Riho stopped at a park to eat her croquette, deciding she needed to breath some fresh air or else she might someday end up like Ikue Airu-san. She watched the birds picking about for crumbs nearby and people playing in the distance. In the peace, her mind forgot a lot of her mundane pressing issues and drifted back to her usual thoughts as a Magical Girl of Priripon. Yes, her mission. She had to defeat that Mazoku before they did something. She didn't know what they might do, but she had been taught that Mazoku brought misfortune and terror wherever they went, and therefore needed to be exterminated. She only let that one go because they were being cowardly, hiding among people and hanging out in places where she couldn't openly make any moves!
Just as she reached this self-gratifying spiral of thought, a ball came rocking towards her!
Riho caught it with one hand, and on instinct threw it back at whoever had sent it flying.
“Ah-” she had put in far too much force, the unfortunate target took the ball to the face and was promptly knocked to the ground, the ball spun in the air for a second longer before dealing the final blow into their gut. The boy, a teenager by the looks, groaned while his friends gathered around him in shock. Riho felt a little bad, but he'd be fine. Probably. She decided to make her way out of the park, but when she turned around, she found a small boy staring at her with stars in his eyes.
“Onee-chan you're strong!”
Riho froze up, in Priripon she had never interacted with any male creatures, but part of Magical Girl training had them raised to be role models before all children. This conflicted with her severe desire to flee from the group of highschoolers who would probably want an explanation as to why their friend had just been assassinated with a soccer ball.
She heard a loud groan of confusion from that direction. Oh good, he was still alive after all. Not that she had been worried, she had perfect control over her strength. Mm.
Finally, her desire to appeal to the young one before her won out and she gave him a charming smile.
“That's right, maybe someday you will be too.”
“Really!?”
“Only if you're well behaved and work hard! It took me a long time to get this far.”
The child's eyes narrowed for a moment, as though contemplating something.
“Did he do something wrong?” he asked innocently.
Riho felt like she'd been stabbed.
“N-no...Th-that was just how we play!” she said, doing her best to be convincing.
“Ooh! So you've played with them before!”
She almost doubled over.
“Um, no...Today was the first time...”
“I thought so! This is the first time I've met you! Even though I play here all the time!” the child said, spreading his arms wide.
Riho felt a little relieved, it seemed as though she might be close to getting off the hook.
The little boy suddenly looked upset, “Oh...but mommy says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers...”
Riho was on all fours, she struggled back to her feet and gave him the best smile she could manage in that state, “I'm not a stranger. I'm Riho!”
The boy seemed only half convinced, but didn't run off just yet.
Riho decided to use her secret weapon, magic.
“Here, I'll show you something cool!” she said as she conjured a luminescent flower. It scattered its petals and dispersed into light.
The boy was entranced, “Are you a magician!?”
Riho put a finger to her lips and winked mysteriously, “That's a secret.”
“Onee-chan you're cool!”
It seemed she'd successfully revived the sparkle in his eyes. She inwardly sighed with relief.
“So, did you come to the park to play?” she asked.
“Mm! But there wasn't anyone to play with, and mom was busy talking with her friends so I came over here.”
“I see, did you find anything fun to do?”
“Hmm, not really. Just watching the older kids play soccer. But then, but then! Riho-nee, you did that cool thing! You caught it like Whack! Then threw it like WHOOSH!!”
“Ah,” she drew a breath and laughed nervously, “I sure did...”
“Gentaaa!” a worried sounding voice from a distance away called.
“Ah, that's my mom!” said the boy.
“Oh, sounds like she's looking for you,” Riho said, with the intention of finally disentangling herself from the situation, but Genta grabbed her hand and began pulling her towards the voice. Unable to bear the thought of hurting the small child's feelings, Riho went along.
“Mom, I made a friend! She's a magician! Probably!”
Riho smiled awkwardly as she was half dragged towards Genta's mother.
“Oh, thank you for looking after him, I hope he wasn't a bother!” the woman said.
“Oh no, he was very well behaved,” Riho replied politely.
“Her name's Riho, and she can do magic!” Genta said in the quick and excited way children do.
“I'm sure she can!” his mother casually blew him off in the way parents do, “It's about time we headed home.”
“Aww!”
“I'm sure we'll meet again, this is a nice park,” Riho offered, she genuinely felt this way. Though in the future she thought she would be more alert to her surroundings.
“Thank you again, Genta, you too.”
“Thanks Riho-nee!”
“N-no problem!” she smiled and watched them go. She stretched and decided to go home herself. It had been a long day.
