There comes a time in every shared universe where the writers run out of stories that are ready to be posted.
Well, the KanriKyaraProject publishable-story buffer has run dry. (We have more, but nothing's ready to release yet.) Here are a few short scenes that even we couldn't turn into entire stories. Yet. Some of these are just for fun; others are canon for the setting... and we aren't going to tell you which is which until something is actually used in a story, nor do we guarantee that the ones that do happen will take place on the dates given here.
September 2016
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Monday, September 12, 2016
Chris still hated Mondays.
Not quite as much as he had in the mid-1990s -- none of the full-fledged, berserker rage, must kill kind of hate he'd had for them in his youth (marriage and the passage of time had mellowed him somewhat over the past twenty years or so, after all) -- but even though he didn't have to make an 8:30 staff meeting any more, he still woke up on the day after Sunday expecting the worst.
He usually wasn't disappointed.
Still, this particular Monday hadn't been too bad, and he'd gotten through to dinnertime without too much in the way of a disaster. With work done, the odds of something going wrong went way down, and he could relax somewhat. His cooking repertoire had expanded somewhat over the past twenty years, but he still had his favorites. Pasta was one of them, and being as it was his turn to cook anyway, he had begun preparing a batch to celebrate getting through the start of another week.
When the black-haired girl erupted from the steaming pot, he was seized by a profound sense of "someone's screwing with me." That, and deja vu.
After all, he'd written this scene in 1996.
At least she didn't fall on top of him, scream, and hammer him into unconsciousness.
But what she did next was almost as disturbing. As he backed off warily, she slowly touched down onto the floor in front of the range, then bowed to him. "Christopher Angel," Skuld said -- and he could almost hear the unspoken "nii-chan!" behind his name -- "Heaven has need of you."
Gulfside Rest
Pensacola Beach, Florida, USA
September 25, 2016
"Why do you need bicycles?"
"Because it's three and a half miles to the closest ice cream shop. Or to any place else to buy anything around here." Asuka Soryu sighed deeply. "All the places we could have ended up, and we get stuck in a bedroom community."
Harley Waters grinned. "That sounds to me like a reason to get a real bike, see more of the world than just the beach in our front yard."
"We're too young to get motorcycle licenses," Hikari Horaki pointed out.
"Aw, you'll grow out of that soon enough, like those girls who blew through here last week."
"But in the mean time..." Toji Suzuhara deliberately didn't finish his sentence.
Harley laughed. "Okay, okay, I know when I'm beat! I'll get you a few kiddie bikes tomorrow."
![[Image: 200px-Asuka_and_Shinji_on_a_bicycle.jpg?20241024013543]](https://kanrikyara.miraheze.org/w/thumb_handler.php/5/57/Asuka_and_Shinji_on_a_bicycle.jpg/200px-Asuka_and_Shinji_on_a_bicycle.jpg?20241024013543)
October 2016
Aria House
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 1, 2016
"Hey, Alice, I think this page is about you!"
Alice Carroll looked, sighed, and told herself yet again that blindly clicking on links Tomo Takino sent her was a mega bad idea.
Aria House
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 4, 2016
"Is there any chance you could teach me to drive?"
Brent Laabs looked sideways at Tomo Takino. "Why do you want to learn?"
"In case I'm on a bus, and there's a bomb on the bus that'll go off if the bus drops below 50, and the driver gets shot, and ..."
"That was a movie!"
"And I'm from a TV show. What's your point?"
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
October 8, 2016
"Will the three of you listen to yourselves?" Rei Hino finally complained. "Boys, boys, boys, nothing but boys! Haven't you ever heard of the Bechdel test?"
"Do we look like fictional characters?" Minako Aino shot back.
"Up until last month," Ami Mizuno interrupted, "we were fictional characters. At least we were here."
"I still think I'm a real person," Usagi Tsukino muttered.
Maison d'Orléans
Orléans, Loiret department, France
October 9, 2016
«Touché,» Jehanne admitted ruefully, stepping back and lowering her sabre.
"Halt," Adrien, acting as referee, called. "Bout to Marinette."
"For once," the young Frenchwoman said with a grin as she pulled off her mask. She stepped forward and held out her hand. Jehanne, her own mask now off, smiled and shook it, then ran the fingers of her free hand through her dark, sweat-dampened hair.
"Well fought, my friend," she said.
"Thank you," Marinette acknowledged. "You've adapted well to fencing." Together they left the long, narrow rectangle of white paint in the middle of the residence parking lot which served as a makeshift piste, joining Adrien where he stood to one side.
Jehanne grinned at her younger friend. "In truth, I did not think I would do as well as I have. I may have worn a sword into battle, but I can count the number of times I actually drew it on the fingers of one hand. That I can not only hold my own against either one of you, but prevail more often than not, is a wonder to me."
"You are a natural at the arts of war, ma petite," a rich tenor voice said from behind her; Adrien and Marinette's eyes widened, and Jehanne turned about to see her patron stepping out of a shimmer of light that she was certain led to the Heavenly realms. Another figure, obscured by the brilliant light, followed him.
