Do the time warp!

[Mirai Ira]

Her hair was longer now. The short black ponytail that used to be her most distinguishing feature aside from her multiple piercings now went between her shoulder blades, and was left loose. She had also grown two inches to reach 5’2”, a height somewhat closer to the average so that her head was not so far below the rest of the crowds’.

A lot of things changed in a year, and among the many things that did was Ira Mirai.

As she sat and watched the familiar scene before her from the weather-worn bench of Konoha Park, memories of the past year came rushing through her mind. The swings where two plump children were playing now, was where Ira had accidentally fallen on her butt during a swinging contest with her best friend. The elephant slide was where the two of them held a silly art experiment by dropping cups of paint on a blank canvas below to see how things would mix. The big oak tree whose bare branches were tangled up above her head was where they had seen a rather pathetic feline get stuck. It was also where Ira had to climb up to get her friend down after said friend got stuck herself from trying to rescue the cat. And the very bench she was sitting on at that very moment was the same bench they had used as a meeting mark for countless escapades.

It also happened to be the meeting mark for that day’s little adventure, which was why the sixteen-year-old sophomore was sitting patiently at the park instead of inside her sparsely furnished apartment. The two friends had met inside each other’s homes before as well, but it seemed the other girl had different ideas this time around.

Ira would have gladly sat inside all day and talked- since coming to Konoha, the raven had been doing much of that- all day like they had done many times before, but she didn’t mind going out if it meant her friend was happy. Ira liked to humor her that way.

While her thoughts were traveling from the past to the present, the teen let her head hang limply over the park bench’s back rest and tucked her hands into her dark jeans’ pockets. The weak winter sun was barely showing through the clouds that hung over Konoha that afternoon, and Ira could barely feel its effects through her striped long-sleeve and vest. For once, her headphones were just hanging silently around her neck instead of blasting music directly into her ears so she could hear a certain someone’s approach.

As if on cue to that passing thought, Ira saw a flash of purple to her right and grinned dryly.

“About time you showed up,” she said almost sternly. “I’ve been here for fifteen minutes, slowpoke-Hiro.”

[gotmilk]

She's always late (unintentionally, of course).

Her sneakers pattered along the dusty park sidewalk noisily, the tongue flapping from careless shoe lace tying in favor of being earlier than too late. Mildly brown eyes glanced down worriedly at her Pokemon (complimentary of her eldest and only brother) wrist watch. One of Psyduck's eyes were pointing 13 minutes passed their scheduled meeting time, and she was still at the wrong end of the park.

Be it academics or social outings, promptness had never been a strong point of the teen's for some reason. There was always an incident whenever the teen decided to venture out of her home; forgetting her backpack, forgetting to wear socks, forgetting to open the door before going out the doorway.

It would've been nice to surprise her friend by arriving on time for once; it's already been a year since they've last met. It seemed like only yesterday, she had decided to travel to America to further her studies in becoming a barista and learn how to bake cakes. The teen unconsciously brushed the purple fringes of her bangs out of her eyes, never ceasing or even slowing the pace of her run. Her long unruly hair had been cut, now that she was close to her sixteenth birthday, and only barely skimmed her collarbone. She dressed more suitably now a days, instead of throwing on a pair of slacks or gym sweats (or both) she finds lying in her storage. In most cases, the teen likes to think she's gotten much less clumsy and ditzy over the year- although she has yet to prove any change whatsoever. She was still late, after all.

Hiro sighed.

The sound of her clomping feet on cement slowed to a pause, being replaced by her breathy panting, as Hiro stopped to lean against a tree. At least her stamina improved a bit. She wasn't doubling over in wheezing coughing fits at least.

“About time you showed up,” a voice chided her playfully from behind and despite her tiredness, a smile crept onto the teen's lips at the familiar sound. “I’ve been here for fifteen minutes, slowpoke-Hiro.”

