Chō no Toshi [Anime Horror Story]

[Valik Sparks]

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJNoj7zbgF0)

You have heard the tale ever since you were but small children. A tale of competition, adventure, companionship, trickery, heroism, and betrayal...



The Great Race


Long ago... Before the time of man. When the world belonged to the animals, and the land was known as their Kingdom, given to them by the god-Emperor who, for his love of the shining green stone, was known as the Jade Emperor.

The Emperor called for a meeting with each animal. But more than a meeting, this event was a competition. For the Jade Emperor was planning to bestow blessing, riches, and eternal recognition upon those animals who proved themselves the strongest, fastest, or smartest, by reaching the meeting place first. The first twelve animals would receive the honor of being forever engraved in a divine system known as the Zodiac. A system that would guide mankind for millennium to come. These twelve proven animals would become like gods themselves.

In order to reach the Jade Emperor, there was a mighty river that had to be crossed. The cunning Rat teamed up with the Cat, as they connived together and decided that the best course of action would be to ask the kindly Ox to allow them to ride on its back, and ferry them across the river. Being naive, and too kind for his own good, the Ox agreed. However...half way across the river, the Rat's thoughts turned to darkness, and thinking to remove some of the competition, he suddenly pushed the Cat into the water. The Cat was immediately swept downstream, thrashing, and crying out...but its small body was no match for the torrent of water. And in the end, as the Ox reached the shore, the Rat hopped off its head and ran ahead, claiming first place for itself.

The Ox was able to claim second place, and the Tiger came in third soon after, having swam across the river, fighting the current with its mighty strength. Claiming fourth place was the small Rabbit, who explained how she was able to hop across the rocks in the water, however, she nearly lost the race when she slipped and fell into the river. But a branch bobbing in the water saved her life, as she clung to it, and it later washed her up on the shore.

In fifth place came the great, flying Dragon. Naturally, the Emperor was confused at how it did not manage to arrive sooner, but the Dragon readily explained how he had to stop and make rain, for the good of all the creatures of the earth. Then, on his way across the river, he spotted a helpless little Rabbit clinging to a branch, and so he stopped again to do a good deed, giving a puff of breath to push the Rabbit to shore. The Emperor was very pleased with the Dragon's actions, and though it received fifth place, it has always held a special honor and reverence amongst the other creatures of the Zodiac.

The sound of a galloping Horse had all believing that it was to take sixth place, but as it turned out, the crafty Snake was coiled around its hoof, and it darted forward, giving the Horse a fright and causing her to fall back, while the Snake claimed sixth place, and she came in at seventh. It wasn't long after that the Goat, the Monkey, and the Rooster arrived. They had all banded together to help each other, the Rooster spotting a raft, and the Goat and Monkey clearing it from the weeds and dragging it to the water. The Goat was given eighth place, the Monkey ninth, and the Rooster tenth.

In eleventh place came the Dog. Although he was supposedly the best swimmer, he couldn't resist the temptation to stay and play in the water for a little while. However, his explanation to the Emperor was that he had to stay and take a bath after the long traveling spell. Finally, coming in at Twelfth place, was the Boar. The little Boar had gotten hungry during her journey, and so she stopped for a meal, and then accidentally fell asleep for a time.

At the end of it, the Emperor gazed out across the river, as though he were still waiting for something. The Rat approached him, humbly reminding him of his promise to honor the first twelve animals to arrive. The Emperor only turned and smiled, revealing to the Rat that it was never his intention to only honor twelve animals. He would honor as many as took on the journey. But as he waited, no more arrived. It seemed that the only other animal who had taken part in the race was the Cat...who drowned in the river, because of the Rat's selfish and competitive ambition.


***

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFEBPZyciNA)

The country is Japan.
The year is 2014.
The month is October.
The day is the 13th, a Monday.
The time is 7:15am.
The place is Akacho.

The same thing is still on the news. It's been the same thing all weekend. The same thing on every station. On every radio broadcast. On every talk show. It's not even that big a deal. Why is everyone making such a fuss about it? Why does it matter? Is some ancient chicken scratch carved into stone really that important? Does such dusty, old history really have that much relevance in today's society? Should it be allowed to change the fluid workings of the modern era?


Is finding out about a 13th Zodiac animal really that big a deal?


"Ohayo gozaimasu! I'm Namie Asuka, and welcome back to Red First News! Where we put you first, Akacho! Researchers, historians, and archaeologists are still buzzing over the amazing findings beneath our very own local temple, Chojiin. To think, that such priceless artifacts were beneath our own home soil all this time! And had termites not threatened the Chojiin temple site, we never would have dug beneath it, and these ancient scripts would still be lost in time! We are still waiting for full translations of the ancient text that was discovered, but what what we do know, is that the text provides conclusive proof that there was another animal in the origin story of the Zodiac! I'm sure you've all heard this by now, but given the significant tie between this animal, and our very own hometown, the revelation just can't be proclaimed enough! Perhaps all our lives, we've been missing one very special month, and perhaps, somewhere in the heavens, that very special Guardian Spirit of the Zodiac is looking out for us, even though we have been ignorant of it for so many years. Yes, maybe even you were born under its sign without even knowing! Dearest family and friends of Akacho... Shall we usher in a welcome for the long forgotten Spirit?

Shall we reclaim the Year of the Butterfly?

Many priests and government officials are convening to discuss the matter, but remember, your opinions and your feelings count! So make yourselves heard and go to our website, or send us mail! Do you want to see the return of a lost Guardian Spirit? Do you want to be the generation that brings honor to a long-forgotten god?"


It's always the same. Although Red First News seems to take this whole thing a bit far. It's true though. There's political talk about changing the entire calender system to include a 13th month. It's all just speculation right now, but still... That would be crazy, wouldn't it? Wouldn't that mess a lot of things up? I mean, it's not like the whole world would get on board with it. So wouldn't it just cause unnecessary trouble? Then again...many Japanese are very superstitious...and ignoring a god...that might kind of be a big deal. If you believe in that sort of thing, anyways.

Needless to say, over the past three days, there's been nothing but a "Butterfly craze" sweeping through the nation. Everyone's talking about it. Everyone has their own opinions. But for four, simple high school students...

...they just had an annoying alarm clock going off, telling them they have to get to school.



***


GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEKNa_O_9AU)

Nanami

The small, white-haired girl didn't have the luxury of jumping out of bed and hurrying to get ready. Her actions had to be calm, and measured, thanks to her rather sensitive cardio-vascular system. But by now, she was used to that, and as she arose, she started about her morning routine, preparing for another week of school. There was a slight chill hanging in the air. The temperature was dropping as winter approached. But the sun shone brightly outside, and a few leaves blew in the wind. There was something else too...

A small group of red butterflies, flitting about, outside her window. They were dainty, small, frail. But beautiful.

Everyone was kind of going crazy about Butterflies right now, but...it didn't much affect her. Although, last night when she was on her computer, she was noticing certain advertisements popping up everywhere, offering to tell her if she may in fact have been born in the year of the Butterfly. There was some sort of mathematical process that people had gone through, adding a thirteenth month and calculating which birth dates would've fall under its sign if it were in fact a real month. As it turns out...if there were a Year of the Butterfly, Nanami actually would've been born under that sign.

...but did that..matter?

For now, she just had to get to school. There was a little bit of tension in her house right now, but her parents were pretending there wasn't. Her father had been offered a very good job in Hokkaido, but he'd have to fly there and work a few months with them before they decided if they'd keep him or not, and if he did that, with her mother sick as she was...there wasn't really anyone to take care of Nanami. They were hoping that her mother would get well soon, but if anything, as of late, she's been getting worse... In fact, she's...not even up yet, today. She must still be in bed. But even just yesterday, she had been able to rise early, as she liked to do...

Would she have to go to a hospital..? And if so...then what?


Nanami thought she caught the sound of her father's voice in the living room. Probably on the phone.

"Thank you...thank you. It's... it's really the only thing I can think to do right now. I'm so sorry for troubling you like this."


Shaylin

"No, no no! It's no trouble at all! We can definitely do it. Just let me know when. ... Oh. That soon? I--No! Not at all. Really, I promise, it would be our pleasure. Yeah. Of course. Yes. You're very welcome, please don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

It was his father. Downstairs, on the phone with someone. But this house had thin walls. Shaylin could hear him pretty easily. ...the cold air also got in easier. He found his body shivering even under the thick blanket over top of him. He'd need to start doubling up or something...

But now he had to get ready for school. Ergh. Mondays. At some point, he spotted his young brother wandering by, looking like a mess, like he'd just got up, and instead of getting ready, he was just walking around in a zombie trance, with his phone out. He stopped, frowning.

"Damn."

He held up his phone for Shaylin to see. 'Sorry! If there were a Year of the Butterfly, you would not have been born in it!' Then he brought the screen back to his face and shrugged. "I checked you too. You're still a Snake. And I'm still a Rat." He trudged off, muttering, "I freaking hate rats."


Hinoiri

She awoke in the eerily quiet home of her aunt. It was still unsettling, even after all the time that had passed. But at least...

"Meeeeoooowwwww..!"

Kumori. His scratchy, boyish mewl was unmistakable. He often came by in the mornings and walked with her to school. But usually she didn't see him until... Her gaze caught her alarm clock. It was well past the time that it should've woken her up. Did it not go off?!

Outside her window, Kumori mewed again. If not for his noise-making...she might've slept in even more! As it stands now, she barely has enough time to get ready. And whether she really cares about school or not, that "oh crap I'm gonna be late" shock jolts her with a sudden adrenaline boost as she flies out of bed and begins what is going to have to be a rather rushed routine.

Outside the window, Kumori's tail flicks playfully as he sits on his hinds and peers upward...a red butterfly is perched on his nose. It causes her to stop and look for just a moment. Kumori playfully swats at the insect, which just flits upward, and then begins circling him, the two of them engaging in some kind of friendly dance around each other, it seems.

Butterflies... Everyone was talking about them suddenly. She was born in the Year of the Rabbit, but if a thirteenth month got added in...would that change things? Pffft. Did it even matter?


Hideki

You are a Dragon... I am a Dragon... and my father before me was a Dragon...

SO FIGHT LIKE A DRAGON!

Hideki found himself lurching upright, sweating...but the air was cold. A dream. Another stupid dream. It was bad enough his father had something negative to say to him virtually every time they entered each others' presence... So did he really have to dream about it too?

It was five minutes before the alarm would go off. Another day. Duties and responsibilities. Schedules and routines. Always the same. Even with this whole...Butterfly thing going on. It had no affect on his daily life. Just for the sake of curiosity, and perhaps wondering if there was a chance his father was wrong...he had checked out one of those "Are you actually a Butterfly Baby?" calculators. But, no dice. He was still a Dragon. What was he expecting? And what would it really change if he had been hypothetically born under a hypothetical sign?

This whole thing was... was... Silly? Stupid? Pointless? Maybe. Who knows. It didn't affect him. It changed nothing. He had a routine to carry out. An obligation to fulfill...

Regardless of what he actually wanted, it was time once again to carry the family burden.



***


...Forgotten...
Left behind...

Lost..

Thrown away..
...left to die..

..Killed..

EATEN
..Buried.

...FORGOTTEN...

...Left to die..

Years...and years...
SUFFERING

Forgotten...abandoned...ignored...

No more...

[fendrin]

Hideki

Get up. Wash face. Put on uwagi and hakama. Morning practice. Remove uwagi and hakama. Shower. Put on school uniform. Eat breakfast. Everything with crisp, clean movements. Precision. Precision. Precision.

As long as I follow the routine no one will bother me.

The morning moves by quickly, and Hideki leaves for school a full ten minutes before he has to, bag at his side, shinai in it's case on his back. Taking his time, he enjoys the briskness in the air. Along the way, he overhears a bit of conversation about the butterfly thing.

Of course I wouldn't have been a butterfly. 3 generations in a row of dragons, maybe more. Surely that can't be a coincidence. Was it planned? It wouldn't surprise me with this family. I doubt I'll be married by the time I'm 24, will they force me to wait until I'm 36 to have children? What if I have a kid 'off-schedule'? What would they do then?

Why am I even thinking about them? It's a waste of a perfectly lovely morning walk.

Arriving at school, Hideki puts his shinai in his locker and heads to his classroom. Finding his seat he sits quietly waiting for the teacher to arrive.

Always a good day when I make it school without talking to anyone... hopefully the rest of the day will be this good.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Nanami didn't want to disturb her dad or mom, so she quietly made herself her breakfast and did her lunch as well. It was excellent as usual, seasoned just right to give the rice a nice compliment for the rest of the lunchbox.

She'd made too much... again... so she decided to prepare a lunch for her only real friend, Shaylin, hoping that he'd at least look for her in the library doing lunch or wait outside her classroom, since she disliked using the stairs up too much. wasn't the best thing for her heart after all to race up and down those things.

after eating her breakfast quietly while she prepared the lunchboxes, she cleaned up after herself and headed off to school with a soft "Bye mom and dad" as she opened the door.

She was early.... as usual. But that just gave her enough time to relax before going onward to fight those evil stairs up to her classroom... which was 2 floors up from ground-floor. Nanami didn't really feel like going up there yet, so she sat on the first step up the stairs, plugged a set of earphones in her ears to listen to some calming music and took out a book so she could hopefully finish it before school started.

(She's basically in plain sight for everyone who enters the school, however she is often overlooked by most and even those who DO realize she's there rarely speaks to her.)

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

I shouldn't have stayed up so late last night. But the stars... Strange. After all this time, she still half-expected her mother--Don't think. Go, go, go.

She dresses as quickly as possible and rushes down the hall, combing her fingers through her hair as she runs. Pausing by the front door to yank her hair back into some semblance of a ponytail, Hinoiri grabs her school bag from where she had placed it in preparation the night before and hurriedly browses through it. Good. Notebooks, pencils. Textbooks.

Late, I can't be late. I'm late. Like the White Rabbit.

She jerks on her coat and heads out the front door, and upon seeing the cat, strokes Kumori once. "Thank you. I'll have to see you after school, though."

She breaks into something between a brisk jog and an all-out run. The White Rabbit. Late. I'm a Rabbit, and I'm going to be late. It all connects somehow, doesn't it? And now butterflies. The Cat should have been honored with a year for trying instead. Kumori would have been happy. A thirteenth month? That would make life so much more confusing than it already was. What were those people thinking?

'We're all mad here.'

The school comes into view. Most of the students are already there, presumably heading inside, with the exception of a few stragglers. Like Hinoiri. Even the white-haired girl was earlier. She was usually early, though, or at least in the past when Hinoiri had arrived ahead of time she was there.

Door. Stairs. Locker. Lunchbox. Wait, lunch? She inwardly groans. Well, no big loss. It'd happened several times in the past, and she didn't really eat much anyway. More time to read, to write.

She inhales deeply, then strides through the halls to brave her classroom. Most people probably viewed her as sort of a fixture of the school day anyway, like the desks and lockers, and her coming in a little late wouldn't make her any less invisible. Hopefully.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

Shaylin laughs as his brother Kazuko wanders off muttering about rats. You cannot change your sign, little brother, he thinks as he looks out over the covers before ducking back into his cocoon. Do I really have to go? It's my last year and all and I just don't have the motivation to --

He stops as the sheets are ripped off him and his father is standing over him. "Time to get up, Shaylin. It's only the second month of school and I know you're ready to call it quits, but you can't. You must graduate and I will not have you lying around all day." He takes the covers with him, leaving them in a heap on the floor by the door. Shaylin reluctantly gets up, dragging his feet in protest. He yawns as he pulls on a nice black and white striped polo and his khakis, almost tripping over the pile of sheets as he pushed his feet through.

As he sits down to cereal without milk (his preference), Shaylin looks to his father. "What was that phone call all about?" he asks him. When his father doesn't answer, he shrugs it off and finishes up, grabbing his courier bag, his gun, and his brother and driving them to school on his motorcycle. It was chilly, but his leather jacket kept him warm. He gave his good gloves to his brother, and as they pulled up, made sure he got them back before wishing Kazuko a good day. As he walks to the school stairs, he sees Nanami listening to music.

He tries to mesh with the crowd until reaching her, then plopping down on the stair beside her. "Ohayo gozaimasu," he says, playfully pulling her headphones out. "Ready for another day? Do you need a hand getting up the stairs today?" He stands and offers her his arm.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Nanami would of course have answered Shaylin with her usual cute smile and clear, blue gaze.... except that was kinda hard to do right now, because she had fallen asleep over her book, remaining upright and all with her shoulder resting against the wall to keep her sleeping form steady. her book was held in a slack grip and, at first glance, it did look very much like she was just reading her book. But that was just not so. she had up and fallen asleep. Right there. On the stairs. With no one else even realizing she had done so.

A barely audioable murmur escaped her lips, something about... Butterflies, was it? it was hard to really catch on to, to begin with, so it might just have been a wordless sound.

Nanami just slept peacefully on that first step of the staircase, blissfully gone into dreamland.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

When Shaylin notices her faintly moving lips, he looks down to see her asleep. Laughing to himself, he stays by her, waiting for the bell, making sure none of the other students get to her. This whole 'Butterfly' business was crazy. He hopes that Kazuko lets it go. After all, being a Rat means wealth and friends. He wonders what sign Nanami is, and suddenly blushes for never having thought to ask. When the bell rings, signifying only 5 minutes before classes were to begin, he gently shakes Nanami awake and again offers to help her up the steps. When she groggily replies, he takes her hand and pulls her up, grabbing her books and putting her arm over his shoulder and around his neck.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

With a little yawn, Nanami awakes with bleary eyes to the sight of Shaylin's smiling face, to which she gives of a gasp of shock and a slight pink blush in her cheeks.

She doesn't say anything though, a bit too blushing still to even get a word it, so she just silently accepts the help offered and traverses those infernal stairs without much of a raise in her heartbeats.

as they reach the Junior-floor, she lets go of Shaylin and just stands there silently, nibbling on her lower lip, not really sure what to actually say before parting with him to go to her classroom. Her white hair and blue eyes give her a sort of gentle aura of peacefulness and content. and her short stature only helps to accentuate that.

"Soooo.... ummm..." she voice out hesitantly and goes silent once again.

[Valik Sparks]

All

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tEcG9qpgUg)

As Nanami stands just outside the classroom with Shaylin, fidgeting and struggling to produce intelligible words, she suddenly finds that words are..streaming out. Very fast, and bright, and energetic-like, and...loud. Wait, those aren't her words at all. That's--

"Heyyyy!~ Namichan!"

The quiet of the hallway has been utterly and completed murdered by Misha's painfully loud voice. She is literally bouncing down the hall towards Nanami and Shaylin, Shizune behind her, moving briskly to keep up, a look of irritation clear on her face. Misha quickly snatches Nanami by the hand as soon as she reaches her. She casts a grin at Shaylin.

"Sorry Shaychan, but we have to take Namichan away from you! She's in our class!" Shizune begins making swift, cutting motions with her hands. "Wahahaha!~ That's right Shichan! Shaychan better get to class soon, or he'll be late!" She turns back to Shaylin, planting her hands firmly on her hips, and..trying..to look serious. "That's very bad Shaychan! You can't be late! Right? Right!~ You better hurry! Hahaha!" And with that, she takes Nanami by the shoulders and pushes her right into the class.

The amusing spectacle is beheld by the majority of the class, who have already arrived, including Hideki and Hinoiri. Aaron, sitting somewhere towards the back of the classroom, focuses his dead-eyed stare right on Nanami, and holds it, staring at her as she takes her seat, and not looking away for a moment, even as Takashi stands up from his desk and begins his lecture.


"So if you want this number here, you've gotta go back over here, take the derivative, and..." Takashi's droning voice trails off as he starts marking the board faster to get the longer equation taken care of. He steps back, and turns to survey his class. It's been about 20 minutes, and most of the students are looking dead tired. Mondays are always the worst. There's at least three students who look to be totally asleep. Takashi just gazes out at the classroom, looking a little blank. Then he grunts. "Dammit, if you're that tired, just go to sleep already. I'll give you some homework to do, and everything you need to know is in your textbooks. Come to me if you have questions." He reaches a hand up to his mouth, as though there were a cigarette there, but then stops, grasping nothing but air. A quick scowl flashes across his face, and then he goes to his desk and retrieves a stack of papers, handing them off to Shizune, who begins passing them out to all the other students. Just as Takashi is about to sit down, he stops, looking at Aaron, who is still staring quite openly at Nanami. "Aaron." He grunts. "What did I say about the staring? You're creeping everyone out. If you've gotta look somewhere, look at the board. Or me." Aaron slowly shifts his gaze to stare at Takashi, who just sighs and sits down, scratching his head.

Once the homework has been passed out, students are either getting busy and making some early headway, or saving it for later and using the free time to quietly talk amongst themselves, or just sleep. Aaron is doing his homework, but continues to cast long glances at Nanami. But soon enough, the bells ring, and the period comes to an end.


Meanwhile, in Class 3-1...


"And do you know what he said?? He said, 'Oh, I'm sorry, I don't think this will work out, because I'm looking for a girl who's still in her Prime, so we can have lots of kids together!' Excuse me but, WHAT THE HELL?! 'In her prime' --since when is 28 years old not in the prime zone!! And I told him that too, I did! And he just stuttered some bull**** about women maturing faster than men! I mean this guy is HOPELESS! He's gonna be single forever! He's...! ERRRGH. That's it! Screw vocabulary, we're learning Biology today! Starting with female health! And the first thing I will have you know is that 28 years old is a completely marriageable age for a young woman! It is in fact, still in her prime, and god-freaking-dammit if any of you young men in here ever go out and judge a woman based on her age I will find you, and I will slaughter you!!"

Ms. Ritsuo is very passionate today.



***


Soon enough, after a few periods go by, the bells ring, signaling Lunch Break. Nanami's stomach growls involuntarily. She's been inordinately hungry today. And she's craving some luscious, juicy meat; terryaki, teppanyaki, tempura, doesn't matter, so long as it has some good, meaty proteins. All around her, the hustle and bustle has begun. Aaron continues to stare at Nanami, but does not follow her. When he leaves the classroom, he seems to be heading towards the cafeteria. Of course, the first one to leave is Shinobu, who, as per usual, has everything already packed and ready to go five minutes before the bell rings, and then, the second it does, she flies out of that room like a bat out of hell. She never eats in the cafeteria, or any other obvious spot. Probably hides in the nurse's office.

Shizune and Misha are signing animatedly to each other as they head out of the classroom. Turns out Errie and Bo from class 2-2 are just out in the hall, squeezing against the wall to be out of the way of the mob heading to the cafeteria. Errie and Bo are both wearing...cat ears. And cat-paw gloves. And they have whiskers drawn on their faces. They're each holding what appears to be stacks of flyers, and from a distance, the only visible text is the large, cheesy-font on the front that reads: What About the Cat?! Misha and Shizune retrieve plastic bags stuffed with unknown items, and quickly disappear into the restrooms nearby.


Welcome to Akacho Standard High School. Yeah. ASHS. Ash, Ashes, Ashtray. You've heard all the jokes. But despite what snobby private-school-goers say... the ASHtray isn't such a bad place. It's homey. Quaint. Spirited. And it's got personality. Every semester holds something new. What could be waiting for you this term...?

[Hemnon]

Hearing that all-to-familiar voice made Nanami cringe, just as Misha herself reached for Her hand. As she was dragged off to class and away from Shaylin, just only just managed to call out a few words: "I made extra for lunch, so if you want come back to my class then~....!" her voice was that same sweet, mellow yet clearly audible sound as always, so it was very hard to miss.

With an surrendered pout, she just waved to Shaylin as she was finally dragged in past the doorframe and vanished from Shaylin's sight.

Aaron was starring at her..... again. It wasn't really THAT mad though. Sure there was lots of weird stories going around about him, but Nanami never took them to heart. she didn't judge others by what others say about them, she prefer to observe and learn for herself, who and what kind of person everyone is... and not to brag, but she'd gotten pretty good at that sort of stuff... even more so since she had her first heart attack. Some would just call her extremely sensitive towards others, but she didn't think that was it... it was something, else.

After suffering through what seemed like an age, Nanami finally had to do something about that Starring. she took out a big piece of paper and wrote on it, before raising it up so Aaron could read it. It said "You'll appear a little less creepy if you would just blink once in a while. Don't you get really dry eyes from all that starring??" It wasn't meant as a joke, just a sudden thought that she'd scribbled down in the form of a question.


Finally, Lunch was here.... and wow Nanami felt hungry for something MEAT. She was so glad right now, that she'd stuffed her lunchbox with her favorite food today. One wouldn't think so, but Nanami ate quite a lot of food in a day.... It was rather comical actually, that such a small petite girl could stuff herself with so much food. Her regular lunchbox was triple-size what a normal one would look like, though it WAS a Girlish Red with Blue and pink butterflies on it.
She was sitting there, nibbling on her lower lip, willing to wait the most of 10 minutes. If shaylin didn't appear by then, she'd just go off and eat by herself. In the meantime, while waiting, she decided to try and dull her hunger for a short while, by reading a little.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

As Misha pushes the white-haired girl--Nanami?--into class, Hinoiri inwardly winces. Misha was a bit...obnoxious? No, more like...obliviously cheerful. But she meant it all in good spirit. Hinoiri turns her attention back to the teacher.

Ah, homework. Well, better get this done early so I'll have time to go out later. She flips open her various textbooks and (school) notebooks, and gets ready to start, pausing for a bit over her personal notebook. In the end she sighs and focuses on the homework in front of her.

As the bell rings for lunch break, she neatly packs her supplies into her bag and head out. For some reason two students are dressed as cats. She's pretty sure they're the ones who have been trying to start some sort of Zodiac club. The legends and history and research and analysis were actually quite interesting, but she preferred to keep her thoughts to herself, especially the ones about others. Heading past them, she notices the titles of the fliers. Oh..so that's what the cat costumes are for. Interesting...and strange, others actually think about the things I do. She hesitates, then continues on. Errie's probably going to try to get me to join. There'll be plenty of fliers on the floor by the end of break, so I can get one for Kumori then. They could've used a nicer font, though...

At the cafeteria, Hinoiri looks for an empty table--or at least a relatively vacant one. Spying one in the far corner, she starts the slightly arduous trek through the crowd, at the same time fingering the money in her pocket. Some food would be nice--next time she would make sure to at least eat something for breakfast--but waiting in line...Anyway, she needed to get a new notebook. She could get something after school. Arriving at the table, she pulls up a chair at the farthest side, relaxing slightly. Good, I can be alone. She retrieves her fountain pen and her notebook, and spreads it open before her to a new page. She carefully applies nib to paper.

