Description: When you've never had friends before, you cherish the ones you make. A collection of scenes with Megumi, Acacia's first friend.
((Intro Note: The following logs weren't specifically chosen because I think they're special. They're simply the only logs that I can find. My filing system is...nonexistent. I may add more to this collection in the future, if I can find 'em.))
((Ed Note: Scene takes place before an SNF match))
Megumi got up at a decent hour this morning, and because of that, there's actually an hour or two of free time before the match. She called Acacia up, asking to see her. At the food court in the mall. Where Megumi is currently seated with a soda can, downing its contents a little bit at a time while she watches and waits...
...until, whumph.
Whumph?
Yeah, whumph. The sound of a leather jacket being tossed onto a seat, followed shortly by its owner. A jeans-and-t-shirt clad form meeting plastic chair with rather more force than necessary. Acacia leans forward, as she settles down, giving Megumi a look.
No, not one of her scowls.
It's a...somewhat sheepish look, actually.
"Sorry I'm late..."
She tilts her head, in the direction of the food stalls, and gestures vaguely with the wrapped sandwich and soda cup in her hand.
"...queue."
Megumi on the other hand is pretty relaxed. Well, surprised to see the coat arriving before a person does, but once that passes, she's at ease. "Eh, that's okay. I wasn't really giving all that specific a time to be here, y'know? Traffic, lines at the counter, those add a few minutes. It's fine."
A little more drink is consumed before Megumi goes on, "Just wanted to see you again, if you're wondering. Nothing bad's gone on, no problems or anything. Was just figuring we could...well, start doing some stuff. Normal things. Fun."
Acacia begins unpeeling the greasepaper over her sandwich - but stops, halfway. She blinks, once, and sets the food down.
"If you're suggesting...we talk clothes and boys...I'm gonna punch you."
The silver-haired girl brandishes her lunch for emphasis, shaking the ham-and-cheese like a weapon.
She holds the faux-glare for a second or two, before breaking out into a muffled snort of laughter.
Megumi looks really closely as Acacia stops what she's doing...seems like her reply is going to be rather intent. It's only when the 'threat' consists of food that Megumi realizes it's meant to be humor, and has a bit of a smirk. "Well. You're close. Not quite right, but close. That's the /sort/ of thing I mean, just not those topics exactly."
Tugging back another layer of wrapping, with a crinkling sound of paper, Acacia brings the sandwich to her mouth and takes a large bite. From around a mouthful of food, she replies, "What, -shoes-?"
Well, actually it sounds more like 'Whmph, shmoes?', but it's the thought that counts, after all.
Chew, chew, swallow.
"Eh," Acacia says, after washing down the mouthful with a sip of ice-cream soda, "really. What brings -this- on?"
"Not shoes either. It's just..." Megumi loses some of her casual air now, sitting rather still. "I know you said you didn't want some sort of stupid fairy godmother, so that's not what it is. But I've been thinking...if we sat down and remembered five things we did with one another, what would most of those five be?"
"...point," Acacia says, after a moment of thought. Well, it's true, and she's certainly not going to deny it. Her expression looks a little distant, as she takes the time to get a couple more bites from her sandwich.
Finally, she lowers the food, and looks back at Megumi. She gives a little tiny shake of the shoulders.
"Get the point. But..."
Trailing off, Acacia sets one arm on the table, elbow resting on the plastic surface, and gestures with a hand.
"...don't try too hard, see? No need to make an -issue-. You want to do...just do."
Smile.
"Not trying too hard. Explaining it doesn't make it some big strain." Megumi finishes off her drink, and flicks it off to a nearby trashcan. It goes in cleanly. "It just didn't sit right with me is all. Like...just a few days ago. Did stuff with Mai and Kula. Normal stuff, nothing bad happened, we didn't get together because of some common enemy. It was nice."
With that explanation done, Megumi gets back to her point. "So I just felt like doing that sort of stuff with you too. Maybe we can spend the night together sometime, or somethin' like that?"
Acacia finishes wolfing down the sandwich as Megumi talks. It probably isn't polite to do that, but social graces have never been of particular concern to her. She starts washing it down with soda, sipping from the straw, as Megumi makes the offer.
Listening, food consumption aside.
Setting the drink down on the table, Acacia smirks.
"Not sure," she says, in a flat voice, perfectly deadpan, "I swing that way."
Pause.
Acacia raises a hand, forestalling the inevitable reaction. "-Joke-. Joke."
Megumi doesn't look like she minds Acacia eating while being spoken to, in any case. Not even a slight stare. It's when Acacia starts to say something back, that Megumi looks really surprised. "I didn't..." She stops at the sight of the hand. "...Oh." Well, that sets her at ease. "Well still, not quite what I meant. I just meant doing normal stuff with that."
"Fact," Acacia says, "you need to -label- it like that...'normal stuff'...still think you're trying too hard."
She's blunt, if nothing else. Acacia calls 'em like she sees 'em.
"I worry...you'll end up disappointed."
Acacia meets Megumi's eyes, solemn - at least for the moment. She means it.
But she also doesn't feel like pressing the argument. Just because she's resigned to never having 'normal'...doesn't mean she should grill Megumi over it.
So she doesn't.
Acacia cracks a smile. A small one, but a smile, nonetheless.
"Still...understand. Mn. Eh. I'm just pessimistic. But sure."
"You know what?" Megumi leans forward in her seat a little, over the table. Just a little, but enough to be closer to Acacia. "You're not the only one who worries about that stuff. I label it 'normal stuff' because...I don't think either of us are. And I don't mean that in a bad way. But I'm right, aren't I? You're worried. Worried that something'll go really wrong?"
Megumi pulls back to a normal seating posture. "I'm always worried about that when I do things, you know. Worried that if I do something with friends, it'll go horribly. That someone will try to kill them for being with me. Or try to kill me or just plain kill everyone. Or..." Her mood's gone increasingly more worried, just by talking about all this. "Or that I'll do something weird and stupid. That I'll freak out and ruin the fun. But...I've tried worrying about it and keeping away from everyone, and it still gets messed up."
Megumi stops for a second, letting that sink in. "So...yeah. I label it. That makes it weird, I know. And I'm worried it'll go really wrong, but I want to try. Because what if it goes /right/?"
Acacia shrugs. "Does God play dice?"
No, she wasn't really expecting an answer to that.
She takes another drink of water, putting the straw to her lips, slurping noisily. Intentionally, too. It breaks the tension. Or at least, she hopes it does.
Acacia finishes the drink, but pops the top - and begins poking at the ice cubes inside. With the straw.
As she does this, she speaks, in a quiet voice. "No. Not what I'm saying...but..."
She stops, and shakes her head, unable to articulate it.
"Screw it. So, what, slumber party?"
Megumi's first reply is, "There's no such thing as God. Or if one does exist, he's a monster." That's her bit of cynicism for the moment, as she settles down quickly, watching Acacia toys around with the remnants of that drink. "Worried about other stuff going wrong, just not as sick and morbid as I put it? Well, either way...I really think it's worth trying, even if it sounds weird to have to label it. And...as for what?"
Finally, Megumi tosses up a one-armed shrug. "Dunno. We could do that, or whatever else you like."
"I'm not good at ideas," Acacia replies, looking up.
She tilts her head back, tipping a couple of ice cubes into her mouth. Then she replaces the lid on the paper cup, and tosses it in the vague direction of the trash can, followed by the wadded-up greasepaper wrapping from her sandwich. Both projectiles ricochet off the food court wall, landing in the bin. Much like Megumi did earlier, really.
Fighter reflexes. Such a wonderful thing.
Acacia smiles, wanly, returning her attention to Megumi.
"But...appreciate what you're trying to do. Probably shouldn't be so pessimistic, should I?"
"Then let's do that tonight, after our match. Win or lose, we'll go for that, okay?" Megumi turns her seat sideways some, head twisted to keep facing Acacia. "It's okay, though. Being pessimistic. It's not wrong to expect the worst all the time if that's actually what happens to you pretty often. And before you think this is some altrusitic fairy godmother thing," Megumi's consciously tossing up words Acacia's used to describe her before, "This is for me too. I'm being kind of selfish with this, I want it to work out for me, too. For both of us. So I'm being fifty percent greedy."
"And fifty percent fairy godmother," Acacia answers, in a dry voice. She doesn't quite manage to keep a straight face, though. It lasts all two seconds before she breaks down into a soft snicker.
Covering her eyes with a hand, Acacia murmurs, "Sorry. Mental image. You. Tiara. Wand. Fairy wings..."
She opens and closes her fingers.
"...sparklies. Glitter."
Traumatic imagery indeed.
Acacia laughs, again, though this time a bit more composed.
"Yeah, sure. Not much of a party, all beaten up...but..."
She shrugs eloquently.
"Welllll..." Megumi draws that sound out. "I'm wondering, is that really what came to your mind? Like...is that how you see me?" She sounds curious...unusually interested in what was supposed to be just a joke. "And I won't mind if we're not all hyperactive after the match. We can still do fun stuff together without crashing into walls and doing backflips everywhere."
"Yes---no---"
Too many statements, too short a space of time. Acacia's brow furrows, as she gets her thoughts in order. She places both her hands on the table, crossed at the wrists, fingers open, palms upwards. She looks over them, at Megumi, leaning forward a little.
"Fine with tonight," she says, "and..."
She closes her eyes, momentarily.
"...you're my friend," she says, finally, "'s how I see you. Okay? And I don't have many friends. So that's important."
Acacia cracks her eyelids open, and twitches her lips.
"Happy?"
Megumi briefly just sits there, silently. "I would've been just fine with 'yes' to that, but...I think your second answer is even better. Happy?" After all these shifts in attitude, she's settled on another one: smiling. "Definitely. I'm really glad you said that, I feel the same way, y'know. So, thanks."
"Good," Acacia says, rising from her seat, "now -that's- settled..."
She looks around, taking in the layout of the food court.
"Have errands to run before the match. See you later, and...tonight, I guess."
Acacia gives another of those wry grins, as she slides out from the booth, grabbing her jacket as she does.
Heading on a straight line towards the restroom.
When it comes to errands, you've got to have -priorities-.
* * *
((Ed Note: Christmas 2005. What Acacia refers to, in the log... is a Neo League fight she had with Shenwoo. It took place atop a giant inflatable turtle. In the Galapagos Islands. Towards the end of the fight, Acacia blew a hole in the turtle. And Shenwoo essentially said - 'you broke it, you bought it'. So she really did.))
A grin. That's what Megumi sees, when the door opens. Acacia's distinctive smirk - a small quirk of the lips, hardly a smile by normal standards. But on Acacia, it manages to be expressive, all the same. And there's the gleam in her eyes, of course, an impish one.
She stands in the doorway, a satchel slung over one shoulder. She's dressed normally, if a bit warmer than her usual garb. Biker jacket, gloves, jeans, boots. Though there's one addition that's -not- normal. Sitting on her head, crowned by strands of messy hair...
...a Santa hat.
With white fluffy trim. And a big bobble at the end.
Acacia doesn't -say- anything, she just smiles.
Megumi had taken a few seconds to open the door, checking the peephole first. The lock was disengaged, then she opened up and let Acacia in...and that's when the hat is noticed. "Picked up somethin' new, huh?" Megumi's rather relaxed, by all appearances. "C'mon...ah, you want anything before ya sit down? Looks like stuff's going pretty good for ya?" A quick point at the hat, "If that's any hint, anyway."
"It is..." Acacia begins, in a flat, expressionless voice - one quite at odds with the bobble-hat. She steps into the apartment, before bending over and tugging at her bootlaces. Oh, she knows Megumi isn't traditional-Japanese with that sort of thing. Acacia just wants to get her -feet- out. Those boots could sink a battleship.
She pauses, letting her initial statement sink in, before continuing, in a deliberately dry tone, "...an evil hat, symbol of desire to take over the world."
Acacia looks up, as she pulls off a boot - balancing on one leg - and nods, solemnly.
"..." Megumi only momentarily looks stunned by that declaration, before she takes it in good humor. "Ah c'mon, you know that's not right. But..." Realization hits, a very plain-to-see thing on Megumi's face. "...Even with all the music and displays and all that, it's that time of year and I didn't even think about it." She's moving towards the couch and admits in a reserved voice, "...I haven't picked up anything for anyone yet. I should."
Acacia shrugs, while working on her other boot. She gets it off, and sets it beside the other pieces of footwear by the door. Adjusting her satchel strap, she straightens. "Christmas, yes..."
She looks at Megumi with a faint smile. "...but it's what you make of it. Besides, still time. Though..."
