Tale as Old As Last Wednesday II [Maid IC]

[Atreli]

"So that was you." She paused then added. "What a rude thing to say to someone! If you're to be a talking cat the least you could do is be a bit nicer to others. "

She looked down a moment and muttered to herself. " Especially someone like me who has real problems getting friends. "

[Benson]

This caused both of her fellow students to look her way. The one in the paper mache head waved. Something about his hand, going enthusiastically back and forth, caught her eye.
Something about it seemed wrong. But what? It had the 5 usual fingers, in the 5 usual positions. But something about it seemed wrong.

"Ah, do you like? I'm thinking of wearing it during the Classical Music Club's recruitment drive!"
Terran rolled his eye.
"I still think that thou couldst garnerest more members with thine own face. It worketh well enough in years previous."
To this, the costumed (of a sort) boy tutted sharply.
"I do admit that membership was high then... But as nice as it is to make sweet music, I'd rather a club where the members all know how to play an instrument. Say!" He turned the giant paper mache head away from his foster-brother and back towards Merry, "You don't happen to have a burning passion for music, do you?"

"Uhm uhm uh burning passion?...uhm...I can play the recorder a little..ish.." She was a little overwhelmed by the sudden interaction and even more sudden question. "Dhuh...yea that's aboot..I mean about it." Ooh yea, smoother than butter.

[Deme]

Ante's Route

Ante totally fails to push her way into the group. Instead, the periphery 3 boys peel off a bit and form a different circle, around her.

"Oh, what's this? Trying to be brave, huh?"
One of them pitched his voice up. "Oh, save me, brave heroine!"
"Heh heh. Heroin."

The other two turned and looked at him and shook their heads. There's one in every group.

---

Lune's Route

"What are you blabbing about, fishy? You have friends."

The cat walked up to her and sniffed, suspiciously. He bristled and his eyes went wide and frightened.

"...I'm really the only one, aren't I? You don't remember at all."

---

Merri's Route

"Oh, well..." Leon considered this for a moment. He nodded, sending the paper mache head sliding around his shoulders. "Would you be interested in joining the classical music club? I'm sure you'll get lots of practice!"

[Trobby]

Well blast, mere heroism and elbowing hadn't won out today. Ante would have to resort to tools much more delicate to handle this matter.

Namely her two fists, with which she struck two of the accosting boys.

Spoiler

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Athletics: (1d6x3)[18]

[Atreli]

Lune inhaled sharply at his words. " Friends? Where? " She paused. "I don't have any friends I have been losing them since elementary school. "

She tilted her head. "Wait. Remember what?"

[Benson]

Merri's Route

"Oh, well..." Leon considered this for a moment. He nodded, sending the paper mache head sliding around his shoulders. "Would you be interested in joining the classical music club? I'm sure you'll get lots of practice!"

"Uhm..uh uh uhm err...well.." She fumbled over her own tongue. It was frustrating because she could not understand why she was having difficulty talking to this boy. She scrunched her face and took a deep breath.

"Uhm..I dunno...I was thinking about joining the kendo club...if they had one...but, uh...maybe...I mean...I could check out the classical music club." She gave him a small awkward smile.

[Deme]

Well blast, mere heroism and elbowing hadn't won out today. Ante would have to resort to tools much more delicate to handle this matter.

Namely her two fists, with which she struck two of the accosting boys.

Spoiler

Show

Athletics: [roll0]

They were sent flying; they didn't stand a chance.


This sent the rest of the boys scattering nervously...And the girl, too, actually. She just wanted to get to school, gosh-darnit!

Lune inhaled sharply at his words. " Friends? Where? " She paused. "I don't have any friends I have been losing them since elementary school. "

She tilted her head. "Wait. Remember what?"

"...You get this opportunity and this is what you fill it with?"

His ears press back for a minute. He begins to walk along the top of the fence, talking regardless of whether or not she follows.

"Humans. I mean the real world."

"Uhm..uh uh uhm err...well.." She fumbled over her own tongue. It was frustrating because she could not understand why she was having difficulty talking to this boy. She scrunched her face and took a deep breath.

"Uhm..I dunno...I was thinking about joining the kendo club...if they had one...but, uh...maybe...I mean...I could check out the classical music club." She gave him a small awkward smile.

