| Another New Kid. Nothing to See Here...; Her calm, balanced persona belies the turmoil within... [Shizuka Setsuko's Intro Thread - Ask First] | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 17 2012, 03:23 PM (582 Views) | |
| The One True Nobody | Oct 17 2012, 03:23 PM Post #1 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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It was rather early; the day's first trickle of incoming students had only just begun to filter through the front gate of Taiyoutono High, the school that she had enrolled at here in Nagashima... Yet another new school, another new batch of passing acquaintances. A year and a half left and I'll be in college. Maybe. If I can afford it. Her name was Shizuka Setsuko, and the students entering the building, both male and female alike, passed her by without a second's glance even though she stood stock-still outside the gates. This might be because, while a good-looking girl by most standards, there wasn't anything extraordinary about her appearance. Her hair was black, tied in a ponytail, she had brown eyes, and she wore the standard girls' uniform with no discernible stylistic touches to speak of. She even wore her skirt a bit longer than most of the other girls: it ended just above her knees. She caught the eye neither by flashiness, cuteness, nor blatant sex appeal, and so she caught the eye not at all. She was aware of this, but found herself unwilling to make the (in her mind) drastic changes that would be needed to fix that. But for her calm and neutral expression one might have thought she were reluctant to pass through. Which, in fact, she was... for some reason. But she took a breath, and walked through anyway, telling herself that for better or worse, this would probably be the last time. She had made quite a few good friends at her last school, and all because of Kendo Team. She hoped this school had a Kendo Team... since she had to go to the Faculty Office to check in with her homeroom teacher anyway, she figured it couldn't hurt to ask while she was there. She couldn't dismiss the usual first-day jitters, though. One would think, after have transferred to a new school no less than three times now, this would have gotten just a little bit easier... but apparently not. |
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| Yes | Oct 18 2012, 08:20 AM Post #2 |
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Kumori drifted in and out of a hazy semi-consciousness as he went through the old motions of walking to school. Muscle memory led the boy along more than any conscious will, as his head seemed to bob in sync with every step that he took. His eyes were half-open and his hair was tousled from falling asleep on his early commute. His school bag hung from a shoulder, swaying with every motion. As he approached the gate, the sun broke through a patch of cloud. The boy winced at the light, stopping to rub his eyes. Stifling a yawn, he blinked the blurriness out of his vision and noticed a girl standing near the entrance. Another transfer student? "Excuse me, are you new here?" |
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| The One True Nobody | Oct 18 2012, 08:38 AM Post #3 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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Shizuka had barely started walking when a voice called out to her. She jumped slightly. That had never happened before. Turning, she saw a tousle-haired, rather tired-looking boy who seemed to have called out to her in the middle of rubbing the sleep from his eyes: she saw that his hands were just then returning to their places at his sides, and that his eyes were that slight shade of red they often assume after being rubbed at. He didn't seem to be hitting on her, which would have been both an unwelcome source of additional anxiety and a welcome boost to her self-esteem for the day--but the fact that he'd noticed her at all took Shizuka aback. Not much of this showed on her face. Her expression was one of mild surprise and a hint of confusion. "Um, yes, I just moved here this week. This is my first day here, so... would you know where the Faculty Office is? I need to check in with my teacher, and ask about a few things." |
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| Yes | Oct 18 2012, 05:41 PM Post #4 |
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"Sorry if I startled you," the boy said, dipping his head slightly in apology. Shizuka seemed a bit on edge, but Kumori couldn't fault her for feeling apprehensive on her first day there. It was a bit surprising that no one had approached her before he did, but it was a slow morning. A pleasant morning. Cool, but not too dry. Just cloudy enough that the sun wasn't constantly in his eyes. Unnaturally peaceful, since the rowdier students were probably still on their way. It was a bit of a struggle to keep from sinking back into slumber. He nodded in response to Shizuka's question, using the movement to keep himself awake. "I can take you to the office if you want. Have you already worked out your schedule with the counselors...?" Transfer students generally knew at least their home room, which would make the process of tracking down the teacher a lot easier. |
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| The One True Nobody | Oct 18 2012, 10:19 PM Post #5 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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"Um, yes, I have," answered Shizuka softly. "My homeroom is... 2-2, I think. Yes, I'm sure it was. If it's not to much trouble, I would appreciate it, but you can just give me directions if you like." She was outwardly mild and friendly, but inside her nerves were bundling up quite badly. She had given him a convenient out, so he would give her directions and walk away, and that would be the end of her twenty seconds of being somewhere other than in the background... ugh, just... why had her father's company laid him off? She had gotten so comfortable with the Kendo Team at her last school, and now she had to start all over again and--Oh, just stop thinking about it, she chastised herself. It doesn't matter right now, you've been here barely three minutes. Think positive! There'll be a Kendo Team, and you can make friends there. And if there's not--well, you can always go to a sword arts dojo in your off-time. It'll just... cost a bit more. That thought didn't exactly inspire feelings of positivity, of course. She was a diligent girl when she needed to be, but she still hated doing part-time work as much as the next high school student. And why was she so focused on the people she could meet there? That wasn't why she loved Kendo. She loved Kendo because she loved the sport. The friendships had come later... ...Get it together, Shizuka. Concentrate. This is school, this is your future you're working at. You need to focus. You can be a worrywart when the last bell rings and you're on your way back to the apartment. She took a slight breath and calmed herself. Yes, that was what mattered now, school. Getting what needed doing done so she could then focus on the other matters that occupied her. Balancing external obligation with personal concern began with putting first things first and other things after them. With a stroke as precise as any katana slash she'd ever delivered, she cut off the train of thought and focused on the important point: getting to the Faculty Office and meeting her homeroom teacher. Edited by The One True Nobody, Oct 18 2012, 11:35 PM.
