[enma]

Thoonk

The pitching machine launched the first ball, shooting it directly towards Enma. In casual sporting wear, long-sleeved, he held a wooden bat and wore a helmet alongside everything. They were all provided by his father's business, which he begrudgingly took and used to great effect. When he was going to get dirty, he was going to ruin the clothes he was given for free. With the baseball zooming through the air towards him, he could approach striking it in one of two ways. To hone his eyes, he could miss over and over until he felt himself become more capable of seeing the ball or he could hone his instincts and take the cardio gains.

This was meant to be a practice, but hitting something was always a good way of taking one's mind off of deeper frustrations. Enma swung and launched the ball away, the thunderous crack of a spot-on strike from wood meeting leather ringing throughout the training grounds. He would repeat this a few times over until the machine depleted itself, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he hit ball after ball to distract himself from what was weighing on his shoulders.

It was his second year as a student and he still hadn't figured out how he wanted to put himself out there for heroes to find him. He had no friends, he was stuck working at his dad's store at the worst times, and a lot of agencies focused on marketing themselves. The ones that did pique his interest seemed too out of his league. So for the moment, he would repeat some drills and strike balls like the league he was looking for was baseball.

Enma had his provisional license, but has yet to make use of it. Being alone was not a good thing as an up-and-coming hero, even if he preferred not to have to interact with people he didn't really care about. Collecting the baseballs, he began packing up the machine and looked onward into the sunset. Using a rag to soak up any sweat, he exhaled as the judgmental tone of his father echoed in his thoughts.

[Wendy]

1IN YOUR EYES An observation of students at UAU? Wendy was confused by the idea, and the fact that her guidance counselor told her to do it made her even more confused. She wasn't one to disobey someone, especially a teacher, so she obliged, leading to her wandering around campus with a notebook. Even if she was technically only a little more than a year old, she had spent most of her life learning the basics about the world to ensure her knowledge matched her physical age. Common sense was not part of the equation and somehow this caused her to end up at the training grounds. Without a lick of common sense telling her otherwise she would approach from behind Enma and speak up "Excuse me? Can I take some notes on what you're doing. Is this a training exercise?" And no, she had never seen a pitching machine before. SEE THE BLUE SKY enma,

vulpina

[Mafdet Khepri]

One's purpose and that which they were designed for needn't be the same. The freedom of choice ingrained in the instincts of any sentient being allowed them to carve their own path and so too did it allow them to alter the fates of others. Sometimes Khepri liked to free the pitching machine from its routine by spinning it around and letting it fire at random before they tried to race the ball instead of letting it meet its inevitable fate of being swatted by a bat.

Today it seemed the machine already had a partner by the time Khepri arrived. Two even. Much like how they spotted Enma and then Wendy, as Khepri was about to respond they first had one thought and then a second, the two ricocheting off each other and leaving the catbug unable to find either. Instead a different question came from Khepri's mouth, just in case one question wasn't enough and they needed two.

"How are unicorns real but giraffes fake? Isn’t a horse with a horn way more normal than a leopard moose camel with a seven foot neck?"

---

Tags: Wendy, enma

[enma]

Enma rarely liked using the school's supplies when he could take advantage of his forced employment with his father. It was also easy to justify not letting anyone intrude on his use as he wasn't holding up any publicly available machines. His exercise was outside of normal hours for students, but yet...he was still caught in the act of being in public. As he was packing up, someone had approached and was intent on not participating but watching him.

As someone who didn't like to be observed, Enma wanted to say no. In the spirit of manners, he looked at her with his typical "meh" demeanor and answered, "This is a pitching machine. You use it to condition yourself with batting. It's getting late and I was just packing up--" As he was attempting to let the girl down lightly, he jumped out of his skin as an absurd question followed. The chaos of the human brain was a type of darkness that Enma wished to never encounter.

This person was sent to terrorize him. "I...giraffes are real. Unicorns? Where do you see unicorns?" With intense confusion, Enma felt the impulse to start the pitching machine and run away. With better judgment, he did not, in fact, do that. Looking at the first girl, he gave an uneasy smile and improvised a way to not have to continue the latter girl's proposed...thoughts. "How about I demonstrate?"