October 13th, Monday

late

Kumori is like a cat

butterflies with wings like coralberry

the white rabbit

the year of the cat?

Flipping back a few pages, she starts to revise some sentences from an older bit of writing, blocking out the noise and soon forgetting that she's actually hungry...

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin waved and laughed as Mischa and Shizune dragged Nanami away. "Dewa mata, Michan!~" he says and waves again to Nanami as she leaves his sight. Sprinting up to his own class, he makes it to his seat right as the bell rings and Ritsuo began her vocab lesson.

As the lesson drolled on, her teaching turned into the way some man she was dating had talked to her. How she had corrected his speech on something, when suddenly the entire conversation (and relationship) changed drastically.

'Oh, I'm sorry, I don't think this will work out, because I'm looking for a girl who's still in her Prime, so we can have lots of kids together!' she yelled. Shaylin sat at attention as she yelled at the class about her ex-lover. Something about 'acting like my mother' or something. Shaylin raised his hand.

"Ms. Ritsuosan, I think you're perfect and any man would be lucky to marry you," he said with a small wink. More as a joke than anything else, it worked as the class erupted into laughter and began poking fun at him. Ritsuo smiled wide and laughed along with them and the bell rang for lunch. Shaylin wondered what Nanami had packed for lunch. He assumed his dad had probably forgotten to put money in for his lunch plan. Which meant he would have to fork over some of his cash from his summer job to pay for Kazuko.

When he finally fought his way to the stairs through the flood, he found Nanami who was still being trailed by Mischa and Shizune. Greeeeeat....~ he mutters. Waving at Nanami, he finally meets up with her. "Michan, Shichan," he nods to each with a smile. "Nami, where are we eating today? The cafe, outside, or the back room in the library again?" he says playfully, poking her lunchbox. "I brought some graphic novels we can look through!"

[Hemnon]

Nanami

At Shaylin's question about where to eat, Nanami's tummy gave off a low, hungry growl which caused Nanami to first look down surprised, followed by a puff of blushing from embarresment. "Um... I-I guess the library would be fine....~" she voiced out, still bead-red in the face. She awkwardly got to her feet, still blushing and heartbeat racing, with her bag in her hand and her eyes starring down at the floor.

[fendrin]

Hideki

Watching the three girls enter, Hideki pauses for a moment, wondering what is going on.

Oh, right, she's dating that senior. Right before homeroom's not really the best place for privacy... especially because Shizune-san is in our class!

Then the lesson begins and Hideki devotes his full attention to it. He is by far not the not the smartest student in the class, but anything less than perfect grades are not tolerated, so he works nearly as hard as Shizune.

***

The bell rings, but Hideki doesn't get up immediately.

Why can't I make this work? I know I need to take the integral of... His stomach twinged lightly with hunger. Maybe I'll get it over lunch.

***

Looking around the cafeteria, he notes with dismay the total lack of empty tables. Sighing, he deftly makes his way through the crowd to the last almost-empty table.

Hinoiri-san... well, that's good. She's usually pretty focused on... whatever it is she is writing in her notebook. I wonder if she got the math today?

Putting his bag down at the seat furthest from her, he looks over at his classmate.

"I'm sorry to disturb you Hinoiri-san. All of the other tables are full. May I sit here?"

She's not eating? Should I offer to get her something? No, she probably already ate. Or maybe there's some reason she's not eating. I wouldn't want to offend her.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin smiles as his stomach growls itself. He then remembered he had missed breakfast, and thinks of Kazuko. "I need to check on my brother quick, and then we'll go! Why don't you grab a seat somewhere in the cafe while I take care of his lunch?" As they make their way to the cafeteria, he spots his brother in line.

"Zukekun!" he yells to him and catches him before he gets his food. "Here's some cash. Get yourself something good, yeah?" He gives Kazuko a hug and then makes his way back out before noticing a young girl scribbling in her notebook alone at one of the tables. He sits down across from her and smiles.

"Konichiwa," he says loudly enough to be heard but not to yell. "I'm Shaylin, are you ok? You look lonely. If you're not getting lunch, you can come to the library with me and my friend Nami. We just look at comics and read books and stuff." He smiles again and offers his hand as he stands back up, then notices one of the more popular kids down at the other end. Hideki, right? He wasn't saying much, but was looking at the younger girl's notebook. "And you're more than welcome to join us, too. Hidekikun, right?" he extends his hand for a handshake.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Nanami just nodded in silent agreement and headed for the cafe... although she couldn't really see why she should wait there, if they where to go to the library right after.... Oh well, at least she'd get some nice fresh air, which IS quite important after all, though she did pick a spot in the shade, since her fair skin didn't take too well to sunlight.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

Hinoiri is jolted from her thoughts and quickly closes her notebook as not one, but two other students address her. Luckily the outgoing one--er, Shaylin's invitation had pretty much negated her need to answer the first question. Her mind blanks. Gaaah...so much for being invisible...Stay calm, keep your mask on...I have to say something, what do I say?

"Um, I, uh..." Well, books are nice...is that the only reason I can come up with? I guess people are nice to be around, too...sometimes. Not really. No, be positive. Maybe. "That, um, sounds..." "Okay" is not the right word. "...nice. Sure, I can...go." She puts her book and pen back into her bag. "I, uh, don't really--I mean, I'm not buying a lunch, so it should be fine." Well, it is true. Though maybe it's kind of obvious that I don't actually have any at all...

She half-rises from the table, unsure whether to wait a little for some kind of confirmation or just go. Am I being rude by ignoring Hideki's question and just assuming that he'll go with Shaylin? Aaugh...why am I only good at figuring people out when they're not interacting with me? Oh wait, did he ask my name? Maybe it was implied...? "I'm Hinoiri, by the way."

At least I got in one coherent sentence. Ugh.

[Valik Sparks]

All

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCV3FMKZxzo)

As Nanami waits for Shaylin to finish with his invitations to Hinoiri and Hideki, she finds her stomach twisting and constricting angrily, begging for food. For the sweet, savory, taste of meat. Sitting down like this, with her lunchbox right in her hands, it's almost too much to bear. But suddenly her attention is caught by something else...

A group of red butterflies. Three of them. Like the ones she saw outside her window. They're beautiful. They dart about among the other students, but no one looks at them; no one even seems to notice them. Then, as they pass right overhead Nanami, one flits down and lands on her knuckle. It slowly graces its wings up and down, looking right at her, allowing her to bring it close and observe it if she wishes. In the distance, she can feel Aaron's staring burrowing hard into her. He still won't let up. Sitting at a table, ignoring his food, just staring at her. Her sign to him in class didn't seem to have any affect.

Within a few moments, the red butterfly pops off her hand and flies away, disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared.


Shizune and Misha enter the cafeteria, dressed as...cats. Complete with ears, paws, and whiskers. They are now holding flyers like Errie and Bo were, and are beginning to pass them out, starting with the most crowded tables. Misha's loud, bubbly voice reigns supreme even over the noise of the cafeteria as she passes out flyers and speaks some prescribed line.

"Please come to the Zodiac Club today and learn all about the Year of the Cat! You've heard all about the Butterfly, but don't you want to come find out if you might actually be a Cat? Meow!~" The person she's talking to says something, but it can't be heard over the noisy cafeteria; however, Misha's loud reply is easily heard. "Wahaha!~ But that's just it! Read the flyer, silly! And come to the club! There are more secrets than just the Butterfly that you don't know about!"


Shaylin, Hideki, and Hinoiri cannot see the red butterflies.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Those butterflies again... they where so pretty, but why are they here? Nanami didn't know, and honestly, she didn't much care. She was just happy to just see them. A strange fluttering filled her stomach for a second, overpowering her hunger. It was a strangely happy sensation with a touch of loss in it...

Then the butterfly on her knuckles flew away and vanished before she could do anything about it.... Urgh, Aaron was starring again...

Nanami decided to get to her feet and walk over to Aaron and perhaps get some answers. "Um... Hi Aaron.... uh... is there something you want? You keep starring at me..." She asked him shyly, her bag in both hands and her eyes looking straight at Aaron.

Rolls-N-Stuff

I Understand (Per)
[roll0]

and add any other bonuses i might get, cuz im not sure if Empath or No Fool will help with this, since Nanami is trying to get a better understanding of Aaron and his emotional state.

[Valik Sparks]

Nanami

As Nanami approached Aaron...he visibly flinched. But he kept staring at her. He didn't move, didn't blink, and didn't speak as she approached him. But when she stopped right up in front of him, a sweet smile on her face as she looked down at him...he shuddered. Just a little. A tremble in his skin. He stared up at her from his position, seated at his table, food untouched.

She spoke. But he didn't answer. He just..kept..staring.

Aaron was an extremely difficult person to read, even for someone as empathic as Nanami. But what she was feeling from Aaron...it seemed that he was...afraid. Even though he tried to mask it with a blank, empty face...there was a touch of fear lingering somewhere in his eyes.


But of what?

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Nanami pouted a little. It was a bit rude of Aaron not to answer her when she asked him something and on top of that, she was getting a bit annoyed with all the starring all the time, so with a huff of air she turned around and headed back to where Shaylin would meet up with her so they could go eat at the library.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

Shaylin smiles and offers his hand to Hinoiri and turns to Hideki. "We'll be in the back room of the library, where the studying usually goes on. We've got about 40 minutes left of lunch so feel free to stop by, yeah?"~ He and Hinoiri return to Nanami, who is clearly in hunger pain. He helps her to her feet and then picks up her lunch and books. He offers the same service to Hinoiri as they head back up the steps towards the library.

When they arrive, Shaylin sits in the chair facing the door so he can see who comes in. He opens and returns Nanami's lunch box and a sweet scent floats out of it. He smiles at the smell. "Namichan, what did you bring today?" he pulls out a handful of comics and other books, including his favorites, Full Metal Alchemist and Attack on Titan. "How is your day going, Hinoiri? How come you were sitting all alone?"

[fendrin]

Hideki


"And you're more than welcome to join us, too. Hidekikun, right?" he extends his hand for a handshake.

What? Join them...? But why would they want...? Is that a genuine offer or just because it would be rude not to invite me? He seems genuine... I don't know... I never know what to say...

Hideki stands up and shakes the senior's hand.

"Ah, yes, senpai. I am... that is my name. I was going to do my calculus homework but... I can do it in the library. It'll be quieter there."

Following the senior out of the cafeteria, he sees his classmates enter. He picks up his pace a little.

I know what I am and nothing will ever change that. Why bother.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Without one moment of hesitation, Nanami begins to eat like her life was on the line. it would appear that lunch was for herself only. Without even pausing her eating frenzy, she reaches down into her back and fish out a much smaller lunchbox, about the size of a regular one, and handed it over to Shaylin.

Inside, it was filled with loads of healthy, but very tasty, stuff like: Octopus sausages mixed with bamboo sprouts and cooked shrimps, boiled carrots in the shape of small hearts and not to forget, an assortment of meat and plenty of rice.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

As she follows Shaylin out of the cafeteria, Hinoiri notices--or rather hears--the Zodiac Club's attempt to get more members. Misha's probably busy talking to whichever poor soul she last handed a flier too...maybe I can get one from Shizune. She heads in their direction for a moment and accepts a flier from Shizune, and, hoping that Misha won't notice her, hurriedly heads back out to the library.

At least this will give me something to talk about, if needed.

Hinoiri enters the library, and the presence of all those wonderful books makes her feel slightly calmer. Putting the flier aside for now, she sits the farthest she can from the other three without the fact being overly obvious, and then hesitates over her school bag. Writing around others? Well, I could just do homework. That way if anyone asks anything...it'll all be fine. She pulls out her school stuff and--

"How is your day going, Hinoiri? How come you were sitting all alone?"

If she had been eating, Hinoiri was sure she should would have choked. Argh, too much questions...He was just trying to be friendly, right? Come on, respond. "Going well, I guess...though the math we covered today is sort of a pain...and I like it to be quiet...when I'm doing homework...so..." She trails off.

Did that even answer his second question? It sort of sounds like I want them to be quiet, though. It would be rude to all-out tell them that I usually prefer being by myself.

"So I usually sit alone. Um, but thanks for inviting me. It's...a nice change, I suppose." The "nice" part is debatable.

She nervously crumples the corner of a page of her math notebook, trying to ignore the--what was that word?--ambrosial smells wafting over from Nanami's lunchbox.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin graciously accepts Nanami's food, but upon seeing Hinoiri's face from a few seats down at the table, he wafts at the food, hoping to get rid of some of the smell. As Nami ate her food, he pulled out some chopsticks and slowly went to work on his. He turns to Hideki.

"I'm not calc-wiz, but I could try my hand at helping, if you'd like, hah.~" and a bite of food as he looks down at his books. He gently pushes them aside as he tries to see the calc homework. "Ritsuosan doesn't assign us a whole lot of homework anymore... I get kind of bored." Looks down to Hinoiri, and whispers "The same goes for you. If you want help, I'm happy to try my hand at it." a smile, another bite of food, and then back to quietly talking to Hideki and Nami.

"Namichan, slow down. You'll choke, hah,~" but when Nami looks at him, he raises his hands defensively, looking down and away in acceptance. This was nice. He hadn't really interacted with anyone from his own class this year, but it was nice to see others like him able to sit down in a group. He hated that others might feel as alone as him. It was one of the things that drew him to Nanami when he met her after her surgery. And now Hideki, who all of the girls liked to talk about, who seemed almost as insecure as she did.

"So, Hidekikun, I know your family's Kendo dojo is very famous. Do you participate?" He doesn't really know how to break the ice, since he knows nothing about him other than his family's name in the city. "I wanted to learn Kendo when I was younger, but I wasn't as fast as the other kids and I wound up giving up pretty early."

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Being already halfway through her lunch, Nanami finally realized Hinoiri's glances at her lunch. "Want the rest?" she timidly asked as she handed her lunchbox over the table towards Hinoiri, showing a sweet smile and an honest expression.

[Valik Sparks]

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0M-QKdmLUA&list=PL5AD148F0EC1F9F30)

Hinoiri

Hinoiri's plan turns out to work out rather well, as Misha is distracted speaking to a student about the flyers, while Shizune simply gazes sternly at people with a look that is more than enough to convince them it is a very good idea to at least take a flyer and pretend to be reading it until she's gone. Hinoiri is able to retrieve a flyer from Shizune in silence, with essentially no social interaction, just a curt nod and a quick smile from the Student Council President. What a relief. As she heads off to the library, a quick scan of the flyer is all she needs to take in its full contents.





What About The Cat!?!


You've heard all about the Butterfly, and the ancient writings found beneath the Chojiin temple! But here's a sneak peak about what you don't know..!

What they're not saying on the News broadcasts, is that the Butterfly wasn't the only thing mentioned in the writings! The ancient word for The Cat was definitely found and translated! There is very little context, so most are assuming it's nothing new, since we all know the Cat drowned in the end... OR DO WE?? If we missed a new Zodiac animal entirely, couldn't we have missed something about the Cat's epic return to the land of the living?! What if there are not 12, not 13, but 14 Zodiac animals! What if the Cat has been alive and well, and with us this whole time???

Come learn more at the Zodiac Club today! You don't have to join, just come to the clubroom and enjoy our panel! We've even done our own calculations for a calender that includes both the Year of the Butterfly and the Year of the Cat! Find out if you've secretly been a Cat all along!

Meeeeow~!




All

The library is quiet and relaxed as the four students talk among themselves. There's a distant whirring sound coming from a printer, as a tall boy with gray-blonde hair and a very calm look about him seems to be printing a large amount of papers. --Oh, it's Yuki, from the Student Council, and Shaylin's class. He's printing more of those flyers, it looks like. Usually the Student Council doesn't get involved in other club's activities, especially since they often are kept busy by their own work... Why was the Zodiac Club getting special treatment? Weird.

[fendrin]

Hideki

Do I participate? Like I have a choice.

"Yes, I have trained there my entire life. My grandfather is the grandmaster of our style, and my father is the head teacher, though we do not have many students. In the future I will inherit the dojo."

... and so I must be ready, and to be ready I must be diligent and so on. Why did I use those words? I guess I'm just so used to hearing them.

[Valik Sparks]

All

It is at that moment that two figures come briskly walking into the library...

"Yuki-kun! We need more flyers! Bo-kun ran out and he's very sad!"

Errie's voice chimes a little too loudly for being in a library as she skips happily through the entryway, Bo shuffling quickly after her. He blinks once, looking very blank and...not particularly sad. Yuki looks up at them and just smiles, taking a stack of recently-printed flyers and knocking them against a desk to straighten them out.

"Well, we can't have that, can we. Here, there should be--"

"OHMYGOD!"

Yuki's mouth is left part-way open as Errie's shout interrupts him. She is pointing dramatically right at...Hinoiri.

"Nakano-san! This is where you've been hiding! Quick, Bo-kun! Don't let her escape!"

Bo moves at about the pace of a crippled sprinter as his lanky form slides up behind Hinoiri, and plants his hands limply on her shoulders. "No escape." He said, rather dry and noncommittally.

Errie darts over in a flash, coming up right beside Hinoiri and slamming her hands down on the table. "HI. Did you know you're a Cat??" She beams, looking way too excited. "Thanks to the Student Council, we got our hands on everybody's personal information! Err, I mean not everything, just birthdays! We ran our own calculations cause we just had to see! Turns out there are very few Cats in our school -but you're one of them! Isn't that great?? My birthday was off by one day, so I'm still stuck as a Rabbit! It's so sad! So you better appreciate your birthday Hinoir--uh, Nakano-san!" She finishes her jumbled stream of exclamations by nodding rather exuberantly.

Errie gives quick glances to everyone else at the table, and then pulls out the nearest chair and sits down with them, ending up in the space between Hideki and Hinoiri. She turns to Hideki, smiling a wide, toothy smile. "Hi Hideki-kun! --err..can I call you that? I always forget your family name... Anyways! You're a Dragon! Are you surprised I know that? It's because I'm in the Zodiac Club and it's my business to know these things! Mhm, mhm! Oh and guess what! The Dragon was also mentioned in the ancient text found under the Chojiin temple! It's true! I believe the translation was talking about the Dragon's rainstorm it brought. Not very interesting...but maybe they'll find more! Wouldn't that be cool? And if they find more we'll be the first to know it! Guarantee! So you should obviously join the Zodiac Club!"

Errie looks very pleased with her rather...circular logic, and she folds her hands on the table, jutting out her chin and...trying to look cool and professional? Something like that. Meanwhile, Bo is still standing behind Hinoiri, with his hands like a pair of dead fish flopped on her shoulders. He's staring off into space, and doesn't seem to realize how odd his current position is, and that it might be uncomfortable for Hinoiri.

[fendrin]

Hideki

Hideki stares confusedly at Errie.

"I... yes, you can call me that... and yes, I know I'm a Dragon."

I wish people would stop bringing it up.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

Hinoiri accidentally stabs a hole with her pencil in the equation she was completing when Nanami speaks. That's really sweet of her... She attempts a small smile. "Um...that...would be nice. I mean, if you don't mind. Thank you. I...forgot to pack my lunch this morning, since I was in a bit of a rush." She gingerly accepts the lunchbox.

And that's the, what, fourth time you've used "nice" in consecutive sentences? So much interaction today...the universe is conspiring against me or something. Well, after this there shouldn't be much more, just class, and then I'm free.

Famous last words. Or thoughts. Of course, then Errie starts in. And Bo..."No escape."

Ack what are you doing "no escape" trapped--Relax, you're not trapped. Hinoiri hunches down closer over her homework.

"Uh, I...I didn't know that. It's, uh, quite interesting. I was just thinking about a year of the Cat, actually."

This was so strange, everything fitting together, just a bit too perfectly. And too much talk and people and Bo with his limp hands--too much, too much, I need to go somewhere very quiet and far away to think... She shifts uncomfortably under Bo's touch. "And, um, could you, uh, take your hands off?"

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Library Relaxation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkXYsYfvyRI)

It was suddenly very loud here in the library and Nanami nearly flew out of her chair from the sudden and very loud outburst coming from Errie-chan. "Kyaaa!" Nanami yelped out from the sudden shock. She could literally feel her heart skip a beat and with a slight panic in her eyes and body language, she pressed a hand against her chest, suddenly afraid for her heart..... nope, nothing was wrong, it was just beating a bit fast, that's all... 'Phew'. She slowly collapsed with her face against the table, suddenly feeling very tired.

Nanami was glad she had already handed over her lunchbox, cuz otherwise she might have just ended up throwing it up in the air and spill all it's content out on the floor.

This was so exhausting and Nanami could already feel that she really could do with a nap... She wasn't much of a class-skipper, but once in a while she did go ask the nurse if she could borrow a bed. She DID have a bad heart after all and calm sleep did wonders for her.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

Shaylin audibly gasps at the screams entering the library. When Nanami yelps, he drops his chopsticks and food in panic. She grips at her chest for a moment, and his panic escalates so quickly that when he stands up, his chair flies backwards. She gives him a short look and shakes her head that nothing is wrong, and drops face first to the table. He sighs.

He turns his attention to Bo, still barely even attempting to hold Hinoiri. Shaylin knows that it's not an intent to harm, but rather to appease Errie, so he didn't make a move. "Bo-kun, you should listen to her and move your hands..."

In a huff, he turns back to Errie. "Errie, this is a library and I would appreciate it if you didn't shriek. Two of us are eating, two of us are studying, and we ALL want quiet. That's why we came to the, you know, library?~" he rubs the thumb and middle finger of his right hand on his temples. Please just go now."

All of this bullshiit talk of cats and butterflies. Who cares? Does this suddenly make me not a snake? Does that mean that I've spent my whole life one way, and now that I find out I may be an insect or a feline it changes everything about me? People can't honestly believe that the entire horoscope people have followed their whole lives is suddenly, mystically wrong. They can't possibly be that stupid. Stupid insects. And everyone knows cats can't swim; how would it ever make it out of a roaring river? Another sigh.

"And their names are Hinoiri-chan, and Miyamoto. Have some respect for your classmates."

[Hemnon]

Nanami

After a few seconds, her heart rate returned to normal and she nearly melted against the table, face and arms pressed down against it, an exhausted expression clear on her face.

As the Zodiac stuff was meantioned, Nanami unconsciously murmured out: "Oh yeah, that's right... i were to be a butterfly if a 13th month was there...~" She was clearly just thinking out loud... eh, well... not really 'loud', but rather just vocally enough for it to be heard.

[Valik Sparks]

All

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHtHxaPFQEg)

After a long moment, as though processing Hinoiri's words, Bo slowly lifts his hand, expression unchanged as he moves away and stands awkwardly at the end of the table. His arms dangle limply at his sides, and the look in his eyes shows that all of him is not currently present and accounted for.

Errie is looking increasingly flustered with everything Shaylin is saying, but she doesn't back down. "You fit the Snake just perfectly, don't you Shaylin! No fun, no fun at all! Hmph." She looks across the way at Nanami. "Yeah, I remember! I checked out your birthday, and you're definitely a Butterfly! That's so exciting! And adorable! You're a perfect Butterfly!" She giggles, and then abruptly stands up.

"I shall now take my leave! Enjoy your lunch everybody! And please consider joining the Zodiac Club! We have lots of fun, and are very interesting! I promise!" She nods astutely, and then spins on her heel, marching off. She has to stop, come back, and flick Bo in the ear to wake him from his stupor, and then he trudges out of the library with her.

Sadly, it's not long until the bells ring, signaling the end of lunch break, and the group is swept off to their next barrage of classes. The day goes by in a haze, Mr. Takashi and Ms. Ritsuo swapping places for a couple classes. Ms. Ritsuo still hasn't calmed down. But eventually, the last class lets out, and the students are left to their own devices...

Many students are heading off to various clubs, while others are just going home, or lingering in the halls or library to talk.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

After Nanami collapses against the table, Hinoiri looks worriedly over, relieved when the white-haired girl seems to be fine. So...she has some sort of...heart condition? From the way she pressed her hand against her heat, I'd presume shocks aren't good for her. I hope she'll be okay the rest of the day.

She returns Nanami's lunchbox. "Um, thanks so much for letting me have some of your food. And...I hope you're feeling all right." She attempts a small smile at Shaylin and Hideki. "And...thanks for having me." Picking up her bag, she then beats a hasty retreat.

And...well, I guess it was sort of nice in the library. Even if we didn't talk. Especially if we didn't talk.

---

When the class finally lets out, Hinoiri lets out a sigh of relief. Finally, she can escape. As she trudges through the halls, she looks again at the flier.

So strange, how everything fit together. So now I'm a Cat? But this is all hypothetical. I wonder...the Zodiac Club might have something interesting today. And I'm not obliged to join. Hmmm...

Curiosity killed the cat. And I'm a Cat now, aren't I?

Stop being so fatalistic. You can always say you might need to leave early.

Hinoiri turns and heads toward the room in which the Club meeting. Kumori had better be thankful. But she was doing it for herself too, she supposed.

Well, let's see how this goes.

Curiosity killed the cat...

I should really stop thinking that. Just go in. She nervously pushes the classroom door open.

[fendrin]

Hideki

Class ends, and Hideki gathers his belongings. Exiting, he watches Hinoiri head towards the club meeting.

Lunch today, does that mean we're... friends? No, we just ate lunch together. Sort of. I wonder what the Zodiac Club will be talking about. I have a little time before Kendo practice, I guess I can sit in a little while... maybe I can learn to be a better Dragon and make Father happy.

He goes to his locker, putting in his class stuff and getting his shinai. He heads to the club room and takes the seat by the door, the better to slip out without disturbing anyone.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Not feeling up to class, Nanami headed for the nurses office and just lay down on her usual bed, not even saying anything to the Nurse, because they have done this routine so many times now.

Urgh.... I feel like crap. She thought to herself as she slowly drifted off to dreamland and happier thoughts.

[Valik Sparks]

Nanami

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2hgqYCVodQ)

Not knowing how long she'd slept, the small girl awoke to the sound of shuffling movement, and light breathing of someone very nearby. When her eyes fluttered open, Nanami found her entire field of vision filled with the upper half of a pale skinned face, one eye blue and one faintly purple, a purple tattoo of a heart beneath the blue eye, and dark bangs of hair nearly brushing against Nanami's forehead.

