003 // Action + Video

[actsmagnificent]

[ The city is burning.

Strange, then, that Haruka can't hear any screams. She can't hear anything, in fact - it's as if the world has gone utterly silent in preparation for its inevitable end. Buildings crumble unnaturally, from the ground up, and she can see the waves of fire spreading, heading towards the populace, frozen in time - she struggles to move and can't, even as the flames near a clump of civilians, near a girl with pigtails, no, not her, for some reason not her -

And then she wakes up in a cold sweat, scattering Sewaddle from where he'd fallen asleep on her chest; he curls up into a ball and rolls off the bed. The dreams have never been that vivid before. She's never had that kind of detail. Does that mean something's about to happen, or....what's going on....?

It's then she notices her hands are shaking, not from fear but some kind of heady mix of adrenaline and - power, isn't it, she feels stronger despite what she just witnessed. Her breath is still coming short from the dream, but Haruka feels a grin tugging her lips. Something's happened, all right. And if something else is going to happen - she's become more prepared for it. ]

[ Apologies to anyone who might happen to be up and about near the Divine Theater compound already. Extra apologies to anyone who lives around there and was trying to get some sleep. A newly-evolved Haruka (looking just about the same, but a bit broader about the shoulders and even more inexplicably stunning) has just decided to test her new powers by punching the ground in the outside courtyard.

Every building on the property shook, and now there's a huge crater. ] ...well, that answers that question.

[ Union really does have an Earthquake problem, huh. ]

[ video ]

The Union Divine Theater would like to reassure the populace that this morning's events were an anomaly. We're testing effects for our new show. [ Okay, so this isn't exactly an explicit apology, or an admission she was in the wrong. But Haruka's making up for the inconvenience with an extremely attractive smile, so isn't that okay? ] It'll be stunning.

Comments

Action.

[flowerofsendai]

[Early mornings were the best time for her to train in peace, and this morning was no different. Sitting in a half crouch in the outer skirts of the courtyard, eyes closed and body still, she takes in slow, rhythmic breaths.

Even a few seconds warning is not enough to properly prepare her and, feeling something different in the air in the courtyard, Sakura starts to rise before being thrown partially off her center of gravity. A pre-evolved Sakura, probably would have fallen flat on her backside. But she manages to recover just enough to keep herself stable and, instinctively, lets a hand drop to her scabbard. She looks around.

What--who--just did that?]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Oh, was someone here? Haruka looks up from staring at her own hands - she'd expected increased power but that was incredible.

And here she is. Red-handed in the center of the crater. There's nothing really she can say about that, though. ]

.....Good reflexes. You've been training.

[flowerofsendai]

Haruka?

[Good lord did you really just do that? She looks both impressed and a bit concerned.]

What just happened? Are you all right?

[actsmagnificent]

Never better. [ She sounds almost like she can't believe that, running a hand through her hair and exhaling. ] Sorry to disturb you. I can go....

[ Or she can try to get her head in the game again. Right. Good. Be the wind. Center yourself.

She looks away, still distracted. ]

[flowerofsendai]

[Some things are more important than early morning training sessions. She shakes her head.]

Did you do that? What did you do?

[actsmagnificent]

[ There is no beating around the bush here, is there. She was going to have to turn a report in anyway, and while she'd rather wait until she can give a full assessment (and her insides have finished settling) there's one thing she does know.

That fist clenches. ]

Evolved, apparently. Comes with new moves.

[incousinswithyou]

[for some reason, catching an ugly fish takes a lot of energy. And time. So when given a chance to sleep in, Michiru decided to take it.

...

Yeah, so. Have a tousled Michiru, almost but not quite sprinting around the corner, in a nightgown and a robe that's clearly haphazardly thrown on. Honestly, how many people have seen her in this state?

She takes in the scene, eyes flickering between Haruka and the new crater the Theater has apparently procured, and...you're getting one completely unamused look.]

[actsmagnificent]

[ ....yes, that is a new look for you. It's too bad Haruka isn't really in a mood to comment on it. Yet.

