Flight of the Swift Warrior

A clattering came from the cafe, followed shortly by a sharp curse.

Yoshimitsu stood at the back counter, her wooden sword in her hands and a broken coffee pot tumbling onto the floor.

“Infernal Western contraption…!”

With a harrumph, she sheathed her sword and slid her small container of matcha farther down the counter. Precisely how she was expected to work with these blasted things she couldn’t say. Perhaps it was a nice gesture for the school to reserve the resort for their class alone, but the greatly reduced waitstaff was helping nothing. She hadn’t seen so much as a custodian thus far.

As she sorted through the cabinets for something more useful, she heard footsteps. Whirling immediately, she drew her sword and flashed it under the approacher’s chin. Once she recognized them, she only lowered the sword an inch.

“Oh. It’s you.”

“I see the kitchen appliances are still a hinderance for you, Yoshi-chan.”

Hanami offered playfully despite the sword at her throat, glancing over to give the broken pot a look over; it was beyond her fixing, that was for sure. Unsure of how to help, Hanami simply placed Hangaku down on the nearest surface and softly moved the sword with her finger,

“I don’t see how they could be anything but a hindrance to anyone.” She sighed and glanced over her shoulder. “Anyone foolish enough to traipse around barefoot without so much as a glance at the ground deserves to trod on glass, but you may do as you wish.”

She stepped back, glancing around for a broom, but there wasn’t one in sight.

The mountain provided so few actives for anyone to do, Eri had little interest in talking to any of the other students and stood outside instead. The area leading to the ski lift was devoid of people, Eri walked over to the edge and looked down, it sure was a steep slope.

“I’m actually stuck here…” She sat down in the snow with her legs dangling over the edge. “Well…could be worse” Eri grabbed a handful of snow and looked at it “Hm…”

“I believe someone neglected to watch the safety video.”

Yoshimitsu folded her arms, her toes freezing as she walked over in her geta.

“Ah, pointless sass now, is it?” Yoshimitsu brandished her sword, cutting two clean arcs through the air before holding it out ready for more. “You may appreciate your freedom, but I suggest you don’t tell me to ‘shut up.’ “

She watched the free-falling snowman with a raised eyebrow. “I suppose transiency is a key quality of some arts.”

She gave a small hum before tugging her clothes more tightly around her.

The mountain provided so few actives for anyone to do, Eri had little interest in talking to any of the other students and stood outside instead. The area leading to the ski lift was devoid of people, Eri walked over to the edge and looked down, it sure was a steep slope.

“I’m actually stuck here…” She sat down in the snow with her legs dangling over the edge. “Well…could be worse” Eri grabbed a handful of snow and looked at it “Hm…”

“I believe someone neglected to watch the safety video.”

Yoshimitsu folded her arms, her toes freezing as she walked over in her geta.

Eri sat down on one of the benches at the park near her house, she looked at her bandaged wrist and the bruise on her leg. “Maybe they’ll be happier when they return” She turned her attention to the kids playing, she wanted to join in but part of her decided against it. “I’d just make things worse or get yelled at for messing up…”

“Balls are for little babies!” she declared, pushing it out of the other’s hands. It was at this point she seemed to notice Eri’s wounds. Pepiko went quiet for a moment before looking at her face with wide eyes.

“S-Sorry…” She hid her bandaged arm behind her back. “I guess you can say that…. I lost and spent a long time in a dark dark room for losing…. ”

“Whelp!” she screeched at the other girl, though Penelope didn’t seem to be paying attention to her anymore. Thrusting her little fists down, she scowled up at Timaeus.

“She hurt me!” Frowning hard, she pulled up the bottom of her shirt. “Look, I’m bleeding!”

She squinted up at the other kid and huffed. “I don’t need no bannaiz! I’m stronger than that! Hyah!”

There was a very small, very excited child running around the playground. He looked to be trying to get the attention of anyone willing to listen. He had something grasped in his hand as he ran, only a bit of string giving any indication as to what it was that he was holding. He began climbing up a small ladder leading to a platform with several slides, looking to see if there was anyone up there. Apparently, he wasn’t paying enough attention, as he bumped heads with someone already on the platform when he jumped off the top rung of the ladder. 

He stopped for a moment, trying to process the sudden impact. It seemed that he was about to start crying - but instead, he grinned at the person in front of him. He held up the object again - it was a necklace of sorts. He was practically bouncing up and down as he started talking. 

