[AQ] Empty Hearts and Broken Souls [Miuna/Demi/X-MOD]

[Miuna]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}
DEAD HEARTS

You managed to get an OR Line Pass, and you decide to ignore the warnings and take a day trip over to West Oto.

+ Investigate the rival school: +2 Guardians, +3 Faberge, -4 Roost

+ Have an encounter with the Egg Hunters: -3 Guardians, +2 Faberge, +3 Roost

+ Get into a fight with the Egg Hunters: -3 Guardians, -2 Faberge, +2 Roost

Requirements: Tag X-mod for Egg Hunter encounter, Tag Admin for investigation path. Requires OR Line Pass to begin.

It was to be expected that one of the strongest fighter in Seiyo head out to check the newest OR Line.  She'd heard the news, learned to cope, and had hopefully moved on from the dark place her heart was in.  She didn't want to dwell over all the lost eggs she'd missed in her fighting and this new group of delinquents.  If there was anything, anything that could help her defeat this new group of troublemakers then she was willing to try it out.

Standing at the train station, Akiyama Miuna faced the empty railway with her phone in one hand and the OR Line pass in the other.  There was a stiffness to her posture and as the sounds of a train whistle were heard in the distance she straightened up even further.  These events all traced back to the same place.  She'd heard about the girl in the hospital and learned what school she was from.  Now that the train was back open, she'd have to fight these people.  She had to beat them to the chase.

She couldn't afford to lose anyone else. 

Still, she sighed as she looked at the train pass in her hands.  They had already breached her school.  Would she be able to do the same?

Demi

[Demi]

It was mostly curiosity that brought Demi to the OR Line... curiosity from rumors that had been whispered among students, something about a group going around breaking heart's eggs. If there was anything Demi disliked, it was bullies... and to her, this group reeked of them. Who did they think they were anyway?

As she came over to the railway, she noticed something... another student. She recognized her... but from where? Ah- that's right. Akiyama Miuna. She'd seen the first year not only once, but a few times. They were in archery club together. Quietly, she approached the other girl, moving to stand next to her... quiet for a moment as she stared at the railway, waiting for the train. She heard the whistle already, but the train hadn't arrived yet.

"Where are you headed?" She suddenly spoke up, glancing over to Miuna. Encore, Demi's guardian character, was hidden in her hair for now, chilling on her shoulder/neck. The sprite didn't feel the need to look around yet... and she was oddly quiet. Usually, the character was very animated and loud and... honestly, obnoxious. But not today. No, she'd heard the rumors, too, and she was focusing all of her energy on her anger.

[Miuna]

The tension had barely eased from her shoulders as she heard the train approaching, instead jolting up from the voice behind her. She'd been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't even heard the other girl approach. Just her luck too - she hadn't called anyone to come with her for a reason. If these guys were the same ones she'd dealt with before than they'd be dangerous. She had no intention of getting anyone else hurt during this whole mess, especially not with her heart being so delicate.

Looking over the girl, she felt a nagging irritation in the back of her head from looking all the way up at her face, sensing her guardian character hatched and hiding somewhere. Turning off her Egg Sense to save her strength, Miuna turned back to the railway. She'd changed out of her school clothes to attract less attention, instead wearing a light hoodie and shorts. To any onlooker she'd be just a normal high school girl, no ties to Seiyo in any way. Even Lapis was hidden in her pocket, the little sprite biding her time in case they ran into some serious fighting

"Probably same as you," Miuna said, shrugging off the other as the train neared. There was only one important stop on this line after all. "Where else to head but west. What are you doing here?" Though the girl was her senior, she didn't offer her the same amount of courtesy as she usually did. With any luck she could shake the other off before they ended up in a bad situation. Besides, her upperclassmen had brought her nothing but bad luck. She couldn't trust them, not for a second.

