Scaling New Heights (Private w/ Al Ciendra)

[Nishiki Showa]

One, two, three, four. Hup! One, two, three, four. ‘Round the corner; over, under! Woo! The freedom of being able to walk the streets without a tail following her or a guard detail escorting her around was refreshing! It was a mundane activity, sure, but this normal jaunt was something she could never take for granted ever again. Not after everything that she went through to get back her autonomy. Testing the limits of her new found independence quickly became an addiction when Showa understood how nearly every building she could see cresting into the big blue was somewhere she could just GO to! She could literally just up and WALK over there! Heck, why walk at all? Running on the tops of the roofs jumping from one summit to the next was a dream~. Showa was a real menace back home when she got into parkour. What really appealed to her about it was the feeling of being so removed from everything, almost unshackled from the world happening beneath and the confines that structure tended to put in place. The view from when they’d flown her in on the airship for Beacon was as tempting a sight as any, and she was dying to get an up-close and personal look at the city below. First chance she got; Showa was sandals on the ground. After these warm-ups, she’d be sandals on the eves making like a flea on caffeinated adrenaline.

One, two, three, four. Hup! One, two, three, four! Nice and limber, for the better! Yeeaaaah! Showa could barely contain herself; hopping in place with a smile so radiant it could put searchlights to shame. There were just so many ways she could approach, like that canopy over there that’d make for a great springboard! Or that alley way she could jump from one wall to the next to ascend to the roofs! The plaza she was in was just ripe with options nearly overloading the petite girl. Showa had been skipping from one side of it to another trying to make up her mind while she finished her warm-ups. She probably looked strange to any passersby on top of her flashy appearance, although most were probably already used to seeing similar oddities living in such close proximity to Beacon.

[Al Ciendra]

Al was just in Vale, using her time of from classes for something else than training or fooling around with Bartok or listen to Ax play music.
But going around Vale and just grabbing some food...well really meat, she had found a nice restaurant that served some excellent steak and no one was there to judge her diet.
Or the way she ate, well it was a little barbaric, but she really couldn't help herself when faced with some good food, but now she was done.
So after having a good dinner and also buying some new ammo Al was on her way back to the academy, she was just sipping the last few drops of her soda can...which was a bit awkward with her mask, but she made do by just using a straw.

That was until she saw some girl just in the middle of the street doing stretches, which wasn't that strange, but she was also dressed in some really fancy clothes!
Man...even her hair looked super fancy in the way it was styled and colored.
Al looked down at herself, man she looked a little bland compared to her, actually she still had her cool mask, so that was nice!
But she really wondered what this girl was doing and why was she looking around all excited!
Al was curious as to what she was doing, was she knew to this city and just having a look around ?
Maybe, but she seemed just a little too excited!

Al was contemplating what to do.
Should she just approach and ask her about it ?
I mean what else was there to really do, she could of course just ignore her, BUT that would be boring!
So Al took a last sip out of her can and threw it in the next best trash can.
And then turned to the girl, waking over to the fancily dressed girl.
"Heya, are you a beacon student and what are you doing around here ?"
Al asked, tilting her head as she still looked the girl up and down, up close her clothes really did look pretty...maybe she should buy some more fancy stuff ?

[Nishiki Showa]

Oh yeah, the blood was really pumping now~. That special something familiar in its heady march building up in familiar tones from the heart in her chest to the bundle in her head. The path was set in her mind’s eye. The alley way was tempting, but the canopy was for sure what Showa had her heart set on now. As much fun as it’d be to scale the narrow ascent of the brick walls, the green and white canopy promised some maneuverable air time for back flips and barrels rolls. Masonry just really wouldn’t do her manicure any favors either, no matter how nice the grips and grooves could be. Chipped nails… Ugh. That would totally eat at her every time she made to paint with a brush or handle a spray can. It took time to get them looking this good and all it’d take was a single scratch to ruin it.

