team. Uh, minus our still undecided pink member… But whatever! The important thing is, nobody else is transformed at the moment, but obviously if you do the same, they can't meet you and vice-versa. You've gotten by so far with just Kazane-san, but now we're going to need everyone to be on the same page. Still, I also don't want your condition to get out lest they get the wrong idea, so I'm going to have to ask you to remain transformed during this, so you don't stick out too much."
Glancing down at your flowing dress and the faintly sparkling purple-black fur lining your vest and boots, you can't help but raise a skeptical eyebrow. "Right, because this is so very ordinary."
Nel sighs. "I think it's the best option, for now at least. We can figure out a better solution later, if the need arises."
There seems to be a theme this evening, not that you have any better ideas either. With a bit of concentration, you dismiss your weapon, the polearm turning into ice and melting away into vapor and nothingness. "Alright, point taken. Anything else?"
"Ah, yes. I meant what I said about having nearly the full team together now - I took your advice from earlier, and managed to get the next girl to join! So along with Kazane-san, Varma-san, and Shimizu-san, there will also be Kasai-san joining you to visit the bookshop, and she seems promising!" Opening the door again, they usher you through first. "Despite Shimizu-san's misgivings, I think you were right, and everything will turn out just fine."
You and Nel walk in on a shouting match.
"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?" A tiny girl glares furiously from one corner of the room, clenched fists turning her knuckles white, and looking ready to leap over Nel's desk with murderous intent if not for Midori half-heartedly holding her back.
In the opposite corner, Pallavi is much more effectively restraining Masami, though the bluenette seems to need it less, simply opting to cross her arms over her chest and imperiously stare down the newcomer. Regardless, she's no less hostile, her voice just barely maintaining a composed and level tone, you suspect, out of a need to maintain the superior attitude more than anything else. "I'm simply impressed," Masami grinds out, "that you seem to be taking this with the same amount of care that you approach everything else in your life. That is to say,
none at all."
"OH SHUT UP!" the other girl explodes. "I'm taking this plenty seriously! I get what's important here! Meanwhile, I bet
you had to be convinced it wouldn't get in the way of your stupid studies and stuff, right? Because who
cares if people get hurt when you could stop it, so long as you keep your PERFECT GODDAMN GRADES, right?"
Masami's face contorts in rage, and suddenly Pallavi's actually having to dig in her heels to keep the bluenette from advancing. "THAT'S NOT… You
know it isn't like that!"
"Do I now?" Kasai-san challenges, but there's no satisfaction in her tone. "Do I really?"
While this is happening, you edge closer to Nel, before leaning in. "'Things will turn out fine'? You know, I don't remember giving any such advice," you mutter dryly to the Shade. "Pretty sure you must have misheard me or something."
"Very funny," they pout, before straightening up and stepping into the center of the room. "Alright, alright, please calm down, everyone." Thankfully, their sudden presence distracts the arguing pair; Masami straightens up as if chastised by a teacher, while the much shorter girl simply shakes Midor's hand off her shoulder and grumpily takes a seat. "It's… quite clear that there's a difference of opinion here, and we will have to talk about that later. For now, though, I hope we can all agree that what's important is that you are magical girls! And so it is your job to do good and save the day!"
You find yourself watching everyone, wondering what they'll make of that. Pallavi seems most invested, nodding sagely as she also takes a seat. Midori, meanwhile, just gives a noncommittal thumbs-up, remaining leaning against the wall. Masami bows her head, but only briefly, before sitting down as far from the newcomer as possible; while Kasai-san just shrugs before pulling up her legs to her chin and wrapping her arms around them, glaring down at the floor and looking oddly adorable despite that. For your part, you continue to hover awkwardly at the back wall, hoping not to be noticed.
"Starting off, I wanted to introduce everyone to your other teammate; Yukimura-san." Nel gestures toward you, and suddenly you're pinned down by several stares. (You mentally resolve to get them back for this later, somehow.)
"She was actually the first to join," Nel continues obliviously, "and has already been working hard to fix things, so please be sure to give her your thanks." Pallavi tilts her head curiously at this, but Nel quickly plows on. "Kazane-san, you've already worked with her, of course, but for the rest of you, now is the chance to introduce yourselves."