"Ira-san!" Forgetting the fact that her legs rather felt like flan pudding at the moment, Hiro wobbled over to the dark haired teen and reflexively bowed out of politeness. She'd hug the other girl, but her cheeks flushed red from the run and a bit of humility- she was sweaty. Still, a serene smile took place and Hiro tilted her head to the side as she did so, an old habit she just couldn't kick to the curb. "How have you been?"

[Mirai Ira]

The familiar smile and bow that she hadn't seen in more than a year widened the grain that was already present on her face. She’d told Hiro time and time again that she didn’t care for such formalities- especially around friends- but the polite girl could never get with the program. This was perfectly representative of the personality the current Konoha citizen remembered of her purple haired friend, but that was in the past. Who knew what a year had done to change her as well?

Ira herself had opted to stay in the leaf village even after finding out her best and only school-friend was moving to America to study when she could have easily moved back to Sunagakure. Two months after making that decision though, she found herself terribly regretting it when she received news of her childhood friend, Ren, being killed in a car accident. The two orphans had grown up together and were practically sisters through their closeness, so when Ira found out, she disappeared from town for two weeks on what she later referred to as “Private business.”

Neglecting her delivery job and duty as a student, the girl hopped on a train to Suna and visited her newest and most lenient guardians. They were the ones who had allowed her to move to Konoha without so much as a logical explanation (she assumed it was just that they adopted her to “help the poor orphans of the world” rather than to have a child of their own) and didn’t demand anything of her other than a monthly grade report and letter. Not wanting to have any more connections to Suna, Ira spoke to them about having herself emancipated so that the two kindly Christians wouldn’t have to take any responsibility for her in the future and so that no orphanage could take her again in the future. They agreed easily enough, so after a few legal procedures, the sixteen year old had become her own person.

During the two weeks away, Ira managed to attend Ren’s funeral, start boxing lessons at a Konoha gym (the entire membership process was completed over the phone), and get a lotus tattooed below her right collarbone. Needless to say the tragedy did not have the most positive effect on the girl at first, but her classmates and teachers noted a clear difference in her demeanor and attitude when she came back to school.

With no one left near her and every intention to leave the pointlessly painful past behind, Ira tried to change herself. Her efforts resulted in a girl who was just slightly more careful about the way she dressed and looked, and someone who wasn’t a total social recluse. The stoic, unapproachable expression she wore before had softened considerably, and there were more times where the girl would actively participate in a conversation without having to be prompted. She had become more slightly more outgoing and fashionable, so a good portion of the brick wall that held her at arms length from the rest of her classmates was torn down.

None of the other students were people she’d call intimate friends, since there was still a large part of her that remained locked away, but at least Ira had social pals now. Mostly, she remained indifferent to people and issues as she had in the past, but was that way less often now.

"How have you been?" Hiro asked with a sweet smile. It felt like she was asking beyond the casual purposes of conversation, which made Ira wonder.

She wondered what Hiro, her innocent and somewhat naïve friend, would think once she realized this change. Ira was actually more concerned about the tattoo being found out, since only the classmates that had PE with her and saw her changing knew she had it, and Hiro never seemed like one for anything like that. So she adjusted her shirt and vest collar a bit before getting up off the bench to properly greet her newly returned friend.

“I’ve been great,” she returned with ease. “How about you? You’re the one who calls out of the blue saying you just returned from America and want to hang out. I didn’t even know you had come back.”

While saying this, Ira rolled her eyes in mock exasperation and brought a hand up to fiddle with one of her many earrings.

“So, shall we catch up the usual way, or are you willing to try something a bit more….unorthadox?”

[gotmilk]

Hiro watched as Ira shifted almost uncomfortably before sliding off the wooden park bench with ease, fidgeting slightly with the collar of her clothes. "I've been great," the dark haired teen answered easily. "How about you? You're the one who calls out of the blue saying you just returned from America and want to hang out. I didn't even know you had come back."

Oh. Right.