‘Having them up in my face all the time… no thanks!’ There were better things to think about then scuffed polish though, like take off! Skyline excursions and urban spelunking right at her glittered black fingertips. A starting line began taking shape in front of her eyes from the uneven cobblestone ground, becoming as clear as any detail of the cracks and puddles. Promises, promises, oh alluring promises. Those slippery steps… the sound of someone approaching from behind… A surprise entry to the races!? Ooh, and a mysterious one at that. Showa couldn’t have thought up of a better last-minute guest star. The mask was pretty cool. Hooded too? Some red flags, sure, but this girl definitely rocked the color. There'd be time to give her a once over after Showa had introduced herself. She was going to make a heck of a first impression to her classmate. Why else would they ask if she went to Beacon when she dressed like an Huntress, or an aspiring one at least. Plus, she didn't look much older than Showa herself going off of her height and build. The clothes made it a little hard to make out, but she wouldn't be an accomplished artist if she didn't have an eye for detail like she did.

“Ye~p! First year Huntress in training: Nishiki Showa~. Who’s asking? Love the cloak, by the way.” If a wink and a peace sign could sparkle, Showa was the kind of girl that figured out how to. She flashed a smile at the masked girl over her shoulder, stance wide and no less spirited from when she was in motion.

[Al Ciendra]

Hm, she looked even fancier from the front than she did from the back, how did ONE person radiate this much confidence and beauty, she was almost sparkling with positive energy.
Al found herself almost stunned by this first impression, it at least left her speechless for a few seconds, before she finally caught herself and responded.
"Oh, uhm, it's nice to meet you. I'm Al Ciendra. And uhm, thank you."
Al just stood there, a bit unsure of what to do, she really had no idea to respond to such an introduction.
She was just looking at Nishiki now, still checking out the other girl's clothes, they were still very eye catching and Nishiki couldn't really see Al's eyes behind the black stained glasses of her mask.
But her gaze soon found itself back to Nishiki's face, the excitement she was radiating was contagious.
"So, uhm, what are you doing here ? You looked like you were just about to blast of somewhere."
Al asked, as she had seen her looking around the place and seemingly checking out the streets and houses.

[Nishiki Showa]

That made her giggle. Blasting off? Hehe, Al didn’t know the half of it! All she was missing was a 3-2-1 countdown before doing this little meet and greet and Showa would have been showing exactly the kind of blast she was aiming for. There was some incentive to perform well now that her little activity had an audience to spectate and for her to wow. Oh, that familiar spring in her step and beat in her chest was revving up again! Why explain with words to her new friend what she could better give a live demonstration for? Time to put a fire under red gal’s cape and see if she was a wild child. It didn't feel right a fellow (probably) Huntress hopeful to look so lost. At least, that was the kind of vibe Showa was reading from Al’s body language and tone of voice… Yeah, the mask was making it hard to tell what kind of expression she was making underneath its metal exterior. Chrome made for a nice finish, but wasn’t so nice to look at for eye-to-eye conversation. Showa had a pretty face to look at, all the same. Lol.

Back to the lady in red. Al’s question got her feeling a little coy. No pun intended.

“You really want to know~?” The runners were taking their mark. Showa’s mirth built to a wily grin of double white brights as she resumed her starting position on the damp cobblestone steps. Eyes were up above the shopfronts and ground level entryways her companion was seeing and towards the sky lining tops where she’d soon be. The way was free and she took her shot, sprinting out the gate into a perfect “10” somersault handspring vaulting her clear over the awning she flourished in with a mid-air spin to face her lone audience member. Puffy pigtails bounced alongside her soft landing into the canopy giving Al enough time to once again see Showa’s smile as she repeated her theme of an airborne performance. It really was almost like flying. A fleeting sensation of absolute freedom from gravity and the solid world below. It was beautiful to witness the sight of all Showa knew turning over itself as if everything was but an ephemeral dream~. Tucking and rolling certainly made for a comforting experience being blanketed by her own fluffy jacket. Hmm~, she needed to do this more often. The end of her arc came all too soon when the rooftop quickly met her descent. A resounding clack and Showa had stuck the landing in a crouch; head bowed low with her arms at her sides before swinging up in a triumphant pose fitting any gymnast.

“Think you can top that?” Showa didn’t want to be disappointed. If she was right, and she was sure she was, Al had her own sparks to show off. Although she never said if she was also attending Beacon, it wasn't a leap to make the association from how she was dressed. Huntsmen and Huntresses just had that certain energy in how they moved and stood. If Al was game, this run would be all the proof she needed. Flashing a double peace sign was the cherry topping her baiting words. By the end of this, she hoped she’d be making a friend during her stay at Beacon.

