[Other OPEN] PERSONA // THE DEVIL'S GAME [M] (IC)

[Dragon]

Monday March 25th // OSAKA, JAPAN

Spoiler:

A large port city and commercial center on the Japanese island of Honshu, Osaka is mostly known for its modern architecture, nightlife and hearty street food. The 16th-century shogunate Osaka Castle, which has undergone several restorations, is its main historical landmark. The outer section of the city is surrounded by a moat and park with plum, peach and cherry-blossom trees.

It's now day time in Osaka. Your character might of remember the dream that they had with the strange woman in the maid outfit. How serious the dream was for your character is entirely up to them. For now, it's just a typical day for them. It's also the week before school starts for a new semester, so it may be recommended to prepare for that!


Places of interest (thus far):

The Oshijima Yurui Owari is a shop nearby the riverside where there is a little bit of everything one might need, that's not normally sold in other shops. Owned by the Oshijima's.

There is also a somewhat popular cafe called The Blossom's Rest near the heart of the city. It is mostly a butler themed cafe where they have fun events from time to time.

Places for entertainment in Osaka include an arcade, karaoke, a museum, and an amusement park just a little out of town.

There are also many restaurants in Osaka, which includes cuisine from many different cultures and countries like Italian and French. The most popular of resturants include sushi, and an all you can eat buffet.

____________________________________________________________________________________​

This is simply an introductory scene for your characters. You may do anything your character's heart desires in Osaka, including travelling to the different shops and places listed, or creating some of your own if you wish. How does your character react to the dream they've had, and what will they do during their day? It's up to you to find out.

Stay sharp, because more places and more events will soon be introduced.

Players:

Kazue Tamaka // TOWER
Tatsuo Oshijima // HEIROPHANT
Kiro Irakuza // HUNGER
Aiko Schroeder-Inoue // MOON
Katashi Kudo // LOVERS
Uehara Naoki // EMPEROR
Kouki Morimoto // HERMIT
Izumi Takino // STRENGTH
Hideki Miyazawa // MAGICIAN
Eri Takanashi // DEATH
Giichi Jo // TEMPERANCE
Satomi Taniguchi // PRIESTESS
Toshio Miyazaki // FORTUNE
Yuuki Matsusheta // HANGED MAN

​

 

[PastelPhoenix]

Kazue Tamaka
Female//16//The Tower​

​

Shrunk

The room was silent aside from the rhythmic ticking of the clock and the occasional shuffling of some paper. Kazue sat in one of the oversized armchairs adorning the office, comfortable enough not to fidget but she'd be tired of sitting here in an hour. The "Doctor" sat at her desk and shuffled through a few pieces of paper, likely insurance or past history forms. A reminder of just who she was supposed to see today. Seeing that everything was in order, the doctor stood up and walked over to the armchair opposite of Kazue and took a seat.

"Good evening Miss Tamaka," the doctor said, starting her barrage of asinine small talk before the prodding began. "I'm Doctor Ai Morikawa." Your name is on the damn door, I know who you are, Kazue thought. The lack of a reaction while waiting the customary second for the patient's introduction she wasn't giving told Kazue that the doctor wasn't a mind reader. Damn, that would have been a little fun. "I'm surprised you found this place okay. Not many people expect a doctor's office in a building that's predominantly businesses. Michiru, out at the front desk, often has to tell them they're in the right building."

"It wasn't too bad. I've seen weirder." Kazue remained stiff despite the false comfort of the room. Comfy-but-not-too-much-so armchairs, a faint vanilla scent, the "we've already been friends for years" tone of the doctor, all engineered to get her to open up in front of a complete stranger.

"Well, I hope you don't mind that I've already gone through your personal record." Dr. Morikawa flipped to a likely random page, sparing only a short glimpse at her clipboard.

"I'd be offended if you didn't." I'd probably walk out if you can't even fake interest and still act like my best friend. "Do you have any water? This room is pretty stuffy."

Upon being told that there's water bottles in the fridge, Kazue grabbed got up to grab one. The courtesy small talk was about over. Soon the doctor would be asking the probing questions, trying to misconstrue any action she ever took as a sign of irreversible mental damage and the Doctor would want her to come back week after week to "fix" her, squeezing money out of her all the while. Sighing as she clutched the cold bottle, she slowly walked back to accept her fate.

"So, it seems like you've had many bad events in your past." The first mental probe came as soon as her butt touched the chair, irking Kazue. "Aside from the unfortunate… incidents… regarding your family. You've been bounced around home to home. How was that?"

"It was average. Neither me nor Kaito were expecting a great home."

"And why is that?"

"We've heard the stories. We were just too in shock to really complain about it. Mourning took over everything."

Dr. Morikawa didn't seem too satisfied with the response, but didn't press further. After taking a few notes she pressed onto the next question; "So, who you ended up with finally, the Kajiwaras, how were they?"

"They were… okay." Kazue maintained her blank face. She was lying, of course, she hated them. But ultimately they were alright. They could maintain a clean face enough to deceive her and everyone else for so long where the other homes had failed. She may despise them, but they were better than several others in the grand scheme of things.

"I understand that you were there when they were arrested, that surely must have been a shock to you. They were supposed to be your role-models, and then you see them taken away in cuffs." So she's the "avoid the elephant in the room" type. They obviously weren't great, they had a child in their care kill himself and more or less blame them. Still, Kazue preferred the avoiding type over the direct counterpart; the kind who rush in with accusations like "you feel guilty because you think you killed your brother".