"Splendid!" He clasped her hands together for a second, then opened back up and stood up straight (he was, after all, taller than her) "I'll see you there!"

The train came to a stop.

"Take that foolish thing off! It shan't fit throu the doors."

Leon sighed and took off the head revealing... A salaryman who was jolted by the slowing of the train into falling between them, blocking the view. With a wave of an outstretched hand, Leon stepped into the crowd, still out of sight, and off the train, with Terran following behind. Terran, at least, turned back at the end.

"I apologize if his passions art, in this, over-fired; Still, I'm sure he meaneth well."

[Lycan 01]

After Ante demolishes the boys, it seems she's all clear to head on to school!

At least, until a voice speaks up from behind her. "My my, what do we have here?"

Turning around, Ante will discover what can only be described as a traditional "eccentric high school anime antagonist." Standing before her is an older female student, likely a Senior, clad in white karate robes - and sporting a black belt. She has short, messy blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and rather pretty features - though they're partially obscured by a patchwork of bandages and band-aids, reflecting a tendency for her to get in scraps and tussles. Her left eye is covered by a bandage, in fact, and her left arm is currently held tight in a sling, presumably broken.

However, she clearly has the stance of an experienced warrior hungry for a fight, and her eye is currently gazing upon Ante with predatory glee. "Quite the fighter, aren't you?" she purrs, almost menacingly.

[Trobby]

Ante was so surprised by the sudden appearance of another student, she didn't have time to contemplate how her arms should be much more sore after socking to boys across the face at once. Or of the consequences for doing so while in a school uniform.

Wait...crap! She'd socked two boys across the face in her school uniform! Right in front of her little sister! She'd have to have a long and confusing talk about how violence isn't the answer later with Hani. Right now, the upper classman was her priority.

"Not by choice, if that's what you're implying." She said, rubbing her not-sore-at-all arms for show. And added lamely, "Anyone else would've done the exact same thing."

[Atreli]

Lune shook her head in confusion once again.

"You're still making no sense cat. I don't have time for this. I'm late for school!"

She began to ran off towards the school. " I'll see you later if you scare up some sense before I get out of school!" She yelled over her shoulder.

[Benson]

"Splendid!" He clasped her hands together for a second, then opened back up and stood up straight (he was, after all, taller than her) "I'll see you there!"

The train came to a stop.

"Take that foolish thing off! It shan't fit throu the doors."

Leon sighed and took off the head revealing... A salaryman who was jolted by the slowing of the train into falling between them, blocking the view. With a wave of an outstretched hand, Leon stepped into the crowd, still out of sight, and off the train, with Terran following behind. Terran, at least, turned back at the end.

"I apologize if his passions art, in this, over-fired; Still, I'm sure he meaneth well."

"Oh uh uhm its fine...really....it is...admirable?...Well anyways..." She must admit, there was a little disappointment in not being able to actually see him with the head on, oh well...maybe if she went to check out the music club her curiosity would be sated. "Right ah...well this is out stop...we should probably get off before the train takes off." She awkwardly chuckled, and if nothing else was said she would step off the train.

[Deme]

Terran waves, and Merri loses track of them around the next bend -- Leon's rushing ahead, eager to set up the classical music club. She'd make it to school just after Lune.

Lune makes it to school, with the cat following. When she gets to the board where they post class listings, she'll find a tall boy -- a senior, probably -- with an eyepatch covered by the small section of his dark hair that's not tightly slicked back -- presumably, for the express purpose for hiding the eyepatch. Even his messiness was tidy. For a moment, the tall boy was in conversation with a shorter boy in the same uniform next to him, the perspective obscuring his face... But then he went to leave, his figure surrounded by a sudden swirl of cherry blossoms.

The remaining boy scans the board with frustration evident.

The cat watches all of this.

[Lycan 01]

Ante was so surprised by the sudden appearance of another student, she didn't have time to contemplate how her arms should be much more sore after socking to boys across the face at once. Or of the consequences for doing so while in a school uniform.

Wait...crap! She'd socked two boys across the face in her school uniform! Right in front of her little sister! She'd have to have a long and confusing talk about how violence isn't the answer later with Hani. Right now, the upper classman was her priority.

"Not by choice, if that's what you're implying." She said, rubbing her not-sore-at-all arms for show. And added lamely, "Anyone else would've done the exact same thing."

