Monday - Three foxes: Red, Black and Gold

And so, by one silent walk down the hallway, accompanied by lonely footsteps of a certain student, later.

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Even though she didn't like it, Mikoto's steps were heading towards the faculty office room. She could easily tell, that someone from the school knew what was going on behind the scenes of the previous days. Platinum white-haired Index girl had mentioned that the incident would probably have an afterlife, and the red-haired priest's terse/brief explanation was just the bare minimum to gain her cooperation. Catching up with the always-on Touma could be a problem without her ever-absent phone. But then again, whether she liked it or not, it was entirely reasonable to assume that those mysterious visitors from the antique store with their malicious intent would target her again, once they had done so. Right now, there had to be someone among the faculty/teachers who had some contact with the informant, so starting the investigation directly in the office was the most appropriate start. She would use her sister Inoue and her (thick fog clouded) membership in Tokiwadai as an excuse to investigate.

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She was already within sight of the tall luxury wood double door, when she saw the presidential couple of the Tokiwadai Student Council emerge from it: the blonde Hitomi Aika accompanied by her vice-president.

It was black-haired Asanuma Reiko from third year. Esper: This attractive girl with long, straight, raven like hairs is a downright cold and unapproachable idol. If it weren't for a certain Clique [club], she could be the one who would have the nickname: 'Queen of Tokiwadai', or 'Ice/Moon Fox of Tokiwadai'. With her Ice queen charisma, she attracts enchanted or directly loving glances wherever she appears. (Her (succubus?) like (gemstone?) esper powers continuously charm people around her on subconscious level.) However, few people know that her Esper ability has no effect on those who are already intoxicated by this (love/ lovesick) state. Under that icy shell, she has a similarly cocky, barking tongue like Shirai Kuroko. She accidentally got into (Senpai - Kōhai) status with her, because these two don't take any crap in front of each other. When she figured out that Shirai team up with Misaka, for several reasons, she take a responsibility (a personal duty), to (*Ehm…* to guide) the teleporter as its Senpai. She doesn't hesitate to openly criticize, scold or even threaten the first-year in broad daylight, not care too much for those around her or witnesses those act. She especially abuses her position in student council to push an unpopular job and task on (the redhead from Judgment). In fact, she had been the first one, to suggest to the redhead, that teleporter was (hopelessly in love, but she doesn't get it yet) when she called her a (lost case).

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Looking at this charismatic couple and their seemingly opposite personalities, it was no wonder that someone compared them to a day and night, or to the warm sun and the cold moon. Despite this, they seemed to complement each other perfectly, like day and night.

When Kuroko decided to (self invite) into a certain room. [208] The two presidents took advantage of the situation, changed/loose the dormitory room rules and moved into a common room. It wasn't just for reasons such as the professional purpose of their positions, or their newfound friendship. (*Ehm*, and a love.) In order to cover they steps, confuse anybody on their tracks, they started a chess match in the occupants of each room, allowing a fast easy changes. The fact remained that the two ladies are referred to by all the students as: 'The Presidential Duo of the Student Council at Tokiwadai.' However, a certain bespectacled brunette with eagle eyes who prefers a business jacket, who is still single despite her status as an adult woman, then gained another reason to keep a certain scheming (conspiratorial) redhead under close surveillance.

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The black-haired immediately noticed the arrival of the popular student, as if she had been expecting her. "Ah, mention the fox, (and look!), we've got her right here."

But the brunette pulled out her cheeks. ("That's not funny.") She muttered in an undertone at the nickname, that was sometimes used in connection with female students at their school.

"A fox?" The blonde looked in that direction with a surprised look on her face and suddenly lit up into a warm expression. "Oh. Misaka san?-- Excellent!-- We were just about to go see you." And she put a nice giggle of how convenient is that they run into each other.

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In contrast to her partner, the vice president showed no emotion, as if her heart had frozen. "The sleeping princess woke up earlier than originally expected."