Shinobu lurched upright, mouth falling agape, eyes going wide. "I-I-I..! I'm sorry! I was just..! I thought you were asleep, a-a-and, I, I just...I was..." Her gaze flickers away; she's rarely ever able to hold eye contact, and her fingers are tapping against each other. She quickly looks back up. "It wasn't anything...! -um..weird." Her hands start rubbing together and she stares at the floor, voice going low and mumbly. It's then that Nanami notices the stethoscope dangling around Shinobu's neck. "I just wanted to practice a bit as a nurse is all..."

"My dad's...o-out..." Shinobu takes a step back and starts meshing and kneading and twisting her hands together in an odd, anxious fashion. She's terrible with people, but she's slightly more comfortable with Nanami, thanks to her generally sweet attitude, and constant visits to the nurse's office. "H-..how are you...feeling? School's out, so...You could go home now. Or to your club. I mean if you're in a club, I don't know..." She pauses for a second, seeming unsatisfied with what she's said so far. "Uh, um, do you need anything?" She quickly opens up a cabinet and starts rummaging through various bottles of medications, preemptively taking out some of the kinds that Nanami has to take.


Hideki & Hinoiri

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL9FpH4EVi4)

Hinoiri slips into the Zodiac club room, and before the door has even shut behind her, Hideki arrives and lets himself in as well. There are a few rows of chairs set up, and large chest off to the side. Errie is standing next to a whiteboard, holding a marker, in front of the chairs; she's wearing a hat with bunny ears sticking out of it. Bo is standing off in a corner, wearing a beanie with plushie ox horns, and Shizune and Misha are standing over by the chest, Misha wearing a butterfly antennae headband and large, pink butterfly wings, and Shizune wearing plushie gloves with scale print and oversized claws. Seated in the rows of chairs are... Three whole students. Lot of good those flyers did. Errie and Shizune immediately look towards the entryway, Errie's eyes lighting up with excitement, and Shizune's glinting with...something a little darker and mischievous perhaps.

"AAAHHHHHH you guys came! YES!" Errie leaps into the air, not unlike a rabbit, and claps her hands excitedly. The commotion catches the rest of the room's attention, and Misha and Shizune are digging around in the chest...and then they come rushing over. Misha very promptly sticks a headband with cat ears onto Hinoiri, while Shizune is forcibly slipping a similar pair of plushie dragon gloves over Hideki's hands. Errie throws out an arm dramatically. "Welcome! Cat and Dragon!" Misha quickly slips behind Hinoiri and guides her by her shoulders, sitting her down next to a boy who is also wearing a cat-ear headband, and Shizune takes Hideki by the arm and makes him sit down as well. She stands next to him for a moment, looking down, just eyeing him... She holds up a dragon claw hand.

"Hey there." The boy next to Hinoiri had turned to her, smiling warmly. Black cat ears atop a stylish mop of shiny blonde hair-- ...! This wasn't just any boy. This was... Kitsuke Ikibara! Only one of the most sought-after boys in the school! There were girls who would kill to be as close to him as she was right now... She'd heard his name come up more times than she cared to remember in the locker room. "Fellow Cat, huh? I...don't think I know your name actually..." Kitsuke scratches at the back of his neck and grins sheepishly, extending his other hand towards Hinoiri. "I'm Kitsuke."

The door opens again, and Mr. Takashi pokes his head in. He looks about to retreat, when Errie vigorously beckons him in. "Don't worry Mr. Takashi! You can still use our back room today! We don't mind at all!" Takashi seems to be thinking it over, then makes a grunting noise in affirmation, and strides casually into the club room, making his way behind the chairs and through a small small door at the back of the room, which he promptly closes behind himself. Errie smiles. "We let him take smoke breaks in that room. We don't really use it for anything anyways. And if we become an official club, Mr. Takashi will be our teacher representative!" She takes a breath and scans the five people seated before her. "Alright then, new arrivals! I'm sorry to put you guys on the spot, but I think the best way to get everyone to feel comfortable is to just talk a bit! Don't worry, we're all here cause we're interested in the same things, so it'll be just like talking among friends! So! Hideki-san and Hinoiri-chan, why don't you two tell us a bit about how you feel about your Zodiac sign -or new Zodiac sign! Heehee. Maybe tell us what it means to you, and how you think you can relate to it, if at all! You can stand or sit, and it doesn't have to be very long, don't worry, we're very fun and casual here!" She nods rapidly, agreeing with herself.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

Hinoiri eyes the room in some dismay. She had been hoping that more people would come, so she'd be less noticeable. Poor Errie. All that work, and only four students came. She's still pretty enthusiastic, though.

She barely has time to notice that Hideki's also come--that makes five--when Misha suddenly sticks some sort of headband on her and practically shoves her into a seat. Next to someone. Who naturally starts talking to her. Well, what had she expected?

"Um...hello. I'm Hinoiri...It's, uh...nice to know there are other Cats, I guess." She pauses, fiddling with the cat-ear headband to get it to a more comfortable position. Apparently no one had seen Kitsuke come in, or Errie would be practically radiating joy at the sight of so many eager faces in her club. He was nice, she supposed.

"So! Hideki-san and Hinoiri-chan, why don't you two tell us a bit about how you feel about your Zodiac sign -or new Zodiac sign! Heehee."

Wait, what? I came here to learn information, not give it. Well, she was here now. And she would have to talk. Hinoiri remains seated, and begins nervously. "I-I guess, well, if we use the new signs, being a Cat..." Er...I can't really say that 'cats are independent, aloof, and mostly loners, and I think that fits me well.' "...I,um, like that. I had been wondering whether the Cat should have gotten a year...because, um, I have a--I mean, I...have a friend...who's a cat..." She trails off.

That...wasn't exactly coherent.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

With droopy eyes and half-working brain, Nanami just stared at Shinobu for a minute, Giving off a huge yawn before slowly sitting up with that zombie-expression, still staring.

"Did you just kiss me?" She asked half-awake, with a deadpan delivery and monotone voice. Nanami reallly did seem like a zombie that just awoke from the grave. Perhaps she just needed a little while to fully wake up.

[fendrin]

Hideki

Startled by the sudden onslaught of attention Hideki doesn't resist when the gloves are put on him. Looking at Shizune's raised, dragon-gloved hand, he holds his own similarly gloved hand up in front of him and stares at it.


Hideki-san and Hinoiri-chan, why don't you two tell us a bit about how you feel about your Zodiac sign -or new Zodiac sign! Heehee. Maybe tell us what it means to you, and how you think you can relate to it, if at all!

This... this... it doesn't matter. Right? So I'm a dragon. So what? What does it mean except that my family has a breeding schedule? What, am I going to say, we make our own destinies, not some coincidence of birth timing? Since when have I made my own destiny?

"I-I guess, well, if we use the new signs, being a Cat... I,um, like that. I had been wondering whether the Cat should have gotten a year...because, um, I have a--I mean, I...have a friend...who's a cat..."

As Hinoiri trails off, Hideki stands up.

"What does being a dragon mean to me?"
Constriction. No freedom. Conformity. Living the life THEY want for me.
"Nothing, really. Honestly I'd rather have been a cat. Or a butterfly. Or anything else, really. It doesn't really matter to me."
He starts taking the gloves off.
"If you'll excuse me, I need to go soon or I'll be late for Kendo."

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin waits around after school in the courtyard, reading. He had been late leaving the classroom and hadn't yet heard from or seen Nanami. He assumed that Hinoiri and Hideki had gone home, or to the Miyamoto dojo. Kazuko catches up to him in the courtyard.

"Shay-san, when are we leaving?" he asks Shaylin. He sits down and they begin reading together.

"As soon as I hear from Nami-chan, k?~" Shaylin answers. He hopes she didn't already head home. He looks at his watch. Just after 4:30pm. "I guess we'll give her some more time. Did you go take a look at that Zodiac club at all? I know you're pretty into this whole butterfly hype."

"No, but I thought about it. Maybe we could go check it out while we wait on Nami-chan?" He pulls his bag over his shoulder.

"Sure, I don't see why not. But be cautious, these girls are a bit... strange. Just don't get dragged in to anything too ridiculous." With that, they head off to the club room. On the way, they see Takashi-san, and follow him. After he goes in, Shaylin inspects the room from the hallway and notices Kitsuke Ikibara in one of the seats. Odd that Mr. Popular was hanging around with an unofficial (and kind of nutty) club like the Zodiac club. "Be quiet when we go in. They're going to freak out about us... just let them, and let them get back to whatever it is they're doing." He waits until Hinoiri and Hideki are done speaking, then slowly and as quietly as possible opens the door and he and Kazuko slip in to the back row.

[Valik Sparks]

Hideki, Hinoiri, Shaylin

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_W3-k21t2Q&list=PLDEA007FAB5D8F479)

There are a few weird looks cast when Hinoiri gives her rather jumbled and awkward statements. Thankfully, Hideki takes the attention away with his own answer to Errie's questions. And then he begins to leave. A duet of "Awwwww" choruses from Errie and Misha as they watch him leave. Shizune frowns disapprovingly, and starts moving her thick, plushie dragon hands around, but quickly realizes she cannot effectively sign with them on. Errie seems about to protest Hideki's leaving, but as he opens the door, Shaylin and Kazuko are revealed! Hideki is immediately forgotten, in an amusing and perhaps depressing manner, as Misha and Shizune fly back to the chest and retrieve more animal-themed items.

A rat-ear headband is planted on Kazuko's head by Shizune, while Misha comes much too close for comfort and wraps an elastic, velcro belt around Shaylin's waist. It has a green snake tail attached to, dangling out from behind him and dragging on the ground. Misha bounces up and claps her hands. "It's perfect~!"

Shaylin and Kazuko are lead to the chairs, but left to sit where they choose, and Errie smiles brightly at them. "A Rat and a Snake! What diversity! Thank you guys for coming! I'm so happy! I'll have you guys talk a little about how you feel about your signs too, but lemme show you some of this cool stuff first!"

Errie proceeds to reiterate the findings in the ancient text, glossing quickly over the Butterfly in order to get to the Cat, and how exciting it is that the Cat was mentioned, and that, since the story is incomplete, there's a good chance the Cat might not have drowned after all! She presents a few wild theories as to what the actual story might be, like, the Butterfly found the Cat and gave it mouth-to-mouth CPR to revive it. Or, everyone assumed the Cat had drowned, but it actually just came very late, after everyone left, because the Butterfly saved it, and carried it to shore, but had to move very slow because it was so small and the Cat was very heavy for it. Errie presents the 'evidence', which is just the few phrases that have been translated so far, all of which mean little to nothing out of context. Like, "the Cat was witness to", "because of the Dragon's rain", "The Butterfly decided to fly across the river."

During Errie's ranting, Kitsuke keeps glancing over at Hinoiri... It becomes pretty obvious to her early on, but every time she might glance at him, he looks away to pretend he's listening to Errie. However, after a little while, he finally leans over, and whispers, "Uh... um, I...I think those cat ears look really cute on you." He straightens up, grinning bashfully and glancing away and back.

"Ok! Shaylin! I choose you! What's it like to be a Snake?? Do you think it particularly suits you? Do you like it?" Errie points dramatically at Shaylin.


Nanami

"Wh-..whaaaaaaat?!"

Shinobu jerks upright and tries to turn around at the same time after Nanami's accusation. She ends up banging her head into an upper cabinet door she left open, and she spills her armful of bottled medications all over the ground, causing a cacophony of banging and rattling and her own pained yelp. She squeezes her eyes shut and rubs her head, then blinks, and stares wide-eyed at Nanami. "N-n-n-no! Of course not! That's.. I didn't do anything like that!"

She bends down, scrambling to collect the spilled bottles. "I-..I-" She stammers. "I was just checking your pulse, a-and your breathing! And heartrate, and temperature, that's all!" Her cheeks have flushed with red, and she stands up, backing away a bit, and glancing down at the bottles back in her arms. "S-so.. do you need anything?"

Nanami feels her stomach tightening a little, and a slight gurgle comes from it. She still feels hungry for some reason. And just the thought of food is almost making her salivate. Especially some nice, juicy, dripping-with-savory-sauce meat. That would be perfect.


Hideki

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKemoUX2G2M&list=PLQYcoF070AtTc64hUYP0qIjZdZzseHwdZ#t=50)

Things are quiet at Kendo club, as usual. In fact, today there's only one person there. A boy named... Katsuragi? Yeah, something like that. He's working on his form in the center of the room, but when Hideki comes in, he stops very abruptly, and turns to look at Hideki. He almost looks like he's...glaring a little.

"Miyamoto." He swings his shinai in a circle and then drops it on his shoulder. "I found out something interesting last Friday. I'm actually a Butterfly."

Hideki isn't sure why...but he gets this weird, twisting feeling in his stomach, and there's a foul, bitter taste in his mouth. Katsuragi takes a few steps forward, and then his eyes narrow darkly. "And you're a bastard dragon." He brings his shinai down suddenly, held firmly in both hands as he sinks into a fighting stance. "How about a little warm-up spar?" It comes out as a growl, sounding kind of...threatening. And before Hideki can even say anything, Katsuragi is already charging at him, sprinting all out, swiping his shinai with much more force than necessary. And Hideki hasn't even gotten to draw his own shinai yet!

[Hemnon]

Nanami

With a few more blinkings, Nanami did appear to actually wake up, her eyes widening to a normal size and her perceptions seem to work as well. "You alright there, Shinobu-chan?" She asked and gave off a huge yawn, then before relaxing back down, she touched her lips, looked at Shinobu's lip them down at her own mouth a few times. "Oh... oh well, not like it matters~" she said to herself and swung her legs out over the side of the bed she was in and remained there a little to make sure her balance was totally functional. "Um... Shinobu-chan, do you have any of the meds i need at hand right now? because they alway make me all woozy a little while after i have taken them, so i thought'd be best to take them now and then go home before the effects hits me~" She said with a gentle smile. her big blue eyes where clear like a summer's sky, warm and invitingly calm.

[fendrin]

Hideki

"Wha..."

Katsuragi is on him before Hideki can even formulate half a thought.
Drawing his shinai wrong-handed, he barely gets it out in time, and with an awkward off-handed parry deflects the blow. However, with so much force is behind the blow and without proper form in the parry, Hideki feels the force transfer down his arm and into his left shoulder, trailing a burning that ends in a tingling partial numbness.

Reflex and deep muscle memory kick in, and with hardy a thought Hideki shuffle-steps to the side, letting Katsuragi get slightly over-extended. Establishing a proper grip, he swiftly flicks his shinai around, sending Katsuragi's flying away.

Compared to Father he isn't much of a threat.

"Katsuragi-san, what are you doing? If sensei were here he would kick you out for that!"

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

Quite relieved that the attention is no longer on her, Hinoiri watches Hideki leave and Shaylin and his...brother? be subjected to the apparently ritual treatment for anyone coming to the club. Hideki seems rather...touchy about his sign. He says it doesn't matter, but still. Hmm. She vaguely remembered some things from the conversations in the library before about his family having some sort of dojo, and something about it being passed down to him eventually. But that didn't help as to why he was so...sensitive.

Errie's talks about the uncovered documents and "proof" turn out to be rather disappointing. Hinoiri had been expecting more delving into old myths and tales and just going over the historical text in general, not circular logic and shaky theories. But it was strangely nice to be a Cat. Even if the Cat didn't really have a year, she'd still pretend it did.

Slightly more disappointing is the fact that Kitsuke keeps sneaking glances at her. While he was nice and all, she much preferred to stay invisible and watch from the shadows. She was pretty sure she'd be set upon by hordes of rabid teen girls if she ever mentioned that she had ever thought such a thing, but--argh, too much happening today. It's like everything from last school year combined into a day. I shouldn't have come to the club. I could be in the park with Kumori and a fresh new notebook now.


"Uh... um, I...I think those cat ears look really cute on you."

Hinoiri nearly sputters, and turns quite red.

Can I just die now?

She turns and focuses rather avidly on the front of the room--or more accurately, the clock, hoping that Shaylin or someone will go up and speak. Whenever the club ended, she was going to bolt out of that room as fast as her middling track speed would let her.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

Kazuko stands with his rat-ear headband and clears his throat. "Being a rat sucks. I wish I could have been a butterfly or a cat, anything that signifies that I don't have to be a rat. I'm tired of waiting for my "success and wealth" that I might have later in life. I'm not getting it now, so what's the point?" and he sits back down.

Shaylin has never heard his brother like this. His eyes widen at this revelation by his brother and he stands up himself. "Uh, yeah I guess being a snake is cool and stuff. It fits me pretty much spot on." gives a weak smile and sits back down.

Why do people care so much about all of this...

[Valik Sparks]

Hinoiri & Shaylin

Waiting a few moments, Kitsuke continued to smile at Hinoiri. But her silence caused the situation to grow awkward rather quickly. He blinked, glanced away, and then looked back at her. His lips parted, but it took another second for him to stammer out the words. "Uh--..I just..." He quickly cleared his throat, regaining some composure and forcing back his blush with a grin. "We haven't really talked or anything, but I see you around. We're in the same class. You always look a little lonely, and...well, if you wanna hang out or something, sometime, I'm game."

Errie, meanwhile, lets silence hang in the air for a moment after Shaylin's rather...brief introduction. She suddenly claps her hands together. "Ok! Well.. I guess this is good in a way! It seems like all of you guys only know the basics about your signs, but that's what this club is for! Diving deeper! Finding out the little details and implications you never knew about! For example, did you all know that the Cat has appeared in other ancient tales and mythos? Perhaps you've heard the story of the great banquet, in which all the animals were invited, but the Rat told the Cat it was the day after it actually was, and so the Cat stayed home on the day of the banquet, dreaming for a tomorrow that never came!" Her finger has been held up matter-of-factly, but now she lowers her hand and frowns. "Awwww... poor kitty. The Rat can be quite crafty and mean sometimes, but I'm sure he doesn't mean it! His jokes just go a bit too far, but he really loves to make people laugh, and bring a little surprise and fun into things! So you should try that, Kazuko-kun! Think of something you can surprise someone with, and do it! You might really enjoy it!"

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqo4tIvyjz8&list=UUS30b-SsFjb05xrjbdwEXqA)

"And Hinoiri-chan! You should get out more! And smile! The Cat is very playful, so you need to have some fun; bottling yourself up is no good for a Cat! And while the Cat got bested by the Rat sometimes, he always had something to say about it, and sometimes he even got the Rat back with a trick of his own! So don't let people push you around Ok? Let your voice be heard! Sometimes following your Zodiac can be very good for your soul, and bring you happiness that you never knew how to get before! So you should definitely try it!"

Errie turns her gaze and beams at Shaylin. "And you there, Mr. Snake! Have you ever heard of Nimaijita? I bet you haven't! There's a story about how, when the Snake was establishing its territory, and the people it would govern, it wanted only the strongest people who could bring in lots of harvest and become very wealthy! But there was one, young widow lady who owned a large piece of land thanks to her husband, but since he passed away, she had to work it all by herself. She couldn't do a lot of work, and so she wasn't as productive as she had the potential to be, but she always worked her hardest, and did everything she possibly could. But still, it was so much less than any of the other people, and so the Snake, spotting the weak link, tried to get her to leave, by sending many curses upon her and her land. He caused bad weather, bad soil, bad weeds, bad sickness...but she kept working. Even when she was sick and hurting, and even when the weather was bad, she never took a break! She was so loyal to the land, and her fallen husband, and eventually, as he watched her, the Snake grew to love her, and he took away all the curses, and blessed her a hundred times over! He told her that because of her faithfulness and diligence, he would give her a daughter that would live forever and be richly blessed with power, wealth, and authority!" Errier pauses for a second. "...and we're gonna skip over the next part cause it's gross BUT ANYWAYS. This woman bore a daughter later, and named her Nimaijita. She was half human, and half deity! The first of her kind! And they say she is the ambassador between the Snake and all of us, even to this day!"

It's then that bells start ringing, signaling the end of official club time, although students are technically allowed to stay a while longer if they wanted. Errie pouts a little as she looks up at the clock. "Awww.. that time already... I guess you guys can go now, but you don't have to! We can stay and chat more if you like! And please consider joining the Zodiac club for real! I'll be sad if you don't!" She puts on a rather hammy sad-puppy face. "And so will Bo!" Still off in the corner, Bo is staring at the wall, his body swaying slightly, like he's a plant in a light breeze.


Nanami

Shinobu is nodding quickly. "Y-yes.. Yes, I have them right here. Here, I'll..." She quickly hurries over to a counter and sets the bottles down, unscrewing lids and popping out pills with deft efficiency. She seems to have memorized Nanami's dosages, and she gets out all the pills the small girl will need to take. She brings the medications over to Nanami, along with a glass of water, and offers a small smile as she passes them off, before shuffling away to put the bottles back in their places.

When she turns back, she seems slightly more composed, and her smile more genuine. "Be.. be safe. On your way home."

Nanami's stomach is also still complaining rather obnoxiously.


Hideki

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGz4i0LtAqw#t=39)

"GAH!" Katsuragi stumbles bad, hissing through his teeth as he watches his shinai go flying across the room and bounce off the wall. He cursed Hideki again, retreating. Then something of an eerie smile crossed his face. "Sensei's out sick today... Serves him right. You know he's a Dragon too? I bet that makes you feel all special... You, your dad, your grand-dad... What are you, some kind of twisted, cultist family?" As he speaks, he's strafing away, towards a wall. "That's seriously sick. Calculating childbirth to make sure its a Dragon? I mean, what the hell. You're all so prideful. Dragons. You're all the same. You think you can just do what you want. You think that you're the strongest, the fiercest, the smartest." He looks up at the wall...

...Sensei's katana is on display, perched on two hooks.

Katsuragi grabs the katana's handle and hoists it off the wall, turning around and readying it in his hands. He begins walking towards Hideki. "Come on then. Show me. You think you're so fricking special? Surely you can beat me, even if I'm wielding a true blade, and you a practice stick..." He grins, a wide, toothy grin. "Come on, Dragon... Come and devour this little Butterfly... Surely I'm no match for you." He swipes the sword a few times through the air, and continues to advance on Hideki... But he does not make the opening move. The foul, bitter taste returns to Hideki's mouth, a little stronger than before.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Nanami smiled in return to Shinobu, although she winced a little as her stomach once again was being problematic... was she getting sick or something? Nanami herself had no idea and it really didn't feel like being sick, just more on the craving-for-meat hunger... although that was rather strange, she rarely ate that much meat, since she'd been instructed to eat more varied since her heartattack.

With a slight groan, she got to her feet, waved goodbye to Shinobu-chan and calmly headed out.... until she hurriedly re-entered the nurses-place and picked up her back, before TRULY heading out to see if Shaylin was still around or if he'd gone home... but where should she start? maybe the sportsclubs?? She really did have no clue, so she decided to start with the kendoclub and work her way through the out-doors clubs, and if he by chance was indoors, he might see her wandering around outside, if she was lucky.

So, First stop: Kendo-Club. As always, she gently knocked on the slide-door before entering....

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

I...should try to be less rude. If I am? Or wait...I don't know. Hinoiri attempts a debatably-successeful smile in response to Kitsuke. "I, uh...um, thanks...that might be...nice."

"Nice"?! My spoken vocabulary is pathetic.



"And Hinoiri-chan! You should get out more! And smile! The Cat is very playful, so you need to have some fun; bottling yourself up is no good for a Cat!"

Cats...are very...playful...and...fun. Sure. I'm also not a Cheshire Cat. Though the ability to seemingly teleport, selectively turn invisible, and move through solid matter would probably be nice. Hinoiri wonders if Errie has actually ever been around a real cat, not just some anthropomorphized Cat of yore. She's also not quite sure what the whole Nimaijita story has to do with Shaylin, either, except for the virtue of it being about the Snake.

The bell mercifully rings. Hinoiri grabs her bag, gets out a "Thankyougottagohomebye" and rushes out the door, hoping the others don't stare at her exit. Right. Like they won't.

Luckily most of the students are still in the process of leaving their clubs, or are already gone, and she can get through the hallways quickly. Wait--white hair. Was that Nanami going into the Kendo Club'? Huh. I guess she doesn't have so much of a heart problem. And finally, the last door. Hinoiri breathes a sigh of relief as she enters open air, and slows down slightly as she heads towards home.

Wait... She touches her hair, and sure enough that annoying headband is still there. I...suppose I'll have to give it to Errie tomorrow. And somehow avoid being roped into the club while I'm at it. Oh well.

Walking at a steady pace, she soon reaches her house, where Kumori is predictably waiting. "Hello, Kumori!" She strokes the cat's grey coat. "Sorry, but there was a club that was supposedly going to elaborate on hints that the Cat might have survived, or should be part of the Zodiac. I've got a flier to show you. Just wait a bit."

Once inside, she puts her school bag in her room, first retrieving her notebook and the flier, and trying to be quiet as Obasan was probably sleeping. Night shifts made life rather strange for everyone. She scribbles a note to her aunt--

Going to be out late. Have own dinner. Hope you slept well! ~Hinoiri

--and places it in the kitchen, besides the fridge. She did it most days, and Obasan probably knew that, but it was still a little tradition that she liked. Then, outside to Kumori.

She shows him the flier as they start walking. "I have to get a new notebook, so we'll go to the stationer's first. And maybe afterwards we can find some more information on our own about that text."

[fendrin]

Hideki

The thoughts tumble through Hideki's head as he tries to find a way out of this situation.

He's totally lost it. Doesn't make him all wrong, though...
"You're right, it is sick, and I never asked to be a part of it."
I can't parry a real sword with a shinai...
"I don't think being a dragon makes me special, it doesn't mean anything."
Maybe I can make it to the door and run...

<knock> <knock> <knock>

Or maybe not. I have to end this fast or whoever that is could get hurt, or worse.

Katsuragi glances at the door, and in that half-second Hideki launches himself at his attacker, landing a solid blow followed by a quicker, lighter one.

"RUN!"

Disengaging and stepping back, he feels a warm wetness drip down his right shoulder.

I'm bleeding? I didn't even feel the blade. Not good....

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin grabs Kazuko and hurries them out the door when the bell rings. "Let's go. I doubt Namichan is still here this late." As they wander through the outside part of the school, he sees Nanami rushing towards the Kendo club. Weird, why is she headed there? He and Kazuko follow, before hearing Hideki yell from inside.

"RUN!"