Meanwhile...
Kikyo opened the door after hearing a knock. It was early in the morning, and she had just woken up. Standing outside was Nagi, and beside her a young girl no more than eight years old.
“Good morning Kikyo.”
“Eh? Oh, good morning Nagi-san...Is that a relative?” Kikyo asked, indicating the little girl.
“You could say that. This is Washika Komomo, I'd like you to look after her for today until I find another sitter.”
“Oh...Okay,” Kikyo opened the door a little wider.
Nagi raised her eyebrows, “That was awfully easy, I thought you might take more convincing.”
“Hmm, well you've already done a lot for me. That and I don't mind kids. Though I do worry about running out of things for her to do...”
The little girl stepped towards Kikyo, holding up a bag full of various toys, coloring books, and other things small children tend to carry around or have carried around for them.
“I brought fun stuff!” Komomo said proudly.
Kikyo smiled warmly at her, crouching to meet her at eye level “Oh! That's great!” she looked back up at Nagi, “I think we'll be alright then.”
Nagi gave her a half grin, “I'll have Kanaki-san bring something around lunch time if I can't. But if it takes either of us too long to come back just give her whatever you can spare.”
“Got it! You can leave it to me!”
Nagi chuckled, “Then I shall. Good day, Komomo-chan, be a good girl!”
Komomo nodded forcefully, and with that Nagi left on her own business, whatever it may have been.
Kikyo led Komomo inside, making her way towards the only real piece of furniture outside of the simple wooden television stand in the apartment, namely her bed.
Komomo stopped at the entrance-way, jaw agape.
“Onee-chan, your house is so small! And empty!”
“I just started living here, it can't be helped,” Kikyo said shaking her head exaggeratedly.
The little girl followed her, climbing up onto the bed to sit next to her.
“So what do you want to do?” Kikyo asked.
“Hmm...I know! Let's color!” Komomo exclaimed, and began pulling a coloring book out of her bag.
Kikyo examined the cover, it bore the image of a cute lizard with humongous eyes and a round body. The inside cover had a sticker sheet built into it, and the book was full of blank outlines of similarly exaggeratedly cute animals.
“This little guy's pretty cute, does he have a name?” Kikyo asked.
“Toto-kun! He's the leader! And this is Mehmeh-chan,” she indicated a sheep-like character, “And this is Gaoga-kun,” this one resembled a tiger, “and lastly Kumaguma-san, he's my favorite!” this one was a bear. Oddly, it was a little less distorted than the rest, and had strangely sharp claws. At least so Kikyo thought, and thinking on it that was the only one that Komomo had used -san instead of -chan or -kun for. Choosing to ignore these idiosyncrasies, Kiyko asked.
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“Wow, how many friends does Toto-kun have?”
“A whole lot!” Komomo looked proud, “I can name them all!”
“Impressive! So can you tell me how to color this one?” Kikyo asked pointing to the page next to the page Komomo seemed to have decided upon.
For a while the two colored in relative quiet, Komomo occasionally giving Kikyo advice on how to bring out the characters' best qualities.
Eventually, the little girl grew fidgety and tired of coloring.
“Onee-chan can we do something else now?” Komomo asked.
Kikyo stretched, her back popping from the rather uncomfortable position she had taken to color the page next to Komomo's.
“Hmm, do you like games?”
Komomo looked around excitedly, “You have games?!”
Kikyo retrieved the two controllers she had received alongside the S4ND 7. Komomo looked at it suspiciously.
“I've never seen one like that before...” she said.
“Eh?” Kikyo replied, “Is it like, a really old system then?”
Komomo, seemingly emboldened by Kikyo's lack of knowledge took a controller, “I don't know!”
It took Kikyo several panicked moments to figure out how to turn on the television and console at the same time, and make sure all the wires were in the right place. Thankfully, Nagi had helped her set it up when they had gotten back the day before, so Kikyo really just had to check that the television and console were properly plugged into the wall.
'Here everything runs on electricity, even if it seems like a magical tool at first. Electricity is routed through these holes in the wall, to continue the magic item analogy, to keep an item supplied with magic, you need to make sure the tether attached to it is firmly in that hole,' Nagi had explained before leaving for the night. Thanks to that, Kikyo had attained a general understanding of most electronic items, most importantly, her new cellphone.
Komomo looked surprised at the menu of the game, “I know this one! But...the one I know is prettier...”
“Eh?! They make games that look prettier than this?”
“Mm! But since this one is Onee-chan's it's the prettiest!”