But for the person in question, the remark sounded insulting, but the clue to solving a certain mystery was a godsend. "That joke with the bed time story didn't work! Why did you even feel the urge to write it down? If it was supposed to be a way for me to spend time in a pleasant way, if I felt like I still had to lie down, then you missed the target audience. The concept of the story too quickly became just a cat's ball of random thoughts, notes and a scene timer that escalated too quickly. I can't believe I'm saying it out loud, but I would have expected something more." She looked offended as she delivered her criticism, but her gaze suddenly became serious when it wasn't the uncomprehending blonde, but the black haired, who reacted with a clear drop in mood despite her pretense, as if she were the author of the work. Or rather, the burnout that someone forgot their diary notebook somewhere, and (the last person who shall read it) pick it up.

However, the current president quickly grasped what was going on. "Really? That means there's room for improvement. If I'm not mistaken. I will pass the note." She smiled pleasantly before changing the subject. "A while ago, we had a long discussion with the school board about the recent events and how to deal with them. So, in addition to a few answers that many students are waiting for, we also have a few questions, and these are for you, Misaka-san."

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The Ice Fox quickly recovered from her dip in mood. She hurriedly joined the conversation, as if she was worried that things might not go according to her colleague's wishes. "Although it is a firm rule at Tokiwadai not to interfere in the family affairs of its students, there are still a few extremes that go beyond all regulations. However, we need to be clear about one thing! Dear Misaka-san, how many sisters do you actually have?"

Mikoto became uncertain and her gaze tightened. (("So this question doesn't bode well. Couldn't they have gotten around to it without wanting to get involved even more?")) She watched them in silence for a few seconds before speaking again in most neutral voice tone. "How many of them did you see?"

This answer surprised the presidents so much that they both put on surprised expressions, as if the proverbial bulls-eye hit, directly to the center of shoot-range target, had just occurred. The Sun Fox, with astonishment in her voice and pointing finger on her chin, began to sort her thoughts out loud, while the other two watched her. "So~o,-- this answer says more than we wanted to know, but yet dint touch much the its classified label. Does it mean, that these are really not impostors, or a ghost, or doppelgangers, or at worst something similar to the 'AIM mirage'? The mirror photo afterimage expose, really stirred up peoples imaginations. But the fact that you are a Electro-master and (pushing the boundaries) like research, really don't helping that 'multiverse AIM mirror afterimage' theory. I suppose that life really does bring surprises that one would not have imagined on their own. What do you think, Reiko chan?"

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Asanuma showed obvious dissatisfaction with the whole situation, no longer caring about her cool image. "The rumors have long since gotten out of control to the point where we had to resort to organized data collection, to determine what is truth and what is fiction. But most of Tokiwadai girls don't care about facts and just enjoy the festivities." However, even the facts she presented were unusually cold.

Mikoto got a drop of sweat on her cheek. "What about abandoning that unsafe detective intention and allowing some mysteries to remain mysteries? And speaking of fiction, I heard about a certain site that is full of it and could be the main source of all the gossip. Should I take it that that is your work too?" The brunette frowned again at the sight of the black-haired girl, who flinched as if she knew exactly what they talking about. "If the quality of the entire content is comparable to what was thrown at me after a nap, then I predict misery." The person in question, lost its cool composure as her jawbone fell to the ground in horror at such harsh criticism.

Her partner, on the other hand, seemed amused by both reactions. "Ara, Ara. Is someone sulking at us here? Or is someone so excited in they art making, that they've overestimated their creations? There's always room for improvement for both of them. Am I right? But, one after the other! Misaka-san, rumors have spread, that Inoue has been spotted on the school grounds. It wouldn't be unusual if one didn't get the impression that her excessive alertness is competing with Hyperactivity, as she tries to catch up on missed experiences."

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The cold half of the presidential duo somehow shuddered at the sweet talk of her warm half and sighed. "Actually-- the whole school has been on edge since Saturday, and your sister isn't making it any easier. The school board is worried about image. When morale dropping to the point where, and I quote: 'Riots could break out in the student body, in a time when school cannot afford negative publicity'. That's why they're asking that the students be gently talked into behaving like ladies despite the exceptional situation. In translation, they mean that 'You shall supervise your sister'! No matter how old she is, take control of her before her submissive attitude from attending too many psychology classes, turns the school upside down. Since certain numbers don't add up, and your comment about the number counting didn't help the matters, it's no wonder there are theories circulating about a deliberately hidden ability that allows its user to multiply themselves like something out of a sci-fi or fantasy series. And as the cherry on top of today's program, your precious Shirai is even more elusive than ever." Her betrayed expression, despite her cold demeanor, shows that mere mention of Kuroko had irritated her enough to be noticeable on her face. One would have thought she would start growling unconsciously at any moment. "When you see her, tell her that I don't approve of her abusing the fact: 'I don't have a phone...' and the tactic: 'Since I'll run away before anyone can talk to me...', no one can criticize me or do anything to me because: 'I don't heard or know anything!...'. She knows very well that I'm looking for her. So you better catch that leaping wild dog of yours before she destroys this school herself out of sheer enthusiasm without even realizing it. I'd recommend a muzzle, collar, and leash. Maybe a straitjacket, or even an iron maiden. You got the picture. Supervise her!"

