Tau
2pi
On her way to school was a young girl with black hair and soft golden eyes, carting along a heavy backpack. There was a smile on her face and a spring in her step, betraying a hearty excitement about something. Before she could bound another step, however, a caramel-colored dog ran up and placed its paws on her leg so it could prop itself up and stare into her eyes.
"Aaaawwwww! So cute~!" she cooed, bending down to pet the dog and noticing the blue collar around his neck. "Pochi…? Are you lost?" Giving it another quick pat on the head, she wrapped her arms around the small dog and picked him up. "Come on, we’d better find your owner. I just hope they don’t think I’m a… dog pochier~" she giggled before promptly turning her head to make sure no one heard that. "Whew. Okay, let’s go!"
After a short while of detouring through the park, the girl caught sight of a young man, calling out "Pochi! Pochiiii!" all while waving around a broken leash. Part of her felt relief, but more than this, she felt a sense of dread. It was a wave of emotion strong enough that she felt compelled to hide behind a nearby tree with the cute dog still squirming in her arms.
"Why’d it have to be… I can’t… I just… ugh…" she glanced down at the innocent little dog, "I guess have to, huh…?" Taking a deep breath, the girl shut her eyes tight for a few seconds, then opened them again. Filled with determination, she stepped into the open and carried on toward the source of the calling sounds. It didn’t take long for the man to notice her approach, and he quickly ran up to meet her half way.
"Pochi! There you are! Thank you so much, miss!" Pochi exchanged hands, but the girl’s eyes remained firmly fixed on the grass below them. The man pet his faithful dog a few times before realizing he wasn’t going to get anything out of the girl without more prompting. "I seriously could’ve lost him without your help. Really, thank you! What’s your name, miss?"
"I… I’m… I’m… a…" she stammered, fidgeting restlessly. A few seconds of growing irritation later, she finally lost patience with her own stammering, closed her eyes, and forced out: "Imaiamaima!" She blushed. "Imai Ima…" she tried again, eyes still to the ground. "I… sorry…" she concluded with an apologetic bow, running off before he could keep the conversation going.
"Wait, I— thank you, Imaimiam— uhh… Imai-san! Wow, that really is hard to say…"
Ima sat at her desk, swinging her legs impatiently underneath. All around her, her fellow students were focused hard on the teacher, trying their best to grasp the math problems she’d written in detail on the smart-screen behind her. Unfortunately, Ima had taken about a minute to realize there was zero chance of her focusing on school today. Instead, her eyes remained focused on the notebook laid out in front of her. At a glance, she simply appeared to be a good student taking notes, but in reality, her notebook was just filled with names…
Virtuobii
Shatter Me
MG Hammer
…and many others that didn’t feel quite right.
She tapped the pencil on the desk a few times. There was the usual twisted knot in her stomach that came from sharing a schoolroom with so many boys. Stupid, awful, no-good anxieties! But she wasn’t about to let this curb her enthusiasm… not today anyway! Today was the day Shori and her were finally going to register for the greatest event ever: the Mahou Shoujo Grand Bout!
…and of course, any good team had to have a top-notch team name! Something clever. Something which nodded to their abilities and their individual magical girl forms, but without giving everything away. Something with a subtle pun! Coming up with a good name was basically half the battle! If she did this part well, they’d be going in with high-morale, and a heart full of team spirit. Some, more ignorant, sorts of people might’ve thought skill was the deciding factor, but Ima knew the truth: team dynamic separated the winners from the losers. Shori and her were gonna be winners! A roar of cheers, the flash of lights, fans looking up to her as a role model instead of just a kid, and most importantly…
Suddenly, the clang of the school bell hit Ima’s ear, causing her to snap back to reality. Her face grew pale, and she held up the notebook to shield herself from view as her classmates started to mobilize. This was always the worst part of the school day: when everyone suddenly shifted to "social mode." Even if the thought of getting approached by a boy weren’t so terrifying, it’d still be a pretty dull way to start a romance. Compare that to meeting alone in the music room, or on a sunset beach, or in the midst of a survival game… after-class flirting really was bottom-tier for a first meeting scenario.