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| RickenbackersAllTheWay | Oct 18 2012, 11:08 PM Post #6 |
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birb was here scruffs is a loser
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Charles had been eating a bun. Good breakfast. He popped off from his bench, and wandered over towards Kumori and the tense looking-newbie. "Hi there. Nice to meet you. You a new kid here?" asked Charles, aiming to the girl. "You have that same nervousness all our students do at first." |
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| The One True Nobody | Oct 18 2012, 11:44 PM Post #7 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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"Oh--hello. Yes, this is my first day. I'm Shizuka, Shizuka Setsuko. Pleased to meet you." She answered calmly. This time she didn't even have to fret over it to decide that this one had probably only noticed because she happened to be talking to one of his friends, or simply to someone he was familiar with. She had managed to stifle her discomfort with the situation and had assumed an outward sense of only slightly uncertain serenity. Her smile was pleasant, but a bit sheepish. --- [Posting order from this point forward will be Myself --> Yes --> RickenbackersAllTheWay. With two posters having joined the thread, I'm changing its status to "Ask First."] Edited by The One True Nobody, Oct 18 2012, 11:52 PM.
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| Yes | Oct 19 2012, 04:34 PM Post #8 |
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"Class 2-2?" Kumori echoed as he tried to clear away more of the brainfog from his mind. The pieces clicked together eventually. He nodded in understanding. "...I'm in that class. It's a large class, but I'm sure you'll do fine. Let's head to the office, then... Please follow me." He started walking through the gates just as Charles made his appearance. And then Shizuka introduced herself. "...Oh." Kumori began to mess with his hair in an effort to smooth his bedhead out, but portions of it would always spring back up. He glanced back towards the other two students as he continued to walk. "...I'm Yatsu Kumori. Sorry for not introducing myself in the first place, Setsuko-san." The boy turned his eyes to Charles. "He's Charles Oliviera from class 1-1." Edited by Yes, Oct 19 2012, 04:34 PM.
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| The One True Nobody | Oct 19 2012, 04:46 PM Post #9 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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"It's good to make your acquaintance," Shizuka said polite, sounding a bit surprised. "We're in the same class? That's a nice coincidence." She glanced at the other boy as she trailed after Kumori. "Cha... rles-san, did I say that right? I'm sorry--I do well enough in English class, but pronouncing things has always been a bit of a weakness of mine." -- (Oh bugger, I only just realized I broke my own posting order. Well, carry on, carry on. I shan't do so again.) Edited by The One True Nobody, Oct 21 2012, 01:04 AM.
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| RickenbackersAllTheWay | Oct 22 2012, 01:12 AM Post #10 |
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birb was here scruffs is a loser
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[NOW WE'LL NEVER LEAVE YOU ALONE WE'LL CALL YOUR SCRUFFLES THE POST ORDER BREAKER] "Well, you seemed to make friends right on your first day, Shizu-chan. You and me might get along real well, since you can actually say my name properly. And Kumori here's pretty cool. He's a wiz at English and school in general." He pulled a bun from his box, and offered one out to the girl, after placing one in his own mouth. "Eadup. Not goo to godo claff om a empy stomick." said the boy, using all the manners he knew. |
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