"Distance" A gunmetal APC pulled off to the side of a dirt path outside of Kyoto, the driver pausing on request. The tech guy on board wanted to give the equipment on board a minor adjustment. So, there it sat, it's other occupants waiting impatiently. The Emulator had not overloaded, but it was stressed none the less, Lapis frequent use of her robe and Element having worn it down. For the Otome, it seemed they spent as much time tinkering with that experimental device as they did actually using it in combat. Perhaps even more so. Hopefully in the next few months they would get it perfected. The Doctor promised upgrades within the week. Then again, he had been known to lie and get their hopes up on more than one occasion. To him, the morale of his soldiers was not nearly as important as his devices. As the vehicle was stopped and the occupants busied themselves, a solitary figure clad in leather – a dark color in stark contrast to milky white skin – slipped out from the undergrowth beside the road. Her footsteps were unheard, each step placed in an area of least resistance. She fixed her eyes on the vehicle for a short moment, as if calculating something. Moving to the side of the vehicle after the driver was no longer fixated on the mirrors, she held out her arm. Fingers and synthetic flesh transformed back, allowing a different mode to take over, a large blade taking their place. The giant cleaver, fixed onto her elbow joint, was hefted into the air and then brought back down at lightning fast, inhuman speed. The metal tore through the armor of the APC, its sharpness and precision that great. She'd aimed for dead center, her enhanced vision having targeted that section in particular. The vehicle was torn asunder and the two sides lurched forward with the absence of the support the other provided. She twisted her arm, prying the two sides of the sliced armored carrier apart. It allowed her access to the inside, and allowed the occupants to escape. Two young men in suits fled down the dirt path at top speed. She'd deal with them in a moment, if need be. Three women stood to face her, all tapping a gem earring in unison. The women instantly summoned their robes and then materialized their respective weapons. So, Lapis was not truly alone. The others must have been waiting in the wings in case she needed support. They were attempting to form up around her in a predetermined battle position. "The Yggdrasil unit," Onyx confirmed after giving her a look over. "Use caution." Damn right you'd better use caution. The first feeble attempt to take her down was made by Topaz, who swung her mace out towards her head. She held up her arm blade and watched the weapon coil around it. Unlike Shizuru, her strength was more than enough to end any kind of tug of war in an instant. She took a step back and pulled, the mace going with her. Topaz disarmed, and the mace sliding off the blade after a perfect shake of her arm, she switched modes and let another take over. Her arm transformed accordingly. A grenade round was launched from that very arm and was sent crashing to the ground right in front of Lapis, who was still too tired to properly evade. The round exploded and she was flung to the ground, her robe damaged and her lungs empty. Onyx, the last one standing, wasted no time in attacking her. She switched back to blade mode. The Otome's staff and her arm clashed repeatedly, all while her eyes scanned the wreckage of the vehicle. Ah. There it was. With a mighty swing of her arm, she tossed Onyx back and leapt towards the APC's latter half. There, she pierced a particular device with her arm, impaling it on the end of the blade. It sparked and lights on the side faded away. She turned back to the other three with her ever present look of neutrality, and watched as their robes began to flicker. All three looked quite panicked. Imagine that. The robes and Elements de-materialized a second later, the Otome left helpless. "Run!" Onyx commanded, staying behind for just a moment to ensure her teammates got a head start and were in the clear. But she wasn't going to attack. She had completed her task. So she let Onyx and the others go, termination not even a tertiary objective on her mission. Instead, she gazed down at the device impaled on her arm blade, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. She could analyze it well, certainly, but the exact use of it was beyond her. Clearly, she needed additional support. There was only one person who could have determined the use of the device, and so she looked back towards Kyoto's skyline, and began to march. - - - The whole fiasco was done with, and in the early hours of the morning, Haruka collapsed on the couch within her apartment downtown. After a long moment of just sitting there, she turned on the television, very glad that she had Fridays