Thankfully, over the past couple years, Ima had fine-tuned the perfect method of escaping without getting approached. First, not being a member of any club helped a lot: no familiarity! Check. Second, don’t be the first or last to stand up from your seat. Wait for it…….. check. Third, and arguably most important of all, was to show no noticeable interest in anything. After all, shared interests were the core of bonding. Ima had gone to great length to "sanitize" her appearance: no more Grand Bout pins, cutting her hair more generically— which, before this year, had resembled the hair-do of Ima’s favorite female baseball superstar —and she’d even purchased a more generic backpack to seal the deal. Check, check, and check. Now she’d simply make for the door, and…
"Imaima!"
Ima froze as a shiver ran down her spine. The voice was high-pitched and friendly, so at least it wasn’t a boy, but there were still over half-a-dozen in the room, and she wanted out! Nevertheless, Ima dutifully turned and looked around to notice one bright face standing out, as it was looking right at her. Mochida-chan: one of the friendlier and more outgoing girls in class, and therefore the worst to be called out by, as she’d no doubt drag Ima into the larger circle of friends surrounding her. Having locked eyes, it was now Mochida-chan’s duty to explain:
"That’s a Niobii-tan card you’re using as a bookmark, isn’t it~?"
What a slip-up. Truthfully, Ima knew there was a tiny chance of this happening, but she’d assumed no one was paying enough attention. Even if they were, only a tiny sliver of the card was showing. Mochida-chan either had the eyes of a hawk, or was obsessed enough to recognize the card even from the tiny sliver peeking out from her notebook; maybe a bit of both! Noticing the boys had congregated to the other side of the room, Ima nodded back, figuring a short exchange with this friendly girl and her two friends might not hurt. "Mhm. Virtuosa’s my favorite though. She’s so elegant!"
"Mhm, mhm," the first of Mochida-chan’s friends spoke up: a red-haired girl by the name of Eda Rio. "But she has nothing on Niobii-tan’s pure cuteness!"
"You do know she could be like 80 years old, right?" the other of Mochida’s pack countered. Hishida Yuki: someone Ima actually recognized from her old school. It was actually pure luck that Hishida-chan didn’t know about Ima’s transformation; thankfully, she wasn’t the brightest. "I agree with Imaima! If I were a magical girl, I’d be beautiful and elegant~! Those are the best!"
Eda-chan waved her hand dismissively, "Pfft, don’t you bring Niobii-tan’s real identity into this! When she’s Niobii-tan, she’s Niobii-tan: the number one cutest magical girl~! There isn’t even a close second!"
"That’s just silly, there’s plenty of other cute ones! What about Aurora?"
The argument continued with Ima and her original beckoner standing idly by. Much as Ima wished this were an opportunity to slip away, Mochida was staring past her two friends and into Ima’s eyes with an apologetic look, effectively holding her there. Ima was snapped away from her thoughts as the red-haired Eda-chan yanked her card from the notebook, shoving it in Hishida’s face.
"Look at that tiny little person and tell me she isn’t the cutest thing ever!" She was initially pretty aggressive, but backed away slightly as Hishida-chan’s eyes widened in surprise. "Hmm? What is it…?" Turning the card around, she too was shocked, but was much louder about it: "It’s SIGNED!?"
The worst had come to pass. Eda-chan had nearly shrieked, pulling the attention of the entire room into the card she was holding. Within seconds, Ima found herself in the middle of a crowd of students, all trying to get a look at the card, and then, of course, its owner. Niobii and Virtuosa were both especially popular here. It was only natural that each city root for the magical girls that protected it. "Niobii-tan," in particular, was infamous for refusing to sign her card, and that was on the few occasions she stuck around that long. Ima was regretting the one exception she’d made…
"No way…"
"She actually signed one?"
"Guys, come on! Obviously it’s just a fake!"
"Here’s her signature on the registration form. It looks just like it!"
"It has to be her’s: look how shaky it is! A kid definitely wrote that!"
Ima stealthily bit her tongue at that last comment. Irritating as it was, she was too busy fighting off a panic attack to dwell on it. So many boys looking her way, asking her questions, scrutinizing her behavior. Were they really convinced she faked the signature? Did they think she was a cheat? A pain? A burden? Ima felt her head grow lighter and lighter with each passing second. Was she really about to pass out right here?