Railgun stayed silent. (("So the best possible conclusion that can be assumed is; that my sisters interpreted some comments and informations a little differently and decided to visit the school this time. As expected, Kuroko is the biggest problem. Torn off her chain, she exploits the communication barriers for her machinations and escapades. I don't even want to think about what mischief she's up to again.")) Mikoto sighed.

Hitomi wanted to encourage the brunette, or at least change the subject. "It's just my guess, but it seemed to me that the teachers were worried about the sudden and uncontrolled departure of students from school. Although Misaka, you could be considered one of the main attractions for this year in a sense, I would still like to ask you, on behalf of the school and its authorities, if you could please limit the additional damage to a minimum?"

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Mikoto flinched and before they could say anything, she stopped them with a firm gesture. "That's enough! I can imagine that it doesn't sound good to anyone's ears, if their child grows up in a war zone. Especially when they can do something about it. I'm just a little annoyed that the information source I was looking for has dried up." She looked away for a second at the big doors. Then the next second, she was already carefully examining both girls, whereupon they became uneasy as if something was wrong. "However, something else occurred to me. If we think about it, the student council is responsible for organizing, or at least assisting, every event associated with Tokiwadai. But despite this measure in place, Saturday event was left completely without organizational support, as if the student council did not even exist. In addition, the only plan presented was actually only an informal intention of the event and the amount of the allocated budget. Sure, we can make excuses, as preparing our students for the future. But still, having such a free hand and only a few hours notice is a dangerous thing. Do you have anything to say to me about that?"

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Asanuma seems to calm down. "So at least, the rumor about you, trying to get to the bottom of this 'incident' is true. Whats left for us when even the supposed protagonist don't have a solid clue?" She sighed, but suddenly frowned, turning her gaze away from Mikoto, who blushed slightly, to stare out of the window. "I'll cut the long explanation short with the official, unofficial position we agreed on with school board a moment ago." She tried to clear her throat, but it came out a little too acted, as she turn her head back to face the Level-five girl. "Coincidentally and with a considerable amount of misunderstanding and miscommunication, all the organizational staff were unavailable during the weekend. We all thought that the matter was taken care of and someone was supervising it. Additionally, the rumors that there was an external multi-layer sabotage attempt have not yet been confirmed. But even so, the investigation is still ongoing, both internally and externally. Considering the Sunday Air show, the answer is silent and obvious. In conclusion: We are left to believe that in the end, the weekend celebration was a rich source of experience, not only for our current but also future students." Reiko looked away and in a weak undertone remarked that these were alibi excuses.

Of course, this did not please Misaka, who became even more suspicious. She looked at both of them again carefully, as if looking for something to reprimand them for.

Hitomi, seeing how her companion had disabled a speech filter, became uneasy and apparently decided that it was time for some kind of confession, since she had already hinted at it slightly. "In our case, for some reason, we were both out of town for the entire weekend. But when I wanted to wish a good luck with event on Saturday morning, I accidentally discovered that something was wrong. Before my phone mysteriously stopped working, I managed to call a few names. It wasn't until today, that I realized that everything had actually fallen apart, from an organization stand point. That's why, I'm glad that I was able to convince so many people to come and lend a helping hand if needed. I'm especially grateful to you, Misaka-san, for deciding to save the whole event, even though you tried so hard to stay out of the spotlight this time." She smiled when she saw Railgun's reaction of been see through. "As it turned out, almost everyone had this idea. That's why I was surprised that the single number on the list of interested parties didn't represent the total number of people participating in the event, either internally or externally, like some statistic that wouldn't fit on that piece of paper. But unfortunately, it only listed the number of a specific room." The blonde respectfully folded her palms in front of her in a gesture of gratitude and bowed slightly in thanks, followed by her companion.