off. She propped both feet onto her coffee table, kept so organized by her cleanly roommate, and simply sat back and watched the television, not even caring what was on. Where was that roommate of hers, anyway? Surely she had gotten off work by now. The JSDF had likely gone to graveyard so late in the night. The door opened, and Haruka held up a hand in greeting. "Hey, Yukino. How was life in th- " Instead of being greeted by her more timid roommate, a large hunk of metal dropped onto the couch next to her. She turned around and saw only a giant, brilliant blade. Holy crap almighty. Miyu stared at Haruka for what seemed like an eternity, the usually loudmouthed officer unable to think of something to scream. Miyu shifted her arm back to normal, and gently crossed it with her other one. So, Yukino was not there, then? A mild disappointment, but it was not the end of the world. "I trust you will give this to Kikukawa-san. Do not damage it further. Tell her to determine its function and respond to me." With that cold order, Miyu pivoted around and headed for the door. Opening it, she added, "I may be contacted at 1395 Takamori Avenue." When Miyu shut the door, Haruka miraculously found her voice. "Wait, what is it?! Hey. Hey! You can't just leave me here with that kind of pathetic explanation! Come back!" There was no answer. Haruka gulped and gazed at the filthy hunk of metal next to her, covered in dirt and sporting a healthy hole in the middle of it. Well, why did Miyu make it a shish kabob in the first place if she didn't want it damaged? Damn it all, it was getting mud on her couch. But she shouldn't touch it. Should she? How could she damage it any more than it already was? So, braving it, she clamped both hands around it and picked it up, walking towards the kitchen counter. But that mud made it a little... slippery. So, halfway there, the device crashed to the tiled floor, the top snapping off. Haruka stared at it in shock, feeling beads of sweat form on her palms. Miyu was going to murder her in her sleep and then parade around with her head impaled on that arm blade. She mustered the courage to move, however. She could fix it! She planted the main device and the part that popped off onto the counter, pulling up a stool and retrieving a few tools from a nearby drawer. Except Haruka had actually gotten low marks in shop class. She wasn't any good with gadgets like her friend was. In fact, Yukino had been the only way she had passed that class. She examined both pieces of the device and decided, at long last, that she would only break it more if she tried to fix it. As was the case with most things she tried to fix. So, there was only one true way for Haruka to solve this little conundrum. A combination of masking and duct tape situated the broken piece back where it had been. Haruka nodded. There we go. Feeling mildly triumphant, she smiled as the door opened again, waving to a tired looking Yukino, who stared back at her in mild worry. Electronics and duct tape. What had Haruka done now? Yukino dropped her coat and bag next to the door, not bothering to pick them up. She came to stand on the opposite side of the counter, and expected an explanation. "Miyu wants you to figure out what it does," Haruka informed. "I think she meant quick-like." Yukino already knew where the android had gotten it. It had been Yukino that gave Miyu's neural network access to the JSDF satellite network that had been tracking the Otome down, in a last ditch effort to have someone face off against them before they could escape. Yukino slowly nodded and sat, but Haruka shook her head after a moment, deciding that Yukino was simply much too tired to deal with it. The lieutenant stood and ushered Yukino towards the hacker's room, pointing at it. "Go to bed, Yukino. Deal with it in the morning." The command was certainly one meant to be final. Yukino adjusted her glasses, having slid down her face on the way home. "But..." Haruka glared back at her, though it was not a glare of irritation. It was one of mere stubbornness, though a distinct hint of caring could be seen underneath. It was simply illogical to fight with Haruka. She won every time, regardless of who she was facing off against. Except perhaps the former kaichou, but that was something never to be brought up. So, Yukino conceded. "Good night, Haruka-chan," she said. The lieutenant nodded in approval and replied in kind, leaving Yukino to herself. The blonde retired back to the couch and television, while Yukino shut the door and briefly leaned against it with a defeated sigh. One day. - - - Yukino rose at dawn, only a few hours after going to bed in the first place. Haruka slept until noon. During the course of the morning and afternoon, Yukino ripped the Otome device apart, analyzed every wire and component, and wrote up a very professional