[Wendy]

1IN YOUR EYES She was really confused. Really Really confused. Still she would take down some notes as she greeted Khepri with a “Hello, can I take notes?” Not realizing that Khepri wasn’t a part of her observation assignment, she took what they were saying seriously: “What’s a leopard moose camel? Is that something we can find around here?” She looked around hoping that Khepri was referring to something she could see because Wendy surely couldn’t visualize it. How could all those different things be one thing? She would take down notes of her thoughts knowing that the school counselor would find it all valuable. She’d turn back to Enma writing down what he was saying as well. A pitching machine to condition yourself with batting. Is that what shampoo and conditioner were for? Why would a pitching machine help with that? Luckily she didn’t have to ask as Enma offered to demonstrate “That would be great.” She would take a seat with pen and paper in hand. “Oh, and I’m Wendy. Its nice to meet you!” SEE THE BLUE SKY enma,Mafdet Khepri,

vulpina

[Mafdet Khepri]

"I haven't seen any unicorns except on TV, weird right?" Khepri asked Enma in the same tone one would use to complain about the weather. It truly didn't make any sense to them. Hoofs and horns were both made of keratin so why was it so unreasonable that a being with four hooves had one horn? Giraffes made much less sense than that.

"Hmm, oh sure," Khepri replied to Wendy while blinking twice in confusion and reaching into their pocket. Pulling out a rumpled ball of paper they handed their notes over to them. What a weird thing to ask. Luckily her next questions were far more understandable and Khepri quickly nodded in reply. "Yeah. I've seen one in Taito and another in Hino. It's called a Giraffe." 

Happily nodding along in agreement with Wendy the catbug too was happy to hear Enma's offer. "I'll help too! I can catch the ball if you miss," they explained before promptly moving to stand next to the pitching machine instead of behind the batter. "I'm Khepri. Mafdet Khepri. Oh, Mafdet isn't only my name though," Khepri clarified just in case. Identity theft was no joke after all.

---

Tags: Wendy,enma

[enma]

Enma internally cried when it came to the whims of these two people. He was trapped, he already impulsively offered to stick around and now he didn't want to be known as a mean person. While he didn't care for social hierarchy, a bad reputation was not good for the necessary connections a hero needed in the field. He'd rather leave the school being a respected figure and not a feared one. That was reserved for the villains.

They were introducing themselves, which meant that in the future there could be unsolicited high-fives or superficial smiles he'd have to reciprocate. It was going to ache, but at least he could focus on explaining how he conditions himself. Turning on the machine, the mechanics whirred as the feed connected to it. He'll give his father credit, they were well-designed and advanced. Connecting the remote launcher, he went over to the designated batting spot.

"You use this to initiate the launch. It shoots the ball in a way that simulates a pitcher realistically. There's a few settings on it, but I have it on basic and tuned for my strength." Striking a still batter's pose, he put the trigger on the ground and pressed his foot into it. "It launches at the speed setting with a small variance and you..." Colliding ball to bat, there was a concussive sound as the ball was sent soaring into the sky.

"...strike! Like any workout, the resistance will test your strength and you'll condition for harder and harder blows. Necessary when puncturing the armor of a villain." Almost as if he forgot to introduce himself, he waited to initiate the next shot. "Arashi Enma, Second-Year in the Department of Heroes." Demonstrating a few more powerful swings, he stepped away and gestured for either one of them to take his place.

"You all are welcome to try."

Wendy Mafdet Khepri

[Wendy]

1IN YOUR EYES Wendy blinked a few times as she caught the notes that Khepri tossed to her. How helpful! She didn't realize Khepri was going through observations like she was. Unfolding the notes, she would read the world's 'Candy Coated Mackerel' and place it next to her own and copy over the nonsensical ramblings. "Thank you Mafdet Khepri Mafdet. This is really helpful, or uhm, it will be once I bring this to the counselor." She then realized she hadn't introduced herself to Khepri that she panicked for a moment as moms always said it was rude not to introduce themselves. "Sorry, I'm Wendy; it's nice to meet you." Focusing back on Enma, she would write down everything he was saying diligently. Was this what heroes were all about? Did everyone come here to train? Perhaps Yoko or Michael could explain to her why hero students were required to condition with batting. The offer to try was enticing enough that Wendy would put down her notes and stand up "Are you sure? I don't want to interrupt your conditioning and I've never done any of this before." Assuming there were no other arguments she would take the bat and try to mimic what Enma had done. Only to take a ball to the face, which knocked her on her butt; luckily, her quirk prevented any damage, but from an outsider's perspective, it probably looked pretty bad. SEE THE BLUE SKY Mafdet Khepri,enma,

vulpina

[Mafdet Khepri]

"It's Khepri Mafdet Khepri," Khepri corrected. "Wait no." That wasn't exactly right unless they misunderstood Japanese naming conventions here. Oh! Maybe Wendy was just trying to be accommodating. In Egypt the family name came after the first name after all. That was probably what they meant! "It's nice to meet you too!"