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Mikoto could only accept the gesture with a stern look. (("So the dorm manager saved the day on a whim, but she was still overcome by that mysterious fatigue. Could it be that when she hand over the document holder, she thought Kuroko would pass them to the organization team? She did mention later, that someone had tried to take advantage of her absence. If I remember correctly, many things can seem like simple coincidences at first glance. Plus, a big hello~o like the collapse of the information network is really fertile ground for the barriers to fall. But if we add to that a festival where more than one Level-5 is performing, then the place will get a hell of a lot of attention."))

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But what Mikoto didn't notice was that a certain acquaintance was approaching her. Maybe she noticed it out of the corner of her eye, but she subconsciously suppressed the information because the person had (long blonde hairs?). Such an approach to this event, was caused by the experience that even though the arrival of a certain person with this feature is expected, the pleasure from the meeting is usually only on the other side.

This blonde walked down the corridor directly towards the trio with the unmistakable intention of speaking to the brunette. But what Railgun didn't expect, or what she didn't even think about in the slightest; was that instead of a certain honey-sweet voice, followed by a pulsating vein on her own forehead; a voice that was almost like her own spoke to her in an Emo tone: "Hime sama!" [Princess!]

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Number-Three had subconsciously prepared herself for Shokuhou so much that this difference surprised her so to point that it made her flinch. But when she suddenly saw that the presidential couple had literally opened their eyes wide at the girl who had approached the trio; she very carefully turn around to take a look, wondering what had come to them.

At first, she had trouble recognizing who was standing there. Although that, at first glance, emotionless face and body really belonged to her sister, the hairstyle and clothes no longer did. This golden-haired girl with thick large volume mane/hairs on her back reaching down to her knees; In a body tight, somewhat sexy, gothic costume made of black leather, with leather belt strips; Resembled the character of a famous lonely EMO space assassin from a certain popular serialized story.

Mikoto observed her sister from up to down and back, before swallowing dryly. (("So you crossed paths with the cosplay club. Huh? I'm a little scared of how well it suits your expression."))

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This assassin spoke up. "Princess, what do you think of Misaka's new gear? It should supposedly dramatically increase her combat capabilities if she manages to master each point of this accessory. She tactfully suggests that in this particular test scenario, she is acting as her princess's personal assassin on hiatus to study. Misaka states, considering the potential for expanding her transportation and weapon manipulation capabilities." She seem to sent a few electric current/ discharges as if into the air, but to the surprise of the three spectators, a thick strand of her golden mane began to move as if on command. It was almost as if it had some kind of metal thread in it and it was now responding to her electromagnetism, or some kind of mechanical arm was hidden in it that mane, she controlled as an electro-master. Either way, it formed something like a fist, or rather a palm, and it tried to make a gesture as if it were a third hand trying to draw an imaginary wild western Colt drum-gun from the supposed gun holster hanging from the belt at her side.

The two presidents exchanged quiet comments, commenting on the exceedingly high quality of the costume and how good the certain brunette's latest nickname sounded.

But Railgun didn't need that (Princess) nickname at all. "Okay, one thing at a time!" She put her hands on her hips. "Get that princess trope thing out of you head right away! While it may seem innocent enough, I can imagine that one particular person will be like an angry wasp, brandishing a stinger, as soon as that nickname starts to be used. And I'd like to avoid that. Second: You'll quickly realize that the costume isn't as much of a win as you think. The limitations and other problems you've just imposed on yourself quickly outweigh the benefits. What exactly do you want to hide in that thick mane this time?: A bazooka?" [Anti-tank grenade (rocket) launcher.] That immediately caught her sister's interest, who clearly wanted to try it, yet the older one bark. "Forget it! Don't be fooled by how cool that idea seems to be! You still have to think about the weight and the fact that you'll be carrying it all on your head and neck, not a shoulder or back. Speaking of which, isn't that wig a bit heavy? It doesn't look the lightest, or air-condition friendly. Eventually, you'll admit that the whole costume is stupid." With a clear loss of interest, she once again measured her sister provocative costume of a space assassin from a manga, from top to bottom and back. Her gaze finally landed on the silver ornament on her sister's chest, which lined the star-shaped neckline. It allowed a view of the cleavage skin between both of her breasts and a little bit of them. A moment later, the expression of the older sister of the (twins) became serious. "Hey,-- where's your bra?"