Acacia glances at the bag hanging from her side.
Megumi doesn't have anything to say back right away, eyes alternating between the bag and Acacia several times. Finally she has a response, though. "I should pick up something for you. I owe you a lot as it is, y'know. Should pick up something for you and Rock and Seishirou and everyone else...and I just don't know what, in any of those cases. Family aside...never did this for anyone before."
While not normally a tactile person, Acacia finds herself...faced with the odd impulse to hug her friend. Or something. At least -something-. She doesn't, though; that kind of emotional expression is still...too far removed from what Acacia's comfortable with. So she just stands where she is, awkward, frozen. She didn't -mean- to cause Megumi any distress.
Acacia reaches one hand to her head, fingers clapsing the fuzzy puff-ball adorning her hat, yanking it down a bit. Finally, she says, "...same here. Til now, just Dad. But, Megumi...gifts don't matter. Yeah, cliche, but..."
She smiles, wanly, "...fact you want to give."
"It's the thought that counts and all that?" Megumi's keeping pretty still, staying on the couch, but she's paying attention to Acacia. "I know, and that's probably the important part...but I figure there's got to be something. I'm bad at the surprise part of this, and I'm not sure...is there anything you're looking for?"
"Body armour?"
Yeah, Acacia says that with a perfectly straight face. Because she's quite serious. But she cuts herself off, with a brief scowl. "No, too expensive. Um," she bites her lip, "no, really..."
She'd say something about it not mattering, but Megumi wouldn't take that well, or in the right way. Not after what she's been said. So Acacia treads carefully. Especially since she knows what she's about to do might make it potentially worse.
"...but, er, got -you- something. Not much..."
Acacia pads over to the couch, fingers picking at her satchel's clasp.
"Acacia?" Megumi has an odd tone, the sort when one's pointing out what they think is obvious. "We...both make a lot of money fighting. I could get you some kevlar or whatever if that's what you're after, but..." Megumi holds up a hand as Acacia starts to dig at the bag, "I get the feeling I should get you something more...positive. It's like giving someone new seatbelts for their car; well meaning, but morbid. I'd have to get you something neat."
The santa-hatted girl snorts. "Got -Ryouhara- a weapon of mass ninjutsu," she quips, "and he gave me a...techie bludgeon...thing."
She chuckles, as she recalls his reaction. First time she's seen Seishirou get caught flat-footed and slack-jawed by something other than a combat manuever.
"'course, Ryouhara has way too much fun with...what he does."
Acacia's quite sure of that, though she's equally sure Seishirou would never -admit- it.
She shrugs. "But, also a snow globe, so, point."
Acacia produces, after a moment's rummaging, some old-school video-tapes in a plastic bag, and an envelope with a local video-store's logo stenciled on the front.
"Seishirou?" Megumi questions. "A weapon of mass...um, if it's any of my business, what'd you two get for one another? 'Bludgeon thing' makes it sound like a weapon too..." She seems more curious about the topic than the items Acacia's digging up.
Flopping on the couch next to Megumi, Acacia drops the bundle on Megumi's lap, wedging the envelope on the top with particular flourish. Far as Acacia's rather graceless movements can be considered flourish, anyway. But she makes the attempt.
Acacia's bobble-hat bounces, as she laughs. She shakes her head, chuckling. "Giant inflatable turtle. From fight with Shenwoo. Size of small house. Figured, ninja..."
She makes a small motion of the hand. The ninja turtle joke, she hopes, is inherent, she really doesn't -want- to have to point it out, any further.
"He gave me a snow-globe. Threw in the piston-shield 'cause he felt bad, I think. But," Acacia says, grinning, "'s a nice snow globe."
She nods. "Never owned a snow-globe."
"You got him a..." Megumi actually has to stop to think that over, and she's cut off by Acacia dropping things on her. Megumi does start looking through them a little, starting with the envelope. And while she's opening it, she carries on with the turtle topic. "Big turtle. Actually...y'know what?" Megumi's easing up now, a light smile coming to her. "He might actually be able to use that. Bet he liked it, even if it was kind of a joke gift. And you got a snowglobe and a shield..."
Realization once again strikes Megumi, but it's not a bad-feeling sort; she still looks more relaxed than she did earlier. "That's it. I think I've got it now."
Acacia arches an eyebrow. She's glad her friend feels better, but she can't resist getting a couple jibes in. Perhaps -because- she senses Megumi feeling better. "Got it? What, Christmas carols and a steak knife?"
Snort. "Ryouhara could kill someone with that."
Acacia's half-convinced Seishirou originally bought that snow-globe not as a gift, but as some kind of evil ninja weapon.
Meanwhile...the envelope in Megumi's hand contains a gift voucher, a sizable one, for a Southtown chain of video (and game) stores, while the VHS tapes seem to be hand-labeled copies of movies, the names written in Acacia's scrawl. Well, someone had a theme, at least.
And while Megumi's still quasi-distracted by -that-, Acacia plucks the oversized santa-hat off her head, reaches over, and pulls it firmly over -Megumi-'s head.
"No...something more positive." Megumi finishes digging through the gift at hand and looks up to Acacia. "And...thanks. Most of the stuff I get is from around here...you used to be in Metro City, right? Probably ought to be importing more, now that I think on it. Good reminder." A nod, "Thanks." It's not a hyper acknowledgement, but she does look pleased. "And..." Then the hat's being pulled onto her. "Uh?"
Megumi blinks a few times, then gives a slight laugh; it's taken in good humor. "Thanks. Yeah...I know just the thing now. Hope you've got room for it though, gonna be 'bout as big as a person is."
"See," Acacia murmurs, "you're thinking Santa."
She points at the santa hat newly adorning Megumi's head, and then drops her finger lower, indicating the red-and-white shirt, one of the blouses Megumi normally wears.
"Fits," she says, simply.
Acacia smirks.
"Yeah, Metro. Figured you'd appreciate..." Acacia waves a hand at the stacks of DVDs and video games nearby, sitting next to Megumi's TV. "...stuff, some of Dad's old favourites..."
She stops, and looks at Megumi oddly. "...wait, what?"
"...Thinking Santa?" Megumi repeats with a little confusion, though when Acacia begins pointing, she gets it. "Oh. Heh, you might have something there." Then Megumi sets the gifts aside and stands up. "You heard me. Was wonderin' if you have room for something about the size of a person. Because I think this idea fits really well for you three."
"You're dressing the team up in sentai armour?"
When Megumi stands...Acacia remains seated. She nods, slowly, lip twitching. She brings her hands together, fingers knitting. "Mn. Red, white, green. Christmas Rangers, yes."
Megumi looks a little confused. "In what? ...No. Even if that would sort of work too for this. I mean, I can tell ya if you want. Feel kinda bad about not having it ready already, so I could just let you know what it is and have it delivered?"
Acacia holds up her hands in an expression of mock-surrender. "-Joke-," she grumps...although, by now, she's resigned to the fact that Megumi doesn't catch on to her sarcasm most of the time. Of course, it doesn't help that her own mein is so completely -deadpan-, it's often hard to tell when she's joking. Acacia doesn't telegraph very well, except when she's angry. Or very relaxed. One way or another.
She gives a shake of the head, and smiles.
"No, if...meant to be surprise, don't want to ruin it, you know?"
"Alright. Well, since you went ahead and brought these by really early," Megumi arrives at a decision, "And I know you were joking, but you're not far off...you'll see. Gonna get them ordered and sent on out soon. Bet they'll be there in a few days." She steps around the table, kneeling down on the other side of it, still looking to Acacia. "So...thank you. I dunno if I've said it very well, but I owe ya a lot, you mean a pretty big deal to me."
"I...ah..." Acacia trails off, tripping over her own words. She looks, suddenly, quite struck by Megumi's words. She opens her mouth, closes it again. Then, finally, she meets the other girl's eyes and replies, in a small voice, "...same here."
Acacia forces a smile, tilting her head. Her voice drops, briefly, into its natural mid-alto lilt, as she murmurs, "Beating the crap out of folks brings people closer together. Who'd have thought?"
"We've not really fought much though, y'know." Megumi pauses to think, and comes up with, "...Just that one time, and I think it's really good you won that one. Kinda turned almost everything around, there. It hits me every so often..." Megumi taps a hand on the table, "I shouldn't even be here. Should be dead. Used to want to be dead, actually. Would come up with reasons not to. But after that time...it's been changing, getting better and better. Guess I'm hoping that I'm helpin' you out too."
"You -are-," Acacia stresses, putting weight on the word. Her eyes intense, as she pushes it home. She means it, she really does, and she doesn't want Megumi to think otherwise. Acacia might have difficulty with speaking things, most of the time - so she tries to convey it with the look. And her body language.
"Definitely."
A nod.
The fact Megumi's contemplated suicide, or at least the implication she has...troubles Acacia, but she tries her best to not let that show. It's never been -that- bad for her, at least in that fashion...not for a long time, though of course she's felt depression in other ways.
"Life...'s meant for living."
"Then this'll definitely be worth it." Megumi snaps back to a casual attitude like nothing unusual was mentioned just seconds ago. "Think it'll be just the thing for your sort of humor. Serious, but still a little different." Megumi gets back up, stretching an arm high above her head. "But...dunno. Wasn't expectin' company tonight. Now that I think on it though, have you joined that league Ken Masters started up?"
Acacia doesn't answer immediately. Instead, she tugs off her gloves and jacket, setting them aside. Then she leans back on the sofa, folding her arms behind her head. She looks up at the ceiling. And grunts. Not a particularly ladylike thing to do, but it's nicely expressive.
"Joined, yeah," Acacia replies, after a moment of ceiling-contemplation, "and leading league...for total -defeats-."
She makes a sound somewhere between muffled laughter and a choke. "Doing worse than -Mimiru Kasagi-."
"Well then," Megumi moves over towards Acacia's seat, patting a hand on its side. "Gonna have to start showing up to cheer you on, I guess. And...y'know, doing worse than her? It's an open-class league pretty much...I'm willing to bet ya lost to people who'd take her down inside of three hits, and moreover...I'm pretty sure you could take her. She's nice and all, but...yeah." Megumi gives one nod, "Not on your level. You're good. Just having a slow start."
Acacia laughs, hollowly. "Beaten her before, yeah..."
She pushes that aside, though, burying it before Megumi can detect the waver in her voice. Or, at least, quickly carrying on so the other girl can't comment on that. Acacia's not proud of the circumstances in which she whupped Mimiru's ass.
Acacia pulls up more cheerfulness, restoring her grin. It's not difficult, she's basically in a good mood. And she -has- made peace with Mimiru. "Enh, not as bitter as I sound. League points, not important. Most those fights...amiable, anyway. Ryouhara, Kasugano, don't feel bad losing. Only thing...feel I need to get better..."
Acacia pauses, and sniffs. "...meh, rambling. Mea culpa."
"Well, still. Gonna start showin' up to watch. Should've been doing that to begin with, but I didn't even know you'd signed up." Megumi's likewise in a pretty good mood tonight, even as she sticks pretty close to Acacia's seat. "I mean, used to be you didn't much go for this stuff, but now you're havin' more fun with it. That's good, y'know. As for getting better...hmm." Megumi begins twisting one of her hands around in the other, "Anything in particular ya need to work on? For me, it was going in with an actual plan of how I wanted the match t' go. What about you?"
"There's that," Acacia frowns, thinking, "tactics, yeah. Nearly beat Ryouhara...had a -plan-. Difference. But..."
She closes her eyes, shifting a hand to rub her face. Then she slides down on the couch, lower a bit, raising her head to look back at Megumi. "But. What you said. Fighters on...higher level. Gotten better in past few months, but...kind of fighters, run into now..."
Acacia makes an annoyed little hiss. "...skill, power. Need more. Even tactics, only so far."
She snorts, self-depreciatingly. "Dunno if it's -fun-, you know I take it too seriously."
"Yeah, I know...only so much you can do about Ryu in a one on one, after all." Megumi's not moving around much at the moment. "So I think we're in the same boat there, wanting to get even better as far as sheer power 'n' speed go. And I take it seriously too. Lot of money and lot of recognition on the line. But it's still better to have /matches/, against people like Sei and Sakura, than...well, fights."
"Better organised violence than random beatings...for money, not keeps?"
Acacia laughs, a sound of real amusement. "Well, still not sure about...whole publicity thing. Not alone, think Ryouhara's same. But...yeah, true. Point."
She holds a hand up, flexing her fingers, as if grasping something in empty air. "Still, leaves issue of...improvement. Maybe ought to blow m'self up, still got that land mine...hm."