Khepri listened attentively to Enma's explanation. They had no idea that all the stuff that could be adjusted did those things. That made a lot more sense than the machine firing at whichever speed it felt like. Khepri had only met a few machines that could do that and they usually didn't just sit around in the training grounds pitching baseballs. Who knew though. Maybe this one was just following its dreams. Khepri was doing the same thing. Well, almost the same thing. They were following the ball that Enma had just launched into the distance. That sort of counted.

Their eyes had followed the ball until it reached its apex while their ears listened to Enma's introduction before they rushed after the ball. Long strides followed by a fully quirk empowered jump carried them to their goal, arm coming up and managing to catch it in mid air. "I got it!" They shouted back at the small figures in the distance before rushing back. As they returned to the rest of the group they continued the conversation.

"Nice to meet you too, Enma! Do you think there are more doors or wheels in the world?"

Putting the ball down next to the machine they were ready to go after Wendy's ball this time. With a bat thrown into the mix this was a completely different baseball experience than they were used to but Khepri was nothing if not adaptable. Between the first strike, all the running and honing in on the ball their senses were running in full, ready to track the ball from the moment it left the machine.

They could see from the moment it fired that it was going to go wrong. Almost in slow motion Khepri began to drop into a crouch, their exoskeleton softening and muscles expanding to rocket towards Wendy. Too slow. Too little, too late. Even as they acted they could tell they wouldn't be able to outspeed the ball and get there in time. As they shot off and their arm extended forward they saw the ball impact Wendy's face with full force. For a moment their heart stopped, two stumbled steps taking them past Enma and Wendy.

It took a second for their mind to catch up to what their eyes had seen. Wendy hadn't dropped completely. They were still partially upright. Khepri's chest heaved as they softened the exoskeleton on their torso to suck in several deep breaths. Catching their breath they turned back to face the pair.

"Are you alright?"

---

Tags: Wendy,enma

[enma]

Despite her rather chaotic demeanor, Khepri seemed rather fantastic with how she moved. While Enma did not care for the way these two people communicated as he was not mentally prepared for them, he knew they weren't doing anything wrong. Just like how he didn't do well in groups, they were...special. Different from the typical person, and that wasn't necessarily wrong. To him, however, it was a headache.

So this was the best distraction he could make to help himself fit in without making anyone feel he was someone to look down upon. As he finished demonstrating his batting ability, he looked at Khepri with a flat face and puffed cheeks, split between consideration for the question he was asked and the concern he had for this person's mind. "Wheels. They exist beyond automobiles and you need more wheels than you do doors due to how mechanical things work." It was a serious answer that took some thought, the only real way he could humor her.

Watching Wendy fall to the ground, he froze up as Khepri was already assisting the girl. Sighing, he hoped there wouldn't be some sort of lawsuit. The students of U.A.U. had to be tougher than paper, but it was a possibility his father always warned him of. "Be careful now, I can set it to a lower pitch if that would help. Would you like me to instruct you on form?" Looking to Khepri, he gave her a nod. "You'd make an amazing outfielder."

At this point, he wondered if they would know what that is in baseball. The compliment rang true still.

[Wendy]

1IN YOUR EYES In what must have been a freaky visual for the other two the ball had somehow managed to punch a hole through her forehead. Some clay would be splattered on the ground behind her as she tried to understand what had just happened. She would think silently for a moment, rising to her feet as the wheels turned slowly in her brain; what had she done wrong? Was there something she was missing? More impressively, Enma didn't get hit by any of these balls. Khepri's words took her out of it, and she looked down towards her smaller companion. "Oh! Sorry, I'm fine." she wiped the dirt off her clothes, and when she bent down to pick up her notepad, she noticed the clay. Taking a quick moment to figure out where it came from, she discovered the hole on her head and would scoop up the clay to fill it in. "A lower pitch...?" She would bend down and start whispering, "If I can take notes on the form, sure thing, thank you very much." SEE THE BLUE SKY Mafdet Khepri,enma,

vulpina

[Mafdet Khepri]

Khepri's eyes opened wide. Wheels. Of course! In this day and age so much was mechanized that they might just beat out wheel-less door things like houses, closets and more. But maybe...