report about what it could and could not do. By the time she had finished her extra work, however, it was time for her to go back to her real job. Not having enough time to track down Miyu's address and deliver the device and report to her, she called a familiar someone, not trusting Haruka to transport the device safely. Nao stared blankly at Yukino for several moments while the other woman explained what she wanted done. "Just bring this to Miyu and hand her the report. Everything should be in order. I'm running late for work, though. Can you do it? Please, Nao?" "Sure." Hell no. Yukino smiled, and checked her watch. Her smile faded into a worried look, and she ran back to her car. Climbing in, the hacker drove away rapidly, and Nao found herself looking at both the report and duct taped device. She attempted to read, but the language was too full of technical jargon for her to make heads or tails of it. Nao was not an errand girl. She did not feel like playing the part, either. So what sap could she pass this job off on? The university was too long a walk away. That ruled out Akira, Takumi or Shiho. She didn't know where Mai lived. Shizuru was in the MHI complex – strictly off limits to Nao. Midori was probably drunk. Which left... "Yuuki." "Kuga." She hated walking into that filth ridden garage, but it housed the closest HiME to her at the time. Nao had to do what Nao had to do. Get out of work, that was. Natsuki held a wrench in one hand, and had grease splattered across a few portions of her face. Obviously busy, which made Nao's interruption all the more entertaining. Besides, Natsuki was a gearhead. Maybe she understood half of the stuff Yukino had wrote down. "Need you to bring these things to Miyu at 1395 Takamori Avenue. Have fun." Nao dropped the device onto one of those flea infested couches, and sat the report next to it. "I'm a little busy." "You get off work in an hour. Do it then," Nao argued. "Why should I?" Natsuki tapped the wrench against her other hand impatiently. Nao pointed to the device. "Because, glorious leader, that is a piece of Otome equipment that Yukino's been researching. Miyu wants it. See? It's for the cause. Long live the revolution." Natsuki's expression changed somewhat. That did it. Well, almost. She was going to put up one final fight before conceding. "You don't have a job and you got kicked out of school. What could possibly be interfering with your ability to walk to the other side of town?" "Dropped out willingly, Kuga, and you're certainly one to talk about scholastic setbacks," Nao countered. Round one. Fight! "A setback is different from a failure. I actually finished my schooling, thank you." Hadoken! "You finished high school two years late and then did some redneck mechanic class. I got through high school on the honor roll and actually attempted to go to a university." Tiger uppercut! "Yes, well, I can see how school might get in the way of tying men up in dark alleys." Shoryuken! "I can see how work might get in the way of tying up Fujino." Tiger shot! K.O.! Natsuki grimaced and then smacked the wrench against her other hand roughly, gripping it in anger. "Fine! I'll do it. Get out of here, you're distracting me." Nao chuckled. How sweet victory was. Especially when it was against her little rival. "Yes, I know you can't help but marvel at my gorgeous body now that I'm legal. Do try to control yourself." "This wrench is going to be bashing your skull in if you don't get out of here, Nao," Natsuki said with a glare. Her boss was beginning to motion that she should get back to work and stop talking with whatever girl she was seeing this week. Or something like that. Nao gave a final wave and sauntered out the door like nothing was wrong. It wasn't, really. Their bickering was like a normal person's conversation. Inwardly, the pair liked it, though neither would ever admit to it. Natsuki looked back down at the little gadget, noting the duct tape and correctly assuming Haruka had something to do with it. Otome device, eh? She was tempted to pick up the report, but her filthy hands prevented it. She carefully put the device and report into her little locker a room away, and returned to finish work. She only had an hour left to go. At five, she clocked out, and she finally sat down to read the report as the other workers left the garage. It was all technobabble. She did not speak the language at all, unless it referred to engines or transmissions in some way. Not pursuing that venture any further, lest she find herself with a headache, she folded the report and pocketed it. The Otome device was strapped to the end of her bike, and with that, she took off to find the address. A quick stop at a kiosk and a trip to google maps later, she was on her way. It took her about fifteen minutes to reach the area, and another five to actually