| パチパチ | A crowd applauds
A distant track of people clapping their hands in a great cheer as a sweet old lady wearing a yellow Sunflower dress enters the picture with freshly steamed sweet potatoes on a trey & a gigantic smile on her face, this woman was proud of her creation. This emotion can be felt by the audience both watching live & on screen from their homes such as a little girl, young in appearance as she sits cross-legged on a Tatami floor & faces the shining TV at the edge of the room. "Those taters wilt beest pleasantly warm, yet I canst not feeleth their warmth", she thought as the camera pans down to get a closer look at the trey revealing 7 taters lovingly wrapped in aluminum foil.
Watching this with great intrigue is Hoshi, wearing tiny red tracksuit pants & a black t-shirt with white stars scattered around creating an image of a constellation. With her dazzling orange eyes, she watches as the old lady on screen eagerly wanders into a 1950s-style restaurant, "I remember at which year those places were popular, they did disappear as apace as they emerged" reminiscing the old days. A small, serene smile builds up on Hoshi's face as she cites a distant decade while watching a lady older in appearance but far younger in years & experience too.
She steps closer to the center of the room only to see a large hole in the floor with several short pillars roughly as wide as a Human's foot stretching out from the bottom, this discovery shocks & disorientates her almost enough to drop a steamed tater but thankfully she reorientates herself so that the remaining seven can stay resting on the trey. Nevertheless, she gradually pivots towards the closest pillar & in the process scouts her options. Seeing that the closest is less than a meter away from the edge she stands on, "this is the likely place to starteth from" Hoshi realizes with her orange eyes glued to the situation on screen. The face of this elderly woman opens with complete shock, her greying eyebrows jolt up while her shoulders tense into a fixed frame. She maintains a strong grip on the trey while extending her right leg out, reaching for the closest pillar until the trey of taters blocks the view of her leg causing this lady to become visibly frustrated.
However instead of doing the reasonable thing which is putting the trey down she goes in blind & hopes to land her foot on the pillar without dropping another tater, Fortune Favours the Bold as the show is called. She takes her chance only to meet the thunderous sound of a cheering live studio audience as the weight of gravity pulls her leg into the hole along with her, she lets out a faint scream as all the taters fly off the trey before following her down the dark pit in the middle of the room
Hoshi: "Amusing"
She softly comments
| タタタタ | Feet stomping in the distance
Her ears prick up to hearing a sequence of feet rapidly stomping in one of the other rooms, her head slowly turns as she takes a single deep breath & shuts her eyes. "Haru hast something weighty to sayeth" she reckons after deducing that it is Haru making her way down the stairs, with that she gets off the Tatami floor & heads out of the room. As she steps closer to the doorframe the TV behind immediately shuts off, the colours on the screen being vanquished & all that is remaining is blackness exposing a considerable layer of dust along its smooth surface.
As Hoshi continues her walk into the hallway she briefly catches Haru entering the kitchen dressed in Tiger orange tracksuits with a thick line traveling down the sides starting at the collar & ending at the ankle of the bottoms, such bright clothing lingers in Hoshi's periphery until Haru suddenly turns right. Vanishing from Hoshi's view due to the limited exposure of the kitchen from her position viewing from the middle of the hallway
Haru: "Hoshi-san, can you come in please?"
"Oh, I seeth. T's clear what the lady's about to requesteth." Anticipating Haru's next move she picks up her pace to the kitchen with a stern enough look to make the Oni homeowner proud, ready to take on the incoming challenge. Reaching the kitchen only to see that it's empty she carries her steel look to the dining room, logically the only place Haru could end up. She steps into the dining room only to see Haru standing at the head of the table with arms crossed & Neko perched at the far end on Haru's left side with her back facing the wall & angled forward, sitting in a ball with her arms held tightly close & situating her knees above the tabletop-level.