"They were arrested for insider trading and fraud, not exactly scarring crimes."

Morikawa was quiet after receiving her answer, not quite what Kazue was expecting. Usually the shrinks continued to prod well after this point. Morikawa just continued to make notes without making a sound.

"You're being guarded," the doctor suddenly said, breaking Kazue's line of thought.

"No shit," she replied automatically, kicking herself for being caught off guard like that. "Why is that such a bad thing? I feel fine."

"And I don't doubt that. I can see why several other Doctors have eventually turned you away based off your report alone." Placing her clipboard to the side, Morikawa leaned forward, to meet Kazue's eyes. "So, can you tell me why you're really here. I can tell you right now it's not because you think you need help."

"I want a clean bill of mental health so the department can get off my case about it and I can live my life in relative peace."

"So they've said," Morikawa said, returning to her upright sitting position. "You must either be cleared by a certified professional, or be actively seeing one to live on your own, correct?"

"If you already know that, why not just give me what I need? You don't want to put up with me, and I don't want to deal with you."

"Au contraire! I do want to "put up" with you. Don't mistake my honesty for disinterest. You're an interesting case, no doctor can get an honest diagnosis. You've pushed everyone else away so far, but I'm quite… competitive. You're-"

"A treasure chest without a key," Kazue cut her off, noticing where she was headed. "If you can break me open, you get undisputed access to the treasure inside."

"Not the metaphor I would use, but an apt one. So what do you say? You work with me knowing I won't give up, and I can get you that clean bill of health."

"I don't really have a choice, do I?"

Morikawa just smiled, a sugary fake smile. A smile a spider would given when it lures prey into it's web. Kazue's senses told her to leave, but Morikawa was the last therapist in her area.

"So… will you be needing another appointment?"

"Absolutely."

Kazue walked out of the office, tossing her bottle into the trash with more force than she first intended. She didn't like being trapped like this, but she could manage just like the others.

To make today even better, someone or something had knocked over the trash bin outside her apartment. With no one around to pick it up, she sighed and rolled up her sleeves.

​

​

 

[(Drakath)]

Kiro Irakuza ~ Hunger XI-2​

Purple. Lots of purple. Or was it dark blue? A desk, various students, and... More purple. Strikingly realistic. A dream? Impossible. Fully aware yet powerless. A girl, yellow eyes, maid outfit. Strange. Human? Possibly. She spoke, '~ clinic.' Animals. A choice? Responses, questions panic, calm, yelling, theories, taunts... The maid's answers. Somewhat vague, unbelievable, and unsatisfactory. Another question. Gender swap? Refusal and questioning whilst others answered. When suddenly, the woman tried to speak, but everything faded away as she did...

Kiro's eyes snapped open into relative darkness. Sunlight just barely seeped through the black curtains that covered the window, illuminating what it could as the faint beams barely reached the carpet. The hell? Turns out it was a dream, though not one he'd be forgetting any time soon. He sat up and looked around just to confirm it as true. Dark walls, dark ceiling, dark floor, desk, tv, consoles, handhelds, controllers, mini fridge, computer that he'd built, along with a barely seeable carpet, covered in whatever happened to land there, that was only visible in the space he managed clear out VR. The only bright things were candy bags, the games sorted throughout the cabinets, posters, the occasional toys, and the back of his closest where his jokingly named 'Akihabara shelves' resided.

Accepting the fact that it was all just strange dream, he turned and checked his phone for the time and began playing a game until his stomach alerted him to his hunger. Once it did, he rolled off of his black bed and touched down onto worn clothes from previous days. He went through his bare bones morning routine before opening his closet, putting on dark jeans, a random t-shirt, his favorite black hoodie with a grey design strewn across it, and stepping into his black and grey shoes. He threw his hood on, having not bothered with his hair, and walked out of the front door onto the streets of Osaka towards the nearest arcade with a sucker in his mouth.

 

[Strange]

堅 Katashi Kudo 藤

"No, no, no! Terrible! Huge waste of my time! If I'd known you were all going to be so bad I would have told you not to bother coming!" the coach yelled, waving his clipboard like a dangerous weapon. "If I see one more person stop to tie their shoes, so help me…" he ranted, smashing the grass under his feet into the mud until it coated both his shoes. This was not how Katashi imagined soccer tryouts going. He was playing very sloppy, unable to focus on the game properly after what he'd found out earlier.

"What are we supposed to do then, leave them untied and trip over the laces?" another first year grumbled under his breath.

"That's it!" the coach yelled, "Laps. Everyone." They all groaned. "Now!" he demanded, and they started jogging, glaring at the boy whose face had gone bright red.

After over an hour of laps the coach finally let them go. Apparently he'd had enough of the kids and began to work on making a list of students that made it onto the highschool team. Katashi grew nervous. If he didn't get onto the team there was no way he could turn around his unpopularity. After finding out that the majority of the school thought he wasn't popular enough to be seen around he had almost completely turned over his life, and was mostly accepted now. But lately he'd heard a rumor that people still talked about him behind his back for hanging out with his old friends. He was torn. He wanted to be popular, but he didn't want to give up his friends. These thoughts plagued his mind as he finished stuffing his bag with his equipment.