"Bah!" the blonde girl scoffs, bringing her right hand up and clenching it into a fist, as she glares defiantly at Ante. "There is always a choice! Fight or flight! And rather than turn tail and flee, you stood your ground, and smote your foes without hesitation! Such skill! Such brutality! Anyone else could have done that? Bah! Few would have even dared to try it! No, YOU-" she points accusingly, a twist grin spreading across her pretty face, "Are not like the others. You are special."

Her grin widens, an almost psychotic look of delight growing in her eye. "You are what I've been looking for. A proper challenge, like none yet have offered me. A proper foe..."

Ante may have accidentally bought a ticket for the crazy train...

[Trobby]

Fortunately for Ante, she was taking a bike to school today.

"...Wellitwasnicemeetingyouandallreallybutwe'relat eandweneedtogetgoingcomeonHani!"

She barely has a moment to get all those words out before she's scooping up Hani and depositing her onto the back seat of the bike, swinging herself over the front seat and grabbing the handlebars as she pedals feverishly, aiming first and foremost to get away from the fight-crazy girl.

Fight or flight indeed...and in this case, Ante has chosen flight.

[Lycan 01]

Blink blink.

"...HEY!!" the martial artist snarls, shaking her fist in defiant anger as Ante tries to make a break for it. "GET BACK HERE!! DO NOT DISHONOR YOUR WARRIOR SPIRIT!!" she yells out in challenge, trying to give chase. But alas, there's a crowd of students in the way, and she can't catch up with the girl on the bike. Ante escapes...

...for now.

[Trobby]

Later...

Ante and Hani squeak in behind the rest of the student body, quite literally as their tandem bike comes to a sudden stop. Big sis holds onto little sis's hand tightly as they try to elbow their way through the crowd.

"Sis I can't see..." Says Hani, a set of cat ears atop her hoodie poking out just barely from the crowd.

"I know Hani, I know, just a little closer..." The blonde-haired maid with two disarrayed bits of hair that look almost like horns says, as she presses through the throng to see what classes they have. The chance she'll 'bump into' one of her classmates is...fairly high. But she's too focused on her goal to care about that right now.

[Deme]

The cat comes up behind them, and starts rubbing against Hani's leg, miaowing as if trying to get her attention.

((Hmmm...Eveyone who's at this scene -- That's Lune and Merry -- make a luck roll. Ante's got to bump into someone, after all.

(1d6x3)[12] for Terran's roll, first. ))

[Benson]

Merri was just in a wandering state of mine, thinking about that masked fella from the train, quite distracted in thought...


Luck roll (1d6)[4]

[Trobby]

Hani wasn't really that interested in the class listings anyway, and is immediately separated from her sister as she leans down to stroke the cat behind the ear.

"Hello little kitty, are you lost? This school is no place for you to be....but I won't tell anyone, I promise."

[Deme]

"Oh, not you, too, kitten. It's me."

Said the cat, in an annoyed voice. Though...not so annoyed that he'll refuse pettings, and he quickly leans his head into Hani's palm.

"I thought you were more of a cat than this."

[Trobby]

Hani blinks, first realizing that there is a talking cat that she has just started petting, and wondering if she might be a Card Captor about to set out on a magical adventure to capture the Clow Cards and wear adorable outfits while doing so.

Then she recognizes the voice, and remembers the words, and all at once a flood of memories comes rushing back to her.

She grabs at her ears and for her tail reflexively, realizing that they're both missing. She sniffs at the cat that sounds familiar, but realizes her nose is not as sharp as it used to be.

And then, all at once, it snaps into focus. This world, the whole world, it...isn't real.

"Where...where am I...what am I?" She asks, looking down at the cat, still unsure but having a distinct feeling. "A-are you...Mozart?" she asks, poking at the cat as if expecting it to turn into the person she thinks it ought to be.

[Deme]

"Oh thank goodness."

Mozart relaxes, drooping a bit towards the ground.

"Like I said, it's me. Glad someone recognizes me, at least, and...glad to have you back, kitten. But as for where we are... I think..."

Here, he pauses, and his tail begins to twitch. For a moment, he doesn't seem as confident or collected as he normally is.

"...Maybe some sort of dream? None of this smells real, and...Nah, forget it. But it's definitely not real."

[Benson]

Merri was just in a wandering state of mine, thinking about that masked fella from the train, quite distracted in thought...

