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Shin Hyakuji High School Tvtropes
The Book that is Hyakuji's Story has come to a close. However, there are still plenty of stories left to be told in the madcap Anime Universe it inhabits. As one book closes, so too does another open. Presented by veteran Hyakuji Staff Members, check out the next generation EVOLUTION of "Anything-Goes" Anime Roleplaying at Senki Academy
The Book that is Hyakuji's Story has come to a close. However, there are still plenty of stories left to be told in the madcap Anime Universe it inhabits. As one book closes, so too does another open. Presented by veteran Hyakuji Staff Members, check out the next generation EVOLUTION of "Anything-Goes" Anime Roleplaying at Senki Academy
| Saruwatari Ren; Fightin' Gravity @ Every |Step| | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 12 2013, 02:40 PM (543 Views) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fallen_shinku | Sep 12 2013, 02:40 PM Post #1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(இ﹏இ`。)*
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Profile Notes
Ren "Uh, yeah. Call me again when you're dead, then we'll work something out." Saruwatari Ren (猿渡蓮) is a character played by Fallen_shinku. An only child to a middle-classed family, there would be nothing to remarkable to note of Ren, neither of his character or family. An avid dancer, and frequent roamer of the streets, one who doesn't know him might consider the boy a delinquent. Though, aside from that, and in such an eccentric city as Hyakuji, there would be nothing of interest to note. That is, of course, unless one decided to delve centuries into the Saruwatari line, with keen notes about their lineage, heredity, and history. Or, if the boy happens to knock on your door, an annoyed expression on his face, saying“Hey. You know your aunt- yeah, that rich one that died a week ago in the hospital? Yeah, she wanted me to tell you that she thinks you're an ungrateful hack and that you would be getting none of it.” Appearance Rather normal in appearance, not much can be said about Ren aside from his messy brown hair and violet eyes. Though his iris were of a peculiar colour, growing up in a city such as Hyakuji has made that one trait rather small and minute. Aside from physical notes, Ren's trademarks and probably most notable feature would be his ever present headphones, which are never far from cuffing his ears. Abilities Saruwatari Style “Preta Malice” ![]() Simply put, Ren can see dead people. Though not just see them; Ren can talk, shout, listen, hear, call , throw, and even understand the souls of the deceased. In short, he can communicate with the spirit of people recently deceased. If one happened to trace the Saruwatari line back an entire century, they would see that, if that such material still exist, Ren's ancestors served as spirit mediums. Of course, what kind of genealogist would perform on in-depth enquiry centuries into a lineage just because some boy said that he saw ghosts? Even the family today have no idea of their ancestral ability, having been forgotten hundreds of years ago. However, whether by some stroke of fate, divine favour, random chance or unforeseen genealogical coincidence, Ren came into possession of this ability. However, though summoning of souls seem like like a convenient ability, there are a number of setbacks. First off, Ren is unable to call upon ancient spirits, nor that of animals; he can only call those of the recently deceased and human. Additionally, the soul of any “magically-in-tuned” or gifted individual is also out of reach. Also of note is that Ren can only call forth spirits which have been some sort of regret during their life; a trauma or incident that attaches and anchors them to this world still. However, due to the current state of society, vengeful spirits have become relatively common. These souls can range from a child who've lost his/her teddy bear, to an elderly senior worrying about the division of his/her assets. In short, though Ren can passively hear and see spirits, he can also call forth one. When summoned, they take the form of pale glowing orbs, about the size of a hand in diameter. However, the actual spirit in question is seemingly random; though there is a seeming prejudice to souls that reside in the immediate area. If pressed, Ren can call forth one soul per post. And as a side note, the souls called by Ren in this manner will be referred to as Preta, to differentiate between other ghosts, spirits, spectres and the like. And despite their tendency to float weightlessly around Ren when summoned, Pretas surprisingly have a mass, roughly equivalent to a shotput. Shura Style “Human Malice” ![]() An odd ability Ren came upon after a queer encounter with the ghost of some otaku whose regret was that he never experienced true love. Ensue comedic snippet as Ren tries to hook up random girls with a creepy ghost. Anyway, after wasting the entirety of a weekend, their engagement was brought up short when the ghost's incessant nagging (at Ren for being unable to find him a girlfriend) ended up with the spectre getting a face-sized serving of a knuckle sandwich. The rest is history. In essence, Ren is able to coat his body and limbs with the spiritual energy that constitutes the Preta he calls forth. This has a number of interesting effects. First the affected area of his body become strengthened and noticeably more durable. Ren would be easily able to punch a hole in drywall or defend himself against conventional melee weaponry with little or no damage (depending on the strength of the user). Additionally, it also offers some protection against magic and the elements. However, the defining trait of this aura is that the area enveloped by the strange aura is able to affect incorporeal or spiritual entity. Meaning that Ren can effectively punch a ghost. And rip is apart, piece by piece. Note, the Preta used for this ability would disappear afterwards. And as an additional note, one Preta would be able to cover the area of a limb, with some variances depending on how much Ren wishes to expend on a set area. Obviously, if a lower area of effect would have greater results. This coating lasts until the effected area comes into contact with another person, spirit or some other form of magic. Ren has no idea why, but a more learned individual would probably say something along the lines of “disruption caused by the uneven syncopation that occurs when differing signatures of energy come into contact with one another. Along a wave graph, this would be seen as destructive waves which terminate, in much the same manner that opposing sounds tend to cancel each other”. Or something like that. ”Ren Style” Ren is a dancer. But not just any dancer, Ren is a “breaker”, or so he calls himself, commonly referred to as a break dancer. Though not exactly a power, Ren's ability with the art constitutes it be viewed with similar abilities to other martial arts or forms of competitive sports. For those not familiar with the art of “breaking”, it is a form of competitive dance with roots derived from hip-hop, acrobatics and capoeira. A style of street dance, there are four distinct segments of breaking; toprock (movement from standing up, focusing on footwork), downrock (movement while supported by hands), power moves (dynamic swings which require momentum and strength, usually performed while supported on hands) and freezes (sudden cease of motion, resulting in stylish but difficult poses). A diverse discipline, it is hard to just classify all the differing styles of breaking, though all forms of the dance would constitute the above four to some degree. However, a general divide can be made of dancers; Power, Abstract, Blow-up, and Flavor, categorized by where the emphasis to the above four elements of breaking that is placed on emphasis. However, these are very broad terms, and shouldn't be used for anything more than an impression. More often then not, individual dancers find style and form that suits them, guaranteeing that each dancer would perform the same moves in a vastly differing manner. Personally, Ren would classify himself as an Power/Blow-up, with his main strength lying within power moves and downrock. However, after a near decade of experience with this hobby, it would be safe to say that Ren is capable in all aspects of the dance. With focus on dynamic movement, musicality, and a wide range of motion, breaking offers a tough physical mark, requiring both muscularity and flexibility. This means that Ren is quite physically fit and active. Though not superhumanly, he is comparable to an acrobat, able to lift, balance and bounce himself with one hand and capable of performing aerials and flips with relative ease. Ren is a person completely aware, and confident, of his physical ability. Though one thing to note that at the end of all things, that breaking is still a dance. This means that it is used best when accompanied by some sort of track; after all, it is difficult to keep a beat when you aren't given the ensemble of tunes. The same goes to Ren, everything about his performance improves within the presence of music. While this trait allows him to move efficiently, directly, and quickly, it also makes him predictable if someone was able to guess his beat. Though, breaking's dynamic and unpredictable nature offsets this to a degree, it should be noted that this, in the end, is still a dance and Ren has had no formal training in actual martial arts. Personality The first thing anyone would notice about Ren would probably be his incredibly blunt manner. Either he can be called truthfully honest or a crass jerk, Ren had made it a personal policy to never lie. He refuses to play around with words, or sugar-coat things. A simplistic individual, Ren is the type to speak his mind, and isn't the most sensitive person about it. He would be the one to tell a man with cancer that he's dying or that that pair of pants really did make you look fat. However, that would also mean he comes clean with just about everything. If he was the perpetrator of an act, he would fess up to it. Ren is also in possession of a rather one-track mind; once he decides to focus or concentrate on anything, he tends to miss or just completely ignore everything else around him. Probably the worst person to ask to multitask. This also extends to him having a horrible memory, it wouldn't be surprising for him to forget who you were the day after you met. However, it is shown that Ren has a disturbing attention to detail, though only pertaining to things that he can concentrate on. Though anything complex would wash over him, Ren can memorize the contents of a textbook page within a few minutes. Though, good luck having him explain it to you. Additionally, due to his power and frequent contact to the dead, it had made Ren rather desensitized to the subject of death. That, along with his rather inappropriate sense of humour(?), causes the boy to usually make fun or poke at sensitive topics. And, being as liberal as he is, this paints a largely negative picture of his person. Though, that is not to say that he doesn't feel strongly about people dieing; in fact, Ren would probably be the most affected. When things get serious, it can be counted that the boy would be the among first to jump into a fray. Also, he tends to get worked up over little negligible things. Most likely to yawn at a funeral. |
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| Fallen_shinku | Sep 12 2013, 02:42 PM Post #2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(இ﹏இ`。)*
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History What happens when someone dies? Do they move on to a better place? Do they go through the cycle rebirth and reincarnation? Or do they just die? Buried under six feet of dirt? Well, according to Ren, the climb in through his window wake him up from his sleep. In the middle of the night. Shouting about woes that he has nothing to do about. And this wasn't just an visitor that he could defer by closing the windows. Heaving a sigh, the dishevelled boy rolled sluggishly out of his bed, landing onto the floor with a soft grunt. Despite his protest, the spectre's continued wailing served as background as the boy pulled some random sweater off the floor. Looks like it was going to be another long night. ”From the Top” Ren was born an only child to a middle-aged family. An average family, there isn't much to note about Ren's time as a child. Well, nothing that anyone not familiar with him would note anyway. Ren was born a normal child, unlike a number of his similarly aged-peers. That's right, the boy didn't develop his powers until much later in his adolescence. But, like all things, even with being just him, just Ren, he was still a person. And in order to truly begin to understand any person, all stories must start at the beginning. Haruo and Michiyo, were two school-aged sweethearts. It seemed like they would have the world in their hands. Meeting in Hyakuji High, the two first met in their freshmen years. Studious and strong-headed Michiyo, whom would eventually be class valedictorian and honours student, constantly scoring top twenty. And football club member Haruo, aloof, insensitive and always carrying a smile. No doubt these contrasting individuals butted heads repeatedly over the years, but as romance would have it, eventually coming together a day after graduation. It was a perfect picture romance, Michiyo going on to university and Haruo ever supportive and sweet. There were many happy memories stored back between the two, between the endless hours of late-night studies and the early rising to bright sunny days. From the coldest winters to the beautiful bloom in spring, the couple spent them all together. But all those things were just that; memories. Memories that Ren had no part of and no wish to be. Ren came after. After the dream ended. Canon's Dux Ren stopped. He had dreaded this moment. He had always dreaded this moment. However, it had started to become regular routine ever since mother's job required her to spend more and more time away from home. From before he could even remember, Ren had needed to walk the way from primary school back to home by himself. His parents have always been a busy bunch. Not that he mind that in particular; no, he actually enjoyed the short respite that the ten minute walk to and from school. The sound and sensation as his feet tapped onto the sidewalk, the rhythmic footsteps that followed behind him, it all seemed as some sort of elation to him. It helped to calm him down and forget about any sort of trouble he might have. Though, Ren bit his lip that, just like every day, it had to end. The voyage only took him ten minutes, perhaps fifteen if he walked even slower than he normally did. Any longer and father would burst out from their street, looking for any sign of his “lost” son. And then he would definitively receive an earful; Ren would know, he had tried it a week ago. It was more of a self experiment than anything; Ren still remembered