So they do. Instinctively, Shaylin feels for the gun within his jacket as they approach the club. When they get there, he moves Nanami gently away from the door. "Hi Nami-chan," he says to her quietly. "What's going on in there?" He knocks on the door same as Nanami had, before slowly pushing it open.

[Valik Sparks]

Hideki, Nanami, Shaylin

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIs3zPTF_7Q)

When Shaylin pushes open the door to the Kendo club...he finds a scene that looks like it came straight out of a movie.

Hideki is bouncing back and swinging a sparring stick back into readied position, after what must've been a pretty fierce attack -and as could be expected, the other boy in the room, Katsuragi, is reeling backwards, doubled over a little bit, gripping his side, his other hand going slack for a moment and letting the tip of his blade drop against the floor. Only...Katsuragi's blade is a genuine katana. Hideki seems to have a superficial cut on his shoulder, but Katsuragi appears to be in much more pain out of the two. The bruised, katana-wielding boy looks straight at the doorway...particularly at Nanami.

"You... You're like me."

Nanami sees things a little differently than Shaylin and Hideki... She can see a small swarm of those red butterflies flittering all around Katsuragi, occasionally landing on him and flapping their wings gently. And Hideki... there seem to be.. spots on his skin. Little, shiny spots of...scales? Dark red, shimmering scales are breaking out on the skin around his face and hands. Why doesn't anyone else seem to notice these things..?

Katsuragi lifts his blade and points it at Hideki, still looking at Nanami and Shaylin. "This damn Dragon attacked me! While I was defenseless! All I could do was grab this blade to try and defend myself against this freak! I'm glad you two showed up when you did..." He smiles, and starts walking towards Nanami and Shaylin, swaying a little bit, wincing every now and then, and letting the heavy katana blade drag along the floor behind him, carelessly carving a long, thin trail in the wood. He stares straight at Nanami.

"You're very pretty, you know... It's because you're a Butterfly. Butterflies are beautiful..."

He comes closer, apparently intending to get right up within inches of her, with no regard to personal space. His smile is...huge, and he looks very happy, but given the circumstances, it just looks creepy. "Are you hungry..?" He asks, cocking his head, like talking to a puppy. "I bet you're getting hungry, aren't you..." He reaches out a hand towards her face. "Come with me... I'll help you."


Hinoiri

As Hinoiri left the stationary shop with a new notebook, she couldn't shake the eerie feeling that...someone was following her? It seemed preposterous, but earlier, she did notice the same figure, multiple times, seemingly tailing her. He was a relatively young adult male, with shaggy brown hair, dark, sunken eyes, and a thick brown-leather coat. She couldn't see him anywhere now, though...but this part of town was a little bit more crowded.

Kumori seemed a little on edge as well. He weaved between her legs, mewling a little, and constantly looking down a certain street. He hissed. Then he started moving away, towards a different street, looking over his shoulder and meowing loudly at Hinoiri.

The Chojiin temple was quite near this area. All the little knick-knack, souvenir, and gift shops were rushing to stock up on butterfly memorabilia.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

At first a bit preoccupied with the euphoria of blank pages, Hinoiri gradually realizes that something a bit unsettling is up. He's just...walking in the same direction. Maybe he wants to go to the temple. Or maybe he doesn't...Kumori doesn't seem to like him.

Today is so strange.

As Hinoiri and the cat approach the crowded area near temple, she glances back. Gone. Kumori was...he didn't like that street? She had learned it would be best to trust him. As the cat treads off towards a different street, calling to her, she again throws a quick glance behind her, then starts to follow.

Time for me to disappear, too.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Everyday Things No Longer... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7yhhtzEIJ8)

Nanami could literally hear her heartbeat speed up as she saw that scene in front of her eyes, that the kendo-club... WHAT THE HELL WAS HAPPENING HERE!?! was what her mind was screaming. she was totally baffled from the sight... and then there was all those butterflies and all those lizard-like scales.... was she going insane or something? or was she suffering from something like what happened to that guy in that Saya No Uta Visual Novel? She was leaning more to the first idea.

As that other boy, Katsuragi, suddenly began approaching her, she took an automatic step or two backwards, feeling very scared by his very presence. as he stopped up right in front of her, she was on the nip of passing out. The butterflies... the scales... this odd guy... the blood... it was all beginning to swirl for her, though she was fighting the feeling and was still lucid, although she felt like her heart had traveled all the way up in her throat, restricting her speech so that she could only open and close her mouth like a goldfish out of water.

Her expression held only one emotion: Fear. she was afraid, VERY afraid... and still strangely hungry for a nice and juicy steak or four.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

Shaylin takes a step to the side, trying to come between Katsuragi and Nanami, but the boy was totally disinterested in him. When Nanami sounds like she would choke if the boy came any closer, he moves in.

"Look bud, just calm down," he puts his hand on the boy's shoulder, and his eyes roam back to Hideki, holding his bleeding shoulder. "Hidekikun, are you alright?!~" Terrified to leave Nami with this weirdo, he watches Hideki from the door, but he unbuttons his jacket and reaches inside as if itching. He feels his gun and he unclips the harness holding it to his ribs. Kazuko is standing behind him, wide-eyed.

"Shaykun, what's going on?!~" he said, terrified at the boy walking towards them with a katana. Neither of them were big enough to fight off someone like this!

[fendrin]

Hideki

"Hai, senpai."

This isn't over yet, is it?

He holds his shinai at the ready.

"Katsuragi-sama, please drop the katana."

[Valik Sparks]

Hideki, Shaylin, Nanami

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpcOsft4uec)

He's lying... He's lying through his teeth. And Nanami knows it. Katsuragi was not attacked by Hideki. So then... it must have been the other way around.. But why? As she studies him closer, she finds that he is strangely calm, as though he believes there's nothing wrong with his actions. He seems to...genuinely care about her? There is a softness in his eyes when he looks at her. But the way he said "Dragon" before...it was laced with venom; for some reason, he despises Hideki. And it seems that the reason is...just because he was born under the Dragon..?

Katsuragi glances at Shaylin, and Nanami catches a hint of sympathy flash in his eyes. No, it's apologetic... What would Katsuragi be sorry for?

"You're so hungry, Nani-chan... You want meat, don't you? Don't worry. I'll help you."

He turns and looks at Shaylin again, smiling. "It's nothing personal. Nani-chan's just hungry. And you have lots of meat for her." He stabs his katana straight forward, towards Shaylin's gut.


Hinoiri

Hinoiri is feeling much safer as she slips down the street at darts through a few alleyways, Kumori at her side. Although she had a bit of scare when Kumori suddenly darted off to the side, disappearing around a corner, and by the time she got there, he was gone entirely. But, after just a few minutes of panic, he was meowing behind her, licking his paw as though nothing had happened and he'd been there the whole time.

She hasn't seen that strange man ever since the stationary store, so she's pretty sure she lost him. She has found, however, that as she gets nearer to the temple, the crowds of people are thinning more and more... But that doesn't make any sense. Ever since Friday, this has been the most popular spot in the area. But when she turns a corner and gets a full few of the Chojiin temple grounds... the answer becomes very apparent.

Yellow caution tape is criss-crossed all over the place, stretching between trees and pillars, blocking off entryways, and encircling the whole temple grounds. Police cars are parked all around, with officers and investigation teams milling about, keeping watch, on their phones, kneeling down and examining...a chalk outline. There was a body there. Someone died here. And most likely, more than just one, given the amount of police, and...there were ambulances too. She caught sight of some EMTs hurrying to an ambulance with a stretcher, a body on top, covered in blood. She couldn't make out much, but the body had a distinctive brown coat...it was one of the archaeologists on site. Murdered. Were they all murdered..? Historians, linguists, archaeologists... Innocent men and woman, just seeking knowledge.

Why...?

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Finally managing to get her vocal cords to function again, she was about to say something when that Katana in that guy's hands was suddenly thrust towards Shaylin, and all she could do was Scream..... REALLY loudly. "STOP! DON'T! Was all she could manage within the possible time frame. Her voice was high-pitched, fearful and stained with the sound of tears. The tears that was running from her eyes

She didn't care who this guy thought he was or thought he and herself have between them or if she was hungry for meat!??!. he was about to stab Shaylin with a real weapon, a sword!!?!

"YOU LIAR, YOU F**KING LIAR!" she was cry-screaming, loudly and bonechillingly. Nanami could feel her heartbeats like they where knives stabbing in her chest, with each and every pump it made. It was all so surreal, though it didn't feel like a nightmare or anything like that at all.

[fendrin]

Hideki

"No!"

With not a single thought for his own safety, Hideki throws himself bodily at Katsuragi. The two young men go sprawling to the side, the sword thrust narrowly missing Shaylin and instead leaving a deep scratch on the wall next to the doorway.

Hideki's shinai goes tumbling across the room.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

Hinoiri frowns. Why are there so little people? The answer is made unfortunately clear as she steps forward. Her eyes widen. The first thing that comes into her mind is the saying she had been repeating to herself at the school.

Curiosity killed the cat.

No...so much blood...

/The sun was shining...police at her door?...blood on the carpet...everywhere...parents.../

NO! No, it's just...poor people. Why? Deaths don't usually make sense. But these seem more senseless...if someone was trying to steal the papers, they wouldn't have just killed everyone, would they? These were just the archaeologists and historians and people trying to learn. Why? Who would do this? And as much as Hinoiri doesn't want to think about it, the "how" is probably just as important.

"I'm sorry..." she whispers. They couldn't hear her now. But you never know. She retreats a fair distance and crouches against the wall of a shop, stroking Kumori.

"Why?" The cat stares at her with his green eyes. "Maybe I should just go home now. Today is so strange. But why would anyone do this? A theft is understandable, but this, this is...too much."

She looks up at the clouds. Why?

Curiosity killed the cat.

"Well, I doubt anyone would answer me. But reporters will come, and someone will talk to them. Perhaps I can listen."

She looks over the notebooks in her other hand. Just to wait, now. When they came, she'd move closer.

Curiosity killed the cat...

Yes, but satisfaction brought it back.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

In a flash as Hideki tackles this crazy guy, Shaylin bounces back and whips his gun from its holster. He can't line up a shot with them rolling around on the ground, but still points in that direction. Without looking to Kazuko or Nanami, he asks: "Are you ok, Nami-chan? He didn't get you did he? And Zukokun, you need to go." He pulls his keys out of his pocket and gives them to his brother. "Go home, and call the police. I don't know what's going on with this kid, but he's not about to start anything else while I'm here." He still has his gun leveled at the two wrestling.

He steps up to the two of them and yells: "KATSURAGI!~" hoping to break them up long enough to show the kid his gun and scare him off Hideki.

[Valik Sparks]

Hideki, Shaylin, Nanami

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcCPJT3r0Sk)

Katsuragi roared furiously as Hideki lunged onto him, taking him down to the ground hard. The shinai went bouncing across the smooth, hardwood floor, but Katsuragi managed to keep his grip on his katana. Squirming viciously against Hideki's grip, he lifted his head and twisted around, glaring at Hideki, baring his teeth in a snarl. He pulled one leg free and threw a hard kick at Hideki's face.

That's when Shaylin screamed his name. He looked up, freezing suddenly as he saw the gun. He hissed angrily through his teeth. "This has nothing to do with you, Snake! I never expected you to ally yourself with the likes of him!" He spits it out like a dirty word. One might think Katsuragi had already forgotten that he'd just tried to stab Shaylin... But suddenly, the crazed, katana-wielding boy swung his blade, a little awkwardly, but still quite fiercely, straight at Shaylin's legs.

As Nanami watches the scene play out, she can feel her heart pounding hard in her chest... Then a beat comes too fast. Then another. Then nothing for a little too long. Then two quick beats. Then nothing. A spike of pain shoots through her chest, and her breath is choked off for a moment. Her heart continues to beat fast and dangerously irregular.

If she doesn't get it under control, then...


Hinoiri

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuVktqHTFJg)

Her assumptions are correct, and in time, when the investigation teams have finished their preliminary activities, reporters are allowed to move in, though they're still kept a fair distance away from the scene. All bodies have been cleared, leaving just chalk outlines here and there. Hinoiri is able to get close enough to hear a conversation between a reporter and a man in a long, dark brown coat. He looks like an investigator, fairly young, with a gaunt face, pointy nose, small eyes, round glasses, a bit of scruff on his face, and spiked hair. The reporter is young and female, and putting on a really phony expression of sadness, as she speaks in that perfect, mechanical-sounding television voice. It all feels a little morbid, seeing it from Hinoiri's perspective... Knowing what she just saw, with her own eyes, the blood, and death...and now watching these two people begin to casually chat about it as they are recorded for millions worldwide to watch from the comfort of their couches, dissociated from the reality of it all.

"So, why don't we start with the obvious question, as I think we're all wondering... What happened here, exactly?" The reporter, looking at the camera first, then turned to the investigator and held the microphone towards him.

"Well... We're definitely looking at murder. And most likely, it was done by a group, not an individual. The bodies haven't been run through forensics yet, but just off the top, given the lack of shell casings, bullet wounds, or reported gunshots, we can pretty safely assume that no firearms were involved. That makes gang violence a low possibility. Our culprits were quick, skilled, organized...ruthless. The wounds found on the deceased most resemble sword wounds, at a glance."

The reporter looked at the investigator a little incredulously, pulling the mic back and glancing at the camera. "So you're saying...all these people were killed by group of sword-wielding assassins? What, like samurai?" She says it somewhat like a joke, which doesn't feel appropriate.

"Yes." The investigator answers flatly, a dark look coming over his face. "All 26 people working on site at the time. That's 4 linguistic experts, two teams of archaeologists, totaling at 9 people, along with 5 renowned historians, and 8 security personnel. All dead. In minutes. This is a level of organized crime that we didn't even know existed. The skill, efficiency, and methods...it's all new, and it is not something to take lightly..." The investigator turns his gaze and stares right at the camera.

"I would advise every citizen of Akacho to be on their guard, and be extra careful. Don't take risks, don't be alone, and stay in the safety of your homes whenever possible, until this whole thing is sorted out. And we need to keep people away from the Chojiin site... The only clue we have about these killers, is that for whatever reason...they really didn't like the research we've been doing on the ancient text. They left all the equipment, text, and artifacts untouched, but killed every soul who worked with it--"

He stops suddenly, his eyes widening. The reporter seems to take notice, and she quickly tries to seize the opportunity. "What? What is it?"

"I need to go. I need to go right now." He turns swiftly, moving away, as the reporter tries to chase after him, but is stopped at the yellow tape by two police officers. "Wait! Just one more question! Please, sir!"

He completely ignores her, moving fast back towards the Chojiin site, and the other investigation teams, muttering quietly under his breath.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Nanami suddenly went totally quiet, her hands releasing their grip around her head and instead went directly to press one of them against her chest. Her legs gave away and she fell to her knees, gasps of pain escaping her mouth as her heartbeats fluttered highly irregularly. Pain shot out from her heart, up her arms, nearly paralyzing her in this kneeling position. she fell forward, halting the fall with her free hand against the floor so she was now on her hand and knees, still gasping heavily in pain as her heart beat'd more and more irregularly. The spikes of pain began also shooting down into her legs and directly up into her head.

Tears where streaming down her face, but only choked sobs came from her, sprinkled within the gasps of pain she uttered from the horrible sensation of having one's heart beat out of sync and slowly creep closer to a true heart-attack....

[fendrin]

Hideki

Hideki rolls to the side, avoiding the kick but losing his grip on Katsuragi.

"Damn it!"

He launches himself forward onto the maniacal high school student, landing a solid punch to his temple.

[guriji]

The Ox was able to claim second place, and the Tiger came in third soon after, having swam across the river, fighting the current with its mighty strength. Claiming fourth place was the small Rabbit, who explained how she was able to hop across the rocks in the water, however, she nearly lost the race when she slipped and fell into the river. But a branch bobbing in the water saved her life, as she clung to it, and it later washed her up on the shore.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

That reporter...is so...fake.

Hinoiri seethes a bit at her joke, but becomes extremely interested as the investigator walks off muttering. She strains her ears.

What? What had he become so worried about? What did he realize?


"...not the only ones who worked with the ancient text."

Wait...there were...others? Considering that everyone else who had worked with it had been killed...that probably did not bode well for them, if there were.

As she gets up, she involuntarily glances over the...crime scene. Blood. So much blood...like...dead. Mother, father...no, it's not them.

She takes a deep breath, and says somewhat shakily to Kumori, "Come on. Let's just walk around the perimeter a bit, to see if there's...if we can learn anything else."

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

Shay line cries out in pain as he twists his ankle as he tries to spin out of the way out of the blade. He falls to the ground, leveling his gun at the boy even as Hideki collides with him. A sea of terrible, terrible memories flooded into him. His mother. A body on the floor. Trembling hands.

"Katsuragi!!~" his hands shake. His heartbeat quickens. His blood boils. Suddenly as he gasps for air he remembers Nanami. He turns to see her choking and gasping and stands tenderly before approaching her, still keeping his gun on Katsuragi.

"Hideki, stop so I can pin him out!"

[Valik Sparks]

Hideki, Shaylin, Nanami

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nVvgvrY7xk#t=22)

Katsuragi roared with pain as Hideki's blow struck solidly into the side of his cranium. His head lashed to the side, and his eyes squeezed shut, mouth agape. But he wasn't out yet. His head snapped back upright, a furious glare boring into Hideki, spittle hanging on his teeth and around the edges of his mouth, and splotchy red marring the side of his head where blood vessels had broken. He seemed to have completely forgot about Shaylin and Nanami, as, even with Hideki overtop of him, he raised up the katana in both hands, allowed it to swing downward like a pendulum, and then plunged it deftly downward, straight towards Hideki's body. Of course, if it went through, it could very well end up driving into Katsuragi as well.

"DIE YOU @#(*&%@!! DRAGON!"

The positioning was bad, and the blade wasn't dropping towards anything vital, but the movement was so fast and reckless, and Hideki was in a horribly ill position to dodge from.


Nanami's senses are starting to come back to her, and the pain is starting to receed, but just barely. She can feel herself gaining control over her heart-rate...but damn, it hurts a lot.


Hinoiri

As she makes a wide circle around the Chojiin site perimeter, Hinoiri gets more than a few looks from patrolling officers, but as long as she keeps moving, they don't approach her. It looks like more high-tech forensic teams are approaching, taking samples and asking questions. There appear to be a few civilians on site also, being spoken to by investigators. Perhaps witnesses of some kind. From the few words Hinoiri picks up here and there, she learns that, at least so far, no witnesses who actually saw the event were found. The only "witnesses" so far have been people who heard things... But even that isn't much. One witness claims to have heard a muffled scream, but had written it off as an animal's noise, perhaps a cat. He seems very ashamed now.

"...9 years old."

Hinoiri stops as she catches the tail end of the statement. Two officers are talking amongst each other.

"The kid was freaking 9 years old... And they gutted him. Just like that. Body was found right on the edge of the temple grounds. Investigator's think he saw something, and they killed him to make sure there were no witnesses. $#%&ing animals."

Suddenly, Hinoiri feels a solid grip clamp down on her arm.

As she instinctively whirls around, she comes face to face with that spikey-haired investigator with the glasses. He's scowling down at her. He's very tall.

"What are you doing out here?" He says sternly, but not aggressively.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

Listening to that witness as she walks--slowly enough to hear as much as possible, but not too look to suspicious, Hinoiri again hears mentions of cats. Or in this case, something that sounded like a cat, singular.

A...cat. That is even stranger. She looks at Kumori walking besides her. "You would have gotten away, wouldn't you? Or wouldn't any cat have?"

Butterflies and cats. Was everything connected to this "new" zodiac today? Somehow it wouldn't have surprised her if that had been a real cat. Or...maybe...a Cat. But--that didn't make any sense. Keep walking, don't go off into pointless theories.

And then she hears the next discussion. Why...? Poor child. Why would someone want to kill a 9-year old? Actually, what would a 9-year old be doing here?


"What are you doing out here?"

Well. I guess it's perfectly reasonable for others to be wondering the same thing about me.

She looks up at him, clutching her notebooks a bit nervously to her chest with her free arm. Now I feel even shorter than normal.

"Sorry, sir, I...I had wanted to visit the temple, because of all the findings, and news, and...stuff...but then when I got here, there was...well..."

Blood, so much blood, everywhere. Father... Her voice falters, though not really because she's concerned with appearing real. She swallows.

"Um, and then I wasn't really sure what...what to do...so I was going to walk around a bit, and then get dinner and head home. I'll do so now. Sorry if I'm inconveniencing you, sir."

"And...I'm sorry for those people." Shifting her gaze, she stares sadly into space in the general direction of the temple.

"Um, but that won't change anything," she adds hastily after a few moments. "I'll go. Sorry."


She turns to her cat.

"Come on, Kumori, let's go get something to eat."

All right, please just let me go in peace.

[fendrin]

Hideki

Hideki rolls to the side as fast as possible, barely managing to clear the descending sword. However, his landing is awkward, and his head hits the floor hard.

Stunned, he puts his hands to his head trying to stifle the throbbing pain.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

With an incredible mental strain, Nanami manages to get her breathing under control and, luckily, her heartbeats into a regular pumping, saving herself from a possible heart attack.

The physical and mental exhaustion rushes through her, causing her to collapse against the floor, breathing deeply and heavy with her cheek pressed against the floor, her eyes closed as she just concentrates on her breathing, shutting everything else out.

[Valik Sparks]

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKemoUX2G2M)

Hideki, Shaylin, Nanami

As Hideki lunges out of the way, just barely, Katsuragi's reckless move comes back to bite him. Hard. There is no way to stop the thrust of the heavy blade, and it continues along its trajectory, plunging mercilessly down into Katsuragi's own abdomen.

There's a horrible squelching noise, and a sick thud as the sword goes all the way through his body and sticks into the hardwood beneath him. Blood spurts from his torso, and his body convulses, only causing the wound to worsen, as he throws his head back, skull hitting the ground hard, but he doesn't even seem to notice, eyes wide, pupils shrunk, mouth agape, screaming in raw agony. He starts to cough violently, blood and spit sputtering from his mouth as his hands shake and hover near the sword handle, while the rest of his body twitches and jerks in time with his gasps and chokes.

"B-...Bas..tard..." His cracked, hoarse voice barely slips from his throat, as his head rolls to the side, eyes fixated on Hideki with a look that still retained some of its fury even amid the blinding pain. Hideki could almost feel the blame and hate that Katsuragi cast out, even as he lay there with a sword sticking out of him, slipping away fast, into shock.


Hinoiri

The investigator looks at Hinoiri for a long, drawn-out moment. His lips purse tightly, and he somewhat throws her arm back to her, though not too roughly. "It's dangerous..." He mutters, glancing at the temple grounds. "Go home. Don't come around here anymore." He seems about to leave, but pauses, retrieving a card from his inner coat pocket. He holds it out for her in two fingers.

"If you need anything...or if you see something suspicious, anything at all. Give me a call." With a rigid farewell nod, he passes the card off to her, and moves briskly away, slipping under a stretch of yellow tape. The card has his name printed on it.

Sato Lionel
Head of Investigation


As she heads back the way she came, Hinoiri catches a strange smell in the air that makes her nose turn up as she slips through an alley. That is to be expected, given that dumpsters and litter tend to frequent alleys, but this was a little different... It was strong, dizzying in a way, and not so much foul as it was...overwhelming. A strange, metallic, stinging smell that seemed to condense in her mouth and nose, until it felt like it was under her skin, in her sinuses, behind her eyes, in her head... If she had to guess, it seemed like a huge overdose of the smell of--

Hinoiri's body is jolted to a stand-still as she turns a corner. There's a body. Drenched in thick, oozing, half-dried, dark red...

Blood.

It was a man... Emphasis on "was". Adult, but fairly young. Pale skin, very pale now. Shaggy brown hair, caked with blood. Dark, sunken eyes...glazed over with deadness. And a thick, brown-leather coat, now splattered with stains of red. He was literally torn open. Sitting, slouched against the alley wall, stains of blood splashed all around the area around him, and his black undershirt torn to rags, leaving almost all of his torso exposed...what was left of it anyways. Raw flesh glistened, still wet, in a horrid mess of meat, blood, and organs all haphazardly shredded and slashed, bits of starchy white bone protruding here and there. This... this man...

This was...

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

At first, Hinoiri just feels slightly light-headed, half-expecting the...horror in front of her to disappear, just a product of her overactive mind and poking around too much. But...that...smell...

Blood, blood everywhere. Lost... Suddenly, dinner did not seem like a very good option.

Wait...isn't he...isn't he that...man? Who looked...like he was...following...me...earlier.

Why? What is going on? Too much. No matter how perfectly mundane tomorrow might be, it was not going to be the same. She had a feeling that this was just the beginning, too. Who...? And why?

She takes a shuddering breath. "Come...come on, Kumori. Let's...just go home now." Then she remembers the card in her hand. "Just...after I tell...him."

Noting the location, she retraces her steps. Back, back, back to the temple. Some very distant part of her mind thought that a phone number might have been nice. She nervously goes up to the nearest official.

"Ex-excuse me..." she clears her throat. I really should have gone over what I was going to say... "I...would, I mean, may I...speak with Mr. Sato? Or...or anyone."

"I-I found...something. Somebody...else...was...killed."

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

Shaylin stares in awe, gun still leveled, but shaking horribly now. As Katsuragi falls to the ground, he retches and spills on the floor. Turning to Nanami, he asks; "Are you okay, Nami-chan? And you, Hideki-kun?" When Nanami notes that she is not at any serious risk, he limps over to Hideki. "Did the blade get you badly?" He checks the shoulder that was bleeding when they arrived.

[fendrin]

Hideki

Hideki sits up and shakes his somewhat pounding head.

"I don't think so. Just a scratch."

He looks over at Katsuragi.

"Quick, call an ambulance!"

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Pale, sweet little Nanami was looking even paler now, although her breathing had returned to a more steady rythm. *badump, badump, badump* her heart rate went, calm and steady.... luckily.

She was still a bit too exhausted by the sudden heart-flutter and her limbs were still feeling ice-prickly and heavy to move. So she couldn't answer any questions at the moment, only keep her breathing calm and deep.

[Valik Sparks]

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJn4RLhAUjA)

Hideki, Shaylin, Nanami

Shaylin quickly identifies Hideki's wounds as superficial; just cuts and bruises, nothing that requires immediate attention. Kazuko must have found some help, because within the next couple minutes, EMTs are rushing into the room and loading Katsuragi onto a stretcher...