"Everyone, please!" Mochida-chan’s voice cut through the noise, a more sharp edge to it than usual. "Imai-chan isn’t very comfortable with crowds. Let’s all step back and give her some space, okay?" Mochida took the card back from Eda-chan and smiled at Ima. Curious eyes surrounded her, but once again Mochida-chan took the lead in helping out. Wrapping an arm around Ima, she led her out into the hall, "We can all ask our questions tomorrow, okay? I think Imaima needs some time to herself," she called out behind her, closing the door.
Ima sighed in relief as soon as the door shut. "Thanks, Mochida-chan."
"Don’t worry, they’re just easily excited," she consoled. "I know you’re a busy girl, I didn’t mean to keep you." Ima was not a busy girl at all, she just liked to leave early, thus giving that impression. "I just wanted to say…" Mochida-chan smiled and handed the card back to Ima, "Thanks for protecting our city. Your secret’s safe with me!"
Ima felt her face grow pale. Every time this happened (which wasn’t a lot), she had this awful, exposed feeling. For a girl who wanted to avoid too much attention, being outed as a magical girl would be armageddon (not to be confused with Armageddon the magical girl, who was supposedly very nice, despite her name). The attention Ima had just experienced was nothing but a taste of what every day would be like if word got out that she was Niobii. If anyone had to find out, at least Mochida-chan was mature enough to hold it in, but even the fact she’d been able to piece it together was concerning.
"Oh, well, uhm… you’re welcome!" Ima smiled. Even though she had to force the smile, it did feel genuine once it was there.
"Although… I could keep your secret even better if a certain little cutie signed my card too~"
"Wha…!? You’re blackmailing me!? Mochida-chaaan!" Ima pouted.
"No no no, I only mean if you— ahem, if she signed my card too, everyone might not be so obsessed with your card. Does that make sense?"
"Ooohhhh…" Ima nodded, a lightbulb going off in her brain. "That’s a great idea!"
Niobii awaited Mochida-chan’s arrival by spinning her hammer on its handle. "Death Metal! No, no, we’re not killing people. Uhm… Strings of Destruction! Ugh, no…" This continued for several more minutes until two figures stepped behind the park gardener’s shed.
Before Niobii could even catch sight of her, Eda-chan exploded with excitement and tackle-hugged her. Despite her size, Niobii didn’t budge even a little, despite Eda-chan’s full weight having been thrust upon her. "Eeeeee, it’s really her! She’s even cuter in person! Look at her little headband, and all the swirly hair~!" Niobii found herself hugged, petted, asked about her parents… all the usual stuff.
"Are you done…?" Niobii pouted, rolling her eyes.
"Maaaaybe~"
"Mochida-chan, I thought you said you were coming alone…?"
"Well," she answered with a sly smile. "I was, but then I forgot that I didn’t actually have any cards. It was fortunate I knew someone who did, right?"
The excited fangirl suddenly shoved several Niobii cards right in her face. "I managed to get 7 of you! Isn’t that great! Can you sign them? Pleeeeease, Niobii-tan?"
"It’s just Niobii!" she protested, crossing her arms. "And I’ll sign one… for each of you, I guess. But no more than that!"
"Yeessss! Thank you thank you thank you! Here, I brought a pen!"
Niobii tried her best to grasp the delicate instrument through the thick, metal gauntlet on her hand. Sadly, she’d made the mistake of signing her registry papers the same way, which meant signing it without the gauntlet would look fake… ironically. That said, unable to properly grip the thing, her handwriting was terrible… kind of like a…… she wasn’t even gonna think it. Niobii paused to stare at Eda-chan. She’d raised a hand to her mouth and started to release a high-pitched squeaking noise. Only once the glare had properly shut her up did she finish signing the cards.
"Here. One for each of you," Niobii smiled, handing them to a ridiculously overexcited redhead. "Please remember your promise, okay Mochida-chan?"
"Of course, Niobii!”
Nodding her approval, Niobii gave the two girls a thumbs up, grabbing her hammer and running off.
Niobii paused, leaning on the edge of a rooftop overlooking the MGA building: a towering spire of plastic and silvery titanium that pierced the heavens and screamed "the future is now!" This was the place. Any moment, her partner would arrive, they’d head on in, and she’d be a real contestant in the real Mahou Shoujo Grand Bout! It was a dream come true, and now that she was so close, she was starting to feel the nervous butterflies flitter their way into her stomach again.