“E-Evildoer!” Huffing and puffing, she pushed and pulled herself back to her feet and squinted at the boy. “Your necklace doesn’t work on me! Haha!”

His speech seemed a bit limited. To be fully honest, he didn’t even know what an ‘evildoer’ was yet. He had only started talking two years ago, and that was a pretty big word for a six year old. He placed the necklace in his hand, and held it out to Yoshi again. He hoped that she would look at it this time. He started to explain as best he could.

“My mama and papa got it for my birthday! It’s, uh, a thingy, a, uh, uh…oh!! It’s a, uhm, a 'Star of David’, mama says. 'Cause, we’re a thing called Jewish, see?”

Sure enough, the silver charm was in the shape of a hexagram. Hoshi grinned again, bouncing. He was really excited to show people his necklace, and also make it clear to Yoshi that he wasn’t whatever the heck an 'evildoer’ was.

Eri sat down on one of the benches at the park near her house, she looked at her bandaged wrist and the bruise on her leg. “Maybe they’ll be happier when they return” She turned her attention to the kids playing, she wanted to join in but part of her decided against it. “I’d just make things worse or get yelled at for messing up…”

“Balls are for little babies!” she declared, pushing it out of the other’s hands. It was at this point she seemed to notice Eri’s wounds. Pepiko went quiet for a moment before looking at her face with wide eyes.

There was a very small, very excited child running around the playground. He looked to be trying to get the attention of anyone willing to listen. He had something grasped in his hand as he ran, only a bit of string giving any indication as to what it was that he was holding. He began climbing up a small ladder leading to a platform with several slides, looking to see if there was anyone up there. Apparently, he wasn’t paying enough attention, as he bumped heads with someone already on the platform when he jumped off the top rung of the ladder. 

He stopped for a moment, trying to process the sudden impact. It seemed that he was about to start crying - but instead, he grinned at the person in front of him. He held up the object again - it was a necklace of sorts. He was practically bouncing up and down as he started talking. 

“E-Evildoer!” Huffing and puffing, she pushed and pulled herself back to her feet and squinted at the boy. “Your necklace doesn’t work on me! Haha!”

Timaeus sat cross-legged under a tree, nose deep in yet another Magic Treehouse book. He’d read the series twice through already of course, but that wasn’t going to stop him– he just adored the concept! Why couldn’t he be the one traveling across time and space, going on magical adventures and learning about history and science and literature and everything? Instead he was stuck keeping an eye on his little sister at the… playground… wait, where did she go?

He sprang up to his feet, marking his place in the book with a cool leaf he’d found, and scanned the area, just in time to watch helplessly as Penelope charged headfirst into some hapless child and bowled them both over. He sprinted over frantically to help them both up.

“Whelp!” she screeched at the other girl, though Penelope didn’t seem to be paying attention to her anymore. Thrusting her little fists down, she scowled up at Timaeus.

“She hurt me!” Frowning hard, she pulled up the bottom of her shirt. “Look, I’m bleeding!”

He had finally found his balance by the time they reached the main room, but by then the two of them were already slowing to a stop. While he scanned the room, Yoshimitsu’s words bounced around in his mind—you are a waste of time. The recollection pulled from him a resigned note of laughter. As far as Azaki was concerned, her assessment was accurate.

“I see—” She cut off as Azaki suddenly began waving.

Once they were both inside, the counsellor pulled the door shut. He peered down at his fingers, beet red and dry from the cold, and found he could scarcely bend them. With a quiet, unbidden whimper, Azaki tucked them back under his arms and willed them to thaw faster.

“I respect the living as well,” he said, tilting his head. As far as he was concerned, he hadn’t show anything but respect to his classmates, but perhaps someone as serious as Yoshimitsu had higher standards. Though he was still a little perplexed, he decided to let it go.

“Where would you like to start?” He offered his classmate a warm smile. “We could try—” Azaki’s eyes shot open and suddenly he understood her remark. It was suggestions like ‘let’s investigate the girls’ barracks’ and encountering Yoshimitsu with a thong in his hand that must have coloured her perception of him.

“...”

At his sudden retreat into obvious cowardice, she withdrew her weapon long enough to smack him in the gut.

She stared down at the smaller student, ignoring the pointless puppet.

“B-Bi-Biz i-is d-dead…!!”

“Were you acquainted with her, Watari-no-ji?”