There had to be a place he could go to get his mind off of his life. He thought about going to a maid cafe but then realize he'd never hear the end of it if he ran into any of his friends there. He always teased them for needing to pay someone to hang out with them when they talked about those places, so he thought it best not to be caught going there. Katashi got onto the metro, smushing in next to a businesswoman and a guy who looked like he just finished wrestling with a tree, leaves stuck all over. He waited ages to get to his stop, then shoved past the rest of the people and started on his way home.

By the time he got to his family's small house he was exhausted and he simply threw all his equipment onto the floor next to the door. He would have yelled to tell his mom he was home, except he knew she was working late tonight to make up for his dad being hospitalized. Katashi grabbed a towel from the coset and then went into the bathroom, tossing the towel next to the sink and then his mud-covered uniform into a pile in the corner. He flicked on a radio he left in the frosted window, turned the water up so hot it was steaming as it sprayed out, and then relaxed in the shower and let his mind wander.

His mind was plagued by worries about his grades, soccer, his popularity, his dad, until he just couldn't take it anymore. He quickly shut off the water and began to dry himself when he heard an advertisement on the radio for a butler cafe. He began to think about it as he rubbed his frizzy hair dry. He definitely wouldn't run into his friends there, since he knew none of them were bi like he was, and it would help him get his mind off his worries. He decided that he would go, maybe he could finally get his mind off things and relax for once in his life.
​

 

[Jay]

​

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Male | 18 | 3rd Year | The Hierophant

Monday, May 25th | Oshijima Yurui Owari | 1:45 PM

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---

"Akira Oshijima you are not using the dog in another one of your experiments..." Tatsuo walked down the stairs to the sound of his mother berating his father. The young man wore his typical store attire, a pair of comfortable black jeans and a white shirt, some ear buds were plugged loosely in as he listened to a catchy soundtrack from a game he loved. A small silver name tag identifying him as 'Oshijima Tatsuo' was pinned on to mark him as an employee. The towel around his neck prevented his wet, freshly showered hair from dripping water onto his clothes.

"But Honey!" Akira Oshijima complained with a grimace. "The worst case scenario is that he ends up purple... and in that case he can be cute advertising for-" He was cut off by a smack to the backside of the head, causing the older gentleman to grimace and lurch forward. Hinata Oshijima sighed and walked past her husband as he stood there in some slapstick freeze frame. "Good afternoon Tatsuo-Kun... you look well presented despite your late rise." He smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head to his mothers bank handed compliment. "Haha... well, sorry about that regardless, I had a bit of a bad dream I think...?" He didn't seem quite convinced himself. "Oh, is everything alright?" His mother questioned with an expression of reserved concern, he probably shouldn't have said anything.

A few moments later with his mother sated, Tatsuo proceeded towards his father, still frozen in place. He softly prodded the older mans bicep, causing him to jerk to attention. "Tatsuo my boy! Ready for another day of work I'd hope?!" Akira Oshijima was a man in his early 40's with long locks of dyed red hair sprawling in a mane to his shoulders, constant exercise kept him ridiculously fit and honestly he had the look a young stud in his 20's... or, so he would describe himself, however Tatsuo would never agree to stroke that ego be it justified or not. The most ridiculous aspect of Akira, however, was his tendency to invent all manner of weird products as the moment of inspiration struck him, Tatsuo was ninety percent certain that the only reason his family owned a shop meant to sell odds and ends was for the singular purpose of his father pawning off his weekly oddities until something stuck.

"I suppose I'm prepared as I'd ever be, Otōsan." Akira said, focusing in on the honorific to show a sort of formal diligence that caused his father to grin widely. With a pat on the back to his son, Akira went about greeting the odd customer to enter, but otherwise working on his computer, dreaming up his latest scheme... or drafting a new jogging route for exercise with the high school coach at the weekends.

---​

"Taaachaaaan..." No sooner had Tatsuo checked the register for the morning before he heard the pleading voice of his younger sister. Chidori Oshijima was a girl of 16 years, starting her 1st year at Kakkoken High during the next semester. "Chidori, you seem... upset. What's the matter?" Tatsuo spoke calmly, already aware of the answer. "Tacchan it's aaawful... it's too warm outside but there are NO drinks in the fridge so..." He cut her off before she could continue. "So you want me to sneak you a drink from the store without any payment? You know I can't do that." Chidori pouted with puffed cheeks and tapped her foot. "Oi, Takkun... don't be mean, it's only this once." She was losing her cute appeal in favor of frustrated zeal. "It was only once last time too, the time before that as well, just drink tap water."

Chidori let out a sigh of resignation as she moved to leave, but quickly stopped as she felt something add a load to her shoulder bag. Turning to check she saw a single bottle of 'Hatakosen Strawberry, Ramune Soda' stored there where there wasn't one before. "Waah... thank you Tacchan." She whispered with a quick thumbs up and a wink. He just ignored her, after all he had no idea what she was talking about, right?

---​

As the working day passed on by, Tatsuo couldn't shake those emotions from his head, fleeting thoughts from the dream he had had the night before. He still remembered the entire scene, the events and the faces... but what kept flashing back was that final feeling he had at the end. That nagging sensation at the back of his skull that something new was stirring awake, something powerful and dangerous. Why couldn't he shake that feeling even now? Was it because of that Juliette woman and what she had been talking about in regards to 'fate' and 'destiny'?