[Al Ciendra]

Al was still curious as to what she was aiming for her, especially with that reply, Al knew that kind of expression and was kind of considering dropping the conversation, yet as she opened her mouth to speak up Nishiki had somersaulted away.
She was stunned for just a bit as she saw the fancy girl performing an even fancier display right in front of her and stuck a perfect landing on a nearby roof.
It had finally clicked what Nishiki was doing and why she was so excited.

Al heard the question but remained silent for a little, she was now looking around the city again, yet not along the streets or alleyways but instead her eyes were on the rooftops and other things one could climb up on and run across.
Yep, no wonder Nishiki was excited, so excited that it now finally got to Al as well.
Instead of a verbal answer and much like Nishiki herself, Al was more of a fan of showing than saying in this case, as she adjusted her mask, stuffed her things into her backpack and tightened the bag to her back, so it would not loosely flail around.

Al got into a runner position, her hands on the ground and one of her legs stretched back, she looked at Nishiki before she sprinted forward.
Even for a huntress, Al was quite fast, her cloak fluttering behind her as she was closing in on the house Nishiki was standing on.
Al jumped up halfway to the wall of the building, her feet planting themselves firmly against the wall with the momentum she had gathered giving her just enough time to backflip of the wall and toward a street lantern adjacent from the house.
Turning midair, Al held on to the lantern, her body now sideways, as she used her momentum to swing around the entire pole and launch herself of it using her speed.
In a high arch, Al flew from the lantern on top of the rooftop.
Landing with a "thud" as her heavy boots hit the roof.
"Yes, yes, I think I can beat that.~"
Al said, finally giving Nishiki an answer to her question.

Al may not have dabbled in parkour as a sport, but the training her mentor had put her trough made her heavily rely on her ability to dodge instead of her lacking ability to block attacks due to her low physical strength.
And the best way to do dodge, was to use the environment.

[Nishiki Showa]

Silent responses were a mixed bag. Receiving her fair share was somewhat of a rare occurrence, and the most gut-wrenching reception to witness. Showa developed a bit of a nervous response because of them. Praise was a dime a dozen when patrons couldn’t get past surface level appraisal and gave compliments away like change. Showa liked them, but they went down easy for her and without much attachment since it came from strangers. Still, they were a normal event. Something she was familiar with. The real filling words were from people who *knew* what they were saying and others who sounded as if they had a personal vendetta against the artist. Criticisms or insults stung more because she wanted to hear them. The later were welcomed as much as the former, even if they weren’t as healthy or constructive. Showa knew how pretty certain brushstrokes became when paired with a direction in the whole work, but hearing how it clashed with the color palette she selected? That could be insightful. Not hearing anything in response… The lack of interaction and external perspective to her own was lonely, in a sense. It made her nervous. Antsy. Like it wasn’t worth a word. There wasn’t a small ounce of dread in Showa’s little body when Al hadn’t said a single thing since her urban scramble. Part of her was a bit worried Al wouldn’t bother joining like she had hoped and leave. Hard to get a read when her companion literally had a metal plate for a face. All that tension melted away when her honey eyes sparkled at the sight giving her palpitations for altogether different reasons. And when Al was all but a few steps away from where Showa was standing, her heart just about jumped out of her chest with joy.

Nearly tackling the masked girl in a hug as Al finished landing on stage was a struggle, and it was a stage considering that feat of awesome she pulled off to get there. Showa had to get her excitement out somehow, and letting her mouth run was the natural way to uncap it.

“Aaaa, you’re making me look bad, acting all modest like that~. Come on, take a bow, girl. It’s the least you can do after stealing my thunder, but now you’re stealing my schtick too?! I thought playing coy was my niche. Just goes to show how a gal can’t quite hack it rocking only one outfit~.” Burning off excitement going through as many playful tones she knew was about all Showa could do to keep from jumping to the next roof over, or even Al, trying to hold it in. There were other ways she quickly zeroed in on to spend that new excess of energy on, however. Ways that involved getting her proverbial crown back from this usurper! Really, Al got her bubbling like a tea kettle with that “Yes, yes I think I can beat that~” line.

