School is out. Its been a long day but its Saturday so at least there is a rest tomorrow. Its a nice day outside of the walls of Seiyou. A day that Sierra is more then happy to get out to. She stretches and smiles as the warmth of the sun hits her. She happily moves over to the flower garden and stops to take a deep breath of the flowers.
There is stirring in her bag. The flap opens and out flies Kit who had opted to sleep a little bit during school. She flies down into the flower bed andly to fly out, knocking her head against Sierra's "Owwww! Hey! I'm flying here!" She exclaims trying to sound like a New Yorker.
Sierra rubs her head a little. "That smarted! So did you rest well?" She laughs at her chara for a moment. She looks around as some of the other students wonder off. They probably think she's nuts. Ah well. Who cares.
Kit nods, "Uh huh! Best time to sleep, Literature class!"
The whole idea of a 'make-up day' of school was anathema to Kukai. Who wanted to use a Saturday for something that was as hard work as classes? Still, the middle of the day had been the first game in the local soccer leagues, so he'd spent more than enough time running back and forth on the field, kicking the ball back and forth, so it wasn't so bad!
A shower afterwards, and then Kukai decided to head for the Royal Garden, just in case anyone had come up after classes. Before he gets there, though, he can hear two familiar voices speaking and changes his course, just a bit. "Hey, Sierra, Kit. How're you two today?"
Sierra has never been to the royal guardens. She doesn't even know where they are! All she knows is the flowers smell nice and her Chara is a little silly today. She stands up. It takes a lot for her not to pluck one of those flowers to keep that sweet smell with her but, that wouldn't be good.
Then there is a familiar voice. She looks up and waves to Kukai. "Hello, Souma-san. I am okay. Happy that school is out. I need a day off. I guess I just miss American schools that don't use Saturdays for school. Ah well. Things have been really strange lately. My first week as a Chara Bearer though. I guess it was destined to be crazy."
Kit sticks her tongue out at Sierra, "And your life was so normal before I showed up!" She flies over and waves to Kukai, "Hello Souma-san! Good to see you! I'm okay. She is still doubting herself though!" She makes a little face before flying back to Sierra.
"I guess instead of a Chara I got a RAT!" She looks at Kit a little annoyed, "old habits are hard to break and I've only been at this for a week. I'm trying. Really!"
Kukai Souma waves back to Sierra, then nods at the flowers. "Well, not every school uses Saturday for classes. Seiyou Public doesn't, usually, but they'll use it for make up days, which is apparently a thing." Kukai smiles with one corner of his mouth. "Believe me, I wanted to sleep through the first two periods today. And I guess so - if you still have any questions about being a Character Bearer, I can help. And yes, it's crazy for everyone."
Daichi waves at Kit along with Kukai, then hops up from Kukai's shoulder. "Then you just gotta back her up twice as much! The more she believes in you, the more powerful you'll be!" Kukai laughs and nods. "It's not something you can change immediately, but if you really want it, then you will get there."
He nods on up the path. There in the distance is a large, sun-lit greenhouse. "I'm heading to the Royal Garden. Care to join me, or did you have somewhere you wanted to go instead?"
Sierra Earhart blinks a few times, "The Royal Gardens? You mean the place where you guys hang out? I mean the Guardians?!" She blushes and nods slowly, "Sorry, I've never really made friends with people who were student council types. Never got to hang out with the most popular types. I've always been worried that I wouldn't be around long enough to actually be friends with people. Now things are a little different aren't they?"
Kit nods to Daichi, "I can do that!" She moves over to Sierra and smiles to her, "You can do it! You can have all the friends you want! Remember, you can always get in touch with your friends, even if you move! Also trust your dad! He said you won't be moving again so don't have anything to worry about!"
Sierra stands up straight and smiles, "You're right, Kit. I just never thought about it that way." She turns her attention to Kukai and smiles, "Lead the way!"
There is a giant eyeroll and a grin from Kukai. "It's not like that. The Royal Gardens are meant for all students of Seiyou Public. The Guardians just use it as their base inside the school." He laughs and nudges Sierra. "Well we don't have to be friends if you don't want to be." He's grinning very widely, and maybe his nose is just a little longer and pointier.
Daichi nods and grins, moving along with them. Kukai walks with her towards the Royal Garden, opening the door for her. "I apologize that there isn't any tea or cookies or anything. Usually either Amu or Nadeshiko fixes them. If you want something I can probably go make it but I dunno how it'd taste." He heads for the covered platform and the table in the center. "In any case, what's on your mind? How are you doing in school and such? Getting used to Japan?"
Sierra smirks a little, "Oh yeah? I guess I've just never gotten a chance to actually investigate the whole school. Lets face it, my time at this school so far has been anything but ordinary." She blushes a little. "No... I'd like to be friends. I actually want to make friends. I'm just not very good at it myself. I want to be..."