"...That'd probably hurt pretty bad," Megumi is pointing out the obvious again. "The publicity's fun though, I like it. But...I don't think hitting yourself with anti-vehicle stuff is the best way to improve, really. If you need help training, I'd be up for that, but... ...I'm guessing you're joking, anyway, about using explosives on yourself. Hope so, anyhow."
"...Joking?" Acacia blinks, giving Megumi an odd look. "About wh---oh. That. Yes. Joking. Of course. Right."
She gives those reassurances a -bit- too hastily. But she knows how Megumi worries, and she's only now realising how bad her idea might sound. Especially since she was perfectly serious, too. Granted, she was oversimplifying when she made the comment, since there's no way just -one- landmine would help, training needs to involve repetition, after all...
...saying that, though, would probably worry Megumi further.
So Acacia tries her best to be reassuring, and dismissive of the idea. Anyone's guess how well that comes across, though.
Hint: badly.
"But, er, yeah. Training. Sounds good. Ought to spend more time together, anyway. Catch up."
"I mean it, y'know." Megumi's not entirely convinced, and she's not hiding it well. But she also doesn't press this too hard. "But good luck with whatever it is you do go with. But I think...hmm. ...Forgot." Megumi shrugs after that.
Acacia laughs. "That happens. But, really, should talk more. We should, I mean," she amends, momentarily cursing the damned complex construct that is language, and her general inability to get words in the proper order when she's consciously trying to form them. Acacia gives a shake of the head, marshalling her thoughts, adding, "I mean it."
But Acacia's making the effort. Because, honestly, she doesn't have many friends, and she values the ones she has. That's why she leans forward, now, and starts to...haltingly, at first, with false starts and awkward gestures...but gathering confidence as she goes along...relate how she's doing in school so far. The mysteries of the Japanese High School system. Because that's what friends do, right? Talk. It's in the charter somewhere.
Which is why Acacia came over, in the first place.
((Ed Note: Megumi's mystery gift, to each of the team, really WAS armor. A head-to-toe suit of armor, feudal knight style. Sword and shield and all. Except each was personalised, somehow. Acacia's suit was wearing a leather jacket, and had a satchel-style bag hung on its shield arm.))
* * *
((Ed Note: The following scene took place on the sidelines of the Metro City TP, when Rolento's forces seized control of the city and surrounding environs. They had a nuclear weapon, and threatened to use it.))
Early afternoon is not a time people should be sleeping. Especially in a warzone. While the main entrances to the subways are held by Rolento's troops...it's pretty much a hollow occupation, since any of the service entrances and grates can be opened to get into the subway with ease. And so it's being used by police, 'fighter gangs' and so forth as a safe place to operate from, to launch attacks on occupied parts of Metro City.
Despite that, there is one person who's asleep at this early afternoon hour. Megumi's taken over one of the benches down here, and is lying down on it. Eyes closed, regular but pronounced breathing...yeah, she's definitely not awake. Not much of anyone here really has the nerve to wake her up though, as she has been working as the group's primary source of medical aid. Only, it's not so much 'medical aid' as projecting bright red energy onto their wounds and making them vanish outright. For this reason, most of those operating out of here tend to be lacking bandages, not needing them. This means that members of the resistance group come in two classes: Alive and Healthy, or Dead and Not Here.
Or, in Acacia's case, alive and swearing. Long before she comes into view, you can -hear- her. A fluid stream of muffled profanity, grating from the back of her throat - and the sound of heavy boots meeting metal, the scrape of canvas being drawn across pitted concrete.
Acacia rounds the corner, from one of the old service tunnels running parallel to the main subway shaft. She looks dirty, her old Army jacket streaked with grime...though it's hard to tell, in the meagre light cast by the hideout's makeshift lamps. Her hair, strangely, seems dyed jet black...not a very good dye job, either, making it hang in dank locks.
She half-drags, half-carries a pair of old duffle bags, slung over her shoulders. The source of her cursing, and all the racket. They're a dull military green. Not the usual sort, with zippers and civilized amenities. They're the old fashioned kind, closed with steel eyelets and hooks. The bags are massive, each almost bigger than Acacia herself. And the effort of lugging them around shows on her face, sweat beading her brow, teeth gritted, as she stumbles to a halt, letting them slip from her white-knuckled grip.
The bags hit the ground, one making a distinctive metallic -WHANG-.
"Feh," Acacia grumbles. Drawing more than a little attention from some of the resting resistance fighters lying around.
Megumi wakes up incrementally. The noise at first just drags her back to vague consciousness. "Uhn. I guess..." It's getting closer. Louder. Profane. That's enough to get Megumi to sit bolt-upright suddenly. "Someone's been hurt again, I'm wasting time..." She hops off the bench and looks around in quite the hurry. No, nobody's hurt. Just Acacia's angry.
Megumi looks at the bags, then at Acacia...and after a few seconds, recognition hits. "Acacia? You...did something with your hair, didn't you? What're you doing here, though?" It's not an accusation. Rather, a concerned inquiry.
"I -live- here---" Acacia snaps, eyes flashing. She whirls round, nose wrinking, radiating annoyance from every pore - then she stops, blinking, her expression changing as she realises who she's talking to. "---uh. Oh. Megumi. Sorry. Didn't mean...ngh."
Acacia bows her head, wincing, bringing one hand to her temple. She didn't mean to yell at Megumi, is what she meant. She doesn't know if that's apparent in what she said, but the short clipped syllables are all she's capable of managing right now. Looking up, she takes a deep breath, then flops to the ground, back resting against one of the fallen duffle bags. Acacia inhales, exhales.
"Sorry. Stress."
Megumi doesn't look all that upset at being chewed out. "...That's right. You have a place here, don't you." She's thinking that's right; it's either been implied or outright said in previous talks...she just can't remember perfectly. "I thought you mostly kept to your place in Southtown though, that you don't have much to do with this place anymore?"
She's making semi-educated guesses, and returning to the bench in the meantime. Just sitting down though. "You look...tired. Sit down?" A hand taps the open part of the bench, plenty of space.
Acacia remains where she is, though. Either she doesn't see the gesture, or she's just too damn bushed to move. Concrete floor's comfortable enough for now, it seems. Sure, it's hard and dirty, but it's at least a surface she can rest on. And don't underestimate the theraputic qualities of an overstuffed duffle bag as backrest.
Meanwhile, the other resistance fighters in the little infirmary turn away, going back to their own business. A couple of them have already seen Acacia around, lugging more of those bags in the company of that kid with the animal friends. And the others? Well, the newcomer's talking with Megumi. Must mean she's okay, right?
On her part, though, Acacia is oblivious to all that. Just as well, since she certainly wouldn't appreciate being under scrutiny. Still half sitting, half-lying on the floor, she closes her eyes, tilting her head back, facing the tunnel ceiling. "-'ing Jiro," she mumbles, "leaving me to haul this crap on own..."
Acacia coughs, and grumbles an emphatic "feh".
Then she pulls herself out of her little sulking rant, cracking an eyelid at Megumi. "Enh? Oh. Right. I...yeah, but...Dad's place, you know. Good memories and bad. Had to come back, make sure store wasn't trashed."
She tilts her head, eyes going unfocused. "Then Kasagi loots my inventory, and I find out -you're- here..."
Megumi certainly doesn't seem upset to see Acacia here. Not on-guard, not ready to fight. So, yes. All's well and Acacia's okay to be here. People pick up on that. "Jiro? He...looted your stuff and made you bring more here? Is /that/ what he meant when he said you...'gave'," Megumi is clearly using the term in a loose fashion, placing odd emphasis on the word, "gave him some explosives? Did he steal from you?" She's staying seated, but this has her attention.
"...what? Nn---" Acacia raises a hand, hastily, waving Megumi' accusation down. Before an odd expression crosses her face, and she laughs. Darkly amused. She shakes her head. "---well. Didn't really -ask-, but it's...okay..."
She says that, though, as if she's not entirely sure of it. Like she's trying to convince herself. It's the sort of voice someone uses when they think, hey, maybe if I repeat this often enough, I'll convince myself. Really.
Acacia takes a another ragged breath, bringing a hand to her face, fingers resting on her brow. Brushing stray locks of badly-dyed hair aside. "...didn't really want to get involved. But...you're here, he's here...hell, Daigo's around? Can't walk away. Don't want to see -you- all nuked..."
Acacia puts particular emphasis on the pronoun. Then She drops her voice low, then, so none of the resistance members overhear, and adds, "...damn city can go screw itself."
"So he stole from you and looted." Megumi is not pleased by that at all. "That idiot. I'll deal with him. And yes...Daigo's here. He's been helping out a lot. I think he feels bad about what Kurow did to him and is trying to make up for it...even if it's not his fault." Then there's the nuke. Real positive topic, that. "And yes, there's a nuke here. That's part of why I'm surprised you're here. I'm trying to get rid of it. I spoke with the person who helped engineer it." Pause. "It can destroy the entire city, literally."
Acacia actually manages to look alarmed, for a moment. "Megumi..."
She catches herself, sitting up, straightening. Folding her legs, pulling her knees towards her chest. Acacia looks up at the other girl, resting on the bench. And coughs.
Acacia scowls. "Firstly, about Jiro. Didn't ask -before- he started helping himself, but he did...later. And I...I'm okay with it. Not like I use Dad's stuff, just...sentimental..."
Yes. She's emotionally attached to a small stockpile of surplus army equipment and light explosives. It's not like Acacia had a normal childhood, after all.
"...and, the nuke...the nuke..."
Acacia trails off, as if unsure just what to say. She grits her teeth.
Megumi isn't questioning it. If dynamite, C4, magazines for guns, and water canteens are something Acacia treasures, fine by her. "I'm still going to talk to him. The end doesn't justify the means. Ask first, take later, not the other way around. At the very least, at the worst...people might start to think the 'resistance' down here are just looters who need to be kicked out after all. But...what're you doing /here/, now that you've checked on your store? You don't care about the city all that much, right?"
Acacia lets her breath go, in a hiss. Talk about the freaking -nuclear threat- hanging over their heads certainly worries her. More than she's willing to admit.
But it's not like the rest of the conversation is sweetness and light, either.
Acacia cradles her knees with one arm, stretching the other round to toy with the clasp of the duffle bag she's leaning on. Metal clicking against metal. She's quiet, for a little bit, not answering Megumi. At least not immediately. Not meeting her eyes, either.
Finally, Acacia looks up.
"No. But I care about you. Jiro. Daigo. That's why...couldn't say no to Jiro. Whatever helps keep him...you...alive."
Her eyes shift. "But why," Acacia asks, "are -you- here?"
Megumi is patient. She doesn't press things as Acacia just breaths and waits, and fiddles around with things. Just waits quietly. "Oh." Well, that'd explain why Acacia's sticking around. "Now I know...okay. So long as you've got a reason, I guess." And then, there's Acacia's question. Megumi has been holding very still in her seat, not doing much to move around at all. "I'm here because I better be. I know a bit about this nuke, even almost know where it is. I don't know anyone here, it doesn't affect me if Metro City is ruined...but I can't ignore it. It's not right, and even if it was, would Rolento really stop with just one city? He'd keep going, stabbing everyone and nuking them and destroying everything...eventually he might get to someone I do care about. Even if he didn't though...I just...have to do it, I think. Everyone would be even more disappointed if I didn't."
"I..." Acacia stops, her mouth dry. She swallows. "...see."
Her face looks troubled, as she mulls over what Megumi just said. Turning it back and forth in the privacy of her own mind, holding it up to the light, for flaws. And she can't find any. It makes sense.
Acacia flinches. In a small voice, she whispers, "Didn't...think about that. Somehow...thought if I ignored it, it'd go away..."
She swears, a quiet, muffled curse. "...childish. Didn't think. You're right. Not going to stop."
And, what Acacia doesn't say? She's been willfully ignoring the morality of the situation. She's been so busy denying any moral obligation, that she's not actually considered the implications. Amazingly, what Megumi says - it's actually hitting her for the first time.
And then, there's the moral side as well. Sure, she doesn't -want- to be involved, fights it with every shred of her being. But she can't deny that what Rolento's doing...
"...isn't right."
She says the last bit, out loud, shaking her head.
"Still, I don't know. I..."
Acacia mumbles something vague, scowling.