find the house in question. The place was a well maintained home in the region that she and Shizuru had been thinking of moving to, actually. The gate was unlocked, so she opened it and walked to the door, Otome device in hand. Adjusting it, she freed an arm and knocked on the door. It was dutifully opened a few moments later, but not by Miyu. Instead, Natsuki was greeted by a fourteen year old blonde girl with icy eyes and a demure expression. It changed, but only slightly, after she saw who the visitor was. A kind smile replaced the previous look, and she held the door open wider. Alyssa Searrs, almost all grown up. "Natsuki-san, please come inside!" The blonde teenager retreated indoors, and Natsuki followed, still not quite adjusting to how the other girl had grown. She truly hadn't kept in contact with Miyu or Alyssa much, though that was hardly her fault. Miyu moved frequently and in secret, even refusing to tell the HiMEs her location. Alyssa stood a little taller than Natsuki's shoulder, dressed in a button up and elegant white blouse, her hair cut just around under the jaw line. She walked into a small study where few books and a cup of tea rested on a table. The room looked very Victorian, perhaps a personal preference on Alyssa's part. She hadn't grown up in Japan. She motioned for Natsuki to sit. "Would you like some tea? I have more." No, Natsuki had enough tea at home to last her five lifetimes. She sat down in the offered high backed chair. "That's all right. Is Miyu here?" Alyssa shook her head. "No, she went out for a moment. I needed something for school, so she offered to get it for me. She should be back in a few minutes." The two females fell into an uncomfortable silence, both having trouble finding words. Talking was neither girl's strong suit. It was Natsuki who managed to break the silence, asking a fairly generic follow up question. It was the best she could do, though even with that she stumbled a bit with the words. "So... homework? What are you studying?" "A few subjects for an AP Calculus course. My graphing calculator broke, so Miyu is out fetching another one," Alyssa said with a small shrug, sitting down in the opposing chair and taking a sip of tea. Natsuki nearly dropped her jaw. "AP Calculus? I didn't even take that as a senior. They offer that to students in junior high?" Alyssa shook her head. "I'm at Ritsumeikan University. They made an exception for me since I got high marks on their entrance exams. I'm supposed to be working on one of my final assignments, but the calculator breaking only added to my distraction. Never put a television in your study." Natsuki followed Alyssa's gaze to a small flat screen television mounted on the wall behind her. Standing up, she examined the DVD case resting on a nearby shelf, the movie paused at a place where Natsuki could not recognize it. Upon seeing the case, however, she smirked and even managed a small laugh. How unexpected. "From Russia With Love?" "Yeah," Alyssa replied. "What? You don't approve?" This kid was cool. Not many of the other HiMEs were willing to sit down and watch these kind of movies with her. Possibly Shizuru if Natsuki caught her on a good day. "No, trust me, I approve. I haven't seen any of the movies in ages, but I used to be addicted to Bond when I was younger. But, uh, right, not when you're studying. You got into Ritsu? That's very impressive. I wish I was as gifted in academics. I'm just a working class girl, I suppose." "Thanks. It's a lot of work, though." Alyssa noted that Natsuki had her eyes fixed on the television. A bit distracted, much? "Is this one your favorite, then?" "Huh? Oh, yeah, it is." Why was Natsuki always so jumpy when it came to talking with the youth of Japan? "Do you want to watch it?" Alyssa was practically laughing at the older girl for being so obsessed with the paused image and the DVD case. Natsuki didn't respond at first, but Alyssa moved over and pressed the play button anyway. The scene continued by completing the paused action and then going into the rest of the scene. Natsuki was kind of anxious to see it, but crossed her arms after hearing something she hadn't quite expected. "It's in English." Natsuki did not speak English beyond simple greetings and phrases, thanks to school requirements. Curses. Not even any subtitles. Alyssa laughed. "Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot. I grew up with both languages, so I have DVDs from both regions of the world." Natsuki paused it again. No use if she couldn't understand. "Where were you born, anyway?" "In Japan," Alyssa answered, "but I was frequently abroad, usually in England. Never in public, of course, but in foreign facilities, and had several English-speaking caretakers. I had to attempt to learn the language when I was very young because of that, usually through my own