Kit is about to give another lecture to Sierra but, "hey! That was hope! You are getting it!!! All you gotta do is believe and you can have your dreams and friends and everything! You can do it Sierra!" She cheers.
Then into the Royal Gardens. Wow. Gorgeous!!! She just looks thrilled to take in all the beautiful sights! Sierra is listening and nods, "Its okay Kukai-san." She lets her formality drop a little. "I am fine. Kit and I will probably go grab a snack on the way home." Then its onto business. "Well, School is going okay. I only really struggle with Gym and Literature. I've always excelled at science and math. Plus I can help people out with either English or Japanese. I have been considering joining a different club. The one I am in doesn't have many members and its kinda boring. I guess thats what happens in a Meteorology club." She laughs a little before continuing. "I've actually lived in Japan for the past four years. I am just new to Tokyo. I lived in Camp Fuji. In Gotemba, Shizuoko. My dad was stationed there which means I lived there. While the view of Mt. Fuji was impressive, I am actually more happy here. The things I've been struggling with are actually more with the whole Chara Bearer thing. I can't exactly ask my parents for help on this one."
She pauses and looks at Kit who is hanging around Daichi at the moment. This gets a little laugh. "Okay, So Kit mentioned that I am capable of more then I know. Or something along those lines. She character changed me then but I really don't understand what she means. I have encountered a number of magical types this week and they seem to know more of what I can do then I do!"
Kukai nods, then grins. "It's easy to be friends with most people. Some people are harder, though. You'll be fine at it. And the school's open for investigation, except for the teacher's offices." He heads into the Gardens with her and smiles, watching her look around. "OK then. Well.. do you need some training with gym class? I can't really help with Literature - I'm bad at it myself. And I'm just barely passable in English." He switches over for a second. <I am very awful at studies.> He shrugs. "I like to rest more than read. As for your club, feel free to switch to whatever you like, if you feel like it'd support you." He rubs his chin, listening. "I've been snowboarding near Mt. Fuji. It's awesome up there, but so cold!"
He hmms, then nods. "OK, so. A Character Change is something everyone with a Guardian Character can do. You get a minor visual change of some sort - I get a headband with a star - and you take on more of the characteristics of your Chara. You become braver, more assured, more skillful in whatever you want to do, and generally get better all together."
He waves a finger at her. "You're not magically powerful in a Character Change, however. You don't have the sort of powers they do. I've seen Tadase mediate awful arguments, Amu whip up batches of chocolates, I've personally stayed on a snowboard on a max level course and sprinted faster than the rest of a track team combined, but it doesn't bring the sort of mahou powers like flying or shooting beams or something you might expect. That comes from a Character Transformation. And you may never be able to do one of those. A lot of Guardian Bearers can't, though, so don't feel bad about it."
He thinks. "And yeah, there's a lot of other magical types out there. There's the Puella, the Sailor Senshi, the Precures, the Guardian Warriors, the Guardians (us!), the Prism Keepers, and even more that don't have proper names and titles. Who do you have questions about?"
Sierra Earhart smirks. She switches over to English herself. "<That's very good. It takes some time. English is a confusing language.>" She smiles a little. Her accent is very much present, especially in English. She smirks and continues.
"Okay so, A character change allows you to do stuff that you wouldn't normally be able to do. Like I'm able to handle heights no problem, I am all out braver and more outgoing. Like I could befriend people so much easier. Its so weird."
She thinks a moment and then speaks again. "Okay I Guess the question is, how does a Transformation work?" She takes a deep breath and looks over at Kit. A smile crosses her lips, "I guess I'll never know if I can unless I try right?"
It takes a minute for Kukai to answer. "It's... y'know, I tried? Before I was able to, I tried, a few times, but I couldn't change. See, it requires more than just the Chara - it requires either the Humpty Lock or the Dumpty Key. Amu has the Lock, and Ikuto has the Key, and it requires you to access the power of your dreams. And neither one of them will do it unless they believe in you themselves. For Amu, that tends to be supporting her friends and defending the Guardians. For Ikuto, up until he vanished, that was serving the desires of Easter. I guess that's the best thing that's come out of him going missing - we haven't seen any bad Guardian Bearers since."
Sierra listens carefully. She doesn't exactly know anything about the lock or the key. What she does know is that there is no chance that she and her chara could come close to this. She looks over at Kit thoughtfully.
After a few moments she does finally speak. "Kit, I don't think we are ready to try it, But I believe some day we will be able to!" She smiles a little. She is trying and she is starting to show that she does believe in her dreams. "We're going to fly someday." She says to the Chara.
Kit smiles and nods to her. "We can do it! I believe in you!"