"I..." Megumi blinks a few times. Great, now she's got Acacia figuring this out. "...Acacia, I'm not trying to guilt you into this. This isn't your problem. If I understand even one-tenth of what's gone on for you, this isn't your problem and nobody has any ground to get after you about it." She's calm about this, but firm also. "It's not your fight if you don't want it to be." Megumi stands up. "And if anyone acts like you're a hypocrite or a coward because you don't want to hang around an army of killers with their nuke, they're full of it. /Don't/ feel like you have to do something about this. Even because Daigo's here. It's not fair to you at all."
Acacia gives another shake of her head. Sweeping all the mental cobwebs aside, forcing clear thoughts through the haze of ruminations - and recriminations. No, she doesn't entirely know her motivations, or what she's doing here, whether she even -wants- to be here. But there's one thing, at least, that's clear.
She shifts her body, now sitting cross-legged on the concrete floor. The small of her back remains propped against one of the bags she hauled in...for a moment, at least, before she leans forward, just a little. Tilting her head up, to look at Megumi. Meeting the other girl's gaze, face to face.
"But you're here," Acacia says, simply.
"Me?" Megumi's still standing, but that's confusing her, that statement. "What's that have to do with anything?" It's not a flippant question, she's pretty sure she doesn't get why this matters.
Acacia places her hands flat on the floor, as if to push herself to her feet - she stops, though, halfway, thinking better of it. Instead, she flops backward...and immediately realises -that- wasn't such a good idea, either. Given the hard edges inside the duffle. Padded by the fabric, but still harsh to lean on. Especially when it digs into your spine. Ouch. She grimaces.
Then, Acacia blinks at Megumi. Looking almost puzzled, herself. Wondering why she doesn't understand. Isn't it obvious?
Acacia voices it anyway.
"Because I care?"
Megumi winces a bit as well at that fall; she's made her share of stupid 'flops' like that. "Part of me wants to ask why. The other part says it's still not a reason. You shouldn't feel like you have to be here because of someone. This isn't just...some gang of bullies, it's for real. You've had enough of 'real', if I'm right."
"Mmn," Acacia replies. Well. Not really a reply, as such, just a wordless sound of acknowledgement. Megumi's right, and Acacia's got more than enough bad memories about 'real'. Memories that come to mind, bubbling to the surface. Painful ones.
...the scent of blood, the smell of soft earth, and rain...
No.
With a faint growl, Acacia pushes the recollections to the back of her head, burying them with an effort of will. She doesn't need this, not now. Breath spills through her clenched teeth.
Acacia stands, then, gripping the bags with both hands. "Yeah, but. I'm here, now. Least I can do..."
She inclines her head to the stuff on the ground. "Food, supplies. Help you not get killed."
Acacia inhales. "Look...got to stow these away. Distribute...talk to you later?"
She doesn't wait for a response, starting to drag the duffles off.
* * *
((Ed Note: Sparring Match))
Given the weather lately, it's a pleasant change to have a -nice- afternoon. That's what Acacia thinks, anyway. It's a good afternoon to be out. Not too chilly, but not too much sunshine.
Acacia sits at the base of a tree, curled up between the roots, back against the gnarled trunk. Her leather jacket lies unzipped, a book propped on her denim-clad lap. A backpack rests against the tree as well, with a towel and largish bottle of water. The grassy spot is a little park-like open area along the Southtown Village suburbs. Not terribly large, but big enough for the local kids and Taiyo High students to use it for games and the like. It's not really occupied this afternoon, though, aside from Acacia and a couple Taiyo boys kicking a ball around.
Idly, Acacia flips a page, and glances at her watch. She's expecting someone, by her body language. Megumi, specifically. Acacia called her friend earlier in the day, talking about meeting her for training or sparring. Not exactly the most normal after-school social activity for teenage girls, perhaps, but it's at least -something- Acacia knows they have in common.
Certainly, she wouldn't want to try -shopping-. Lord, no.
Megumi also isn't exactly the most normal person, and a lot of her other activities are hardly normal. So when she got the call and request to come practice, that wasn't too odd to her. Megumi's walking up to Acacia's tree at the appointed time, knowing full well what part of town Acacia was referring to. Not far from her apartment, really.
"There ya are...what's up? Trying to get ready for a league match or somethin'?" She's in a pretty casual mood, by any indication.
Acacia looks up from her book, flagging her page as she does so. She closes it with a snap, though she doesn't get to her feet. "Mn," she grunts, by way of greeting - social nicities not being her strong suit - and gives a small shake of the head. "No, just...usual training."
Usual, she says. Acacia's been considering some positively suicidal things to improve, lately, feeling that she isn't QUITE strong enough. But articulating that to Megumi isn't a good idea, probably. So instead, she says...
"...just trying to get better. Besides..."
Acacia grins. "...can't spend time with a friend?"
"I know what your 'usual training' sometimes turns out to be, y'know." Megumi's not entirely convinced, stopping next to Acacia. She's staying standing. "So I'm up for some unusual training instead, since your usual's pretty unusual." That was probably confusing to hear, or at least hard to get an obvious meaning from, but Megumi doesn't look like she minds. "And sure we can spend time. That's been my whole point lately."
Acacia snickers, a sound of genuine amusement slipping from her lips. She bows her head slightly, shoulders shaking, before looking back at Megumi. The corners of her eyes crinkling slightly as she smirks. "If you're suggesting we drop out of school...and go on a crazy American movie road trip..."
Pause.
"...no."
Acacia holds the look for a moment, before snickering again. She gets to her feet, pushing her book aside. While brushing a few stray grass blades off her jeans, Acacia murmurs, "But, yeah...was thinking, sparring maybe...no grenades or brick walls, promise."
Megumi actually doesn't look too surprised by the joking suggestion. "I'm pretty close to bein' done with school anyway, really. I kinda wonder what that sort of thing might be like. There's a few other movies I wouldn't mind giving a try, as far as re-enacting 'em goes." Megumi then steps back t ogive Acacia plenty of room to rise. "But if you're wanting a match here, that's fine by me. Just practicing, or something for that league?"
"Up to you," Acacia replies, with a wave of the hand, as she stretches. Interlinking her hands, fingers lacing, drawing her arms forward, then over her head. She bends down, touching her toes - the front of her steel-capped boots, anyway. Running through an abbreviated sequence of warm-up exercises. "Just wanted...friendly spar, you know...but if you want it scored..."
She smiles. "...okay with me."
The way Acacia says it, it sounds like she doesn't expect to win. Which she doesn't. But for once, it doesn't really concern her. The League itself is unimportant to Acacia, points don't mean anything to her, in themselves. Just what they represent.
As she kicks a leg back, stretching her thigh muscles, Acacia adds, "Movie tradition. Good guys meet, fight...then team up and beat the bad guys. Right?"
"Then it's just practice," Megumi remarks. "We'll leave all that league stuff out of it." She's pretty easy about agreeing to that, doesn't look like she cares. "I'm trying to get away from those sort of traditions, is all. When real life starts mirroring what you're watching..." Megumi makes a slow spin away from Acacia, bringing her hands up and shifting her legs about into a typical Aikido stance -- the same one she usually drops the second the fight starts.
"Figure it's time to watch something else at that point." Megumi looks ready.
COMBATSYS: Acacia has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Acacia 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Megumi has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Megumi
"What, like -reality TV-?" Acacia puts a fair degree of sarcastic emphasis on the word. She chokes out a cough. "Life imitates art."
Some days, yeah, she really -does- feel like she's living a soap opera. Acacia's with Megumi on that, really. Acacia's pretty much resigned to it, though that doesn't mean she isn't trying to make the best of it. Or change it, a little - the textbook and schoolbag sitting against the tree, where she left them...that says something.
So does her friendship with Megumi.
Acacia grins, making eye contact with the other girl. She stands where she is, her back to the tree - not far behind her. That's odd, considering Acacia usually likes a free field of movement. But she remains still, just adopting her usual loose fighting stance. Feet spread, legs bent, arms raised, crooked at the elbow. Loosely curling into fists. "So...push 'play'?"
COMBATSYS: Acacia focuses on her next action.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Megumi
"No...I mean it's pretty telling when action movie plots are easier for you to /relate/ to than, say...a comedy or romance flick." Megumi doesn't look too thrilled about that, but her displeasure is momentary. She's back into a casual attitude very quickly, watching Acacia set up. And once Acacia's fists are ready, Megumi puts her hands in front of her. This creates a sparkling red energy ball that hovers just ahead of her hands, which give it a light push.
A light push that unusually sends it flying towards Acacia at high speed. That seems to be her 'push play', as Megumi runs after her own blast, trying to head towards Acacia as well. The energy shot will certainly beat her there though, presuming Acacia's still in place.
COMBATSYS: Acacia interrupts Crimson Comet from Megumi with Quick Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Acacia 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Megumi
Presuming. Of course, Acacia's got other ideas. She's very independent-minded that way. She doesn't stand still and let the projectile hit her...no, she's lunging forward. -Into- the path of the oncoming crimson blast, rushing to meet Megumi. Acacia twists, as she moves, the energy grazing her body rather than hitting head-on. It still seems to hurt her, from the momentary wince on her face...but it doesn't slow her down, as she makes contact with Megumi. Forearm first, meeting her friend's charge with her own momentum - an arm bar to the gut.
"So," Acacia muses, her voice wavering a little, "-that's- what it feels like..." Sniff. "...painful..."
Megumi gets lots of surprises. First, Acacia moving to meet her. That's not too unusual; most people don't just stand there with an energy sphere heading at them. That Acacia also manages to partially slip past the shot and strike her isn't too surprising either. It's what Acacia says as Megumi stumbles back from the blow that gets her. She jumps back a few steps, then repeats, "...Painful. That's exactly why I usually didn't want to practice. People don't like this." She looks disappointed. "They get mad when I use it and say things like that...it's part of why I wasn't so sure about this." Megumi is completely out of stance, hands by her sides. Not making any sort of moves within the context of a fight. "Sorry about that. I'll stop."
Acacia pulls herself upright, blinking, looking blankly at Megumi. She sort of sways, where she's standing. She bites her lip, then...
...then makes a snap decision.
Moving quickly, before her own awkwardness gets the better of her, Acacia steps forward, swiftly...and before Megumi can flinch or move away, does her level best to -hug- the pink-haired girl.
"No...not what I meant," Acacia murmurs, her voice quiet, "not mad. Never mad."
Megumi actually begins to back away nonetheless, looking as if she's ready for Acacia to swing another fist. Not ready exactly...closer to just expecting it. When Acacia just grabs her instead, Megumi's surprised. "Uh? Are you sure? You just said the same sort of things they usually did...usually before they flipped out. I can stop using it if you want," She's still on the verbal defensive, it seems.
"Was...a -fact-," Acacia murmurs, as she breaks contact, pulling away. She looks Megumi in the eye, trying to convey that, yeah, she really ISN'T angry. Not an easy task, considering her lack of proficiency with language and the stiffness of her body language. But she tries.
Acacia shakes her head. "It's different from normal chi..." No, nobody's explained what psycho power IS to Acacia, but she's heard enough random facts - and one illuminating exchange with Athena - that's given her at least THAT much to work with. "...but, told you before...doesn't bother me. Okay?"
Acacia forces a grin. "Seishirou set me on fire - believe me, felt -worse-."
Megumi goes from being disappointed, to stunned. "...Set you on fire!?" Nevermind that most of their peers can generally un-ignite themselves after a few moments; flames are not a critical threat to the likes of Megumi and Acacia in modest 'doses.' This bit of info is still surprising enough that Megumi continues to hold off from any sort of fighting practice. "Why?"
"Because I kicked him in the nuts," Acacia replies, "was a league fight."
She grins, this time with -real-, unbridled humour. Sure, it hurt like HELL for both of them, at the time, but...
"No hard feelings...I'm sure. He gave me my Christmas present -after-."
Acacia nods. "My point," she says, tapping her collarbone with one finger, "not made of glass. And I -don't mind-."
The silver-haired girl takes a step back, settling into her fighting stance once again. Nodding, still with her smile. "Now...punch me or something, okay?"
"..." Megumi has to think that over. But after a few seconds, things come together. "That makes sense," she decides. A nod follows that, "Okay." Megumi lets Acacia back away and get ready again, then Megumi makes a running jump towards her, swinging an arm out to try and wrap around Acacia's neck. The goal here is pretty simple, just to drag the neck down with her as she falls, a leaping takedown. Nothing fancy about it, just high-flying in a sense.
COMBATSYS: Acacia fails to counter Medium Throw from Megumi with Icon of Stone.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Acacia 0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0 Megumi
Acacia hits the ground, along with Megumi. She doesn't -quite- manage to break the fall - she gets her forearms out in time, though, diffusing enough of the impact to avoid a fight-ending blow to the spine or head. Momentarily winded, Acacia hisses a breath...then chuckles, wryly. Oh, she'll -feel- that in the morning...but... "See? I'm still breathing."