methods. My father liked to keep me moving around, for safety's sake." "Father?" Alyssa smiled bitterly. "The CEO of Searrs, at least during the Carnival. He wasn't my biological father, but was my guardian. One of the only men who was kind to me, until, of course..." Natsuki was dense, but not enough to fail to understand that Alyssa did not want to speak about the foundation that had ordered her to be euthanized. So Natsuki averted her gaze and changed the subject. She could talk to Miyu about the less than pleasant subjects. "You ever been to Germany?" "Once, when I was seven. I went to Berlin for the summer. Why?" She looked rightfully puzzled until something in her mind clicked. She laughed slightly and then smiled, "Oh, you mean to ask about the..." "Autobahn." Natsuki finished, a smirk inadvertently forming on her lips. "I've always wondered what it was like. I'd like to go there someday to just have the chance to ride my bike on it." "I was on it, actually, though I didn't see much. I was young, so it was a bit intimidating at the time, although still fun. Lots of German sports cars racing by at blinding speeds. I'm sure you'd like it." She paused, then, crossing her arms. "Though that reminds me..." "Hm?" Natsuki prodded, still flipping the DVD case in her hands absent mindedly, a force of habit. "No, never mind. It's nothing." Alyssa looked positively flustered, and flipped through her textbook after sitting back down. Apparently she had a similar nervous habit, needed to distract herself. "The Autobahn reminded you of nothing?" Natsuki countered. "Might as well speak up. Too late now." Alyssa looked back up, then fixated her gaze on Natsuki's shoes, not able to look her in the face. "I've been meaning to ask if you would be willing to let me go on a bike ride with you. I like machines and vehicles. It looks fun. If you don't mind, that is." James Bond and motorcycles. Yes, this kid was indeed cool. Natsuki was smiling inwardly, and was now feeling comfortable around the younger girl for the first time. "Yeah, it's fine. I'm not doing anything after this. You want to go for a quick ride after I get done talking with Miyu? Just around the block or something. So not to interfere with your homework." Alyssa smiled, relieved that Natsuki was not upset by the request, and finally looked up at her. "I'd like that!" "Anyway, you should study." "It's rude to do something else while there's a guest in the home," Alyssa protested. Natsuki pointed to the book. "Homework is an exception." "I don't have my graphing calculator." "You can read about theorems or equations or whatever the hell that class is about. Or you can review what you've already done." She was not going to let this kid slack off like she had. There was still hope for the little blonde Searrs prodigy. Unfortunately, she seemed just as stubborn as Natsuki. "I already did that. Turn the movie back on." "No." "Give me the remote, then." "No." Kuga held her arm up as close she could to the ceiling, keeping the remote out of reach. In theory, anyway. Christ, she felt like a ten year old. Alyssa could have easily broke for the actual television, but like any child of the digital age, the remote was the only known device to work anything. So, a friendly fight began. - - - Miyu walked through the door holding a small plastic bag containing a sealed calculator, the exact kind that Alyssa had requested. Her sensitive ‘ears' detected what sounded like a scuffle coming from the study, and Miyu instantly dropped the bag on the floor and raced in to save Alyssa from whoever was attacking her. She flung the door open again and then paused as she saw the scene in front of her, her targeting software registering that the situation was not a hostile quarrel. There she saw a grown woman wrestling with a teenager over the possession of a remote control, both occasionally yelping something in protest. Natsuki had Alyssa in a headlock, but soon found herself pinned to the ground by the fourteen year old, obviously not using her true muscle against the younger girl. Miyu stared at the scene for quite a while before she cleared her throat loudly, Alyssa looking up and then pausing. Natsuki tilted her head back and paused as well. The biker managed to wave. "Hello, Miyu." "Natsuki, a teenager has defeated you in the field of combat. Are you feeling ill?" Miyu asked. "I let her." Natsuki kicked Alyssa off of her and stood up, fixing her jacket. She changed subjects before the situation could grow any worse. "I'm dropping off the device you gave Yukino, complete with her report. Sorry, I don't really know what it says. But I'm sure you can understand." Natsuki removed the piece of paper from her jacket pocket and handed it over. Miyu unfolded it and read it in it's entirety within a few quick seconds. "Indeed. Thank you." She waited for