[Demi]

She could tell Miuna was wound tightly, like a spring coiled and ready to go... the girl seemed like one small touch might be too much and the spring would shoot out. She radiated tension, unlike Demi... who seemed a little too relaxed... a little too calm. Her expression remained the same as usual... stoic... blank... unchanged. She gave no indication that she could sense Miuna's guardian character... though she knew she had one anyway... Kiyoka had mentioned it previously.

She pocketed her hands in her jean shorts, or rather, her fingers. Pockets in girl's bottoms were never big enough to fit hands into... which defeated the purpose of them sometimes, but whatever. She was wearing a loose top that was just a little too short and showed off a bit of her tum. Her shoes were sneakers, and her socks, which you could see poking out of the tops of her shoes, were colorful. Neither of them looked like they were from Seiyo, just a couple of high school aged girls. She seemed at ease as Miuna replied to her. Probably the same as her, huh.

"Exploring." She replied. "Now that I have a pass..." She held up her OR line pass for Miuna to see, then pocketed it once more next to her phone. "I figured I may as well make use of it." It's not like she had to explain what she was really up to to someone she hardly knew. She had seen Miuna around, and even around practices and stuff, but it's not like they were friends... and it's not like Demi trusted her to tell her, so she didn't. Instead, she kept to herself and glanced over as the train screeched to a stop in front of them. The doors opened and a few people disembarked... and Demi stepped forward into the train. No turning back now.

[Miuna]

Miuna nodded at the other. It was a simple response, one that she had expected as soon as she asked the question. The girl had a feeling this trip would be a bit more than a tour of their newest hang out hub, especially with her previous experiences. If those people from in front of the planetarium were from West Otonoki - and she was almost positive they were - then they'd have a bigger problem on their hands than a wasted day.

As she followed the girl behind on the train she held a hand to her back pocket. She managed to slip her pass in a tiny holder on her phone case, but had yet to reveal what else she had brought with her. Captain had scolded her on more than one occasion for buying them but now it seemed like she had a reason to. That nut from before had brought a metal bat to her school, she was fully warranted to bring something to theirs. Settling herself in one of the empty seats of the train, she made sure the metal didn't hit the plastic before sitting back and sighing.

The train was fairly empty for a weekday but it wasn't the weirdest thing in the world. It was hot outside and a packed train was surely everyone's idea of a less than perfect summer day. "How's club doing?" Miuna finally asked as she waited for the long train ride to be over. She'd watched the girl from afar as she practiced with Kiyoka but had put off offering any guidance for now. Despite her experience in the sport she had larger matters to attend to. When things quieted down she'd return to helping with training schedules for everyone and preparing for competitions. "Are Captain and the rest of them treating you well?"

[Demi]

Demi was aware of one thing about herself that was unlike the rest of her. Whenever she got heated about something... that something being bullies, she always did what she could to resolve any issues. Perhaps it was a flaw in some respect. She'd gotten herself into trouble because of this... putting herself in the way of bullies to help others. It's not that she wanted to get hurt... or wanted to protect anyone else. To her, it was simply an instinctual thing. Hurt them before they hurt you... and she went into fight mode around them... never flight.

She watched Miuna take a seat before carefully placing herself next to the other girl, crossing one long leg over the other. She was quiet a moment, until Miuna asked her how club was doing. She thought about it for a few moments before replying. "Club's... alright." A shrug lifted her shoulders and she glanced to Miuna. "Yeah, everyone has treated me fine so far." As far as she knew... but she had a feeling somewhere tickling in the back of her head that they were quietly poking fun of her. Her form was a lot better since Kiyoka helped her out... but before... it was horrible. Horrific. She knew she should feel ashamed of how bad she was. She didn't even hold the arrow properly before. It was sad.

Pushing those negative thoughts out of her head, she glanced down to her phone as she pulled it out of her pocket. Swiping across the screen, she rifled through some music choices. It would be rude to take her headphones out and listen right now, but for later... she wanted it for later. She peered over at Miuna out of the corner of her eyes. "Why are you really going out to West Otonoki?" May as well get it over with, break the awkward tension... break the ice.