The next thirty minutes pass by in a blur. The trio are ushered out of the room and taken to the nurse's office. Dr. Shinra Dakihara looks them over, disinfecting Hideki's cuts and covering them with small bandages, and he gives Shaylin a quick look over, and Nanami a little longer of a check-up, asking her a lot of questions about her heart. In the end, he seems satisfied, and relieved; the three came away from it all relatively unscathed. But as soon as the doctor has done his work, the questions start coming in. Police officers question them as a group, and then individually, all while still at the nurse's office. They each end up having to retell their story two or three times before officials seems satisfied. Shinobu watches shyly from behind her father, and some students attempt to gather up in the halls, drawn to the commotion, but they are shoo'd away by the authorities.

At the end of it all, Hideki, Shaylin, and Nanami find themselves standing together, outside the school, finally released, and told they can go on home...


...What the hell just happened?


Hinoiri

The police officer that Hinoiri approached gave her a very sour frown at first, but when he spotted the card in her hand, and caught her last words...his jaw went slack, and his eyes widened slightly. Fumbling a little with his words at first, he quickly glanced off to the temple grounds. "I--oh. Just. Just one second, let me..." He slipped under the yellow tape and hurried off.

Within moments, he was returning, moving briskly, Mr. Sato at his side. Sato's gaze was hard and stony, but concern was evident in his brow. "He tells me you just found...a body? Where?" He asked quickly. Glancing down at the card he'd given her, Sato purses his lips and looks mildly irritated for a moment. He reaches for the card, pausing for just a moment, "Sorry, I, ah, forgot to...", his actions do the rest of the talking as he takes the card from her, pulls out what looks like a highlighter, and swipes it across the bottom of the card. When he hands the card back to Hinoiri, there is a mobile phone number now visible on the front.

He questions Hinoiri, asking what she saw and where, and then hesitantly places a hand on her shoulder. "Look, you, uh... I'm gonna go check it out right away, but... Do you want a ride home or anything..?"

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

"Um, I...I should be fine. I can walk. But thank you for offering, sir."

She turns, a bit unsure, then hurries away, this time keeping to the most crowded and popular streets. Nothing. Else. Will. Happen. Don't think.

Everything passes by in a blur, and she barely avoids walking into people at times. Somehow Kumori manages perfectly fine. Cats always could. And somehow she finds herself in front of her home. There had been butterflies here in the morning. Butterflies and cats and dead people. She rubbed her eyes. Focus.

"Well...thanks for coming with me, Kumori." She heads inside, never quite sure whether to let--ask?--him to come inside. He seemed to prefer not to. Or maybe he did.

Once in her room, she registers the school bag on the floor. Oh. I...have...homework. Luckily she had done a lot of it earlier. Earlier. The morning seemed so far away. Did she have to go in tomorrow? Well, it would distract her. And there would be far less chances for her to stumble upon a mangled body there.

Pulling out some worksheets and a textbook, she sets to work, trying to keep her mind from wandering...remembering. Sleep was going to be hard tonight.

[fendrin]

Hideki

Hideki takes a couple of steps towards home, then turns back to others.

"I..."

He pauses, clearly not quite sure what to say.

"Thank you. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come along."

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Feeling a bit groggy over all that had happened, Nanami felt rather disconnected from everything, like it was all a dream.

Not really feeling up to chatting, she began heading home at a calm and steady pace.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

Shaylin looks around confused and shakes his head. Sighing and looking for Kazuko, he smiles at Hideki. "I'm glad I could help! I hope you get better... maybe we should all ride home as a group... I can take one of you on my bike, if you want."

[Valik Sparks]

One way or another, the Hideki/Nanami/Shaylin trio finds their way back to each of their homes, where each of them are faced with something... unexpected.


GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYj5zwfdM7g&list=PL8EE46741842485CF)


Nanami

Upon entering through her front door, the first thing Nanami notices is the lack of her mother. She would normally be in the kitchen around this time, but she isn't. The house is eerily quiet, and Nanami's father comes straight to her, closing the door behind her. He looks at her in silence for a long moment, then his gaze shifts away.

"Your mother had to go to the hospital today. Until they can figure out exactly what's wrong, she has to stay there...and I..." He swallowed, barely managing to lift his eyes enough to look at her.

"I'm taking the job in Hokkaido. I have to. We need to money. For your mother, for your school..." His voice trails off, and he puts his hand on her shoulder, bending down a little to look at her eye-to-eye. "It won't be for too long, I promise... I'll be back before you know it. And in the meantime... Mr. Yamagata is going to let you stay at his house. He's a good man, and a friend of mine, and I know you get along great with his son, Shaylin." Mr. Aino offered the best smile he could muster. "Get your things organized and packed, and I'll move it all for you while you're at school tomorrow, Ok?"

"Everything's going to be alright..."

He put his arms around his only daughter and pulled her in close. Partly to comfort her. Partly to keep her from seeing his face.


Shaylin

Mr. Yamagata cleared his throat to get Shaylin's attention before the boy could disappear off into his bedroom. "I, uh..." He started, sounding a bit uncharacteristically aloof. "I guess this might be a good time to tell you..."

"Nanami is going to be moving in with us for a while."

He didn't even look at Shaylin as he said it, and he quickly took a sip from something out of a mug and scanned a newspaper in front of him, trying a little too hard to act casual. "I cleared out my office to use as a guest room for her. You'll bring her home with you tomorrow, after school. Her things should be here by now."

Pause. "Just... thought you should know. Carry on."


Hinoiri

As Hinoiri attempts to purge her mind, through productivity, of all the unsettling sights, smells, and sounds she was assaulted with that day...she finds only mild success. Those sorts of experiences aren't easily pushed from the mind.

A couple hours into her homework, and she finds her attention snatched by the window as her Aunt flips on the patio light in the backyard. It's gotten dark out. She think she sees movement. A shadow, a form. A person? It makes her jump, and her skin go cold for just a second... but there's nothing. Just Kumori. Sitting out there, in his favorite spot, where he can peer up in her window. He's doing so now, his big green eyes staring rather soulfully up at her. His tail swishes gently back and forth. A red butterfly darts out of the shadows and into the light, hovering near Kumori, and doing a circle around the cat's head. If she didn't know better, Hinoiri would swear the cat was smiling... But just like that, the butterfly is gone, flitting away back into the darkness.

Kumori continues to gaze intently, right into her eyes.


Hideki

Hideki's return is unceremonious, as always. The house is quiet. There are expectations he has to meet; chores, clean-up, and making his own dinner on weekdays. His father, though sitting in the living room, right near the entry door, does not even look up when Hideki enters. It is customary that Hideki offer his father a quick bow, a show of respect, but Mr. Miyamoto does not even acknowledge it. That's normal.

But as he heads down the hall and away from his father, something catches Hideki's eye. For some reason, his gaze happened to sweep aimlessly towards the dining room for just a moment, and there, mounted on the wall, was his father's prize katana, passed down the Miyamoto family for generations. It was a masterfully forged blade, with gold plating on the handle in the shape of a dragon. The sword was always there, that wasn't anything new, it's just that...this time there was something different. And if not for Hideki's sharp eyes, he might not have noticed. But he did. And it stopped him in his tracks.

There, on the gold plating, the dragon...the shimmering, pristine yellow color...had a touch of imperfection. A smudge. A faint...red...smudge.

[Hemnon]

Soundtrack (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pjdUtgeLMk)

Nanami

Emotions swelled within Nanami as her father explained, though she was just passively standing there. She felt emotionally dulled from everything that had happened and as such she had no idea what to feel or even how to do it right now

Then her dad embraced her and Nanami finally burst into tears, though she couldn't explain what was wrong, it would just worry her dad even more... 'and mom's really sick *sob*, I'm afraid....' she thought to herself as she just stood there, embraced comfortably by her dad.

As they finally stood apart from each other, Nanami just went up to her room to pack all her stuff. For a girl, She didn't own that much clothing, make-up or just STUFF for that matter. She was comfortable and content with what she had, which is quite a rarity for any person. Most either want more than they have or have more than they ever wanted.
As Nanami packed her laptop and all the assorted stuff that came with one such thing into her schoolbag, so she could have it with her. She knew it didn't make much sense to pack it into her schoolbag when her dad would transport her suitcase and stuff for her... but it had been a gift from her mom even the cute butterfly stickers on it was from her mom, and right now Nanami couldn't make herself let it be packed into her suitcase. It didn't make much sense, but she didn't care.

Finally done, Nanami felt so exhausted from the day that she just went right to bed and fell asleep within a few moments.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

Hinoiri sighs and rubs her eyes. This wasn't really working. At least she had gotten through most of her homework. As she starts to file away sheets of notebook paper into her binders, her attention is caught by...something...outside. Wait. What's that? A...person?

It's just Kumori, though. Strange. Hinoiri frowns slightly. I'm getting entirely too paranoid.

And there...another one of those red butterflies. If she knew anything about butterflies, she was sure...actually, she didn't really know anything about the native butterfly species. She hadn't really noticed those kinds of butterflies before, so the most she could assume was that they weren't common. But that didn't really help.

She gets up and crosses to the window as Kumori keeps staring at her. Opening it, she lets the cool night air blow across her face.

"Kumori? Did you want anything? I'm probably going to sleep soon. Or try to, at any rate." Of course, no matter how much more than a normal cat he was, he still couldn't talk. Or at least, he didn't talk. Leaving the window open a few more minutes--she supposed it would be all right for him to come in, if he stayed in her room--she continues looking at the cat.

Who are you, really? What do you know?

[fendrin]

Hideki

Hideki watches Nanami depart, then turns to Shaylin.

"Thank you, but I prefer to walk. It gives me time to think. Well... goodnight."

He turns and begins his journey home.

****

Noticing the red smudge, Hideki forces himself not to react; something he has way too much experience with. He walks down the hall to his room, softly closing the door behind him.

Was that... blood?

Visions of Katsuragi float through his mind, disrupting his thoughts.

****

Homework that evening is difficult.

Acceleration is change of velocity over change in time, so we take the integral of velocity at time 2 minus the velocity at time 1... and velocity is the change in position over change in time...

But in his mind all he can see is the katana descending in slow motion, piercing Katsuragi, and the blood seeping out from around it, and in his mind's eye there are measurements and formulae, calculating the velocity and acceleration of the sword. As the red stain on Katsuragi's clothes blossoms like the first flower of summer, graphs are drawn of Katusragi's health moving and accelerating toward the absolute value of death.

Shaking his head to clear the gruesome intertwining of math and mortality, Hideki glances at the clock and sees that it is almost 2am.

Looking down at his homework, it is more or less complete, though probably not terribly correct.

I'm so thirsty... and then I need to get some sleep. If I can.

He walks softly to the kitchen to get a glass of water. On his way back to his room, he finds his gaze drawn again to the weapon wielded by bis ancestors, a blade that has no doubt been bathed in blood numerous times in it's generations-long history with the Miyamoto family.

Without really thinking about it, he pulls out his phone and takes a picture of the sword. It is as beautiful as any painting, but a Van Gogh never sliced through skin and muscle and organs, and a Renoir never ended a life. He steps closer, taking a close-up of the dragon and the red smudge.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

The ride home is brutally slow as the adrenaline forces its way out of his system. His mind wanders absently as he drifts down the road in third gear, gun bouncing against his ribs as normal, but he was painfully aware of it today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

His father was uncharacteristically standing between him and the stairs when he arrived home. Shaylin sighs, wondering what was bothering him today. He still hadn't fully recovered from his wife's death and every day it seemed he was getting worse and worse.

"Just... thought you should know. Carry on." and another sip from his mug. Nanami was going to live with them? Why? This was going to make things... interesting. He swallows hard and looks around to see Kazuko at the top of the steps, sitting around playing something on his phone.

"Hey, dad?" as his father looks up from the paper and in his eyes for the first time, tears shimmering over his eyes. "I love you, dad. I hope you know that." a flicker of a smile, and a hug. Then, his dad retreats to the kitchen and he makes his way upstairs.

Kazuko gives him grief about Nami-chan~ moving in, and follows him all the way to the door of his bedroom before he shuts it in his face and moves to his computer. He spends the rest of the night forcing himself to read online about guns, and motorcycles... and snakes, dragons and butterflies...

[Valik Sparks]

Nanami

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVAWqGj33T8)

The last thing Nanami feels before falling asleep is her stomach gurgling, cramping a little painfully, still crying out for sustenance, for hearty protein, for meat... But her sheer exhaustion allows her to ignore it, and slip away into limbo...into the world of dreams. And nightmares.


It's raining. That's the first thing she can tell. The sound of rain is all she hears. The pitter patter, splash splash, drip drop, all around her. The low, distant rumbling in the sky as a storm growls its way overhead. Then she can feel it. A drop of cold water on her skin. Then another, and another. There's a crack of thunder, and a flash of lightning, and she suddenly finds herself standing in a street. It's very dark. And there's not a soul around. She's completely alone, and the rain is beginning to drench her. Somewhere up ahead...she can see...something. The only way to describe it is "light". But the rain is pelting her so hard...she can barely see anymore. A shiver runs through her body the chill starts to get to her. Her nightgown is utterly soaked, and her hair is plastered to her face with water. It seems as though, when she tries to move for the light, the rain and the wind purposefully go harder against her.

As she tries to move, to make her way forward, the wind gets stronger and stronger, gusting violently against her small, frail form, and nearly throwing her to the ground a few times. She stumbles, sways, careens... There is nothing in all directions. Only darkness and rain. Just that one light ahead of her...

Somewhere in the distance, there is a voice crying out... A wailing, almost cat-like in its drawn-out, high-pitched, warbled cries. She can't see what's making the noise, and she can only barely hear it over the din of the storm. But suddenly...bringing her eyes back to the light after her lapse in attention...there is something new ahead of her.

It is monstrous. Huge. And dark. Almost like a shadow at first, only a blur behind the sheets of rain falling. But as she stares, it starts coming together, piece by piece, the shape revealing itself. There is a gigantic, powerful body, set upon four legs, like mighty pillars, with claws stretching out as though great roots to lock itself against the ground, an immovable monument. A mighty neck stretches up from its body, carrying a huge, angular head. Jagged spikes and knobs adorn the head, and at the tip of its snout, jets of steam burst out like geysers. It is entirely black, like a shifting shadow, but it's eyes are a blazing red, burning through the dark and rain, and piercing straight down at Nanami. It's body has blocked out the light entirely.

The beast looms over the small girl, and an earth-rumbling growl ripples from its throat, ending in a malevolent hiss.


Hinoiri

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRPofKtxRpU)

As soon as she opens the window, Kumori starts moving, and rather quickly at that. His four little legs carry him swiftly to the yard fence, which he shimmies up expertly, and moves with perfect balance across the thin surface. He hops from the fence onto a hanging potted plant, and then onto the veranda hanging over the back porch, and from there, he easily slinks onto the roof and approaches Hinoiri's window, gracefully hopping up onto the window sill and perching for just a moment to gaze into Hinoiri's eyes and allow her to stroke and coddle him. Then he abruptly jumps down into her room and hurries to her bed, climbing up and making himself comfortable on her blankets. He curls up, and then lifts his head, watching her expectantly.

When she goes to bed, Kumori curls up next to Hinoiri, resting in her arms under the blankets, purring softly. His presence brings something of a calmness over her...an inexplicable security. And before she knows it, she's fast asleep...


...Hinoiri isn't quite sure if she's awake or not. Everything is a little fuzzy, and it's hard to form a complete thought. She's still lying in her bed. She doesn't feel Kumori in her arms, or hear his purring, yet...she's not alarmed. And that security and safety she felt is still there. She can feel... something. A presence. Then she hears a breath. A heartbeat. In a strange, out-of-body way, she can see...something...beside her. As she lies on her side, there is a figure lying with her... a person? It's hard to make out. The figure is tall, bigger than her, but the details are shadowed.

"It's going to be Ok..."

His voice was a whisper. Gentle. His hand lightly came up to rest on her shoulder as he inched closer to her. She could make out hair, long, dark locks, and somewhere, shadowed behind them, were soft, vibrant green eyes.

"I'll keep you safe...no matter what... Hinoiri."

The way he said her name...as though he were speaking of a cherished, sacred treasure. Or as though the word itself was something beautiful, and delicate. It was like a lover to his one and only, a father to his daughter, or a loving brother to his sister. It was...close. Sincere. Affectionate. His hand stroked her shoulder just slightly. His touch was soft; reassuring.

"I will always take care of you. Always...keep you safe. You'll never be alone, Hinoiri... Not ever."


Hideki

Seeing the sword up close, Hideki is all-too-aware of the red smudge's eerie resemblance to...blood. But what could he do? What could he say? What would his father do should he dare ask about it..? The questions would have to remain unanswered... The quiet of the house was reminding him that he should already be in bed by now. He'd have to be awake and getting ready for school in a painfully short amount of hours from now...


GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcDdvCMPcsk)

After getting himself into his bed and closing his eyes... Hideki found himself opening them again. Only he wasn't in his bed any longer, or his room at all, for that matter. He was standing in the center of a large, dimly-lit dojo. The weight of a katana hung from his hand, and he felt his grasp around its hilt. The robes of a kendo trainee hung loosely around his frame, and wooden sandals adorned his feet. He heard the quiet clip-clop of another pair of wooden sandals behind him...

"Miyamoto Hideki... You are a Dragon. Do you know what that means?"

As Hideki turned around, he found himself facing his father. The man was wearing master's robes, and wielding a katana of his own. His face was stony, mouth tight, corners turned down in a mild frown as usual, and his gaze sharp and piercing. He lifted his sword and slowly eased into a readied position, circling around Hideki.

"You are to be strong...wise...cunning...powerful...inspiring... Majestic as a great mountain. Fierce and mighty as an all-consuming fire. This is your birthright...your destiny. And you have a job to do."

Miyamoto Rakuza lunged forward, swinging his sword, and Hideki was barely able to bring his own blade to bear in time to deflect the blow; he felt the force ripple through his body, making him weak at the knees. "WHERE IS YOUR STRENGTH?" The elder man shouted into his face, mouth wide, baring his teeth. "Where is your ferocity?!"

Hideki was forced into all-out defense, as he was driven backwards by a flurry of nonstop attacks from his father. Sweat was beginning to pour down the sides of his face, and his arms were going numb. His father only roared, delivering a blow that, even while blocked, forced Hideki to crumple to his knees. Rakuza loomed over him, glaring disdainfully down at his son. "How can you possibly protect these people when you are so weak... How can you possibly carry on our legacy. You have a job to do." He leaned down, snatching Hideki's collar and pulling their faces close together. His voice was low, and dark. "The Dragon is the strongest of all the guardian spirits. It is your responsibility to use your strength to protect this nation, Hideki... There are forces that...must not be allowed to do as they wish. There those who are poisoned by bitterness, and seek only vengeance, wrath, and death. You must not let them have their way... It is your duty to stop them! To protect!"

He shoved Hideki, throwing him out onto his back. "So give up your petty feelings and insecurities and start acting like a Dragon!"


Shaylin

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D4QBB3kMk8)

He's not sure how long he spent burning his eyes out on the computer screen...but at some point, Shaylin opens his eyes to find his head resting heavily on his keyboard, drool trickling out the corner of his mouth. He feels dizzy and...sore. His body cries out in agony as he slowly tries to move it; he's painfully stiff. The computer screen is still on, showing the last webpage he had been reading.

'...the Snake was the most cunning, conniving, and shrewd of all the Zodiac Animals...'

Suddenly, Shaylin spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. His bodily troubles were instantly forgotten as he whirled around in his chair instinctively, nearly toppling over. There was someone there. A tall figure, at the back of his room, blocking the window, a silhouette back-lit by the moon. The form was sleek, slender, feminine, and her lower half flowed smoothly down to the ground, like a dress perhaps. She started to move forward...but her movement was strange. Her body weaved slightly left, and then back to the right, and then back to the left, following this pattern as she almost seemed to hover towards Shaylin. As she got closer, the pale light from the moon, and the white-blue hue from the computer screen began to light up her figure.

Her crimson eyes were like rubies, shining through the dark, each with a vertical slit down the center as its pupil. Her skin was pale, smooth as silk. Her hair, a pink and white tone, glowing under the moonlight, was entwined with royal red thread and pinned with gold and jade, done up in a manner Shaylin had only seen in photos of oriental queens, princesses...or the images of gods. Her ears protruded from either side, thin, and triangular, ending in unnatural points, and a few decorations marked her face in red paint. Her slender neck led down to a figure that could only be described as perfect. Soft, rounded shoulders, sleek arms, and a torso that curved in all the right ways. She wore a tight-fitting, black dress, with an ancient orient style, decorated with gold trim and designs, and at some points, red thread held the the dress together with ties that were weaved decoratively, looking like blossoming flowers. The dress stretched down only a short ways past her waist, and where it ended, where legs should've begun...there was instead a singular, sturdy limb stretching down... White scales (http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2013/065/4/c/lamia_by_banyex-d5x5ulo.png) glistened like diamonds in the moonlight.

The upper body of a beautiful young woman...and the lower half of a snake. Shaylin wasn't even sure if he was awake anymore. The girl slowly weaved forward, her long, white tail, decorated with red paint, snaking across floor and carrying her gracefully forward. There was a small smile playing on her lips, and she dipped her head softly to the side, peering at Shaylin thoughtfully, intelligence clear in her eyes.

"Good evening...Shaylin."

She clasped her hands behind her back, eyes squinting shut as her smile widened, lips parting to show her teeth. Her canines were larger then they should be, acutely triangular, probably ending in sharp points...like fangs. "My name is Nimaijita. But please just call me Nima, Ok?"

She slithered closer, coming within a couple of inches from Shaylin, severely invading his personal space. Her long, delicate fingers gently reached out to rest lightly on his chest as she gazed right into his eyes. Her brow sunk, and her mouth turned down just slightly, her expression looking sad, and a little worried. "I need your help, Shaylin..." Her body moved to the side in strange, levitating manner, as most of her snake-half still remained in front of Shaylin. Her long, muscular tail allowed her to circle all the way around him; as she moved behind him, she dragged one hand across his upper back, and as he turn his head, he found her hovering over his shoulder, gazing at him intently. "I want to give you a gift, Shaylin... You're very strong. Strong in your mind, your spirit, and your body..." Her voice trailed off into a whisper as she came back around in front of him, a circle of snake-tail now loosely entrapping him. She constricted certain muscles, and the tail tugged against him, pulling him gently back down into his chair, a scaly white tail resting in his lap and holding him in like a seat belt. Nimaijita began to coil around him once more.

"I've thought long and hard about it... There are many others born under my sign... But I..." Now effectively tied to the chair by two heavy layers of Nimaijita's tail, Shaylin can only watch as she comes back around for another half-circle, but stops in front of him, coming in close and laying her hands on his shoulders. Their faces are nearly nose-to-nose. She's smiling. "I want you, Shaylin... You intrigue me. I want to connect with you...give you power beyond your wildest dreams. Then you can help me save the world..." She leaned in even further, their mouths nearly touching, until she instead leads her head past his, and she slides her arms around him and pulls him into an embrace. He hears a soft hiss, that reminds him of a happy sigh, and he feels something lightly flickering against the side of his face, and then his ear.

"I will give you your choice of three Absolute Abilities... Absolute Control. Absolute Understanding. Or Absolute Suffering. Just say the word...and it's yours."

[Hemnon]

OST (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztD6rgvUTFs)

Nanami

Scared was not a word Nanami would use for how she felt right then and there... Terrified was more appropriate. Standing there in the darkness, rain falling against her small frame soaking her through and through, Nanami found it hard to move at all. the sight in front of her was paralyzingly frightening, to the point of passing out. She'd stopped breathing and hadn't even realizing doing that, until her lungs began to scream from the oxygen deprivation, which they where slowly building up. Letting her pent-up breath escape her lips, she could she her breath vaporize in the cold, damp air.

In her mind, she was screaming. Screaming for help, for a mom and dad, for someone to pass by and save her.... but most unexpectedly, her thoughts turned towards Shaylin, her heart silently calling out to him... a frail, lonely cry of help... which was not likely to be answered at all. Trapped as she was, with never-ending darkness behind her, a monster in front of her and the knowledge of the Lightsource which was behind said monster. In her heart, she knew that she would need to reach that light to escape....

With her thoughts slowly, and confusingly, beginning to circle around Shaylin, Nanami felt her resolve steadying and before she could even comprehend it, she began running... Sprinting as fast as she could, trying to circle around the Horrid Monster, keeping an eye on it from outside the corner of her eye. She didn't wish to look at it, so she kept it in her peripheral, so she'd know if it jumped at her or anything like that. Nanami knew very well that IF it jumped and charged at her, it'll most likely catch her.... but she didn't want to stay her... she wanted to get home... to her dad, her mom at the hospital.... If she was caught here she'd never see them again.... She'd never see Shaylin again.... So she ran, as fast her as body would allow, to get past the horror-beast, fight the rain and the wind.... reach the light and get home. 'Mom, Dad... Shaylin... Please help me~!' She called out with her thoughts only, once more.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin
Shaylin mumbled and woke with a start as his computer hummed out of its sleep mode. He groggily blinks a few times and wipes the drool from his mouth. He gets up to make his way to the bed, but stops suddenly at the eerie presence from that side of the room.

The being that towered before him was certainly one of beauty, to say the least. He felt a rush of heat inside him. Where do I know her from? As his eyes make over her body, he stumbles backwards into his chair when he notices her lower half is of a snake.

"Good evening...Shaylin."

"H-How do you know my name...?" He returns, but she ignores him and continues talking. Her name was Nima, and she has both an incredibly arousing and horrifying presence. Her smile worries him, stretching far too wide to be normal. "Am I asleep...?"

As she coils her way around him, dragging her nails across his body, he shudders and shivers, repulsed but enticed at the same time. Then, out of nowhere, she's on top of him, their faces brazenly close. He can smell her breath, which should have smelled of death and repose but instead was an absolutely intoxicating scent he can't place his finger on. He can feel her breath on his lips, a mild tingling racing through his spine.

"I will give you your choice of three Absolute Abilities... Absolute Control. Absolute Understanding. Or Absolute Suffering. Just say the word...and it's yours."

Those words shake him from his stupor as she whispers into his ear. He rolls his eyes to try to wake himself up. This has to be a dream right? This beautiful, snake creature is hovering over his lap and whispering in his ear about absolute control...