«Grand frère Michel!» she cried happily.
"This is why I have chosen you and your counterparts time and time again across the many universes," the archangel continued as he embraced her. "How do you fare, ma petite soeur?"
She stepped back and wrinkled her nose at him. "As you should know, since you ask me every day, I fare well. My tutors assure me that I am progressing quickly, and ere my reading improves enough, I shall be able to join my new friends at their 'high school'. And I continue to learn how to comport myself in this era."
Marinette shared a grin with Adrien. "She hasn't attacked a car in superstitious dread in almost a week!" she giggled.
Jehanne spun on her friend and held up a forefinger. "Once! Once only was I surprised and reacted badly!"
Marinette took her hand with a gentle smile. "I know, I know. I'm only teasing."
"Its operator should never have been given a license," Jehanne huffed, then shrugged and smiled. "And in truth I did grow familiar with automobiles during my first visit to this time."
Adrien snorted. "Jehanne, how often do we have to tell you? 1989 is not 'this time'."
She crossed her arms and scowled at him. "From whence I came? Then and now may as well be two days in the same week."
"She does have a point," Marinette admitted with grin. "Just like every other time you've had this little discussion." Adrien stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed.
Michael laughed, too, and laid a hand on Jehanne's shoulder. "It gladdens my heart to hear that you continue to do well, except for the occasional automobile," he said with a twinkle in his eye.
"Not you, too," she moaned in mock despair.
"But to help you to adapt even better to this our Refuge," he continued gently, "I have brought someone to meet you."
He stepped aside and the figure behind him resolved into an attractive red-haired woman, lithe and fit, taller than Jehanne by at least ten centimeters, and dressed in a men's dress shirt, jeans, and running shoes, all brilliantly white. She stepped forward with a broad smile upon her face and planted one fist on her hip. "Hello, Jehanne la Pucelle," she said. "I, too, am Jehanne la Pucelle."
"Who better to aid and advise you," Michael said, "than your counterpart from this universe?"
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
October 12, 2016
Rob Donaldson walked into the common room to hear Minako say, "Not a Brazilian, I hope."
"By now, I really should know better than to ask, but what are you talking about?"
"Oh, hi, Rob! Usagi's new job in the primate pen at the zoo."
He couldn't figure out what she meant. "There's no zoo in Ottawa."
"Ami said she's waxing gibbons," Minako explained.
Ami sighed deeply. "No, I said, 'The Moon is waxing gibbous'."[1]
Chicago, Illinois, USA
October 14, 2016
"Whatever happened to us yesterday wasn't time travel," Rally Vincent commented. "We're definitely not in our home world."
"How do you figure that, Rally?" asked Bean Bandit around big bites of burgers, not really caring but willing to humor his sometimes-partner.
"When I went to renew my license this morning, they told me that bounty hunting's illegal here. Even if you get a license out-of-state."
"That's a shame," May Hopkins commented. "It's been three decades. When did they change the law?"
"That's how I know we're in a different world. They changed it in 1963."
May's eyebrows headed for her forehead. "But that's before I was born!"
"Huh," Bean grunted. "So we're not home. Any idea how to find out where we are?"
"Not a clue. Right now, I'm more worried about how to earn a living. Burgers aren't free."
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
October 16, 2016
While looking at Makoto clearing the lunch dishes, Minako asked, "Do we need a rota?"
Mii had no idea what Minako meant. "A what?"
"A rota. You know, to keep track of the hoovering, and tossing the bins, and putting the kettle on after class."
"The what, the what, and the what?" Usagi asked, just as perplexed as Mii.
Rob smiled. "I think Mako-chan has the scran covered. But a rota for the rest would be boss."
"He's as bad as she is," Kuroko muttered.
Minako was puzzled for a short moment as well, until she realized what he was saying. "That's Scouse, Mr. Donaldson, not RP."
"So I'm a Beatles fan and I've seen a few episodes of Corrie Street. Everything's sound."
Rei finally exploded. "Will the two of you please tell us what you're talking about!"
Aria House
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 16, 2016
"Why is it so hot?"
"Oh, that's because of the Santa Ana winds," Brent answered Tomo.
Osaka looked puzzled. "But we aren't in Santa Ana."
The Steeple
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
October 20, 2016
"Midchildan computers are the only ones with both spell-check and spelling-check."
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
October 21, 2016
Ami, still looking for costume ideas for the upcoming Halloween party, looked up from her computer screen. "Oh, dear. It appears that Pretty Cure isn't a medical drama."
The Anything Goes Cafe
Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
October 22, 2016, during the events of Fuku'ing With His Head
"He reminds me of my sempai," Makoto Kino said as she watched Ryouga Hibiki head toward the road.
"He does?"
"Yeah -- he's clueless and he's walking away from me."
November 2016
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
November 2, 2016
"I just noticed," Mamoru Chiba commented. "You stock tampons in the common room's washroom."
"That's right," Rob replied. "A majority of the residents here are teenage girls with metahuman combat powers. Do you want to tell them they have to do without until they get back to their apartments?"