[Miuna]

Miuna sighed, offering the other a slight smile as she rolled her neck around. All this tension was giving her a headache and she needed a nice hot shower to calm her frazzled nerves. Wincing at one particularly loud crack she settled back in and sighed. "Good, good. I was worried they might act a bit strange, but it seems like they've all taken to you nicely. Not that any of us are really gentle people."

The train ride was otherwise smooth, save for a few bumps in the road. Miuna regretted not telling anyone else before she left that she was heading over there. Chances were that the cooking club members would have insisted on coming, but perhaps that would have been safer than what they were currently attempting. Heading straight into the lion's den was an idiot's plan. Now she was facing certain liabilities.

"I've got a bone to pick with them," Miuna replied, looking out the window at the scenery passing. She missed riding trains. She rode one to school every day for middle school and they gave her time to think, "They've been coming to our school and causing problems since spring. I just want to see what they're all about." Well, and possibly punch a few people if she could manage to get away. She didn't want to put either of them at risk but if she saw any of the trio that came to attack Kiyoka or Captain... well, even she couldn't promise a bit of blood wouldn't hit the curb.

Ah, but she was thinking about it too much. She had to stay positive in light of these situations. "Listen, if anything happens while we're over there... just... hide your egg and run for the train, okay?"

[Demi]

Demi heard a loud crack escape Miuna and she placed it as a neck crack, since the other girl was rolling her neck around. That sounded like it felt good, but she didn't say anything in regards to that, though. At the mention of worry, Demi glanced to Miuna and quirked a brow. "Act a bit strange?" She asked. "How so?" She paused, then remembered something that she didn't particularly care for that happened with some archery members. Involving a race and a piggy back ride and the mall. She shoved that memory out of her head as quickly as it appeared.

Demi didn't tell anyone that she left because, well, she didn't really feel the need to report to anyone... and she didn't have anyone she considered a friend or trusted to know that she was going. Her and her trust issues. She had a feeling by the time school was over, she'd still not trust anyone. Such is the life of Demi Jäger... well, Demi Nanjou.

A bone to pick, huh? She glanced to Miuna curiously for a moment or two, studying the other girl's facial expressions and just... her face in general. It was funny, Demi thought to herself. Her and Miuna... they were kind of similar. Similar hair colors and eye colors... both of them had long hair. But they were also starkly different in some respects. Miuna was... much shorter than Demi. Honestly... if Demi had a choice, she wished she could swap with Miuna. She'd rather be that height, hands down. That realization caused a small twinge of jealousy to twist in her gut, but she pushed it away for now. She could dwell on that later. Right now, she had to focus on what was up ahead.

She was quiet when Miuna told her what to do if something happened. It took her a few moments to even respond, honestly. "If anything happens, I can take care of myself." Demi replied. "What about you? What do you plan on doing?" She asked, looking to Miuna again, no expression on her face. "Do you plan on hiding your egg and running for the train if anything happens?" Call it curiosity, or maybe something else. Some small part of Demi wanted to know where Miuna stood... if the girl was like Demi and hated the idea of the other school's students hurting or bullying Seiyo students... or if she was just going to run like she told Demi to do.

[Miuna]

What could she say about the team? Most of the problems surrounding them involved eggs, and as much as she knew the other was already hatched there was still so much she hadn't experienced. To put them all in a negative light before allowing them to redeem themselves wouldn't be a good idea. She had no interested in bad-mouthing her colleagues. To try and cover her tracks she gave a shrug.

"They can be a bit eccentric at times, that's all. Club is safe though, especially with Captain watching. Everyone listens to him and he kind of watches over us. Makes sure none of us get hurt, you know?" They seemed to be nearing their station and Miuna looked out the window again to see the approaching train platform. Compared to the neat streets of Seiyo, West Otonoki was a seedy place. She didn't approve of those gakurans and she especially didn't approve of those classic sailor outfits either.

Augh, what she would give to punch that stupid girl in the face. Just once, maybe lightly.

