Chapter 5:

Opening Acts

Caladria Chronicles


Cherry blossom petals littered the streets of Werethia, especially outside the crowded capital area. The suburbs could be best described as a sea of pink to any casual onlooker. This morning, many students took time out of their morning commute to take pictures with their friends, or simply stop to admire the scenery. However, one student cut through the crowds, moving in more of a skip than a run. Her white and blue sailor uniform fluttered in the wind as she leapt along, and two long white ribbons from her hairband trailed behind her and her shoulder-length pink hair. A redheaded gynoid, modeled after a young woman, followed her in a half-run, her varsity jacket and jeans a heavy contrast from the sea of uniforms. She didn’t appear to be breaking a sweat, but she was reaching out to the younger girl, her emerald green eyes narrowed in a look of exasperation.

“Nanaka-sama… If you were going to rush, I could have driven you all the way to school instead.”
“But that’s no fun!” Nanaka replied, letting a falling stream of cherry blossoms fly in her face. “Actually, you don’t even need to follow me around if you’re not driving me, do you?”
“Impossible,” the woman said. “It’s part of my directive to accompany you in place of an adult until you’re of age.”
“Mmmh… I kinda get it, but what about the car?”
“I’ll be notified if something happens to it. In that case, I would have to cease your merry-making early.” The woman finally smiled, having caught up to Nanaka without any change in her composure. “But nothing’s happening right now, so I think you deserve to have some freedom in your daily activities.”
“Thanks, Patricia! I’m glad you’re cool with this stuff.”

Nanaka and Patricia stopped at a crossing, where another robot who looked similar to Patricia worked as a crossing guard. Her expression was more doll-like, and her wavy red hair was tied in a neat bun. Patricia leaned to the side and waved at the guard, and the guard returned the gesture, leaning and bending back up in an even rhythm. When it came time to cross, she led the pedestrians with lively, yet calculated motions, never losing her smile. Nanaka waved at the crossing guard as she crossed the street, but Patricia goaded her on, gesturing for her to look ahead.

The two of them finally arrived at their destination - Eigahara Junior High School. They had plenty of time before the morning bell rang, so Nanaka stopped at the gates to catch her breath while Patricia bent down to clean the cherry blossom petals off her hair. A few students stared at the scene for a moment before continuing on to class. Eigahara was the most prestigious junior high in Werethia, so all sorts of rich and influential families sent their daughters there. Even then, it’s not every day one sees a princess and her android maid. On top of that, it was only Nanaka’s first year here.

“Remember, your sister will be picking you up after school today. And if you have a problem, don’t hesitate to call me.”
“Yeah, you say that every day. Thanks for carin’ about me, though.”
Patricia giggled at the last comment. Of course she was programmed to care for the royal family’s wellbeing, but being complimented on it still felt… pleasant. She felt that was the best word to describe it. “I’ll see you at the mansion.” She bowed, seeing her young mistress cross the gates before heading back to their car.

Nanaka was about to head to homeroom when she heard someone call out to her. “Matsurida! Stop right there!”
She turned to find an older student looking at her, adjusting her glasses with one hand. Her midnight blue hair fell to her waist without a single strand out of place, and she wore a distinctive yellow band on her right arm. Nanaka remembered her from somewhere, but it took her a moment to realize who it was.
“Oh, Karin! What’s up?”
“Don’t ‘What’s up’ me! You’re forgetting something very important here.” Karin walked over to Nanaka, handing over a hardcover notebook. “Now that you’re here, the school expects you to be a representative for us as well. I’ve noted every event you have to make a speech for, but I want to leave the details up to you. My mother may work under your father, but you’ll have to respect the school’s order so long as you’re studying here.”
Nanaka just started blankly at the notebook. “So… Do you want me to join the student council?”
“Wha?” Now it was Karin’s turn to stare back.
“If you wanted me to, you coulda just asked. It’ll be good practice and all!”
“I don’t…”
“Don’t what?” Nanaka tilted her head.
“I… don’t mind! It’ll be great to have you on the team,” Karin said, her teeth gritted. But that soon gave way to a strained grin. “But! We can’t just have you on just like that. Elections will be soon though, so you’re free to try there.”
“Really? Sounds like a lot of work,” Nanaka said. “I’ll think about it though. But for now, gotta head to class. See ya!” She waved goodbye to Karin before walking away.