Kikyo felt herself smile, “You little flatterer! It's not like I made it...but thank you very much!”
Kikyo's excitement however was soon turned to surprise, and then vexation, as Komomo proceeded to defeat her 3-1.
“H-how did you get so good?!”
Komomo giggled, “I'm not as good as my brother, Onee-chan you're just weak!”
“I can't let that stand! Let's go again!” Kikyo said desperately.
“Hee hee hee, bring it on!” Komomo laughed pompously.
A couple hours later, Kikyo had begun to pull closer to victory, but they were still tied 2-2 when there was a knock on the door. Only then did the two realize how hungry they were.
“Coming!” Kikyo called, and made her way to the door. Maji was waiting with several large restaurant bags.
“I wasn't sure what you liked, and I haven't gotten your contact info yet so I did my best, I hope it's not too much,” he said with a sheepish grin.
“Aw, thank you so much Maji-san! Don't worry, I'm not that picky. I'm not sure about Komomo-chan though. For now come inside!”
Maji stepped inside and looked around, noticing the game system.
“Oh wow, A S4ND 7! You have good taste!”
“Eh? Oh, really?” replied a flustered Kikyo.
Komomo puffed out her chest, “But it is I who hold the title of victor,” she said magnanimously, mimicking a line the character she mained said.
Maji grinned, “Hoh? After lunch let's have a match then, if Sorane-chan says it's okay.”
“Oh, it's fine! Please do!” Kikyo said quickly, intrigued by Maji's confidence.
“Alright!” he exclaimed then turned to Komomo, “The darkness awaits, and I am its messenger!” mimicking the pose and line of another character in the game.
Komomo looked dramatically upset, “Keh! A user of the Dark Hand!”
Then her stomach let out a loud grumble.
Maji smiled, “Well, before we get to that we'd better take care of this!”
Kikyo meanwhile had been sorting through the bags, finding things she liked and things that seemed palatable for a girl Komomo's age. Once she had sorted them the three sat down on the edge of her bed, as it was still the only place raised off of the floor. Maji and Komomo likely wouldn't have minded sitting on the floor, but Kikyo as the host wanted to provide at some sense of luxury, even if it was even less than superficial.
Kikyo let Maji and Komomo pick out what they wanted to eat first, though Maji tried to let her do so.
“No no, I'll end up eating all of it! You think that's a joke, but the food here is dangerous!”
“Here?” Maji asked innocently.
“Er...In this country!”
“Oh, I'm sorry! You sound so natural I'd forgotten you were a foreigner!”
“Ah ha ha...” was all Kikyo could manage for a response. She shoved the meal of choice into his hands, “I-if it's not too much trouble, could I save a few of these for dinner?”
Maji took interest in the way she phrased the question but replied simply, “Of course!”
Kikyo stowed several away in the refrigerator and returned to the bed. For a while they chatted as they ate, then Maji seeing Komomo was also done reissued his challenge. The eager little girl accepted and their showdown began!
As they did so, Kikyo watched intrigued, barely noticing that she still hadn't finished. Not that she was slower than the other two, but somehow she had ended up with quite a large meal. It was delicious so she wasn't about to complain, but she felt her clothes might in the near future.
Round one, Komomo led with a fierce combo. The same one that had frustrated Kikyo. However, Maji was a different beast. Unlike the constantly experimenting and character-switching newbie Kikyo, he too had a proper main. He blocked the final hit and went in with a counter. He followed it with practiced timing, and set up a short combo of his own, backing off before Komomo could benefit from a counter or special.
Maji won 3-1 against the child. Komomo looked up at him with puffed out cheeks, “Onii-san, are you really going all out against a little kid?”
“Little kids only call themselves kids when it suits them!” he countered.
“That's not very grown up of you,” Kikyo said flatly through a burger.
“You too Sorane-chan?! Even though I was fighting for your dignity...”
“Then I'll go next, to fight for Komomo-chan's dignity!” she said with a playful smirk.
“You're on!” Maji said with a grin.
“Get 'em Onee-chan!” Komomo cheered.
Kikyo had a tough time escaping Maji's combos, but Maji had a hard time reading Kikyo. Her movements were still amateur, but on top of that she had the quirks of someone who hadn't played many games which made it nearly impossible to predict her strategy. In the end, they were at a draw.
“I've never seen anyone play like that,” said Maji, scratching his head and taking a look at his watch, “Unfortunately it's time for me to head back to work, we'll have to pick this up another time.”
“That's a promise!” said Kikyo, determined to get better.