it clearly: he would take a step, take a breath, held it, counted to ten, and then repeat. Boy, was father ever angry; he had never seen his face that color before. It was red. Like a tomato. And angry bouncing tomato, with long legs that carried it down the street before Ren even realized he was there. Ren frowned as his father scolded him, going on and on about how worried he and mother was. He said he was sorry, and that he would be more prudent next time. And that was the end of that, the two walking home together just in time for dinner. However, only later did the child realize that he wasn't sad because his father was upset. He was sad because he couldn't walk the rest of the way himself; he had only made it halfway. But that was a week ago, nothing more than ancient history to an energetic primary student. That had nothing to do with why he standing still in front of his front door, at the end of his daily walk. It was a small thing really, he was just saddened that his short time alone would be ending. Ending as soon as he touched the knob on that door. But it was a small thing, really. Ren wasn't going to do anything about it; it wasn't as if he hated home or anything. No, his father was a good and decent man, and Ren was fairly certain that he treated him as well as, if not better, then any other average father out there. At least, he was pretty sure; Ren had no idea what it meant to be a father. God, he was just a kid, why was he thinking so much?! Heaving a sigh, the boy reached out with small hands, and turned the knob on the door. “I'm home.” “Welcome home!” The voice seemed to boom from every wall of the house, ringing past his ears. However, Ren couldn't catch a single sight of his father. He was probably in the kitchen. Taking a step through the door, the bot steeled himself for what would happen next. “So, how was school today?” “Fine.” “Oh, that’s good to hear! Now how 'bout you help me with these dishes?” Ren hated lying, it left a bad taste in his mouth. Father was an idiot. Capo The bell rung, completely overwhelming every sound that might've pervaded the classroom before. Every student would be familiar to the bell that dismissed class for the day, and Ren was no different. As the teacher excused himself from the room,. Ren took his place amongst the other students in seeing him out. And with that, another school day came to an end. No sooner that the teacher left earshot, that the silent peace brought on by the bell erupt into incessant chatter. Though this too, was part of everyday. Slowly, Ren began to clean up and packing his books for the trip back home. That short walk he always looked forward to. And as always, Ren was one of the of the first to be done. And that too, was part of everyday. Glancing back at the classroom, he gave it one more look over, seeing if he had left any of his materials. After all, petty theft was quite common in primary classrooms. But as always, his desk was clean, immaculate and spotless. Empty. Off to the side, some boy played with a small spark of flame in his hand, tossing it to and fro as if it was some kind of ball. A number of his peers looked on in amazement, following the burning ember as it wriggled its way around the boy's fingers. Ooo's and aaah's were abound, filled with childish glee and delight. Entranced. Mesmerized. Ren only frowned. He better leave soon. “Wait!” A voice called, causing Ren to stop his steps. “Here, you left your worksheet on the desk.” “Thanks,” Ren absentmindedly stuffed the paper into his bag. “Remember to do your homework, Saruwatari-kun...” the voice continued to speak as Ren walked away. “You're barely passing your classes.” Canon's Second Voice Tips taps tips. Ren found himself walking this same road again. Except, this time, something was different. He wasn't just walking. The asphalt struck back as his feet relentlessly pounded it. He was running; Ren had never ran this fast before. Actually, he had never ran home this fast before. For once, in his life, he was running; running as quickly as his feet could carry him, down this path that he had walked home from every day. “Ren!” Ren collided with someone. He didn't even bother to glance or say anything as the contents of his backpack spilled all over the sidewalk. And he didn't stop; didn't even bother to slow down. He just kept on running, as if an inferno licked at the edge of his step. And if he slowed down, just a little bit, he would be engulfed. Sweat rolled off his brow, his breathing coming in rasps. For once, in his life, Ren wished this path was shorter. Or that he could run faster. Finally, as he rounded the corner, the door that he had dreaded every day before came into view. Just a little bit farther, just a little more. He reached out, grasping the dull knob with all his strength. “I'm home.” “Welcome home Ren!” He steeled himself, hiding his hands inside fists. “How was school today?” “Fine.” Father was an idiot. “That's great! Hey how 'bout-” “Sorry, but I have a lot of assignments to work on. Maybe some other day.” Ren didn't hear what was said after, as he briskly excused himself to the washroom, locking the door behind him. Opening the faucet, the boy rolled up his sleeves, before placing the palm of his hands into the small stream. Glancing at the mirror, he gasped as he saw his own face. His hair was a mess, his eyes were haggard and shocked wide open, as if he had just seen a ghost. Then, his hands; the palm of his hands were burned. Not a severe injury, but traumatizing. What was he thinking...? Now, Ren could do nothing but be angry at himself; angry at how stupid he was. Of course the fire would burn him. Who did he think he was? Ren couldn't even clench his hands now, the frigid water turning the injured skin sensitive. All he could do was stare at his own reflection. And curse. Calando “Hey,” a voice called out from behind Ren. “What were you thinking back then, you know, going after that pyromancer like that?” Ren shrugged. One of his classmates it seemed. And here he thought that everyone had already forgotten about that incidence a year ago. Thankfully, the whole fiasco had ended with nothing beyond a burned hand and a hurt ego. But that was all, no suspensions or any disciplinary measures. Of course, it wasn't as if either of them would go and tell the teacher about that; Ren remember rushing home to wash the soot marks off his hand. Sure, now and again one of the students would mention it, pulling it out as idle conversation or interesting story to share over cafeteria tables. However, this time it was different. Ren was never a person with many close friends, and after that aforementioned incident, most people had been uneasy around him. And he would be lying if it didn't bother him, even a little bit. But, like most things, Ren had learned to live with it and move on. One step at a time. One day at a time. Ren looked at the boy who had approached him. White smooth hair, shining blue eyes and a wry smile, the boy definitively stood out from the crowd. Even the air about the boy seemed to tingle slightly. No, this boy before him was definitively different from his other classmates. In fact, Ren was surprised that he hasn't notice this guy before. It was frightening. Normally, Ren would be able to give a name to all his class mates, and if not that, at least remember their name. But there was nothing of that sort for the individual before him; no recollection of seeing that wolf-like hair in the classroom, no glance from that blue gemstone eye in the hallway, and he would definitively remember someone with such a predatorial smile such as that. That was the only way that Ren could explain it. Everything about the boy seemed wolf-like. “I didn't like him,” Ren replied plainly. It was the truth. The wolf-like boy only smiled. “Is that all?” It would seem that he believed there was more to the story, but gave no inclination of delving any further. Instead, he just gave a soft chuckle, before sliding into the seat besides him. Immediately, Ren could feel as if the temperature about him dropped five degrees. “Name's Yoshino,” the boy spoke in that dramatic voice of his. “Saruwatari.” “Thats hard to remember... got anything shorter?” “Ren. You?” But all Yoshino did was smile that toothy grin. If he had heard him, he gave no inclination of such. The two sat through what remained of the lunch hour in a thought provoking silence. Canon's Third Voice It felt odd, walking home like this now. Ren couldn't say whether he liked it or not, only that it was odd; a sort of uncomfort or tingling that drawl up and down his back. A sensation that forever pervaded his consciousness, filling him with a sort of anxiety. And the source of this feeling came from beside him, his footsteps echoing Ren's own. Yoshino. This wasn't the first time that the duo walked home together, though that did nothing to make Ren feel anymore at ease. This short time of day, walking home along this path, it had developed into a sort of sacred custom for the boy. And now, to have it invaded by another person, Ren didn't know what to think. Maybe he was being selfish; Yoshino could walk wherever he wanted, it wasn't as if he could control that. But still, it made him a bit angry. As if something precious was being taken away from him. Naive. Ren knew he was being naive. It wasn't that Yoshino was a bad person. After all, he came and talked to him upon his own record, so at least he was friendly. Ren frowned to himself, unaware just how to piece together this new acquaintance. No, he wouldn't say that he was a bad person. But Yoshino was far from your idol citizen either. Though he had only known Yoshino for a few days, Ren had already pieced a few things about him. To say that Yoshino was his classmate was quite a stretch. True, though his name was listed in the roster, the boy had never attended a single day of class (save for the first and that day Ren met him in the cafeteria). No wonder the uniform seemed a bit tight for the white-haired boy. That would also explain why Ren had never seen him in class either. Though, it was surprising that he could miss that someone had never been to class since the first day. Maybe he should be paying more attention in class... Then, a shrill screech ripped him from his thoughts. Ren almost jumped into the street, sending him into oncoming traffic. Thankfully it didn't. Swiveling back and forth, the boy tried to find the source of the estranged notes. It seemed as if someone had taken too much of a liking to a chalkboard. Coming out in intervals, the grating caused Ren to flinch, covering his ears with his hand. His eyes darted back and forth, unable to pinpoint the origin of the sound, seemingly pouring down all around him. Down? Ren glanced up. And there it was. A shadow moved beyond the glass. A window. And from inside came that atrocious sound. Now, gazing up at the figure, did Ren figure it came from an instrument. A violin, it seemed, along with some amateur at its string. Ren gritted his teeth, bracing himself as another jarring octave pierced through his ear. “Hey! Would you shut up!?” Obviously, whoever was the source of that sound didn't hear him, for the toneless aching continued. However, someone else edefitively did. Yoshino turned around, an annoyed expression on his face. “...What do you think you're doing? If you want me to walk you home, pick up the pace.” “I never asked.” But despite that, he left the horrid screeching behind, picking up his pace until he reached Yoshino's side. But all he did was stare back. “You didn't have to,” the boy muttered, and Ren couldn't help but be silenced. “You had that look about you,” despite that the boy continued. “Someone who wasn't satisfied with the hand Fate dealt them, someone who wanted more, and was willing to fight to get it.” Ren glanced over at his accomplice. It puzzled him why this boy spoke so dramatically; as if everything he said was trying to become the punchline of some cliche shonen manga. Finally, Ren was back at his front door. Yoshino stayed upon the street, his house being a bit farther off. Or so he says, in any case, Ren was beginning to doubt whether this boy even had a home. Not going to school, speaking in such a weird way, and his obviously bleached hair, Yoshino looked every way a delinquent. “Hey,” a voice called out to Ren's back. “Yeah?” he turned to face the boy. However, Yoshino was looking farther down the road, as if something in the distance had caught his eye. Ren had no idea what that could be. “Do things other people can't do.” “What?” Yoshino turned to him, a confident smile upon his face. “In order to get ahead, you'll have to be able to do things others can't.” Again, he flashed Ren his wolf-like gaze. “See you tomorrow.” Second Calando When Yoshino had mentioned something fun, Ren had no idea it would be something like this. “Come on! Is that all you've got?!” his voice shouted over the sounds of splashing water and struggle. This was completely not what Ren had expected. He froze, taking a few steps back from the bizarre scene. “Hey! Where do you think you're going?” Yoshino shouted back, seemingly having sensed Ren's hesitation. He turned to face him, that mouth of his stretched into a toothy grin. “C'mon, go and press the switch.” Well, Ren couldn't back out of this now. He had agreed to do it. And he wasn't the type to go back on his word. Biting his lips, Ren inched forward again. Trying to avoid touching the squirming body that Yoshino was pinning down, he edged his way around the scene, carefully stepping over the bodies of water that had formed. As he made his way to the other side of Yoshino, Ren tried to not look at the struggling victim. Well, not that he could see them anyways, with Yoshino keeping the boy's head pressed down into the water, only easing off for the poor sap to catch breath. Clenching his teeth, Ren pressed down. Flush! “Break for it!” Ren could hear Yoshino's shout over the tumult of the water. He didn't hesitate then. Canon's Fourth Voice “Well that was quite a rush,” Yoshino remarked, his hands relaxing behind his head. “Wasn't it?” Ren wouldn't use those words explicitly. Sure, it had been heart-pumping and adrenaline raising, but Ren wouldn't say it was a “rush”. Dangerous: yes. Bad: yes. Possibility of getting both of them expelled: yes. Sure, Ren wasn't the best of students, not even a good one, but that didn't meant he cared nothing about school. And most of all, that didn't meant he wanted to get expelled! Yoshino laughed at his silence. “Don't worry,” the boy spoke, bringing his eyes forward. Then, they hardened. “I've dealt with gys like him before; scum like that won't say anything.” Ren looked up, puzzled. “And what makes you say that?” Then, Yoshino smiled. The same smiled that made him both faraway and immeasurably close. The smile of a person who knew just what they could do, and wasn't afraid of who they were; someone who was entirely at home with themselves, but not where they were. “What is he going to say?” then the white-haired boy slung his arm over Ren's shoulder, pulling him close. “That he