The machine going off once more derailed their train of thought and by the time Wendy answered their question it was long gone. Their stomach turned. Pupils shrunk and then dilated while their breath caught. There was a hole in her head. That- That wasn't supposed to be there. There were parts all o-

With shaking hands Khepri bent down to scoop up some of the clay. Wendy got to it first. That was good. The talking after even better. She was fine. Spiffy. Excellent. 

Khepri blinked slowly once and then put a wide smile back on their face. 

"Thank you!" They happily replied to Enma, assuming it was a compliment unless proven otherwise. Even then proof was subjective and people didn't always say what they meant. Their smile widened. There was no way Enma meant anything bad! An outfielder was definitely more like outgoing than outcast, to assume otherwise would be outlandish.

"I'll go get some water bottles for the practice, do either of you want anything else too? I'll be right back before you know it!"

Turning on their heel once both of them answered Khepri dashed away at full speed, trying to stay as steady as possible even though the world seemed weirdly out of focus and it was a bit hard to maintain balance. The moment they were behind a corner they put their palm up against it, a shiver running through them -probably because the wall was in the shade and colder than the surroundings- before they threw up. 

Huh, did they eat something that didn't agree with them? Hmm, it might be the candy coated mackerel. Or the honeyed pickles. Maybe the instant coffee they made with soda instead of water? They weren't sure but they could figure that out later. Their new friends needed stuff! Adding a bucket and a mop to their mental list of things to get Khepri continued dashing on, eager to get back to Enma and Wendy once they'd gotten all the items they needed. 

---

Tags: Wendy,enma

[enma]

Enma did NOT need to make any reports as to why someone got injured by his father's machine. In some parts of the world, it could be the juiciest of lawsuits and he needed his father's money for school. Thankfully, she was fine and seemed more curious than ever. A curious mind that wanted to learn and improve shouldn't be turned away, even if he wasn't the ideal teacher. Nice thoughts, but then an even more freakish realization spread.

She had a hole in her head. He almost had an aneurism then and there, but he was calmed by Wendy's calm. There were going to be questions and he needed answers before another headshot like that happened. Logic screamed that it was just a quirk, because it had to be. Still, seeing someone have their head blown out by a baseball and being technically responsible for said baseball was not a great feeling.

"You...you go get us some water, hydration is important." Nodding, he covered his mouth and cleared his throat as he lowered the pitching speed. "So, Wendy-san, before we continue...you had a hole in your head from missing. Is that anything I should be worried about?" He was very matter-of-fact, like a lawyer. He really did need to know if physical activity was a hazard for her.

If not, he'd let her continue practicing while awaiting Khepri's return.

Wendy Mafdet Khepri

[Wendy]

1IN YOUR EYES As unusual as it might have been for the others to see Wendy with a hole in her head this was pretty normal. While she was in the lab they did all sorts of testing on what her clay could do and through the testing they learned that as long as she wasn't too hot or cold she could just repair herself if she got injured. While she gathered the clay and attempted to mold the hole back in her head to its normal shape she would think to herself if maybe there was an easier way to do this? She got injured a lot, and while it didn't bother her, she felt bad about everyone else worrying about her. Maybe she could offer to treat them to Ramen? That's what friends did after all! "No" she shook her head as she squished down the hole as it returned to normal "This happens to me like uhm...every few days? I was told by Yoko and Michael I should be more careful." After slight delay, it clicked that Enma might not know who they are. "Yoko and Michael are my friends." great save, Wendy. SEE THE BLUE SKY enma,Mafdet Khepri,

vulpina

[Mafdet Khepri]

Half empty or full... It took a few minutes but they eventually made it back with a mop, a full bucket and a decanter of water. The first two had been left around the corner where they'd done some cleaning but the third they'd carried with them all the way to Wendy and Enma without spilling more than a third of it.  "I'm back! Does anyone have something to divide this water into? I asked a guy that had glasses but he said no and that they were for seeing not drinking out of." Maybe it was just them but the mood seemed to be different when they returned compared to when they'd originally arrived. Did something happen? Nah, they were probably just relaxing after swinging the bat and chasing the ball. It made sense that they were taking a break since that got harder and harder to do the more the sun set and Khepri couldn't even see the bottom half anymore. Well, they weren't looking at it right now but that was beside the point. Even if they were looking at it they might not see the bottom half.  "Are we still practicing?" Pushing limits was how you got better so if they wanted to stay and practice more Khepri would be happy to join them. "Or would you and you like to get something to eat? I've got some room for food whenever we're done!" Either way Khepri was looking forward to it, their tail swaying behind them and the corners of their mouth curved up into a smile.  ...Is all perspective Wendy , enma

made by eden @ gs and thq