Aria House
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 5, 2016
Yomi Mizuhara's curiosity had finally reached the point where it had to be satisfied. She walked over to her roommate and said, "You've been staring at that screen for five minutes now. And you're not watching a movie. Just what is it that you're doing?"
Without looking up, Tomo replied, "We're making characters so we can play City of Heroes with the folks in New Jersey, but I'm stuck on a name for mine."
"That's a supers game, right? Call your character 'The Attractive Nuisance'."
Tomo looked sideways at Yomi. "Is that some sort of joke only lawyers would get?"
"You finally noticed!"
"At least you think I'm attractive... sweetling."[2]
Appartements Mont-Royal Sud
Montréal, QC, Canada
November 6, 2016
"Rin," Saber asked, "Why are you calling Sailor Moon 'the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on'?"
Douglass Gardens Apartments
Somerset, New Jersey, USA
November 11, 2016
Yui looked over Shinji's cello a second time. Puzzled, she asked, "Where do you plug it in?"
![[Image: 200px-Yui_and_Shinji_with_instruments.jpg]](https://kanrikyara.miraheze.org/w/thumb_handler.php/e/e1/Yui_and_Shinji_with_instruments.jpg/200px-Yui_and_Shinji_with_instruments.jpg)
Douglass Gardens Apartments
Somerset, New Jersey, USA
November 12, 2016
"Sooooo," Ritsu vaulted the couch and dropped down next to Yui. "I hear you went on a date with Shinji Ikari." She grinned and nudged Yui with the closest elbow. "Goin' after a younger man, eh, Mrs. Robinson?"
Mio rolled her eyes. "I knew it was a mistake watching The Graduate last Friday," she muttered. Then she added, "Still, Yui, it seems improper for you to get involved with a high schooler."
"Nah," Ritsu said. "We know he likes mature women -- you see how he looks at Misato in their anime? I bet he couldn't keep his hands off our Yui."
Azusa sniffed disapprovingly. "I agree with Mio. It's not right. You're in college, and he's, what, not even fifteen?"
Yui suddenly lunged at Azusa and took her hands in hers. "Oh, don't be jealous, Azu-nyan -- you know you're the only one for me." Azusa blushed and yanked her hands free as Yui blithely went on. "It wasn't like that, anyway. He just seemed so sad, you know? When we were done with the session I just wanted to cheer him up a little before he had to go back to Florida. It doesn't seem like he does anything for fun with anyone there." She shrugged. "So I took him to Thomas Sweet for a blend-in, and there was a flier there about a cello recital at Mason Gross, so we decided to go. And it worked!" Her entire face seemed to light up. "He had such a good time, and he was so happy! We were laughing and talking all the way back here. And I gave him a hug and little kiss on the cheek to let him know that I had a good time, too." Yui's expression grew pensive. "He's nice, he just needs more friends."
Somewhere in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
November 12, 2016
"Your website does say that members are allowed to throw their own weapons."
"It does, but we expected people to bring in knives or axes. That's a rose."
Aria House
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 15, 2016
"I saw her use the card, and I realized, whoa, magic is real!" Tomo enthused.
"Sure seems that way," Yomi agreed.
"So, hold my beer and watch this!" Tomo passed Yomi a bottle of Ramune.
"Oh boy."
Tomo raised her arms dramatically towards the ocean, and began chanting, "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood -- guh!"
Yomi whapped Tomo on the head, hard. "For crying out loud, no evil magic!"
"Waaaa that hurt."
"I don't want you summoning an Elder God. If magic is real and fiction is real: just have some goddamn sense Tomo!"
Tomo mumbled, "Elder God. That spell wouldn't even work unless Shabra—"
"Huh?"
"Maybe that was a dumb idea," Tomo blushed.
Yomi stared down at Tomo and blinked a couple of times, entirely taken aback. About ten seconds later, "Of course it was a dumb idea. Geez."
Aria House
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 16, 2016
"I want to see if I can talk them down on the price of a fur coat," Tomo said.
Brent looked at her incredulously. "You want to visit Dicker and Dicker ... to dicker?"
"Why not?" Tomo was surprised that Sonomi of all people would take her side. "Never pay the list price for a luxury item."
"Besides, it's in their name, so we have to!"
Brent decided that quoting John McClane was the best course of action. "Fine, fine, whatever. As long as you can afford it."
"I was hoping you'd pay for it."
"We're still buying fridges and stoves for the apartments. Buy your own coat."
Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, USA
November 17, 2016
"That's a mighty fine tail you have there, young man. Some variety of feline?"
Sun Wukong blinked and stared at the shopkeeper for a moment. "Um, no, monkey."
"You don't say! I'd've never guessed from the coloration." The old man nodded assessingly. "Must come in handy."
Sun's stare slowly morphed into a broad smile. "It certainly does! It's prehensile, and strong enough that I can hang from it."
The shopkeeper shook his head and chuckled. "And I suppose you can climb like the dickens, too. What I wouldn't give for somethin' like that. Would make tendin' my shop a sight easier."
Later, when Sun walked out of the store in a visible state of shock, the others clustered around him. "You okay, Sun?" Yang Xiao Long asked.