Class went by without incident. Although Nanaka’s notebooks were filled with more doodles than actual work, she tried to listen to the teacher, paying attention in case she was called upon. Even if people called the Matsuridas a family of eccentrics, she wanted to at least look good in front of her classmates. Show them she won’t just survive off her status. Soon enough, the lunchtime bell rang, so after swapping her books and pencil case for her lunchbox, she set out for the garden to meet up with her friends.

Eigahara’s garden was easily the most impressive part of the school grounds. In an effort to promote the natural sciences, the former principal collaborated with Werethian scientists to showcase some of the world’s most exquisite flora. Students are often brought out here for classes, but it sees the most use during lunchtime, just like today. Once she crossed the flowering arch, she spotted a familiar blonde and a sharp-eyed brunette sitting underneath a nearby willow tree.

“Satoko-chan! Eriri!” Nanaka waved before rushing over to them.
“Ah, Nanaka!” the blonde responded. “I was wondering when you’d make it.”
“Yo~” The sharp-eyed girl waved back. She was wearing a face mask, so her voice was a little muffled. “We didn’t start eating yet, so don’t worry.”
“Thanks, guys!” She sat across from the two of them, unwrapping a fox-print cloth to open her pink bento box. Inside was some rice, some salad, and some hot dogs shaped like octopi. After taking a sip from an apple juice box, she got to work on her meal, starting with the salad.
“I heard the big news!” Satoko said, nibbling on some steak. “Your cousins got their big debut yesterday, didn't they?”
Debut… Nanaka mulled over the word until she realized what Satoko was talking about. “Oh! Tsubasa and Shou’s anime debut! I totally forgot about it and now I feel bad.”
“Don't worry, it's all online now. You have your tablet with you, right Erika-chan?”
“Gotcha there.” She pulled out a tablet from her bag, shoving any spilled junk food packets back inside.
“Oh, I saw Galaxy Chips in there! Can I have some?” Nanaka asked.
“Sure." Erika tossed Nanaka a bag while Satoko searched for the video on Erika’s tablet.
“Ah, there they are!” Satoko gently tapped the other two and gestured for them to look at the screen. Two figures were waving to a crowd under an overcast sky. They were propped on some sort of stage, with a large concrete building in the background. Most people there were dressed in light jackets, their hair blowing around in the wind.
“Uh, who's who again?” Erika asked.
“Shou’s the one with the long jacket, Tsubasa’s the one wearing hairclips and kitty mittens,” Nanaka said. “They’re kinda hard to tell apart, I know.”
Erika munched on her own bag of Galaxy Chips. “Nah, they’re not that hard to tell apart. I mean their faces look the same, but everything else is kinda…”
“Hi hi, everyone~!” Tsubasa said, turning and waving vigorously towards the crowd. “So glad to be up here today!”
“Look forward to hearing us as Tamako and Saki in ‘Vitamin-sensei’s Daily Life’,” Shou added. He kept one hand in his coat pocket as he turned his head and waved.
“Awfully big reception for a kid’s anime, don’t you think?” Erika asked. She tried to nab one of Satoko’s steak pieces, but she swiftly grabbed Erika’s wrist before Erika could touch one.
“It’s for a good cause, though,” Nanaka replied. “I heard Nephrine’s kinda like, isolationists? They don’t do much trade with other parts of the world. They don’t really have good croplands either, so most of the citizens don’t get good nutrition. So the Celedrine Foundation funded this thing to help promote good but cheap nutrition.”
Satoko was shoving steak in her mouth now, partially because it was getting cold and partially because she thought Erika would try to steal some again. “I shee…”

Another figure appeared behind Shou and Tsubasa. She was impressively tall, and Nanaka thought she was some sort of model at first. Her silver hair reached down to her chest, and she wore a form-fitting black dress and gloves with gold earrings and a pearl necklace to accent it. Nanaka shivered a little looking at her.

