1980/Follow Your Nose...

Follow Your Nose...
Date of Scene:	01 October 2024
Location:	Dorms #2
Synopsis:	Preparing for her nightly workout, Miho wanders into the Dorms' common room to be brought up short by the smell of curry... followed shortly by Rashmi with the offer of dinner, and explanations, advice, and friendship! Also Rashmi gets introduced to the most adorable monster of all; a snow bunny shikigami!
Cast of Characters:	Rashmi Terios, Miho Inada

---

Rashmi Terios has posed:
School is done for the day, and it's just after club time. In the Grade 10 level of the dorm buildings, a stray curl of air brings the irresistable scent of curry into the common room. Few students are occupying the level's common areas, but some of the ones that do look nearly mad with hunger, and when an opening door renews the smell, most of the ones left just give up, bunching together to go downstairs to get dinner.

One can only assume they'll fall on the nearest curry restaurant like... well, like hungry teenagers.

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho has changed from the club activities to her work out gear. The big difference? Mihos is wearing a sports bra, and some baggy jogger pants. Both ice blue. Dispite doing clubs, the new magical girl has been work out a bit after clubs. The young woman stretches out a little bit before her new enhanced senses seem to kick into high gear. Miho blinks a few times as she can almost taste the curry in her mouth already as she looks around. There's a bit of a growl coming from her, and Miho has to wonder if its from her or her stomach.

    The woman keeps looking around, sniffing the air a bit. "Kureha could have warned me about the senses...", she mutters as she follows her nose around the dorm. The woman watches people leave as she approaches the common area. A few people stop and look at Miho, but then leave.

    Miho keeps sniffing the air around the common areas, trying to keep her cool. Since she's started transfroming, her hunger has been driving her a bit nuts. She never really thought too much about things until Kureha had asked her, and she thought about it. And now, with something this good in the area, Miho is finding it hard to keep her focus.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
It's not actually all that long after the last of the lingering students gives up and heads out, before a dark-skinned redhead emerges from the girls' hall, round glasses catching the overhead lights, and an unplugged rice cooker in her hands. Pausing, she casts a puzzled glance around the common room, clearly expecting more... then her eyes fall on Miho, and a delighted smile blooms on her face.

"Hi!" she says, placing the rice cooker on the 'kitchen' counter, then rummaging for bowls and spare chopsticks. "Usually there're more people around... I mean not *much,* but *some* more people. I made curry rice, but my roommates are both out for the evening, so... want to split with me?"

The redhead *asks,* as she gets flatware for two. "I'm Rashmi Terios, by the way. I don't think I've met you yet?"

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho nods her head a bit. "Miho Inada. I transferred early August.", she tells. The woman takes a deep breath, and closes her eyes. There's a loud growl again, and Miho realizes its her stomach. Her face turns bright red. "My apologies. I...recently had an increase in my...hunger.", she says while blushing. "Must be hitting my growth spurt...", the woman tells.

    "I would be honored to join you.", she says. Miho blinks a few times as she listens to herself. The woman shakes her head. "Things have been a little crazy for me lately, so excuse me if I'm a little out of it tonight.", she tells. The woman just then notices that she forgot her duffle bag. Of course she would think of food over her bag.

    "Do...you have the stuff to make tea? I can make some tea while you're setting the plates?", Miho offers. The young woman starts looking around for the tea pots. Gah, she used to hate tea, now Miho can't seem to drink anything but tea and energy drinks.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Cabinet next to the fridge, bottom shelf," Rashmi says with a chuckle, as she pops open the rice cooker. The cloud of steam that billows out would be *torture* if Miho hadn't already been promised a bowl; curry spices, tomato chunks, mushrooms, chicken, garlic and onion, and only a faint hint of *hot* spice, just enough to make a meal interesting.

And it's clear from the way Rashmi packs the bowl, she had intended to cook a decently large meal for three, and ended up with a huge meal for two. "I *completely* understand about the hunger," she says lightly. "When I decided to actually *stay* in the dorms, Papi joked that with the money he'd save on extra food he could get a new oven. ...Um. In case you haven't guessed, the Korma Chameleon, in Pikarigaoka? I used to live above it, that's my family's home."

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho gets the pot out, and starts boiling the water. Miho shivers as the smell hits her. She's so gonna give Kureha a good talking to the next time she meets up with Kureha. After a few seconds, she breathes out. "Korma...Chameleon? Oh! Hinote took me there the day after we came back from Ultra Japan. I think...they were a little mad when I was on my fourth plate of food. Happy, but a little mad cause I think we got there at the start of service.", she blushes a bit. "I...was extremely hungry that day. Ultra Japan was very busy, and I didn't eat much during the festival.", she tells.