Seeing this posture, Hoshi walks in to catch a closer glimpse of the Catgirl's face. "Something is not right with her" Hoshi comments to herself before taking her eyes off Neko & looking directly at the Oni towering above the both of them with a hard-nosed authoritative look
Haru: "Are you feeling ok? Neko"
But suddenly the face of this bold Oni softened & she looked with humility while lifting her hands off the table to cross them
Neko: "Nyah? I'm fine"
She dismisses Haru's concern with a slight flick of her head, her slit pupils maintaining that empty glare onto a single large speck on the surface of the table. While tilting her head & tensing her bottom lip a little she focuses on some of the minuscule details in Neko's behaviour, the way she's curled herself into a ball &… Hoshi still beside the door frame watches Neko too however, from her perspective, she gets a much clear view of her face which is concealed by her scruffy pink hair from Haru's position. Behind that wall of pink Neko's blank expression suggests her soul has escaped from her body as well as her bright personality, dissimilar to the weary state she normally finds herself in on days like this with no work & no activity to speak of
Haru: "You've been acting strange lately, I get worried that's all"
With that statement made Haru wishes to press on uninterrupted
Haru: "I'm sure you remember what day it is"
Turning to Hoshi, she said with a serene voice & that signature stern look she oftentimes gave. The Esper coolly stares back as she strategizes her answer, "once a fortnight or so Haru-san wouldst has't us cleanse the six common chambers of this household" deducing that these cleaning operations only fall onto days like this. When all four girls are off work/school, Haru takes great pride in keeping her house tidy & this can be quite challenging when she has to put up with Neko's pink fur sprinkled all over the carpets as well as living room pillows. This is before mentioning the heaping pile of messes Shika made over the 5 years she's lived here, daily she leaves a feather or two wherever she goes
Hoshi: "I guessth that we art to purge the chambers of filth, after all this household hasn't been the cleanest in recent days"
She responds, turning right to see the flecks sprinkled across the tabletop & bits of food slowly smudging the floors, that's not to mention the forlorn cat currently sitting at the table. To her left she sees…
Haru: "I know you can see it too, my house is horrendous! We've neglected our cleaning duties"
She lightly slams the table with her palm the way a disgruntled dictator would as she bellows with a tough & domineering tone of voice, her menacing yellow-green eyes swiftly glance past Neko to fill a space just opposite herself. On the other end of the table, an empty chair tucked in & a silvery wall marked with stains behind it, but piercing through this repetitive décor are a pair of bright green feathers resting on the table in front of the seat. Haru gazes as if these feathers give away the culprit of her home's disheveled state
Haru: "So since Shika isn't here we'll have to clean this house ourselves, just sweep her feathers into a corner for later. She can sort it out when she gets back"
She affirmed to them whilst uncoiling her arms & turning her posture to the open doorway, the same space Hoshi occupies. Seeing Haru coming closer the Esper lowers her head & takes a glance at Neko, "I knoweth in mine own heart yond something bothers the maiden moggie" with this conclusion she ponders a method to ease the burden on her "I'm perfectly capable of sweeping this whole home with mine own powers, certes wouldst benefit this folk if't I suggesteth yond to Haru?"
Haru: "& Hoshi-san please don't use your telekinesis to clean up after everyone, I'm trying to impart life skills to these girls"
Hoshi: "I might not but agnize the corn, wouldst wend much quicker if't I hath used mine own abilities to crisp the home"
Unfortunately, Hoshi's reply is unable to thwart Haru's menacing eyes & domineering brows. Even with a hand grasping her chest as a sign of sincerity, the Oni homeowner won't bend. "Haply I shouldst alloweth this to slide for anon, if't be true in keeping with the rules of her home" that reasoning causes her to stay silent, defeated she sinks her head before allowing Haru to assign them to a room to clean
--
The diligent Oni advances into the living room while carrying a pair of plastic grocery bags each containing a range of cleaning products, anti-bacterial sprays, wiping cloths & a brush for sweeping floors with a long purple handle protruding out of one of the bags.
