561/Poor choices

Poor choices
Date of Scene:	07 October 2023
Location:	Plot Room 1
Synopsis:	Setsuna is running from the truant officers and Hinoiri has a bike and doesn't really care to NOT get in a high speed chanse through tokyo, so what can you do? Poor choices ensue! At least nobody is interrogated this time.
Cast of Characters:	Hinoiri Kirara, Setsuna Meiou

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Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara was, well... fiddling with her phone, texting someone? Gosh she was awful at it. She was actually texting someone about something for school, but she was very, very slow. A pecker. Who sucked at using the stupid phones. And Sora help her if she needed to use an emoji.

She'd just tossed out the empty cup for her coffee, but hadn't actually started her bike yet. Helmet was resting in her lap, jacket zipped up, text text text.

Sure, she wasn't in class today because.... frankly she didn't feel like it. Sure, maybe it was lazy but she had a good mood today and wanted to enjoy the nice weather so she was GOING to. Just drive through the city. Heck, maybe out of the city. Go wild. Have an adventure. Yeah.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna was still smol.

For the moment, at least. She could, by this point, kind of feel the change...and she was reasonably certain that she'd go back to being her normal size probably sometime overnight.

Thus, she was out taking this last chance to see and do things from this much...different perspective.

And of course, just as she'd feared and been paranoid about all the time she'd been smol-sized, a Truant Officer had finally caught sight of her.

Thus, she found herself tearing around the corner as fast as her little legs could carry her, ducking around and under obstacles and in Hinoiri's direction.

Seeing someone else apparently of school age, she calls a warning, of sorts, "Cheese it! It's the cops!"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara blinked a few times when someone was running at her and... "What?" she asked. She just watched this kid approaching... then gave a 'eh, whatever' shrug. "Sure, why not?" she asked. She put the key in, turned it on and... "Hop on," she said, motioning to the spot in front of her. Why?

Because kids were small and she'd NEVER forgive herself if some brat fell off the back of her bike. And she also shoved a helmet on her head, making sure it was secure...

Then, as the truant officers came around the side of the building... THEY WERE OFF!

Hinoiri peeled out into the middle of the street, earning some angry honks, which she ignored, gunning down the road and rapidly gaining speed as she DEFINITELY broke a few laws, swerving in and out and AROUND traffic. "So, what were you running from the cops for, kid? Steal a candy bar?" she asked.

... she thought it was actually the cops. But the kid was, what. Four? Five? She wasn't a narc.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
As Hinoiri makes the offer, Setsuna blinks...and time slows slows to a crawl.

On the one hand, the last time she got on a high-performance vehicle, she ended up making a screaming confession.

On the other hand, she REALLY doesn't want to spend her last day smol going through the administrative nightmare that would be them trying to figure out who she was and trying to find a way to escape.

As her perception of time starts spooling back up to normal, Setsuna gives a mental shrug and decides, 'what the hell' before taking the offer and hopping up onto the indicated spot.

As she gets settled, she notices who's giving her a ride...absently notes it's a student from school...VERY nearly calls her by name out of reflex...then finally shakes her head a bit, and gives a semi-honest answer, "I didn't wanna spend my last day here stuck in administrative hell."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara couldn't help but snicker before driving in between two cars and getting honked at and yelled at, ignoring them. "Ahhhhh. Trying to escape homework, kiddo?" she asked with a light laugh. "Can't say I blame you, some of the stuff here is pretty lame. Got anywhere you prefer to go when you play hooky?" she asked, swerving through traffic again before just... dipping out onto the freeway. Welp. No way for them to get them here. And it felt great to just be able to speed up and ignore things like speed limits. Ish.

"Playing hooky myself, couldn't take another day of annoyance and frankly? Just too nice a day to spend cooped up inside. Seriously, they need to have more outday classes on days like today."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna opens her mouth to protest...then pauses and actually takes a moment to look around.

After a few moments, she turns back and finally nods, "...okay, yeah...that's a solid point. They really SHOULD."

She hrms to herself and makes a mental note to float that at the next staff meeting...but she'll need to find someone who ISN'T part of the the horribly traditional hidebound gang of 'normal' teachers.

Hrm.

Still, she shrugs, "I don't really have anyplace in particular...pretty much the same as you...didn't want to spend this day cooped up in the offices."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara nodded. "Back where I was from, days like today we'd just do them outside. Granted, we had probably a bit more awareness then. The uhhhh... weather was better... monitored." Namely in that they set it. "Still, pretty lame to have all this sun and be trapped. Careful, make sure you keep your legs off the engine, it gets hot."