was done in by a bucket of water and a toilet bowl?” Immediately, the duo erupted into laughter. Even Ren couldn't help it. Though it was scary for a little while, they had gone a full week without another word from that jerk of a pyromancer. It would seem that Yoshino's “method” worked. Now, it just seemed funny, though Ren knew it wasn't. Like an old-running gag that had gone stale; only shared amongst friends not because of of its own comedic value, but because the memories they brought back. Well, guess that's what it meant to be boys; laughing at stupid things such as toilet water. But Ren couldn't see anything wrong with that. They were just kids after all. If they didn't laugh about these stuff now, when would they have the chance to? When they were uptight grownups, worry about things such as money, future, mortgage, and food? There would be no time to be boys then. So Ren didn't mind; walking down this road with Yoshino. They both could use the company. Then, an abrupt knife cut into their laughter. That knife of the violin, Ren had heard it everyday for the past week now, while walking back from school. And well, he wouldn't say there has been much improvement. Used to it by now, Ren plopped on his headphones. He had began carrying one around with him everyday now, just for this short squeaking segment. Huddling himself, Ren increased his pace, wanting to get out of earshot of the horrid cacophony. Except something stopped him, something that he would've never expected. Yoshino stood, motionless. It took a while for Ren to realize what he was doing. He was listening to the music. A thoughtful look was upon Yoshino's face, one that betrayed nothing but the fact that he was given this stray tune the fullest of his attention. Even Ren dropped his mouth at the sight. It was at moments like these that Ren realized just how short he's known this person. And how much he didn't know about him. Despite that they were laughing together just moments before, Yoshino seemed farther than ever now. “That note...” he finally spoke. “Its stretched a bit too far... probably the fiddler was pressing too hard on the violin strings.” “Violin? I never thought you were a musical virtuoso.” Yoshino then returned his gaze downward, the grating fading slightly. “Any self-respecting man would know a thing or two about music; as an art it is the only phantasmal trait that separates us from mindless animals.” He held up his fist before him, showing whatever he said next was either very important, or was ripped straight out of an action movie. “Without it, we are nothing!” And Yoshino was back. Ren laughed. “Oh? But you do know that a fiddler plays a fiddle right? A violinist plays a violin.” Yoshino smiled. “You would be correct, if you weren't so wrong. A fiddle and violin are actually the same thing.” “...shut up.” And Ren realized he was the only one who was still a boy. Yoshino laughed, before going on with his steps. The violin had stopped. Interlude Ren laid on his bed, curtains fluttering slowly over him. The wind bit into him as it brushed past his open winding, helping the alleviate some of the humidity in the small room. Though Ren didn't mind, it was some welcomed white noise to the surprising silence he found himself in. The old man was out today, probably grocery shopping or something. Which meant that Ren was now here all by himself. Again though, not that he particularly mind, but it did give him some time to think. Reflect. Slowly, he reached out with his hand, as if trying to touch the ceiling. And grasp it. Then, bringing it back to his face, Ren eyed it curiously. “Something only I can do, huh?” After a few moments, he let his fingers go. God, he looked like an idiot. Ren was glad he was the only one home. How did Yoshino pull off stuff like this? Absentmindedly, he spent the rest of the day napping, his headphones still cupped around his ears. Idly, his foot tapped the bed in beat. Canon's Fifth Voice Ren was alone now. Walking down this same stretch of road, it was just his solitary figure cutting through the evening light. The other half of his dynamic duo was gone, nowhere in sight. Then again, Ren should've expected as much from him. The white-haired boy didn't seem to be the type to wait around for someone. A person that goes at his own pace, sails by his own winds. Thinking back on it now, it was always him that waited for Yoshino after class. If anything, Ren was good at getting from one place to another quickly. Maybe that could be his “thing”, the thing that Yoshino keeps talking about. Ren let out a sigh. Though, how lame it would be if your “thing” was getting out of class quickly. He could do something better then that, right? It was getting pretty late now though, maybe he shouldn't had spent so much time looking through books at the library. Well, it wasn't like he was studying, but he had no idea where else to start for this “thing”. Next thing he knew, the sun was already setting. Maybe his “thing” could be getting lost in books? But anybody could do that; it wasn't special at all. Screech. Yes, even that atrocious, pathetic excuse for a violinist has his/her “thing”. Something to pool their consciousness, energy and efforts into. Reflexively, as he once again reached ear shot of that grating, Ren flipped on his headphones. This too, had become another ritual; a daily custom that he could even recite in his sleep. It had become as involuntary as breathing, or how his feet knew just the steps to take. But, tonight, the sound seemed louder. Ren clenched his teeth, for the first time, seriously pissed at this stranger's ineptitude. Why were none of the neighbours complaining?! This was seriously a sound hazard or something, right?! Couldn't someone submit a noise complaint? How could they stand to listen to this ruckus, day in and day out? How could that person even bear to hear themselves play? Aren't they embarrassed? It's been almost an entire year, playing everyday, how could you still be so horrid? At least close that fucking window! “And how can someone like you still be better than me?!” Ren cursed to the window above. The next moment, he buckled, his eye running feverishly to the ground. Spying a medium sized stone, he grasped the projectile. It fitted into his hand snugly. And the boy sent it sailing through the window. The next thing Ren knew, he was back at his front door; he was breathing heavily, and his lungs felt like they would burst. His legs were made of jelly, and he wasn't sure how much longer they could support him. He had never ran that fast in his life. Even that time when he had burned his hand; he was younger then, and his legs shorter. How fast time flies. So many things change. But he still walks home on this road. Heaving a sigh, the boy steeled himself again and opened the door. Another lie forming in his head to justify the hour. So much was upon the boy's mind, that he didn't even notice the violin had stopped. Cadenza's Prelude The next morning, a box was placed upon the road. The contents were spoiled, various collection of trash and trinkets, though it would only take a second glance to verify it contained more of the former. However, if one peered again, they would see the orange sheen of polished wood. Strings sprung out of it like some parasitic undergrowth, and a gaping hole in its body made it near impossible to distinguish just what it was. Near. Canon's Sixth Voice Ren stared silently. There was nothing else he could do. It had been a normal day, going about in his normal pace. And then the world throws something like this into his path. Though, that wasn't entirely correct; that would imply that someone was out to get him, as if Fate itself turned against Ren. But no, that wasn't correct; he knew that it wasn't right. He knew that the only one to blame here was himself. Ren stared silently at the box that he had placed in the middle of the sidewalk. Probably meant for some form of garbage collection. Or worse yet, scavengers. But like most who walked past, Ren saw that most of the items were trash. Just used junk, thrown out cause they could no longer serve their calling. They've become useless, obsolete. Old. Well, isn't it obvious that newer is better than older? Is that really how it goes? Are old things... and things that people get bored of just destined to be thrown... away? “Thats...” Ren looked up at the house. “... kinda sad.” It must be sad for them too, seeing former fragments of their lives, strewn about in a box, for scrabblers or trash. And it was all his fault. Ren returned to the box. There it was, that tangle of string upon the oaken body. And the crater he made, nearly snapping the instrument in two. Slowly, he picked up the wooden piece, one of the strings nearly scratching him in the process, as if snapping at him for what he had done. Ren flinched slightly, almost dropping the musical cadaver. Holding it now, he couldn't help but think of the clumsy fingers that held these strings just a day before. Moments passed as Ren stood transfixed, immobile upon that path he had walked every other day. And a certain unease that unlike every other day, this one held no sound. The boy's headphone were still around his head, but the reason for them in the first place was gone now. He wouldn't say that the horrendous screeching was any better, or that it deserved its wailing place in his daily walk. But Ren could say that, in some weird way, he missed it. Something was gone now, something that he had heard for a very long time. Maybe he was too sentimental. After a few more moments, the sentimental boy returned the broken thing back to the box. And hefted the whole thing up, before making his way home once again. However, so deep in his own thoughts, Ren had failed to notice the pale blue eyes that watched him from just across the street. Interlude This was something he could do. Canon's Fermata Alright, this is how its going to go down. Ren took a brilliant step out of the gate of his school, his feet taking him with a short of spring that it had not seen for a long while. Though, in honesty, he had never been more tired. The bags about his eyes were evident enough; he hadn't been sleeping right for the last few days. What was he thinking? Bringing that box of junk with him back home. He can even remember it now, seeing its twisted shape beyond the closed closet door. He would rather be pulled into a night of nightmares then go through those sleepless nights again. But, as most things, Ren wouldn't say that it was entirely for nothing. He was able to think; the kind of thinking a person can only experience during sleepless nights, staring at the ceiling. And it came to him, and when it finally did, he was angry that he didn't think of it sooner. But, then again, later is better than never. In any case, when it finally came to him in the middle of the early morning last night (that obscene horror after midnight but before any hint of day made itself present), his inability to sleep with regret became an inability to sleep from anxiety. Even throughout school, he had lost count of how many times he just wanted to up and leave. And now that he was out, he could began to work through his plan. His plan to set it all right again. To fix everything. Something only he could do. Well, the word plan might be a bit much; it only involved him going to buy a new violin. But, the problem was getting the money. Though Ren wasn't a particularly large spender, he had some amount of cash stashed from allowances, but buying an instrument straight out was definitively out of his current capacity. He was just a primary student! And, as it would turn out, the brand that instrument was “Stra”-something, didn't come particularly cheap either. Ren wouldn't stoop to some lowly knock-off. He could probably ask father, considering that mother was now a practising surgeon, they should have the money. Ren was hesitant to do that. He wanted to solve this all by himself. But how...? Before he knew it, his footsteps had carried him to just below that window again. And what he saw was enough to make him lose his breath. Again, his feet felt like they would give away. Just in front of the lot; that lot where he had picked up that box. Now, another box was there. But, unlike the other one, this one was pristine; clean. It had just been placed there, at most only earlier today. It was neatly packed shut, and its size made it just ambiguous as to what it could contain. But that was made clear, as printed upon the side of the box, in ornately curved letters, was that same foreign word. As Ren stepped closer, he spied something else; a tiny flap of paper put callously onto the top of the sealed box. Sorry. The script was messy, as if the person who wrote it didn't care for how others saw it; only that he had taken the time to write it. But that didn't mean that it was lazy or half-assed, the sincerity was there, Ren could tell. In fact, he had never seen something simple, yet effective, to describe whatever the hell he was feeling at this moment. Something was wrong, though. He didn't write it. Further down the street, a white haired boy walked away, the sunlight dancing playfully through the gossamer strands. Ren saw him. He began running again. “Yoshino!” his voice was filled with a mixture of excitement, anger and dread. Now that Ren thought about it, Yoshino hadn't been to school for the entire week. The boy in question turned. “Ren-” Ren sacked him straight in the jaw. “Why... Why the hell do you do that!?” Ren screamed at the taller boy, the effort, along with the punch and sprint, making him pant for breath. Yoshino stood, his eyes stunned at the sudden blow. But only temporarily. Obviously, despite putting all his strength into that punch, Yoshino was barely fazed. “I was covering your ass.” Despite the harsh words, Yoshino's face was passive like ice. A sort of understanding “Why?!” Ren shouted again. “Because I coul-” Ren threw himself at the taller boy. He wouldn't let him finish that sentence, despite knowing how true it was. The rolled along the asphalt, the cotton of their uniforms tearing and smearing with the grime and dirt on the floor. But Ren still clawed after Yoshino. But it wasn't like he could do anything. Yoshino was bigger. Yoshino was taller. Yoshino was stronger. Yoshino was quicker. There was a reason Ren followed him. Yeah, Ren always just followed. Even though ht thought he's been a walking his own path all this time, in reality, he was just following. It didn't take long for Yoshino to stand up, leaving Ren on the floor. Ren kept himself face down, not moving a muscle, not even daring to breath. Though he was more battered than Yoshino, whom Ren was only able to get good on that jaw, Ren himself wasn't terribly injured; just some cuts and bruises. But he didn't want to see his face again. He knew the expression that would be on Yoshino's face; a mix of pity, regret, but most of all understanding. Yoshino knew that Ren was faking; he knew that he knew. But Ren wouldn't turn, rather smearing his face if mud and garbage than having to see that face. Eventually, he would pick himself up, and trudge back home. Long after Yoshino left. Ren never walked home on that path again. |
