Interlude 2

The first day of school.

A certain Vice President was out doing bag checks and welcoming all the new and old arrivals alike.

Everything was fine.

And then he showed up.

Noriaki Kusanagi approached with his bag already out, the smugest smirk plastered across his face.

"Hai hai! Shitori-san!" He gives her a little wave, "Nice morning isn't it?"

Her eyebrow twitches, and she does her best to maintain her neutral gaze as she takes his strangely light bag from him.

"I suppose it has, Kusanagi-san—" there's nothing in the bag.

She looks up and glares at him.

He just smiles sweetly at her. "Everything fine, Vice?" he asks innocently.

Her eyes narrow dangerously. "There's nothing in this bag."

He shrugs, "I wouldn't worry about it. Brothers coming down with my stuff later. I'll be fiinne!" he said coolly.

Brother?

"Brother?" she replied, befuddled.

"Yup!" He responded easily, taking his bag back, "Don't worry Miss Half President, It'll all work out!" And then, without prompting, he walked off, waving behind him. "See ya around!"

She just stared at his back, mouth slightly agape.

The overwhelming urge to drown him pulsing through her body begins to boil up.

Around a week or so ago, he had done what he said he'd do; summon one of her Peerage to answer questions.

So why, oh why, did the one to be summoned have to be her delinquent Pawn?

Not only did he apparently flirt with her so hard that the girl came back a blushing mess, he also intentionally screwed up the questionnaire he was supposed to fill out.

For instance, when asked, 'What kind of being are you?' he put down in response, 'The kind of alive, kind of not kind, but not in a machine way, more like a spirit way?'

What the hell is any of that supposed to mean!?

Regardless, she seriously doubts he has a brother.

She huffed externally before going back to bag check.

Internally, she screamed.

At least that man came early, one of the first in fact, that's good.

Halfway until school officially started.

She was still doing bag checks.

Everything was fine.

Then he showed u—

Wait. Huh?

Noriaki Kusanagi approaches, sardonic smile on his face, bag already out.

"Hello there, Shitori-san."

What the fuck.

She glares balefully at him, "Do you think this is some kind of joke, Kusanagi-san?"

It's the same innocent smile again! "I have no idea what you mean, Vice." He shakes his bag at her.

His very full-sounding bag.

Sona pursed her lips into a frown and took it.

Heavy. Frowning deeper, she opens it up and finds the supplies required for at least three students.

How.

"Yeah, I know, I know," He gently takes the bag back from her, "I lost a game of rock-paper-scissors, so I had to carry everyone's stuff."

With an anguished sigh, he closes up the bag, throws it over his shoulders, and walks away.

Sona just stared. Stared so hard, that one of the other Student Council members - not of her Peerage - started looking at her worriedly.

How. Why? What the hell is going on?

There's no way in hell that's his brother. They looked exactly alike! Same uniform, same face, height, even bag!

Wait. Did he say everyone? Why not ours?

Sona doesn't think she'll like that answer.

Minutes felt like moments, and shortly thereafter school was just about to officially start.

The gate was beginning to close, and just as she thought everything was going to be fine.

He came flying over the half-closed gate!

Oh sweet Mother Lilith why is there a third one?

Noriaki Kusanagi gave a wave to her as he flew over her, landed with a roll, and hopped up onto his feet.

"Nailed it!" He turned to Sona, "No need to check my bag, Sitri." He spoke freely with a smirk, "After all, I don't have one on me!"

She should have gone in sooner. Then she wouldn't be alone out here for this.

"See ya around, Polka Dot Wings." He waves as he heads off.

Haha. Polka Dots. Like a leopard. Because of Sitri and leopards, right?

"Very funny, Kusanagi-san." She bit back at him.

That's not even correct, anyway!

But she was too done with all this to even try fighting that.

She went to walk away to class, only she looked in the direction he went first.

And she froze.

Three Noriakis. All stood there, talking, chuckling, and chatting it up with one another.

How. How. How.

They all turned and smirked at her.

Sona very quickly turns, and speed walks away, face quickly paling as that foreboding feeling from a week ago returns at full force.

~ A New Sun ~

"School was honestly kinda boring, how about you, Toujou-chan?"

Her latest client asked suddenly, while lying wrapped up in blankets on the couch, with her sitting right in front of it…also wrapped up in blankets, and on a much smaller yet still very comfortable cushion.

She shrugged, though the blankets barely moved, so she said, "About the same as it usually is, I suppose."

And then they focused on the TV screen in front of them, as the two proceeded to beat the shit out of each other in a fighting game.

Kusanagi is suffering from some type of exhaustion, so no sparring for today.

Honestly? That's alright with her. They've been at it for around a week now, and she was curious as to what kind of games he had.

Her eyebrow twitches as he locks her character into an infinite, feeling the smugness radiating off her client in droves behind her.

…If she could get to play them, that is.