further explanation. It did not come. Both Natsuki and Alyssa looked to each other before turning back. The biker pressed on. "So... what is it? Was it the Emulator?" "No," Miyu replied. "It was a router, so to speak. The Emulator is in a fixed location somewhere, but has a limited global range. These devices allow for remote use of the Otome equipment. They always have one with them during their operations. If you can find it and destroy it during a fight, they will be powerless." Natsuki nodded. "I see. Do you know anything about the Otome? There weren't other girls born into the Valkyrie project, were there?" "There were 142 other fetuses used for the experiment, but none survived. I am not familiar with any other girls in similar projects. I did not have free reign in Searrs, however. Perhaps they Otome project was originally conducted abroad and only now transferred to the Japan facilities." "If you know where the facilities are, I was a list of addresses," Natsuki demanded. Alyssa kept looking between the two of them, feeling a little lost but wanting to be kept inform of what was going on. She was old enough now, surely. Several of the HiMEs had been her age during the Carnival, after all. Miyu paused, contemplating. "I will email them to you." "Thank y-" "Message has been sent." Natsuki nodded slowly. Right. Computer brain. She kept forgetting. "Thank you." "Not a problem. I will now be replying to email inquiries if you send them. With reason, however." Miyu walked back out of the room, Natsuki getting out of her way. She returned a moment later, holding the bag she had originally come in with. She handed it over to Alyssa, who accepted it with a courteous nod. Miyu nodded towards the textbooks. "Please return to your schoolwork, Alyssa-chan." Alyssa shook her head. "If you two are done, then Natsuki said she would take me for a bike ride." "But you have work," Miyu protested. She looked to Natsuki. "How far do you intend to go?" "Just around the block. She can wear my helmet," Natsuki replied. "It won't take long." Miyu seemed to give silent permission, since Alyssa hugged her and then headed towards the door. Natsuki followed her outside and headed towards the bike. She picked her helmet off of the rear seat and then handed it to Alyssa, helping her fasten it and get it properly adjusted to accommodate her. Once secured, she climbed onto the bike, and motioned for Alyssa to follow suit. The girl hopped on, the bike feeling taller than it looked. With a few moments, she seemed to have gotten herself situated. Natsuki pointed where to put her feet, and with Miyu watching from the doorway, Natsuki backed up, then pulled onto the main street. She took it slow at first, but with a verbal command from Alyssa, she sped up a reasonable amount once she hit a desolate straightaway, the girl cheering with delight at the increase in speed. The trip around the block was quick but that was enough for Alyssa apparently. When she returned and entered the driveway. The blonde teen climbed off the bike and returned the borrowed helmet. Miyu had apparently retreated inside while they were gone. "We can go on a longer trip next time," Natsuki promised, sliding the helmet back onto her own head. "Sorry this one was short, but you have work to do." "It was just fine. Thanks, Natsuki onee-sama," Alyssa replied, causing the older girl to scoff at the term. So formal. Natsuki fastened her helmet, smiling a tad bit underneath now that Alyssa could not see. "Miyu has my number. Call me when you don't have finals at that prestigious university of yours, and we'll see about going out, then." Alyssa nodded. "Sure. Have a nice evening. Drive safe." "Bye, kid." Natsuki again backed up the bike and headed onto the street. Instead of just casually driving away, though, seeing that Alyssa was still watching, she decided to showboat. Rapidly hitting the accelerator and leaning back, she popped the bike into a wheelie and stormed down the street at top speed, the engine at a deafening, squealing roar. The neighbors may not have liked it, and while she couldn't see Alyssa, she hoped the display had at least been mildly entertaining. As she drove on, her face fell into a frown. When did she care what younger people thought? She put her game face back on, going back into traditional Kuga-mode. - - - Nao walked down the street in a commercial district of the city, keeping her eyes on the passersby and spending her time people watching. Triumphant due to her victory over Kuga, her step had an extra bounce to it. She passed by a stand selling potato chips and snack foods, grabbing a bag from the stand while the owner was not looking. Tossing a few into her mouth, she continued to glance around, until she ran into a familiar face. Nao had a few buddies she ran with sometimes, hitting bars or causing mayhem, though