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| Fallen_shinku | Sep 12 2013, 02:44 PM Post #3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(இ﹏இ`。)*
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Segue Wind a Clock by Masayoshi Minoshima Translated by kafka-fuura Right now, I cast off my shell and awaken If there’s something I can’t see, I just need to find it This is the time, the season of beginnings If there’s anything I can’t find, it’s only the end There’s still a long time to come, and within me Precious emotions, precious encounters, Even the small things, a day will come I realize I want to hold them all dear, and that time is now Like this, it won’t end – Like this, nothing will move forward Even this very moment I’m living in, feels like a waste Before the dawn breaks and another page is filled in blank I will write my own story The wind gently brushes my cheek as if it were embracing me Telling me that nothing is wasted in the passage of time Even in these days that pass by without any change There are without a doubt things that matter I cast everything from myself and awaken If there’s something I can’t see, I just need to find it With the cycling seasons, revolving hours My shifting heart projects who I am There’s still a long time to come, and within me Precious emotions, precious encounters, Even the small things, that day has come I realize I want to hold them all dear, that time is now At this rate, it won’t end – At this rate, I can’t move forward If in this very moment there is anything that I feel It is that if yet another page is filled in blank My story will spread out over all eternity The wind gently embraces me, telling me That this time passing over me right now, matters Thoughout these days that pass by without any change There are without a doubt things that matter Right now, I cast off my shell and awaken If there’s something I can’t see, I just need to find it This is the time, the season of beginnings If there’s anything I can’t find, it’s only the end There’s still a long time to come, and within me Precious emotions, precious encounters, Even the small things, a day will come I realize I want to hold them all dear, and that time is now Sequence Ren took a glance around. The court was empty, save for himself and his things. Not that he had much; his bike was off to the side, leaning against the fence that surrounded the area. A boombox was strapped haphazardly to the seat of the thing. A stray gust would be enough to knock the speakers straight out of the amateur harness, but Ren left it be. It was an old thing anyway, he having picked it up a few years ago. Needless to say, it sees rare use, but Ren was glad to have found something like that anyway. Besides, he wouldn't want the nearby residents to file a noise complaint. All he needed was right here. Taking out his phone, Ren pressed a button, before placing his red headset upon his head. One Two Three. Music starts at about 0:24. That was almost an entire half-minute for Ren to get ready. To get into the mood. To get into the zone, as some people would say. It wasn't that hard, really, one could do anything in this short lapse before the piece actually started. Some people strutted, shifting their weight from side to side. Some people stretched, easing out the range of their muscles. Others, Ren included, simply stood still. Closed his eyes. And kept count of the seconds; kept count of the beats that passed. As the music began to form in the darkness of his mind, Ren allowed his feet to strut, a movement in which he shifted his weight from one feet to the other. In tune with the sounds. It was an intrinsic movement, even children could do something as elementary. It was a natural thing, anyone would probably find themselves strutting in the presence of favourable tunes. It is how people aligned themselves with the beat, creating a sort of harmony from that which kisses your ear to that which pumps inside. But for someone like Ren, the strut, along with some very basic other steps, allowed him something else besides the foundation of grasping a beat. It allowed him to build energy, dynamism, and momentum. But the arrangement itself didn't start until 1:01. After the short vocalized intro, Ren moved onto a steady toprock. Short pops of the arms, and long strides, to refer to the pieces “classical” violin elements. Personify the music, he did short bursts of controlled movements with his arms to keep the beat, while his feet took long sideways steps to mirror the dragging motion of the violin. Top rock can easily be said to be the backbone of any number. However, for this peice, which focused on explosive but controlled energy, such fillers were cut short. 1:17, the first spike. About fifteen seconds, and the music picks up dramatically. It is here in which Ren picked up his tempo, along with the rhythm flaring out of his headphones. And transition: downrock. “Ow!” At his cue, Ren kicked both of his legs up, falling backwards. Drawing his arms back, Ren braced himself as his hands hit the floor, scratching slightly on the dust and dirt. Maybe he should wear gloves to his next session. But that thought was quickly forgotten, Ren had less than a second to make the transition from toprock to downrock. Hit the beat. His right foot lightly kissed the ground. Turn, push, left, turn push, right, adjust, shift, right hand, spin, under, right, spin, over, reverse, and repeat. A complicated sequeunces of tapping the ground, lifting, kicking, spinning of the body, and turning. That was what comprised of downrock. Though toprock can be said to be the fundamentals of dance, it is downrock that is the base of any form of breaking. Ren looked like a spide, his legs moving, tapping, turning, and twisting in every which way. Sometimes, they went over his hands, which supported his weight as he went about the footwork. But sometimes, they went under, in which he would have to “hop” his hand slightly, going airborne just enough for his limb to swipe through. But even this part is short lived; only last about twenty seconds. As his mental counter ticked off, Ren began pushing more; more energy as his feet moved, more energy as he lifted his arms. Like a generator, Ren was building up momentum. Then kick. Airborne. Turn and flip. Ren came down again, except this time his chest faced the floor. Again, his hands came down to break his fall. He took the briefest of moments to right himself into this new orientation, bending his elbows to support himself. The dust kicked up into his nose from his landing. Turtle Float. 1:37; ”This is part of the song where it breaks down”. Ren had no idea what that meant, but he could garner a guess by the sudden drop of the tempo of the music. He stopped, righting himself, all the prior motion threatening to topple him by his sudden break. Turtle Freeze. He allowed himself a second to catch his breath. Next came the most physical demanding segment of his sequence. Slowly, keeping his motion constant, Ren began to rotate, turning the positions and orientation of his legs. First, it was a simple reflection, kicking out the right leg, taking the left leg in. Then, it went back, kicking out the left leg, right leg in. Then- 1:50; Turtle. Taking all the weight to one hand, Ren shifted the opposite forward. Hand strut. Shifting all the weight to the other, Ren repeated the motion with the other, except backwards. He began to spin, in his crunched handstand. 2:07; Darkhammer. Suddenly, Ren broke one of the hands out of the continued shifting. Reach into the air, all of Ren's weight now can down upon one hand. Then, alternate. The suspended hand came down, replacing the now free hand. This switch allowed Ren to continue his spin, as well as bump him into the air each time. Seven more seconds, time to move on. Then, after some jumps, Ren straightened both of his legs. Freeze. Then, suicide. Ren's supporting arm crumpled beneath him, sending the top part of his body crashing to the floor. But, it was all just an artistic feint. Rotating his arm underneath his body, Ren turned his palm to face the floor, pressing against the hard cement. Then, propping himself onto his elbow, Ren began inverting himself. Slowly, he sent his legs straight up in the sky; the boy assumed a modification of a one-handed handstand, fighting gravity with just the support of his elbow. Pop. And in a flash, Ren jutted his elbow upwards. True one-handed stand. 2:15, the music picks up again. A repetitive beat, this would also be the most challenging part of the routine. Ren allowed himself to catch his breath, if only slightly. Finisher. Angling his legs to form a “K”, Ren planted his free hand down, grabbing the wrist of his supporting beam. Then, he kicked out his legs, straightening them, and twisting his body in the process. Spin. Ren began to pedal with his legs, moving them to continue the momentum for his spin. 2000s. 2:48; Losing momentum. Ren bent his elbows, before snapping them back straight, producing a short hop in the spin, creating just enough force to extend his move. He's going to regret this afterwards. Already, the sharp pain of a cut made itself prominent on his forearm. 3:12, return to the regular beat. Recovery. Ren, flipped, using the last of his energy to land back into a standing position. His mind addled from the minute long spin, Ren just allowed his body to step in tune to the music in a dieing toprock. God, he felt like shit; his mind constantly reminding him that “hey, you're gonna throw up.” 3:41. End. A Battuta Ren took a glance around. The court was empty, save for himself and his things. Not that he had much; his bike was off to the side, leaning against the fence that surrounded the area. A boombox was strapped haphazardly to the seat of the thing. A stray gust would be enough to knock the speakers straight out of the amateur harness, but Ren left it be. It was an old thing anyway, he having picked it up a few years ago. Needless to say, it sees rare use, but Ren was glad to have found something like that anyway. Besides, he wouldn't want the nearby residents to file a noise complaint. All he needed was right here. Taking out his phone, Ren pressed a button, before placing his red headset upon his head. -Sequence- Ren collapsed as the song finished. It felt like this every time, this horrid sensation. Now, as he was lying on his back, clothes covered in dirt and sweat, trying to catch his breath while keeping his breakfast down; Ren would promise himself that he would never do this again. But everyday, after a fifteen minute breather, he would be at it again, practising his flares, footwork, spins, and stands. After all, it was something he could do. And he could do it well. Slowly, as the ringing in his head and the rebellion in his stomach finally settled, Ren allowed himself to actually rest. His back on the floor, he let early morning sun bask him in warmth. The Ren now was different from the Ren back then. Sure, he was older now, his hair longer, his body taller, and his arms stronger. But it was more than that; that expression he had while lying on the ground in the sun, the look he had while executing move after move, that burning concentration and passion. Ren had grown up; the memories of those days so long ago just that. Memories. Memories he had never thought to remember again. Until now. Clap. Clap. Clap. The odd sound reached his ear. Ren had thought he was alone; so the sound came as foreign to him. “That was great,” a voice spoke up. “I guess you weren't all that useless after all, Ren.” Ren rolled his head towards the direction of the voice; a voice that crept through his memories. And then, he realized, the last time he heard that voice, it was muffled by water. His eyes confirmed his thoughts. “You...” “Its been awhile hasn't it? Ever since that year in primary.” Ren didn't need to be reminded. Instead, his mind went to why was he here now? After that event, this individual had all but disappeared from Ren's life. This person had nothing to do with him anymore. So what was he doing here, now, after all these years? Slowly, Ren sat up, before jumping to his feet. The look on that boy's face, so different now with age, but still the same. Ren could feel it, even better than before. “What do you want?” “Want?” the boy laughed. “What do I want? I just want to see an old friend; someone I haven't seen in a long time.” Ren doubted that was what the guy wanted at all. He kept silent, taking a few steps back. Cold sweat began to form on his brow. “Say,” the boy continued. For every step Ren took back, the boy stepped forward. Ren furrowed his brow, it was obvious that the jerk was looking for a confrontation. “Where's that other punk that you always follow around; that one with the white-hair, sharp eyes...?” Ren shook his head. “Its just me.” The pyromancer made a sort of displeased scowl. If anything had changed, he had become a lot more animated. It was almost a slide show, watching the boy's face contort to any which emotion, before returning to that menacing smile. “What do you want?” Ren repeated. Every muscle in his body was tensed, ready to spring at a moment's notice. “Well, we'll be all going to the same high school this year.” Hyakuji High. But what did that had to do with anything? Ren wasn't even sure why he had enrolled there in the first place. Even a person such as he knew the rumours about the place, not to mention it being a frequent sinkhole of tax payer money. A place for “talented” people, and that term was applied loosely. Ren did not see himself as such, though there were a portion of “regular” people too. Well, he guessed it just happened to be the closest, not that it bothered him anymore. He would like to see any of these elemancers do a spinning handstand for a full minute. “It'll be a fresh start for all of us,” the boy continued. He opened his hands, as if to show that he was unarmed. Yeah, as if he needed a knife or something to harm him. “Its a chance for us to let bygones be bygones and start anew together!” Ren raised his brow. “You're kidding... right?” The pyromancer shrugged, mock hurt upon his face. “Was my acting really that bad? I've been working to improve.” “Yep.” Suddenly, heat smacked into the Ren's face, causing the boy to gasp. “Well then,” the pyromancer smiled, flames suddenly appearing in his hands. God knows how they do that. “Lets make this quick then, alright? I've actually got things to do instead of playing around all day.” Ren frowned, knowing that last statement was directed at him. “Whatever.” Then, a fire ball was flung forward, the searing flames burning brighter and brighter as it flew towards Ren. Calando's Fermata Again, Ren found himself running. Its been so long since he had to do something like this. Running. However, oddly, none of the old emotions of helplessness of lost pervaded him. Ren felt oddly comfortable, as his feet hit the pavement again and again, pushing him farther and faster every time. Which