He must have been going insane, that couldn't have been the case could it? Impossible. He had woken up in bed, it was just a weirdly... specific... dream... Now that he was awake and rational, surely it couldn't have been anything else?

It scared him to think that he didn't really believe that.

For now he would try to focus on his day to day life, if that experience had been fact or fiction was still uncertain, but either way there was naught he could do about it now.

---

 

[GanguEevee]

~Snacks~

_____________________
Monday, March 25
Afternoon (12:30-40 PM)
_____________________​

Her eyes snapped open like a heartbeat. One of them was being blocked by her hand, while the other was trying to adjust to its surroundings. She slowly blinked twice. Then once more. She was still in her beige-colored apartment, on her bed with the violet cover, with her violet blanket still covering her, her head still sitting on the white pillow. The black 4:3 TV and the black cable box was still on the brown sideboard storage cabinet, placed at the end of her bed. The small brown table next to the bed was still there, complete with the plate she forgot to throw in the dishwasher yesterday. Yes, nothing has changed in her room at all?.

<So, it really was just a dream?.And yet?.> She sat up and shook her head. She should not think about it that much...for now. She looked at the time on the cable box?s digital clock: 12:39...It then ticks to 12:40. She sighs, turns the TV on, and goes to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

_____________________
12:50-1:30 PM
_____________________

​

After teaching that plate a lesson (i.e. just throwing it in the dishwasher and letting it do its thing), Yuuki just decides to eat some cereal while watching some TV. She checks her refrigerator, picks up the milk, and puts it on the table. She checks the cabinets and sighs. No cereal. Not wanting to waste any time, she decides to just go to the shop that?s by the riverside, and buy some snacks. And maybe some cereal.

After drinking some chocolate milk, she puts on her usual casual clothes (black jacket and dark blue skirt), along with her signature ladybug scarf, and goes downstairs. After breathing in the fresh, outside air, she begins her long walk to the riverside. She doesn?t want to risk something bad happening on the bus, after yesterday?s incident on the bus involving her hair getting sticky with soda. She still remembers trying to wash that mess up?

But she wasn?t thinking about that while she was walking. She was still thinking about that dream. That dream that was supposedly between a dream and reality. Mind and matter. That she and the other students she saw were apparently destined to meet within that dream. The woman in the dream, Ms. Juliette, seems to have explained only just the mere basics of what might be something bigger. In fact, while she was deep within her thoughts and drowning out all the voices after that Giichi boy got up and tried to leave, she saw?something.

She didn?t know what it was, she couldn?t even see it clearly. She just knew it was?.something. Something that wasn?t human, but it almost felt like it was. It almost felt like?.it was a part of her. Wait, was it even possible to see another side of yourself that doesn?t look like you? When she heard the loud kicking of wood, it suddenly vanished. She wished she took a closer look at it, but she couldn?t. Just thinking more about any of this is going to make her head spin. Suddenly, someone passes by her, with bags in their hands. Her eyes suddenly shot up to see a building.

_____________________
2:00 PM (Man, time truly does fly by fast, huh?)
_____________________

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Before she knew it, she was at the Oshijima Yurui Owari. She has been so deep in thought throughout the entire walk, that she hadn't even realized that she passed the river. She sighed. <I should not be thinking about this a lot?.For now, I should just get the snacks and go.> She thought to herself. She entered the shop and immediately went for the shelves filled with snacks.

Wait. Wait, wait, wait?.Was it just her, or did she just caught a glimpse of one of the students from her dream? She looked back at the person in the counter. The blondish/brownish hair, and those glasses?.She glared at the silver name tag pinned on the white shirt. Yes, there was no denying it. The boy at the counter was Tatsuo Oshijima, one of the many people who was in the so-called ?love clinic?. Her eyes widened a bit. She has been going to this store for a while now and has never really questioned the fact that a student from her school was an employee here. Then again, his family does own the dang store, and both don?t really interact with each other during school at all. But after experiencing that dream...Ignoring him here doesn?t seem like an option. She needs to know.

She goes through her jacket pockets to get her black clutch handbag and opens it up. She probably has enough for three of those cheap bags of chips. She quickly grabs three chip bags without even reading what they said, and goes to the counter. She had to wait in a line, of course, but it wasn?t that long. She puts the bags on the counter. Her eyes were still in their widened state. She was starting to sweat a bit. ?Err?..hey, I suppose?.? She said in her slow, melancholic tone. ?Before I ask for the price, I need to know?? The sweat drops were raining down, at this point. She slowly looks to the ground and sighs.

?...Have we met before?? In a dream, I remember seeing you...D-did you had a dream like that?? Where you saw yourself and many others, most of which are people you didn?t even recognize...in a place you also didn?t recognize as well...Have you ever experienced a dream like that?? At this point, she was putting her hands up to her face. It?s been a few years since she has ever said this much. Just the fact that she hasn?t said this much until now is a sign.

A sign of things to come.​

 

[Groc]

Kouki

---

The first thing Kouki noticed was his music changing, going from the quiet "sleep mix" to the energetic song he had set as an alarm. The ceiling in his dream blurred as he blinked sleep from his eyes, and he found himself in his tiny apartment, draped over his tiny couch. He turned off his alarm, sitting up and stretching, letting out a big yawn. He took a deep breath, in through the nose, letting the silence wash over him. He released his breath, out through the mouth, standing and contorting his body as he stretched out his discomfort. He'd actually gotten some sleep last night, if that... rather bizarre dream was any indication. A classroom, a test, a maid? All around him were familiar faces, worn out places... There was a loud pop from his back, causing brief pain immediately followed by relief, driving thoughts of his dream from his mind.

