Day 44: Sun Room (4th Shift)

[mizuhomaiden]

As soon as she had the chance, Sheena ninja'd herself out of the cafeteria and away from the conversation she'd been semi-forced to have. She probably could have just clammed up and told the boys to go away, but she'd kind of owed at least Endrance some kind of explanation. It wasn't everyday the embodiment of darkness pops up and delivers a

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[mizuhomaiden]

Sheena shot Soubi a glare. "Well, yeah, I did. I really, really like it when she kisses me like that," she retorted. "Who wouldn't with skill like that?" It was just... intimidating

[mizuhomaiden]

"Well, it's not like you and I have hung out together recently," Sheena replied to Soubi, her face still red as the two exchanged pleasantries in the form of continued ninja teasing. "And don't encourage her," she added on poking Soubi in the ribs with the toes of her slippers.

Persistence. The youkai knew what she was talking about. It had taken quite a bit of continued effort on Yukari's part to get Sheena to where they'd been the previous night. In fact, at those words, Sheena gave a groan that sounded terribly close to a whine.

"Have I told you recently that I hate you?" After asking the youkai that, Sheena moved the arm from covering her eyes, letting the limb fall to rest in the youkai's lap.

"Hey, Yukari, where's my ribbon?"

[beloved_less]

"Ah, but of course. Persistence," he nodded, sagely, watching Sheena.

Soubi sat up and smiled to Sheena. "Well, it's time I went and left you girls alone. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Soubi stood up, gave Yukari and nod and paused, before looking to Sheena again.

"If you ever need to talk again, you know where I am."

[mind_the_sukima]

"Oh, are we back to that now?" said the youkai, chuckling. Her face actually turned thoughtful at the question. She knew the ribbon in question, but...

"No idea," she replied with a shrug. "Why, it wasn't in your room?"

Yukari gave the man a little wave at his nod, smirking. She had a feeling "what Soubi wouldn't do" was a looser definition than Sheena would care for it to be.

[mizuhomaiden]

For the briefest of moments, Sheena gave Soubi a pleading look, not sure if she wanted to be left alone with Yukari at that moment, but it quickly shifted to a resigned look. "Yeah, yeah, I'll keep that in mind. And... thanks. For helping me figure that... thing out. "The ninja's cheeks colored just a bit. "I'll poke you tomorrow so we can talk about our mutually stupid ideas."

She gave the man a nervous laugh and a nod when he took his leave. She then gave the youkai a wary look now that it was just the two of them in that grouping of chairs, yet she did not move from the floor. Well, she'd intended on staying there, but then Yukari answered her question.

Half sitting up, a semi-panicked look entered the ninja's eyes. "You don't know? Yukari, it wasn't in my room and I practically tore my room apart looking for it. You have to have it. Have to."

[mind_the_sukima]

Yukari leaned back at the ninja's sudden reaction, surprised by her emotion. So the ribbon was something important, was it?

"Now, now, I'm sure it'll turn up," she attempted to placate the ninja. "I can take a look around tonight..." She had been holding the ribbon when the night ended, as far as she remembered, so it wouldn't be surprising if it ended up with her things. "Is it important?"

It probably had sentimental value... much like the bell hanging from the ninja's neck, which Yukari had yet to ask about. She recalled hearing its light jingling the previous night.

[mizuhomaiden]

"It better be there," Sheena replied, flopping back down with a heavy sigh, though there was nothing in the words to indicate it was meant to be a threat. "My grandfather gave it to me. So, yeah, it is."

She reached back to finger the red ribbon currently in her hair. "Apparently you left this one behind or I missed it when I gathered them up for Raine. The nurse found it for me and thought it was what I was looking for," she said. "It feels weird; it's too long. But I'm going to keep using it until we find mine, ok?"

[mind_the_sukima]

Her grandfather again, huh? That explained why she cared so much about the ribbon.

"Oh?" said Yukari, tilting her head curiously to get a better look at the ribbon Sheena was wearing. "I think it looks good on you!" Sheena was already violet, so adding a splash of red just appealed more to Yukari's taste in colors; this way she had both borders of the visible light spectrum covered.