Megumi handsprings up to her feet. "And I'm still going," she retorts. Seems to be much more aggressive now that Acacia's demonstrated she doesn't object to what's going on. Megumi vaults into the air after that, body inverting, then twirling as she descends headfirst towards Acacia with one fist extended. It's a fist that's wrapped in red energy, and Megumi is using it to divebomb towards one of Acacia's legs.
COMBATSYS: Acacia blocks Megumi's Spiral Knuckle.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////// ]
Acacia 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Megumi
Except it doesn't quite land as Megumi intended. As she falls from the sky, fist heading towards Acacia's legs...Acacia shifts, dropping into a crouch of her own. Meeting the incoming fist with a rigid forearm, thrown up to block. Energy glances off the tough leather sleeve of Acacia's jacket, light playing against her hair, her face. She smiles, faintly. And with her other arm - tries to punch Megumi before she can get away, a quick snapping -thrust- of her fist sharply upward.
"Yeah," Acacia quips, "-Energizer Bunny-."
COMBATSYS: Megumi blocks Acacia's Icon of Stone.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Acacia 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Megumi
Megumi oddly 'bounces' off Acacia after the blocked punch, backflipping slightly...still in range to be struck however, but Megumi's flip has her arms held out to defend her as she falls, and they take the punch for her, letting Megumi land relatively unhurt; far less of a problem to let her arms take the blow than her head or body, really. "Do wha?" She's a little surprised at Acacia's words, perhaps missing the joke and reference. But she doesn't ask for much detail, instead reaching out to grab at Acacia's punching hand and trying to apply a sideways wrist-lock to it, just twisting the limb about...
COMBATSYS: Acacia fails to interrupt Medium Throw from Megumi with Quick Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Acacia 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Megumi
Acacia -winces-, as she's wrenched about by the arm. She quickly squirms out of the grip, but not before some damage is done. Taking a deep breath, she stumbles back a few steps, then brings a hand to her face, the back of her palm pressed against her forehead. "Energizer Bunny," Acacia explains, laconically, "it just keeps going, and going..."
Mimiru enters the Taiyo High school grounds.
Megumi looks like she understands, somewhat. "...Oh, that thing." A few moments after Acacia's pulled back and explained herself, Megumi thrusts her palm outward. A smaller red ball forms this time, flying out...and going past Acacia.
Miss? Not entirely. Once it's gone behind Acacia, Megumi clenches the palm into a fist, causing the sphere to detonate in mid-air, possibly catching Acacia in its radius...
COMBATSYS: Acacia endures Megumi's Burst Orb.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Acacia 1/-----==/=======|======-\-------\0 Megumi
Possibly? Make that definitely. Seeing as how it tosses Acacia forward, knocking her off her feet - the discharge of crimson light washing over her body, splashing against the grass. The world whirls around Acacia, her vision spinning, as she tumbles. Dimly, she's aware of the two Taiyo students at the other end of the little park, watching the exchange of blows with wide eyes...and a couple pedestrians doing the same. Well.
Acacia hits the ground. Bounces, almost, rolling to her feet, coming up in a crouch. Folks are watching? That's fine with her...but this is between her and Megumi. Now, Acacia'd doesn't mind getting the worst of it, but this is SUPPOSED to be training. So, maybe she ought to try pressing Megumi. A little. And try a new variation on one of her tricks.
This is a public area, and Acacia's got no desire to wreck it. So she leaps. Jumping, rising off the ground. Not as high or fast as Megumi's leaps...but high enough. Enough so...when she releases the blast wave of her chi, it spreads -downward-, toward the ground, rather than into it. Just stirring the grass, blowing a few stray blades in the air. Better than tearing huge chunks of soil out of the earth, anyway, in a giant blast crater. The wave of colourless, shimmering, concussive chi expands outward, as Acacia YELLS...
COMBATSYS: Megumi blocks Acacia's Irresistible Force.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Acacia 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Megumi
Megumi doesn't pursue Acacia this time, apparently feeling the first partial evasion followed by striking her was lesson enough there. But even so, Acacia's...taking to the air. That's surprising to Megumi, enough so that at first, she doesn't react; just stares.
Then she sees Acacia detonating herself, more or less. "That's...!" Megumi realizes what's happening just as the energy is upon her, and throws her arms up in front of her to withstand this, driven back a few inches at a time, a gradual 'slide' back. Once it's over though, Megumi is standing. A little tired, but easily on her feet. And after that, Megumi moves in.
Megumi is rushing towards Acacia, trying to wrap her arms around Acacia's midsection...not for a hug, but for an effort to physically lift her up and drop Acacia onto the grass, then reach for that arm again and lie down beside Acacia to apply an armbar, bending the limb downward if she manages to get the hold.
COMBATSYS: Acacia blocks Megumi's Strong Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Acacia 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Megumi
"Nnngghhh," Acacia grumbles, in a faintly disgruntled voice. Not -too- disgruntled, she consciously moderates what would otherwise be a pained protest, so as to not unduly worry her friend. There's a limit, though, to how much Acacia's able to do that. What with her being locked, face to the grass, Megumi applying painful leverage to her limbs. Acacia strains against the grip, though, muscles tensing, resisting the hold...grits her teeth. And with a sharp exhaling of breath, she TWISTS and rolls free...aiming a rapid elbow to the gut, as she does so, pushing Megumi away. "No offence," Acacia hisses, "but..."
COMBATSYS: Megumi fails to counter Mass Driver from Acacia with Tornado Slam.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Acacia 0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0 Megumi
Megumi expected this. She knew Acacia would retaliate against her hold, and when Acacia starts to slip out, Megumi doesn't try to keep it up too much longer, instead trying to pick out where Acacia's going to strike at. One hand is set near her chest to guard there, then...Acacia strikes just beneath that. Megumi's hand almost catches the elbow-strike at the arm, but almost isn't quite in time; she's struck, and Megumi's eyes go wide at the force of the hit. It's enough to momentarily stun her, just lying on the ground...
Acacia claws back to her feet, breathing heavily as she regains her balance. Grace and elegance isn't exactly her strong suit, so she stumbles like a drunken sailor. Swears like one, too.
"...damnit," she finishes, her eyes wide with concern, "you alright?"
COMBATSYS: Acacia takes a breather.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Acacia 0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0 Megumi
Megumi does seem to be fine, though she gets up in a far less agile fashion than a handspring this time, just pushing herself up. "Y'know...like you, I've had worse. Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not really /afraid/ of anything you can do. Takin' ya seriously, but...you know what I mean, right?" Megumi brings a fist up beside her head, another red energy glow surrounding it, then she thrusts that fist in a straight punch at Acacia's own midsection. If the hand makes contact, it's not her fist that will do the damage; it would be the energy bursting off her hand, into Acacia. If Acacia's simply not there when she completes her punch, Megumi's energy will burst out anyway.
COMBATSYS: Megumi successfully hits Acacia with Crimson Blast.
[ \\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Acacia 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Megumi
"What's," Acacia gasps, "a little violence between friends?"
She has a really -odd- sense of humour, when she's around people she can relax with. But Acacia's never really subscribed to normal rules of human behaviour, anyway, so that much isn't surprising.
Acacia's still where she was. Standing. Megumi's fist pressed against her abdomen, knuckles touching the fabric of her t-shirt. A faint residual glow of fading energy rippling around the spot, testiment to the discharge of power that ripped through her entire body, slammed home at point-blank range. But Acacia's still standing, she hasn't moved at all...she gasps, though, begins to topple...
...but turns it into a lunge, arm lashing out to catch Megumi with a rapid backhand. "Really."
COMBATSYS: Acacia successfully hits Megumi with Immovable Object.
[ \\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Acacia 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1 Megumi
Megumi is just getting surprised time and time again this afternoon, as Acacia is still standing, not budged much at all until she starts to fall. Then Acacia's swinging out at her, and Megumi tries to steel herself for it.
A poor idea that really doesn't work. Acacia's packed enough force behind the blow to strike Megumi in the head and send her tumbling aside. Megumi picks herself back up very quickly, but it looks like she could have benefitted from another moment or two on the ground to get her bearings; she's dazed after that hit. Dazed, but still in this, trying to clear her head and consider her options before doing anything.
COMBATSYS: Megumi focuses on her next action.
[ \\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Acacia 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1 Megumi
Acacia watches, as Megumi gets up, taking a second to get her mental bearings as well. She looks exhausted, much like Megumi...not so much beaten up as worn down. This has been -quite- a workout. But then again, that's what she was after, right?
She gives voice to that, quipping in a wry voice, "Hope this is...educational, for both of us."
Certainly, it has been for Acacia. She's still working on taking...whatever the heck it is Megumi does, with that energy. A little voice in the back of Acacia's head notes it feels similar to Kensou's, and...someone else she can't quite place. Well. Then ther's the throws, the arm locks...
She twitches her shoulder at the mememory. Ow. She's gotta work on resisting those things.
Meanwhile, though, Acacia clenches a fist. Once Megumi's on her feet, she throws herself forward, pressing the attack, whipping a punch toward the other girl.
COMBATSYS: Megumi counters Quick Punch from Acacia with Tornado Slam.
[ \\ < > ///////// ]
Acacia 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Megumi
Megumi lets Acacia approach, looking momentarily too tired to go after her just yet. It's not an act, but she's not entirely unprepared either. When Acacia makes another punch at her, this time Megumi is properly ready, wrapping one hand around Acacia's wrist to stop the attack. Her other hand grabs onto Acacia's forearm...
...Then Megumi begins to spin, carrying Acacia off the ground and dangling her by the caught arm. Megumi's spin continues to build speed, before she makes a short jump and tosses Acacia down to the ground, landing in a crouch afterwards. "Educational...definitely. Win or lose though, gonna have to find somethin' else t' do afterwards...to wind down, y'know."
Acacia hits the ground, stray grass blades and flecks of soil spewing into the air as she comes down. She winces - that did NOT end well for her. She hauls herself up, though, keeps going by sheer force of will, pure blood-mindedness. Legs flexing, tossing herself toward Megumi. Aiming to collide with the other girl, hitting her, again, with a rigid forearm...before simply spilling to the grass, lying still and staring at the sky.
"Yeah," Acacia says, her voice with a strange absent quality, "just beaten Acacia, now what...go to Disneyland."
COMBATSYS: Acacia can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\ <
Megumi 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Megumi blocks Acacia's Icon of Stone.
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Megumi 0/-------/------=|
Megumi isn't too shocked to see Acacia getting up for one more effort, bracing for the rushing arm-strike. Megumi lets it strike against her arms, then grabs Acacia's limb and pushes against her head with the other hand, helping Acacia go down.
"Uhh. Good enough for me, I'd say. 'Cept there's Dream Amusement Park right here in Southtown instead, really." Megumi stays up a few more seconds, then goes down to her knees. "Guess we've learned something."
Acacia stays where she is, flat on her back, looking up at the clear sky. Watching the sparse branches of the winter-shedded trees overhead. She releases a breath, cheeks puffing, the gust of air blowing a couple strands of hair away from her face.
"What," Acacia says, "that I should get better medical insurance?"
Pause. She laughs.
"Thanks," she adds, in a smaller, quieter voice.
"I was thinkin' more like we oughta stick to teaming up from now on, more like." Megumi's definitely tired, but in a good mood. "And then I'm gonna have to figure out what else to do today...got a lot of time open." She's starting to stand back up, looking down to Acacia.
COMBATSYS: Megumi has ended the fight here.
Well, enough woolgathering. Taking another breath, Acacia plants her elbows into the ground, propping herself up. Then clambers fully to her feet, brushing bits of grass and loose soil from her clothes. "Not the amusement park," Acacia replies, in a serious tone, "don't like them."
She arches an eyebrow, as she glances at Megumi. Acacia doesn't say it, but the implication is she intends to spend the rest of said day with her friend...and not, as she said, at the amusement park.
Because, really, Acacia doesn't like them. Really-really. Last time she was in one, she ended up having to give first-aid to the crowd after some other fighter went all bugfook nutzoid.
((Ed Note: Acacia visits Megumi's new place.))
Phones are handy for a lot of stuff. You can order food with them. You can report emergencies. Even some modern networking equipment still ties into the phone system, so to say they're vital to society's structure is rather true. But you can do other things with them too. Things of a supposedly more relaxed nature like calling one's friends. It's late afternoon today in Megumi's home, and she's just finished calling Acacia, asking her to drop by. 'Nothing urgent', she'd said on the phone. Sounded pretty relaxed. So for now, she waits.