As Haru passes the doorway into the room her eyebrows gradually rise & her cheeks tense up at the minuscule details caught in her periphery, deliberately rotating her head to examine the room. Crumbs on the Kotatsu table, dust smothering the TV screen & worst of all dark patches on the Tatami floor surface in the shape of a giant bird's feet. "That bird!" she exclaimed, stepping onto the Tatami floor mat in her low-cut white socks & gazing at the four walls Haru made a start by gently dropping both bags onto the floor mat. Each mildly rustling until they land on the tatami-omote floor surface…
But strikingly, her katana sitting on its sword stand has accumulated enough dust & flecks to choke a Ussuri bear. She pivots her torso to comfortably gaze upon her trusty blade, seeing that it hasn't been held in so long. "I can't have you sitting here collecting dust like an antique anymore" she thinks as she gently drops the bags onto the floor & raises her arms.
Her eyes follow the edge of this mighty blade, without contact she guides her fingers along the wavy Hamon pattern from the tip to the Habaki collar. "I should start practicing again" she tells herself with a gentle smile & a spark of admiration in her eyes reflected in the smooth steel blade.
She cuts this tender session short by swiftly grabbing a small cardboard box from one of the bags & pulling out a pair of light Tiffany blue latex gloves from the oval-shaped hole, after snapping them tightly around her wrists she begins her deep clean by taking the sword off its stand & resting it on the Tatami. The wooden stand, as well as the cupboard it sits on, is sprinkled with grime much like the rest of the room's surfaces. At long last, the wooden surfaces get a good few sprays from her anti-bacterial cleanser & a dozen wipes from her pink cleaning cloth.
Carefully, she rests her katana on its sword stand with the handle placed on the left side approximately 2 meters from the door. Taking a step back to admire the results of her work, Haru sees a beautiful centre piece to her living room, the wavy motive in the blade sparkles with the subtle rays of light flowing from behind the curtains, the ornate display of patterns carved into the stand can finally rest on a smooth & clean surface as she gradually strokes the teak wooden cupboard with two fingers with each tip sticking up to prevent her razor-sharp nails from scaring the wood.
Even down to the detail in the katana's tsuka handle, this illustration lives in the traditional artistry of Japan's ancient craftsmanship. Haru feels an immense amount of pride now that she can observe this refined katana resting on a clean surface, made spotless by her hard work
Haru: "_"
"Now now. If I keep staring at my katana like this the day will pass like the Shinkansen" she considers, almost mumbling this thought with quivering lips. As the seconds tick on she suddenly swings her chin away from the display & faces her right side with her eyes shut
Haru: "Time never retreats, it only marches forward"
her whole-body shifts to her right as that compelling statement fills the silent room with her resonant voice, viewing this as a call to continue she takes a few steps forward until she reaches the TV situated on a rectangular wooden stand at the other end of the room.
With her vast selection of cleaning equipment & the kind of diligence one can see in an athlete Haru sweeps through the whole room like a bulldozer until every spot is clean, even the Tatami floor mat gets disassembled & placed on the side kneeling against the wall
Now observing the results of her efforts from the entrance of the room, the cupboard along the wall to her left is free from dust, the TV screen is clear & the Kotatsu table top is made spotless by her intense cleaning. Taking a deep breath her lungs fill with soothing fresh air from the now open window, as she exhales the stiff sensation of her hard work gradually leaves her body & her shoulders drop. Entering her chest is a wave of relief & a sense of fulfilment from a job well done, she takes the victory with the bags she brought however, just as she reaches the door a twinkle catches her eye. Something at the right of her view glistens like a diamond, she turns her head slightly to see that the elegant blade of her katana sparkles like a crystal with the Sun's powerful rays
Haru: "Hmm"
"Perhaps I should start practicing again" humming out loud as she seriously considers picking up the sword, eyes lingering on the blade & the ornate patterns woven into the Tsuka handle
--
Hoshi: "Hahh, at long lasteth"
She sighs as she victoriously snaps the gloves off her hands, all the while a graceful smile forms at the excitement of finishing. With the bathroom deemed to be cleansed, Hoshi gathers her things into the plastic bag she received them in, with a subtle flick of her finger all the items lift off the floor & orbit her like the rings of Saturn before smoothly descending into the open bag. Standing like a maestro in the middle of this rainbow-like hovering parade of bleach, cleaning sprays, cloths & brushes she closes her eyes & gradually raises her cheeks. "I feeleth guilty for not using mine power to help Humanity more" she thinks to herself with a forlorn face & deep breaths. Waiting until all of the cleaning items secure themselves into the bag before making her next move
| パッチン | finger click
With a swift click of her fingers, the bag calmly lifts off the white tile floor like a helicopter in an upward direction. She exits the bathroom on foot & walks through the hallway, "if't I recall correctly Neko was't assigned to cleaning the hallway, tis empty however" she points out to herself. "I don't remember much hurtling from that chamber as I was't cleaning" this reflection came with an uneasy feeling which causes her to tense her lips & expand her eyelids, those orange eyes frantically bouncing around like pinballs. Pieces of paper, dust & bits of food scattered all over the floor. The only thing she could see that was altered were the feathers which were gathered in a large pile in front of Shika's bedroom door, "So some work hadst been done but wherefore didst Neko stand ho there?" With that question, she began to worry "I kneweth Neko was't in peril the very moment I saw her this morning".