"The shopkeeper..." Sun began.
"Did he do anything?" Ruby Rose demanded, eyes narrowing.
Sun turned wondering eyes on all his companions. "He... he talked. Actual words and sentences, not just grunts. And he wished he had a faunus trait like mine!"
Ruby pivoted and studied the storefront. "Wow," she whispered.
Douglass Gardens Apartments
Somerset, New Jersey, USA
November 18. 2016
Bob Schroeck was surprised to see Yui Hirasawa in the community center on a Friday afternoon; he expected that she'd be doing her homework at home. Noticing she was wearing headphones but not playing Gīta, he asked, "What are you listening to?"
She looked up while taking her headphones off. "I think it's a song about somebody asking my little sister out on a date." She switched on the stereo's speakers.
Bob listened for a moment, then said, "Considering that song was written in 1959, I doubt it's about your sister." Enunciating carefully, he continued, "Besides, he's saying 'oo-ee', not 'Ui'."
The Old Dietmeier Place
Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, USA
November 26, 2016
"Good night, Jaune-boy."
"Good night, Ruby."
"Good night, Jaune-boy."
"Good night, Nora."
"Good night, Jaune-boy!"
"Good night, Yang..." he said through clenched teeth.
Kris turned to Eleanor. "I don't think you should've shown them The Waltons, mom."
The Anything Goes Cafe
Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
November 27, 2016
"I don't like hitting girls."
Mii Konori grinned at Ranma Saotome. "So I get a free shot at you?"
"Hell, no!"
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
November 30, 2016
"Sugar and spice and everything mice!" Minako declared.
"That's what little catgirls are made of!" Diana chimed in.
December 2016
Aria House
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 4, 2016
"Taeko, you don't need to add chocolate to these. They're already chocolate habaneros."
"Oh, okay. I'll use them today, then. Thanks, Yomi!"
"Happy to help."
As she walked away from the kitchen and Taeko Minazuki, Yomi Mizuhara grinned. Dinner was going to be fun.
Washuu's Lab
December 12, 2016
Hayate Yagami stood up and, for the first time in years, took a step forward without Reinforce's assistance.
Her smile lit up the room.
Then she fell over.
Sasami grabbed her before she fell onto the floor. Hayate frowned and said, "I guess I'm a little out of practice."
"That's all right. I'll help you get used to having working legs again."
Washuu almost told Sasami that Hayate's strength would be returning quickly, but she changed her mind. Better for the two girls to have this reason to become friends, and to learn that it's all right to need to rely on somebody else or be there for somebody else to rely on her.
Residence 51
Idaho Springs, Colorado, USA
December 15, 2016
"Rhiannon, I don't know whether this will stop me from getting angry," David Banner said while looking at the spliff that she'd given him. "Besides, isn't this illegal?"
"Not in Colorado," she replied.
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
December 19, 2016
The elementary and high-school students were all in classes, Accelerator and Hyoga were doing the tourist thing downtown, and Maika and Mamoru were out buying groceries. It was just Rob, Ami, Mii, Chibiusa, and Last Order in the building, enjoying a rare day off.
"Anybody want to do anything special?" asked Rob.
Mii looked at the youngsters and thought better than to say anything. Chibiusa and the youngest Misaka Sister shook their heads.
"I promised Skuld I'd teach her how to play chess," Ami replied while grabbing her coat.
"Ah. Have fun!"
Fifteen minutes later, when he was back in his own apartment, Rob remembered Skuld was a Valkyrie as well as a Norn.
He couldn't sleep at all that night.
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
December 26, 2016
"You will be learning from Ms. Shirai how to control the Sailor Teleport to pinpoint accuracy, and she will be learning from you how to extend her range."
"That's work. What do we get out of it?"
Rob rolled his eyes at Usagi's question, then had an idea. "Remember when Rui-chan, Mako-chan, and I went up north for a week? Remember that really good cream soda that we brought back with us? Wouldn't you like to be able to go buy some whenever you want without needing a six-hour drive each way?"
Usagi thought for a moment, then grinned. "When do we start the lessons?"
Colonnade Pizza, Bank St
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
December 27, 2016
"Rob-oji and Hyoga told us that they've been to the gates of Hel, but I have trouble believing in an afterlife."
"Well, yeah," Mikoto Misaka agreed with Kuroko Shirai as she helped herself to a second slice of pizza. "An Academy City education doesn't prepare us for the supernatural."
"Despite the fact that we're all espers," Ruiko Saten pointed out.
"I meant magical supernatural, Saten-san. You know how Belldandy can't lie, right? So we could get her to confirm whether there's an afterlife by asking her to sing Prince's 'Let’s Go Crazy'."
"How'd you hear that old song?"
"My mother likes it."
Kazari Uiharu shook her head as she swallowed the bite she'd been eating. "It won't work. First, you're assuming she's allowed to tell us anything about what happens after death. She could just refuse to sing any songs about Heaven. Second, you're assuming she isn't lying when she says she can't lie; we haven't independently confirmed that."
Kuroko frowned. "Uiharu-san, why do you have to be right about this?"