Idea
"Aaaawwwww! So cute~!" she cooed, bending down to pet the dog and noticing the blue collar around his neck. "Pochi…? Are you lost?" Giving it another quick pat on the head, she wrapped her arms around the small dog and picked him up. "Come on, we’d better find your owner. I just hope they don’t think I’m a… dog pochier~" she giggled before promptly turning her head to make sure no one heard that. "Whew. Okay, let’s go!"
After a short while of detouring through the park, the girl caught sight of a young man, calling out "Pochi! Pochiiii!" all while waving around a broken leash. Part of her felt relief, but more than this, she felt a sense of dread. It was a wave of emotion strong enough that she felt compelled to hide behind a nearby tree with the cute dog still squirming in her arms.
"Why’d it have to be… I can’t… I just… ugh…" she glanced down at the innocent little dog, "I guess have to, huh…?" Taking a deep breath, the girl shut her eyes tight for a few seconds, then opened them again. Filled with determination, she stepped into the open and carried on toward the source of the calling sounds. It didn’t take long for the man to notice her approach, and he quickly ran up to meet her half way.
"Pochi! There you are! Thank you so much, miss!" Pochi exchanged hands, but the girl’s eyes remained firmly fixed on the grass below them. The man pet his faithful dog a few times before realizing he wasn’t going to get anything out of the girl without more prompting. "I seriously could’ve lost him without your help. Really, thank you! What’s your name, miss?"
"I… I’m… I’m… a…" she stammered, fidgeting restlessly. A few seconds of growing irritation later, she finally lost patience with her own stammering, closed her eyes, and forced out: "Imaiamaima!" She blushed. "Imai Ima…" she tried again, eyes still to the ground. "I… sorry…" she concluded with an apologetic bow, running off before he could keep the conversation going.
"Wait, I— thank you, Imaimiam— uhh… Imai-san! Wow, that really is hard to say…"
Ima sat at her desk, swinging her legs impatiently underneath. All around her, her fellow students were focused hard on the teacher, trying their best to grasp the math problems she’d written in detail on the smart-screen behind her. Unfortunately, Ima had taken about a minute to realize there was zero chance of her focusing on school today. Instead, her eyes remained focused on the notebook laid out in front of her. At a glance, she simply appeared to be a good student taking notes, but in reality, her notebook was just filled with names…
Virtuobii
Shatter Me
MG Hammer
…and many others that didn’t feel quite right.
She tapped the pencil on the desk a few times. There was the usual twisted knot in her stomach that came from sharing a schoolroom with so many boys. Stupid, awful, no-good anxieties! But she wasn’t about to let this curb her enthusiasm… not today anyway! Today was the day Shori and her were finally going to register for the greatest event ever: the Mahou Shoujo Grand Bout!
…and of course, any good team had to have a top-notch team name! Something clever. Something which nodded to their abilities and their individual magical girl forms, but without giving everything away. Something with a subtle pun! Coming up with a good name was basically half the battle! If she did this part well, they’d be going in with high-morale, and a heart full of team spirit. Some, more ignorant, sorts of people might’ve thought skill was the deciding factor, but Ima knew the truth: team dynamic separated the winners from the losers. Shori and her were gonna be winners! A roar of cheers, the flash of lights, fans looking up to her as a role model instead of just a kid, and most importantly…
Suddenly, the clang of the school bell hit Ima’s ear, causing her to snap back to reality. Her face grew pale, and she held up the notebook to shield herself from view as her classmates started to mobilize. This was always the worst part of the school day: when everyone suddenly shifted to "social mode." Even if the thought of getting approached by a boy weren’t so terrifying, it’d still be a pretty dull way to start a romance. Compare that to meeting alone in the music room, or on a sunset beach, or in the midst of a survival game… after-class flirting really was bottom-tier for a first meeting scenario.