was, again, odd. Because, if he slowed down, even a bit, he would get toasted. “It would seem the monkey had learned some new tricks!” the shrill voice shouted after him. “You're a grown up monkey now!” A surge of heat and smell of cinders washed over from behind him; as the jackass lobbed another fireball at his general direction. To be honest, Ren was actually pretty surprised that the idiot could keep up. It never occurred to him that these guys would the the athletic type. Guess he would have to pick up the pace if he didn't want to be roasted. Spying an alleyway to his side, Ren darted in, not losing a single ounce of speed. However, if was bare breaths before the sounds of his assailant caught up to him. We'll see how long that lasts... Up ahead, a wired fence blocked any further access. “Looks like end of the road, monkey!” As if something as pathetic as this would slow him down. Ren then leap, grabbing the top edge with his hand. Grimace. Damn, he had forgotten to bring his gloves today. The serrated of the fence added another mark upon his screen. Biting his teeth, Ren summoned his strength, using his legs to push off. And flung himself over. “Oh, nice moves you got there!” Stumbling a bit, Ren landed heavily, turning back to see- Shit! Ren's eyes shot open in alarm. The freak grabbed on to the criss-cross of the metal wires. Slowly, but surely, the metal began to glow; being heated up from the boy's hands. The soft light only served to highlight more of his predatory smile. Ren turned from the horrific sight, and began pounding off again. A wave of heat. A searing pain licked from the boy's back, invading his mind like some grotesque insect. Ren lost his footing, landing face first in the ground. No, he can't fall now, if he did, that jerk would definitively have his way with him. Mustering some strength, Ren tried to push himself back up, but again that pain ripped through his back, forcing him to go back down. This was bad. “Nice try, Ren.” Again that voice whispered into his ear. Mocking him. “It was quite a good work out though. I've never been to this part of town before.” The voice seemed farther off, probably because he had taken a few steps away. To make sure that no one would see. Ren knew, just like back then. That was why he had waited until he went to the washroom. “Though, I'm kinda bummed that you're alone. I still have to settle things with that albino bastard.” “Yoshino had blue eyes, dumbass.” “Oh, did he? I can't quite remember.” His tone annoyed Ren to no end. “Sorry, but I was too busy trying to not drown to notice.” Before dumping him with water, and dragging him to a stall. The memory watered back to him now. It was funny how people remember the oddest things as they lay crumpled, facing the dirt. “Y'know, the past can be a bitch like that! It will come up and rip you a new one just when you elast expect it. But, nothing we can do but always look forward, isn't that right, monkey?” “Are you done preaching?” ”Maybe I'll try a new restaurant when I'm finished with you,” the idiot continued to drone on. “Don't look at me like that, man. You've had this coming for a long time.” I wasn't. The only thing Ren could see what ground. “Now, what to do with you?” A snap of the fingers. “I know, how about this. I'll burn off all your clothes, and then you'll have to find your way home! Huh? Would you like that?” Ren didn't bother with a reply. “Hahaha! Don't worry!” the shrill voice haunted. “It'll just leave a mark...” First Cadenza 2:14 AM. Ren groaned in protest, rolling back over after checking the clock with his eyes. It would be an understatement to say that he was in pain right now. Every inch of his body screamed from the burns, courtesy of that jerk. Well, not every inch, thankfully, but it sure did felt like it. It seems even he had the decency to spare Ren's more sensitive parts. Of course, it wasn't enough to cause “much” long term damage, perhaps some scaring, but until it healed, Ren was going to have a hell of a time trying to sleep. Any part of his torso that he would sleep on would unavoidably become sore, as the burnt skin tried to heal itself. Thus, Ren had to resort to sleeping on his face, one of the areas that had completely avoided any fire damage. Ren was very lucky. If mom wasn't a surgeon, they wouldn't have all these medical and first aid supplies just littering the house (she also happens to be a “preparedness now saves grief later” kind of individual), and then Ren would probably not be able to get away with the things he does. Ren let out a sigh. Maybe, despite everything, he should consider himself lucky. If that pyromancer had been really out to get him, Ren should be in the emergency room right now. Or, perhaps worse, dead. “How was your day?” “Fine.” Its been fine for awhile now, for as long as Ren could remember. Well, he guessed it was, fine, that is... Suddenly, something pricked the back of his neck. Instantly, all the hairs on his body went straight. Instinctively, Ren pushed himself up, instantly regretting it as pain shot throughout his body. Perhaps it was the adrenaline coursing through him, but this time he held still. Shooting a sharp glance to the side, the boy tensing despite the protest of his injuries. The curtain waved back innocently, as if to say “Oh, its just little ol' me! Sorry if I scared you!” Ren was stupefied, falling back into his bed. Bad move, the burns shot through him again. Breaths of anger, he felt the curtain pat his head again. Reaching over, Ren tried to slam the window shut. Strike two; you would assume Ren would've learned his lesson by now. He gave up the endeavour, as the curtain continued to tease him with whimsical concern. Yep, he was definitively staying in bed tomorrow. Surprisingly, Ren was able to fall asleep, and wake up without suffocating himself in his pillow, or jolting awake after applying pressure to the burns. However, when he woke up, he would be greeted with the oddest of sights. “Why are there footprints on my ceiling...?” Second Cadenza Well, so much for a day of rest. Instead of spending the holiday in recuperation, Ren ended up spending the entire day scrubbing the footprints off his ceiling. Perhaps a normal person would've been freaking out, calling the cops and scream about some juvenile delinquent causing trouble again. However, this was Ren, whom held the calmest of expressions as he scrubbed the marks off. He had learned a long time ago that, being in a city such as Hyakuji, the law enforcement generally had bigger cases to handle then harmless graffiti. And additionally, being a juvenile delinquent himself, Ren couldn't exactly point a finger at another persons. Besides, he doubt that he could sleep through someone coming into his room and giving it a makeover., especially considering how hard it was for him to fall asleep last night. But, a silver lining, Ren was feeling as fit as ever; he could barely even feel the burns that had caused him so much ire yesterday. As if the entire incident had been months ago, rather then just the day before. But Ren wasn't an individual to look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, if he hadn't had recovered, he wouldn't be able to get out those eyes sores from his ceiling. But the question still remained, what could've caused them? Ren stared at the window. It was almost evening now, and somewhat true to his word, he had spent the entire day in his room; though for much different reasons that he had intended. He was still hesitant to believe that some punk could've sneaked into his room while he was sleeping and peppered his footprints everywhere. That left only one other possibility. Ren patted a fist down into his open palm, a small expression of “eureka”. “Sleepwalking.” Yes, that was his conjecture; and if it happened to be true, Ren would be immensely be surprised at himself. He could perhaps kick the ceiling on a good day, but doing it so many times while battered, bruised, and sleeping? That would be an impressive feat, even for him. That, and well, Ren wasn't exactly the greatest of detectives. And thus, like those horror movies, Ren scrounged out an old camcorder from the junkyard that was his closet, with full intents to record himself. Sleeping. The curtains blew silently. Third Cadenza It was 2:14 AM. Ren couldn't sleep. If someone else had actually had liberty with his room, Ren wanted to look him straight in the eye and punch him straight in the face. He couldn't bring himself to sleep. And, just like the old days, another problem would've been solved. Of course Ren wasn't naive enough to believe that every problem can be solved by beating it down; he had grown from such boyish thoughts. But, sometimes, the beat answers were the simplest ones. Or so Ren wished. Instead, the boy rolled over, staring out the flapping window and its curtains. It felt odd, staring out, from this angle outside. It made him feel little. Small. It wasn't a very “boyish” thing to do, but it definitively made him feel like a kid again. Slowly, Ren reached out his hand, as if to put the entire night sky, or at least the part visible from his bedroom window, into his grasp. The motion was absurd, even Ren knew that, but at once, it also felt oddly familiar. Nostalgic even, as if he had tried reaching for something long ago. Something out of reach. A name reached him through the years. “Yoshino.” Ren scowled, before turning away. Well, it turned out that Ren didn't sleepwalk. He had gone through the entire night's recording, and all he did was roll about in the bed. And, as most people are when they watch themselves sleep, Ren was surprised at how much he rolled around. Guess he was having nightmares or something. Besides that, the curtains blew, the moon shone, the camera recorded, etc. And that was it. To be honest, he was kind of disappointed that he wasn't the perpetrator of his own room's defacement. At least that would mean he cleaned up his own mess (and would make a pretty neat thing to brag about). But nope, that wasn't the case. For, despite his lack of sleepwalking, Ren once again awoke to a room filled with footprints. You know, maybe it would've been a better idea to record the room rather then himself. Of course, like most critiques, these thoughts and ideas come much too late. But that wasn't the problem right now. The problem was that some jackass out there had access to his room, and is doing nothing with that ability besides putting footprints all over the walls. Ren wasn't sure whether to be grateful or pissed off. Maybe both. Regardless, Ren had ;already brought the ladder into his room for another day of cleaning. In any case, the boy had no idea that something more might be going on until he happened to chance across the weather forecast while making himself a modest breakfast. High temperatures, no chance of rainfall, sunny day, don't leave seniors alone outdoors for prolonged periods of time; the usual things that one would expect from an everyday summer forecast. And like every heavy summer, there wasn't even a relaxing breeze to help calm the heat. Breeze? Ren almost had a heart attack. “The curtains...” Ren quickly ran upstairs. Yep, they were still blowing. He felt like he was about to lose his breakfast, despite not having even eaten a bite. They were still blowing. Ren stared intently, blinking to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, slowly he crept forward. Yes, they were still blowing. He had been sleeping under it this whole tim; thinking back now, he could never recall feeling a chill. It had been blowing right above his head the whole time. Stopping just over his bed, Ren reached out his hand, like he was testing boiling water for temperature. There was no wind. It was still waving. Ren needed to throw up, desperately. Stumbling back down the stairs, he ingested an apple just to liberate it a moment later in the washroom. He was sleeping on the couch tonight. Interlude And here he was again. After a sleepless night on the couch, Ren decided he would have to do something about this problem. After all, he couldn't sleep on the couch for the rest of his life. He would if he could, but that would start drawing suspicion from his parents, or parent, namely Dad. Mom probably didn't care. His excuse yesterday was that the feng shui was off, which was very much true. Dad must've been the highest tier of idiot for that to work; but Ren knew that even Dad wouldn't be fooled forever. And it wasn't like he could just tell him that he was being haunted; have you ever tried telling your parents that a ghost was out to get you? Doesn't work very well. So here Ren was again, staring at the curtain from outside the boundary of his room. It was waving, again. Maybe he should wave back- No! That was a bad idea! Ren has had more than his fair share of bad ideas over the years, but this has got to be the worse one. You do not wave to a vengeful spirit! Why, Ren had no idea, but it was something you just didn't do. So, with waving out of the picture, Ren had something that might actually work. He stared down at his hand. A talisman from the Hyakuji Shrine! Now on special offer, buy one and get a second one for 50% off! Sadly, Ren wasn't expecting them to be two thousand yen each; he could barely afford just one. And, standing here now, he wished he carried around more change. In any other situation, Ren would've laughed, the thin piece of paper was scribbled with indiscernible characters and came complete with a pear drawn into the bottom left corner. Ren had no idea what a pear had to do with exorcisms, but now, with an imminent haunting before him, he could only pray. Pray that that miko knew what she was doing when she drew him this charm. He had wanted to get a guarantee in writing, but apparently she was too busy sweeping to even bother. Wait, this wasn't a time to worry about getting his money back. Ren steeled himself, narrowing his thoughts. That girl had said to stick the talisman on a wall somewhere close to the ghost. But, despite the sun shining brightly just beyond, the curtains still waved him over to impeccable doom. Wait, were ghosts even scared of sunlight? Where had he picked that idea from? Was it just myth or urban superstition? Do ghosts even exist? Why was the curtain still swaying? Who in the world decided to put his bed under a window? Why in the world would he sleep in a bed under the window? Why the hell was he gripping this girly bookmark so tightly?! All these questions Ren asked himself, all of which he couldn't answer. Well, there was no point worrying about it now. All that was left was to take action; if his soul would be forever damned to wander the world in sorrow, so be it. Not that it would come to that, right? After all, it could be something completely normal. It could just be that the weather forecast was wrong. But you felt for wind, didn't you? Well, it could be anything; a soul-stealing demon would have better things to do then to enslave Ren's, right? There were literal tons of people with souls much more valuable than his, right? But, he guessed that did make him vulnerable... Ren shook his head. No, this was getting him nowhere, he's been standing here clutching this sham of a talisman and staring at an empty room for the past half hour! The sun was already setting, and he was hungry, and he wanted to take his room back from that accursed curtain! Using those reasons as fuel (particularly those last two), Ren's courage burned like a fire. With a roar, the boy literally dived headfirst into his room, crashing onto his bed with a loud “oomph!”