He knew he had to go to work today, so he quickly set about getting ready. He plugged his Zune into his speaker and hit shuffle, filling the apartment with a soft, upbeat guitar tune. To his disappointment, there was no hot water, so he made do with a short, cold shower. He got out and got dry, going to the clothes pile to find his least wrinkled clothes. Green shirt and black pants won, so he made his way to the fridge to find breakfast, nodding along to a trance beat as he poked around the mini fridge. Feeling lazy, he grabbed a half roll of sugar cookie dough, forming the dough into two flat patties and dropping them into the toaster. He set it to the "dark" setting before putting his shoes on, making sure he didn't forget anything. Clothes, wallet, keys, headphones, sunglasses... nope, all good! He grabbed a box of milk from the fridge, stabbing the plastic straw through the little foil bit just as the toaster popped. He grabbed his cookies, which were hot on the outside and still dough in the middle, eating them quickly and drinking his milk in one long pull. It probably wasn't healthy, and didn't taste great, but it was food.

He grabbed his music player, plugging in his headphones just as the music changed to a hard rock song, humming along as he locked up his apartment and headed up the stairs to start the day. He couldn't afford the train, and didn't trust the bus, so he started walking, making it to the music store about 15 minutes before 8 a.m. He headed inside, waving a lazy good morning to his boss. He took his headphones off, draping them around his neck, but left his yellow sunglasses on. The store didn't have as much variety in its music, but apparently it was rude to block out customers, and he didn't want to lose this job. Not that he'd be able to keep it once school started back up, but for now it was all he had. His boss mumbled something about the bank, leaving Kouki to run the store while the old man went out. Kouki breathed in deep, letting it out in a long sigh. "I wish something interesting would happen soon." He muttered, resting his head on his hand. "I don't care what it is..."

​

 

[Stinging Bea]

?

Izumi Takino
17 Years Old | Second Year | XI. Strength

Riverside Jog

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Izumi hummed to herself as she jogged her way down the riverbank. The sun was shining, a gentle breeze was blowing through the air, and the sounds of her favorite workout tunes were blaring through her earbuds as she spent her afternoon working on getting back into shape for the upcoming school term. She was dressed quite appropriately for her afternoon jog. A pair of black shorts were worn on her legs with a white tank top covering her chest. A black, hooded jacket was tied around her waist. She really didn't feel like she needed it, but if a chill should pick up in the air, Izumi figured it would be better to have on hand just in case. A black and red baseball cap adorned her head, with her long hair being pulled up into a ponytail coming out from behind it. Running had always been a fun way for Izumi to pass the time, but more importantly she wanted to make sure that she was in peak physical condition for PE and the baseball team. She was determined that this would be the year that she would be the star player on the team, and the only way to do that was to make sure that her body was gonna be able to handle anything that was thrown at it. Of course, partaking in her runs did cause her to have to be away from home for a few hours... But in Izumi's book, that was only another plus to working out. She found it to be quite a good way to vent out her frustrations as well.

"I don't get what the big deal is," Izumi muttered under her breath as she jogged down a winding path. "She knew that I planned on staying with the team this term. I don't care about the gardening club, and I never have, either! Sometimes I just think she likes to try and start fights with me. It's so dumb..."

Sighing, the girl came to a stop as the music blaring from the song playing in her earbuds began to fade away. Izumi wasn't quite sure how long she had been running, but she was starting to feel a bit of fatigue starting to show its rather ugly head. The girl frowned, taking a look at her watch for a moment.

"1:49 PM..." she sighed. "I zoned out so much, I forgot to get something to eat for lunch..." As if it had been rehearsed, the sound of Izumi's stomach grumbling rather loudly quickly filled the air around her. Thankfully for her, no one happened to be around when that happened. "Well... I know there's a store around here. I guess at the very least I could stop in for a quick pick me up..."

It did not take long at all for the girl to make her way to the store, "Oshijima Yurui Owari." Izumi was not something of a regular at the riverbank shop, but she had stopped in occasionally, usually for something like a bottle of soda or some gum if she happened to have a craving for something sugary while being in the general area. With a smile on her lips, the girl quickly made her way inside. She hoped that they had a quick bite of something to munch on, even if it was something as simple as an apple...

 

[jombii]

Uehara Naoki | Emperor​

Post 1: Naoki Craves​

The weather was pretty light when Naoki decided it's high time he get out of his house. He got his phone and headphones and started to scroll through his song list. He put on one of his rubber shoes and waved goodbye to his father who was busy drinking his mid-morning coffee. ?I?m just going out for lunch dad. Don?t bother to cook for me.? His father nodded, not taking his eyes of the morning paper. Naoki got his keys from the drawer near their door and stepped out the house.

It was nearing the start of school but students around his age where nowhere to be found as of yet. Usually, there are young people walking the street outside their house on their way to school. There could also be one or more bicycles running around. Today, however, was silent. And it is the perfect day Naoki considered. Drum beats started to sound from his headphones as he started walking to the city center, all the while contemplating on what he is going to eat for lunch. There are a lot of choices in Osaka for food and he?s certainly not one to go cheap. Sushi, maybe?