Thankfully, over the past couple years, Ima had fine-tuned the perfect method of escaping without getting approached. First, not being a member of any club helped a lot: no familiarity! Check. Second, don’t be the first or last to stand up from your seat. Wait for it…….. check. Third, and arguably most important of all, was to show no noticeable interest in anything. After all, shared interests were the core of bonding. Ima had gone to great length to "sanitize" her appearance: no more Grand Bout pins, cutting her hair more generically— which, before this year, had resembled the hair-do of Ima’s favorite female baseball superstar —and she’d even purchased a more generic backpack to seal the deal. Check, check, and check. Now she’d simply make for the door, and…
"Imaima!"
Ima froze as a shiver ran down her spine. The voice was high-pitched and friendly, so at least it wasn’t a boy, but there were still over half-a-dozen in the room, and she wanted out! Nevertheless, Ima dutifully turned and looked around to notice one bright face standing out, as it was looking right at her. Mochida-chan: one of the friendlier and more outgoing girls in class, and therefore the worst to be called out by, as she’d no doubt drag Ima into the larger circle of friends surrounding her. Having locked eyes, it was now Mochida-chan’s duty to explain:
"That’s a Niobii-tan card you’re using as a bookmark, isn’t it~?"
What a slip-up. Truthfully, Ima knew there was a tiny chance of this happening, but she’d assumed no one was paying enough attention. Even if they were, only a tiny sliver of the card was showing. Mochida-chan either had the eyes of a hawk, or was obsessed enough to recognize the card even from the tiny sliver peeking out from her notebook; maybe a bit of both! Noticing the boys had congregated to the other side of the room, Ima nodded back, figuring a short exchange with this friendly girl and her two friends might not hurt. "Mhm. Virtuosa’s my favorite though. She’s so elegant!"
"Mhm, mhm," the first of Mochida-chan’s friends spoke up: a red-haired girl by the name of Eda Rio. "But she has nothing on Niobii-tan’s pure cuteness!"
"You do know she could be like 80 years old, right?" the other of Mochida’s pack countered. Hishida Yuki: someone Ima actually recognized from her old school. It was actually pure luck that Hishida-chan didn’t know about Ima’s transformation; thankfully, she wasn’t the brightest. "I agree with Imaima! If I were a magical girl, I’d be beautiful and elegant~! Those are the best!"
Eda-chan waved her hand dismissively, "Pfft, don’t you bring Niobii-tan’s real identity into this! When she’s Niobii-tan, she’s Niobii-tan: the number one cutest magical girl~! There isn’t even a close second!"
"That’s just silly, there’s plenty of other cute ones! What about Aurora?"
The argument continued with Ima and her original beckoner standing idly by. Much as Ima wished this were an opportunity to slip away, Mochida was staring past her two friends and into Ima’s eyes with an apologetic look, effectively holding her there. Ima was snapped away from her thoughts as the red-haired Eda-chan yanked her card from the notebook, shoving it in Hishida’s face.
"Look at that tiny little person and tell me she isn’t the cutest thing ever!" She was initially pretty aggressive, but backed away slightly as Hishida-chan’s eyes widened in surprise. "Hmm? What is it…?" Turning the card around, she too was shocked, but was much louder about it: "It’s SIGNED!?"
The worst had come to pass. Eda-chan had nearly shrieked, pulling the attention of the entire room into the card she was holding. Within seconds, Ima found herself in the middle of a crowd of students, all trying to get a look at the card, and then, of course, its owner. Niobii and Virtuosa were both especially popular here. It was only natural that each city root for the magical girls that protected it. "Niobii-tan," in particular, was infamous for refusing to sign her card, and that was on the few occasions she stuck around that long. Ima was regretting the one exception she’d made…
"No way…"
"She actually signed one?"
"Guys, come on! Obviously it’s just a fake!"
"Here’s her signature on the registration form. It looks just like it!"
"It has to be her’s: look how shaky it is! A kid definitely wrote that!"
Ima stealthily bit her tongue at that last comment. Irritating as it was, she was too busy fighting off a panic attack to dwell on it. So many boys looking her way, asking her questions, scrutinizing her behavior. Were they really convinced she faked the signature? Did they think she was a cheat? A pain? A burden? Ima felt her head grow lighter and lighter with each passing second. Was she really about to pass out right here?
