Ice Flowers Floating over a Morning Dew

[Dracos]

Aug 09 19:48:03 <Aisutori>   Very early the next morning, Aisutori headed over early to the Makai shrine, dressed in a blue gi as she jogged up, paying her respects to the shrine before asking if Kanae-chan was awake yet.
Aug 09 19:52:22 <Kanae>   Kanae is indeed awake, tending the shrine.
Aug 09 19:52:40 <Kanae>   "Good morning, Aisutori-chan!" Kanae greets cheerfully.
Aug 09 19:52:58 <Aisutori>   "Hello, Kanae-chan.  Did you sleep well?  Get all your homework done?"  She smiled, sympathetic for trying to leap in mid-year.
Aug 09 19:54:01 <Kanae>   "My homework?" Kanae muses, frowning.  "No, I'm only halfway through the quarter so far.  I'll finish the rest of the year's homework later in the week."
Aug 09 19:54:41 <Aisutori>   "...the quarter?"  Aisutori flatly eyed the girl.  Braniac.  "I meant the stuff due tomorrow, kiddo."
Aug 09 19:56:09 <Kanae>   She shakes her head after that, smiling.  "Oh, yes, that's done, too.  Did you rest well, Aisutori-chan?"  Then she giggles, looking slightly mischievous.  "About Enro-kun, maybe...?"
Aug 09 19:59:09 *   Aisutori blinks, "ah...there's nothing there, Kanae-chan...at least not yet anyway," She giggled, teasing back.  "Anyhow, then maybe we could practice a bit.  We're going to be patrolling the city together and we should take it seriously," She put her hands on her hips, gazing down at the smaller girl.  "Are you up to a bit of exercise before school?"
Aug 09 20:00:30 <Kanae>   Kanae winces slightly.  "Hopping up every step on the shrine staircase, one at a time?" she asks hopefully.
Aug 09 20:01:59 <Aisutori>   "Not exactly.  Kanae-chan, have you ever taken any martial arts?"
Aug 09 20:03:18 <Kanae>   "...um."
Aug 09 20:03:49 <Kanae>   Kanae thinks back through her long family history of shrine guardians and tenders.  Did the shrine exist in an era of violent conflict?  Oh, yeah, it did.
Aug 09 20:03:52 <Kanae>   "...some."
Aug 09 20:06:15 <Aisutori>   "I meant you, not your ancestors.  Just because they know how to wield a spear, doesn't mean you know how to dodge one," Aisutori frowned, "If you couldn't use your magic, how would you knock me over or stop me?" She wondered.
Aug 09 20:07:56 *   Kanae places an ofuda on Aisutori's head.
Aug 09 20:10:56 <Aisutori>   "...Pretty good," She patted Kanae's head. "But can you use those even when tired out?  A little after I started doing this, I started taking karate at the Kyoyin dojo, just so I had something to fall back on and was more comfortable if someone managed to come at me in close range.  I think it'd be good if you came along too, Kanae-chan"  She kneeled, looking at her. "It's pretty dangerous out there, so it can help you avoid getting
Aug 09 20:10:56 <Aisutori>   hurt."
Aug 09 20:11:19 <Kanae>   Kanae sighs.  "Okay...."
Aug 09 20:14:04 <Kanae>   Kanae shakes her head.  "Ah, it's not that I can't, it's just ... you know, this body is small.  I should probably really focus more on defending myself, and leave knocking people down to you and Noriko-nee."
Aug 09 20:14:16 *   Kanae pushes Aisutori ineffectually with her hands to prove her point.
Aug 09 20:17:00 <Aisutori>   "Of course.  I didn't mean you should try and wade in with punches.  But if I do," She thrust her fist forward at Kanae, stopping it right before her nose.  "You should be comfortable with pulling back to dodge, or not losing your breath if you have to keep running or dodging for a while.  Sure, neither of us will ever hold a candle to Noriko-chan...nee?"  She eyed down at Kanae. "How come she gets the -nee?"
Aug 09 20:18:21 *   Sierra_Hibernation (WinNT@pool-173-79-12-175.washdc.fios.verizon.net) has joined #dunes
Aug 09 20:18:39 <Kanae>   Kanae expertly evades the question.  "Ah!  We should call Noriko-nee and see if she wants to join us!"
Aug 09 20:20:55 <Aisutori>   "I think her mother wanted something last night, but we can try.  A little practice wouldn't hurt all of us... but you..." She tapped Kanae's nose, "Are dodging my question," She gave a pout.  "And here I'm out in the morning to make sure you get signed up for self defense."
Aug 09 20:22:23 <Kanae>   "I already agreed to that, though," Kanae says, adjusting her glasses slightly.  "If you think Noriko-nee is busy, then we can leave a message for her while we go sign up."
Aug 09 20:22:47 <Kanae>   Kanae then nonchalantly goes over to the donation box and opens it up.  "How much will it be?" she wonders.
Aug 09 20:24:49 <Aisutori>   "We'll sign up on Saturday.  Just keep your morning clear then.  And do you have work out clothes?"  She looked over Kanae.
Aug 09 20:25:23 <Kanae>   "Oh, I should change," Kanae realizes, looking down at her shrine maiden attire.
Aug 09 20:25:49 <Kanae>   "Well ... will we be doing anything today?  I do have them, though."
Aug 09 20:27:24 <Aisutori>   "I was thinking we could do a different kind of practice," She held up a hand, ice flowers blossoming atop it.  "Combination techniques?  I remember you said something about trying out holy ice attacks when we were thinking on how to deal with Kawazam."