. Without wasting more than a moment on his recovery, Ren slapped the talisman on the wall just below the window sill. It promptly fell off. “!” Something! He needed something! Something to keep that seal up! Tape! He needed tape! Keeping one hand to press the piece of paper to the wall, Ren glanced around fervidly. There, on the edge of his desk, sat an unused roll of tape. His eyes brightened, having glimpsed at his salvation. Now he just had to reach- he couldn't reach it! Damn it, you've got to be kidding! Ren practically kicked the wall, replacing his hold hand with a now pressing foot. This was positively one demented game of Twister. With the added length of his legs, Ren was able to scoop the roll of tape into his hand... Fourth Cadenza It was 2:14 AM. The moon shone brightly, piercing the heavy night with its rays, filtering through the open window, unobstructed, into Ren's room. Inside nothing stirred. And there was the talisman, taped haphazardly to the wall beside him, watching over it all. Ren turned slightly, not wanting to look at the ghastly window, but feeling the undying curiosity to also. But after all this time, nothing. The curtains continued to magically blow, the room continued to be empty, Ren continued to huddle under his sheets, and there was no flashes of light, screaming, wailing, cries, or any other signs that the talisman worked or not. Until- “Oh dear! This bear is adorable!”(?) That voice confirmed it; whoever was invading his adobe was very much human. And Ren was gonna give them a peice of his mind. In an instant, Ren popped up from under his covers, a murderous air about him. In his hand, he held delinquent weapon number three; a baseball bat. There, his eyes quickly picked up a huddled form in the corner of his bed. Clutching the bat tightly, Ren immidiately pounced, swinging the weapon down like a mad man. Wait. Would he actually hit a girl? With a baseball bat? Girl...? Ren frowned. Now that he thought about it, would a guy call a bear cute? Possible. Thwack. But...?! That voice said something about a bear! Was there a bear in your room, Ren? Nope. Thwack. What's going on...? No idea. Thwack. Why are you still hitting that lump if you have no idea whats going on?! Instinct. Thwack. Umm... wouldn't a person... Iunno... scream when you hit them with a baseball bat? Yep. Thwack. ...Why is there no screaming...? Ren paused. Silence followed. His consciousness had a good point. From his experience, and he had quite a bit mind, hitting people usually got them to at least protest. The lump had been strangely quiet the whole time. That could mean one of two things; either the person had an incredible tolerance to pain, making them completely unaware of Ren's baseball assault. Or they're dead, which, upon further reflection, seemed much more likely. The boy frowned, a hint of worry causing him to scratch his head. He didn't want to kill the guy, sure Ren wanted to teach him a lesson for breaking into his room, but that didn't mean he wanted to kill him! Especially if the poor sap was bleeding and dying all over his bed. Well, there was really only one way to find out. Slowly, Ren crept forward, reaching a hand out to the bulge on his bed. This would determine whether he goes to high school or goes to jail. Ren reached out, grasped and pulled. Nothing. It turned out to be nothing more than his blanket, crumpled onto a pile. “...” Well, this was embarrassing, wasn't it? Freaking out and assaulting an innocent blanket, you should definitively spend the rest of your life in an asylum. A mental one, that is. But that voice, Ren was sure he had heard it- “That's a good arm you got there, sir! Do you play baseball!?” ”Yeah, it sounded just like that-” Ren fainted. |
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| Fallen_shinku | Sep 12 2013, 02:45 PM Post #4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(இ﹏இ`。)*
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Fifth Cadenza It was 2:14 AM. Ren sat crossed legged, facing the wall. Two fourteen, AM. Or, as Ren would soon begin to call it, Haunting Hour. Well, it wasn't exactly an hour, but the term fit it well enough; had a nice ring to it also. But, it was definitively haunting; let this narrative now make it official; Saruwatari Ren, victim of a poltergeist. Or spirit. Or ghost. Or whatever it is you classify these things. Ren had no idea. But he was sure it was here, he could feel it in the nonexistent breeze that brushed about him and the gradual flapping of his curtain. That, and its shrill laughter echoing all over the room. Ren could hear it, and there was no way he would get any sleep with that voice laughing its head off. “You fainted!” Yes, he did, and that was apparently enough to send this thing into an hysterical frenzy. Ren should be scared, being that first time he had encountered a ghost, but for some odd reason, he felt more annoyed. And oddly depressed. This was definitively not how Ren had pictured a vengeful spirit to be. To be honest, he had expected it to be screaming for revenge and what not and demanded to suck out Ren's soul. “Oh, by the way, honest question.” Ren perked his ears, as the hallowing voice addressed him. “Why are you staring at the wall? Is there a bug crawling on it?” Ah, good question. Why, was Ren seated so stoically, his face turned to face one corner of his room? Well, the thing is that his room is also currently housing a ghost. And from what Ren knew of fairy tales and folklore (which wasn't a lot, mind you), is that those that die and come back usually don't die pretty. Even those old pictures of demons he found in fairy tale books gave him goosebumps, who knows what would happen if he were to see one face to face. Ren would never be able to sleep again. “Are...” Ren was hesitant to speak. If he did, it might rip his soul out of his mouth (who knows how that would work). But, if he didn't the thing might get angry, and even Ren knew that an angry vengeful spirit is worse than a vengeful spirit. “Are you talking to me?” A mild annoyance filled the room. “...Do you see anyone else here?” “Nope.” To be honest, Ren couldn't see much of anything, with him facing the corner of his room. And squeezing his eyes shut. Thus, he told the truth; he did not see anyone else here. Again, that wave of annoyance washed over the air, walls and his bed, before flowing over Ren himself. Except, this time, he could also taste a hint of disappointment in the air. “Uh... so...” The voice seemed hesitant, as if searching for something. “Why do you have a picture of a bear on your wall? Do you like bears?” A bear? At this, Ren had to turn, if only slightly. He had no idea he had a- “Oh.” Was all he said, his eyes falling . “That's a pear.” “What are saying? Its obviously a bear! See it's paws? At the side? Those two fat, little curves?” “Bear's looks like that.” It wasn't even debatable, that “thing” on the talisman was obviously a pear. It bore no semblance to a bear; heck, it didn't even had eyes. And, it was pretty obvious that Ren had been had. The pear-talisman didn't work in the slightest, as he found himself arguing with a ghost over pears and bears. He should go find that miko and get his two thousand yen back. “No! Bear's are cute and fuzzy and adorable and soft and fuzzy!” Strong emotion shivered the walls; this ghost must feel really strongly about bears. “And pears are all green and bumpy and ugly.” As if to prove its point, Ren suddenly got an unnerving case of goosebumps. He rubbed them in irritation, trying to ease the odd sensation. Though he was no longer terrified, Ren was starting to become increasingly annoyed. “Bears aren't cute.” “Yes they are! That's why people make teddy bears! Nobody has a teddy pear!” “They're both ugly.” The next moment, a force struck Ren in the back of his head, sending his face careening into the wall. Bump. A roll of tape bounced gleefully onto the floor, rolling until it was inevitably stopped by wall. Ren flared. Without thinking, he spun around, roaring “What are you doing here?!” Gripping his cushion, he threw his pillow forward; it slamming through the air before falling tragically onto the floor. “And the hell do you want with me?!” His sudden shout was met with silence. The room before him was empty. No wind blew in from the window, but the curtains still waved silently. And, for some reason, an horrid aftertaste made itself apparent in Ren's mouth. Did he say something wrong...? Seventh Cadenza It was 2:14 AM. “Whose Yoshino?” Ren raised a brow. Again, he was seated on his bed, crossed-legged. Again, he faced the wall. Again, his room was empty. Again, the curtain blew through windless nights. Again, that doodled bookmark was taped to his bedside. And, again, that voice spoke. “How do you know that name?” “You mumble it in your sleep.” “... you watch me sleep?” Ren almost coughed. “H-hey, its not like I want to! But you talk so loudly, and you roll around like you were having a nightmare or something.” A tight anger tinged the air. “Besides, it isn't like I have anything else to do here...” “What are you supposed to do here?” The emotion in the air briefly flared. “I told you already, didn't I?” Ren could feel unseen eyes drilling into the back of his head. “I don't know... for sure...” Ren shrugged. “Its okay... I was just wondering if you might've gotten a better idea since yesterday.” Somewhere in the room, a head shook. “In any case, stop changing the subject: whose this Yoshino?” Ren stayed silent for a moment. Who was Yoshino? “Some guy I used to know,” he finally replied. “Do you mumble every guy's name when you sleep?” “I... don't think so?” A playful chuckle escaped from every corner of the room. “Well, you don't, so you don't have to worry about your sexuality... yet.” The same laugh. “But speaking someone's name in your sleep usually means that person has had quite an impact on you, no?” Ren shrugged. “I guess.” Annoyance. “Don't make me ask again.” “He was... some guy I used to know.” “Just some guy?” “My friend,” Ren finally spoke. “We used to walk home together.” “Oh! That albino kid?” “No, Yoshino had blue eyes,” Ren responded automatically. “He hardly ever came to class, did he?” “Nope,” Ren scratched the back of hid head idly. “Always said he had 'better things to do'.” Of course, from afar, Yoshino's defining trait was definitively his white hair, a number of people had mistaken him for being albino. And his delinquent attitude made it hard for people to approach him. True to Ren's impression, Yoshino was very much a “lone wolf”. Then, something occurred to him. “Wait, how did you know that Yoshino had white hair?” The voice didn't reply. Instead, the sound of objects being tossed about and shifted caused Ren to turn. But then he stopped himself. This was the third Haunting Hour, at least counting his visitor began to speak, yet he still couldn't bring himself to look at this spectre. Yeah, maybe Ren was still scared of ghosts, despite it being obvious that it wasn't here for his soul. Then, something plopped onto his lap. “This.” “This?” Ren picked up the familiar object, holding it out in new light. It was his headset. “I remember this.” The voice confirmed again. “I remember seeing it... everyday... walking away...” An epiphany shot through Ren; a memory reaching up from years ago. That same headset. That street... Without a second of warning, he jumped from his bed, going straight for his closet. Opening the doors harshly, Ren began digging about, searching for something. Something from that street. That box. “What are you doing?” the voice enquired, a mixture of annoyance and intrigue. “This.” Turning around, Ren produced a small box from the depths of the closet and time. Well, it wasn't exactly small, it still took the boy both hands to heft the container onto the bed. But it was smaller than what he had remembered. “This?” the voice asked confused. Ren frowned. Reaching down once again, he began to take the contents of the box out, one at a time. Just like back then, the things now would still be seen as junk. Garbage. But Ren handled each like a priceless treasure, like an aged archaeologist handling items from an ancient culture. A chipped teacup, a stained tablecloth or scarf, a cut clothe, pieces of tacky paperweight, and Ren couldn't tell or even guess what some of the other pieces were. “This,” Ren spoke again, as he carefully lifted the sprawl of oak and string from the box. A mixture of reminiscence, pride, and regret crawled up his throat. Like some fermented bile, holding the item both put Ren in awe and made him sick to the core. And not jsut the trashed violin either. The implications of this, it was too much. Something so close to him, but yet he never could, or even tried to reach. All those things left him now, replaced with a sorrowful, sickening dread. Ren silently mouthed the words. You died. Silence answered him again. Ren found it increasingly harder to stay on his feet. Wave after wave of nausea washed over his mind. He needed to sit down, he seriously needed to sit down. Stumbling slightly, Ren trotted to an empty edge of his bed, his room zooming in and out of his eyes. An horrid beating, that’s what it was. Ren cursed, falling onto his back, and forcing his eyes shut. Yes, this is what happens when he tries to look. This pounding headache. This is why he had to face the wall, or force his eyes shut. Ren didn't particularly mind, but that didn't make this horrible headache any better. Then song. This whole day had been full of reminiscent reveries. Of course, it was different from that little diddly he had heard way back on that street, but even then Ren could tell it was the same song. Drastically different but still the same. An idiotic smile crept over his face, as he laid peacefully upon his bed. Then, hearing the familiar melody, another voice surfaced from his memories. “You stretch that note too far,” Ren repeated in a forlorn voice. An old china plate was thrown at the boy, which thankfully landed onto his bed without any harm. “You know, red suits you,” the voice laughed playfully. “Really? My favourite colour is blue.” Placing the plate down, Ren lifted the headphones. It was amazing that the old things still worked, even after all these years. There were probably better ones out there now, and Ren could just buy another without a second thought. Be he never did, he was sentimental like that. “Nah, red is definitively your colour. Blue seems too 'Yoshino' for you.” “...What does that mean?” A reunion of two that never met. Eighth Cadenza It was 2:14 AM. Music flowed softly throughout the small room. Ren gazed up at the ceiling, one