Mikage
As the morning kept shining, the sleeping shrine maiden slowly stirred up on the futon and slowly began to open her eyes from her dreamless sleep. She even wiped her eyes to remove eye-gunk over her eyes and then stretches while still laying on the futon. Once her eyes finally adjusted from the morning sun that was brightening the space of the rehearsal room, the first thing she could clearly see was the huntress that she had a sudden crush on. She still was not sure how or when she started liking this particular lady huntress who was waiting for her to wake up.
“Morning, shrine maiden Mikage.” Sally’s voice was indeed alluring which never failed on making Mikage’s heart flutter as the heat from her cheeks began to show up as well.
“Don’t greet me with that voice of yours. It's making me blush.” Mikage has her bedroom voice as she honestly informed Sally about her blush from the way she said her greeting before she yawned.
“No need to tell me as I already could see them over your cheeks. Get ready and have your breakfast. We have to be at the old shrine remember.” Sally chuckled as she caressed Mikage’s cheek with her left hand.
“Oh, yeah right I remember.” Mikage leaned automatically over the huntress’ touch while smiling. To her, it was indeed a lovely morning to be greeted by the person who could make you start the day with a smile on your lips. But Sally has to ruin it by pinching her cheek lightly which made her pout to that gesture yet, it made Sally giggles before she let go.
Mikage just let it be since it was nice to see how calm and lovely Sally’s smile could be. She even hoped to see them every waking day of her life but it was too much to ask. Anyway, as Sally informed Mikage about were they supposed to be after breakfast, she went on her way to do her morning check with her team. As for Mikage, she went on tidying up the futon that they used before heading back to her own bedroom. It was just a hall apart from the rehearsal room where Sally and she took a rest. Her family might be against it yet Mikage has her stubborn side as she insisted to stay beside Sally. She just did not want to part from her since she was worried because Sally just collapsed due to exhaustion from last night's event.
As she went on her morning routine in her bedroom’s bathroom, she recalled her night with Sally which made her blush like a love-struck teenager. It was making her heartbeat really beat hard that made her squeal. But she knew that she had to stop all being giddy and dry herself completely then dressed up decently. She just wore simple navy blue shaper jeans and a loose grey shirt before she quickly dashed to the kitchen to get something to eat. She was indeed starving as well since she did not manage to eat something during those times that she watched Sally’s recovery.
In the kitchen, there was her breakfast already waiting for her and only the servants were left around the kitchen. They all greeted her a good morning as they acknowledged her presence. Mikage wanted to ask where her parents are but she did not utter a word since she already could sense where they are. She was actually surprised at how she managed to notice the whereabouts of her parents and what they were doing which never happened to her before. She might already have the skills and powers but now that she’s an official shrine maiden, she became more. Even after noticing that sudden change in her overnight, her hungry stomach prevented her from thinking too much about and just went on digging for her food without any hindrance.
When Mikage just inhaled her food, she excused herself and let the servants take care of her dirty dishes. She has to be somewhere and as soon as possible. She wanted to run but some of the family reminded her about not running in the hall which she obeyed. She walked faster as she reached over her pocket before she ate a mint candy. By reaching the entrance of their house, she sat on the wooden flooring since she has to wear her sneakers and from there, she went off. She was about to run as soon as she opened the main door of their house but she just recalled that she just ate her breakfast. So, that’s why Mikage just decided to walk until her silver fox aka her familiar appeared beside her.
“Can anyone see you?” Mikage whispered through the mind link of a master and familiar bond that she has to her familiar. Her familiar whom she called Soul was literally looking like a small but well-trained silver-grey fox walking beside her.
‘Not unless I am in my monster form.’
“How come Sally could see you then?” Mikage wondered as kept walking to the pathway outside of their house.
‘She’s special to which I could tell that you sense it too.’
“Well, you are right. Can you tell where she is?” she just said before asking the whereabouts of Sally since she has to be with her at the old shrine for something.
‘She’s with her team and your mother at the old ruined shrine.’