Well, the KanriKyaraProject publishable-story buffer has run dry. (We have more, but nothing's ready to release yet.) Here are a few short scenes that even we couldn't turn into entire stories. Yet. Some of these are just for fun; others are canon for the setting... and we aren't going to tell you which is which until something is actually used in a story, nor do we guarantee that the ones that do happen will take place on the dates given here.
Vignettes
A collection of incidental bits, scenelets, short-shorts
and the occasional really bad joke
set in the world of KanriKyara
by Dartz, Rob Kelk, Brent Laabs and Robert M. Schroeck
A collection of incidental bits, scenelets, short-shorts
and the occasional really bad joke
set in the world of KanriKyara
by Dartz, Rob Kelk, Brent Laabs and Robert M. Schroeck
Vignettes: 2016
September 2016
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Monday, September 12, 2016
Chris still hated Mondays.
Not quite as much as he had in the mid-1990s -- none of the full-fledged, berserker rage, must kill kind of hate he'd had for them in his youth (marriage and the passage of time had mellowed him somewhat over the past twenty years or so, after all) -- but even though he didn't have to make an 8:30 staff meeting any more, he still woke up on the day after Sunday expecting the worst.
He usually wasn't disappointed.
Still, this particular Monday hadn't been too bad, and he'd gotten through to dinnertime without too much in the way of a disaster. With work done, the odds of something going wrong went way down, and he could relax somewhat. His cooking repertoire had expanded somewhat over the past twenty years, but he still had his favorites. Pasta was one of them, and being as it was his turn to cook anyway, he had begun preparing a batch to celebrate getting through the start of another week.
When the black-haired girl erupted from the steaming pot, he was seized by a profound sense of "someone's screwing with me." That, and deja vu.
After all, he'd written this scene in 1996.
At least she didn't fall on top of him, scream, and hammer him into unconsciousness.
But what she did next was almost as disturbing. As he backed off warily, she slowly touched down onto the floor in front of the range, then bowed to him. "Christopher Angel," Skuld said -- and he could almost hear the unspoken "nii-chan!" behind his name -- "Heaven has need of you."
Gulfside Rest
Pensacola Beach, Florida, USA
September 25, 2016
"Why do you need bicycles?"
"Because it's three and a half miles to the closest ice cream shop. Or to any place else to buy anything around here." Asuka Soryu sighed deeply. "All the places we could have ended up, and we get stuck in a bedroom community."
Harley Waters grinned. "That sounds to me like a reason to get a real bike, see more of the world than just the beach in our front yard."
"We're too young to get motorcycle licenses," Hikari Horaki pointed out.
"Aw, you'll grow out of that soon enough, like those girls who blew through here last week."
"But in the mean time..." Toji Suzuhara deliberately didn't finish his sentence.
Harley laughed. "Okay, okay, I know when I'm beat! I'll get you a few kiddie bikes tomorrow."
October 2016
Aria House
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 1, 2016
"Hey, Alice, I think this page is about you!"
Alice Carroll looked, sighed, and told herself yet again that blindly clicking on links Tomo Takino sent her was a mega bad idea.
Aria House
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 4, 2016
"Is there any chance you could teach me to drive?"
Brent Laabs looked sideways at Tomo Takino. "Why do you want to learn?"
"In case I'm on a bus, and there's a bomb on the bus that'll go off if the bus drops below 50, and the driver gets shot, and ..."
"That was a movie!"
"And I'm from a TV show. What's your point?"
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
October 8, 2016
"Will the three of you listen to yourselves?" Rei Hino finally complained. "Boys, boys, boys, nothing but boys! Haven't you ever heard of the Bechdel test?"
"Do we look like fictional characters?" Minako Aino shot back.
"Up until last month," Ami Mizuno interrupted, "we were fictional characters. At least we were here."
"I still think I'm a real person," Usagi Tsukino muttered.
Maison d'Orléans
Orléans, Loiret department, France
October 9, 2016
«Touché,» Jehanne admitted ruefully, stepping back and lowering her sabre.
"Halt," Adrien, acting as referee, called. "Bout to Marinette."
"For once," the young Frenchwoman said with a grin as she pulled off her mask. She stepped forward and held out her hand. Jehanne, her own mask now off, smiled and shook it, then ran the fingers of her free hand through her dark, sweat-dampened hair.
"Well fought, my friend," she said.
"Thank you," Marinette acknowledged. "You've adapted well to fencing." Together they left the long, narrow rectangle of white paint in the middle of the residence parking lot which served as a makeshift piste, joining Adrien where he stood to one side.
Jehanne grinned at her younger friend. "In truth, I did not think I would do as well as I have. I may have worn a sword into battle, but I can count the number of times I actually drew it on the fingers of one hand. That I can not only hold my own against either one of you, but prevail more often than not, is a wonder to me."
"You are a natural at the arts of war, ma petite," a rich tenor voice said from behind her; Adrien and Marinette's eyes widened, and Jehanne turned about to see her patron stepping out of a shimmer of light that she was certain led to the Heavenly realms. Another figure, obscured by the brilliant light, followed him.