of the few places he could look without being overwhelmed by the nausea. It was odd, to say the least; it only happened at night, when the spectre came. During the day, and even parts of the night outside of the Haunting Hour, everything was normal. Ren rubbed his eyes, feeling a bit heavy from the late hour. “You sure liked playing the violin, huh?” he enquired, hiding a yawn. It had been playing that same tune ever since yesterday. “Still do,” the voice replied courtly. “Can you do any other instruments?” The melody dwindled away softly, followed by a moment of silence. Then, it started up again, unchanged. And a bit annoyed. “Just violin,” the voice sighed, as if it expected nothing more. “Hmm...” Ren made a thinking sound. “Maybe the violin has something to do with why you're here then.” The boy closed his eyes, before turning to face the rest of the room. “Would that be possible?” “No idea.” “Just a thought.” The song continued. “By the way, why do you keep playing this song? Isn't it kinda late for something this dramatic?” “Ren-san.” The music stopped. “Do you make a habit of talking during concerts?” It sounded annoyed, probably because Ren had decided to speak during its “concert”. Then again, this could barely be considered a concert; there were no stages, no lights, no crowd. Just Ren, and... “Fine, I'll shut up, but answer one more thing for me.” “Hmm?” “What's your name?” Silence. A surprisingly long silence. Ren wanted to open his eyes, to see if the voice had left. “Hikari. Hikari Anna.” “Anna?” “What? I thought it was adorable... having a name in katakana.” Ren laughed. A roll of tape was thrown at the boy. Twelfth Cadenza It was 2:14 AM. “What are you doing?” Anna enquired, as Ren toiled blindly in the dark. Bump, something fell onto the floor. Ren froze, not wanting to further agitate his room. This was proving to be much more difficult than what he had thought. He had never noticed it before, but the last few nights had taught him just how much he had taken his sight for granted. Unlike some animals, people relied heavily on their sight to navigate and orient themselves. Without it, they become clumsy things that bump into everything possible. As Ren was finding out now. “You know, is there anything that you can do about that dizzy-spell thing?” “Nope.” “Figures.” “I didn't even know I could do that until you told me.” “Useless ghost.” A something was thrown at the boy; Ren couldn't see what it was. Finally, after a dozen or so more minutes and one short break to throw up in the bathroom, Ren was done. Taking a step away from his desk, Ren lifted his phone to the ceiling “Done what, exactly?” “This.” The boy waved his cellphone about the air. “...And what is this?” “A cellphone.” “You're starting to annoy me, Ren-san.” “I answered your question.” “No you didn-” An equivalent to a spectral sigh. “Fine. What are you up to?” “Something I wanted to try,” Ren spoke, closing his eyes. “Hey, can you play your song again?” “Uh, sure...” Shortly after, the music started again. Ren closed his eyes, letting the melody take him. ... “There,” the voice spoke again, as the piece came to a close. “Now would you mind telling me whats going on?” Ren opened his eyes, glancing down at his phone. Quickly, he pressed a few buttons, then: “You can be recorded,” Ren spoke, smiling at the ceiling. He had found something he could do. After all this time, Ren could finally set things right. Interlude Ring. Ren stood patiently outside the door, glancing wearily side to side. Though he had walked this path countless times before, the boy couldn't help but feel out of place in here now. Ever since that day, he had never step upon this street again. At first, he had intentionally avoided it, taking detours and finding other ways home just to avoid it. But eventually, and Ren didn't know when, where, or how, but eventually, he had just forgotten it altogether. It was kind of scary, thinking back on it now. Scary how far he went just to avoid one person. Scary how easily he had forgotten it all. And scary how now, he remembered. Ren felt cold sweat dripping from his brow. This was much more frightful than any ghost. The boy stared at the door before him. How long ago had he rang that doorbell? An hour? A dozen minutes? Only a few seconds. But Ren felt like a decade has passed. Though, maybe that was because it had. This was something he should've done ten years ago. This was something he should've done ever since that night. What was he thinking back then? Getting another violin, what was he thinking back then? Getting into a fight with Yoshino? No, he had done it all wrong, and Ren felt stupid that it took him so long to realize. So long that, by now, it was too late. Ren shook himself. No, he had to look forward. It might be too late to fix everything, but he could still do something. Anything. And this was what it. As footsteps approached the door, the creaking of the locks being undone reached his ears, Ren mentally prepared himself with a script. The door opened a crack, revealing a middle-aged woman. A look of weary unfamiliarity was plastered on her face, as she looked at Ren from beyond the shade of the door. “Yes?” her voice was soft, but yet also strained, like a rubber band which have been stretched too thin. Worn, that was the word. “Hey,” Ren greeted, the only way he knew how. “I have something for you.” Fishing out his phone, Ren pressed a few buttons as the woman looked on curiously. From the tiny speakers, the song he had recorded the night prior began to play. Ren watched the woman, watching as her expression went from an odd curiosity to a forlorn recollection. Ren couldn't stop his heart from beating. She remembers the tune, that meant he was right. Ren was right. Progress, he would finally be able to move on from this wretched street. He could finally move on with his life. He could finally grow up. However, as Ren watched, the woman before him began to deteriorate. A wretched gasp escaped her mouth, and before he could even piece together what was happening, the woman broke down into tears. Ren stared, stupefied. It wasn't the light, happy tears either. These were heavy, sobbing tears, filled with regret, sorrow and mourning. Someone must've heard her cry, as the next moment a man appeared at her side. Instinctively, the wife clung to her husband. A furious righteous anger burned on the man's face, as he struck at Ren's hand. The phone flew off down the street, hitting the ground, the battery coming out. And Ren couldn't do anything except stare, blank faced, wide-eyed. “Get out,” the man threatened in a hollow, deep voice. “Now.” Despite his soft voice, Ren could tell it bellied his anger. Ren could see that they were angry but... This wasn't supposed to be how it turned out. They were supposed to cry, yes, Ren had thought of the possibility of them crying, but not like this! They were supposed to hold each other, but not like this! And they were supposed to thank him, Saruwatari Ren, for bringing their daughter's last gift to them. Not slap it out of his hand and the shooing him out. “The hell-” Ren wanted to retort, to say something. “Don't you dare talk to us!” the man exploded, his voice silencing Ren. He shot an accusing finger at Ren. “I don't know what kind of sick game you're playing here, but if I even catch a glimpse of you around my house again, I'm calling the cops!” Slam. The door closed in front of Ren. Again, he felt like he had done something wrong. Sixteenth Cadenza It was 2:14 AM. Ren was lying in his bed, face down. It was during times at these when Ren needed to be alone. But even now, he wasn't. Lately, the headaches have been getting worse and worse, even closing his did nothing now to curve the nausea. And he had also began hearing voices, not just Anna's. Other voices, some higher, some lower, but all going on about each and every different thing. Trying to avoid the ramblings became impossible, and trying to pick them apart only made him lose the contents of his stomach. His mother had taken a look at him, and claimed it to be “seasonal stomach flu”, along with bad sleep and nightmares. Probably caused by going into high school. That was obviously not the case, as Ren knew. Medicine didn't help, and going to sleep would only cause him to jolt awake when a particularly loud scream tore through his conciousness. The only thing he could do was drown them out. Music only he could hear waltz about the air about him, but even it felt off. It seemed heavy, tinged with worry. The heavy air seemed to flutter away, as Ren finally pushed himself up again. “Are you... alright?” the voice asked hesitantly. “No,” Ren groaned, clutching his head. His eyes were bloodshot, and deeps bags circled just underneath them. It didn't help to shut his eyes anymore, so Ren just stared blankly forward. “I'm sorry.” “...stop that music.” “Pardon?” “Stop that music!” Ren shouted. The music stopped, and silence came back again. It filled the room, every nook and every cranny. Everywhere was clouded with a clot of silence. Everywhere but right beside his own ear. “I can't take it anymore,” he spoke again, softly. Slowly, as if he would fall off the world at any second, Ren pushed himself up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Leaning over, Ren picked a jacket from the floor, that simple motionm threatening to topple him over. “Where are you going? Look, I'm sorry, alright?! This is my fault, and I'm sorry about how they treated you and I'm sorry you're hearing all these voices and sorry, okay?! I didn't know this would happen... or so quickly... Look, how about this? I'll leave alright? Then, I dunno, maybe after a few days, you'll start getting better...?” “Where... would you go? Home?” No answer. Ren stood up clumsily, trying to weave his arm through the holes in his jacket. After the third try, Ren just tossed it back onto the floor. “Please! Just don't go!! You'll get yourself killed!” The cry added itself to the myriad of chorus inside his head. Now that Anna had stopped playing the music, even more of the voices surged forward, threatening to overwhelm him. Ren needed to do something; anything. Anything besides lying around, puking, and failing. Reaching over to his desk, Ren picked up two cellphones. Tap, tap, tap, tap. One of the phone queitly buzzed. Ren pressed it once, holding the other one up to his ear. “C-catch,” Ren finally spoke, throwing a cellphone into the middle of the room. He assumed Anna caught it, for he didn't hear anything hit the floor. But he felt like he would, at any moment. “Can... you put on my headsets for me?” Ren asked A moment later, he could feel a softness envelope his ears. For a breif moment, everything became quiet; he could think again. Thank god these things still worked. “Whats going on...?” it muttered back helplessly. “We're going to talk with your parents.” Ren plugged the cord into his own phone. If Anna offered any more protest, he couldn't hear it, as music flowed into his ears. Slowly, Ren feel like he was gaining his sanity, piece by piece. “If you want to talk, use that phone I gave you.” He could forget about shoes too. Stumbling around, Ren climbed back onto his bed. And pushed himself through the window. ... “Hey,” Ren spoke into his microphone. The sound of his feet resounded back to him in the musical silence. The nostalgic feeling of his foot coming into contact with the sidewalk. Though, he had never walked this path during the night before, Ren found it to be quite calming. None of the noise and sounds that other people made. Just him, his feet, the moon, the stars, and the road before him. “Still there?” A silence. “Yeah...” Ren could hear it, almost like a whisper, coming from the speaker of his phone. And Anna. “I'm almost there,” Ren continued, holding his phone closer to his ear. “Just one more block.” “...” “I can't hear you nodding.” “... How did you know?” “Just guessed.” A short gasp came from the other end, the kind of sound it made when it couldn't help but laugh. Ren continued to walk, his pace picking up as he came nearer and nearer to the spot. His destination. “Hey, Ren.” “Yes?” “You said you did some research right?” “Yes, I said that.” “Well.” Another short pause. “Then, you know what will happen when you knock on that door right?” Ren was there, right before the door. The walk had been surprisingly short, he had always thought that path to be farther. Thinking on it now, that trek couldn't have taken more than five minutes. He never knew that he and Anna lived so close together. “Yeah.” He could finally move on. Ren heard what sounded like a sigh. “A-alright, just making sure.” Ren knocked on the door. Again. And again. And it opened. “S-saruwatari-san?!” a small voice quipped from inside. Ren almost dropped his phone. “Who the hell are you?!” “H-Hikari. M-my name's Hikari...” “Given name!” Ren almsot screamed. Again, the horrible sense nausea was washing over him. “The hell is your given name!?” “A-Anna! Its A-Anna,” the girl almost cried, surprised and fear gripping her visage. If Ren had not been someone she knew, she probably would've slammed the door shut by now. But he didn't care that this stranger seemed to know him. Ren wanted to know why she was using that name. “Anna?” Ren was stunned. “My parents thought it would be cute to give me a foreign name...” Ren was stupefied. He gazed at the unknown girl before him. No, gaze was too light of a word. Ren stared, like how one stared at an anomaly, a puzzle, or a riddle. And if they stared just the right way, or at just the right moment, or for just long enough, it would all suddenly make sense. As if staring at a lock long enough will cause it to open, and reveal everything inside. But that wasn't going to happen. All Ren could see was a small, frail girl, her hair let down, probably in the middle of a slumber before some crazed upper class men came banging at her door. And an eye patch. Ren had not noticed it before, but the girl had on a patch, covering her eye. Suddenly, Ren was brought back, back to that night, so long ago. “... what happened to your eye?” a voice whispered over the phone. “What happened to your eye?” Ren repeated. Suddenly, his heart sank. The next day. At the mention, the girl instinctively placed her small hand onto the mentioned patch, as if trying to hide it from Ren's stare. “Euh, its n-nothing, I just use it to help me slee-” “What happened to your eye?” That box of junk and strings, lying, abandoned in the street. “Nothing! N-nothing!” “What happened to your eye?” That hole in the violin... “I-it was so long ago... i don't remember...” “Hikari-san!” That stone, how else could it hit a violin like that? Straight in the centre... “What happened to your eye?!” Right below the eye. He remembered now, that night. When the violin stopped. That violin... “... a stone- Saruwatari-san!” It was stained red. Ren ran away. His body almost smashed against the pavement every time he took a step, each time the air being knocked out of him. Hikari's voice trailed off behind him, as Ren continued to run faster. Farther and farther; he's never