Platform shoes balanced precariously on the stony balcony swaying on the balls as Showa dipped low and high to the open expanse in front and around. Out over the horizon she spotted… there! Looked about one mile or so away. She could do that, easy. Nine minutes, tops.

“You’ve jumped the first hurdle, but what do you say to a little extra spice in the mix? If you’re game, I’ll race you to that green roof over there and whoever gets there first will have to cough up a meal. How about it?” A perfectly manicured finger was thrust at Al like a sword, a pointed challenge if there was any, and Showa hardly looked anywhere near accepting a refusal bouncing on the balls of her feet like she was. Stars practically came to life in her honey eyes as those big puffy pigtails swayed.

[Al Ciendra]

Well this was not the response Al had expected to hear, well kind of, but not this extreme.
Sure her stunt was cool, probably but was it really worth this much praise ?
Especially considering that Nishiki's stunt looked very nice too.
She just rubbed the back of her head as she looked at Nishiki, but it did put a smile on her face, for someone to be this passionate was a nice sight to see.
With a small chuckle, Al did as asked, taking a butler's bow with her free hand just at her side.
"Thank you, thank you, no need for all the praise."
She just tried to calm Nishiki down a little, but no luck, instead she flinched a little as the finger was pointed at her.
"Oh uhm I..." She stammered a little, trying to just think of a response, but Nishiki's excitement was rubbing off on her!
She managed to clear that first hurdle, as Nishiki said, and a race could certainly help her digest a little.
"Yeah, sure sounds fun!
Even though she had just eaten, Al was excited for this, but she held herself back a little.
"We should have a starting symbol if we are gonna race...here!"
Al lifted her right hand, a bright orange orb of flame appeared in it.
"Here, when this explodes, we start." Al said, as she then hurled the fireball into the air, soon it was about a hundred meters in the air and then exploded in a small cloud of sparks, almost looking like a firework, which got a few murmurs from the pedestrians beneath.

Al immediately blasted of, she started sprinting, her body instantly leaning forward as her arms started swinging and Al used the momentum she got to leap to the next roof, which was at an angle, Al leaped up to the top and slid down the other side, with a roll she continued, looking back to Nishiki and checking if she was keeping up.

[Nishiki Showa]

Yes! Turns out Showa had her new gal pal pegged right. Not only was she accepting her challenge, but Al was already heaping on flair with an actual flare of her own before the race had even started! Bonus points for that. If this was the kind of fireworks she was busting out at the start, then this sneak peak preview was baiting her into expecting an even bigger show when feet hit the rooftops. Come on, a pyrotechnic was going to be racing her across the top of downtown Vale against the beautiful blue sky and she was supposed to not expect things to get heated? As if! She had big shoes for those expectations to fill and she was going to make them work it like a runway model in designer!

Sheer white erupted like a tidal wave crashing against the shore behind her as Showa took her mark, arm flourishing to the side as her other was bent inward and up near her chest. Seeing that big ball of flames just broke the stopper on what little she was holding back and got her throwing more fuel onto the inferno. It was a vicious cycle whose waves Showa planned on riding to the horizons without slowing down a beat. Stopping became a remote and distant idea where it wouldn't register even if it smacked her upside the head in its big, red octagonal self. No brakes! Just go! Go! GO!

"Don't worry about that meal, 'cause I'm gonna make you eat plenty of my dust!"

*Fwoom!*

The signal was shot and the race was hot! Al was already on the other roof before the sparks even finished dissipating in the wind. And-oh, how sweet. She was checking to see if she was keeping pace~. Better not spend so long looking back or else that was the only position Al would find herself in!

Throwing herself forward, Showa's platform shoes clacked against the eave and propelled her forward through the air. Why stop at just gliding over their heads when she could do so much more for the audience? Onlookers deserved a feast for the eyes, especially when they were looking at her! Arms that had thrust behind her came up to slice through the air as Showa spun, turning to shoot a wink and a million lien smile down to the people below before flipping upright in her descent right on top of the banner lined tightrope spanning to the other side of the plaza. Al thought she was lagging behind? Pfft, nah. Showa was just giving her a head start! Who cared about efficiency when she was racking up so many style points? Grinding on this rope like a railing felt rock star as heck! And-why was the skyline vertical?