"Are you busy tonight, or should I just hand it to you tomorrow?" asked the youkai. It occurred to her that she'd been monopolizing the ninja's nights lately, which, while not necessarily a problem, threatened to become... regular. Normal. Boring. Routine was something Yukari avoided, other than sleeping. Unfortunately she hadn't bothered getting the room numbers of fun people like Tyki or Luxord...

[mizuhomaiden]

"You do?" The ninja touched the ribbon again. Well, if it did, maybe she'd put up with wearing it a little longer once she got her own ribbon back.

"I'm going raiding tonight - need to get stuff," Sheena replied. "I'll stop by and get it from you if you..." The ninja swallowed and she averted her eyes. "... don't try to trap me in your room or... distract me. Or something."

Yeah. Something

[mind_the_sukima]

Yukari giggled at the ninja's caveat.

"Oh, would I ever do something like that?" she said with a smile that said, yes, yes she would do something like that in half a heartbeat if she thought it would be fun. Which she did. "I wasn't aware you were so easily distractable." Another blatant lie.

[mizuhomaiden]

Sheena shot the youkai a glare, knowing full well Yukari was capable of such a thing and would so do it if she wanted to. She then closed her eyes and sighed.

"Fine, just don't distract me too much. I really do have stuff to get tonight, and I have absolutely no idea where my willpower went to lately," she told the devious youkai.

[mind_the_sukima]

"All right, all right," the youkai relented. Probably. "I'll be waiting then."

Relaxing and sprawling out on the floor next to the ninja, Yukari stared at the ceiling aimlessly.

"So what's the bell?" she asked, even though she had a fair idea. Hopefully the ninja wasn't too hurt about the subject by now; she had seemed to be in fairly good spirits today.

[mizuhomaiden]

"It was Corrine's," Sheena replied, her voice quiet and eyes still closed. "I bought it for him with some money I scraped together in Meltokio when we were both at the Laboratory and had finally forged our pact."

"Normally, the spirit extends the summoner something physical as the Proof of Pact, but he was young and I was young and I always did have a hard time sticking to tradition. Besides, I thought he'd like it."

And he did.

[mind_the_sukima]

Yukari giggled at Sheena's story, though her amusement was light and warm, not the dark mischievousness it usually held. It was cute hearing that kind of not-quite love story of such innocence. Getting Ran to be her shikigami had been an entirely different affair.

"This whole pact thing sounds kind of involved, but how much is just a formality?" asked Yukari curiously, moving the subject away from Corrine specifically. If Sheena had just sort of ignored, or rather, reversed this Proof of Pact thing, then was it really, on a technical level, an integral part of the magic? Even in, or especially in, arcane powers, a lot of ritualistic baggage often accumulated.

[mizuhomaiden]

Sheena thought about that as she laced her fingers behind her head, eyes opening to look up at the ceiling. There was a lot that she'd originally thought was required, but after Gnome she realized how much of that was just ceremony. It didn't mean she was going to be deviating too much. Habits were habits for a reason and when one was taught a specific way to do things, it was harder not to do them.

"Well, Corinne was a little different than the Great Spirits, because of what he was, but the essentials that the magic require is the Request, the Test, the Vow and the Acceptance - the Proof of Pact is part of that," Sheena replied. "I'd always thought the Trial was required, but I don't recall feeling my magic activate during that stage at any time, so I think it's just there to deter summoners that weren't truly dedicated."

She sighed. "Let me tell you, those damn trials really suck. Some are scarier than others and I almost died several times." Like in the Temple of Lightning. The ninja shuddered at the memory.

[mind_the_sukima]

Request? Test? Vow? Acceptance? It definitely sounded like there was a certain amount of ceremony that was necessary, but it made sense: that's what most incantations were. Not all tradition was for tradition's sake. The spellcard system a case in point.

"Hmm, how interesting," Yukari murmured, eyes closing as she considered what this meant in light of what she suspected of the ninja. "And just what sort of trials have you had to go through?"

It's a trial. Of her guts. The youkai chuckled at the recollection.