"What comes with these.. err... Absolute Abilities? What can I do with them? Is there a.. erm.. price?" He clears his throat as subtly as he can to not disturb her from where she sits.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

Hinoiri watches herself with interest. Everything was so...calm. For the first time in...in a long time, everything felt safe. Secure.

"It's going to be Ok..."

Somehow she wasn't frightened. This stranger... Everything was going to be all right. Somehow. It didn't matter. But he wasn't really a stranger. Right? Was he? Her mind is too fuzzy right now. But that didn't matter, either. She relaxes and lets the warm feelings wash over her, cover her. She was safe.

"You'll never be alone, Hinoiri... Not ever."

She had always been alone. Had she? But not really. Not now. Hinoiri smiles peacefully. Maybe not even before. He wasn't really a stranger, was he? She wanted to speak, but that...that would...might break the stillness. Shatter it into little tiny pieces. The voice was so unreliable, anyway. Maybe she could get...find a pen, and ask in beautiful, steady strokes instead. And he would know. But that would break it, too.

So she lay still. It didn't matter, anyway. She was safe. She could sleep. Or was she sleeping? It didn't matter. The room was soft and dark, and the security and stillness were white and cloudy, and his eyes were green, green like a cat's...

[fendrin]

Hideki (music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoaUYcwEpSw))

Sprawled on the floor of the dojo, Hideki stares at his father. Tears form in the corners of his eyes.

He's right. I'm weak. Too weak to do anything. I can't save anyone. What a disappointment I must be.

His gaze meets his father's, and the mask of stone and disdain.

I couldn't even save myself today, I put those others in danger just by being there.

He drops his gaze, uncertain what to do, what to say, what to think. His father's words flash through his head, disjointed and chaotic, each nothing more than a fleeting impression.

strength
poisoned
protect
weak

"You want me strong?"

He starts to rise.

bitterness
duty
wrath
weak

"You want me fierce?"

A deep, almost sobbing laugh escapes his lips.

job
petty
legacy
weak

"You, who spare no opportunity to beat me down?"

He looks his father in the eye.

vengeance
dragon
wrath
weak

"You, who have never given me even one word of encouragement?"

He raises the katana.

vengeance
strength
bitterness
vengeance

"What right have you to demand anything of me?"

The katana leaps forward as if it had a mind of it's own, Hideki following behind as if it were the sword's will and not his own that animated it.

"Why should I care what you want from me?"

Heavy, vicious blows rain down upon the elder Miyamoto with no respect for art, elegance, or safety.

"Is this fierce enough for you?"

Red fills Hideki's vision.

"Am I enough of a dragon for you now?"

The red darkens. The attacks stop.

"Could you ever really be satisfied with anything I do?"

Everything fades to black.

[Valik Sparks]

Nanami

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5d5UNW6CNk)

Nanami ran... She ran as fast as she could, fighting through the wind and rain, circling around the gigantic beast of shadow and darkness. It's body didn't budge, only its neck, slowly twisting, curving about, it's monstrous head easily tracking her, watching apathetically as she struggled her way onward. A deep rumble came from its belly, and steam blasted from its nostrils once more.

She could see the light... It was just up ahead...

Sprinting straight for the light, with nothing but her loved ones in mind, and nothing but her willpower to keep her going, Nanami finds her hand stretching out.. reaching.. grasping... Then there's a strange feeling that washes past her from behind. A warm, sticky rush of air that blows at her backside, followed by a deep, hissing noise. Something begins to close down in front of her, between her and the light... Spike-like shapes. Jagged and pointy, coming down from above, like stalactites in a cave. They're dripping with thick, slimy liquid.

And suddenly, Nanami finds herself lifting up off the ground, scooped up by a force so large, so powerful...she is no more than an insect in the face of this power. Teeth slide between her legs like prison bars rising up to entrap her, and she falls backwards into the open jaw of the beast... It is no longer blackness, but a wet, fleshy red color that she sees, and bone-white, jagged teeth, in front of her, and above her. The top row is coming down to meet the bottom. The prison bars are closing. She scrambles forward, trying to get out, to get away...but she slips. The surface is slick, like oil. Sticky, like honey. The surface that she finds herself on is wet, rough, bumpy...and moving. She screams. The tongue curls in, hauling her backwards as she watches the jaws clench shut, and the last bits of light shrink into slivers...and then nothingness. Her screams echo throughout the beasts enormous mouth as she is thrown against its throat, and merciless forced down into a gaping, black abyss...


Shrieking, panicking, heart pounding, Nanami wakes up to find find herself upright in her bed, the room dimly lit by the light behind her curtains. Her door is open. Her father is there. He's gripping her arm, he's...saying something, looking very scared, but she can't even hear him. Her ears are ringing. Her body is shaking, and freezing cold. She feels phantom slime all over her, and the gaping jaws of the beast keep flashing all around her.

And her heart... it's pounding so hard... it hurts... It's going out of control again.


Hinoiri

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMUZTQVDhXU)

There's noise. Shouting. But it's muffled, and distant, sounding much like the way things sound when you're underwater. But it was beginning to grow clearer...and louder.

"GO! Get out! Shoo! SHOO!" There was a furious hissing noise. "Get back! Scram! Get out of here, you! GO!!" A scratchy, droning, angry mewl answered back to the shouts, and Hinoiri was quickly finding herself savagely removed from what had been the most relaxing sleep she'd had in a long time. Sitting up, head spinning, vision blurry, it takes a few moments for the scene to register in her mind. Her Aunt Miko is there, in her room, retreating backwards, away from the open window, where Kumori is standing, his back arched, eyes wide, and mouth hanging open in a snarl.

"Dammit Hinoiri, why the HELL did you let this rotten stray into the house?! This thing probably has rabies! Just look at it! What were you thinking?! You can't just invite rabid cats into other people's homes! You can't treat this place like your personal dump!" Kumori stretched his neck forward and let out another screeching hiss, spittle flying from his mouth, and the suddenness of it all sent Miko stumbling back. "HINOIRI!!" She screamed, reaching for the first object she could find and hurling it at the threatening cat. The item turned out to be Hinoiri's journal, which Kumori deftly ducked under, and it was sent sailing through the window and into the backyard.

"That's it, I'm calling wildlife services, this thing is crazy! Don't go near it, Hinoiri!" Miko pulled out her phone and furiously punched in the numbers, then held it to her ear, face riddled with a mix of irritation, impatience, and fear. "You picked a terrible day to do this to me. Just terrible. Honestly, I can't believe you. You spend so much time around mangy cats like this, it's a wonder you haven't been hurt yet. Go and make some damn friends and do something with your life for crying out loud."

Miko is in a more foul mood than usual...and her temper seems to be setting off Kumori, as he remains in place, posture rigid and intimidating. His green eyes flash as he glares at Miko, and he gives a few quick glances at Hinoiri. A low, rumbling, angry mewl drawls out from the back of his throat.


Hideki

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeuCZFuFnuo)

Hideki wakes up in a cold sweat. He feels completely drained, exhausted. His limbs are like lead weights, and his head feels like a brick. There's crusty, dried flakes under his nostrils and around his mouth, and faint water stains on his pillow. The images and voices from his dream were flashing sharply in his mind, jumbled and fragmented...and slowly slipping away, growing more and more distant as his mind began to assure him that it was all a dream. Just a dream. His alarm hasn't gone off yet, but it's about to. And that begged the question... Why did he suddenly wake up now?

"Hideki!" His father's voice shouted loudly from somewhere past the door; by the tone of it, it was clear that wasn't the first attempt to get Hideki's attention. There was nothing to do but hasten and obey, and once Hideki dragged himself out of bed and stumbled drearily out of the room and down the hall, he found his father waiting for him in the kitchen.

Rakuza gazed down at Hideki, face stone cold, eyes narrow, and mouth turned down just slightly in his usual scowl. "I shouldn't have to call you twice. Disgraceful." He turned away sharply, heading over to the counter. "There's a girl in your class. Aino Nanami. Her mother was recently hospitalized, and her father is leaving town for work. I only know because the Aino woman was put into the hospital that your Uncle Ushido owns, and Mrs. Ushido is apparently close with Aino. She won't quit bugging us about the whole thing, and she's strong-armed your mother into making a set of her special chicken cutlet for the girl. A gift of sympathy, or some bull****. So anyways..." He turns back around, holding a basket with a large, aluminum-wrapped mound inside, as well as another small, wrapped lunchbox. "This is the cutlet set, so bring it to school and give it to Nanami. And while she was at it, your mom made you some for your lunch today." Shoving the items into Hideki's hands, Rakuza's gaze lingers on the lunchbox with a look that seems to speak of how Hideki is utterly undeserving of the treat. "If you eat that, you'd better work twice as hard today to burn off that fancy crap." He growls out, turning away, and seeming about to leave, when a sudden knock on the door stops him.

"Hideki, see who it is--" He stops himself, looking over Hideki, who is still in his sleepwear, and heaving an aggravated sigh. "Nevermind. Just go get changed and get out of here." His father marching off to the entry door, Hideki is left to make his way back to his room. But along the way, his gaze is drawn to the dining room, where his father's katana is hung upon the wall, and the red smudge on the handle... is completely gone. Hideki is stopped in his tracks as his eyes reconfirm that the smudge has indeed vanished. He overhears his father answering the door, and the responding voice is that of an adult, cool, calm, collected...with a hard edge of seriousness to it.

"Mr. Miyamoto? My name is Sato Lionel. I'm an investigator, and I'd like to ask you a few questions."


Shaylin

GRMM (http://www.yourepeat.com/watch?v=6n1caox4nMg)

With her body pressed tight against his, Shaylin could feel every tiny throb and jostle as Nimaijita giggled softly, her hands clutching his shirt behind his back, and her mouth pressed into his shoulder to muffle her laughter. Her hair was soft as silk against his cheek, and her smell brought nothing but pleasure to his senses. It was fragrant like a flower...refreshing like mint...and exotically alluring like that of a living, breathing person that was...not quite human. She pulled back, hands sliding up onto his shoulders, so that she could look at him face to face once more. She smiled, a playful smile, if not a little mischievous.

"Oh Shaylin..."

Out of the corner of his eye, Shaylin could see the very tip of her tail moving along the ground, creeping up the chair, and then up the side of his body. The white scales were smooth, and cool against his skin, making him shudder as the tail slid up to his neck, and then began to coil around his throat, spiraling upwards until the thin, ending of her tail was stroking the underside of his chin. "You're very smart...and you hunger for knowledge. You always think before you act. It's one of the things I love about you. But..." She leaned in, her vibrant red eyes locked with his. He caught sight of a quick, blurred movement as her tongue slipped from between her lips and flickered at the open air for just a fraction of a second. It was very thin, solid black, and forked. "It doesn't work that way... This time, you can't have all the answers. You can't predict what you're getting into..." Nima's head slowly tilted to one side, and she came in even closer, severely invading his personal space once again, and showing her teeth in a big smile, although her brow was a little furrowed with concern. One hand slipped down to his chest, while the other climbed to the side of his face and held his cheek. Her eyes seemed to be intently searching his own.

"I am offering you the power of a god, Shaylin... I can't tell you what it will look like exactly, or how it will affect your life...but it will allow you to do things few men even dare to dream. And the only price to pay...is a contract with your goddess. With me. We will be as one...goddess, and earthly companion. Connected...

...is that so bad?"

Her very words seemed to be drawing her in, and she gently moved her nose aside to avoid bumping into his, as her lips dared ever closer. She paused, a mere inch away, and her tongue flickered out, brushing over Shaylin's lips for the briefest moment. It was like the tiny, tip of a dry paintbrush, softly dashing his skin with rapid strokes. Then she pulled quickly back, grinning in a teasing manner. "So what is it you desire, Shaylin...?" She began to walk her fingers up his chest, listing an option with each step upwards. "Do you want to have absolute control over another person's body... Or have absolute understanding of a person's mind... Or bring suffering to anyone, anytime..."

She paused, her gaze falling downward, and something of an empty look crossing her face. Her hands wrapped around Shaylin's torso, and she pulled herself against him again, her head resting on his chest. "It's up to you, Shaylin... Tomorrow, when you awaken...you'll have to make a shrine for me. It can be small, made from any materials you have on hand, as long as it's genuine, and you can keep it right here in your room... Then, you'll need to bring a smooth stone, and write upon it with white chalk, the name of the power your desire. Control. Understanding. Or Suffering. If you do this...then I promise you, it will be yours. But if you choose...you may wake up tomorrow and do as you would any other day. You can go on with your life...you can live as you always have. And you will never see me again..." Her voice trailed off, and her tail squeezed around his body just a little tighter.

"I want to be a part of your life, Shaylin... but that right is only yours to give."


And then he woke up. His eyes popping open, ears being violently assaulted by the blaring of his alarm clock, Shaylin finds himself completely ripped away from the enchanting scene, and instead, lying in his bed... His computer is off, his chair put away. Everything is as it should be. Perfectly normal. He can remember her words... Nimaijita. The girl with the snake tail. But he can barely even conjure up her face in his mind's eye. Everything about her seems blurry, and the harder he tries to remember, the worse it gets. It's all slipping away, like dreams so often do...

[Hemnon]

OST (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wm-uygsSZc)

Nanami

Nanami have stopped screaming, though she's still crying fearfully, Clutching at her chest as her father is trying to communicate with her. After a short while, her heart returns to a normal, albeit fast-beating rythm. She's shaking so badly and she's crying freely. She doesn't even have the mental capacity to try and stifle it, her tears just streaming down her face....


OST (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryig06suvV0)

Slowly turning her face, she wrestles free from her father's grasp and hugs herself protectively against him. "Da-aaad...! *Sob-sob-sob* I-I....*sobsob-sob*...." was all she was able to get out right now, her body still shaking fearfully and her tears seem to be without end, though she IS slowly winding down, tears halting to a stop and her body even more slowly relaxing and stops shaking. She was so scared from that horrid nightmare...

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

Shaylin sat up violently from his dream and subconsciously smashed a hand down on his alarm, silencing it. He rubbed his eyes as he noticed his completely arranged and *clean* room.

Nimaijita.

The name flashes through his head like a whisper, and he looks around wildly, attempting to remember what had happened. A dream, right? Man, that was the most vivid dream I'd ever had, he thinks. He shakes it off and stands, but when he goes to put on his shirt, he is overcome by the scent left behind by Nima, and he buckles at his knees.

A shrine.

What could it hurt? It doesn't have to be anything fancy, and if it doesn't work, he can just dismantle it and his brother never even has to know! With a sigh of resigning, he looks around his room for things that would make sense in a shrine to a snake lady. First thing he grabbed was the shirt he had wore yeserday. Tying the sleeves into a makeshift bag, he fills it with other miscellaneous items; his favorite coin, the flier from the Zodiac Club, and the final item caught his breath in his throat. He walks over to his desk, and picks up his mother's necklace from around his monitor. Gently and carefully, he lowers it into his shirt. He gets one of the short, thick candles from the shelf across the room and slides it into the hole for his neck. Setting the shirt gingerly on the floor, he lights the candle, and continues getting ready for the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oooh, Nima, Nima!~" Kazuko was such a twit this morning. And how does he know that name? "Havin a great night, Shay-san?" and he laughs. And laughs. And laughs. Shaylin punches him, hard, in the arm. "OW!~"

"Shut up Zukzuk, or it'll be your face next time!~" He sits down, wondering what the day would bring. Tonight, Nami-san was coming home with him, and he certainly can't be dreaming about sexy snake ladies if she's going to be over. The last thing he needs is for her to hear about this dream from Zuko, or worse, hear for herself during the next one. He shudders and finishes his breakfast. Father seems unceremoniously chipper this morning, and actually took the time to make them breakfast.

As he and Zuko-san get onto his Suzuki for the ride to school, Shaylin notices something in front of the very front tire...

A very, very smooth stone, about the size of his fist.

"Control... Understanding... Suffering..."

[fendrin]

Hideki

Waking, Hideki's first thought is one he has never had before,...

I should ignore him, just to piss him off.

...but before the unusual thought fully registers, he finds himself woodenly pulling himself out of bed and to his feet, answering the summons out of rote habit.


"There's a girl in your class. Aino Nanami. Her mother was recently hospitalized, and her father is leaving town for work. ..."

Nanami-san? I had no idea... I hope everything is ok.


Shoving the items into Hideki's hands, Rakuza's gaze lingers on the lunchbox with a look that seems to speak of how Hideki is utterly undeserving of the treat. "If you eat that, you'd better work twice as hard today to burn off that fancy crap."

Bits of the dream flash through Hideki's mind, incoherently, then fade into nothingness. A small of flame of emotion - anger, frustration, self-disgust - sparks to life deep in his chest. It takes all of his will to suppress it, to keep it from his face.

In his best 'disinterested monotone', he responds:
"Yes sir. I will give it to her."

Mom made some for me? We've barely spoken in over a year, why would she do this now? Maybe she thought it would reflect badly on the family if she didn't.


His father marching off to the entry door, Hideki is left to make his way back to his room. But along the way, his gaze is drawn to the dining room, where his father's katana is hung upon the wall, and the red smudge on the handle... is completely gone. Hideki is stopped in his tracks as his eyes reconfirm that the smudge has indeed vanished.

Did I imagine it? Or was it cleaned up?


"Mr. Miyamoto? My name is Sato Lionel. I'm an investigator, and I'd like to ask you a few questions."

Is this about Katsuragi? Or maybe I didn't imagine...

He leaves the door to his room ajar and listens while grabbing his phone and checking the pictures that he took the previous night.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

Rubbing her eyes, Hinoiri confusedly tries to focus. What was her aunt doing in her room? The screaming made her head hurt.

"Dammit Hinoiri, why the HELL did you let this rotten stray into the house?! This thing probably has rabies! Just look at it! What were you thinking?! You can't just invite rabid cats into other people's homes! You can't treat this place like your personal dump!"

It...he...doesn't have...Wait. So...this isn't...my home? It hurt more than Hinoiri would like to admit. I...I thought... Then her aunt flings her notebook out the window. Hinoiri desperately leaps out of bed. "Wait! Stop! Don't!"

As her aunt rants on, Hinoiri frantically tries to figure out how to calm her down. "You...you don't need to call! It's...all right."

"You picked a terrible day to do this to me. Just terrible. Honestly, I can't believe you. You spend so much time around mangy cats like this, it's a wonder you haven't been hurt yet. Go and make some damn friends and do something with your life for crying out loud."

I...I'm trying too! He is a friend! Hinoiri takes a deep breath, blinking tears away. Calm down.

"Look, Obasan, it's...all right. I-I'm sorry for upsetting you...I didn't know you had a terrible day...and I hope it gets better. And...I-I can clean. Don't worry." She half-guides, half pushes her aunt towards the door. "You...you don't need to call." As she's closing the door, Hinoiri suddenly snaps. "And he doesnt. Have. Mange!"

Where did that even come from. She sighs and leans against the now closed door, locking it. Kumori is still rather upset, it seems.

"It's...it's all right. She's probably...just tired. Though maybe you should keep away from the house for a bit. We can meet at the school. Or one of the parks.

She...she means well." Did she? "Other people's homes..." Not mine. Hinoiri inwardly sighs again. Time to get ready for the rest of the day.

***

After she again ties up her hair, Hinoiri rummages through her school bag, packing in a quite few more items than necessary. She didn't exactly want to return to...to her aunt's home...until as late as possible. I suppose no lunch again today. It's early enough, though. I can probably get something on the way.

Listening until she's pretty sure that her aunt is out of the way, Hinoiri quickly unlocks the door and dashes through the house, in some sort of twisted rendition of yesterday morning. She pauses only to grab an apple from the kitchen, then throws on her coat and rushes out the front door. Good. I'm out.

"...and do something with your life, for crying out loud..."

I'm...trying. I don't know. Everything is so confusing. I don't know. She heads around the house to meet Kumori and to try to find her poor notebook. She had a bit of time before she had to walk to school.

[Valik Sparks]

Nanami

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HwNAkpt2Kw)

"It's.. It's Ok, Nanami. Everything's alright...you were just dreaming. It was just a nightmare. You're safe now. You're going to be alright..."

Her father's words were strained with anxiety as he held his daughter and tried desperately to calm her down and make the tears stop. In time, with his warmth, his embrace, and his words, she was able to fight back the images of the nightmare that had been haunting her mind's eye...at least for now. She was in somewhat of a daze as her father gently lead her downstairs, telling her that she needed to get ready for school, and he was making her breakfast. He sat her down at the table, smiling as best he could, and moved into the kitchen for a few moments. When he returned, he offered her some toast with jam, and started moving strips of bacon from a pile he'd cooked up onto her plate. He watched her face to judge how many she might want, and she couldn't stop the perking of her expression and the craving flash in her eyes as she stared at the meat, it's scent wafting into her nose and giving her something of a buzz. Her father chuckled and dished out about twice as much as he normally would.

In short amount, she had finished eating, and gotten herself ready to go. Her father kissed her on the forehead and walked her to the door. "I'll see you at Shaylin's place after school..." His voice trailed off. They both knew that after that, she wouldn't see him again for a while, but he couldn't bring himself to speak of that. Nanami began the relatively short, but lonely walk to school. Along the way, she spotted a familiar figure exiting a bakery, with a black cat trotting along beside her...


Hinoiri

After the outburst... the atmosphere in the house was left rather cold and stifling. Not a word was spoken as Hinoiri gathered her things and moved swiftly outside. She found her notebook, more or less unharmed, and Kumori came to her side immediately, weaving between her legs, rubbing against her shins, and switching repeatedly between purring and flustered mewling. He continued to look back at the house, his eyes narrowing, and he hissed once, then looked back up at Hinoiri with big, searching eyes, intensive, and a little mysterious. He gave a soft meow, and then followed closely as she left the yard and headed off to find something to buy for lunch on her way to school.

There was a certain bakery that had some rather appealing looking items on display, and Kumori seemed very interested in their milk buns, so after heading in to check it out, Hinoiri came back outside to find someone else walking down the quiet street. A small, young girl, with bleach-white hair... Aino Nanami. A red butterfly darted across the street, passing behind Nanami's head and disappearing into an alley.


Hideki

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWQNAQZoXOM)

"Where were you last night at approximately 6:00pm?"

"I was here. At my house. Why are you asking me this? Have I done something wrong?" The anger was rising in Mr. Miyamoto's voice.

"Last night, at the site of the Chojiin temple, 27 people were murdered. That's every researcher and security personnel that was working on-site, as well as a young boy who was later found nearby. The killers used katanas, and showed significant skill."

"What?! You think I had something to do with this??"

"Did you?"

"NO!!" Rakuza's voice roared back furiously. "What is this?! You come to my house and accuse me of this kind of thing? On what grounds! Because I can wield a blade and own a dojo?? This is disgraceful! Slander! I want you and your ridiculous accusations gone. Get off of my property. Now.

After a short moment, the door slammed shut, and Hideki heard his father's pounding footsteps march off through the house. The investigator's words replayed in his head as he stared at his phone. The pictures were still there. And the red smudge was still there, digitally captured upon the handle of his father's katana.

27 murdered... including a young boy.

He had to gather his things. Had to start heading to school. His body moved on muscle memory alone, and before he knew it, he was heading out of the house. It was quiet, and his father was nowhere to be seen, but soon he was outside, the crisp, cold air freshening his body as he headed down the street.

"Hey! Heyyyyyy~!"

It took him a moment to register the voice and attach the correct face and name to it from his memory banks. But that sounded like...

"Hideki! I didn't know you lived around here!" Errie slowed down her quickened pace as she caught up to Hideki, and fell in step alongside him, smiling brightly. "Do you always head to school this early? That would explain why I've never seen you on my way over before! Why do you leave so early? You're crazy! I'm only out here cause I read my clock wrong this morning, and freaked out cause I thought I was gonna be late! Only a couple minutes ago did I realize I could've slept another hour! That makes me sad..." She put on a mock pouting face, then just giggled and looked back up at Hideki. "How yah doin'? You look kind of spacey. Like Bo! Haha. Well maybe not that bad... Hey have you thought much about joining the Zodiac Club maybe? I just got the latest info on the ancient text!" Something of a sly look crossed her face, and she glanced side to side, lowering her voice and saying, "I'm gonna let you in on a secret, Ok? -My mom works at the Chojiin site!" She leaned back, straightening up and puffing out her chest proudly as she walked, eyes squinting delightedly. "That's how I can find out all this stuff! I'm always the first to know, it's great! Just yesterday, after school, she sent me a text with the newest bit they were able to translate! It said, "...but the Butterfly had a terribly foul and bitter taste..." -Weird right?? Who was tasting the Butterfly! And why! It's so strange, I want to know!"

Errie didn't seem to have a problem with one-sided conversations, as they continued to walk together, and it wasn't but a short moment of silence before she was speaking up again. "My mom actually didn't come home last night, and still wasn't at my house this morning. I think she fell asleep at the temple again. She's done that a few times, when she gets really into her work..." Errie giggled again.
"She's so crazy, but she's amazing, and dedicated, and a I love her! I can't wait to hear what new thing she discovers today!"


Shaylin

As he retrieved the eerily convenient smooth stone, Shaylin's hand suddenly jumped to his neck as he felt a sensation like a tiny, dry paintbrush flicking against his skin. But there was nothing there. He saddled up onto his bike and sped off to school, arriving with plenty of time to spare, and watching as other students slowly started milling into the hallways.

He spotted his homeroom teacher, Ms. Ritsuo, hurrying past him, tossing a broken piece of a white chalk at a trash bin. Her aim proved rather abysmal, and the chalk hit the rim and bounced off, rolling to Shaylin's feet. Ritsuo grumbled with irritation and started to hurry over, but Shaylin was already instinctively reaching down to pick it up for her. She smiled at him and gave him a quick acknowledgement of thanks before swiftly turning away and heading off towards whatever it was she was in such a hurry to do.

Shaylin was left staring at the small piece of white chalk in his fingers, and feeling the heavy tug of the rock at the bottom of his backpack even more now.

"Hello Shaylin."

The voice was soft-spoken, measured, but pleasant, not cold. Shaylin lifted his head to find Yuki, his classmate, and the Vice President of the Student Council. Yuki was smiling, his faded, gray-blonde hair swept loosely, but stylishly. He stood with professional posture, but there was sincerity in his eyes as he gazed at Shaylin, brow just slightly knit. "What's on your mind? You look a little dazed..."