'Aaaaaaaaaaahahahaha!' Wipe out! Right, Showa loved her heels, but they were probably not the best footwear for the situation... Nobody noticed though! Positive. Ok, maybe some of them did, but she stuck the save swinging from the rope on the fall and flinging herself clear across to a rooftop. ...landing probably a shorter distance than if she'd just run directly over the tops. She was in a race and there was no time to let the embarrassment catch on, she needed to catch up! Sticking out her tongue, Showa could only shrug at herself as she sprinted behind Al and her red, billowy cloak.

'Note to self: ask where she got it.'

[Al Ciendra]

Well, Nishiki was as confident as Al had imagined her to be, the pretty girl was show boating a lot, jumping more like a dancer than an athlete and was spouting some very confident lines, let's hope she could back up what she said with some speed too.
OH!
She actually, might, have the opportunity to do so right then and there, that shortcut she took looked promising, but then there was some wardrobe malfunction with Nishiki's shoes, which honestly was to be expected, high heels really were not the best choice for running around on roofs, it was actually very impressive that she was still, somewhat, keeping up with her.
Al wanted a proper race, but she also really wanted to win that free meal, she just ate, how was she hungry again ?!
What ever, what she wanted most right now was to win and show off her own skill!

Which she was about to right now, there was a large gap between two of the houses they had to pass to make it to their destination, Al grinned as she knew exactly what she was gonna do.
She looked at the roof she was on, a sturdy brick building that should definitely be able to withstand.
Lowering herself down, Al readied her next stunt, her hands were coated in flames once more, as Al leaped right into the air, as the fireballs she had charged shot into the side of the house wall, but instead of flaring with heat they created a shockwave that launched Al right across.

She was winded, as she miscalculated, while she did make it, Al's stomach was smacked into the ledge with her arms on the roof yet with her legs still hanging over the street.
Al coughed, slowly pulling herself up as she tried her best to catch her breath.
"I...really...should have just climbed."
Al groaned out as she was still struggling to pull herself up.

[Nishiki Showa]

Guh... That was a real bumbling tumble on the tight-rope grind, but nothing she couldn't have recovered from-which Showa totally aced at! Cause she was awesome like that. Back on track to the peachy-beachy despite needing to play a bit of catch up. Maybe it was more than a bit, hehe... Showa made sure to pump some extra Aura to her legs for the run, and around her heels because she did not pay out of purse for a pair of raspberry scarlet knock-around shoes! Showa wanted a free meal out of this, but sacrificing designer? She'd rather fork over the Lien now then scuff her heels. Did she seriously put the finish line a mile away? This is what she got trying to apply complimentary colors to a race. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Sure, Al had the red-it was really her color, but Showa had red, white, and black on her palette. That was two colors more! Black and white went with everything too! Right now, she really needed to be that tri-colored blur streaking past Al.

Which was easier said than done cause HOLY FISH STICKS WAS THAT JET BOOST AMAZING!

Utterly inspiring!

A whirl of mechanisms extended the shaft of Ryugaki Ryu into her awaiting hands. A flick of the wrist brought it over and around right as she cleared the next hurdle. Clasping the handle in between her teeth, Showa zeroed in on what was soon to be her lastest work. Hm. Weather was clear with absolutely no overcast or mention of a drizzle. Hehe. Hey, if Al was going to go full throttle, then she was too! Nishiki style!

Water flowed from the tip of her brush in a shining blue more pure than the sky, snap-freezing as quick as it came and forming swaths of perfect terrain for her parkour poor heels. Each halfpipe brought spontaneously to life shattered as Showa skated along into so much water, a fine mist that caught the rays so wonderfully. Rainbows sprouted from every step she took. She figured she should be giving her own light show now after Al did her the solid of two. Gotta payback a good showing. Oh hey, the little green roof was coming up a little closer.

[Al Ciendra]

Al lifted herself up from the ledge, swinging one leg over and then rolling onto the roof sideways, she took just a second to stare up in into the sky and take a breather as she then saw Nishiki.
It was an awesome and beautiful display, her eyes widened as she saw the fancy girl perform one of the most amazing displays of semblances usage she had witnessed to this day.
The way she moved from frozen platform to platform, it was like she was dancing, this looked more like a live performance rather than a race with how graceful and practice Nishiki's steps followed one after another.
Al was stunned, she had to take a moment to shake herself out from her stupor and finally get back up.