    Miho looks at the bowl, and almost drools. She barely keeps her composure. "I really don't know Tokyo very well, and well, Hinote has been showing me around a bit. And well, my dorm mates as well as my parents have taken me down to the 109.", she tells. "God, that smells better then the resturnant. That or thats how hungry I am.", Miho laughs.

    The woman stretches a little bit as she gets a couple of cups out. When the water is ready, Miho takes a moment to get some instant tea out. Its not as good as what she purchased recently, but well, she has to run up to her room for those leaves. "Sorry for the instant, I have better in my room. Some Lavender tea.", she tells. The woman settles down in a chair.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"It's okay," Rashmi says with a shake of her head. "I do too. But I'll never turn my nose up at something someone else took the time to make, y'know?"

With the first bowl stacked up double its own height, she slides it and a packet of chopsticks toward Miho. And... well I mean, what do you *like* to do, normally? Cos there's *so much* to do just in the wards around the school. If you name it, there's probably a version here. And Hinote-kun's a good guy, you could do *way* worse than him for a guide."

With that, she starts packing her own bowl, laughing at the complement. "Mami says that hunger is the most powerful spice known, and I *know* I'm not as good a cook as either of them, but I'll take the compliment all the same. How're you liking it here so far, then?"

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho coughs a little bit. "I like watching videos of clubs and Ultra sets. I kinda do kendo and archery, but I don't compete in them.", she tells. The woman blushes a bit before she attacks the bowl. She gets about halfway though the bowl before drinking a little bit of tea. "Yes...There's...a lot around here.", she says. Miho bites her lip a little bit as she thinks a bit about everything she's seen since she's came to Tokyo. "And a few dangers. I got caught in the gas leak explosion that happend near the school.", she tells. How Miho says it...It doesn't sound much like a gas leak explosion, but who knows.

    "Hinote really is a good guy. He's been helping me out a lot. I got him a pass to Ultra Japan, and he came out with me. Between him and Laura, I feel like things are getting a bit better for me. Heck, even my headaches have gone away since I started coming to this school.", she tells.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"'Gas leak explosion,' huh?" Rashmi says, leaning against the counter with bowl in hand. She throws a fairly obvious 'is anyone around?' look around the room, then raises an eyebrow. "Gas leaks happen terribly often? Or was it just the once?"

Rashmi seems to be some kind of food ninja. It's not that she takes huge bites, or eats *overly* quick, but when someone else is doing the talking, she applies herself to eating and listening, and it seems like when you look back at her, huge amounts of her meal is just *gone.*

"Honestly it sounds like coming here's really helped you out, in a lot of ways."

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho looks around a moment, and makes sure that others arn't around. "Well, there was one just outside the school, and another at Ultra Japan. There's been a lot of pipes lately having bursting issues recently. Water just seems to get very cold very fast around here lately.", she tells. The woman is eating fairly fast though. Almost primal in a sense before she takes a sharp breath, and focuses more on eating more normally.

    "And yeah, coming out here from Kyoto has been a blessing. I've even met up with somebody who I know from Kyoto. Well, not personally known, but our clans have known of each other for a very long time.", she tells. The woman takes a deep breath. "I was getting a lot of stress headaches, but after Ultra Japan, I havn't had a headache since.", she tells. Miho relaxes a bit, since the room is empty. "I have been noticing a few things around the school though. Especially in the cafeteria. Certain people seem to...eat much more then others.", the young woman says.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Calories are mana," Rashmi says by reflex, then coughs on a bit of rice as it occurs to her that she just said that without confirming. "...So I'm also magical by the way. Don't worry, even if people overhear you talking about magic the worst that'll happen is you get called the weird one. Most people *can't* hold the idea in their heads except like some kind of fairy tale, so they'll invent excuses. Try going to a food stall after a fight, you'll probably get complimented on your cosplay and asked what character you're dressed as."

"But yeah if you're magical and new to it, the appetite's gonna be *startling.* Just get used to eating at least twice as much as you used to, really," Rashmi says, nodding at her own mostly-empty food bowl. "And if you have something magical to store things in, definitely get into the habit of carrying snacks and drinks."

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho laughs a little bit as her bowl is empty as well. She smiles a little. "I figured as much, based on how you were eating. Kinda like Onihime after a fight. And I'm learning. Very new to it, but working on things. My first two fights I passed out after the fight. First time transforming, then about 12 hours after that, I had transformed again without eating a good meal.", she admits to. "And then when Hinote took me to grab some dinner, I ate pretty much anything I saw, and almost stole his plate.", she tells.

    "At the concert, everyone just assumed we were all a part of a show, given the youma horde we were fighting.", she tells. "By the way, I'm Yukihime. I'm an ice and snow type, but I can use some Onmyoji spells.", Miho says. "I keep some protein bars, shakes, and energy drinks in my duffle bag if I have to change in a hurry.", she says.