[Hemnon]

Nanami

as if halfway into another world, Nanami just walked to school and got to her seat in total, spaced out silence. She was looking outside the window next to her (since her place was located at the rearwindow-space), a sad expression on her face... Not to meantion a very tired and black-lines-under-the-eyes expression.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

Hinoiri absentmindedly watches the white-haired girl walk by as she hands some of the bun to Kumori. Another one of those red butterflies. I really must try to find out what they are. Wasn't her sign supposedly a Butterfly, too?

Why did everything seem to relate to those deadly texts and the "new" zodiac? Butterflies, butterflies, butterflies...

Once the other girl has disappeared from view, Hinoiri turns to the cat. "Well, I suppose we'd better get going, too." The pair start walking, following the path the white-haired girl had taken.

Curiouser and curiouser...those red butterflies...

Red...like blood...

Hinoiri blearily rubs her forehead. Don't think like that. Today everything will be fine. I'm just going to school. Everything will be fine there.

[fendrin]

"Last night, at the site of the Chojiin temple, 27 people were murdered. That's every researcher and security personnel that was working on-site, as well as a young boy who was later found nearby. The killers used katanas, and showed significant skill."

My father killed...
A bit of the almost completely faded dream runs through his head.
Protect? I don't think so. Not by killing innocent researchers, and a kid?


The investigator's words replayed in his head as he stared at his phone. The pictures were still there. And the red smudge was still there, digitally captured upon the handle of his father's katana.

What am I going to do? If I turn in my Father maybe I won't have to deal with his crap anymore... but he's my family. That wouldn't be right, would it? But don't those 27 people deserve justice?

He turns off his phone, and still wondering what he should do, hastily gets ready for school, making sure to bring the chicken cutlet boxes with him.


"Hey! Heyyyyyy~!"
"Hideki! I didn't know you lived around here!"
"Do you always head to school this early?"

Lost in contemplation over what to do with the photos, Hideki hardly noticed Errie until she was almost next to him. The sudden disruption of his thoughts, combined with the rapid pace of the questions left him rather flustered.

"I... yes... I do..."

Seeing that she wasn't really stopping to wait for answers, Hideki stopped trying to give them and let the cheerful young woman continue at her own pace.


"I'm gonna let you in on a secret, Ok? -My mom works at the Chojiin site!"

Hideki stumbles, but catches himself almost immediately. With luck, Errie will have been too busy talking to notice.
The Chojin site... so she's... my father....


"My mom actually didn't come home last night, and still wasn't at my house this morning. I think she fell asleep at the temple again. She's done that a few times, when she gets really into her work..." Errie giggled again. "She's so crazy, but she's amazing, and dedicated, and a I love her! I can't wait to hear what new thing she discovers today!"

She doesn't know? They haven't told the families yet? Should I tell her? No, better for her to hear it from someone else, she'd probably think I was playing a cruel joke on her.

"I'm sorry..."

He says the words quickly, then begins running. He runs all the way to the school.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

"Oh...!~" Shaylin stuttered as his stupor broke. "Hey, Yukikun. Err, nothing really, you see, erm, well, I mean..." He swallowed hard, dropping the chalk into one of his empty pockets. "If you could change something that happened in your life, something awful, and make it so it never happened again, would you?"

[Valik Sparks]

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfNGAz1iKvQ)

Shaylin

Yuki's head cocked to the side lightly, and a look of mild surprise showed on his face. But then his expression turned thoughtful, and he turned his gaze off to the side, fingers hovering near his chin.

"Hmmm..."

After a moment, he looked back at Shaylin, smiling. "I think I'd probably want to do it. But then.. I might be afraid of what would happen to me. Would I still be the same person as I am today? Probably not...but perhaps, even if I were to be a different person, that wouldn't be so bad...maybe I would be better for it. One can't really know, I suppose..." With a polite nod, Yuki excused himself and headed off to class. Shaylin had to make his way there as well, soon, or he'd be late.


All

The first half of classes today went by in blur. Nanami, Hideki, Hinoiri, and Shaylin have found themselves a little aloof and disjointed from reality as their minds try to process the things they'd seen and heard just hours ago... And yet all around them, the school thrives and lives on, just as busy and bustling as ever, as though nothing had happened. Almost. People talk loudly, laugh, giggle, and whisper... But the words floating amidst the whispers and hushed conversations are sore reminders of the dark events of yesterday.

Did you hear about the...?


Accident in the dojo. Katsuragi. Unsupervised training. Blood. Hideki.

Killers at the Chojiin. 27 dead. Just a little kid. Slain by swords. No witnesses.


With all the talk, Shaylin and Nanami both learn of what happened at the Chojiin temple yesterday. The broadcast about it only aired this morning, but news has spread fast. After just the first class, Errie was called out by the principal. No one has seen her since.

As the four students are released for lunch break, and are swept along with the crowd towards the cafeteria, Nanami spots Aaron staring at her. He's probably been doing that the whole day, but she hasn't been paying much attention. Hideki can see his locker ahead. The cutlet for Nanami, and his own lunch, are stored inside. Shaylin's class is merging with the others as the segregation of students is shattered by the universal need to eat. And Hinoiri, at first being relatively ignored, finds this not to be the case as tall, lean, boyish Kitsuke falls into step beside her...definitely not on purpose. He smiles, shaking a stray, blonde lock out of his eyes and looking directly at Hinoiri.

"Hey."

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

Hinoiri buries herself in her notes and texts and worksheets, happy to be distracted for a while. But she can't help hearing the whispers...


Accident in the dojo. Katsuragi. Unsupervised training. Blood. Hideki.

An accident...blood... She rubs her eyes. Something...had happened here too. But a school....was just another public place; being a school didn't make it safer. Her school. Blood... Gripping her pencil tighter, she attacks her homework.

When the bell rings, she mechanically packs her things and walks out of the classroom. Looking around the sea of students, she's slightly disappointed that she can't seem to find Errie. Hopefully I'll be able to return those ridiculous cat ears later without being roped into that club.

Hesitating for a moment, she remembers something from earlier. The red butterflies... Well, the library's got to have some sort of field guide in the reference section. I can check there.

She's about to turn and head to the library when someone addresses her...


"Hey."

Hinoiri freezes. Kitsuke. This...was just what she needed now, what with everything else... Her mind blanks.

"Uh...hi..." She focuses not on his face but on the space directly behind him, so it still looks like she's maintaining eye contact. What do I say what do I say?

"I, um...was...going to, uh, go to...the...library...and..."

Actually, could I just turn invisible and walk through these walls right now to somewhere else? That'd be so nice...

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

Shaylin sighs as he looks from Yuki down to the chalk in his hand as he pulls it from his pocket. "Yeah, I guess..."

After class, Shay struggles to move his feet. All this talk of some murder at the Chojiin temple, on top of his dreams and the events already of this morning have him... dazed. As he finally makes it to the cafeteria, he sees Hinoiri with one of the boys from her grade, Kitsuke? He sees her awkwardly moving slowly away from him, taking a wider step than necessary to create space and decides to make his way over there.

On the way, he sees Aaron, the creepy kid, at a table by himself staring like usual. Only then does he notice that Aaron is staring directly at Nanami, who seems to be shifting uncomfortably by the back of the line. He walks over to her, grabs her hand, and pulls her with him towards Hinoiri and Kitsuke.

"Hinoirisan? We were wondering if you wanted to come back to lunch with us in the study room again?" He hopes desperately that this is the type of intervention she was looking for, and looks at her in question.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Nanami suddenly found herself on her feet, being dragged by her hand by Shaylin . She was rather surprised when she suddenly felt the pull and nearly fell to her knees, though she didn't really seem like her normal self.... she was rather preoccupied and distant, even as she was being pulled along. She had also yet to realize that she'd forgotten all about making her lunch this morning.

[fendrin]

Hideki

Grabbing the lunch boxes from his locker, Hideki looks for Nanami, but can't get his mind off of the Chojin murders.

Even if that spot were blood, that doesn't mean it was Errie's mother's, or that my father had anything to do with the murders. Maybe he cut himself while practicing... but really, how likely is it that a master swordsman cuts himself on his own sword? At the same time that there are 27 murders being committed with swords, just across town?

Seeing Nanami across the cafeteria, and without a lunch brightened his mood a little.

Well at least she won't end up with two lunches. That would be awkward. Not that it won't be awkward me bringing lunch to another guy's girlfriend. What happened in the dojo yesterday just makes it all the weirder...

Awkwardly approaching the group, Hideki addresses Nanami.

"Pardon me Aino-san... my mother heard about your mother, and asked me to give you this chicken cutlet as an expression of sympathy."

Well, close enough to the truth. The fact that my mother didn't really want to do it and couldn't even be bothered to give it to me herself won't make Nanami feel any better.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

It was clearly visible that Nanami seemed to brighten up a little as Hideki came up to her and offered her a lunch, since she'd forgotten all about money for it as well.... but then she went into an even lower place as she was reminded of her mother being sick. Lack of sleep, being left by her dad so he can work and bad nightmares, together they made her seem very frail, even more than usual, with black lines under the eyes and a sad expression.

Though she did seem to collect herself and flash a sweet, weak smile. "Th-thanks... i total forgot to make lunch this morning because o-... well, i just forgot." Nanami actually seemed a little happier now that something that was Meat was on the menu~

[Rysc]

Hinoiri


"Hinoirisan? We were wondering if you wanted to come back to lunch with us in the study room again?"

Hinoiri blinks, and turns slightly to Shaylin. Wait, what? More people? But...he seemed to want to help...somehow? But wouldn't it be rude to suddenly...run off?

"I...I was...going...to go...there--I mean, to the library...anyway..."

She eyes in some confusion and apprehension the little group that has suddenly sprung up.

[Valik Sparks]

GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsZklfK1abI)

All

And once again, Hinoiri, Hideki, Shaylin, and Nanami have found themselves thrown together, like some kind of unlikely motley crew. But the familiarity of their frequent interaction is beginning to provide the slightest touches of comfort. Security, in a way. When everything around them is shifting and changing...when the world they knew for so long suddenly begins to blur and become less recognizable... What is there left to hold to but the few, small bits of familiarity...


"Oh you guys are going to the library for lunch?" Kitsuke asked, looking at Shaylin, and then back at Hinoiri. His smile got a little sheepish as he scratched at the back of his neck. "Do you guys...mind if I join you? I've never eaten in the library before.. Sounds nice!"

"Wow Kitsuke. Why don't you just skip the formalities and ask if you can get in her pants already."

In a rare moment of weakness, Kitsuke lost his composure, and his cheeks flushed bright red, his eyes widening at the painfully blunt comment. It was the doing of Sato Kirisaki, of course; one of Shaylin's classmates. She had absolutely no filter for what she said, and as she strolled past the group, she stopped for a moment, a wry smile on her face. She winked at Hinoiri, then dragged her gaze apathetically across the other three. "I saw how you @#*%ed up Katsuragi yesterday." She casually injected, eyes on Hideki. There's an awkward moment of silence, and then she burst out laughing and walked away. "You guys are all #@!%ed up, I love it."

They were left to stand uncomfortably in the wake of Kirisaki's social terrorizing, and just as someone was about to break the ice...Aaron slipped into their circle from behind, rather suddenly. He stared at Nanami, then looked down the large basket of chicken cutlet Hideki had given her. It was enough to make into at least four lunches...although at this moment, Nanami felt like she could eat it all. She was practically salivating already, and she'd eaten next-to-nothing all day. The simple thought of the meat was like a touch of heaven. -Then Aaron put his hand on her shoulder. He looked into Nanami's eyes, his own gaze dim and dead-like, and his face completely blank.

"If you ever need more... You can use me."


Then he turned and left, as quickly as he'd arrived...

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

At first startled, Hinoiri hides her annoyance--and embarrassment--and stares impassively at the older girl as she walks away. Just ignore her...inane...remarks.

She gets out a "going now, then" halfheartedly directed at the others, and heads quickly in the direction of the library, assuming the others will follow if they intend to.

Once there, she places her bag in the seat she had used yesterday--was it only yesterday?--mumbles something about research, and hurries off into the aisles. She can't quite remember if she's ever seen anything on butterflies, specifically, but then again she had never looked.

Let's see...reference. Or maybe biology. Probably the former. There have to be some field guides somewhere...

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

"What a bunch of creeps..." Shaylin mutters as Kirisaki and Aaron walk away. "C'mon you guys, let's go." And with that he turns away and walks towards the library.


***

After they arrive, Shaylin pulls the stone and chalk out of his pack, along with his typical comics. Sitting there and thinking, he taps the chalk against the stone, his mind all but made up on which he would choose.

"Sorry about that whore, Hidekikun. Just ignore her. We did what we had to with Katsuragi, he was going to hurt us all. No one is blaming you." he says quietly, without looking up. He's not even tantalized by Nami and Hideki's lunches. Just stares at the stone and chalk.

[Valik Sparks]

GRMM (https://www.yourepeat.com/watch?v=UuofG8a7EEk)


Hideki. Hinoiri. Shaylin. Nanami.


The Dragon. The Cat. The Snake. The Buttefly.


They entered the library as a small group of students who'd been thrown together by unlikely circumstances, freak accidents, and perhaps...the hand of Fate. Classmates. Acquaintances. Friends? They all shared a special connection. To each other. And to...something else. Something hidden. Something dark. Something...out there. And they were only just starting to realize this. At this time, they were shaken, stirred, anxious, pricked by the first hints of fear...

...but they had not the slightest inkling of what true horror was.



This was only the beginning.



Feniseca tarquinius. "The Harvester Butterfly."

The open book in Hinoiri's hands depicted multiple pictures of a small butterfly, with big, bright, wings. Some orange and black. Some a little brown. And some...bright, vivid red.

Feniseca tarquinius, or Harvester Butterfly, is the only known carnivorous butterfly. The larvae feed on smaller insects, particularly aphids, and thanks to this nutrient-rich diet, they grow at a much faster rate than other butterfly larvae, and they can reach pupation in as little as 8 days. Some harvester caterpillars cover themselves with the remains of woolly aphids they have eaten, in order to hide from the predacious ants, who tend and protect the woolly aphids. Once a harvester larvae reaches pupation, entering a cocoon and reemerging as a butterfly, it no longer needs to hide itself from the ants. With a larger size, the power of flight, and an insistent hunger for aphids, this butterfly will spend the rest of its life eating other insects, and ignoring the flowers that the rest of its species delicately dine on.

The only hope for the woolly aphid's survival, is that the predacious ants who protect them find and kill the feniseca larvae. Once it becomes a full-fledged butterfly, there is no stopping it.



Hideki sat at a small table across from Shaylin and Nanami. His mother's prepared lunch placed before him. Somehow it looked about as appetizing as charcoal.

Crunch!

The shock of the sudden noise made him flinch. It was a sharp, grinding, squishing, meaty noise.

Crunch! Squelch~ Chew.. Chew.. Chew... GULP.

Biting, teeth sinking in, flesh squished, torn, ground, ground and ground...and then that hard, echoing swallow, reverberating with an air of finality.

Crunch!

Nanami bit into another tender piece of chicken cutlet. It was...delicious... Absolutely delicious. She was hard pressed to think of anything that had ever tasted so good against her tongue before. Her stomach felt like it was opening like a chasm within her, begging hungrily for more, and more... So good... Oishi... Oishi...

Munch! Crunch. Chew.. Chew... GULP.

Her chomping and chewing, although small and delicate, seemed to ring out as though blasted through a megaphone into Hideki's ears. His body shuddered with every bite she took; his muscles tensing. A wince. A flinch. His heart was starting to pound a little too hard, and his breathing was getting heavier. He tried to swallow down the strange, baseless anxiety attack...but the saliva that rolled down his throat tasted like poison. A rancid taste started to fill his mouth, clinging stickily to the roof, his tongue, the insides of his cheeks, like a foul, bitter cloud. It was all he could do to keep from choking, and his eyes began to sting.

Crunch! Munch.. Munch. Chew. Chew... Gulp.. Crunch. Crunch. Chew.. Swallow... Chew.. Chew. CRUNCH!



Shaylin hardly noticed. Nanami was just having her lunch, and there was nothing particularly strange or disturbing about that. Besides, his attention was focused in on that stone...and on the promise that hung faintly at the back of his mind. The words were so distant...but he knew she'd said them. Could it be true..? Could it really be more than just a dream? Had he seen...a god?

Control... Understanding... Suffering...

It could change everything. It could turn his life upside down. It could be dangerous. But it could also give him the power to do the impossible. To break boundaries. To make a difference? To achieve some higher purpose? To change his life? His country? The world...? His fingers slid over the smooth stone in his grasp, his eyes locked on its soft, barely-reflective surface. It grew more and more tantalizing the longer he looked at it...


"We will be as one..."

"...is that so bad?"


"I want to be a part of your life, Shaylin...but that right is only yours to give."



Sato Lionel stood a ways down the street, eyes locked ahead, on the large, high school building. Akacho Public High School. Just yesterday a boy had been hospitalized due to an accident involving a katana. He'd apparently stabbed himself during a fight, which he initiated. Mikano Katsuragi. He passed away in the hospital just an hour ago. He'd lost too much blood, and the damage to his organs was too severe. There was nothing the doctors could do. So much death in such a small window of time... He looked down at his phone. No messages. Maybe she wasn't--

"What the hell, dad?"

Lionel looked up and met eyes with his only daughter. He extended his arm and handed her a small, brown paper bag. "Here. I want you to have this."

"Wow. Really? I'm pretty sure this is illegal."

She took the bag regardless. Lionel's eyes narrowed. "That's never seemed to concern you before."

"You know, I bet I could get you fired if I report this in to--"

"Stay away from Hideki." The suddenness of the remark cut her short and left her speechless. "Stay away from him, and Shaylin, and Nanami." He paused, looking up at the school. "And Hinoiri, too. I don't think she herself is dangerous, but I think that there might be--oof!"

Lionel found himself jostled as a young man walked briskly by, a little too close, causing their shoulders to bang together. The man turned around quickly. "Ah..! Sumimasen... I'm sorry. It seems I wasn't looking where I was going." He was wearing a mostly black outfit, with simple trousers and a long-sleeve jersey, and then a large piece of off-white cloth that was tied like a scarf around his neck. He had black hair, and long bangs that shadowed his eyes. His voice was soft, but very calm, direct, not anxious in the slightest. Lionel only grunted, looking the man over, but he was already turning away and leaving.

"Just keep your eyes open, Kiri... Watch yourself. You can't be too careful in times like these..."


On the roof of the school, Aaron stood alone, at the edge, his hand held up near his face. A red butterfly was perched upon his knuckle, slowly sweeping its wings up and down. Aaron stared intently at it.


"This world runs in cycles. Like nature. It gives...and then it takes. And I'm getting the feeling that our season of life, and growth...is coming to an end."


Somewhere in a dark, cramped space, littered with cleaning supplies, tools, and utilities...a miniature downpour is soaking the floor with warm, salty droplets of liquid. A choked voice whimpers and cracks pitifully. The darkness swallows up every noise, every lurching throb, and every tear. But it can't swallow up the horrible truth.


"Mom..."

"Mommy... Come back... Why.. Why did they..."


"Why did you kill my mother..?"


"Why did you kill her... Why did you take her away..!"



Rakuza Miyamoto knelt before a large stone figure, in the shape of a huge, twisting dragon, its head high up, looking down, looming over those who would come before it. Its mouth hangs slightly open, revealing rows of dagger-like teeth, and there is a cold, calm precision to the expression etched onto its face. It seems to be watching...inspecting...waiting...expecting. Rakuza's hands were planted firmly on his thighs, his head was bowed, and his katana was laid out before him, in front of the dragon.

"How long will you allow this madness to continue?" He asked, his gaze still trained on the floor. "How long must we bear the mark of shame?"


"Have we not earned back our honor? Our right to be respected? Have we not for a millennium and more, done that which is good, and just?"


"So then.. What more does it want?!"

His hands gripped tightly into his robe.

"Is it our fault that the world chose to forget the Chogami??"



"I will not allow the Land of the Rising Sun to be desecrated. If this is the price for the restoration of our honor..."


One hand reached out and grasped the hilt of his blade.



"...then honor be damned.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

Well. Lovely.

Hinoiri flips through a few more pages, mentally comparing the pictures of the butterflies against the ones she had seen.

Definitely it. Lovely. A carnivorous butterfly. At least that's probably better for plants in the long run.

She debates heading back to the table to ask the others if they've seen these red butterflies. The query sounded kind of pointless, though. And even if she wasn't sure if Kitsuke had actually come to the library with the others, she didn't quite want to find out. After a quick look around to make sure no one else is nearby, she leans against the opposite shelf. Flipping open the new notebook she had brought along with her, she starts recording some main details about the butterfly, then attempts to make a sketch of it based on the pictures in the guide. Better than nothing as an excuse for her to stay away from the table.

The Harvester Butterfly, Fenisca tarquinius...

[fendrin]

Hideki


Crunch! Munch.. Munch. Chew. Chew... Gulp.. Crunch. Crunch. Chew.. Swallow... Chew.. Chew. CRUNCH!

I can't... It's too...

Bile begins to rise in Hideki's throat, and he stands abruptly.

"Please excuse me, but I'm suddenly not feeling well."

Without waiting for a reply he grabs his bag and quickly leaves the library.

His chicken cutlet still on the table and all but untouched, wafting odors of haute cuisine.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Nanami was loving the taste of that chicken sooooo much, it almost made her forget all about her nightmare.

As Hideki made his less than subtle exit, Nanami waved byebye with the remains of her chicken caught between her chopsticks. But that didn't last long, before she returned to wolf down the remains of that chicken.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

Shaylin doesn't notice the crunching. He hardly notices Hideki's exit. He doesn't notice Kitsuke or Hinoiri or anything. All he sees is the stone on the table.

He takes the chalk out of his pocket.

I can keep it from ever happening again. I can stop it. I was in a situation I had no control over. That will never happen again. Mom... I'm sorry, mom... Forgive me.

Suddenly grievous and angry, he jerks the chalk from his pocket and writes one word on the stone before throwing both of them into his backpack. I'll put them on the altar tonight, he thinks, putting his head down onto the table, suddenly feeling a bit dizzy...

[Valik Sparks]

GRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKo4lllKBcw)

Nanami

Mmmmmm! Oishi oishi oishi oishiiii~! So good! Delicious... wonderful. Lovely flavor. Perfect texture. Tender. Juicy. The chewing was almost therapeutic in a way. It felt good. Felt right. But the craving didn't seem to die down... In what seemed like only moments, her entire basket of cutlet was ravished away into nothing. And yet there was still a tiny, dissatisfied prickling in the pit of her stomach.

Her eyes fell on Hideki's abandoned bento, stuffed with the same chicken cutlet... Something about it seemed to make her a little upset. It was a faint feeling, at the back of her mind. Was she mad that he'd gone off and left his food, being so wasteful with a good meal like that? But why get upset over that... it was like a part of her was just looking for an excuse to get mad at Hideki.

A red butterfly suddenly came darting across the table, right before her eyes, and then flittered off into the maze of bookshelves. No one seemed to notice it but her...


Shaylin

It was done.

Something seemed to surge through Shaylin when he etched the word onto the stone. He wasn't sure what it was... warm, tingling, like a faint energy. Perhaps just his nerves. Could it really all be true...? There was only one way to find out.

Shaylin...

A faint whisper. A voice soft as silk. Something filled his nostrils for just a moment. A fragrant, refreshing, and distinctly exotic smell... And then it was gone. Glancing to either side, there was nothing. Just the library... And then his phone buzzed obnoxiously in his pocket.


Hey Shaylin. Kazuko isn't feeling well. I'm coming to pick him up now, so when you get out of school, take Nanami with you when you ride home.


Hinoiri

"So.. You workin' on some homework, or...?"

With her attention absorbed in the book, and her journal, Hinoiri hadn't even noticed the figure who approached from behind, his disembodied voice whisping softly from over her shoulder, a little tentative.

"I'm sorry.. I don't mean to interrupt you or anything if you're busy."

Kitsuke glanced away, reaching up a hand and scratching at the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. But his shiny, blue-eyed gaze flickered back to meet her eyes, awaiting a response.


Hideki

Marching briskly out of the library, Hideki nearly runs headlong into a short, dark blue-haired girl with an equally rigid posture and brisk pace. It's only her quick thinking that stops an all-out collision, as she promptly juts out her hand and catches his chest sharply in her palm. They are both a little jolted, and Hideki finds himself blinking back into reality, looking slightly down at a rather put-out Shizune.

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s278/creepkake/PutOutShizune_zpse09b4a44.jpg (http://s154.photobucket.com/user/creepkake/media/PutOutShizune_zpse09b4a44.jpg.html)

With one hand propped against her hip, the other reaches up to take the frame of her glasses and adjust them on her nose. She has a rather perturbed look on her face, but as she looks Hideki up and town, a slight smile tugs at the corner of her mouth, and she relaxes, leaning back a little, and jutting her chin, looking up at him. She motions something with her hands. He doesn't know sign language, and she clearly knows that, but she still does it anyways; it seems to amuse her. Her smile grows a little more prominent. She slips a small notepad and pen from her pocket and writes across it with impressive speed.


That was Hello.

She pauses, then pulls the notepad back and writes on it again, flipping it around again for Hideki when she's done.


That was Hello.

From one Dragon to another.

Peering at him from behind the notepad, Shizune's smile widens with pride, and her eyes light up playfully. Then she just stares at him, with an expectant look on her face. But before he has a chance to do anything, a familiar sensation crawls up his throat...

For a moment, Hideki thinks he spots a red butterfly flit its way past a window down the hall. And then Aaron Onigawa comes strolling by... His classmate. The resident Creeper. But the boy does nothing out of the ordinary, simply passing by. As he does, however, that foul, bitter taste begins to clog up in Hideki's mouth once more, just for that instant when Aaron passes by. He notices Shizune's expression change as well. A sour look crosses her face, and she swallows, runs her tongue over her teeth, and wipes her thumb at the corner of her mouth. Then she stares straight at Hideki. A knowing, analytic look. She had seen something on his face as well...

[Rysc]

Hinoiri


"I'm sorry.. I don't mean to interrupt you or anything if you're busy."

Hinoiri jerks her head towards the sound, and quickly closes the guide and slides into the shelf as unobtrusively as possible, flipping her notebook shut with her other hand. Sure. Completely not obvious. She coughs.