She took another deep breath, right, this had really devolved from parkour.
Al took a running stance, looking at her surroundings.
With a dash, she charged forward, she focused her aura into her legs giving her a major boost in strength and speed, using the flat roof to gain momentum Al jumped into the air, grabbing a metal pipe hanging overhead and flung herself up into the air, a blast went off behind her as Al used her semblance to perform another blast jump, with no wall in sight she should be fine.
She flew forward rapidly and landed on her next target, a tall roof, from a tower of sorts, she slid down the many tiles, using her elbow armor and sturdy boots to keep herself steady.

Then as she reached the bottom, she would take all the downward momentum and fling herself off the roof downward to the street, grabbing a rope hanging between houses and flinging herself forward like a sling would a rock, making the advertisement sign it was holding shake with the force of her impact.
She landed on another roof, she had gone slightly off course, but at least she looked amazing doing it, right ?
Al continued to run, now right towards the green roof.

[Nishiki Showa]

There it was! Go for green, go for green!

Closing in fast meant it was time to enact the final phase of her plan: PFFL. Or, Potential Friend For Life! Her purse was going to take a hit from this, but honestly, who cared about a couple of drops in the bucket. Lien, or friendship? Easy choice! Made a lot easier when her target was a sweetie underneath the metal mask of hers. Appearances be deceiving. Now all she had to worry about was making her loss look convincing. She totally could from those totally planned fumbles. Showa planned that all of them from the start. Yep.

Wet bristles met her fingers threading through them like a lapping wave. Flinging the cool de from the tips of her painted nails let loose jets of water in flying arcs, snap freezing in ascending rose of makeshift stairs. Each quick step breaking the fragile footholds that took her higher and closer, but thoughtfully paced to not put her a step in front of her fiery competition. Showa knew her compositions and this was definitely the time to hang around the backdrop. Still... wouldn't be right to make it a flawless victory for Al.

Dew balled between her thumb and index fed from the bundle of fibers and coming to life with a dab of her semblance to form bubbles the size of a orange. A flick of her wrist and off her hail of makeshift water balloons went at Al, bursting like proximity mines. All that Al would see looking back at them would be her smiling face..

"Head's up!"

[Al Ciendra]

Right, even with her terrible eye-sight Al could make out the green roof, it would just take one last sprint to the finish line to reach it, nothing easier than that!
If she was good at one thing it was running, well, that came after her pyromania, but nonetheless, Al could do this, especially against a girl using high-heels, a girl with high-heels that was technically cheating, while her ice powers were super impressive, but making a staircase and just climbing that really didn't count as parkour anymore, right ?
No matter, of course Nishiki would have to help herself somehow, she was up against her after all.

"Heads up!"
Al had not been paying attention to Nishiki's semblance for a bit now, it was either ice being created or said ice melting and dripping in the afternoon sun, a sound that sounded deceptively similar to what she had just summoned, water bombs!
Oh, that was just rude, rude and gross, she'd get all wet n stuff.
Wait, what solved getting drenched the best ?
HEAT!
Al stood still for a moment, staring at Nishiki as she once again, collected more flames, this time around her entire body, the surrounding air flickered for just a second as the blue flames coated the surrounding area in an ominous hue, before with a loud roar Al released the heat in a shockwave around herself, evaporating the water bombs into a cloud of steam.
Hahaha, she avoided getting drenched, now to continue this race, wait where was she ?
Crap baskets, with the steam around her Al couldn't see a thing, but she could hear, hear Nishiki overhead, her heels clicking and clacking against the ice, hah!
Al rushed out of the steam, now in the open again, as she looked up to Nishiki.
"That's cheating, you don't see me throwing fireballs at you!"
She yelled out, not actually sounding mad, this had been a most interesting challenge, just more teasing than anything.

Now, for the last hurdle, Al heard this gap coming a mile away as in front of her now laid the main street, hundreds of cars were racing below her and separating her from the last few roofs she had to race across to reach her goal and she already knew how to get across, this time she would not mess up the timing of her explosive jump.

One last time for this race flames would charge up at Al's hand and feet, these were once again blue, Al really had to grit her teeth as she had underestimated how much Aura she had used before, but she would make it, her competitive spirit and her desire for a free meal were driving her forward and leaping over the ledge.