“Now, you two must be really cold, coming in from the South,” the white-haired girl said, placing her arms over the twins’ shoulders. “How about we head inside and let the director say a few words?”
“Sure! Feel like my toes are gonna freeze off if I stay here~” Tsubasa said, shivering enough for the camera to pick up as he began to cling to his brother’s arm. “Ne, Shou~”
“Yeah, yeah, we’re heading inside. To be honest, I could use a hot drink right now,” Shou replied, brushing away his light brunette bangs.
“That’s settled, then!” the tall lady said, escorting the two back inside while a stout man in heavy winter clothes took the front stage. At that point, Erika turned the video off and placed it back in her bag.
“They’re really cute,” Erika mumbled. “Nanaka, can I date them?”
Nanaka made a slapping gesture in Erika’s direction. “What, no! Even if you do, just date one of them! I don’t want my friends makin’ reverse harems!”
“Lame.” Erika turned to Satoko, who was shivering. “Are you that bad with the cold?”
“Yes… It’s hard to keep warm without a lot of fat, you know.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing… Not everyone’s a dojo master like you.”
“I am not a dojo master! Not yet, at least.”
“Might as well be from what I’ve heard. Which reminds me, I got gym next period. Pray my legs don’t turn to jelly.”
Nanaka chimed in. “I’ll do it~! Besides, I still need you to help me with my math homework.”
“Gee, thanks,” Erika said. “Only if you help me with my Philosophy homework too.”
“Deal!” Nanaka replied as she stuffed her last octopus weenie in her mouth. Just then, a bell rang through the whole campus, its clear tone signalling the end of lunch. The three of them parted ways to head to their individual classes.

Next period for Nanaka was Philosophy. They were just starting on ethics, learning about basic moral dilemmas and discussing them in class. Today, they were tackling the issue of robots and whether or not they should have the same rights as humans. The class was split into two teams to debate the issue.
A student raised her hand before the discussion began. “How sophisticated are we talking about here? There are the factory robots we use, but we also got those androids from over East on the other end.”
“Does it really matter? They're all still robots, aren't they?” another answered.
“It does! I have a friend over there who's a robot.”
“Can robots even make friends?”
“Patricia’s my friend, too!” Nanaka yelled.
“Patricia? You mean the police robot?”
“Those things are so simple, though…”
“Patricia’s not simple! She lets me do stuff! Like… not telling Oneechan I ate all the chocolate she bought in one day! She pets me a lot too, though when I pet her and offer to give her a treat she gets angry at me.”
“Nanaka…” One girl sighed. “Regardless of if humanoid robots are sentient or not, I don’t think you should be treating them like dogs.”
“I shouldn’t? Whatever, my point is that Patricia’s a person, and so are the police bots! You know what, maybe the factory bots are too, even if they don’t look like people! Maybe I should hand them treats sometime to tell 'em good job…”
“Kids, we’re getting off topic here,” the teacher said. “Now head over to your assigned sides and we’ll start the debate proper. I hope you all made notes to share with your friends.”
The actual debate wasn’t any more organized. A lot of it devolved into arguing, and the teacher was forced to calm both sides down when things got too intense. Nanaka, despite being put on the anti-robot rights side, ended up getting into her fair share of arguments too.
“Yeah? Well, we make robots, so we can make them not care about rights!” Nanaka yelled.
“Then why didn't you do it before?” another student asked.
“Why’re you asking me? I don’t make ‘em,” Nanaka replied with a huff.
In the end, the debate didn’t really go anywhere. Most of the class seemed to be having fun with it though, and the teacher congratulated them all on bringing up some good points. Nanaka wanted to share the details with Patricia later on, but she was worried about hurting her feelings. Her other classes weren’t as interesting, so she just barely followed along, chatting up her friends whenever groupwork was involved.

After school, Nanaka waited by the gates, looking out for her sister’s bright red bike. Instead, she saw their family’s white car, a sedan distinguishable only by a burn mark on the front end. That, and by how dark its windows were tinted. The driver’s seat window rolled down, Seiko’s face finally visible.