"Um, no, I..." Her eyes dart back towards the floor, the row of titles in front of her. "I...um, don't worry, I--you're not interrupting...I mean, I'm...not..." She straightens up. Incoherent. Stop babbling. "Um, you don't have to...apologize. It's...all right."

Not. Stop following me. The bell's got to ring soon, right?

Argh. Stop being so rude. She tries to look him in the eye. For some reason his blue eyes just remind her of a different, green pair.

"Um...yeah..." Hinoiri can think of a thousand things to say, but none of them sound quite right. So, have you seen any carnivorous butterflies around lately?

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

Shaylin sighs as the voice washes over him and he feels his skin warm. As he read the text his breath catches in his throat and his eyes water slightly. Did he cause something to happen to Zukekun by claiming this "ability"? He sends a message back to his father.


Please let me know if you figure out whats wrong with him.

He turns to Nanami, "Namichan, you're coming home with me today, are you okay on the bike?"

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Finally managing to draw her gaze away from that tasty-looking chicken, Nanami looked up at Shaylin. "The bike? oh, yeah, sure. I guess that's alright." she replied and visibly fell back into that state of sadness/uneasiness that she'd been having ever since that dream last night...

[fendrin]

Hideki

After watching Aaron go, Hideki returns his attention to Shizune.

Did she feel sickened by him too? I wonder if he's bothered her like he's bothered Nanami.

He realizes he's been staring at Shizune just a little too long without having said anything.

Great, at this rate I'm going to be known as a creeper that kills people.

"Oh, hello Shizune."

He does his best to repeat the sign she used.

"I figured that after what happened at the Chojin site everyone would drop all this Zodiac stuff. It's led to so much pain."

Wait, can she understand what I'm saying? Should I write it or...

"Oh, uh, can you read lips?"

Doesn't Misha usually interpret for her? I wonder where she is.

[Valik Sparks]

Hideki

Shizune crossed her arms tightly over her chest, glaring sharply at Hideki as he finished speaking. Her foot is tapping the floor, and then she begins vigorously signing at him, slicing deft strokes through the air with her hands. Then she puffs through her cheeks irritably and takes out her notepad, jerking quick strokes across the surface.




You know I can't understand you right? Do you think just because I'm deaf I know how to read lips?



She shows it to him, but just for a flash, before quickly pulling it back and scribbling more.




You know I can't understand you right? Do you think just because I'm deaf I know how to read lips?

It's not that easy you know!

It's very complicated!



She holds it in front of his face for a few moments, and then pulls it back, seeming like she wants to write more, when the bell suddenly rings. She sighs, and then grabs Hideki by the sleeve, dragging him to class.


Hinoiri

There was a rather drawn-out, awkward moment between Hinoiri and Kitsuke... But he soon broke the ice with his casual, boyish chuckle. "You know, it's Ok to speak up once and a while, Hinoiri." He stops suddenly and puts a hand near his mouth, as though trying to catch the word. "Oh, uh.. I'm sorry, is it Ok if I call you by your first name? If it makes you uncomfortable I totally understand, so don't be afraid to say so. Making you feel uncomfortable would kind of defeat the purpose of trying to get to know you, wouldn't it?" He gives another small laugh, but is abruptly drowned out by a shrill, ringing sound that echoes throughout the whole school.

Saved by the bell.

Hinoiri is able to dodge the terrifying human interaction event by heading to class... unfortunately Kitsuke is hot on her heels, being in the same class, but at least they can't really talk anymore. For now.


All

As the four slip back into the mechanical routine of classes, they once again find the world drifting by them in a blur...and yet time seems to be moving so painfully slow. After what feels like ages, the final bell tolls, and they are released from their campus imprisonment. As they step outside the school, the blast of fresh seems to help.. a little.

Shaylin heads for his trusty motorcycle, awaiting him in the parking lot, with Nanami tagging behind. It's time to head home. He has a brother to check on, a new housemate to move in...and a god to contract with?

And Nanami... when she got on that bike with Shaylin, he would be taking her to his house. Not hers. She would sleeping in a foreign bed tonight. Waking up in a foreign room tomorrow. Greeted by different faces. Her father would be waiting for her at Shaylin's house, with her things all moved over there for her. And then he would leave. Today would be the last time she'd see him for a long while...

Hideki begins the familiar trek home, but he doesn't get far before he hears the sound of another pair of feet falling in step beside him. Looking over, he finds one blue-haired, bespectacled young girl. Shizune looks up at him, adjusting her glasses and giving some kind of smirk, an energetic flash in her eyes. But she just keeps looking at him...and seems to have every intention of walking with him...without actually explaining why.

And finally, Hinoiri. Homebound as well. She can faintly see a small black cat in the distance, awaiting her. Just down the street... freedom from the masses of bodies, people, voices. Finally.

"Uh, hey.. Hinoiri? I was just thinking.. I mean with everything going on...well you always walk home, by yourself, it looks like, and, I was just thinking... I could walk with you today. If that's Ok?"


Dammit.

[Rysc]

Hinoiri


"Uh, hey.. Hinoiri? I was just thinking.. I mean with everything going on...well you always walk home, by yourself, it looks like, and, I was just thinking... I could walk with you today. If that's Ok?"

Hinoiri had half--or mostly--expected something like this would happen, and had tried to run through conversations in her head during the latter half of class. Of course, there was the problem that she wasn't exactly walking to...her aunt's house. She stares ahead at the small black figure waiting for her.

"Um, I'm...not going...home today, at least not right away. I was going...to, um, take a walk. Around...the city."

Because I am a completely sane girl who likes walking around cities in which lots of murders have just taken place. Yeah.

"So...I...might be out...for a while." She pauses, hoping that she'll be able to spend the rest of the day alone. Well, mostly. That was a really pathetic non-argument, though.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

Shaylin climbs out of his seat and stretches. He has so much on his mind he doesn't know what to do first. When he reaches his motorcycle, he cranks it, secures his gun and closes his jacket. He offers his helmet to Nanami, "I'm better off without one than you, I forgot my spare at home." He checks his pack one last time to make sure the stone is still there. He can still see "control" written across it, and wonders if he should truly go through with this. He gets chills just from thinking about it... but he can't decide if they're good or bad chills.

[fendrin]

Hideki

Hideki stops and looks at Shizune.

"Um, Shi-"

Right. She can't read lips.

He puts his school bag on the ground and pulls out a notebook and a pen.
His writing is nowhere near as quick as hers was, but eventually, he flips it around and shows her.



Hi Shizune
Sorry about earlier.
I thought you could read lips.
I never really thought about it, but I guess it would be difficult.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

Nanami was standing a little discomforted by the thought of being without her family close for a while... then she realized she'd just been standing there, starring. "oh, um, where do i sit??" she asked, looking rather confused and unsure of where in the name of hell, she was going to be sitting...

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

Shaylin climbs atop the bike and pats the leather seat attached to the back of his. "Right here, and put your feet on the pegs here, and hold on tight." As Nanami climbs on slowly and clearly uncomfortably, she settles in and Shaylin slowly pulls out and heads home. Once he's there, he helps her and her father carry all of the things into the house. "I'm sorry for the situation, sir,~" he says to her father. He bows his head respectfully, but each trip carrying things in makes the stone in his pack seem heavier.

[Valik Sparks]

GRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbQcEyKl7aA)

Hinoiri

He may be annoyingly persistent, and a little overly-friendly...but at least it seemed he was wasn't oblivious. Kitsuke's face sunk a little as Hinoiri stuttered out her...non-argument. He nodded slowly. "I get'cha." He said, a little quieter than he'd been speaking before. "Places to be, things to do.." He quickly looked up, eyes squinting, as he plastered a phony smile onto his face. "But uh, hey, if you..." He dug around in his pocket, pulled out a shred of paper and a pencil, and then quickly wrote down a phone number. He handed the paper to Hinoiri, starting to look a little less forced. "If you need anything, or like, if you... Well that's my number, so just call if you want me to walk you home or anything. I mean, just for safety and all. If it gets too late. You shouldn't be out by yourself." With that, Kitsuke backed off a little, allowing Hinoiri to feel comfortable about leaving.

As she broke free from the interaction, she could see him still standing there, waving her goodbye as she left the school grounds... and was free to entertain her own plans, by herself. Mostly.

Kumori flicked his tail, loyally coming to her side to join her for the day.


Nanami and Shaylin

Nanami's father is grateful for the help, and all of Nanami's things are moved into her new room and unpacked in just a short while. The man goes down to say his final goodbyes to his daughter... and Shaylin waits upstairs, giving them the time they need. As he waits, he's able to take care of a few small matters. A check-in on Kazuko. His little brother is fine it seems, just coming down with a cold. He's coughing a bit, sniffling, and losing his voice, but it's not particularly unusual this time of year; a few other kids from school have gotten sick as well. He should be better in just a couple of days. And then there's the stone... dropping his things in his room, Shaylin places the stone atop the altar, and waits... and waits... but nothing happens. He does feel a little relieved though. Like a weight has been taken off him. But perhaps that's just because reality seems to be in effect now, and no half-snake gods are encroaching on his life. But then again... she'd promised, hadn't she? So why didn't anything happen... Was it all really just a dream?


Meanwhile... Nanami finds herself standing in Shaylin's house. It's not exactly foreign. She's been here before. Visited. But now... she was going to live here..? It didn't quite seem real...

"Nanami..."

It was her father. He gently took her shoulder and turned her around. He had a look at his face that she couldn't quite place. Constrained sadness... masked fear... a burdened smile. "You're gonna have fun here, Ok..? You'll get to see Shaylin all the time...and he'll take good care of you. It won't..." He seems to lose his voice. He squeezes her shoulder lightly. "It won't be for too long, Ok? I'll be back before you know it, and I'm sur--" Again, his voice caught in his throat, and he blinked, and swallowed something down. "I'm sure your mother will be out of the hospital soon, and..." What was that...in his eyes... they looked all glassy. Shiny. Was that..water? "Promise me you'll study hard...get good grades. And.. and be patient with your da...dad." He quickly pulled her in and held her tightly to his chest. She could feel faint drops of something landing in her hair. "I'll be back soon... We'll all be back home, together soon.. O-..Ok... I promise..."

It didn't seem real when he let go. It didn't seem real when he kissed her on the cheek, and turned around. It didn't seem real when he walked out the door. It didn't seem real when he disappeared. It didn't seem real... that she wouldn't see him again when she woke up tomorrow. And there she was. Alone. And frozen. And... and hungry. Her stomach craving meat. How sickening. At a time like this... Disgusting.


Shaylin was coming back downstairs. He'd gotten a text from his father, saying that he would have to make dinner tonight, as his father was coming home late. There was an extra mouth to feed now. Aino Nanami. His friend. But this small, white-haired girl, once sweet and full of smiles... The girl he found standing in his house didn't seem like that girl anymore.


Hideki

Shizune scanned Hideki's notepad, and then nodded vigorously, looking up at Hideki and smiling, a smile brimming with smug satisfaction. She simply continued to walk alongside him, glancing about nonchalantly, an energy in her movement. After a few minutes of awkward silence, she pulls out her notepad and starts casually writing as she walks.




You walk to school and back every day. That's good. It's healthy. Makes you strong.

You're strong, but you don't do much with it. You just play with swords.

You should do more with your strength. Otherwise it's a waste. Dragons are meant for greatness!



She flashes the notepad at him, just long enough for him to read it, and then tucks it away, grinning and nodding sharply to herself. She starts writing again, and then abruptly makes a sharp left turn and starts heading for an alleyway, holding the notepad up over her head so he can read it as she walks away.




I'm taking a shortcut home. See you around!

Go do something useful!! X)




As Hideki watches her go...he can't quite shake the feeling that cutting off by herself, through alleyways like that, is probably not a very safe thing to do...

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

Hinoiri winces inwardly a bit when Kitsuke responds. She kind of felt bad for him. Kind of. She accepts the paper. "Um, thanks...uh...maybe...tomorrow..."

Maybe tomorrow what? It's fine the way it is. Luckily Kitsuke's already a little distance away. She sighs in relief, walking away.

As Kumori joins her, she smiles weakly. "Hello! Not much at school, I suppose. I'm not sure where we'll be going today, either..."

She didn't exactly want to return...to Obasan's house, or at any rate she wanted to stay out as long as possible. That means...let's see. Some homework, distractions, and then dinner. A library? Maybe not. Too much chances of meeting a fellow student. They also aren't keen on cats there. Or maybe a cafe?

"Hm. I'm not sure if a cafe would be the best for homework. Or cats. Maybe we'll just go to the park. That'll be fine, and then when I get through most of my work, we can go walk around."

I...suppose it'll be best to let Obasan know. Pausing, she riffles through her schoolbag for her phone. Augh. Still have those cat ears. I wonder where Errie went? Finding it, she sends a quick message to her aunt.


Will be out. Don't worry about dinner.

Done. She returns her attention back to the cat. "All right, ready for the rest of the day, then!" The pair head off in the direction of a nearby city park.

[fendrin]

Hideki

On an impulse, the normally reserved high-school student runs forward and around Shizune, motioning for her to wait.
He furiously scribbles something on his pad and then flips it around to show her.


I don't think you should go alone.
Too many people have been hurt.
Why don't I walk with you?

[Hemnon]

Nanami

'All this emotion.... urgh...'

Nanami had turned emotionally numb by now. She just had a sad expression on her face as her dad hugged her and she almost mechanically returned the hug, though she had no more tears or words left in her.

She felt empty.... hungry and drained. Truth be told, she was actually feeling a little annoyed by the whole ordeal and slightly bored by it all... though she had no idea why she felt like this.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

As Shaylin comes back downstairs, feeling no different at all (begrudgingly), he watches Nami's father leave. Sighing in empathy for the young girl who had become one of his closest friends, he came up and offered her a hug. "Any thoughts on dinner, Namichan?"

[Hemnon]

Nanami

With a half-empty shrug, Nanami didn't really say much, she just stared out the window. "I dunno.... steak? pork chops?" she replied half-interested, still sounding a bit distant and mentally lost... though she did have a lot on her mind and it wouldn't seem THAT strange, considering what had happened recently.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

"Steak, it is. It's Zukzuk's favorite. How do you like yours cooked?" He listened for her answer as he made his way slowly back towards, and then up, the stairs towards Kazuko's room. When he gets there, he asks his brother if he's feeling alright, and some other questions about dinner. Despite being told over and over that Zuk was fine, he still can't help but feel uneasy about him suddenly falling ill...

[Hemnon]

Shaylin

"Steak, it is. It's Zukzuk's favorite. How do you like yours cooked?"

Nanami just shrugged half-heartedly at that question, and continued to stare out the window emptily.

[Valik Sparks]

Hinoiri

The park proves to be as peaceful and relaxing as she'd hoped, and Hinoiri finds the hours passing by all too quickly as she files away page after page of completed homework and assignments. Her Aunt still never replied to her text. It's a little unusual, but considering the..fight? She was probably just still in a nasty mood. Kumori didn't seem to mind just lying next to her, occasionally rolling in the grass, stretching, and swatting playfully at... another red butterfly.

After some time, as dusk settles upon the city, casting a faint orange light across the sky, Hinoiri is forced to pack up and consider what she's going to do about her stomach, which is protesting against her negligence in feeding it. Just as she's about to leave, however...an all-too-familiar face approaches.

Spiked hair, glasses, and a long brown coat.

"Hinoiri. Can you think of anyone who might want to hurt your Aunt?"

Sato Lionel already had a notepad and pen ready in his hands, and he was tapping the pen against the paper impatiently. His gazed was locked onto Hinoiri, and a cold, grim expression held his lips tight. A slight, nervous flutter was evident in his voice.

"It's been over 8 hours since the attack, and she still won't say a word to any of the investigators. I know it's sudden, and you're afraid, but we need to get on this as soon as possible if we're going to..."

His voice trailed off. He stared at Hinoiri for a long moment.

"Wait... you don't even know... do you..."


Hideki

Shizune stops, the slightest hint of surprise flashing on her face for just an instant. Then she just blinks, and slowly reads over Hideki's notepad. She put a hand over her mouth and turned away, her eyes squinting, and her shoulders bobbing up and down, as she made strange, barely audible, muted sounds. Was she.. laughing? She composed herself as quickly as she could, and looked back, pushing her glasses up on her nose and re-assuming a proud, rigid posture, with an amusing smile lingering on her face. Then she simply nodded at him and started to walk again, pausing for just a moment to jot a few words on his notepad with her pen.

"Well then, come along my Hero."

GRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcUZxJpMcT4)

The two of them headed together down the alleyway. Shizune took a sharp left at the end, and the area was a little wider, but still an isolated, back lot area. By the strong smell of grease and teriyaki, it seemed they were behind a restaurant of some kind. But it abruptly became apparent that the area wasn't so isolated after all. There were five fairly young looking people hanging around. Three guys and two girls. A couple of them looked to be high school age, the others more likely college. They wore a mix of torn jeans, boots, ratty sneakers, short skirts, tank tops, old jerseys and the like between them all, and they all sported various piercings and tattoos. Only, there was a common theme among them all... Butterfly earrings. Necklaces. Tattoos... All of them, at least in one place, had a Butterfly represented on them. And all eyes immediately turned on Hideki and Shizune.

One of the girls was actually bleeding, a large, fresh wound torn open on her shoulder, blood casually dripping down her arm. In fact, there were various stains of red all over each of the five ruffians. They ranged from old and dried looking, to sticky and fresh. One man, with red splattered on his face, and eerily concentrated around his mouth, began walking towards Hideki and Shizune, grinning.

"Wouldn't yah know it..."

Something flashes in his eyes.

"Dragons..."

He licked his lips, and then glanced back at the rest of his party. Then he continued closer...and the others trailed behind him. They started whispering to each other, occasionally snickering and giggling.

"It's about time you mother@%$%@#$ lizards came out of the shadows," the nearest continued. "You look like you've seen a ghost..." More snickering. "How does it feel to look your demons in the eye? Doesn't it just make you feel... sick? Hideki's stomach was roiling. His mouth tasted like a mix of vomit and spoiled fruit; rancid and bitter. He thought he heard a crunching sound, faintly... A squelch. A crushing of flesh and bone.

CRUNCH!

The bloody-mouthed gangster snapped his jaws at the air, then gave a toothy smile. "Does it just..eat...you...up..."

Then he lunged. Hands out, fingers curled like claws, mouth open, he came at Hideki like an animal. And the other four followed close behind, charging straight at both him and Shizune. The first one would be on him in a second. Then two more right after, and it looked like the other two were headed for Shizune. She was frozen in place, eyes wide, paralyzed by shock.


Nanami

GRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Hi-YQ2tOE)

Dinner went by slow and...perhaps a little painfully. It was quiet. Awkward. Neither Nanami or Shaylin had anything they could say. Nanami was lost inside. And her behavior seemed to put walls up around her, making Shaylin uncomfortable, and uncertain... but in time, dinner was finished, and it was time to start settling in for the night. Shaylin was cleaning up after dinner, and Nanami found herself just...wandering.

The halls were dark. There were photos on the wall. Shaylin, Kazuko, their father...and a young woman, who Nanami had never seen before. She had Shaylin's eyes.


"Nanami..."


The voice was soft, and gentle. As Nanami turned her head, she saw a figure standing on the other side of a sliding glass door that lead to the backyard. Normally she might've jumped with fright in a situation like this, but something about the person was...calming. It was boy, with dark eyes, and semi-long, unkempt hair. He stared through the window at her. He was tall, a little thin, and... Nanami felt her body tense. She knew him. That was... Aaron.

He lifted a hand, placing it on the glass, and continued to gaze in at her. "Nanami... I want to help you. I understand what you're going through... I know of the strange things happening to you. The hunger. I can help you... I can ease it."

He stepped back, and softly beckoned for her to come outside with him.


Shaylin

GRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aifZSnfWIwE)

The night is done. The house is quiet. His brother has fallen asleep. His new housemate..his friend...she's wandered off. Probably to bed as well. The kitchen is cleaned up, and as Shaylin flicks off the last light switch, relying on muscle memory to navigate his darkened home, he opens the door to his room to find... something entirely different than what he was expecting.

The first thing to hit him was the blast of freshness; his nostrils assaulted with a plethora of vibrant smells. A mix of sweet perfume, and the intoxicating, earthy scent of blossoming flowers; a minty, cooling smell, and a warm, exotic, scent that made his heart race. A faint glow seemed to be cast over his room, and deep red and purple flower petals were drifting about, in a dream-like manner. His bed had been...redecorated. Plush, royal pillows of red and purple were stacked up at the head, and rich curtains of the same color, embroidered with gold, hung from the wall overhead. A long, serpentine tail was loosely coiled across his sheets, with white scales that shone like diamonds, and various prints of deep red, etched along in decorative patterns. The lithe tail wound up to the sleek torso of a feminine figure, dressed in a tight-fitting, white and gold, distinctly Asian-styled dress, with royal flare. She wore a white fur mantle loosely over her shoulders, tied with red string, and covering her hands and forearms were pristine white gloves. Amid locks of shining, pale-pink hair, crimson eyes flashed like gems, and the moment they met with Shaylin's gaze, his world erupted into nothing but blinding white.

The ground seemed to disappear beneath him, and he felt as though he were falling. His body wanted to scream on instinct, but no noise came out. His arms flailed and his eyes darted about, looking every which way, but there was nothing but infinite white all around him, nothing to orient himself with, nothing solid to hold on to. He found himself stripped of every material thing. There was nothing to see, hear, smell, or touch. The clothes against his skin, the weight of his gun, the smell of his room; all were gone. But then... a whisper in the void.

"Once you saw with the eyes of men..."

It was distant, far off, barely audible... but it was something.

"But now you see with eyes that do not know the realm of humanity. Your faith has bought you passage to a new world."

There was a slight warmth that began to grow around him, against his skin. The whisper came ever closer.

"Now, in the realm of gods... You will be touched by the divine. And you will return to your world, wearing the same shell, but inside...you will not be who you once were."

A soft, feathery feeling dabbled against Shaylin's cheek.

"You will walk as a god among men... For you have bound your soul to a god...

...and I will be with you always."

The white void was ripped away, by a soft, warm, yellow glow, sending it streaking back like fleeting shadows. Shaylin found his feet on solid ground again, and the distinct, intoxicating smell of Nimaijita once again flooding his nostrils. His room was still lavishly decorated, as he had glimpsed when he first walked in. And Nima's form laid invitingly across his bedsheets, her hand delicately twirling a golden pipe in which incense burned. Her jewel-like eyes flickered with something like firelight as small, playful smile snuck across her lips.

"Come (http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2013/013/3/d/new_year_by_banyex-d5rdmhe.png), Shaylin...~"

She leaned forward, her upper body sliding gracefully and soundlessly towards him, guided by her long, muscular tail. Her hands delicately laid against his chest, but then she gripped his shirt rather firmly and yanked him off balance, pulling him backwards, onto the bed, her serpentine body spiraling in an unnatural and disorientating manner. He wasn't quite sure what happened...but he felt himself turning in a corkscrew fashion numerous times, and a warm, heavy pressure snaking around and around his body, from his ankles to his abdomen. By the time his mind had caught up with the dizzying circumstance, he was already flat on his back, sinking into the mattress, his arms loosely pinned to his sides, Nimaijita overtop of him, her tail wrapped around him multiple times, from his lower torso down to his ankles. She held herself up, hands propped on his shoulders, and grinned down at him, her long pink hair hanging down and brushing against his face, like curtains of silk.

"You asked for the power of Absolute Control... And now you have it, Shaylin."

She leaned down, flicking her thin, black tongue out and brushing the tip of his nose.

"Just remember...the power comes from me, and the bond we share. You may control the world of men. But here with me...your power is meaningless."

She grinned, lifting a hand and dragging her finger slowly down his chest. Her tail constricted around him just slightly as she whispered.. "You'll have to use your charm instead."

[Rysc]

Hinoiri

At first, Hinoiri can only wonder about how the investigator had somehow found her again. Then she realizes what he's asking. Her...aunt?

"I'm...sorry?" She stares at him, confused. But in the back of her mind, fears from long ago are starting to awaken.

Eight hours...Attack...No, no, no...

The fears show themselves in her eyes. "Wait, attack? I-I..." She pauses, her mind desperately trying to catch up. Her voice wavers. "I...I need to see my aunt..."

Then she turns and runs. She needed to get home. This couldn't be happening. It was like...that time, long ago. I'm so sorry about this morning, Obasan.

Dashing through every alleyway, side street, and shortcut she can remember, she tries to make sense of everything. "Won't say a word." At least...that means she's still okay? I hope. Please let her be okay.

[fendrin]

Hideki


"Wouldn't yah know it..." Something flashes in his eyes. "Dragons..."

Butterflies... Dragons... He's talking just like Katsuragi did. I don't understand what's going on these days. And was he eating that girl?

Then suddenly they lunge at him, and at Shizune. Shizune, who is not a fighter, not even one who "just plays with swords".

Too many. If only I had a sword now... but I don't.

Grabbing Shizune's arm, he pulls her behind him as he runs. Not back the way they came, with it's narrow and isolated alleyways, but towards the restaurant's back door.

By all the kami I hope it's not locked.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Shaylin

Shaylin's world reeled. Today had been so full. The stone, the altar, Nanami, Kazuko, that blinding light and whisper, and now Nimajita had returned, and pinned him to his bed. He swallows hard, not entirely sure what he's feeling. His mind is moving at ten thousand miles a minute, and he struggles to put together a coherent thought. Nima's serpentine form wrapped around his abdomen gently, but somehow seductively. He can't place for the life of him how being constricted was sexy, but he couldn't help it.

"I.. I.."

Great. So much for charm.

"Are you spending the night here, Nima?" Another hard swallow. That was a bit more smooth, he guesses. The playful smirk Nima wore told him not so much. Zuke heard me speak her name last time... what if Nanami hears me this time? Even as he wonders, he can't tear his eyes away from Nima's, her pinkish hair surrounding his vision in a soft glow. He feels like he is losing control, which he finds ironic as he blinks to try to steady his focus.

[Hemnon]

Nanami

The strong sensation of emptiness continued to haunt Nanami as she had changed into her PJs and was getting ready to sleep... that was also when Aaron suddenly had appeared outside her window.

She slowly walked over towards him and opened the window, feeling almost like it was a dream of some sort.
"What do you mean 'help me'? There's nothing wrong with me." She replied halfheartedly, her eyes still clinging to a distant sadness that had haunted her ever since this morning...