His stomach grumbled at the thought of eating sushi. He decided there and then that he?s going to have sushi. And, Naoki thought, there?s only one place for sushi. He headed towards Endo Sushi for his lunch.

---

He came out Endo Sushi two hours later, feeling full and satisfied. He had a lot of time to spare; he was not going to prepare for class until two days before as there would still be a lot of people in the bookstores during the season. He decided to take a detour to the riverside and just be lost in his thoughts. He imagined what it would feel if he had his own bicycle and made a mental note to ask his mother if they could afford it. Another rap song was rocking in his headphones and his head bobbed to the rhythm. The Oshijima shop could be seen in the distance. He lay down on the grass, enjoying the breeze. He slept.

 

[Jay]

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Male | 18 | 3rd Year | The Hierophant

Monday, May 25th | Oshijima Yurui Owari | 1:55 PM

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---

"Yo! Welcome to Oshijima's! If you need anything be sure to ask the cashier." Akira's voice boomed throughout the store as he enthusiastically greeted another patron. It was odd however, why did his old man insist on pointing the new customer in Tatsuo's direction. He usually only did that when it was-

A teenage girl, yes, she looked like someone he vaguely recognized from Kakkoken High, one of his underclassmen perhaps. As she entered fully and her back was turned, Tatsuo saw his father give an over-zealous thumbs up and what was presumably an attempt at a sagely nod. It was, Tatsuo supposed, endearing that his father was trying to involve him in the forming of a romantic relationship with someone his age... however when he pointed every single teenage girl (and some teenage guys for the love of god) in his direction, that endearment swiftly shriveled up and died. Regardless, he approached the girl himself so that he wouldn't have to deal with Akira's berating later in the day for "missing his chance".

"Irassyai, how may I help you today?" Tatsuo stated plainly, his attention turning to focus fully on the girl before him. Her attire suggested that she was out exercising, perhaps for the school year to come, her long red hair was also notably unique for a Japanese girl... perhaps she had died it? Or maybe she wasn't all Japanese at all? Huh, the more he thought about it, it did seem rather eerily familiar. This girl certainly wasn't one of his tutors... yet he couldn't shake the strange sense of familiarity from his mind. Where was it he had seen her before?

Tatsuo suddenly winced, holding his forehead for a moment as a sharp pain shot through his brain, his vision went hazy for a moment and scene shifted for almost a millisecond as he saw what looked like a faceless bronze helm in an ocean of darkness.

He remembered her... the dream, she had been from the dream. It had almost slipped away from him in the monotony of the everyday, but he still held onto the memory of what had occurred as he slept the night before. He had to try and bring it up somehow in conversation, but he didn't want to look like a lunatic in the case that his recognition was just some sort of mistake.

Cracking an awkward smile he scratched the back of his head, deciding to use his pained expression as a gateway to the subject. "Aha... my apologies for that, I've got a bit of a headache, woke up with a nightmare this morning..." He was careful not to break face, but still he examined the girl carefully, gauging her for any signs of abnormal reaction.

---

 

[Geras]

Satomi Taniguchi March 25th, 20XX | Home

Satomi?s eyes fluttered open to be met with an unfamiliar white ceiling. She laid motionless in bed, staring blankly as the fog gradually emptied from her mind. Memories of a dream echoed in her mind, faint and slowly fading away. She unplugged her phone from its resting place on shelf behind her bed and got to work documenting the dream, something she?d only recently gotten into the habit of. As her finger pressed on the final virtual key, she skimmed over what she?d written to see if she could discern anything useful from it. It was all nonsense or just unhelpful, as usual.

Her eyes passed to the corner of her screen, where she noted that she?d woken up a little before her alarm. She frowned. She hated having extra time outside her schedule. She never had anything she wanted to do with it so she usually did nothing, but she was the sort of person who felt awful when they weren?t doing something. Unfortunately, she knew she wouldn?t be able to go back to sleep, so nothing is exactly what she did.

She stared at the ceiling again, mentally noting the differences between it and her old one. It had been a few days since she moved into her new apartment, finally living on her own. Many her age would kill for the chance to be free and live their own lives. Many others feared being away from the comfort of their old home, or worried they?d be lonely. Satomi didn?t know how to feel. She?d gone through the motions, the goodbyes and unpacking, without really feeling anything.

Satomi tired of the ceiling and rolled to the side, her gaze landing on the various trophies and medals on the shelf across the room. Karate, Violin, Tennis, and a number of academic achievements? She?d put them up because it seemed empty otherwise, but looking at them now she started to regret not throwing them in a dumpster somewhere. Maybe she would have if they didn?t mean so much to her mother. She never cared about any of it, already having forgotten most of what she learned. It had all been for him, and when nothing changed she simply moved on to the next thing, the last ultimately being a waste of her time. The trophies were nothing more than a bitter reminder of this. She rolled again, burying her face in her pillow as if looking away would make them disappear.

A loud bell chimed through the room, jolting the girl fully awake. Satomi gave a sigh of relief as she shut off her alarm, knowing that now she could just settle into her routine. First came the morning jog, 30 minutes around the neighborhood. She?d begun to notice a few regulars on her route, and she was sure to greet them when they noticed her. Then came a light breakfast of toast, yogurt, and a banana. Next she got herself cleaned up and ready for the day, dressing herself in a mint-green dress that reached her knees, and a pair of short brown boots.