    Miho looks at the rice cooker, as her stomach still is growling..."I just awakened 2 weeks ago.", she admits. "And my diet has gone to hell, but I've been losing weight.", she says. "Best diet I've ever had, but the fighter in me is screaming at me given how many calories I've been intaking. I'm eating almost as much as a power lifter...", she admits to.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Oh you're like Oni-chan?" Rashmi says, perking up with a sincerely delighted look on her face. "That's *great!* I'd been hoping she could make more friends, it'll be *so much easier* if she has a teammate! But yeah, you're just *gonna* eat more. Food is fuel, fuel is energy, magic costs energy, and getting into a fight's *at least* as draining as a long sprint. ...I assume. I, um... am more the booky type than the active type," she says, detaching a chintzy-looking sunburst charm from the bow of her school uniform. After one last glance around, she holds it out in her hand. "Nicomachea? Active Mode, please?"

    << *BONG!* >> << COMMAND INPUT EXECUTE >>

Yes, *the book just talked.* And it sounded like computer distortion layered over a kindly old English professor.

Her hand disappears into a faceted globe of golden energy, and a moment later the globe shatters; the charm has turned into a huge armor-plated book, with a great round red crystal on its cover. And it's *floating over her hand.* "So I'm a support type," Rashmi chuckles. "I can go on offense if I need to, but the biggest part of my toolkit's centered around defense and powering people up."

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho takes a deep breath, and focuses her mind. The air around Miho drops in temperture fast. There's even some snow that seems to float around Miho for a moment. "Youkai Musume, Yukihime.", she calmly says with her eyes closed. Snow starts spinning around Miho before she's encased in ice. After a few seconds the ice shatters, and a young woman is standing there in a ice blue Suikan. There looks like fangs poking just slightly out of her mouth, and her hands seem to form claws. She has a bow and a naginata with her. Yukihime slowly opens her eyes, which are so pale, they look frozen...

    Yukihime takes a deep breath while sniffing the air. "We're safe for a bit. I have a few shikigami sneaking around, watching.", she says. The woman draws a symbol with her taloned like finger on an plate of ice. A ball of light slams into it, and a snow bunny shikigami hops up towards Rashmi.

    "I'm much the same. I don't have Onihime's power to take youma out in a single hit, but I can create barriers, use shikigami, and been learning what I can do. I can cover Onihime's weaknesses, and she can cover mine.", she tells. Yukihime tries to keep the temperture decent as she sips the tea. "Gawd, tea is just sooo good. I guess, its just who I am now.", she gives a soft laugh. Yukihime sits down, very proper. Almost noble-ish.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Oh heeeeyyyyy," Rashmi says, setting her empty bowl aside and dropping into a crouch, holding a finger out for the snow bunny to sniff. "Okay that's really c-- *fascinating,*" she says, heroically avoiding the obvious 'cool' pun. "Hi, you! And yeah, that's *really* great that you and Oni-chan complement each other so well. There's a few of us more suited to the back line, but, not nearly as many as I'd like. ...Also, you've heard about Mahou Fight Club, right? Apart from that I should ask my boyfriend about team-defense training sessions, so those of us better at blocking can learn how to do teamwork. ....Hm." The redhead sort of stares off into the middle distance for a moment, then shakes her train of thought back on track. "Sorry about that... I just see a project that might do good for a lot of us, and I get focused."

Miho Inada has posed:
    Yukihime shakes her head. "I have not heard of the Mahou Fight Club. I've been sneaking out of the dorm, and been going on Youma patrols. Thats how I've been learning.", she says. The bunny sniffs the hand before turning its head back to Yukihime. "Friend.", she states, and the bunny nuzzles the hand. Yukihime nods her head a little bit as she listens in. "I've been wondering about my Onmyoji spells, if I can use other elements. But I don't want to do anything too risky that could fail while in combat.", she tells.

    "I havn't tried to do anything like calling for weasels, or anything much bigger then a deer in terms of Shikigami.", she admits to. "As far as I can tell, I can create talismans in the air, and then send them on people to give them a personal barrier for a hit or two. I've yet to try to create a formal barrier though. Nor have I tried to purify yet.", she says. "Just...no place to really practice."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"So okay," Rashmi says, very clearly trying to simply talk, and not just squee for minutes on end, as a bunny made out of snow nuzzles her hand. "There's a self-defense class at around 4:30, led by the guidance counselor. If you stay *after* that class, she's also magic, and basically runs a fight club where mahou can practice with their powers. There's enough of us that you don't need to worry much about hurting anyone else at the fight practice; *everyone's* a lot stronger and tougher than a normal person, and I know at least two purifiers. So you could see if you can manage anything that feels something like their powers. Also... If you meet a girl named Usagi, she'll probably make friends with you immediately, and she knows *so many* people you'll probably want to know. Chiefly her boyfriend, who's one of the very very few healers I know of."