“Hey. Hop on in, just make sure you wipe your shoes first.”

Nanaka did just that, scraping off what little dirt was on her shoes against the pavement. She then opened the passenger seat, leaning back against the firm leather.

“What happened to Red Comet?” Nanaka asked.

“Didn't I tell you? I was with a couple of my friends today, we decided to drive around. Not to mention~” Seiko’s normally calm expression turned to a smirk. “I bought something real nice today, and figured it'd be safest in the trunk.”

“Hoooh…” Nanaka was getting excited, too. Knowing her big sister, she had an idea of what it was. She knew it was meant to be a surprise, though, so she decided to keep silent.

“Anyways, wanna listen to what I've been working on? It's still kinda rough, but I wanted to know what you think of it so far.”

Nanaka nodded, and Seiko pressed a few buttons, some familiar opening chords playing. Nanaka had been listening to Seiko practice this same song for weeks now, and while she thought it was good as is, she could hear it getting more refined with each recording. Her vocals were more assured, her guitar played with more strength. Seiko’s bandmates were no slouches either, and they seemed not only to mesh together, but to accentuate each other’s strengths. Even though Seiko’s powers weren't in effect through the car speakers, she could feel the powerful melody reverberate through her. It amazed and almost scared her.

“Oooooh, the bridge really picked up this time! I thought you wanted that bit calmer?”

“I thought I did too, but I didn't think it'd carry over that feeling of real frustration I wanted.”

“I see! Yeah, I think it's better like this. Before just seemed too passive-aggressive and stuff.”

“Heh, I'll keep that in mind. Oh, we're finally here.”

Seiko stopped at the gate of a massive residence - theirs. Seiko rolled down the window once again, allowing sensors to scan her retina. She gave the Power Sensor a little jolt too. A specific pattern consisting of rhythmic pulses, meant to fiddle with the mechanism’s internal system.

“Driver recognized,” a mechanical voice droned. "Matsurida Seiko. Please enter.”

The gates opened for them, and they drove through to the garage. Once they stepped out, Seiko took out her little “surprise” from the trunk. A small, black, coffin-shaped object, though Nanaka thought it was too small to hold a human body. She slammed the trunk back shut, and the car was lowered down to the main parking space, leaving the sisters to walk to the main building. It was a fusion of top-class Werethian engineering and classic Earth architecture, a mixture of cuboidal forms and geometric breaks that seemed to merge into one unified building. The entrance was an even greater callback to the past, to the times of European royalty, crimson and gold and hardwood abound.

Seiko finally undid the clasps on her little coffin, confirming Nanaka’s suspicions. A blue body, a long and slender neck…

“Your new guitar!” Nanaka said.

“Not just any guitar,” Seiko said, beaming with pride. “A replica Duesenberg Starplayer V. With modern improvements, of course.” She fished through her pockets, pulling out a tiny sphere. With a little toss in the air, the sphere began to float, a little light on it blinking green. Seiko flipped a switch on the bottom of her new guitar, causing some feedback. “And now it's time for you to hear it live!”

What she played wasn't the song in her car, but a composition she finished about a month ago. Listening to Seiko play at that moment was completely different from hearing a recording, or even a regular rehearsal. She was putting her full power into this performance, not just in how she played but what she did behind the scenes. The air literally warped around them, delivering exactly the sound she wanted to bring out. The creeping fear Nanaka felt in the car turned to terror - terror one feels at being confronted with a deep, unstoppable rage. At the same time, she felt adrenaline course through her, the lyrics imploring her to fight back. Seiko finished it off with a small spark from her guitar, a placeholder for her usual pyrotechnics. Nanaka was left breathless, and a few seconds later, she broke out into applause.

“That was so cool! Onee-chan, what's in that guitar?”

“Nothing too special. It's just made with my powers in mind.”

“Nice…” was all Nanaka could say.

“Excellent feedback from my number one fan,” Seiko replied half-jokingly. “Now let's eat, I'm sure we've kept Patricia waiting long enough.”

Nanaka followed right behind her sister to the dining room, a close to her slightly unusual school day.