She was picking up speed... but compared to Haruka, it likely wasn't that bad. Bikes, though, so the wind was faster. Nowhere near as fast. "I'm Hinoiri Kirara, by the way." Pause. "You know, you look kind of familiar now that I think about it. You go to RHA, right?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna looks forward again, and takes a moment to shift slightly and make sure she's not going to touch the engine block with her bare legs, then looks back over her shoulder to respond, "It's nice to meet you Miss Hinoiri."

She very nearly reflexively said 'Miss Kirara', but caught herself at the last moment. Someone her apparent age probably wouldn't address people the way she generally does.

After another moment, she shakes her head, "*I* don't go to RHA...and it's Susanna. Nice to meet you."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara drove in between two vehicles, right on the line, ignoring the yelling she got for it.

"Yeah, it's pretty great." Meeting her, she meant, but she didn't clarify it.

"Really? Huh. I was starting to think everyone went to that school. Biggest school in something something other spiel," she said, moving into the fast lane and gunning it. "So, is this more a 'I can't stand the school right now it's too nice to be stuck in a desk!' running away, a 'I didn't do my homework and books are stupid' running away or 'I'm mad at someone at school and/or at home' running away?" she asked, slowing down just a hint when she started to turn.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna shakes her head and smiles a bit. Frankly, given who her housemates are, a bit of arrogance barely registers...and she's got her mind on other things, anyhow. Like how fast they're going and how close the cars are.

Still, she notes that she PROBABLY should be freaking out a little...but either her previous experiences have numbed her a bit, or maybe it's not all that scary to begin with.

As it is, she seems to actually be enjoying the zooming along a bit.

At Hinoiri's speculation, she snorts, "The former. The scond isn't something I'd really be worried about, and the latter is something I'm fortunately not having problems with."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara lightly chuckled. "Really? Guess you're a bit of a little nerd then, huh? I can respect that. Well, as long as you're keeping up on your work, no reason not to play hookey now and again."

She was, oddly, being somewhat responsible about this. If only that applied to her driving. "Feels good, doesn't it? Having the wind blow through your mane? Err, hair? Kind of reminds me of home. Well, except the smell of gas. But can't really escape that on the road."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna grins and snorts, "I could TEACH the history course."

Granted, it'd probably be a much more INTERESTING class under the tutelage of someone such as herself...but it'd probably be a lot more fun, too."

Still she nods and says, "...it is a nice feling. Last time I went this fast, it was in a car...rather faster in that one, but a far less..."

She pauses and trails off a little, then shrugs, "...intimate experience with the road, I think would be the best way to phrase it."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara couldn't help but laugh at THAT response. A full, hearty laugh. "Oh, I know THAT one. I swear back home I could teach half the classes there. Not that it ever meant much. It feels most days like people only want to do the bare minimum, both students and teachers. Don't get why someone would want to be normal when you could *excel*?"

Hinoiri gave another light snort. "Yeah, the intimicy is half the fun. You really feel like you're in control. The cars and buses aren't any fun, it's like running around in a big... I don't know... cage. Might as well not even be moving. But this? It's almost like you're moving under your own power and you can move so fast you feel alive..."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna sighs, "...I kind of know what you mean. I mean, I understand that it's useful to have a broad base of knowledge to build upon...but you're right that far too few teachers really work to nurture or encourage those that might have a talent in their field."

She frowns, then shrugs, "...I suppose they're far too focused on getting everyone up to a passable level instead."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara couldn't help but laugh. "Pretty much. I don't see the whole point of that. People should just figure out what they're best at and then devote their energy to being the best at that. Someone who makes amazing pies doesn't need to know how to change the engine out of their car, waste of everyone's time."

Then blinked. "But, err. Right. You're still a kid. Like. Stay in school, figure out what you want to be. All that stuff. Don't do drugs. Something something."

Hinoiri. Not the best role model.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna shrugs a little, "True enough...but you still want everyone to have at least a BASIC level of knowledge. I mean, yeah, I wouldn't expect a master chef to be able to fix a car...but by the same token, that chef should at least know enough about their car to be able to understand what they don't know...because that way they're less likely to get scammed by an unscrupulous mechanic."

She also shrugs, "...and there's something to be said for using being taught that broad base of knowledge to FIND the things one is good at."

She smiles, "...it's not like we're tattooed with a sign that says 'good at math' or whatever...sadly, we have to go figure that out for ourselves."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara let out a groan. "I know, right? Not having cutie marks makes it so much harder, you could--" Then stopped. Shaking her head.

"Right, so you should definitely not skip too much school. The occasional day off won't kill you and I should probably turn us around eventually or I think this might start to count as like. Kidnapping. I don't know," she muttered. "Hold one."