With a loud explosion, one that would luckily not be heard over the traffic, Al launched herself off the facade off the building and across the road, the wind pulled back her hood, revealing her wolf ears tightly pressed to the top of her head and her brown hair waving in the wind.

With a loud thud, Al landed on top of the roof and on all fours, panting as that jump had taken a little more out of her than expected, but she got up, she could and would do this!
She looked back at Nishiki, her last stunt had left the fancy girl far behind.
She simply waved at her, as she jogged the last few meters towards the green roof, where Al would simply sit to catch her breath, while waiting for Nishiki to catch up.

[Nishiki Showa]

The time to make her graceful tumble from the air was approaching! First to lag some ways behind and let Al eat up the lead and then-!

"Fair's fai-!"

It wasn’t five seconds when her watery projectiles blew up in her face. Water balloons! A childhood staple, weaponized! It was a sound plan. Sounded even more awesome when she pulled it off, but then losing to the sudden heatwave wasn’t something Showa thought would be a thing when the opposite was supposed to happen. Also, water beat fire, didn’t it? She didn’t just jump into another dimension where everything was topsy-turvy, did she? She did mean to lose the battle to get to her real green roof, a.k.a.; PFFL, but this was an upset the likes of which she’d never forget! This was totally up there with the time she thought rocking beige and yellow was a winning combination. She’d never look at a banana again without seeing her young, naïve self, staring back. Well, she could probably pull it off better nowadays, but back then? Fashion deee-saster.

Showa also wasn’t expecting the wave of heated vapor rising up from beneath her and blinding her out of nowhere! By the time she could see two feet in front of her, the damage had already been done. Good news, PFFL was going great! Al was already doing her victory lap. Bad-no, horrible news. The hot mist mussed her hair! Fluffy twin tails puffed out like tri-color cotton candy from either side of her head! An unexpected tragedy to mark her ultimate victory… Mama was going treat her baby right when this was all over, full tender love and care with top-of-the-line product to undo that frizziness and, heavens forbid, split ends!
Still… seeing Al waving at her with those cute furry ears. Yeah, totally worth it. Granted, Showa did take a minute to try and smooth her wild hair down best she could, and failed, as she made her own landing on the green roof. Somewhat out of breath, though giddy once more.

“Aaaa… welp, guess it’s my loss then, haha! Your win, girlfriend!”

What’s one little loss in the face of Al’s happy victory dance? Even through the mask she wore, Al was totes adorb. No overly smug attitude either. Um, friend material much?

“So, got any ideas for what you wanted for lunch? I am buying.”

[Al Ciendra]

Well, Nishiki took her loss as gracefully as she walked, very well to say the last and was immediately back on the topic of actually giving Al her reward, which got Al to focus on that, but then she noticed Nishiki's hair, she felt pretty bad about that, but it Nishiki that had tried to water bomb her, so guess it was both their faults.
But food, her reward!
She was tapping her mask where her chin would be, a soft metallic noise being heard as she did.
"Well, you were also super close, gave me a literal run for my money."
Al chuckled at her pun, her ears wiggling with the motion as they then tilted along with Al's head, she was thinking about this, what kind of food would Nishiki like, she wanted to at least have her enjoy herself too after losing and getting her hair ruined.
Knowing her luck it would be too perfect if Nishiki enjoyed meat like her, so going to that steakhouse she liked was a bad idea, plus she had just eaten something hearty.
Guess she could do with desert.
"Well, about my reward..."
Al pondered just a bit more, the hollow black glasses of her mask now fixating on Nishiki whereas they had stared off into the distance before.
"Let's go to the café two blocks from here, not sure what you're in the mood for, but I could murderize some waffles right about now."
Al sounded quite excited, also hungry, so any counterarguments were most likely going to be ignored.

Soon enough the two of them were back on the ground, seated under an umbrella with Al already having gotten her order, a plate full of waffles, probably an unhealthy amount, but it was not like Al had to watch her weight with all the physical training she was doing, so after this challenge she deserved a little reward.
Her mask was pushed up, revealing at least her mouth, which would also show Nishiki her companion's fanged teeth, if it wasn't obvious enough by now marking Al was a wolf faunus.
Who was now, fittingly, wolfing down her waffles, which she had prepared with some sort of chocolate cream.
She took a short break after finishing her first waffle to speak to Nishiki.
"Thanks again for this food, and sorry about your hair. Next time I'll buy us food, if my allowance allows it."
She rubbed the back of her neck a little, maybe she should look for some work she could do while away from beacon ?