Flushing slightly, Hiro rubbed at her warm cheeks in embarrassment, tongue sticking out slightly in mock-rebellion. "Ah right. Well, you know, no cell phone and all," she chortled sheepishly. "Even if I did, I'd probably never pick it up. I have successfully survived 365+ days of Western pop culture though!" Possibly her greatest accomplishment so far. Although living in a different country was great at first, with new things to see and words to learn at every nook and cranny, there wasn't anything more lonely than knowing that your new friends already had a history of their own (one that obviously didn't include you). There, honestly, really isn't anything like home. The sight, the smells, the sounds; everything brought back a flood of memories the moment it touched her senses.

She wouldn't exactly call it staring down, but Hiro was looking at Ira rather intently. The teen's height seemed to have changed by about 5 centimeters- a great difference considering their short year apart. Other than that, she was still the same Ira she met long ago, but with a slightly different tone to her. There was a more mature air about her, as though more time has passed than in just 365 days. Hiro resisted the urge to peer down at herself with insecurity and opted to just push any worried feelings to the back of her mind. Now wasn't the time to wonder whether or not she had changed as well.

"So," the dark haired teen continued. Hiro nodded with a smile. "shall we catch up the usual way, or are you willing to try something a bit more...unorthodox?"

With a slight motion of the head to flip strands of hair away from her eyes, Hiro smiled- all teeth and crescent eyes, glad for the familiarity of her old life. "Unorthodox sounds just fine. What do you have in mind?" Could she recommend driving in empty parking lots without a license or supervision? Or going camping just to try living off the land?

The purple haired teen's eyes widened slightly, her mouth forming an 'o' shape in her realization. "Firecrackers on the beach, of course! Or smashing watermelons open with a bat. Or both!" Her fists clenched as she shook them excitedly, not caring for the stares of bystanders and children playing on the swings. The mature air she had spent so long trying to build up suddenly crumbled, and she couldn't care less.

The suggestions poured in. "We could find a festival to go to, or a concert- Whatever you want Ira!" The child inside her breathed a sigh of relief.

[Mirai Ira]

Hiro flushed at the pointed comment and stuck out a little pink tongue that reminded the taller girl of a playful cat. The comparison she made in her mind brought another humored grin to Ira’s face as she finally took a good look at her friend.

There wasn’t much physical change or growth that Ira could see asides from how short Hiro’s hair had become. The other girl had actually become shorter herself in Ira’s eyes

"Ah right. Well, you know, no cell phone and all," Hiro said sheepishly as an excuse for their lack of contact over the past year. "Even if I did, I'd probably never pick it up. I have successfully survived 365+ days of Western pop culture though!"

”Considering her, it must have been quite a feat to have made it back here unscathed,” Ira joked to herself before asking what Hiro wanted to do for the day.

“Unorthodox sounds just fine. What do you have in mind?" She flipped some hair out of her face, seemingly calm at first, but in less than a second, recognition flashed in the returnee’s eyes as she gaped. "We could find a festival to go to, or a concert- Whatever you want Ira!"

It never ceased to amaze her how her friend could always surprise her. Maybe it was the time they spent apart for so long, but it felt like the purple haired teen could still shock Ira with her wild reactions. They were always so unexpected and from her suggestions, the dark haired girl could tell that her friend still had her whimsical character. The thought that at least that much hadn’t changed- so far as she could tell- set Ira at ease, and the little smirk she had been wearing broke out into a wide grin. It was a sweet, happy one at first, but soon changed into a devious smile as Ira stopped fiddling with her earrings to rest a hand on Hiro’s shoulder to look her directly in the eye.

“If you want unorthodox, then you’ll get it,” the dark haired girl promised, mischief shining behind her dark eyes. She turned on her heel abruptly, and stalked away without checking to see if Hiro would follow her since she was already sure her friend would come along. Ira’s plan was to do whatever first came to her mind and go from there, all the while praying that Hiro would have fun along the way. After walking determinedly to the part exit however, Ira halted and turned around to re-address Hiro with raised brows.