And presently, a taxi pulls up outside Megumi's home. Acacia pays the driver, and disembarks. She stands on the sidewalk as the cab pulls away, looking at the address scribbled on a piece of notepaper. She shoulders her satchel, adjusting the strap where it meets the shoulder of her jacket...then eyes the number on the door and mailbox. She spends a moment critically examining the house. Finally, she nods to herself and makes her way up the driveway. Pausing at the entrance, Acacia spends another second peering at the door, raising a hand to knock...then she stops, thinks better of it, and rings the doorbell instead.
It's not long before the door's opened, though one can hear the sound of metal sliding; as if a door lock would keep out particularly determined troublemakers. "Hope I didn't catch ya at a bad time," Is Megumi's greeting as she leaves the doorway open. "Just had somethin' on my mind I wanted to ask you about, just...not over the phone. Hope it's alright?"
Acacia tilts her head, blinking at Megumi, as if somewhat relieved to see her. Which she is...since until her friend opened the door, Acacia wasn't sure she'd gotten the right address. She knew Megumi had moved, but this is Acacia's first time visiting her friend's new home. Acacia returns Megumi's greeting with a smile. One of her hands still grips her bag strap, but her other reaches round to scratch the back of her head. "'course," she says, "just had problems finding the new place."
Acacia turns her head, making a show of looking round Megumi's front yard. When she turns back, her tone is faintly teasing. "Moving up in the world?"
"Sorry about that." Megumi steps into a fairly straight-forward living room, plenty of room for setting down one's bags and so on. "And yeah, you've got the right idea. Moving up. Wanted my own place for real. Finally able to do it, so I did. Few other things I've been thinking about too, as far as 'moving up' goes. Or even just moving forward." She settles down onto a couch; there's about three set into a semi-circle in front of the home's TV/entertainment center with small tables nearby. More room than she's likely to need. "Just sit wherever ya want."
"Hn," Acacia says, stepping through the doorway - after kicking her boots against the mat - and letting Megumi close the door behind her. She doesn't walk in immediately, though. She doesn't set her bag down either. Acacia just stands near the door, looking round the house's interior. She blinks, once, as if surprised, then gives a small shake of the head and a muffled laugh.
"Should I take my shoes off," she asks, in ironic recollection of the first time she visited Megumi, "hate to dirty your nice new floor."
The question seems to lack resonance for Megumi, but the reply is probably similar to what she said the first time. "Eh, do what ya want. Whatever's more comfortable for you, it's not like I don't have a vacuum to fix it with." Given that her own shoes are on, it probably doesn't matter. "Unless you've been through like a bunch of mud or something. Literal mud, I mean. Not the 'life' kind."
Acacia snorts, but does just that. She sets her satchel down, then tugs at her boots, yanking the laces free and pulling them off. She sets them by the door, then grabs her bag. Acacia pads over to where Megumi's sitting, the toes of green socks visible over the ends of her jeans, her pants just a little too long for her legs without the height boost from those soles. Acacia settles down on one of the couches, ninety degrees from Megumi. She places her bag carefully on the coffee table, before shrugging her jacket off.
As she makes herself comfortable, Acacia arches an eyebrow at Megumi. "Hey, was a serious question," she says, that little smirk still on her face, "don't wanna add to housework load..."
Acacia trails off, then looks round again, craning her neck as she stares at the ceiling, looking over her shoulder round the back of the couch...it's like she still can't quite believe Megumi actually bought this place. "...I mean...big house."
"It's alright. I got it for the space, just it's not something I'm that worried about. Actually...you say 'serious question," Megumi's meeting Acacia's gaze, and looks rather focused. "Kind of hate doing this, but I wanted to talk about something that's been going on for all of us." And she elaborates on what it is without much pause. "Rock gets attacked by Cody, that guy with the orange hair tries to kill you...and now Seishirou has the guy with the red mask and cape after him," -- Some of them are real 'mystery men' to Megumi, visuals without names. "I...see a trend. Maybe it's coincidence, maybe you're not being targeted for what team you're on or whatever, but the pattern's still there. And it's been on my mind for a while now."
"Big topic change from real estate," Acacia says, flatly. She stops her examination of Megumi's home, shifting on the couch, scooting forward so she can look her friend in the eye. The levity leaves her expression, as she mulls over the words, frowning, chewing on her lip. "Mn..."
Acacia links her hands between her knees, fingers flexing. "...fine. So?" The question isn't asked with any ire, but rather an intent gaze.
"So?" At first, Megumi misinterprets Acacia's response. She catches it a few seconds later, giving a nod. "Mm...well, 'so.' So. I don't think we can just keep ignoring it. It's not a once in a while thing. It might be weeks or months between each incident, but they /keep happening./ And..."
Megumi looks a bit upset as she admits, "And they've gotten real close to killing, a few times. Any of us could be dead right now if things hadn't worked out. I want to ask...do you think it'll happen again? Someone coming after you or Rock or Sei?"
"I think," Acacia says, slowly, after a pause, "we've...all already made powerful enemies."
Weighing her words carefully, she continues. "Not coincidence," Acacia says, gesturing with a hand, palm upward, towards Megumi, "rescued you once, /those/ enemies already tried revenge. We were in Metro..."
Acacia shrugs her shoulders, eyes closing. "We live dangerously."
Megumi is definitely taken by surprise at the mention of 'those enemies.' She knows who. "Them? You didn't tell me about that. I guess we kind of went our own little ways working for the same goal in America, didn't we. But you're saying Vice and Mature showed up and attacked you? Is that what you're saying, they did that while we were there?" This has definitely caught her attention, even if it's somewhat of a topical detour in the discussion.
Acacia's features screw up in puzzlement, then distaste. Not at Megumi, or the recollection, but at having to explain herself. She hates that. Sometimes her trouble with articulating words can be a real pain - like now. Acacia inhales, then exhales in a sigh. She shakes her head, shifting her hand to a warding gesture. "No---well, yes, but..."
Acacia stops, gathers her thoughts, and starts again, scowling. "I /meant/," she says, "we /made/ enemies back home. Don't think Rolento cares much for us now...hell, know...I know...he doesn't like me."
She gives a rueful grin. "But...yeah, Vice /did/ attack me in Metro. Don't worry...kicked her ass, and Kasugano helped me clean up afterwards."
Megumi is pretty patient about it. No signs of irritation or trying to get Acacia to 'spill it out', she just listens despite looking rather upset. "I know about Rolento. Maybe I misunderstood, but it looked like he hired some people to specifically try and kill us. Well, kill anyone going there to help. So he'll be back sometime, I'm sure. But..." After the explanation about Vice, Megumi still looks rather unhappy, but calm. "I can guess why you didn't tell me. Can think of all sorts of good reasons why not. So...I'm glad you're okay, but if she's gone after you too, then..."
Megumi settles down, into a more decisive attitude. "We need to do something, I think. You agree that we have enemies. We've seen what they do. I..." She stands up. "I don't feel like sitting here just waiting for them to attack again."
"Don't know," Acacia replies, with a touch of dark humour, "I'm sure Ryouhara'd build you a killer security system if you asked right..."
With a nod of the head, Acacia indicates the expansive interior of Megumi's new home, her eyes glinting slightly...seeking out defensive positions and fields of fire. Acacia's no Seishirou, but she's got some of her own...expertise in the matter. And she's quite serious, too. "Killer, literally."
Leaning forward, Acacia reaches out and unbuckles her satchel, digging inside. While Acacia /is/ listening to Megumi seriously...she does seem rather less unsettled by the conversation than her friend. It's like the prospect of death doesn't bother her as much. Case in point - Acacia pulls out a couple of tupperware containers, setting them on the coffee table. "Oh, yeah, before I forget. Was cooking when you called..."
Megumi doesn't look so convinced on the security system. "Considering people can...'remodel' my place if they're that set on it, I don't think whatever he sets up would do much. Trap the door and they'll just blast out a wall. Couldn't be hard to slam a vehicle through it if they didn't want to wear themselves out in the process."
The cooking...well, she notices it, but doesn't say much about it. "I'm not talking about a security system, really. More like...I don't know, maybe this is crazy, but what about if we went after them for a change? I used to think they were attacking you because of being my friend, but it looks like that'd happen even if you didn't know me."
Acacia waves a tupperware container. The sealed plastic bowl looks like it has some sort of salad or dip in it, what with the chunks of blended white and yellow, interspersed with flecks of green. "Like I said," she says, evenly, "we live dangerously."
She peers at Megumi, over a bright purple lid. "Still, difference between getting in trouble...and looking for it."
Acacia holds that look for a moment, letting the point sink in, then glances away. "Besides," she murmurs, in a softer voice, "how will you find them?"
"Trouble looks for us all the time, if you ask me." Megumi's response is quick, flippant. But she realizes it was, and settles down almost immediately after saying that. "I'm not trying to force you into something. Not meaning it like that. Just thought it'd be a good idea. As for finding them...I don't know. I have a few things to go on here and there, but nothing really concrete. Right now all I've got is the intent to do something like this. Was going to take care of all the 'smart stuff' once I figured out if I'm going to carry through or not, and for that matter, who else is getting involved."
Acacia peels open the container in her hands, squinting at the chicken salad inside, acertaining that it made the trip to Megumi's with minimal disruption. Satisfied, she reseals the container, pressing down the edge with her thumb. She doesn't respond to Megumi immediately, remaining silent as she performs her examination. Finally, Acacia looks up.
"Megumi," Acacia says, quietly, "whatever you want to do, I'll help you. Understand that. But...devil's advocate. We're not even legally adults. And say we...'get them'. Then what?"
All very good points. Megumi opens her mouth to say something. "Well, then..." Stops. "...That's the part I haven't thought through. Let them go with a stern warning? They'll laugh and continue like they have been. Turning 'em over to the cops would matter if they actually cared, or could do anything about it." Megumi steps over to the table Acacia's at, watching her go through the food.
"Which leaves...really morbid or stupid ideas. Like some sort of place to just lock 'em away but that's not going to work. I guess there's...well." Megumi cuts off, arms folding. "...Well. You know. But I don't think you're like that or even want to be like that. I don't either. I kind of wish there was some way to scare them straight. Make them afraid of how bad it'd hurt if they even thought about doing what they do."
Acacia nods, calmly, listening to Megumi's litany with a carefully composed expression. When the other girl finishes, Acacia gives a small shrug of the shoulders, holding her hands up. "Maybe. Don't know."
She purses her lip, looking at Megumi. Acacia smiles a little smile. "Didn't expect you to have -answers-, just...mn. Not against the idea of...doing something. But...it's big. And I'm a..."
Acacia stops, angling her head, as if recalling something, then adds, "...bear of little brain."
With another nod, she scoops up the tupperware containers, and says in a brighter voice, "So, should I put this in the fridge?"
"Big topic change from vigilante justice," Megumi mangles Acacia's earlier quote with a smirk, walking over to the nearby fridge, opening the door. "Go right ahead. But yeah, you're right. Don't have answers yet, just wanted to bring this up. Not the happiest sort of thing to talk about, but with how often it comes up...figured it was important, y'know?" Slipping back to a more casual attitude, it seems.
Acacia follows Megumi into the kitchen area, her footsteps overlaid with the sound of trailing fabric, as the ends of her jeans legs brush the floor. She reaches past Megumi, sliding the tupperware containers into the fridge, past a couple bottles, sitting them securely on the rack. Then she glances at Megumi again...and smiles. Not one of her tiny little lip-twitches, but a full-fledged grin.
"Appreciated," she says.
"Sure. After all, what're friends for?" Megumi's in a mood that could be described as friendly sarcasm. "Show you where to put your food, then ask you to get involved in fights. Buddies forever, huh." She turns a little more serious after that, leaning her back against the wall next to the fridge. "But you're really okay with that. Going after those sort of people, a counter-attack. So long as you're sure about that?"
Acacia gives Megumi a pointed look, as she pushes the fridge door shut. The smile remains on Acacia's face, but there's an edge to it, and her eyes are intent as Acacia regards Megumi. "I'm your -friend-," she says, stressing the word, "if you are, so am I. Not letting you go alone."
Acacia's features soften. "Mean it. Not saying it to guilt you," she clarifies, knowing Megumi's propensity to feel bad about such things, "just...truth. Okay?"