«Grand frère Michel!» she cried happily.
"This is why I have chosen you and your counterparts time and time again across the many universes," the archangel continued as he embraced her. "How do you fare, ma petite soeur?"
She stepped back and wrinkled her nose at him. "As you should know, since you ask me every day, I fare well. My tutors assure me that I am progressing quickly, and ere my reading improves enough, I shall be able to join my new friends at their 'high school'. And I continue to learn how to comport myself in this era."
Marinette shared a grin with Adrien. "She hasn't attacked a car in superstitious dread in almost a week!" she giggled.
Jehanne spun on her friend and held up a forefinger. "Once! Once only was I surprised and reacted badly!"
Marinette took her hand with a gentle smile. "I know, I know. I'm only teasing."
"Its operator should never have been given a license," Jehanne huffed, then shrugged and smiled. "And in truth I did grow familiar with automobiles during my first visit to this time."
Adrien snorted. "Jehanne, how often do we have to tell you? 1989 is not 'this time'."
She crossed her arms and scowled at him. "From whence I came? Then and now may as well be two days in the same week."
"She does have a point," Marinette admitted with grin. "Just like every other time you've had this little discussion." Adrien stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed.
Michael laughed, too, and laid a hand on Jehanne's shoulder. "It gladdens my heart to hear that you continue to do well, except for the occasional automobile," he said with a twinkle in his eye.
"Not you, too," she moaned in mock despair.
"But to help you to adapt even better to this our Refuge," he continued gently, "I have brought someone to meet you."
He stepped aside and the figure behind him resolved into an attractive red-haired woman, lithe and fit, taller than Jehanne by at least ten centimeters, and dressed in a men's dress shirt, jeans, and running shoes, all brilliantly white. She stepped forward with a broad smile upon her face and planted one fist on her hip. "Hello, Jehanne la Pucelle," she said. "I, too, am Jehanne la Pucelle."
"Who better to aid and advise you," Michael said, "than your counterpart from this universe?"
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
October 12, 2016
Rob Donaldson walked into the common room to hear Minako say, "Not a Brazilian, I hope."
"By now, I really should know better than to ask, but what are you talking about?"
"Oh, hi, Rob! Usagi's new job in the primate pen at the zoo."
He couldn't figure out what she meant. "There's no zoo in Ottawa."
"Ami said she's waxing gibbons," Minako explained.
Ami sighed deeply. "No, I said, 'The Moon is waxing gibbous'."[1]
Chicago, Illinois, USA
October 14, 2016
"Whatever happened to us yesterday wasn't time travel," Rally Vincent commented. "We're definitely not in our home world."
"How do you figure that, Rally?" asked Bean Bandit around big bites of burgers, not really caring but willing to humor his sometimes-partner.
"When I went to renew my license this morning, they told me that bounty hunting's illegal here. Even if you get a license out-of-state."
"That's a shame," May Hopkins commented. "It's been three decades. When did they change the law?"
"That's how I know we're in a different world. They changed it in 1963."
May's eyebrows headed for her forehead. "But that's before I was born!"
"Huh," Bean grunted. "So we're not home. Any idea how to find out where we are?"
"Not a clue. Right now, I'm more worried about how to earn a living. Burgers aren't free."
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
October 16, 2016
While looking at Makoto clearing the lunch dishes, Minako asked, "Do we need a rota?"
Mii had no idea what Minako meant. "A what?"
"A rota. You know, to keep track of the hoovering, and tossing the bins, and putting the kettle on after class."
"The what, the what, and the what?" Usagi asked, just as perplexed as Mii.
Rob smiled. "I think Mako-chan has the scran covered. But a rota for the rest would be boss."
"He's as bad as she is," Kuroko muttered.
Minako was puzzled for a short moment as well, until she realized what he was saying. "That's Scouse, Mr. Donaldson, not RP."
"So I'm a Beatles fan and I've seen a few episodes of Corrie Street. Everything's sound."
Rei finally exploded. "Will the two of you please tell us what you're talking about!"
Aria House
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 16, 2016
"Why is it so hot?"
"Oh, that's because of the Santa Ana winds," Brent answered Tomo.
Osaka looked puzzled. "But we aren't in Santa Ana."
The Steeple
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
October 20, 2016
"Midchildan computers are the only ones with both spell-check and spelling-check."
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
October 21, 2016
Ami, still looking for costume ideas for the upcoming Halloween party, looked up from her computer screen. "Oh, dear. It appears that Pretty Cure isn't a medical drama."
The Anything Goes Cafe
Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
October 22, 2016, during the events of Fuku'ing With His Head
"He reminds me of my sempai," Makoto Kino said as she watched Ryouga Hibiki head toward the road.
"He does?"
"Yeah -- he's clueless and he's walking away from me."
November 2016
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
November 2, 2016
"I just noticed," Mamoru Chiba commented. "You stock tampons in the common room's washroom."
"That's right," Rob replied. "A majority of the residents here are teenage girls with metahuman combat powers. Do you want to tell them they have to do without until they get back to their apartments?"