That she would find herself smacking face first into Ante's upon making a sharp right turn. However of course being that it were these two, the universe sought to keep the status quo. With the impact and the momentum, the two would find themselves falling, Ante backwards, Merri forward.


Shenanigans!

[Trobby]

"Wah~! H-hey watch out!"

Ante shouted as the other schoolgirl ran a collision course into her out of nowhere. She braced herself against the only thing she could find - that being the other schoolgirl. Which had the effect of pulling her in as the two toppled onto the ground.

And, the universal laws of embarrassment and Anime being constant, even in this universe, meant that this particular topple landed Ante squarely on her rump, and Merri's face squarely on Ante's...blouse.

There was even an awkward silent moment around them as they and the onlookers processed the awkward position that the two were now in.

"...well, at least some things stayed the same..." Hani says to herself, being one of those onlookers.

[Benson]

"Waaaaaaaaah!..." The pink haired schoolgirl yelped as she waited the hard hit to the ground. However, that was not the case. My...what a soft and familiar feeling feel...Wait what.

Merri's senses returned as she found her face snugly nestled in the bosom of the other girl. Dang, she had some nice breasts. Wait what.

She slowly glanced up and then quickly removed herself from the other girl, finding herself on her knees. "Bhwuh..wah wah..I.I.I err uh uh wha ah...err.." Her brain fizzled as everyone around her aside from her bosom buddy here became one big blur, and her cheeks were redder than candied cherries.

"S-ss-sorry!...I..ah....you..you okay?" She herp derped out, ears red too.

[Trobby]

Alas, her dignity disgraced, on her very first day of school no less. All because of this...this interloper who just so happened to bump into her so abruptly.

And blast, she was so befuddled and adorable, Ante could not even be properly enraged at her. Which only frustrated her all the more, as she attempted to re-assort herself while sitting on the ground.

And of course, she had to make sure she was alright too.

"I'm...quite alright, I assure you...are you alright? Do you need a hand?" She offers, extending a hand to help the befuddled schoolgirl to her feet.

"...I don't think either of them remember." Hani says without looking directly at Mozart. "They act the same but...they don't remember anything but this...it's like they're in a dream."

[Deme]

"Exactly,"

Said the cat. He found his own paw more interesting than the two maids/schoolgirls at the moment, licked it, and then set very fastidiously to cleaning his ear.

"Nothing's changed because nothing has changed. I know the difference because I am what I am; no cat out of his first fur's can ever be decieved by appearances... Unlike this lot, who seem to enjoy it."

[Benson]

Merri without much thinking took the other girl's hand and helped herself up. Her heart was still beating quickly, the embarrassment was strong in this one.

"A-again...I am s-sorry...I should have p-paid more attention to where I was going," The awkward lass found herself fidgeting and straightening out her uniform skirt which luckily there was no panty shot. They had cutesy crescent moons for the print, for the not curious. Cough.

[Trobby]

"Exactly,"

Said the cat. He found his own paw more interesting than the two maids/schoolgirls at the moment, licked it, and then set very fastidiously to cleaning his ear.

"Nothing's changed because nothing has changed. I know the difference because I am what I am; no cat out of his first fur's can ever be decieved by appearances... Unlike this lot, who seem to enjoy it."

"Do you...do you really think they do?" Hani asks, curious to the idea that her sister might enjoy playing pretend like this, or whatever you might call it.

Merri without much thinking took the other girl's hand and helped herself up. Her heart was still beating quickly, the embarrassment was strong in this one.

"A-again...I am s-sorry...I should have p-paid more attention to where I was going," The awkward lass found herself fidgeting and straightening out her uniform skirt which luckily there was no panty shot. They had cutesy crescent moons for the print, for the not curious. Cough.

"Right. Right. Let us um, let us try getting this off on the right foot, before this becomes awkward and...rumors start." Ante says, aware from various Anime shows what sorts of rumors could start. "My name is Ante. It's nice to meet you." She says, extending her hand to Merri.

[Benson]

"R-rumors? Ah..." She puffed her cheeks and shook her head and took a short breath, best not to think about it. She glanced at the well endowed and pretty gal in front of her and just stared for a second at the extended hand.

"Ah.." She reached out to shake it. "M-Meridith but ah...I prefer being called Merri."