Idly, she reached down into a big bag sitting in front of her, took a handful of the very small bite-sized cookies, and jammed them into her mouth.

At least the snacks are really good.

He chuckles, "You like the snacks, yeah? My maid makes them. All magical and like," he huffs, "she used to do that with all the food, then I realized I got groceries for no reason, so now she can only do snacks."

"All…food?" She, completely forgetting the game, turns to look at him.

"Yeah," he waves off, "not even sure how she did it before. She shouldn't have been able to stretch her powers that far, thinking she might have been double cheating."

He looks down to see her staring at him expectantly, and his eyes widen in realization.

"If you want me to make you something, just ask," he chuckled, "I can cook just fine without her."

She nods, satisfied.

Then turns back to the game, and frowns, as her character is still caught in an infinite loop with no health.

She looks back at him with disgust, "You're not playing that guy again."

He snorts, "Just get good scrub."

Her eyebrow twitches, and she shoots back.

"You don't have skill, prick."

"I don't need skill for you shorty, that's how bad you are."

Her eyes narrow at him.

"Worthless dick can't play the game, needs broken exploits to win."

"Cope. Seeth. Mald."

"Die in a hole, you bastard," she growls and glares at him, "and wipe that smile off your face…"

"Maybe I will when you stop being a sore adorable loser?"

"A-Adorable?" She huffs, and looks away, "Pervert."

He huffed a laugh at that, "Would you rather me call you a midge—"

She whirls around fully and looks at him.

"See what I mean?" his smile never wavers and grows more when he reaches out and pats her on the head. "Adorable."

"M-Meowwrr!"

Her attention is suddenly drawn away by Chomusuke, or as she calls her now, Chom-chan, crying out for help.

She had been loafed out on her lap, and when she turned, Chom-chan must have gotten tangled up in the blankets.

Quickly ignoring that last comment from Kusanagi - and the slow flush she feels burning across her face - she goes to dig her out.

"Sorry, Chom-chan…" she pulls out the fluffy black cat from the sheets she was buried under, petting her head as she does, "your master was just being a dick, is all."

…why does the cat look so smug all of a sudden?

Chom-chan, no!

This is all Kusanagi's fault. Somehow.

He cackles loudly as her expression turns crestfallen.

"Alright, alright!" he slowly laughs out, and down, "Serious question time, Toujou-chan!"

"Hmm?" She raises an eyebrow, what could this be about?

"Would you like to join the Magical Girl Club I'm starting at school?" he asks, stoically without a hint of other emotion.

She's gonna fucking kill him.

"And no, I'm not asking you just because I want to see you in a Magical Girl outfit." He adds.

She wasn't thinking that!

"I wasn't thinking that." she grumbles out.

"Right," he smiles, most definitely not believing her, "well? What do you say?"

"Why did you even start a club like that?" She asks after a pause, still trying to wrap her head around all…that.

She didn't even need to look at him, she could feel his shrug.

"Purely to fuck with Sitri."

She raises an eyebrow at him, slowly. "That's it…?"

"Yup."

She gives him a thumbs up, "I approve."

"Ah? Huh…" After a beat of him scratching his chin, he asks, "You know, I've been meaning to ask, why are you so salty with her group?"

"Her Queen caught me eating my snacks during a break last semester," she idly scratched Chom-chan's head, her eyes narrowing off into the distance, "it wasn't lunch, I was in class, and she confiscated them. Now she and the entire student council are dead to me."

He claps at that, "My people!" and calls jubilantly to the sky whilst throwing up his arms.

Suddenly, he looks down at her, "Say, if you really mean all that, then does that mean…?"

"No," she shuts him down, causing his face to immediately drop, "I'm already busy with club stuff. And besides," She points out, "how are you going to get the minimum required members for something like that?"

He smiles sardonically as he lays down, "Me, myself, and I are already members enough." he answers plainly.

…why does she get the feeling he means that literally?

But before she could even begin to question that, he sighs and yawns with despair.

"Ah, big sadge, now I can't get to see my cute little kouhai in a Magical Girl outfit!"

She elbows him in his side, causing him to let out a sputtered laugh.

"Pervert." She mutters, face flushed.

The bastard then thought it would be funny for them to watch a horror movie after that.

No, she did not cling to him and Chom-chan throughout the night.

Nobody can prove otherwise!

~ A New Sun ~

"Mmm~, having a nice night, Kuroka?" I ask the big tiddy kitty, currently sprawled out on top of me purring into my chest.

"The very best, nya~!" She snuggles against me more, "I got held by Shirone all night, she fed me, and gave me pets! Nyaann~!"

She's practically vibrating against me now.

Cats are never not simple, I tell you.

After our movie, Shirone left, glaring at me all the while.

Somehow, she blames me for putting on the movie, when she's the one that called me a pussy when I said I didn't like horror.

See how that turned out for her, huh?