Nel hasn't even finished speaking before Pallavi is suddenly standing up and right in front of you, shaking your hand, retracting it just as suddenly, and bowing sheepishly. "Hello! Oh, my apologies, I forgot again… Anyway, hello! My name is Pallavi Varma. It's a pleasure to meet you! Oh, I love your dress, it's so fashionable! A bit out of season, but that doesn't really matter if it's what you feel best in, right? I love how well it compliments your…"
"Uh, hello?" Even having seen her greet Midori the previous day wasn't enough to prepare you for the sheer
energy of her introduction, and you can't even keep up as she continues to chatter animatedly. Extroverts. Even by the time she finally finishes up and has returned to her seat, you feel like your eyes are surely still spinning in dizziness.
Unfortunately you're given little time to recover, as Masami strides up next, looking down at you with a critical gaze. (Somehow, despite being shorter than Pallavi, she
feels so much taller in comparison.) "Shimizu Masami. Future Prime Minister of Japan. You can call me Shimizu-san." And then she gives a surprisingly sincere bow that you return in kind; it's only once she's striding back to her seat that the middle part of her statement hits you upside the head.
While you're still reeling from that, the newest girl finally stands back up and shuffles over to you. After Masa- er, Shimizu-san all-but-looming over you, it's a welcome change to be the one looking down, but you quickly find her just as intimidating anyway. In contrast to Shimizu-san's perfectly-aligned uniform, this girl is wearing a baggy hoodie and tracksuit pants, both incredibly wrinkled and faintly musty, the former marked with numerous unidentifiable stains, faded but noticeable. She's slouching with hands in pockets and has deep bags under her eyes, but there's a certain tension about her posture that makes you instinctively shy away. Her hair, at least, seems to be well-cared-for, pitch-black and glossy, arranged in deliberately messy downward-raked spikes like some sort of shounen protagonist. Either that or it's just legitimately messy but manages to look intentional. You're not sure if that would be better or worse.
"M'name's Kasai Miho. Nice dress. You watch any anime?"
"Uhhh,
Werewolf Hunter?" You offer, pulling the first name that comes to mind before abruptly realizing you haven't actually seen any of it yourself.
"Really?" She seems to perk up abruptly, amber eyes suddenly twinkling with interest. "Maybe we could talk about it later? How far are you?"
You're saved from answering, thankfully, by Nel coughing(?) pointedly; Miho reluctantly returns to her chair as everyone turns their attention away from you again. (You sigh in relief, and decide your earlier thoughts of vengeance were too premature.)
"Okay, with all that done, shall we get down to business?" A round of agreement (more enthusiastic than before) comes from the gathered girls, and Nel nods in satisfaction. Tapping on their desk, they once again project a screen on the wide window behind them, showing the two photographs you'd seen earlier - Sakamoto Takuya the book seller, and Nomura Yuudai the construction worker.
"I have already told some of you in lesser detail, but not everyone. One of the potential brewing problems we've observed is the presence of several unnaturally similar clones, who have seemingly absolutely no relation with one-another, living in the city. It's not a whole lot to go on, but it still seemed suspicious enough to warrant investigation. Ergo, your plan for this evening is to visit the
Ai No Atsumari book shop and question the owner," they tap on the photo of Takuya, enlarging it.
"Since we don't know for sure whether this is something big or not, you will all be going un-transformed, both to avoid drawing suspicion if there's truly nothing wrong, and to avoid tipping them off if they are up to some nefarious scheme." (You find yourself questioning how well that may work with your need to remain transformed to be seen, but in here surrounded by the others certainly isn't ideal to mention this.) "In addition… Oh, right!"
Oh right indeed. You resist the urge to facepalm, realizing quickly that Nel's airheadedness has struck again. (Maybe revenge is back on the table after all…)
"In addition, I had Yukimura-san conduct some initial reconnaissance of the place earlier, to see if she could detect any suspicious activity that could help with the questioning. I uh, forgot to ask about your observations when I picked you up. Would you like to present your findings to the others?" Usually this sort of question wouldn't be a question at all, but Nel seems to be genuinely asking. Still, with all eyes on you again, you're caught on how to respond.
What To Say?
> Yes; it's a good idea to know what's going on (given you saw something was definitely up, it would probably be a good idea to make sure the others know what to expect, in case things take a turn for the worse. Even if you're not thrilled about being the one to give that information out, and telling the whole story might give away too much other stuff…)
> No; it's better for the others to go in without any preconceived notions (There's too many sensitive personal details to really give a proper recounting, without risking Nel's desire for secrecy, or your brother potentially coming up. And to be honest, you've never exactly been the type for public speaking of any sort. And also the preconception thing too, you guess.)
> Sure; you guess (If you give an extremely abbreviated recap of only the most relevant parts, you can speed through this and skip the awkwardness, while still letting the group know what to look out for.)