A stressed word that has a very 'pausing' effect on Megumi. She doesn't go wide-eyed in surprise or start tossing up amazed questions, but it does remove her casual attitude. "Yeah, I know...I still kind of hate it and keep thinking it ties back to knowing me, but we've seen enough to know it's just not true. Guess you could say there's something selfish about the whole thing, asking if you're up for turning things around on those kind of people. But I hope it works out for you too, if we do this." She stops leaning against the wall after that. "Don't like seeing masked killers after you or Sei or Rock or anyone. If we can even stop that much, I'd like that."
Acacia rubs the back of her head, then tugs on the collar of her t-shirt, where the hair at the nape of her neck meets fabric. Something Megumi said seems to make her momentarily uncomfortable - but only momentarily. She shrugs it off. Head bowed, standing by the fridge, she murmurs, "Well, that or take out life insurance, and I don't have a next of kin."
She snorts. "Wanna be in my will?"
Megumi had refrained from wide-eyed, shocked reactions for most of this. She's mostly used to Acacia's tastes in humor: irony, sudden topic changes, and what some might call 'gallows humor.' But that question, even as it was likely a joke, startles her in a very visible way. "No! Acacia, that's...I know you're just trying to downplay it some or whatever, but...y'know..." She mellows out very quickly, "That's not funny." She steps up to Acacia, rather close. "I don't want to be in your will. I want the will to not even matter for like another eighty years or so. Guess that's kind of ironic since we'd be looking for trouble, but that's what it is."
Acacia blinks, rapidly. On her part...maybe she should be used to Megumi's sensitivity by now. Heck, just a moment ago, she even made a pre-emptive move to head some of that off. But the words she spoke...she somehow didn't expect Megumi to react so badly. She didn't expect it to provoke such a strong reaction. Her own eyes widening, Acacia backpedals, drawing away. Then she composes herself, and moves to diffuse the panic it caused her friend.
"Joke, Megumi, don't intend to die anytime soon," she lies. And while she might have cursed her trouble with speech earlier, this time Acacia gives silent thanks to the usual flat quality of her voice. Because it /is/ a falsehood - the question Acacia asked, the offer to make Megumi her next of kin...wasn't a joke. Not entirely. She meant it. But that's...probably not what Megumi wants to hear, so Acacia doesn't say it.
Swallowing, Acacia murmurs, "Don't worry, okay? I'm morbid, you know that."
"I know. I know you don't expect to die or have a will or next of kin matter. I kind of wish..." Megumi looks up at the ceiling; there's nothing special about it but she seems to be giving it a good stare. "You've probably got a pretty good reason to be so...morbid. Wish you didn't, wish you weren't, but...not much for that right now, huh? Sorry about that." She can pick up little bits and pieces that suggest to her that everything isn't really okay and she should worry...but she's calm enough for now. "This won't be for a little while anyway, if we do this. We can forget about it for now. Look at somethin' else, or whatever."
Acacia gives a small shake of the head, forcing a grin. "Happily ever after, huh?"
Laconically, she murmurs, "Nice normal life...you know those people with normal lives? Want adventure, they want to be us."
Stepping past Megumi, Acacia crosses the kitchen, towards the sink. Prying open one of the tupperware containers just now left the faint scent of chicken and mayo on her hands. And with a squirt of hand soap and water, she begins washing that off. "Ironic, hm?"
* * *
((Ed Note: Acacia returns to Southtown, after being away for a few months.))
It's not a widely known fact, but Gedo High does have dorms on campus. The place is hardly a boarding school, but there's a fairly large dormitory block, two stories of little rooms. Just enough student housing for kids who need it. Given the...unusual lifestyles and home lives of many Gedo students, that sort of thing is necessary.
The second storey of the dormitory building is the girl's floor. Smaller but nicer, cleaner and better kept. Part of that's due to gender bias. Part of that's due to the simple fact Gedo has a lot fewer female students, so the rooms just aren't -used- as much. Indeed, the girls wing is rarely fully occupied.
That's why Acacia has a room to herself. There's another bed in there, but the sheets are uncreased, unused. She lies on the lower level of the double-decker bunk, fully clothed - except for her shoes. Her feet are propped up on the metal rungs at the end of the bed, her usual boots lying on the carpet. On the narrow desk against the window, a textbook and homework assignment lies open, partially completed. More like abandoned, really. The desk lamp shining mournfully over the papers. It's the only illumination in the room. The main lights are out. Which is probably a good thing, since the room's in a sort of organised disarray. Duffle bag propped up against the wall, open at the top. A couple of shirts and pairs of jeans hung out to dry, thrown over the cupboard doors.
Acacia casts an eye round the room, from where she lies on the bed.
Yeah, it's nice of Daigo to let her stay here and all, but maybe she should see about finding somewhere else. It's not like she can't afford /rent/, right?
Megumi makes her way upstairs with no particular stealth; while not stomping through, footsteps are easy enough to hear. A little asking around the campus had turned up Acacia's change of residence, and with most of Megumi's volunteer duties taken care of for now, she's going to Acacia's door. A brief pause...it seems someone's home, so she knocks a few times.
And when/if the door is opened, Megumi will look fairly different. Same general 'self', but a slight smile showing, and her typical outfit has been changed out for an utterly stereotypical, white nurse uniform, complete with cap with the red plus-symbol on it.
Acacia swings off the bed. Pads over to the door, bare feet ruffling the carpet. She opens the door - just a crack, at first, to see who's on the other side. No peephole.
She holds the door partially open, like that, for a good few seconds.
There's a faint sound that might be a giggle.
By the time the door fully opens, though, Acacia's got her face fully under control. There's no sign of laughter there. She's not even smiling.
Of course, her eyes probably give her away. The traitors.
And her voice isn't -quite- level.
"Uh...nice...outfit."
Pause.
"This isn't a bad porn movie or anything, is it?"
Megumi stands pretty still when the door opens just a tad; there is no rush through it. But that question throws her into momentary confusion. "Bad wh... ...no." It's mostly the abruptness of it, which Megumi gets over quickly. "Unless y'want it to be or something. Actually, I just hadn't dropped by in a while...things've changed." She holds up a hand, one finger raised. "First, I think Jiro'll be done going after ya. Second..." Another finger comes up, then she points at the ground. "You're here, instead of where ya used to live."
The porn movie joke filled her silly comment quotient for the time being. Quota filled, Acacia doesn't pursue that line of questioning. Which is probably fortunate, because, well, Lord only knows where -that'd- end up.
Instead, she regards Megumi in silence.
"Home," Acacia says, after a moment, "is Metro."
She steps aside, clearing the doorway. Making a small motion of the arm, clearly inviting Megumi to step inside the dorm room. Not that there's much in it, but it's the principle of the matter. She could find somewhere to sit down, anyway. There's a chair and the bed, if nothing else, though the pile of dirty laundry is probably best not disturbed.
"Always rented places, when I was here. Just got back to Japan. Haven't yet. This...probably temporary."
She glances at Megumi.
"Jiro?"
Acacia's spoken to Jiro recently, actually. But she's curious what /Megumi/ has to say about it.
Megumi shows some recognition while stepping in. "That's right...Metro. Good to see you're back though." She just takes a sidestep, staying near the wall by the door and leaning against it. No comments about the condition of the room or pile of clothing...not even so much as an offended or astounded look about it. "As for him, I think he found someone else. Could be wrong, but I think that's what's up. He was...interested in you a while back, wasn't he?"
Acacia elbows the door shut. It swings on its hinges, crashing into the frame with ... probably more force than necessary. But that's Acacia, really.
"He was," Acacia replies, "God knows why. Good for him."
She walks past Megumi, moving to the end of the bed. She sits down, bends over, reaches underneath the frame...and pulls out a plastic cooler from beneath the bunk.
"That someone...male or female?"
A moment's work retrieves a couple cans of soda, slightly chilled, one of which she offers to Megumi. Extending a hand.
Basic hospitality, after all.
Megumi winces at the door-close, but eases up quickly. "Mm. I can think of plenty of reasons why, but figured it'd be news for ya all the same. As for the someone...I think it's a girl. 'Hotaru' was the name he dropped, if I remember it right." The drink's taken with a simple "Thanks," and after downing a bit of it, she asks, "So...what all've you been up to?"
"Ah, her," Acacia says, vaguely. It's hard to tell whether she's angry or amused. Her features are unreadable, impassive. Though, frankly, she's not sure what to think at all. After a second or two, she gives a mental shrug. Doesn't matter, anyway.
Acacia pops the tab on her own drink and takes a sip. Then she cups the can with both hands, considering the question.
"Been...around," she murmurs, "had to get out of Southtown. For a while. Just.../out/, you know? Away."
She smiles faintly as she looks at Megumi.
"Nothing personal."
"You know her, then," Megumi realizes the obvious, fairly relaxed even with her lack of much movement, and Acacia's explanations. "S'fine by me. Figured it was something like that, and glad it's not somethin' else. But you're back now for a change of scenery, I guess?" A little more drink is consumed after that.
"Well," Acacia says, "intend to graduate -someday-. Finish school here. What I started."
Her grin grows impish, mocking.
"Don't wanna be like Kusanagi."
Nope. Not like Kyo at all.
Acacia raises the can to her lips, takes another drink. Then she gestures, with one hand, again bidding Megumi to sit down. She waves in the direction of the desk, and the empty chair in front of it.
"Besides," Acacia continues, "you'd kill me if I never came back."
Megumi takes the jab with good humor. "He's kind of...clueless, I'd say. So you've got plenty of advantage on 'im, and..." She moves to the offered chair, drink planted on the desk afterward. "Dunno 'bout killin' you though. Just glad to see you're around again. Especially since I could kind've use your help with something when you're not busy."
"No," Acacia replies, "I will not play doctor with you."
She manages to say it with a perfectly straight face. Well, almost perfect, anyway. She makes a small sniffing sound just after the words leave her mouth, possibly a sign of a muffled laugh.
"...seriously, /why/ are you wearing that?"
Acacia lifts the can, and points.
Megumi starts to remark, "I'm not a doctor anyw...oh." The other possible meaning hits her, drawing a little laugh. "Mm. Well, as for why I'm like this? Because Daigo asked me to do some nurse stuff here. Figured I may as well play it up."
"Cause more injuries than you heal," Acacia remarks, blandly. Her face, once again, carefully composed into a blank mask.
"But," she continues, "I'm guessing...you don't need help with /that/..."
Acacia pauses, her expression suddenly becoming one of consternation. Mostly at the thought of actually having to wear that costume.
"...do you?"
Megumi flinches at Acacia's appraisal of what she's causing. "I guess with how I fight, you might have a point. But...do I what?" Megumi's hand reaches for her soda-can on the desk, holding it...and stopping there. "I think I'm missing something."
"Wasn't talking," Acacia says, frowning, "about fighting. Was a compliment...or joke...on the unifor---nevermind."
She exhales. Sarcasm and Megumi is often a lost cause, Acacia reflects.
No matter.
Acacia gives a brief shake of her head. She extends her arm, setting her own drink can on the desk, then points a finger at her friend.
"You said you needed help. Please tell me it's /not/ help...with nursing."
She smirks.
"I wouldn't look good in a skirt."
Megumi obviously understands now. "Ohh. Well, Daigo kinda figured the same thing. So on a few occasions I'm just not exactly here, since it's a volunteer thing. Hoping it'll stop 'em from trying to get into that sort of mess." Then her hand loosens, setting down on her own thigh. "And no, it's not help with this. More like I need help with something you're good at." Both hands rise, one fist slamming into a palm. The result is less than impressive. "Striking."
Acacia raises an eyebrow. Part of her, the professional, is tempted to make a comment there, on the proper technique and force necessary to have...an impressive-sounding clap when knuckles meet palm.
The rest of her, the bit with the dry and sardonic sense of humour...well, that results in the corner of her lips curving up in a grin.
"Why, your clinic -that- desperate for business?"
Megumi at least gets the joke this time. "Not quite. That'd be kind of a weird way to go about it anyway...wonder if they'd even mind overly much. Eh." Her hands fall after that. "This is a real need, though. In the last few months, I've seen case after case where my 'usual' in fights is...falling very short. Not just in matches, but in /fights./ I need something new. Striking would be it."
Acacia opens her mouth, about to give a glib retort. Then she stops, catching herself. A frown ghosts across her face. She scowls, brows knitting. She raises a hand, holding it up at Megumi, fingers splayed - the universal sign for 'wait a moment, I'm thinking'.
Finally, she asks, slowly, "You want me...to...what...teach you?"
"If you can...if you can and want to." Megumi is more serious about things now, rising. "I know several people good at it. But...you and I?" She's walking to stand beside Acacia, or as close as she can get while turning to stand and hold an arm straight ahead. "You're the closest match I know to my size. I can learn a little from Daigo, already am. Learning a little from Heavy D! too, but...you're a closer match."