Aria House
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 5, 2016
Yomi Mizuhara's curiosity had finally reached the point where it had to be satisfied. She walked over to her roommate and said, "You've been staring at that screen for five minutes now. And you're not watching a movie. Just what is it that you're doing?"
Without looking up, Tomo replied, "We're making characters so we can play City of Heroes with the folks in New Jersey, but I'm stuck on a name for mine."
"That's a supers game, right? Call your character 'The Attractive Nuisance'."
Tomo looked sideways at Yomi. "Is that some sort of joke only lawyers would get?"
"You finally noticed!"
"At least you think I'm attractive... sweetling."[2]
Appartements Mont-Royal Sud
Montréal, QC, Canada
November 6, 2016
"Rin," Saber asked, "Why are you calling Sailor Moon 'the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on'?"
Douglass Gardens Apartments
Somerset, New Jersey, USA
November 11, 2016
Yui looked over Shinji's cello a second time. Puzzled, she asked, "Where do you plug it in?"
Douglass Gardens Apartments
Somerset, New Jersey, USA
November 12, 2016
"Sooooo," Ritsu vaulted the couch and dropped down next to Yui. "I hear you went on a date with Shinji Ikari." She grinned and nudged Yui with the closest elbow. "Goin' after a younger man, eh, Mrs. Robinson?"
Mio rolled her eyes. "I knew it was a mistake watching The Graduate last Friday," she muttered. Then she added, "Still, Yui, it seems improper for you to get involved with a high schooler."
"Nah," Ritsu said. "We know he likes mature women -- you see how he looks at Misato in their anime? I bet he couldn't keep his hands off our Yui."
Azusa sniffed disapprovingly. "I agree with Mio. It's not right. You're in college, and he's, what, not even fifteen?"
Yui suddenly lunged at Azusa and took her hands in hers. "Oh, don't be jealous, Azu-nyan -- you know you're the only one for me." Azusa blushed and yanked her hands free as Yui blithely went on. "It wasn't like that, anyway. He just seemed so sad, you know? When we were done with the session I just wanted to cheer him up a little before he had to go back to Florida. It doesn't seem like he does anything for fun with anyone there." She shrugged. "So I took him to Thomas Sweet for a blend-in, and there was a flier there about a cello recital at Mason Gross, so we decided to go. And it worked!" Her entire face seemed to light up. "He had such a good time, and he was so happy! We were laughing and talking all the way back here. And I gave him a hug and little kiss on the cheek to let him know that I had a good time, too." Yui's expression grew pensive. "He's nice, he just needs more friends."
Somewhere in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
November 12, 2016
"Your website does say that members are allowed to throw their own weapons."
"It does, but we expected people to bring in knives or axes. That's a rose."
Aria House
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 15, 2016
"I saw her use the card, and I realized, whoa, magic is real!" Tomo enthused.
"Sure seems that way," Yomi agreed.
"So, hold my beer and watch this!" Tomo passed Yomi a bottle of Ramune.
"Oh boy."
Tomo raised her arms dramatically towards the ocean, and began chanting, "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood -- guh!"
Yomi whapped Tomo on the head, hard. "For crying out loud, no evil magic!"
"Waaaa that hurt."
"I don't want you summoning an Elder God. If magic is real and fiction is real: just have some goddamn sense Tomo!"
Tomo mumbled, "Elder God. That spell wouldn't even work unless Shabra—"
"Huh?"
"Maybe that was a dumb idea," Tomo blushed.
Yomi stared down at Tomo and blinked a couple of times, entirely taken aback. About ten seconds later, "Of course it was a dumb idea. Geez."
Aria House
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 16, 2016
"I want to see if I can talk them down on the price of a fur coat," Tomo said.
Brent looked at her incredulously. "You want to visit Dicker and Dicker ... to dicker?"
"Why not?" Tomo was surprised that Sonomi of all people would take her side. "Never pay the list price for a luxury item."
"Besides, it's in their name, so we have to!"
Brent decided that quoting John McClane was the best course of action. "Fine, fine, whatever. As long as you can afford it."
"I was hoping you'd pay for it."
"We're still buying fridges and stoves for the apartments. Buy your own coat."
Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, USA
November 17, 2016
"That's a mighty fine tail you have there, young man. Some variety of feline?"
Sun Wukong blinked and stared at the shopkeeper for a moment. "Um, no, monkey."
"You don't say! I'd've never guessed from the coloration." The old man nodded assessingly. "Must come in handy."
Sun's stare slowly morphed into a broad smile. "It certainly does! It's prehensile, and strong enough that I can hang from it."
The shopkeeper shook his head and chuckled. "And I suppose you can climb like the dickens, too. What I wouldn't give for somethin' like that. Would make tendin' my shop a sight easier."
Later, when Sun walked out of the store in a visible state of shock, the others clustered around him. "You okay, Sun?" Yang Xiao Long asked.
"The shopkeeper..." Sun began.
"Did he do anything?" Ruby Rose demanded, eyes narrowing.
Sun turned wondering eyes on all his companions. "He... he talked. Actual words and sentences, not just grunts. And he wished he had a faunus trait like mine!"
