Shape of a Miracle EP 1 - The Pied Player

Him & Her

She took a deep breath and pulled herself back up. Looking at her opponent right in the eyes. He may have not fallen for her trick but he was now completely defenceless, letting himself be vulnerable to her. He was, after all, defenceless without his army. Now nothing was stopping her from just pressing his silly little button herself. It was just him and her now.

Jumping off a table, he lunged his fist right at her face, barely missing her as she ducked out of the way. She looked up, the little button on the CD player was now a mere inches away, but he grabbed her hand before she could reach it. He attempted to wriggle the cat ring off of her finger, so she shot her hand to his wrist, grabbing it.

They glared at each other. Both their hands were tied, neither willing to let go of each other's wrist. They wrangled each other a bit, both biding time to think of a plan. The Pied Player's eyes flickered to the floorboards, She could tell he had an idea. She quickly jumped back as he started stomping his shoes at her heels, trying to step on her feet. At first, he laughed at her, watching her frantically dance her feet off the ground as she desperately evaded his stomps. But he soon grew Frustrated and Bagan kicking at her legs. By then she had gotten quite used to avoiding his attacks and jumped onto a table.

Striking the legs of the table with his boots, he tried to shake her off, still holding tight to her wrist. An idea sprang to Shoko's mind. She may not currently be able to use her hands, but she had other means to press the button on his player.

She kicked up her right leg, aiming her heel at the button over his left shoulder. She was at the perfect height for it.

Within seconds The Pied Player had pulled her back to the ground. She may have overestimated her balance on one leg. They both jolted back to their feet, not taking their eyes off of each other. They both suddenly came to the realisation that the ordeal had made them let go of each other. They were back to square one.

They stood there for quite some time, unsure if the other would make the first move. Both racking their brains on what to do next. It was clear, to Shoko at least, that if they tried to initiate another fight they may end up in the same pickle as they did last time. If she got close enough to push the button, he would steal her miraculous. But at the same time if he got close enough to steal her miraculous, she would push the button. It seemed like a lose-lose situation.

The Pied Player snapped to attention. Right next to them stood Shoko's very angry Science teacher who had come to. She wasn't the only one, all the hollow smiles had slipped away from every single student in that room, now being replaced by confusion, anger, and even a bit of amusement at the two ridiculously dressed teenagers in the room.

With a wrinkled nose and hands permanently plastered on her waist, the teacher opened her mouth. Instantly Shoko could feel incredibly intense vibrations emanate out of her teacher and surround both her opponent and herself. Normally, Shoko would have been mortified being found waltzing around the school in a silly looking cat get up, no less being scolded for it. But she couldn't even look at the teacher. She found herself transfixed at the very boy she had been fighting with just a moment ago.

He was as white as a ghost. She watched as The Pied Player's eyes anxiously darted around the room, head slowly sinking more and more into his scarf with every student that stared at him. Eventually he just shut his eyes tight and grabbed the sides of his pants, praying for the teacher's lecture to end. He could have stayed like that forever, but he could feel a certain pair of cat-like eyes watching him.

He turned to his adversary, who now wore a very obvious look of concern. A look he hated. He suddenly darted for the miraculous, but it only took Shoko to step to one side for him to completely miss and fall on his face. A group of nearby students burst into laughter. The Pied Player pulled himself back up, now completely red in the face, and once again awkwardly dashed to fight his enemy.