Taking a few steps until she arrives at a door with pink stickers & "Neko" written in hiragana on a small sign hanging on the door's upper half above her view, the Esper raises her arm & balls her tiny fist before knocking on the door
| コンコン | knocking sound
Hoshi: "Neko"
She calls calmly, awaiting a response from the Catgirl with concerned eyes accompanied by anxious breathing as her arm remains up & hand balled in preparation for a second knock on the door. "Something couldst be seriously wrong, I wilt findeth out before Haru doest"
However, within an instant of knocking a sequence of noises emanate from the other side of this closed door, a small cat-like peep followed by what sounds like sheets being rustled only adding to Hoshi's intrigue as she stares up at this tall portal with the bag smoothly floating behind like a balloon
Neko: "Hyai"
Hearing a muted voice from the other side Hoshi lets out a small sigh of relief, she takes her arm down to the side of her tracksuit & pinches her top with her tiny fingers. "Her voice wasn't befuddled so she might not be sleeping" Hoshi deduces from the swiftness of her answer
Hoshi: "Art thee ok in there?"
She asks attempting to incorporate some contemporary lingo into her speech, "wherefore doest feeleth so peculiar" She questions herself after such an effort to level with the Feline as a chilling sensation engulfs her chest like a wet blanket
Neko: "Hya…fine"
Giving a rapid response to Hoshi's inquiry with a muted tone & a tone of prolonged shock, a total contrast from the Catgirl's usual way of greeting knocks on her door. "Though the feline gets very drowsy after being awakened" Hoshi considers, "but this timeth is different". Wanting to know what's causing Neko such distress she skips to the bluntest of questions
Hoshi: "Good now, may I enter?"
From the other side of the door, the sounds of frantic footsteps & ruffling bedsheets emanate only making the Esper more concerned. She presses her ear against the wooden barrier hoping for additional noises cluing her into what's occurring in there, "wouldst be handy if't I couldst seeth through walls, without splitting the door". Instead of resorting to breaking the door down, she raises her arm for another knock but in the time it takes for her to reach the point of knocking again. The sound of footsteps inches closer
Neko: "Hyold on!"
Neko cries out as her gradual steps become a short sprint followed by a sudden jolting of the door handle causing Hoshi to be put in a state of shock, her eyebrows spring up instantaneously with a loud metallic clash trailing the handle's movement. The door is deliberately pulled open & peering out from this gap into the dark & reclusive chamber, meeting Hoshi the Catgirl with a jittery manner & dishevelled hair softly pulls the door open a tiny bit more to gain a better view of the Esper. "Oh" to the surprise of Hoshi, she appears to still be wearing her pyjamas. "I wouldst have thought she'd changeth her garments by now if't be true the feline was't properly cleaning", she thought before recalling back to the site of the hallway as she left the bathroom. "Hardly tidied, Neko wilt has't wenteth to catch but a wink" (she means sleep) coming to this conclusion after seeing Neko's dim sleep-deprived eyes & her four fingers gripping the door as if her life depended on it
Neko: "…Hyoshi-chan"
Flustered, she blurted with uncertainty as her head drops & eyes rapidly blinking
Neko: "Do you…need anything nyah?"