"If you say so..." Miuna said, jumping onto the train platform and walking towards the stairs. She wanted to get this tour of the town done before night fell. She couldn't imagine the problems they'd run into if they were stuck in West Otonoki after dark. "If it comes down to that, it.... it depends. The smart thing to do would be to run. The ones I ran into before were trained fighters, or at least stupid enough to ignore their own wellbeing. Even if I beat the shit out of them they'd still go for my egg."

She clenched her fists, a small bit of anger flaring up into her. "If they have someone else with them, another victim or something then I have no option. I'll stay and fight long enough to protect the innocent. That's just who I am. But the main focus would be to run unless we can call in back-up."

[Demi]

She listened quietly, not wanting to speak before thinking. That would get her in trouble, she knew it. "Mmm... most of Seiyo is full of... eccentric people, I've found. At least, the ones with eggs." She reached up, scratching her cheek slightly as she thought. "That's good, though... it shows that Captain cares..." She glanced out of the window, too, seeing the station approaching. Quietly she stood, then moved to follow the shorter girl out of the train.

She even trailed after the other girl as she headed for the stairs. May as well stick together, right? Just in case something happened. She didn't really want to go alone, anyway... just in case. Plus, their conversation wasn't over yet, so... no sense in splitting here. Not with unfinished dialogue to be had.

The smart thing would be to run, huh? Demi was smart, but she had a bad habit of following her heart instead of her brain in situations regarding bullies. She was about to reply to that, but heard a small whisper in her ear.

"Demi will keep me safe..." Oh, it was Encore. She was being rather quiet for once, still hiding in Demi's hair. Demi wasn't quite sure why the guardian character was being so silent, but... she'd count her blessings for it... she didn't need Encore being loud and obnoxious... not in this type of situation. She quietly reached her hand up, though, and gently patted Encore's head through her hair to comfort her. Encore seemed to relax at that, as Demi turned to reply to Miuna.

"Well, if you're going to fight, I'll fight with you..." She shrugged gently. "I mean... I'm not going to leave you to fight alone, so..." Demi didn't believe in letting others fight for her... or leaving others behind... so if Miuna was going to fight, so was Demi.

(( junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨  Juon Keiko for X-mod stuffs pls! Gonna run into the bad eggs... or rather... bad egg hunters ))

[junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨]

"Hahaha! You're too much!"

"You're just easily amused...."

"Yeah, but s'only cause I'm smitten with such a gal."

A couple of students hovered around the stairs just outside the train platform, cooing and laughing as they leaned into one another. The older boy more so than the girl, she had him completely wrapped around her finger and they both seemed pretty content with that. He almost hovered above her, a big stupid grin on his face as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders with a squeeze. They both chattered away, pausing for a moment as the two girls came down the stairs.

A sharp look came across the boy's face, shooting a glare at them both as they descended. He let out a click of his tongue, looking to his girlfriend with a disapproving look that she paired with her own.

"Can you believe that shit?"

"Honestly...what are they thinking...."

"Sorry girls but I don't think this is the kind of place two kids should be playin'...run on back home to Mommy before you get into trouble."

The two both chuckled, her boyfriend giving her a slight squeeze with his arm before waving his hand in their direction. She leaned against his side with a slight smile, a certain deviance behind it. "S'little late for kids to be out ain't it?"

[Miuna]

Miuna just glanced at the girl before shaking her head. She did not want to get into a fight with these people, not with how high the stakes were. If they were in Seiyo territory they'd be much safer. West Otonoki was still a mystery and as she walked towards the stairs, she saw a gross couple practically climbing on top of each other. Ew, get a room you two. With a few hops she managed to reach the bottom, but it seemed like the two lovebirds had other plans.