Satomi grabbed her purse, opened the door, and found her way blocked by a familiar face. The tiny boy looked at her with as much surprise as she did him, his hand still raised to knock. He looked her over before breaking out into a wide grin. ?Hey, sis!?

---

?I almost didn?t recognize you,? the boy admitted as he sat at the table and looked around Satomi?s room curiously. His name was Norio, one of Satomi?s juniors from middle school. He was a small, frail boy with delicate features that contrasted with his masculine mannerisms. His wavy hair was still dyed white, and he was wearing his modified school uniform even though school was off, the black jacket having been extended into something more akin to a long coat. ?You never used to wear stuff like this.?

?I?ve always liked cute clothes,? Satomi clarified. ?They just didn?t fit the image I wanted back then, so I didn?t wear them.? She mulled around the kitchen making tea for her guest. ?But more importantly, what are you doing here? This place is 3 transfers away from our middle school, you should have just sent a message if you wanted to talk.?

?Are you saying you don't want to see me?" Norio teased, but Satomi's concerned expression made him reconsider his tone. She handed him a cup of tea and sat across from him to listen properly. "You've been kinda distant since the end of last year, but now you barely even answer your messages. It was making us a little worried."

Satomi chuckled faintly. "I'm fine, but I appreciate the thought. I've just had a lot on my mind lately. I'll be back to my old self soon enough."

Norio frowned, clearly unsatisfied with her answer. "If that were all, you wouldn't have moved all the way out here to go to a school that's barely been around long enough to make a name for itself."

"It's nothing you need to worry about."

"So there is something?"

"I stand by what I said."

"If something's wrong, let us help you! We can?"

"Norio!" She shouted, shooting him a harsh glare. He fell silent, worried but unwilling to defy her. She took a deep breath to compose herself. "Like I said, I'll be fine. Besides, how's your big sis supposed to take care of you if she can't even take care of herself?"

The line was meant to cheer Norio up, but it didn't seem to work. He returned a firm gaze of his own. "It's a little unfair, don't you think? Not letting us return the favor after everything you did for us? But sure, I'll drop it for now."

Satomi was flooded with guilt. She struggled to find something to say, something that would make everything okay. Of course, there was no such thing. "So, the others. How are they, really?" she finally managed.

Norio smiled weakly. "Miho left the gang not long after you. She's trying to go back to her old life, wondering how she's gonna get her position on the council back. She's been a lot busier lately, though she still makes time for us every once in a while. If you ask me, I think she took it the hardest." Satomi's heart sank, but she kept quiet. "So the gang is really just me and Yasuo now, bumming around as usual."

"You two, huh? Funny when you remember how you used to hate each other."

"Yeah. We're best friends now, and we have you to thank for that."
​

 

[Fen-Fen]

A Chance Encounter at a Butler Cafe
Aiko Schroeder-Inoue, Katashi Kudo and Hideki Ishitami (Miyazawa)
March 25th, 20xx


Aiko walked down the boulevard, with many shopping bags in tow. Not just plastic grocery bags, but those of high end brands, carrying some chic dresses, blouses, a few items of jewelry and makeup. Of course, she had more than enough at home, but like every year, wanted to start "fresh". Her mother already went out and bought Aiko her school uniform. Unfortunately, because of uniforms, she could not wear her other outfits at school, which was quite a bummer for Aiko. She sighed, remembering her schooling in the United States and their lack of uniform. It was so comparatively dreary to anything her fashion savvy eye could pick out.

Katashi nervously approached his destination, his hands shakily adjusting his hood over his head. He wanted to be sure nobody would recognize him, although he didn?t have the time nor attention span to think of anything more than pulling his hood up to disguise himself. As he approached the cafe he nervously glanced around him, and then sped up to the door.

Katashi's eyes were greeted by the beautiful interior of a very lovingly-decorated cafe. Checkered tile flooring so immaculate it glittered, smooth, white, ornate square tables and chairs one might usually expect from a cafe around the center of the dining area, and angelically cushy sofa chairs against the walls by large bay windows. To top it all off, there was even a large planter at the very center of the cafe featuring a genuine Sakura tree, beautiful pink leaves swaying gently in the breeze caused by the air conditioning. Practically dancing across the floor to deliver food and chat up customers were what appeared to be butlers. Many of the employees lingered at the tables they delivered too, clearly familiar with the guests they chatted up, beaming all the while. before Katashi could even process all the splendor in front of him, one of the butlers was already in front of him, brandishing a tray with a pitcher of tea and a single glass alongside sugar and a tin of cream.

"Why hello there, Master! So nice of you to visit! Would you like a table?" The Butler was missing the formal jackets some of his co-workers had, and was simply adorned in a sleek black dress vest over a cotton white dress shirt. His eyes were a dazzling cerulean, and his dark brown hair just barely caught the light enough to gleam as he leaned forward to show off the contents of his tray.

Katashi?s mouth gaped open involuntarily. Suddenly he was no longer worrying about whatever it was he had on his mind a few seconds ago. ?M-master? O-oh right! Yeah. Butler, right. Uhh... ? he trailed off, staring at the handsome boy?s face. ?O-oh, sorry, did you ask something??

"Would you like a table?" The butler repeated, his warm smile showing slight amusement. "We still have plenty available. My personal favorites are the window seats, those chairs are so thick and cushy, it's divine!"