She asks hesitantly, tilting her head to conceal the right side of her pale face & dull right eye
Hoshi: "I just wanteth to check on thee"
Answering with a calm monotone voice before pointing to her surroundings by marking the untidy areas with her right finger, although her golden eyes maintained their sharp stare at the Catgirl her finger gets each specific location marked perfectly
Hoshi: "The corridor has't barely been touched"
Neko: "Alright, I'll get changed & start cleaning neow"
She says calmly before shutting the door, leaving Hoshi standing empty-handed in the hallway with the bag hovering in the backdrop. "She's very avoidant on this present day, more than usual. Even of me" this only fuels her dread for Neko. "This is very uncharacteristic of her, I has't to reacheth the bottom of this" with that new directive the Esper turns away from the door & shrugs her shoulders. "I'm going to help her" she decrees & with a click of her fingers, the bag gradually lowers itself onto the crummy floor like a helicopter before unleashing some cleaning products. Starting with a pink cloth & cleansing liquid preparing to spray.
As they float like otters drifting along a river Hoshi hears a loud but familiar click abruptly impact the quiet corridor, she turns to see Neko haltingly stepping out of her stuffy room adorning a set of matching pink tracksuits & her long pink hair tied into an unkempt ponytail. As soon as Neko's pink & white sock crosses the threshold of her doorway she stops her advance, her right foot lingers on the floorboards as her lifeless eyes expand at the sight of this floating extravaganza
Hoshi: "I can help thee because Haru-san won't liketh to see this"
She says this in hopes of installing a sense of urgency into Neko who at this point is still a flight risk of abandoning her responsibilities & could opt to stay settled in her room all day
Neko: "Hyai sure"
Neko responds faintly, almost in a whisper when she sees the child begin cleaning the corridor with a cold & diligent demeanour. Her steadfast willingness to help prompts the Catgirl to step out of her room & grab the nearest floating object, in this case, a fluffy brush for dusting
| バタン | door shutting
Neko: "Thank you for this, Hyoshi-chan"
Concisely expressing her gratitude while brushing the dust off the skirting boards, she quickly glances at Hoshi before immediately turning her head back to the floor's edge. As the brush collects a small pile of grey dust her stiff shoulders rise a tad, her instinct is to take a dozen shallow breaths however the action of cleaning manages to calm her down. Allowing this Catgirl to take several deep, silent breaths until she finishes her work on the skirting boards.
Despite her attempts to quell her anxiety, Hoshi finds a moment to catch a few signs of fear brewing in her soul. her jittery arms, her puffed-up tail scaling her back & her rapid blinking. "I heareth her heartbeat, it's abnormally festinate"
Hoshi: "Neko-chan, art thee ok?"
Stepping past the floating cleaners to reach out to Neko, she holds her chest with one hand as she inquiries about the Catgirl's wellbeing. As a result of combining a sample of contemporary lingo into her archaic speech pattern, she senses a slight uneasy vibe in her chest accompanied by the thought "Yond felt weird"
Neko: "Living the dream, Hyoshi-chan"
She immediately responds with a passionate voice & whimsical smile, promptly turning to Hoshi with eyes shut & raised cheeks. The pink Feline follows this up with her exposed palm & four fingers in the direction of the pile of dust as if presenting it to be collected by one of the airborne cleaning accessories
Hoshi: "Sorry, I can only help thee so much. Intervening is already a breach of the house lady's rules"
Neko: "Hyaa"
Even though Hoshi's blunt dismissal causes her cheeks to drop, her smile remains as if being prompted by an invisible frame. The Esper sees this by how it twitches every few seconds & so she begins to think, "Neko has helped me greatly over the timeth I hath lived here so I have a senseth of duty to help her in returneth. Especially during times of crisis such as this one" she ponders this while facing the team of cleaning products working the room like the magical utensils of a wizard. "I must solveth her ailments without Haru-san getting involved" she concludes that thought with a feeling of unease growing in her chest as her eyes move to monitor the Catgirl who puts on a pair of gloves & begins placing the dust in a bag. "At each moment, Neko-san traverses the neighbourhood during the night. She has't encountered something causing great distress"
""""""""""""""she's helped me so much, I ought to returneth the favour"""""""""""""