She hadn't bumped into them at all but still they seemed interested in picking a fight. She had to stay calm though, had to just turn around and offer them a nice smile. Relaxing the tension in her arms she looked back at the two of them with as sincere a smile as she could manage, a sudden wave of fear washing over her. Outside of the strange smell she'd grown slightly accustomed to, she saw the strange look in their eyes. It was the same look she'd seen in the face of the girl under the tree that night and the expression Kokori currently held. That odd look devoid of any real emotion.

They were just a couple of punks looking to pick on some kids, but she had a bad feeling they were looking for more than a simple fight. Bowing, she tried her best to calm the situation. "Sorry, we were uh... heading to a friend's place. We haven't seen them in so long, and we really should get going..." With that, she gave her classmate a worried looking, urging her with a finger to follow suit. They had to get out of here before things got out of hand. Might as well play nice just to make it to the actual school.

[Demi]

Demi trailed along next to Miuna, and when they stumbled upon the small group on the stairs, she glanced to them, looking at them with a stoic face. Honestly, that kind of stuff never bothered her... people picking fights, or trying to pick fights, with her happened quite a bit at times because of her stoicism as well as her height. People tended to think that she thought she was better than them or something, so it had turned into many a fight back in the day.

She could smell something odd near them, and they looked... oddly... soulless. That was the only way Demi could think to describe it. She noticed how stiff Miuna got in front of the others, but Demi remained calm.

She was quiet as she passed by them. Unlike Demi, Encore wasn't calm... the poor blonde guardian character quivered and trembled, hiding further into Demi's hair so she wouldn't be seen. As they passed, she glanced to Miuna. "It's not often I get called little." Was Demi... was she enjoying that comment? Perhaps slightly. She did enjoy being called little... what a weirdo.

She didn't seem phased by the weird-scented punks sitting by the stairs. No reason to care about them.

[junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨]

The young man frowned as they seemed to brush off both their comments with no problem, carrying on their way. It didn't go over with him. He let go of his girlfriend, reaching out to grab onto one of the girls. He pulled on her arm with a serious look on his face. "Hey, I wasn't done talkin' to you. Listen when your senpais talk to you, brat." He spat, the anger evident in his voice yet vacant in his face.

His girlfriend crossed her arms, watching the three interact. It wasn't quite time for her to intervene, she knew when to reel in her dog and when to let him loose. She'd let him enjoy his toys for now before adding her own two cents in when needed.

"Don't break them just yet Bom. That's no fun. Besides...we're not after the girls. Remember."

She gave a slight gesture to the sprites that accompanied the two girls, giving her boyfriend a slight reminder not to get too cocky. He looked back at her, his face relaxing slightly before looking back at the girls as he seemed to tense back up again.

"You gonna behave or what? Wouldn't want to squish those flies hovering around you would we..." The corner of his mouth twitched into what seemed to be a half assed smirk as he eyed Encore.

[Miuna]

Miuna felt a hand on her arm as the guy grabbed her, spinning her around to face him. She grimaced as some spittle ended up on her face, trying her best to stay calm in this situation while he talked to them. Brat wasn't exactly an original name but she couldn't get worked over with a punk like this. If she tried to grab her brass knuckles this close up she'd definitely be seen, and a punch in the face was the last thing she wanted. Instead she struggled to pull her arm from his grasp, wishing with all her might that she was just a bit taller.

"Come on, just leave us alone," She said, tugging with all her might as she leaned against the edge of the step. This guy was obviously taller than her but maybe she could slip from his grasp if she just lowered herself a little.

Just as she felt the corner of the step she felt her entire world drop. They could see their guardian characters, they noticed them. More than that, Miuna couldn't sense their own pure eggs. These two were Egg Hunters. She looked up at the guy holding her, eyes wide with fear as she struggled to speak. As much as she thought herself a powerful X-egg fighter, she didn't know how to deal with real people. Those without Hearts' Eggs anymore, those that had lost their dreams.

"I-I'll scream," Miuna managed to stutter out as she continued to look between the two upperclassmen, glancing at Demi just to make sure the girl was okay, "We're in a public area. If you touch us or our eggs, I'll scream. Someone will help us."