The back of her mind knows she just worried Michiru and feels bad about that, but the front is still absorbing what happened, so. ] I got stronger.

[incousinswithyou]

[mmf. She sighs, runs her hands through her hair, and then pulls her robe tighter around her.]

So I see. [and that's a flicker of a smile as she walks closer. All that training paid off, huh?]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Haruka laughs weakly. Sure, she was expecting a boost in abilities from training herself, but she just punched a hole in the ground. That is awesome. ] It's funny. I knew it happened to other people, but...

[ She steps aside to make room for Michiru in the crater - watch your step - and sobers briefly. ] The dream returned, too.

[incousinswithyou]

[she blinks. Looks like you're ahead of her - in a couple of aspects. For once.]

And? [any difference?]

Action

[celebrity_commentator]

[Well, at least she didn't end up underground this time.]

[The miniquake was enough to wake Rise up, though, and she rushed out to look into the theater courtyard.]

Uh...everyone okay?

[She's torn between staring at Haruka and staring at the crater in the ground. She decides the latter is safer, for the moment.]

[actsmagnificent]

[ ....oh, Rise. Shoot, did Haruka wake her up?

She grins, tabling all her concerns for the moment. ] Rise. Those are cute pajamas.

[ No matter what they may look like, that's Haruka's opinion. ]

[celebrity_commentator]

[They are pink and just fluffy enough to be comfortable without being too childish. She hopes, anyway.]

Oh, uh...thank you. That's a yes, then?

[actsmagnificent]

[ She's okay, yeah. She's - way better than okay, actually, but until this new power settles down it's also making her feel out of place in her own body. Which is strange given her usual ease. She'll have to fix that.

She'll also have to worry about that when she's alone or with Michiru, not among company. So she nods and heads over to her companion. ]

If you're okay, I'm okay. Sorry if I woke you.

[celebrity_commentator]

I've woken up to worse things than Haruka Tenoh complimenting my sleepwear, trust me.

[lifeissuffering]

[Having been up and attending to duties, the shaking definitely knocked Ogami flat. And, as such, he's come running to find the source of the problem]

[actsmagnificent]

[ did she shake your world, ogami

The source of the problem is still standing right in the center of the problem. When she hears movement, her head whips over and -

- oh, this will be fun. ]

Breathe, Commander. It's under control.

[lifeissuffering]

What WAS that?

[actsmagnificent]

[ Haruka would think that would be obvious, given where she's standing, but on second thought she supposes there is some room for confusion. She attempts to summon a small Gust in her hand and - gets a small tornado instead. All right, dismissing that. ]

You'll receive a report when testing's finished.

action kinda also 1/2

[threemoms]

[ Hotaru was one to sleep in. She tended to keep to late hours, making copious use of her lamps to get some late-night reading in. So it was safe to say that it was the sudden, inexplicable earthquake that woke her up.

And if Haruka were paying attention, she could hear a crash and a muffled cry of "No! My lamp!" from her room. ]

action

[threemoms]

[ A few minutes later, Hotaru was emerging from the building, still in her nightgown and an expression halfway between bleary-eyed "why am I even awake at this hour" and stern "I know it was you who broke my lamp."

Haruka. Haruka. ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ A chill runs down Haruka's spine. Have her psychic powers increased, too? That might explain the vividness of her dream, but then, that means....

She turns, ready for anything, and - oh. Oh, it's the kid.

Wait. That is not a good look on that child. Haruka raises a hand - yo. ] You're up early.

[threemoms]

Nobody can sleep through that.

[ She glances at the crater. Then back to Haruka.

Yeah. Yeah, no. ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Technically, it's over now, and Hotaru can go back to bed if she wanted.....

But Haruka knows what your room looks like, and knows what your priorities are, and knows it's extremely difficult to get you to actually express yourself (especially to her). And when she takes the shockwave into account - oh, drat.

Her shoulders sag, though she doesn't look sorry yet. (Sorry enough, anyway.) ] Which one was it?

[ The one she got for you is wooden, at least. Is it silly to be glad of that? It doesn't mean she's glad she went shopping for you or anything. ]