Conflict!! A ride on the youkai subway!

[dreamsincolor]

Who: Mitsuya, Takuro
Where: The subway. No, not that one, the other one.
What: Riding to school.
When: The morning after Iwata's lesson.


It typically didn't take Mitsuya long to adjust to changes in her life, even those that led to her riding the subway with tengu, oni, and an assortment of other folkloric and less readily describable beings that were as removed from the humdrum of her old everyday life as... well, night from day. And sure enough, it had only been a few days, but she'd become accustomed to being the only human on a crowded subway car.

But now, today, it seemed she wasn't. Someone else was getting on right now, in fact.

Ah, yes. She recalled him from the old school building. Iwasaki, the experienced one with the demon. His very normality made him stand out all the more, it seemed.

Comments

[fantasy_skies]

Takuro shuffled onto the carriage, not noticing his schoolmate through the crowd of beings until he was standing right next to her.

"Oh, hello, Araragi-senpai," he said, grinning. "It's not often I bump into other humans on the train, let alone ones I know. How are you adjusting?"

[dreamsincolor]

"Well, I think," she answered with a smile. "The company is far more interesting, to be sure.

"Although," she added thoughtfully, suddenly recalling something Iwata-sensei had said that night at the old school, "it's been less, ah, eventful than I expected. Sensei had mentioned fights as though they were an everyday occurrence, but I haven't had the fortune to witness one yet."

[fantasy_skies]

"I've only been in one, the first time I rode the subway. I've seen others in fights a couple of times, but Iwata-sensei made it sound like we'd have to be ready for combat any time we wanted to go anywhere."

Takuro shrugged. "I guess it's better, safer, that fights aren't that common but I was really excited to try out some of the stuff we've learned."

[dreamsincolor]

"Ah, on that topic, if I may ask, when was your first time here?" Mitsuya regarded Takuro with a curious tilt of her head, the loose braid she'd taken to plaiting her hair into dangling off to the side. "It seems as though you've taken quite well to this yourself, if that demon of yours is any indication."

[fantasy_skies]

"He's not my demon. He's more a... business contact, I guess. That night in the old school building was the first time I had summoned him."

A little embarassed, Takuro sighed. "Itsuki-kun and I were awoken on the day that Iwata-sensei sent out that warning on the school network. The floor collapsed under us when we went in and he was the one that got us out safely. So I guess the first time we rode this subway was the day after."

[dreamsincolor]

"I see. So it was that incident after all... I should thank you."

Mitsuya had to admit that she'd nearly forgotten it, with all that had happened afterwards. But it had been what had caused her to check the building out in the first place, and led to everything that had followed.

But, as usual for her, she chose not to elaborate on that incredibly vague statement, and changed the subject. "The demon is a business contact, you say? How does that work, if I may ask?"

[fantasy_skies]

"He helps me in combat, and I pay him karma. I'm not sure about the mechanics behind it, but all I have to do is call him." Takuro pulled out his phone and showed Mitsuya the contact marked 'K-kun'.

"I guess I got a referral or something from the guy in charge of curses, so I could probably do the same for you if you were interested in summoning."

[dreamsincolor]

"The world of youkai is remarkably modern," Mitsuya remarked, peering at the phone contact. She was expecting mystical scrolls, pentagrams, the whole bell, book, and candle business... To find that it was this simple was almost disappointing. Not to say it wasn't efficient, though, and clever.

Plus she was getting a bit of the mystical business anyhow. Perhaps some of the old ways remained somewhere? It was worth looking into, perhaps.

"I must admit, I am intrigued." Even the demon of discomfort could make for interesting conversation, if nothing else. "I'll gladly accept a referral."

[fantasy_skies]

"Well, to summon the curse guy it was a little more occult. We're going to have buy more suitible candles for next time. But sure, I'll ask K-kun next time if there's anything you need to do or if you can just dial a demon."

[fantasy_skies]

"...Are we slowing down?"

[thebardinator]

"Oii!" came a voice, "Watcha doin' here, huh?". Every Japanese kid of a certain age knew that delinquent slur. It would normally belong to some sort of punk...