"Say say, Nori-kun~?" She suddenly pats my chest, causing me to look down at her, "Are you gonna be okay? You've been like this the whole time after you made those clones, nya~!"

"Awww," I coo, "someone concerned over me?" I lean down, planting a surprise kiss on her face, causing her to yelp with shock, "I'll be fine you, just overdid it is all."

Chakra exhaustion is a bitch, let me say.

Physical and Mental Energy is churned up into chakra, which is then used up. Running out of chakra? It's like running both your mind and body through the gutter.

Fucking sucks.

Like, earlier, Shirone was right! I couldn't have won without an infinite there, not because I'm bad, but because my mental power wasn't there enough to pull it off.

Kuroka huffs, and slaps my chest, "Stupid man, you better not be trying to kill yourself before you put kittens in me…"

"Right," I say neutrally, as I wrap my arms around her waist, "because that's the most important thing, no~?"

After a moment of just staring at me, she snuggles her face into my chest and refuses to answer.

I think someone may have caught a little bit of feelings. But who am I to guess that?

I pet her back, as the quiet night settles in around us.

"How did you do it?"

And then it's shattered, as she asks that.

I blink, "The clones you mean?"

"Yeah," She nods against my chest, "I thought maybe they were avatars of some kind, but that's it, is it? I didn't feel your Holy Spirit Power in use, so…?" she trails off.

And I struggle internally as to what to say to that.

The idea of chakra and the chakra network doesn't exist here, in this world, although through native Senjutsu there are the chakras and ki.

Hmm…

Eh, fuck it. I'm too tired to bullshit my way through this.

"Basically, I take my mental and physical energies, mash them up, process them, and turn them into a new form of energy that powers certain techniques." I explain briefly, and succinctly.

Kuroka finally looks at me, her head tilted, "Techniques?" she asks.

I blink at her, "Well, yeah?" I say, "This isn't the first time I've used this power. Remember when I practiced walking and fighting on the pond, or the ceiling? I was using it then too, training it."

Her eyes widened significantly, "Really? I just thought that was all weird deity stuff, nya!"

I deadpanned at her. "Course you did, cat." I huff out.

"Is it teachable?" she suddenly asks, and I…

"I…don't know." I try, carefully, "Why do you want to learn to clone yourself all of a sudden?"

She winks at me, "Don't you wanna be the meat between a big titty kitty sandwich, nya~?" She says softly, with a sultry smile as she makes sure to rise slightly, exposing more of her cleavage to the world.

Hmm. Well, fuck. Now I've gotta at least try on principle, but!

I raise my hand up and bring it down upon her ass with a thunderous slap.

She squeaks and mewls, dropping back down on top of me as she goes.

"Okay, while that does sound fun," I eye her expectantly, "now the real reason. Give."

"Mmmm," she huffs, "I've been thinking about what you said a while ago, about my potential, and seeing Shirone again…" she trails off.

"Gave you the kick in the tit to get your ass in gear again?" I finished for her.

"Nyah hah hah~!" she chuckles, "Close enough, I suppose?"

"So," I begin, "why rush straight into trying to attain a new power then, Ms. Two-Tailed Ultimate Class?" I question like a parent asking their child why they tried to steal a cookie.

"Eh? That again!?" she cries out, "Nori-kun, it isn't that—"

"Have you even tried?" I cut her off.

She didn't meet my incoming gaze after that.

I sigh, "Alright then, Kuroka? Here's what you're gonna do!" I start, "You're gonna actively try and reach your third tail!"

Before she can instantly start complaining, I power on, "When you achieve it, or after I've seen you put in significant effort to at least try, then we'll see about you learning cloning and such. Got it?"

Kuroka whines, and cries out, shaking all up against me, but doesn't at least verbally reject.

I huff and pat her on the back. Damn big baby.

I don't know about teaching her chakra and how to clone and such, but I do get the feeling I can…at least awaken the potential in her to use it, if that makes sense?

Course, I'm not just gonna give her free handouts, she's gonna have to put the effort in first.

And as for anyone else? Fat fucking chance. I'm not a bargain sale.

Now, I can't believe I'm actually about to say this.

"Now enough talk about training, kitty." I wrap my arms around and hug a suddenly scandalized Kuroka, "I'm tired, I want my body pillow to not be crying about having to meditate tomorrow."

"But Nori-kun~!" she whines, "Mediation is so boring!"

I bore my gaze down into her, then snorted, and rolled my eyes. "Ask Uzume for help then, she's supposed to be a Meditation Goddess."

"Eh? Really?" Kuroka pauses, and thinks, "That doesn't make a whole lot of sense, nya!"

I shrug.

She's right of course, I'm betting she hasn't meditated once in a thousand something years. Or something just as absurd.

Ah, well. Not my problem~!

With that cheery thought, I hug my soft plush cat girl to sleep.

All around, a lovely start to the school year so far, and I haven't even set foot inside the school since I got my uniform! Hah!