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Imoto gave her Onee-sama a questioning look and then, as if it were nothing special, replied. "This suit, from a fashion design perspective, requires that its wearer not wear it, as the garment itself will also replace the function of this component. Considering the fact that the equipment fits so well, the design took into account the user's adaptation, when even this vent in the front showed signs of elasticity in case of sudden development, Misaka had no reason to question the recommendation. Especially after the development team of this suit claimed that if necessary, they would make the necessary adjustments to increase its effectiveness. However, Misaka must emphasize again that it fits so perfectly, that she is amazed at how they were able to prepare it so snugly without taking any measurements, which certainly go beyond the data on the personal card, where the proverbial three body measurements can be found." She examined her leather outfit again, bending/shifting from side to side as if to check if the costume was still as comfortable as before. "Before the Princess could ask, Misaka was asked to test one of the numerous pre-made models for various scenarios that the development team had made. Based on the assignment given by Misaka, this particular outfit was chosen from the shelves. The team insisted that they would fully assist the clothing change in order to properly put the gear it on. Including the private part of her outfit that the Princess was asking about. Misaka then conducted a few video tests for the development team, following specific scenarios with dialogues whose usefulness could be questioned even in a tele-marketing context. However, Misaka did not think that such theoretical testing of the equipment's effectiveness was effective. Therefore, she decided to do a more practical test outside the workshop and walked away while the developing team was busy discussing how they should proceed next."

A drop of cold sweat rolled down the cheeks of the two spectators behind the Level-three.

Mikoto put a friendly smile on her face. "Interestingly provocative... Unique, custom-made costumes? A friendly team with a loyalty that surpasses that of an imperial servant? Getting into character for a role-play in front of the camera? And you're saying that they have enough of those costumes there, that one has to narrow down their preferences to be able to choose from a wide range? You know what? So let's go visit them. Because their workshop really interests me and I want to know more about their project. So, come on!" She stepped so close to her little sister, that she started to push her to start walking.

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Imoto gave her a suspicious look before she began to resist. "Based on the experience gained, the plan proposed by the big sister does not seem to be a suitable choice for further action. Misaka explains, alarmed by the big sister's hidden intentions, to make a local doctor busy. Misaka rise her guard, abandoning the original scenario, referring to Out of Character protocol." [OoC]

Mikoto didn't even have time to answer and both of the presidents, reached out they arm toward each of her shoulder, and grabbed her from behind. The black-haired girl was suddenly very urgently proactive. "Hold Misaka-san! I can't let you go wild under the pressure of fashion passion that will flare up there, (into a wild fire), as long as they have what I though they have! You have such a short fuse that the accidental fire that will break out there is not something the school can afford for now. Leave this mater to us, to adequately evaluate, and deal with it! Anyway, I was planning to eventually go there, to pay them visit, for their generous and overly open loan of their costume warehouse for Saturday's event, that I wanted to take a look at their accounting."

Before Railgun could defend herself, her (golden) little sister was taken from under her own arms by the black-haired president. The blonde on the other side provided the last distraction in the form of her too-close-for-someone's-neighborly conversation. "That's remind me Misaka-san, the time has advanced pretty well and I heard something about you be late to breakfast. You probably haven't eaten anything substantial yet. Right? I think you shouldn't neglect your regular meals for now, even if you don't feel like it. Please head to the dining room and have something, we'll join you there. The canteen is currently operating at full capacity all day long, so don't hesitate to order whatever your heart desires." She winked friendly before joining her partner, leaving with sister of Misaka.

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Mikoto watched as the two presidents practically led her sister down the hall, each with a protective hand on Imoto's shoulder. She glanced at the faculty door once more before, with a silent sigh, she put her pursuit of the truth on hold for a moment.

...

[Notes:]

-OoC [Out of Character]; A term used in role-playing games, (a safe word), when a break in their game is required. For example: they stop the play, to discuss an error in the scenario they are playing, or a given character, or when an emergency occurs such as a fire or a raid. If they play full on improvisation, someone can get hurt if they though its part of the gig.