This punk had the head of a shark, though, and gray arms sticking out from the ripped arms of his shirt. He was slightly taller than both kids. They were tattooed with mermaids in quite sensuous poses, and male dragons in equally sensuous poses. "You got some nerve showin' yer faces, humans. I can't believe we have to see more and more of you, specially during the troubled times of our adolescence! Each and every one of you needs a poundin'!"

The train stopped, and the seats pulled left and right to make some space for the battle.

[fantasy_skies]

"Ah, perfect timing. I think 'humans' means you too, senpai, so welcome to combat." Turning around without skipping a beat, Takuro charged at the shark.

Roll: 7

He leapt at the enemy and planted his foot in the shark's stomach.

[dreamsincolor]

"Oh! Is it always like this?"

That was abrupt. And considering how the train was reshaping itself to accommodate them, apparently this really was an everyday affair.

Not that Mitsuya had exactly been hesitant before now, but that particular hint from the universe didn't hurt.

Roll: 7

A strong wind kicked up from behind Mitsuya, aiming to hit the shark youkai while it was reeling and slam it into a pole (ideally an unoccupied one).

[amoralsensei]

 

[amoralsensei]

 

[amoralsensei]

 

At Iwata's office

[amoralsensei]

"Youkai subway, huh?"

Re: At Iwata's office

[dreamsincolor]

"It was an unlucky shot. He attempted to shield himself, but nothing happened. I'm not certain why that might be..."

Mitsuya had managed to prop Takuro up on a chair, feeling that it would be "disrespectful" to simply leave him lying there while they talked. The effect was... odd, to say the least.

"Is this something we should be concerned about?"

1/3

[amoralsensei]

Iwata merely moved to close the door of his small office. He'd finally managed to fix his ceiling fan, which was now firmly and elegantly held to the ceiling with copious amounts of duct tape, completing that Je Ne Sais Quoi that defines any teacher's office, that little something that says, nay, whispers 'Minimum Wage.'

"Hmmm, well considering Takuro-kun's spell range, he probably tried to use his vines. But there's nowhere to grow vines in a subway." He looked up thoughtfully. "Though all things considered, there's probably a vine wall growing on that tunnel right were that train was at the time..."

2/3

[amoralsensei]

"...Yikes."

3/3

[amoralsensei]

"Oh, well, the municipality will probably clear it out sooner or later and no one will be the wiser," Iwata said as he opened a drawer in his desk, and then, despite the drawer being about five inches deep, he just thrust his arm deep into it, rummaging around until he produced a small sheet of paper, which, if Mitsuya could recognize, looked just like some sort of bill...

"Anyway," Iwata said, producing a small vial, which he popped open to spray the content over the paper, which he rolled up into a straw. "This should do the trick. Black magic revival technique," he said, approaching Takuro and waving the paper straw under his nose. "Smelling Salts for a Greedy Heart..."

A husky, feminine voice filled the air, as if right out of a perfume commercial.

"D'Jean Jean Melon, essence pour le resurrection... pour homme."

Iwata simply sighed heavily. "God, I hate the public announcement spell."

[dreamsincolor]

"... Did that spell come with an advertisement, sensei?"

[amoralsensei]

"It got triggered by a phrase... see, this is the sort of thing that magical people live with. You know how, sometimes, you see people's names show up in bright letters? Or, if you say..."

He quieted down. A faint suspense music came into the air, from nowhere. "If that wasn't you... and it wasn't me... then who was it?"

The music was building into a crescendo.

Iwata simply rolled his eyes and hissed. "Knock it off."

The music stopped.

[fantasy_skies]

They were informed of Takuro's revival when the boy suddenly pitched forward, coughly wetly.

"Ugh," he moaned once he was done, leaning back in the chair. "That was embarassing."

[dreamsincolor]

"Welcome back to the world of the living. How are you feeling?" Mitsuya greeted him with a smile, pleased to see him awake and well. "There's no need to be embarrassed about your performance. Your share of the reward is in your pocket--does that always happen?"