soniaroadsqueen | Tokyo, Japan, Monday

Portalocity was weird. Ringo hadn't really traveled with them much, so this was something of a revelation for her. Somehow booking a reasonable late-morning departure from Fandom resulted in a just-after-dawn arrival in a small park a couple of miles from the apartment she shared with her sisters. Of course, despite that, all three of them were waiting.

Rika, with her knowing, motherly smile, managing to look like a carefully-styled model even this early. Mikan, tomboyish hair cropped short and sticking out every which way, smirking mischievously and tapping her foot with nervous energy. Ume, seated on a bench playing with her dolls, but glancing up and meeting Ringo's eyes when she arrived.

With a grin, Ringo dropped her bags and rushed forward into a big group hug, melting into the group for a moment. All worry and stress disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Now then," Rika said as they eventually disentangled themselves, "why don't you introduce everyone, and then we can go get some breakfast?"

[ooc: For those along for the ride. NFB for distance.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

spin_kick_snap

Kathy was going to mention that her pair had taken quite the beating, but--

"Tuning?" she asked. "What's that? Is that a move?" Her brow furrowed; she didn't think Ringo had taught her any moves like that.

From:

otherroadriders

Mikan stared. Then frowned.

Then turned that frown on Ringo. "Did you give Kathy ATs and not Tune them?" she demanded. "And, hey, are you Tuning properly?"

Ringo's eyes got wide and just a bit panicked. "Um, sort of?"

Ugh. Mikan scowled. "Sort of," she muttered, turning back to Kathy. "Tuning is the process of adjusting your ATs to match your body's natural rhythm. Everyone's is different, and good Tuning is how you use your own abilities most efficiently while riding." She sighed, shaking her head. "I guess Ringo doesn't have anyone to Tune for her, but that's no reason she shouldn't Tune for you, at least."

"Well, don't worry. We'll take care of it while you're here, at least. Especially if you're going to go shopping and buy some new gear."

From:

spin_kick_snap

"Is it important?" Kathy asked, frowning at Ringo. "You know I'm going to remind you every...however often you're supposed to be doing this, right?" She looked back at Mikan. "There aren't any negative repercussions for her not Tuning, are there?"

From:

otherroadriders

Ringo ducked her head and flushed bright red as Mikan snorted. "No, she'll be fine. At least as long as she's not trying anything too tricky. Being out of Tune can lead to injuries with really tough tricks since your ATs can't fully support your body properly, but for everyday use they're fine."

"So as long as she's not getting into any fights or anything, or well, hard fights."

"But, wait." Mikan frowned. "Does that mean you've never been Tuned properly?"

From:

spin_kick_snap

Kathy was still giving Ringo hard looks, pursing her lips and tapping her foot. "I'm pretty sure the answer is no to both, since we don't have the buildings high enough or anyone really interested in fighting her."

Usually. Though Fandom could sometimes provide enemies in spades.

"Uhh, no? I don't think so? I don't know what Tuning entails".

From:

otherroadriders

"It's not super-complicated. I mean, as long as you've got a competent Tuner." Mikan shot another look at Ringo. "And Ringo's an excellent Tuner, so I don't know what she was thinking."

Mikan shrugged. "Anyway, you find somewhere quiet, strip down, and the Tuner uses a rig to listen to your body's rhythm, making minor adjustments to your ATs, and then listening again. It can take a while." Another hard look. "Especially if you haven't done it in a long time."

From:

spin_kick_snap

"...Strip down?" Ringo was still getting hard looks from both of them. "That all sounds pretty complicated."

From:

otherroadriders

Hard looks that were just going to see her staring at her feet and being bright red.

"Sounds worse than it is," Mikan assured Kathy. "I mean, it can get involved, but if you're being Tuned, you mostly just have to sit there and try to relax."

"Which is harder for some of us than for others," Rika interjected, stepping over with a smile.

From:

spin_kick_snap

"Can I read?" Kathy asked with a small laugh. "I'm inclined to fidget otherwise. I have...a lot of energy these days."

What with her metabolism ramped to fifteen now and all.

From:

otherroadriders

"For part of it," Mikan said, rolling her eyes in amusement. "Part of it's a bit more directed, I guess? Breathing exercises and stuff." Kinda like meditation or something.

From:

spin_kick_snap

"Oh, that's doable," Kathy said. "I'm not as good at meditating now as I used to be, but I've done enough yoga and whatnot that I can fake it, at least. Sometime this week, then?"

Because Ringo wasn't leaving until she was properly Tuned. Kathy said so.

From:

otherroadriders

Mikan nodded. "Definitely. Probably after Rika gives Ringo a lecture."

From:

spin_kick_snap

"Can I be there for that, too?" Kathy asked, smirking at Ringo. "It'll be nice seeing her not talk back for once."

From:

otherroadriders

Mikan barked a laugh, grinning. "She talks back?" she asked. "Never seen her do much of that at home."

Funny how pleased she sounded.

From:

spin_kick_snap

That got Kathy's shocked face. Not her 'pretending to be shocked' face, but her actual, for-reals, 'I did not see this coming' shocked face. "Wait, what?Really?"

From:

otherroadriders

"Well, okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration." Mikan grinned. "But only when she's in a feisty mood, and she's mostly been a quiet sort of girl, you know?" That totally described Ringo, right Kathy?

From:

spin_kick_snap

Nope. That shocked face was going nowhere. "Did you just call Ringo quiet?!"

Oh god, had she gotten in the wrong portal and ended up in some alternate reality where Ringo was quiet and didn't talk back.

"Ringo!" she called, needing to make sure. "Name all of the things I'm better than you at!"

From:

soniaroadsqueen

Ringo put on a totally-fake thoughtful look, then called back. "Can't think of anything!"

And now it was Mikan's turn to look surprised. Not shocked, but definitely surprised.

"Huh." She grinned. "Would you look at that."

From:

spin_kick_snap

"You really gonna make me make you sing the song?" Kathy demanded, relieved to know that she was in the right reality. "You know, the one I came up with after I schooled you at lock picking?"

And then she was giving Mikan a guiltily amused smile. "Umm, I'm a good influence on your sister, really."

From:

soniaroadsqueen

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about!" An insistence which didn't come across all that convincingly with that blush.

Mikan's grin widened, and then she laughed. "Looks like you are," she agreed.

From:

spin_kick_snap

"I also dragged her out clothing shopping and convinced her that she was allowed to own clothing that wasn't suitable for AirTrek," Kathy said with a fond smile. "I'm pretty sure I had to turn it into a dare or something, but we went."

From:

otherroadriders

"I didn't think that that skirt she's wearing was in her bag when she left," Mikan said.

"So, yeah. Thanks." Funny how emotionally loaded that word could be.

From:

spin_kick_snap

"I was happy to," Kathy said softly. "I--Ringo's told me a lot about the stuff that happened before she left. I'm just glad that I can help her get to know who Ringo is. And that plenty of people will like her with or without Regalia."

From:

otherroadriders

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Only idiots care about the Regalia."

"But," she sighed, "enough people only ever got to see Crazy Apple, the Thorn Queen of Sleeping Forest. So people think they know her, but have no idea."

From:

spin_kick_snap

"I think Ringo's starting to get a good handle on who she is outside of being Crazy Apple," Kathy said. "Once she's there, people will get a chance to know her for real."

She raised her voice again to make sure she was overheard. "And people will learn that she is kinda weird and crazy competitive, but I suppose not the worst person in the world. Probably."