And then at the next opportunity she DID! And she burned rubber on the turn, and there was more cursing at them, as she started driving back. "Feels good, though. The wind and all that. So, is there anything in school you do like? Or still at that 'everything looks great but I wanna be a PRINCESS when I grow up' phase?" she asked in a teasing tone.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna looks back over her shoulder and grins, "Well, being a Princess certainly DOES have it's perks...but there ARE downsides...one can imagine."

She's probably just being speculative there.

Then she smiles and goes on, "Eh, there are a few things I like more than others. Physics and Biology have always been specialties of mine. How about you?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Yeah, probably. I mean, if you're forever a princess you'll always be in your mom's shadow for one," she said in a teasing tone. "I wouldn't want to be a princess myself. Met a few, they were always just a bit stuck up for my taste." Oh, there was something she probably shouldn't mention to a kid. But eh, what would she say? She was just a little kid. Who'd she tell? Who'd listen to her?

"Oh... this and that. But it's not really the same for me. I've known what I was destined to be since I could walk. Possibly even before then, if I could remember anything from then. What I like hasn't really ever mattered after that. Once you know what you have to do, what you want to do has to be shoved aside... or you'll let it slip through your fingers entirely."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna goes quiet for a moment as Hinoiri's comment...hits a bit closer to home than she'd really like. She's quiet and contemplative for a long moment...and it's obvious she's giving what Hinoiri said some very serious thought.

Which might be a bit of a thing that sticks in the memory...because despite her apparent young age...Setsuna just doesn't TALK like someone who looks twelve.

Finally she goes on, "...well, I won't say you're WRONG...but..."

She trails off, thinking about how to word what she says, she takes a moment before she goes on, "...knowing someone who's had a similar situation...where they were given a big job and responsibility from a very early age...they had to find ways to exist beyond the job...even if only briefly or occasionally...holding onto something too tightly can lead to it just squeezing through your fingers."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara couldn't help but laugh when the other girl spoke up. "Yeah, isn't that the truth? But frankly... when you know your destiny, when you see it... you have to go after it, kid. When you know without a shadow of a doubt..."

"It'll be hard at times. You might even be scared, or want to hide, or ask for someone else to do it instead. See it as a burden. You might... lose a lot, in the end. You might even... you might even lose what you valued the most." she was going faster and faster, passing cars constantly.

"You might even have to fight for it. There will be others who try to tear you down. Tell you that you aren't good enough. That everything you've worked for, everything you've sacrificed for, was a waste. That you're not worthy. That you'll never be good enough."

"But trust me, kid. If you know what you have to do... just tell those voices to buck themselves. If you're lucky you might even find some friends who... get it. Who help you. Who really see what you are. But even if you don't? If you keep what you have to be in the forefront of your mind, keep who you have to be... never let it slip. Not even for a moment. Or you could lose everything before you even realize what is happening."

And then someone tried to cut her off, making her swerve, hard, and barely recover. "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING YOU JERK!" she yelled at them.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna lets out a little squeak at the swerve...and she takes a few moments to get her heartrate back under control...

But then she frowns and says, "...once again, you're not WRONG...but..."

She sighs, "...just don't forget that Destiny is a stone cold bitch that can and will withold vital information from you...ESPECIALLY if she seems to be 'giving' you a 'free' pointer."

That said, she lapses into silence...then points at a corner ahead, "I should probably get off here..."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara nodded and then pulled off the freeway, slowly moving to one of the side streets, out of the way... and pulled over. She let the kid off, though she'd take the helmet and lock it back up, her own helmet hiding her face. The thoughtful look she had.

"Yeah. Destiny... destiny is merciless like that. Sometimes you see one path and you just know it's... the right way to go. Then you end up trusting the wrong person and... find out how little you really meant to them."

"But hey. There are probably a lot of great destiny's out there. Like, there's this one kid at our school who seems to have a real knack for setting up lighting. He's probably going to become a set designer or something. And if that makes him happy and he's good at it... well... not everyone has to have a tough destiny. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones. I... probably won't see you again, Susanna-chan. But stay in school, don't skip too much and at least do your homework and you'll be fine. Who knows? Maybe you'll be a scientist someday. Until then, ciao," she said before taking off, leaving her behind.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
As she gets off the bike, Setsuna pauses for a moment...then she decides to go with her impulse and gives the apparently older a girl a hug.

She's come to realize in these last few weeks that people don't get or give enough hugs...and she's going to take advantage while she still can to rectify that problem as much as she can get away with. Once she's done, she drops back to the street, steps back and waves, "Take care, Miss Hinoiri.

And she watches the other girl drive off before turning to head home.