Aug 09 20:28:47 <Kanae>   "Hmm, yes," Kanae agrees.
Aug 09 20:29:09 <Kanae>   "But I don't have any convenient targets that are especially vulnerable to holy energy for us to really verify the effectiveness of the technique."
Aug 09 20:29:48 <Aisutori>   "Hmm, can't you feel it?" She wondered, generally quite in tune with her ice.
Aug 09 20:32:01 <Kanae>   "Well ... the theory is sound.  In the history of the shrine, many of us have worked with onmyouji in the past," Kanae allows.  "But I can use elemental magic, too -- and that's a little different from holy energy.  But I'm always in tune to that.  To me, there is holiness in almost all things.  But is it the right kind to strike against evil?"
Aug 09 20:32:16 *   Kanae shrugs.  "Theres only one way to find out, right?"
Aug 09 20:33:08 *   Kanae claps her hands together, activating the ward Aisutori hadn't bothered to take from her head and attempting to release holy energy into the ice flower.
Aug 09 20:33:35 <Aisutori>   "Well, at least we can try putting it together, so our first attempt isn't while he's spitting lightning at us.  Let's give Noriko-chan a call first," Aisutori slipped out her phone in her free hand, dialing Noriko.
Aug 09 20:37:48 <Kanae>   Kanae nods, closing the donation box absently, sealing it with another ofuda.
Aug 09 20:45:37 <Aisutori>   ""Why'd you open the donation box?" Aisutori wondered as she stayed on the phone, holding out the flower.
Aug 09 20:49:08 <Kanae>   "I thought I would need to pay for the lessons."
Aug 09 20:51:10 *   Aisutori gives Kanae a sad-faced look, simply disbelieving.
Aug 09 20:53:02 *   Kanae shrugs and takes the flower, setting it to one side of the donation box, since it doesn't seem to be melting.
Aug 09 20:53:03 <Kanae>   "Pretty."
Aug 09 20:53:52 <Aisutori>   "I guess Noriko's busy," Aisutori finished letting it ring and left a message, "Hey Noriko, if you're up early, we're practicing at Kanae-chan's shrine.  If not, see you at school."  She hung up.
Aug 09 20:54:23 <Aisutori>   "You really thought I'd charge you, Kanae-chan?"
Aug 09 20:56:28 *   Enro (d205d52a@ircip1.mibbit.com) has joined #dunes
Aug 09 20:57:51 <Kanae>   "I thought you meant going somewhere to get lessons," Kanae says with a shrug, looking mildly embarrassed.  "But that's on Saturdays?  That should be fine ... but I run a weekly bingo tournament here at the shrine every Saturday evening."
Aug 09 20:59:36 <Aisutori>   "You aren't short on money, are you Kanae-chan?" She sounded surprised at that, looking around at the well kept shrine.
Aug 09 21:01:47 <Kanae>   "Of course I'm not!"
Aug 09 21:02:05 <Kanae>   "What, you have something against bingo?"  Kane eyes Aisutori suspiciously.
Aug 09 21:04:36 <Aisutori>   "oh, no, you just seemed...concerned about money," She shrugged.  "Sorry, I misread." She dialed up Enro next, seeing if he wanted to join them.
Aug 09 21:05:50 <Kanae>   "I don't usually carry much with me," Kanae explains, pulling out a purse with spots for several denominations of bills ... all of which are filled with ofuda.  There are also a handful of coins and a few individually wrapped had candies.
Aug 09 21:06:13 *   Enro answers the phone, "Aisutori, what's up?"
Aug 09 21:06:45 *   Kanae puts her purse away and wonders how long the holy ice flower will last without melting.
Aug 09 21:07:53 <Aisutori>   "We're practicing at the Makai shrine, if you want to come along.  Just until we need to get ready for school."
Aug 09 21:08:42 <Enro>   "Sure... Are you good for me to come over right now?"
Aug 09 21:08:55 *   Enro at least attempts to be polite and avoid awkward situations..
Aug 09 21:09:29 <Aisutori>   "Yes?"
Aug 09 21:11:04 *   Enro suddenly teleports in with a crackle of energy arcing around him as he closes his phone and looks at the two.
Aug 09 21:11:09 <Enro>   "Yo."
Aug 09 21:12:19 <Kanae>   "Good morning~!" Kanae chirps.  "Ah ... should I give you two some privacy~?"
Aug 09 21:12:35 *   Enro looks at Kanae oddly.
Aug 09 21:12:54 <Enro>   "I'm not sure if there's something wrong with you or not.."
Aug 09 21:14:24 <Kanae>   Kanae nods knowingly.  "I'll just grab some tea and be right back."
Aug 09 21:14:24 <Aisutori>   "there might be...  Not sure how Enro can practice though, he doesn't manipulate elements," Aisutori formed another snow flower, the first showing no sign of paying attention to the temperature.
Aug 09 21:14:59 <Aisutori>   "...Kaaanae-chan," Aisutori stared down at her back, "Are you trying to get out of practice already?"
Aug 09 21:15:59 <Kanae>   "No, I'll be right back," she says, smiling softly.  "Just a minute~!"
Aug 09 21:18:09 <Enro>   "Anyway, what's going on? Did you two need something?"
Aug 09 21:18:54 <Kanae>   Kanae trots back into view, holding a small tray with two steaming cups of tea, and a single cool one.
Aug 09 21:25:33 <Aisutori>   "Well, we were practicing combination techniques, in case you have anything you want to try.  Such as holy ice flowers," She held up the flower on her finger.  "Thanks, Kanae-chan."