Ruby pivoted and studied the storefront. "Wow," she whispered.
Douglass Gardens Apartments
Somerset, New Jersey, USA
November 18. 2016
Bob Schroeck was surprised to see Yui Hirasawa in the community center on a Friday afternoon; he expected that she'd be doing her homework at home. Noticing she was wearing headphones but not playing Gīta, he asked, "What are you listening to?"
She looked up while taking her headphones off. "I think it's a song about somebody asking my little sister out on a date." She switched on the stereo's speakers.
Bob listened for a moment, then said, "Considering that song was written in 1959, I doubt it's about your sister." Enunciating carefully, he continued, "Besides, he's saying 'oo-ee', not 'Ui'."
The Old Dietmeier Place
Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, USA
November 26, 2016
"Good night, Jaune-boy."
"Good night, Ruby."
"Good night, Jaune-boy."
"Good night, Nora."
"Good night, Jaune-boy!"
"Good night, Yang..." he said through clenched teeth.
Kris turned to Eleanor. "I don't think you should've shown them The Waltons, mom."
The Anything Goes Cafe
Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
November 27, 2016
"I don't like hitting girls."
Mii Konori grinned at Ranma Saotome. "So I get a free shot at you?"
"Hell, no!"
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
November 30, 2016
"Sugar and spice and everything mice!" Minako declared.
"That's what little catgirls are made of!" Diana chimed in.
December 2016
Aria House
Los Angeles, California, USA
December 4, 2016
"Taeko, you don't need to add chocolate to these. They're already chocolate habaneros."
"Oh, okay. I'll use them today, then. Thanks, Yomi!"
"Happy to help."
As she walked away from the kitchen and Taeko Minazuki, Yomi Mizuhara grinned. Dinner was going to be fun.
Washuu's Lab
December 12, 2016
Hayate Yagami stood up and, for the first time in years, took a step forward without Reinforce's assistance.
Her smile lit up the room.
Then she fell over.
Sasami grabbed her before she fell onto the floor. Hayate frowned and said, "I guess I'm a little out of practice."
"That's all right. I'll help you get used to having working legs again."
Washuu almost told Sasami that Hayate's strength would be returning quickly, but she changed her mind. Better for the two girls to have this reason to become friends, and to learn that it's all right to need to rely on somebody else or be there for somebody else to rely on her.
Residence 51
Idaho Springs, Colorado, USA
December 15, 2016
"Rhiannon, I don't know whether this will stop me from getting angry," David Banner said while looking at the spliff that she'd given him. "Besides, isn't this illegal?"
"Not in Colorado," she replied.
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
December 19, 2016
The elementary and high-school students were all in classes, Accelerator and Hyoga were doing the tourist thing downtown, and Maika and Mamoru were out buying groceries. It was just Rob, Ami, Mii, Chibiusa, and Last Order in the building, enjoying a rare day off.
"Anybody want to do anything special?" asked Rob.
Mii looked at the youngsters and thought better than to say anything. Chibiusa and the youngest Misaka Sister shook their heads.
"I promised Skuld I'd teach her how to play chess," Ami replied while grabbing her coat.
"Ah. Have fun!"
Fifteen minutes later, when he was back in his own apartment, Rob remembered Skuld was a Valkyrie as well as a Norn.
He couldn't sleep at all that night.
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
December 26, 2016
"You will be learning from Ms. Shirai how to control the Sailor Teleport to pinpoint accuracy, and she will be learning from you how to extend her range."
"That's work. What do we get out of it?"
Rob rolled his eyes at Usagi's question, then had an idea. "Remember when Rui-chan, Mako-chan, and I went up north for a week? Remember that really good cream soda that we brought back with us? Wouldn't you like to be able to go buy some whenever you want without needing a six-hour drive each way?"
Usagi thought for a moment, then grinned. "When do we start the lessons?"
Colonnade Pizza, Bank St
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
December 27, 2016
"Rob-oji and Hyoga told us that they've been to the gates of Hel, but I have trouble believing in an afterlife."
"Well, yeah," Mikoto Misaka agreed with Kuroko Shirai as she helped herself to a second slice of pizza. "An Academy City education doesn't prepare us for the supernatural."
"Despite the fact that we're all espers," Ruiko Saten pointed out.
"I meant magical supernatural, Saten-san. You know how Belldandy can't lie, right? So we could get her to confirm whether there's an afterlife by asking her to sing Prince's 'Let’s Go Crazy'."
"How'd you hear that old song?"
"My mother likes it."
Kazari Uiharu shook her head as she swallowed the bite she'd been eating. "It won't work. First, you're assuming she's allowed to tell us anything about what happens after death. She could just refuse to sing any songs about Heaven. Second, you're assuming she isn't lying when she says she can't lie; we haven't independently confirmed that."
Kuroko frowned. "Uiharu-san, why do you have to be right about this?"
- RK: Just think, in a week it'll be raining gibbons... er, waning gibbous.
- RMS: DYO!
--
Rob Kelk
Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown
Forever neighbours, never neighbors
Rob Kelk
Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown
Forever neighbours, never neighbors
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