“Of course,” he gathered his things, and headed to the door, “See you again, Sorane-chan, Komomo-chan!”
The two waved goodbye then sat quietly for a moment. Komomo leaned up against Kikyo, who yawned.
“What do you say we take an afternoon nap?”
“Mm,” was the simple reply she got.
Komomo was awakened by a loud gurgling sound she looked around, and then realized it was Kikyo, who was still fast asleep. She looked out the window and saw the sun was setting, so she tried waking Kikyo.
“Onee-chan?”
“Mm...those clouds aren't...”
“Onee-chan.”
Kikyo's eyes popped open and she bolted upright, Komomo barely moved out of the way in time.
“Cotton Candy! Er...Eh? What was I dreaming again...?”
“You're awake!”
“Oh, sorry! Did I make you wait?”
“Not for too long. What kind of dream were you having, Onee-chan?”
“Hmm...I forgot already. I remember it being in the sky though...”
“The sky?”
“Nevermind,” Kikyo said just as her belly launched into a series of complaints.
Komomo giggled, and Kikyo's face reddened, “Onee-chan must still be growing!”
Kikyo grimaced, “Sideways maybe...”
Komomo offered some encouragement, “I'm getting hungry again too, it must be close to dinnertime!”
Kikyo smiled ruefully and rustled Komomo's hair, “I see, well I'll bring out the stuff I saved then!”
After they'd eaten Komomo brought a sketchbook out of her bag.
“Onee-chan, draw me a picture!”
“Eh? A-alright...I'll give it a shot,” the truth was Kikyo liked to draw, and did so quite a bit back in Makai. If you were to ask her if she was good at it, though she would probably just laugh nervously and say it was a hobby. She was by no means bad, but she felt in some ways that the amount of time she had been drawing should have yielded better results than what she was currently able to produce.
“What do you want me to draw?” she asked, fearing the typical answer that every artist is asked, 'draw me!' She was instead surprised, though perhaps she shouldn't have been.
“Draw Toto-kun! Pleaaase!”
“Very well, I'll do what I can!” Kikyo said, and began to sketch the lizard in her own style. It was still rather simple, and the vector of cute had changed entirely in her opinion, but she was still proud of it. Komomo looked on ecstatically, stars practically popping out of her eyes.
Soon after there was a knock at the apartment door, Nagi had returned to take Komomo home.
“So, how was it?” she asked Komomo.
“I had so much fun! I wanna come play again sometime!”
“Please do, I had a great time as well!” Kikyo said, feeling warm at heart.
“Well, then it's time I got you home for the day, your mother is waiting after all.”
Komomo hugged Kikyo before following Nagi down the balcony corridor. Kikyo smiled as she watched them go, this was one of the best days she'd had in a while.
As she stood lost in thought, Maji came up the stairs, his face falling back to a neutral expression from a smile just before catching sight of her. Upon seeing her, his face lit up again.
“Good evening Sorane-chan, or should I say hello again?”
“Maji-san! Good evening, thanks for your help this afternoon.”
His smile widened, “Don't worry about it, I had a lot of fun too!”
“But you need to let me repay you sometime...I um....” she trailed off, embarrassed.
“It's really no problem, conversely, I'm glad to be of assistance if I can be!” the light in his eyes died and he looked down to the side, even though he was still smiling his voice was deadpan, “Even though I work like anyone else I don't really have any goals or plans. I'm making more than enough to take care of myself but I can't say I have any major hobbies...”
Kikyo felt she'd just touched some of the darkness in Maji's heart, but it was reassuring to know it wasn't a burden on him.
“Well, if you really don't mind I'd like to do it again sometime...”
A sparkle of hope reappeared in Maji's eyes.
“Of course, of course! Even if it were just the two of us I'd-” his face turned pink as he realized the potential conclusion that statement could lead to.
Kikyo on the other hand was either particularly dense, or intensely pure, as she took no such implications.
“Would you? That would be nice!” Kikyo replied innocently, thinking, well actually not thinking at all really.
“Ah but...if I eat out too much I really will grow sideways...” she said, prodding her abdomen.
Maji chuckled, “You're probably right,” he yawned, “Oh, sorry...Guess I'm more tired than I thought. I'll see you tomorrow Sorane-chan.”
It was Kikyo's turn to chuckle, “Very well, good night Maji-san! Have a good day at work tomorrow!”
“Thanks! You rest well too!” were his last words before closing the door to his room.
“Guess I'll turn in for the night too,” Kikyo smiled contentedly, surely nothing would disrupt her life here, the Magical Girl Riho hadn't found her yet either!