[Nishiki Showa]

"Girl, I am so down for waffles~."

A dollop of whipped cream topped with strawberries and all smothered in a drizzling of honey sounded exactly what the doctor ordered. Ooh! Some powdered sugar and a bit of dark chocolate shavings to balance it all out maybe? Mmm~ Sugar was just the thing for a post workout meal and the more she thought about the sweet confectionary goodness waiting for her just a hop and a skip away, the less work Al was needing to convince her. Stop the sales pitch sister and just take her lien already!

Working the comb she always kept on her helped smooth down the unwanted fluffiness from her head as she followed Al the short walk over to the cutest little cafe. Honestly, ordering the monstrosity that she did probably took longer than the actual walk to get here. The waitress was definitely getting a heck of a tip. She got the whole thing down in one go and only repeated it for her own sake to make sure nothing was amiss. A+ customer service! And quick too. They had her waffle stack out by the time the double doors stopped swinging. The waitress left with a smile and Showa could hardly keep her own off her face taking a fork to the waffles. Watching the cream jiggle as the short stack leaned at every slight poke made giggle bubble out of her. Yep, worthy of a pic and a post~. Speaking of a pic, seeing Al go to town on her own plate of sweets made snapping a pic of the redhead all too tempting.

"Hey, don't sweat about the check. I said it was on me, and it's on me! I'm not the kind of girl to go back on my word, pinky promise!"

Come on, girl worried too much. A couple lien here wasn't something to make a big deal out of. She should enjoy the free meal. Mmm~ too good not to give these treats the attention they deserved. She had to set her comb down for this. The left side of her head might still look like a poodle, but the caramel crust was calling her name. Showa~ Shooowa~.

Mmm~.

"Oh you have got to try this! Trade? A bite of mine for your yummy chocolate cream and you can count us even!"

[Al Ciendra]

Al felt bad, she had beaten Nishiki in their race and taunted her after doing so, she even ruined her hair, which the girl luckily brought a comb for, otherwise this would have been awkward, yet Nishiki had treated her with the utmost kindness and bought her a really good meal, something she was even happy to share with the wolf, she had to repay her somehow, right ?
Wait, why was Nishiki being so nice to her ?
That was a real chin scratcher, maybe she was just super friendly to mask wearing weirdos ?
No matter, she should just try and have Nishiki enjoy herself too, that's the least she could do for her...new friend ?
Yeah, sure why not, Nsihiki was more than alright in her book.

Her portion was pretty good, having this much sweet dough and chocolate on top would usually count as a cheat day for Al, not that she cared that much about her diet, but she should still not over do it, it would be bad to have an upset stomach.
But with how they were both digging into their snack, that thought was quickly tossed to the side.

Oh, a trade offer, she had not tried caramel before, so why not ?
Al stabbed her fork into one of her waffles and cut off a piece, making sure that the quarter had plenty of chocolate sauce on it.
"Here ya go."
She laid the piece on Nishiki's plate, then grabbing her part of the trade.
Oh, this was super yummy too! Really sweet, different from chocolate, but good in its own regard, then Al noticed something, it was all sticky and clung to her teeth, not the most pleasant feeling, so Al decided to stay with her chocolate.
"I'll stick with chocolate, caramel is way too sticky."
She replied, scratching her teeth a little.
"How's the chocolate ?"
Al asked, tilting her head, she hoped that Nishiki had more luck with Al's choice.

After some more quiet time, Al spoke up again after swallowing another waffle.
"So, what are you doing at Beacon, you look waaaay too fancy to be just a beacon student, there has to be something else."
She pointed her fork at the fancy gal in front of her, twirling it a little, once again looking at the extravagant clothes and they way she styled her hair in such an outstanding manner, sure some other girls also liked to dress up, Al excluded, but Nishiki topped them all.
"I'm just here to get stronger, compete with other people and become a Grimm killing machine, all in all I just really like fighting."
She shrugged, then taking a bite into her next waffle, sighing at the taste, truly the best.