"Yeah, but..."
Acacia stops, again, grinding to a halt. It wouldn't do to sound like she's refusing Megumi. Which isn't what she's doing at all. It's just...how can she put this? Acacia rests a hand against her head, breaking eye contact. Trying to figure out the right words.
"...okay," she says, after a moment, "Sure, I can show you some things. But...not sure how much."
She looks back at her friend, and Megumi's outstretched arm.
"I mean. Like...how to punch with your whole body. Use all your muscles. Weight and momentum. Makes a difference, when you're small. How to block the same way."
Acacia looks...faintly vulnerable for a moment, like she's afraid of disappointing her friend.
"But...that's just part...look. You know most of what I do...'s really /chi/ right?"
Megumi shows honest surprise. Not at the first things Acacia goes over, which Megumi took well enough and didn't press any sort of gaze with. "They've been going over that stuff too," Megumi admits. "I've got some of that learned already. But... ...uh. Chi...really, I didn't know. This is going to sound weird, but..." She tenses up, focusing very hard...and manages to produce only the faintest, small spark of blue energy; it vanishes almost as soon as it forms. Useless. "I can barely even do anything with it. I've /studied/ it, but... ...it doesn't work for me. I don't feel it, I don't really connect with it like most people would."
"Chi. World energy. Yeah. But...you've got something else, though," Acacia says, her voice turning serious, a note of resolve entering her tone. It's unspoken, but there's the definite sense of something -clicking- in her head.
She pulls her legs close to her chest, drawing her feet onto the bed. She looks up at Megumi, at her standing friend.
"Psycho Power," Acacia continues, "Athena Asmiya explained it to me. Tried to, anyway. Once."
Acacia locks eyes with Megumi.
"She said it's from inside. That right?"
Megumi shows a flicker of irritation at the mere mention of Athena, but that passes after just a moment. "It's inside, yes. I just force it to come out and do what I want it to. Only so many 'shapes' I can do with it even like that, but that's the basic idea. I'm pushing something out of me, rather than bringing it in and focusing it like you're doing." Her body relaxes, arms dangling at her sides now. "Guess that'd be a problem in this case, wouldn't it." It's more a statement than question, with Megumi's short tone.
"No," Acacia says, slowly, "no, not really."
She clapses her hands together, fingers interlacing. She rests her chin upon that newly-formed cradle.
"Don't know," she murmurs, "if you remember those notes of Dad's. The ones about my style? You helped me go through them once."
She nods towards the little desk crammed near the dorm room's window. It's a cluttered space, what with the half-completed homework on it, and the two soda cans at the edge. But there's a plastic binder sitting prominently on one end, filled with photocopied pages and hand-scribbled annotations. And lots of post-it bookmarks.
It's clear that going through her father's writings has been a long, long, and ongoing process for Acacia.
"Didn't make sense to either of us. At the time."
Megumi adds, "I still have those notes. I've only gone through bits of them, they....didn't mean much to me at the time, but I do keep them in a desk,..." Acacia's drawing something out, causing Megumi's words to change some, "...Just like you do, apparently. Are you suggesting...?"
"Mm-hm," Acacia nods. Just a little. Her head still rests on her interlinked hands, so it somewhat restricts her range of movement.
"Figured it out. Most of it. Icon of Stone uses chi, yeah...but...it's all about /internal/ power."
Acacia separates her hands, then taps her collarbone with her fingertips.
"My attacks use chi. I mean...not...don't mean my crushing fist or kinetic blast or anything. I mean... /everything/. I'm boosting my resilience. Strength."
Acacia's not good at explaining things. Not usually. But now, she's gathering steam.
"Look," she says.
She leans forward - so suddenly that she'll bump into Megumi, unless the other girl pulls away. Snatching up her binder from the desk. Flipping it open to one of the bookmarked pages. She rests it on her lap, pointing to a diagram.
"And it's mostly -me-. Not...energy from around. -Mine-. Look, a lot of the exercises... they -look- physical... but..."
"That's great," Megumi is definitely pleased about Acacia's progress on the notes. "I have to admit, I kind of figured you were just doing some sort of ber..." She hears 'look' and figures Acacia is about to move, and this causes Megumi to step aside to give her room to demonstrate... ...binder-pulling. "...Berserker thing. Using emotion and momentum to make up for...well." A hand-motion to Acacia, "Being a girl of about typical size. Really flinging yourself into attacks. But it's not, huh?"
"HULK SMASH," Acacia growls, waving a fist at Megumi.
Then she schools her expression back into its usual deadpan mask.
"But yeah," she says, thumbing through the binder. She comes to another page, an outline of the human body, with a dense network of lines drawn in blue ink.
"Internal energy. Boosting muscles, bones, whatever. A lot of this stuff...it's to build and focus the body's power."
She looks up.
"That's why my chi attacks...the obviously chi ones, I mean...that's why they're so explosive. I'm forcing /my/ chi /out/."
Megumi makes a short laugh, the 'hulk smash' was...expected, but still funny, and then she leans in to check out the page. "I remember the first few times I saw you do things like that. At first I thought there was something wrong with you...like medically wrong. But this..." Her eyes lift to meet Acacia's, "It's all part of this, and that's how you're doing it?"
Acacia picks up her drink from the table. Miraculously, the soda cans were /not/ knocked over when she lunged past Megumi, grabbing the binder. She lifts the can, moistening her lips. She licks a stray bead of carbonated beverage from said lips, then nods.
"Yeah. It's...totally against conventional wisdom. About chi."
She snorts, nostrils flaring.
"Dad always was different."
She takes another sip of soda, then points at Megumi. Cupping the can with her thumb and third finger, gesturing with her index digit.
"Since your power comes from inside too...no jokes, please..."
Acacia shrugs.
"...don't -know- if it'd help. But..."
Megumi pulls away to give Acacia more room to work with the notes, and takes the request seriously. "I don't make jokes about 'different'. I know exactly what 'different' is like, and...there's some stuff I don't make fun of anyway." A palm-gesture toward Acacia's binder, "Such as things like that. You're not sure if this would help, but...it's an idea, isn't it?"
"Long shot," Acacia says, "but worth it. I think."
She rolls her hand at the wrist. Liquid sloshes round the inside of the half-empty drink can.
"Don't know if your power can give the same strength enhancement..."
With her free hand, she scratches the back of her head, fingers running through her messy silver hair.
"...or toughen your body. It /heals/, so that's maybe a good sign. But I dunno."
She continues to rotate the drink can in lazy circles.
"Still. If you're game..."
Megumi has nothing to say at first. Not out of some isolated attitude, but because Acacia has raised a point that Megumi isn't sure how to answer, gaze tilting down to the ground a little. "I'm not sure if it can or not. Most of what I can do with it either feels sort of natural to me, or it's something I wanted to do and was able to figure out how... ...I haven't studied this." A wrist-flick sprays a few sparkling red particles, which vanish afterward. "I'm self-taught. Maybe it's possible, maybe not...I've always focused on either forcing it out of me, or forcing it to not go out of control. If nothing else..."
Megumi gives one sharp nod to Acacia, "If nothing else, I haven't tried it your way before. It's a different way. I need different. If you think you're able to teach...I'm willing to try this."
Acacia nods. Her -first- instinct is to make some sort of wiseass quip about 'what's the worst that can happen'? But she knows Megumi's sensitive about what she can do. Their exchange, just now, reminded her of that fact. In light of that, Acacia's treading carefully.
No jokes. Not about that.
Acacia tosses her head back, downing another mouthful of soda. She swallows, then wipes away a couple of flecks of beverage with the back of her hand.
"No harm," Acacia says, "even if it don't work /exactly/, might improve your control. Also good."
Her voice is deliberately understated, but there's something in her tone that makes it clear...she's pretty excited about this as well. This could be interesting. And if it helps her friend, better yet.
"Even that might help," Megumi eases up some despite the topic, going to retrieve her own drink and...slam most of it back. Sudden, odd, impulsive. "Ahh." She starts looking around for a trash bin of some kind, "Really, I just...force. For all my talk about 'berserker' earlier, that's kind of what I do. Just fling myself into what I'm creating. Eventually get a headache from it. Figured it was part-and-parcel of making it work, but if we even fix that...well," She removes her nurse-cap, walking over to try and plant it on Acacia's head, "You'd've kinda helped out with this anyway."
With one hand, Acacia indicates the wastepaper basket under the desk, lined with a plastic grocery bag. Just because she's sloppy with regards to drying clothes and her laundry pile...doesn't mean she has absolutely no regard for hygiene.
Rather less regard than most girls, still. In most housekeeping respects, she's really like a male bachelor. But there's minimum standards. Minimum standards.
She anticipated Megumi's need for garbage disposal. However, she /wasn't/ expecting to have the nurse hat plonked on her head.
Acacia recoils in surprise, but only after the hat is firmly placed over her brow. Acacia reaches up, yanks it off, and scowls.
"Ha ha," she says, sticking out her tongue.
Then she looks thoughtful.
"Then...just focusing better, that can't hurt. Force my energy, sometimes..."
She quite deliberately avoids the word 'chi'.
"...but otherwise, just let it /flow/."
Megumi flicks the can in with the usual rattling and clanking and "Thanks," The latter coming from her mouth rather than the soda container. Then she reaches back to reclaim the hat, entertained by the joke even with Acacia's apparent unamusement. "You might have some points there...the only thing I'm worried about is trying things differently...I wonder if it'd have some of the same results you did. ...While you're nearby."
Acacia frowns at Megumi. She's usually the one making the goofy comments. That hat trick still has her slightly riled. But she puts it aside.
"I'm tough," Acacia replies, "I'll live."
She looks at Megumi, directly.
"Seriously? I probably joked about that...too much. Was never really /that/ bad. Only once or twice."
She finishes the last of her own soda. Throwing her head back, shaking the last of the drops into her mouth. Then she flips the can round, clasping it horizontally between her hands. One palm on the top, one palm on the bottom.
"Besides, those accidental blasts...were me trying to /project/ power. Outward. You already do that. No, this...we're talking internal control."
Quick as a flash, Acacia slams her hands together, until they're touching. When she seperates her palms, there's just a flattened piece of metal. A perfect disc. It's a dumb jock party trick - but there can't be many jocks in the world who did it as /fast/ as Acacia. And not so perfectly.
Megumi takes exception to Acacia's initial, casual reaction. "You'll... ...I'm not trying to... ...mm." It's the rest of Acacia's words that settle her down though, looking at one of her own palms. "Mm...you're probably right. This is probably not the same thing, so it should be fi--" *Crunch* Megumi blinks, then smirks at Acacia's little exhibition. "Nice."
"Hang around long enough," Acacia retorts, "and you'll be breaking bottles on your head."
She tosses the metal disc, frizbee-style, towards the trash. It bounces off the underside of the desk before dropping into the bin.
Of course, Acacia isn't joking. She's actually done that. Much to the consternation of the Gedo crowd, which can be worse than college frat boys on most days.
"I... ..." Megumi shakes her head a few times. "...Don't think I'd be tryin' that too much. Doubt the guys would be much thrilled with it. But I get your point. Being able to withstand something like that without much of a flinching would be pretty good, maybe."
"Or a good party trick," Acacia says, smirking.
She flops back on her bed, stretching out a little, looking at the underside of the top bunk.
"'m gonna haveta think," she murmurs, "on what to show ya...but...'s good. Think there's potential 'ere."
That grin remains on her face.
"Think it'll help me too. Force me to really /think/ about this stuff."
Megumi steps back toward the door as Acacia lies down. "I appreciate it. And I'm not sure if it's worth much, but...offer's mutual, if I can help you with something sometime. Goes both ways, y'know."
"Grace and balance, maybe," Acacia replies, cocking a thumb at herself, "bull, china shop."
She turns her hand gesture into a wave, as Megumi heads out the door.
"But don't worry. Friends, right?"
"I can interpret that as one of two or three separate problems, each with different solutions...and I suck at two of the three. Pure agility might work though." Megumi waves back as she opens the door. "And...yeah. Probably a bit more than just friends, but that's probably the best word for it. Be seein' ya, but...anything else before I leave?"
Acacia -snorts- at the phrase 'more than just friends'. It seems to vastly amuse her. She doesn't actually comment, though, just waves again.
"Nah. Better go," she says, casting an eye out the window, "getting late. Nice catching up with you, tho."
Log created by Acacia, and last modified on 22:50:12 04/29/2007.