she was close to none of them. He waved at her, and she was compelled to speak. "Hey, Yuuki. Some of us are going to Blue Heaven. You in?" He asked, referring to a frequent hangout. It was a bar down the street. She shook her head. "I'll take a rain check. Call me tomorrow." "I'll try, that's for sure." He smacked his phone against the wall of the building next to them. "Thing's been acting up lately. So have all my electronics, actually. Guess something's interfering with them. Sun spot, I guess." Nao shrugged. "Whatever. I haven't noticed anything." With the brawler obviously in no mood to talk, her friend excused himself and then headed down the street to the bar he had mentioned. Nao leaned against the building beside her, looping her fingers around the belt holding up her leather pants. There she stood for several long moments. She didn't remember when she had been so into people watching. It probably started with her trying to locate the dredges of society preying on young women, and had progressed into a genuine interest in the behavior of other people. She didn't care about their conversations. She didn't care who they were. She did care, however, about their body language and actions. Something about it was fascinating. And it was during her systematic observation that she noticed a certain someone purchasing something from a nearby stand. Nao squinted. She looked so familiar. Perhaps someone from high school or university? No, that wasn't it. She stood up all the way, not obsessed with finding out who it was. The movements, the way she was speaking, even if she couldn't hear her. Then it hit her. There, standing some odd dozen feet from her and dressed in casual clothes, was Lapis. She was sure of it. So, Nao followed behind the Otome in casual garb. The tall blonde ended up going behind a building and into an alley. Perfect! When the two were alone in the alley, Lapis naturally began to pick up on the sound of Nao's footsteps. She stopped and slowly turned, not even registering that it was Yuuki at first. But Nao held up her hand and waved her fingers, a smirk on her face. "Well, well, even you get a day off every now and then, hm?" Nao asked. Lapis said nothing, dropping the bag containing the item she just purchased. She had a long coat on, and slowly slipped it off from her shoulders, a clear sign of coming aggression. "Yuuki." "Oh, are you going to fight with me?" Nao asked. "My, you'd better watch yourself, then. Last time you tried to take me on, it ended poorly on your part. Unless, of course, you've been practicing." "That," Lapis said, "was without my robe." She tapped her ear and in an instant, she was back in her Otome uniform. She did not yet materialize her bow, however. That was more than enough for Nao to start a fight. It was a stupid move, really. She was taking on a fully powered Otome woman by herself, and no other HiME knew about it. She had no backup, no witnesses to put an end to the fight if it got out of hand, and was fighting the one who hated her the most. She could have been kidnapped or left for dead and no one would ever know. But she was Nao. How could she lose? So, with no hesitation what so ever, she charged forward, extending the blades on her gloves. Lapis grabbed her arm and twisted it behind Nao's back. Nao freed herself a second later with the correct counter, moving in yet again and swinging her arm out to backhand. Lapis blocked the second attack and stepped in, pushing on Nao's arm until she was a few inches away. The redhead nearly spat in her face, but before she could, the Otome began to speak. "We'll see how you manage this time, Yuuki. No promises on me being gentle." "Shame," Nao hissed. Nao pushed herself back and attempted to trip kick the other girl, but the attack failed. Lapis jumped over it and after landing, she lashed out with her arm. Nao batted it away and attempted to counter by throwing her. It didn't work. Lapis stopped herself short and with the robe giving her slightly advanced speed and endurance, she was able to actually land a punch. Her fist sailed into Nao's stomach, and the redhead exhaled sharply as the wind was knocked from her. Crap. One minor setback. She scooted back and fell into a fighting stance again, waving the Otome forward. "Let's see what your made of, bitch!" - - - Next Episode: Nao's duel with Lapis rages on, and she may find herself willing to admit she's bitten off more than she can chew. In the meantime, Shizuru and Mai pay a visit to Fuuka to discuss the latest events with Fumi in hopes of discovering more about the HiME and the Otome's possible mimicry. Akane and Haruka follow a lead on the missing Yukariko, but may find themselves in a bit of danger as well. Episode 1.6: "Recklessness," coming soon. The war's about to erupt.
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