"But if you'd like a *guaranteed* safe place to practice spells? I can help with that, actually. One of the things I can do is, like... take a couple of *blocks* of city, and sort of shift it over into an empty dimension. It filters out anything that isn't magical, so... Perfect safe testing ground," she says, beaming.

Miho Inada has posed:
    Yukihime nods her head a bit. "I have met Usagi. I think I have offended her. Just...like Onihime has a full Kimono, and I have a Suikan, which both cover our entire bodies. And most of the changes I have seen have been full body. I...thought there was a problem cause...well, her transformation...", Yukihime says with a blush. "I would like to try to call forth several Shikigami, but they're more dangerious wild types. Such as trying to call a bear or a weasel. Weasels might not seem deadly, but the scythes they come with...", Yukihime explains.

    "Shikigami are very hard to control spirits. And for the most part, they can act on their own. My best spell is summoning 10 wolf shikigami at once.", she tells. The woman akes a long moment to consider the offers. "I would like to do that at some point. Practice someplace safe. I have not tested any of my powers to their limits.", she admits to. "Both the fight club, and the Shift. What I am, I heard stories of them being able to summon blizzards.", she tells.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...Oh dear," Rashmi says, hand coming to her mouth. "Yeah, uh... All of her team has that uniform. One of them's also the school nurse, by the way. Setsuchan's a *really* good friend, and don't worry about her sense of humor; basically she's a little bit of an otaku gremlin, under all the Serious And Elegant, and she's a lot of fun if you don't take her jokes too seriously."

Giving the bunny the fondest of finger-pets between the ears, she stands back up, and taps the big crystal on the front of the book, her hand coming away with just... a regular phone. "But yeah, if you want to test those kinds of things out, absolutely let's share numbers. I've got some fire and ice shields that I'd like to test against specialized magic, too, so we can both see what we're capable of. Also my boyfriend, Chrono... He's really good at using ice magic to trap, so, it's something else you could get a good look at if it'll be useful."

Miho Inada has posed:
    Yukihime nods her head a bit before she closes her eyes. The snow bunny seems to drift away into a small blizzard around Yukihime, and standing once more is Miho. And her angry stomach after her transformation. She blushes a bit. "Yeah, it takes quite a bit out of me.", she admits. She stretches out a little bit though. "And sure!", Miho says. She pulls out her phone, from the jogger's tech pockets. "Most nights I'm usually training a bit. I've been doing 2 mile runs, or going to the school weight room after clubs. Just a habit from my dad.", she tells. "He's a former MMA fighter, now a trainer.", she states.

    Miho looks inside the rice cooker, and frowns a bit. "I guess its a prebed protein bar for me tonight.", she mutters. The woman laughs a bit. "It is getting late, and people will start coming back soon. I can't control the shikigami in this form so there's probably a bunny sneaking around outside...I'll deal with that in a second.", she says. "Mostly just me saying no to it a bunch of times before it flies away."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...Okay I'm just gonna say it that's *really cool,* Miho-chan," Rashmi says as the bunny fades into a skirl of flakes, then disappears. "Also you'll probably find that the more practice you get, the less it takes out of you. I know Device Magic, like I use, is pretty explicitly built around that, but I've seen people do some pretty amazing stuff once they've mastered their basics, and most of that is just... well like exercise, I guess; do a thing often enough, and it's just easier to do, y'know?"

Numbers are exchanged, and then Rashmi extracts a bag of mushroom-flavored snacks from the book. "To take the edge off," she explains. "I mean you saw where I grew up, I'm *always* gonna have food on me. Also something to think about; sugar *really helps* magic exhaustion, too. You're gonna be burning lots of energy *really hard,* there's no reason not to put a few more sweets in than you normally would. ...And I promise, I'm not just saying that so you try the chom-chom next time you end up at the Korma."

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho nods her head a bit. "I'll try that. I usually try to avoid sweets, but then again, magic is a new thing to me, so yeah.", she says. The woman has wondered why everyone has been stuffing her with candy bars after she wakes up from passing out. She smiles a bit. "Alright. I better get moving, or we're going to have the killer bunny of Radiant urban legend around here.", she laughs. The woman gives Rashmi a hug, and then runs outside. There's the sound of somebody crashing into a trash can, then a cat yowl...There's a flash of white going past the door before Miho is seen chasing it! "NO! Bad Bunny! Get back here! Don't wiggle your tail at me, Mister! No!" And another crash...Sounds like Miho is going to get her run in tonight anyways! Evil Bunnies!