"Everyone, please!" Mochida-chan’s voice cut through the noise, a more sharp edge to it than usual. "Imai-chan isn’t very comfortable with crowds. Let’s all step back and give her some space, okay?" Mochida took the card back from Eda-chan and smiled at Ima. Curious eyes surrounded her, but once again Mochida-chan took the lead in helping out. Wrapping an arm around Ima, she led her out into the hall, "We can all ask our questions tomorrow, okay? I think Imaima needs some time to herself," she called out behind her, closing the door.
Ima sighed in relief as soon as the door shut. "Thanks, Mochida-chan."
"Don’t worry, they’re just easily excited," she consoled. "I know you’re a busy girl, I didn’t mean to keep you." Ima was not a busy girl at all, she just liked to leave early, thus giving that impression. "I just wanted to say…" Mochida-chan smiled and handed the card back to Ima, "Thanks for protecting our city. Your secret’s safe with me!"
Ima felt her face grow pale. Every time this happened (which wasn’t a lot), she had this awful, exposed feeling. For a girl who wanted to avoid too much attention, being outed as a magical girl would be armageddon (not to be confused with Armageddon the magical girl, who was supposedly very nice, despite her name). The attention Ima had just experienced was nothing but a taste of what every day would be like if word got out that she was Niobii. If anyone had to find out, at least Mochida-chan was mature enough to hold it in, but even the fact she’d been able to piece it together was concerning.
"Oh, well, uhm… you’re welcome!" Ima smiled. Even though she had to force the smile, it did feel genuine once it was there.
"Although… I could keep your secret even better if a certain little cutie signed my card too~"
"Wha…!? You’re blackmailing me!? Mochida-chaaan!" Ima pouted.
"No no no, I only mean if you— ahem, if she signed my card too, everyone might not be so obsessed with your card. Does that make sense?"
"Ooohhhh…" Ima nodded, a lightbulb going off in her brain. "That’s a great idea!"
Niobii awaited Mochida-chan’s arrival by spinning her hammer on its handle. "Death Metal! No, no, we’re not killing people. Uhm… Strings of Destruction! Ugh, no…" This continued for several more minutes until two figures stepped behind the park gardener’s shed.
Before Niobii could even catch sight of her, Eda-chan exploded with excitement and tackle-hugged her. Despite her size, Niobii didn’t budge even a little, despite Eda-chan’s full weight having been thrust upon her. "Eeeeee, it’s really her! She’s even cuter in person! Look at her little headband, and all the swirly hair~!" Niobii found herself hugged, petted, asked about her parents… all the usual stuff.
"Are you done…?" Niobii pouted, rolling her eyes.
"Maaaaybe~"
"Mochida-chan, I thought you said you were coming alone…?"
"Well," she answered with a sly smile. "I was, but then I forgot that I didn’t actually have any cards. It was fortunate I knew someone who did, right?"
The excited fangirl suddenly shoved several Niobii cards right in her face. "I managed to get 7 of you! Isn’t that great! Can you sign them? Pleeeeease, Niobii-tan?"
"It’s just Niobii!" she protested, crossing her arms. "And I’ll sign one… for each of you, I guess. But no more than that!"
"Yeessss! Thank you thank you thank you! Here, I brought a pen!"
Niobii tried her best to grasp the delicate instrument through the thick, metal gauntlet on her hand. Sadly, she’d made the mistake of signing her registry papers the same way, which meant signing it without the gauntlet would look fake… ironically. That said, unable to properly grip the thing, her handwriting was terrible… kind of like a…… she wasn’t even gonna think it. Niobii paused to stare at Eda-chan. She’d raised a hand to her mouth and started to release a high-pitched squeaking noise. Only once the glare had properly shut her up did she finish signing the cards.
"Here. One for each of you," Niobii smiled, handing them to a ridiculously overexcited redhead. "Please remember your promise, okay Mochida-chan?"
"Of course, Niobii!”
Nodding her approval, Niobii gave the two girls a thumbs up, grabbing her hammer and running off.
Niobii paused, leaning on the edge of a rooftop overlooking the MGA building: a towering spire of plastic and silvery titanium that pierced the heavens and screamed "the future is now!" This was the place. Any moment, her partner would arrive, they’d head on in, and she’d be a real contestant in the real Mahou Shoujo Grand Bout! It was a dream come true, and now that she was so close, she was starting to feel the nervous butterflies flitter their way into her stomach again.
Idea