“Oh right, I have to be there.” She recalled and just kept walking toward the old shrine but it has a long pathway until her familiar spoke to her.
‘I can teleport you there.’
“Alright, let’s practice that.” Mikage agreed since it will nice to practice it while they were in the perimeter of their estate.
‘Clear your mind from other thoughts and just picture the old and ruined shrine of your family. Make sure it’s clear or else we will drop into a different shrine.’
“Okay, that’s for that note. Here we go.” She understood and she took a very deep but clear breath as she began picturing their old shrine that went into its ruined last night. Within just a few seconds, they already vanished in the pathway toward the old shrine.
Within just a second, Mikage and her familiar Soul made it exactly to the shrine but that’s not the only thing that happened. As soon as they appeared at the family's old shrine, Mikage found herself falling down from the sky as if she went on jumping from a very tall tree or went on skydiving without any parachute then landed over the ruined old shrine. It was indeed a huge impact that made some dust scattered around. She knew it should be painful and earn bruises due to the sudden fall but that was not the case. She heard a sweet and familiar giggle that came only to one particular person that she has a crush on, Sally.
“Nice teleportation for the first time but it’s dangerous, don’t you think?” Sally praised but commented on what she did wrong and Mikage could not help but feel embarrassed about it. Yet, she was indeed landed perfectly fine in the protective arms of Sally.
‘I told her to make it clear.’
“You did but you forgot to tell me that I have to include myself in the vision.” Mikage knotted her eyebrows as she pointed out what her familiar missed out on telling her. To Mikage, she did what she was instructed to make her argue with her familiar, Soul.
‘I thought you would understand it since it will be a logical one.’
“Are you telling me I’m illogical?” Mikage was totally getting on edge as she kept arguing with her familiar. It was totally amusing to Sally – to them as well since everyone could hear it.
‘You’re the one who thought that not me.’
“Why you!” she was about to attack her familiar if Sally did not speak to make them stop.
“Enough bantering you two even though it was fascinating to watch but Mikage, you can let go of my neck your feet were already on the ground safely.” Sally pointed out to Mikage who did not realize that her feet were already touching the ground and her arms were still around Sally. She did catch her from falling out of nowhere from the clear morning sky before Mikage started arguing with her familiar and forgetting about being held by Sally.
“Oh…sorry…” she quickly removed her arms away from the huntress with such embarrassing cheeks that she was trying to hide but failing miserably. It caught some giggles in the background that made her glare at them – she was totally embarrassed that’s why. And it also reminded them that they were not just the two of them.
“No problem. But your familiar is right, you have to envision everything clearly every detail if you can but for the first timer, you did great though it’s a dangerous one.” Sally smiled and praised Mikage’s first-time teleportation but she still pointed out that it was a totally dangerous try for a first-timer.
“Then once you are used to it, you can just envision the exact place.” Sawako interjected as she could not help but cut the moment that they were having there.
“Can you do it too, Mom?” Mikage was still flushing from the teasing smirk of her mother and still asked her mother about teleporting with the Help of their familiar.
“Just around the place that I’ve been through.” Sawako smiled knowingly since her daughter was indeed shy from being caught having a moment with the huntress.
Sally
Fujishima Estate: Old Shrine
Morning – 7:15
As soon as Sally let Mikage do her morning routine and had breakfast, she and her team went to do their perimeter check around it when Sawako joined them after talking with her husband regarding the reconstruction of the wall. They were heading to their last stop at the old shrine that has being ruined due to the last night's sudden attack of the beasts. It was the only part that was totally wrecked big time the rest that has been infiltrated. It has severe damage. Everything was all smashed into pieces but there was one thing that has not been touched or being ruined yet; the altar. Sally was about to check it closer when she sensed something was about to fall from the morning sky and she was right there though she does not expect it will be the new shrine maiden, Mikage. She commented on her first try because some died from doing that kind of teleportation without a guide. She was indeed worried at the same time because of that kind of fall that she did.