run so fast in his life. He was stronger now, he could dance, his legs were longer, his breath was larger, and he could run faster. But, as he found himself pounding away at the pavement, each step seemed much too small. His breath was much too slow. His legs weren't long enough. He needed to get home, quickly. Back to his room. Back to the that voice. That mysterious, unknown voice. And it was the same path is had always been. Ren realized he was still a boy. “I lied.” Ren was brought back to reality; he had forgotten that he was still clinging tightly to his phone. “Anna!” “That isn't my name.” “Then whats your name?” Ren cried into the receiver. “You don't remember?” “What are you talking about...? How can I remember something I don't know?!” “You, honestly... don't remember...?” Ren tried to think, digging deeper and deeper through his memories. A name, a name, he tried to pull out anything that vaguely was or hinted at a name. A name without a face, that he could use to call out to this mysterious voice over the phone. But, only one ever surfaced from his memory, and he had already discovered it wasn't the right one. “Anna...” “You don't remember.” “No, I don't,” Ren admitted, in a dejected tone. He picked up, his legs feeling out of breath. Faster, he needed to go faster. It had only taken him five minutes to reach Hikari's house. But five minutes would be too late. Much too late. “I guess you never looked at that 'worksheet' than, huh?” Ren stopped, catching his breath. When did this path become so long. “Worksheet?” Ren questioned. A chuckle came over the speaker. “Guess not then.” Ren couldn't tell whether she was disappointed or not. Whether she had expected something, or had expected nothing. Whether he failed or just met her expectation. And Ren wasn't sure which one was better. “Well, I guess that's that,” the voice spoke again, after Ren's silence. “It was selfish of me to hope you would've remembered, especially after all this time.” Ren tried to think, tried to recall; scrolling all the way back up to the beginning. “Wait!” he called into the phone. Ren dashed off again. “You know, I've always wondered what I would say to you,” the voice continued, as if it hadn't heard his plea. “You know, when we would finally talk, I always wondered what I would say.” Ren stayed silent; what could he say? “I thought of so many things: hobbies, school, favourite foods... anything” the voice went on, as if recounting events from a long time ago. “Imagine my surprise when I found out you liked music.” The voice laughed softly. It was a painful sound to listen to. “You know, I've been playing the violin for a while now, my parents got me my first one when I was five, and I've been taking lessons ever since. I don't know how well they expected a child to play, but I somehow managed.” A sense of pride resonated from the voice, a sensation that Ren had also felt in the past year. “So, imagine my surprise when I see you stopping under that building, listening to that music.” “Anna-” “Don't call me that,” the voice snapped back over the phone. “Don't call me with someone else's name!” “Then what should I call you!?” Ren shouted back, desperate. Silence. It stayed for several painful moments. Then, “Hikari Anna,” the voice started again. However, it wasn't to answer Ren's question. “Resident of the house which Saruwatari Ren passes everyday from school. One year his junior, she was promoted to the same year due to high academic achievement,” the voice continued, as if reading from some piece of paper. Or narrating. “However, she has had several long-term excused absences, due to medical reasons. As a result, she was forced to do most of her schoolwork week at home, during recovery. Despite that, Hikari-chan was still able to remain in the top twentieth percentile in her class, unlike Saruwatari-san, who had barely managed a passing grade.” Ren frowned, slowing his pace. “One day, several years ago, Saruwatari Ren was walking home. It was early evening, him having spent much of the day in the school library going through a range of different books. Something was weighing heavily on the boy's mind. Then, as he passed underneath that house, something pushed the boy to do the unthinkable.” “Stop.” “Bending down onto the ground, he picked up a round rock.” “Stop it...” “And threw it through the open window of the house.” “I said stop!” “And then he ran away.” “Shut up!” Ren almost smashed his phone onto the ground. “His red headset disappearing into the night,” the soft voice stopped him. “Completely unaware of the tragedy he had caused.” A realization shot through Ren's eyes. “You were there weren't you?” A nod over the phone. Again, there was silence. Ren was out of breath, despite having stopped moving minutes ago. All he could do was keep himself from falling onto the ground. The voices were coming back again, but Ren forcibly beat them back down. He couldn't lose himself yet, not now. Definitively not now; not anymore. “I was always there,” she whispered. Again, that tautness was apparent in her voice. “All you had to do was stop walking, even if just for a moment.” The hair rose on the back of his neck. “Stop staring at your own two feet.” Ren looked up, the moonlit street casting an ominous shine over his visage. “And turn around.” Ren spun. There was nobody there. Just an empty street, covered in moonlight. Of course there was nobody there. Not anymore. He had looked several years too late. “I've always wondered what I would say, when you would finally turn around,” the voice continued. “Even a small glance would've been enough, and a small flicker of recognition in your eyes, that would've been enough... It would've been enough to give me enough strength to say something.” A short gasp came over the phone. “But you never did... you were always looking forward, looking down, looking up, that you never even bothered to take a glance behind you!” Ren continued to stare behind him, speechless; as if he stared hard enough, for just long enough, at just the right time and angle, he would see something. Someone that he had missed all these years. “So one day, a day after Valentines Day, I decided to muster my courage... Do you know? Making chocolates was actually exceedingly difficult,” the voice admitted. “Mom offered to help, but I was stubborn. I think I went through a dozen batches before I got one that was actually presentable,” the girl laughed at herself. “I was able to get excused early, you know how quickly you left after the dismissal bell, and I walked down the path. A distance away from the school, so none of the other students would see.” Ren took a breath. He couldn't bare to listen anymore. He remembered that day. “And I saw you, coming down the path.” The voice sounded cheerful, but Ren remembered what happened that day. “I almost lost all my courage right there. But I didn't want to run away, I couldn't run away. After all, Valentines only came once every year. So I remember telling myself “to be strong”, “just give him the chocolate”, and, don't laugh now “say that you saw he hadn't gotten any and you had some extras”. A soft laugh came over the phone; how could she be laughing right now? “But, as you came closer, I saw that you were running... very fast,” the voice died down to almost a whisper. “You didn't even bother to look up that day. That day of all days! But I couldn't move... I wouldn't move...” Ren needed to say something, to confirm something. He knew it was true, but he needed to say it anyway. “You were that person... on that street...” “You didn't even look at me... I tried calling out, but you didn't even look.” “... I'm sorry...” “Don't be.” The voice cut him off. “The chocolates were crushed anyway, I ended up throwing them away.” Again, a sigh reached over the receiver. “Do you remember... what I looked like? I did my hair that day-” “No, I don't.” Ren couldn't remember anything. He couldn't remember anything but himself. “Ah... that's fine too, I guess.” “...” “I should've known... when White Day came around...” “...” “I wanted to try again next year... but, I just couldn't bring myself to go through that again...” “...” “'Next year then,' I would tell myself. But, after that fight with Yoshino-san, you stopped walking home on that path.” “Yeah, I did.” Looking back on it now, the whole thing seemed childish. “Don't worry though, I didn't tell anyone.” Ren knew what she was referring to; which night she was speaking about. “Why?” “...you're an idiot, Ren,” the voice couldn't help but laugh though. And it wasn't a laugh that had surfaced from years ago, but one that he had grown to know through the past sixteen nights. “Heh, I've been called worse.” “I'm sure you have, and you probably deserved all of them!” “Probably.” The night filled with her soulful laughter, and even Ren couldn't help but crack a smile. “Oh, are you smiling?” the voice teased. Ren immediately stopped. “How did you know?!” Fervidly, he glanced left and right. Up and down. And back, he would remember to do that now. But there was still no one on the street. “You're not the only one who's lucky.” “Guess not.” But he was. He just didn't know it until now. “Its almost time now, huh?” “Yeah...” “Got anything you want to say?” Ren enquired. “I'll listen.” “Too much,” she forced out a laugh. Again, that strain was present in her voice. “There were a lot of things that I wanted to say, most of them insults.” She was still joking at a time like this. “I don't mind.” “That's not it.” She shook her head. “It would be pathetic to spend my last words on insults.” Again, that forced humour. “Then don't.” “We'll skip the insults then...” Ren nodded, motioning for her to continue. “One, that picture is a bear.” “Pear.” “We are not discussing this now.” But Ren could sense her smile from across the phone. It mirrored his own. “Fine.” “Two, red really does suit you.” Ren brought his hand up to his headset. “Not blue?” “Not blue. Red brings out your eyes. Besides... it was how I best remember you...” “Ok.” “... Three, stop looking angry all the time.” “Alright.” “You're not going to fight that?” “Nope.” “Hahaha... Four...” The voice suddenly stopped, and the first tides of worry rose over Ren. “Actually... I have no idea what to say now...” “I'll help,” Ren chimed in. “No more lying.” “Oh, that's a good one. No more lies.” “So, what's your name?” “That's a dirty trick... I'll answer that, if you answer a question first.” “Alright.” “What colour are my eyes?” “...” The voice laughed at him. But, it was a sorrowful one, one that bellied her disappointment. At least there was disappointment. “Its okay, that was mean of me,” the voice confessed. “I didn't expect you to.” “You're lying again.” “Hope and expectation are two different things, Ren.” “Don't lecture me on something like that.” Again, Ren was going angry. Time was almost up, and she was still spending it weaving circles around him. “Do you remember that song I played in your room?” “Yeah.” “Do you remember the story behind it?” “Yes... you told me.” “Well, its we're kind of like that, don't you think?” “No, not really.” “Well, maybe its just me then.” She sighed. “What I want to say, is that, despite everything, I don't regret it. Walking all those days behind you, waiting in front of you, keeping those secrets; for all these years, I never once regretted a single moment of it.” Ren began to choke up. “True, if you weren't such a dunce, it could've been better, but I guess there are just things that you can't control. I don't think Sayaka-chan regretted any of her decisions either, despite what happened to her.” “Sayaka-chan... was an idiot.” “Then I guess I'm more of a fool than her.” “N-no... you aren't,” Ren was able to make out through gasps. “Are you crying?” “N-no! I'm n-not!” He totally was. “You're lying, Ren.” “Why... am I the only one?” “Hmm?” “Why am I the only one crying?!” “Because, you're the only one who blames you.” She shook her head. “I won't blame you for being you.” “... I was an idiot,” “Yes, you were... but I guess, that's why I...” Silence fell over the line. Ren wiped a combination of tears and snot off his sleeve. “Hahaha,“ a forced laugh again. “And I thought I used up all my tears a long time ago...” “Stop laughing,” Ren scolded. “This isn't funny!” She went quiet, unable to speak anymore. Her hicks and and gasps would portrayed vividly over the phone. Minutes passed of just pure emotion, as nothing but tears and sobs fell from either reciever. “...What kind of guy makes a girl cry?” “The worse ones,” Ren replied, wiping his eyes. “What kind of girl makes a guy cry then?” “The best ones.” Another wave of tears flooded him. “Welcome home, Ren.” Ren glanced up, he was here now; home. That same door that had gave him pause so many times before. That knob which he had turned countless times. The intricate decal and flaking of the paint that he had never bothered to notice. “I'm home,” Ren replied into the phone. “...welcome home, Ren...” Slowly, Ren walked down the hallway, careful to first lock the door behind him. click. As soon as he shut the door, empty words flowed through him. A song, it was a song. That voice... It wasn't coming from his cell, but yet Ren continued to press the device against his ear. inscribe your soul by きりん & 海兎 Unseen tears dance in the empty sky on the sixteenth night My words drift aimlessly, and I know they won't reach you The noise freezes in time, losing itself in my love One by one I lock the memories inside me, hoping I'll forget them Lonely days, you are far in the past, I can't touch you I can't say anything, but I want to meet you even now Lonely heart has seen this distant dream through time I hold on to my firm wish and my vague memories Morning and night never meet each other, just as I can't meet you no matter how much I love you The shreds of this world are stained with my love I lock away your voice, and your image deep inside my precious past Lonely days, unwind the time, let me see your past self Don't leave me, let me hear your voice Lonely heart, what dreams it saw over that time? Quiet night, forget the promise we made on that sixteenth night Slowly, Ren opened the door to his room. It was empty. Slowly, Ren made his way to the desk, where a cellphone was left, open. She didn't hang up. Picking up, Ren stared at the screen. However, all it showed him was the time. Always ticking forward. He pressed a few a few buttons, inputting a number he hadn't called in a long time. ring, ring, ring “Hey, Yoshino?” Ren spoke, his voice grave. “Yeah, its been awhile. How've you been? Thats good to hear... listen. I think I messed up... alot. Very badly...” The curtains had stopped blowing. Quotes To Be Added Later Trivia
Mashed Potatoes? There is no spoon. |
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| Fin | Sep 12 2013, 07:53 PM Post #5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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One does not simply eat one packet of mee goreng
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approved argh |
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