“But if things ever get too weird or you’re bored, let me know and we’ll fix it.”

With that, Ira unchained her bike from a nearby lamppost and mounted the seat with practiced ease. Even though her personality had changed significantly through the year, her biking around everywhere hadn’t changed, which also meant that even though her style of dress changed, skirts were still an impossible and unthinkable incorporation. Once comfortably seated, she offered Hiro a seat on her handlebars, and the two were off.

It took about ten minutes of maneuvering through the city; Ira stopped the two in front of a large building with a large blinking sign in front of it that read “LASER TAG” in red.

“I’ve been here before, and it’s pretty fun,” Ira mentioned offhandedly while locking her bike to a rack next to the entrance. Then she walked in, and paid the counter clerk for two positions in the next game that would begin in thirteen minutes. They would have to wait in the lobby, which was really a mini-arcade and billiards room with a few fold-up chairs.

“Let’s see if you can do this without tripping, Hiro,” she teased with a playful nudge in the arm. “Have you played before? They’ll explain the rules in the prep room before we go in, but if you’ve got questions, you can ask me. We’ve got time.”

[gotmilk]

The suggestion of Laser Tagging with Ira pumped a surge of adrenaline into Hiro's blood. Oddly enough, she'd played Laser Tag before in the States with her blond and blue eyed friends and was proud to say she was nearly a veteran. Nearly. Actually, it was only one experience which ended up with her limping home and spotted with paint for a completely reasonable reason.

"Cool, Ira-san! It's cool!" The teen fidgeted as the two paid their way and began to enter the room for their equipment, excitement shaking her thin limbs. Once a male worker helped Hiro into her gear, she made an eager dash to be the first one to enter the 'battleground'.

"Leave this to me, Ira-san. You'll definitely be impressed once you've seen how much I've changed since I left. The States did me justice, I think!" The purple haired girl gave her friend a confident thumbs up as the starting bell vibrated through the air and the entrance opened. She then proceeded to dive head first into the room with a bright grin, yelping when her hip connects with a metal obstacle. Her eyes hadn't quite gotten used to the darkness yet.

Hiro bit her lip sheepishly and rubbed at her sore bone, pulsing from the impact. "I-!" She flushed. "I knew that was there! I did!"

[Mirai Ira]

“Cool, Ira-san! It’s cool!” Hiro didn’t seem to have any questions, but instead fidgeted and became visibly excited. They entered the preparation room where racks of game vests and laser guns were left hanging haphazardly from the last group of gamers, and started suiting up. Ira pulled the still-warm gear on while watching Hiro’s excitement grow.

“Leave this to me, Ira san. You’ll definitely be impressed once you’ve seen how much I’ve changed since I left. The States did me justice, I think,” the purple haired girl assured.

Then the starting bell rang and everyone slowly entered the dark game room, full of obstacles, barriers, and hide out spots. Of course none of the players’ eyes had adjusted to the new darkness just yet and were carefully making their separate ways to the charge towers. The flash of obscured purple and thud immediately after made Ira cringe though, since she knew the sound had come from her anxious friend.

"I-!" Hiro’s embarrassed voice started. "I knew that was there! I did!"

“Sure it was,” Ira said with a half-worried frown while walking towards her friend. “But how about we just go to the charge station on our side and be a little less conspicuous until the face-off actually begins?” She led Hiro by the elbow to their team’s corner and flashed her gun at the glowing screen when they got there.

Another bell sounded loudly, initiating the all-out shooting spree.

“Okay, Hiro,” Ira said while dramatically holding up her gun. “Let’s shoot ‘em up.”

With that, the girl stalked off in a half-crouch, holding her gun in front of her chest target as to sort of shield it from frontal attack. She leaned her back against a pillar obstacle, and peeked her head around it in time to see a fleeting streak of glowing red- someone else’s vest or gun. She shot at the spot and ran off to find some more victims for their twenty minute session.