?O-oh, yeah! I?ll take a window seat.? Katashi answered, cheeks going red from embarrassment as he ran his hand behind his head to pull his hood off. He glanced down at his shoes, avoiding the cute boy?s face for fear of missing another question.

The butler bowed low, keeping the tray perfectly level above his own shoulder. "Of course sir, right this way." He turned and led the way to one of the small tables against the wall, next to a window and bordered by two very plush sofa chairs. He seemed to have a specific destination in mind, and chose a table by a spot where the wall jutted closer to the sakura tree than most others, giving Katashi a gorgeous view from both the window and a simple turn towards the center of the room. "This is my personal favorite table, a bit more secluded than any of the other spots by our amazing centerpiece, but still close enough that you can practically smell the blossoms. If you're lucky, one might even drift over and land on your table." He finished with a wink and set his tray on the table, indicating that it wasn't for an order he'd already taken. Perhaps the butlers kept prepared for serving tables a sampler right away? "Compliments of the house, only the best for my master~ I suppose it's about time I finally introduce myself." He bowed again, lower now that his hands were both free. "I'm Hiro-kun, and I'll be your server today, but of course you may address me as you please. How do you wish for your humble servant to address you, Master?"

Katashi smiled as he thought about the question, ?Well, uh, my name is Kudo Katashi.? he said shyly, glancing up at the other boy?s face, ?B-but, I think I?d like you to call me just Katashi. I-i know it?s a bit weird without honorifics because we just met but...? he trailed off, getting lost in the boy?s eyes again.

"Katashi it is, then!" The butler replied happily, gently picking up the menu lying on the table and propping it open in front of one of the chairs before pulling it out for Katashi. "And what would you like today? We have a healthy, if slightly limited assortment of proper entrees, and an absolutely delectable plethora of drinks and desserts. We're most famous for our gourmet coffee, and our homemade, homegrown tea, as well as the freshly-baked cookies and biscuits you may choose to come with them."

As Aiko walked her way down to one more store before getting picked up, she looked to her left to see a butler cafe. She could see a few cute butlers working inside to cater to the mostly female customers amongst a few male customers. Just as she was gonna look away to be on her way, Aiko spotted blonde hair and a familiar face. It was Katashi Kudo! More acquaintance than friend, Aiko nonetheless had her interest piqued highly with him being in a place like this. It certainly raised her eyebrows as to why he would be there. She had to confront him about it. Aiko dashed into the cafe, ignoring a confused looking butler and called to him, "Kudo-kun? Is that you?!"

?O-oh no.? he stammered out before trying to cover his face with the menu. He realized it was no use, however, as the girl continued her beeline to him. ?Hiro-kun, help me,? he pleaded, grabbing the boy's arm, ?I-i don't know what to do. ? Katashi stared at him, tears welling up in his eyes.

Aiko exclaimed, "It really is you. I didn't expect to see you in a place like this." Aiko looked around to see all of the butlers milling about. She saw him cling to the butler and said, "Wow, this really isn't like you, Kudo-kun. You're usually a lot less...nervous. I never really seen you all bent out of shape like this."

?O-oh, no he's not? He's a close friend and he works so much I never get to see him. I... ? tears began to stream down his face, ?I needed to vent to him a bit, my dad's not doing so well? I just needed a friend you know?? he wiped his face. He had gotten much better at lying since trying to become popular, but sadly his tears were real. He had kept his lie disturbingly accurate to the truth.

"That's true, mistress." Hiro agreed. "Katashi-kun has been a regular here for some time now. He got dragged here by one of his lady friends once. I was their server, we hit it off, and he's been coming back ever since! Plus..." At that Hiro leaned in close enough to whisper into Aiko's ear, tickling it slightly. "He's gotten totally hooked on our desserts, especially the strawberry parfait and the mixed berry cheesecake." Satisfied with the temptation he'd thrown out, the butler straightened his posture once again and stood up the table's second menu in front of the empty seat facing Aiko before pulling the very same seat out for her. "So, mistress, care to stay a while? Your humble butler would love nothing more than to offer his best service, and whatever delectable treats your heart may desire. Blossoms Rest has no shortage of decadent delicacies for such a lovely lady, try hard enough and you may even find something as sweet as you~" He finished with a slight bow.

Aiko blushed at the butler's flattery and suave demeanor. She decided to take a seat. "Oh my~. What a lovely butler you are. I-I'm so sorry for intruding then." At this point, Aiko forgot about the crying blonde boy and had her attention set on the butler. "But while I'm here...I guess the lovely lady should introduce herself. I'm Aiko."

"oh my, so informal, but I'm not sure it does you justice, how do you feel about 'Aiko-hime', mistress?" Hiro answered.

Aiko giggled. "Oh, I think that's much better uh..."

"Hiro-kun, at your service, Aiko-hime! Please, order whatever you like. I'll put in a good word for you with the chef. Katashi-kun has yet to order, either. Please, tell me what I may serve my master and mistress at your leisure." The butler answered, growing a bit more insistent, likely for business' sake.

?I think I?ll take the mixed berry cheesecake today, Hiro-kun.? Katashi replied, averting his eyes from the butler and staring awkwardly out the window.

"An excellent choice! And for the lady?"

Aiko thumbed through the menu, looking at all the delectable desserts. "I will take the key lime cheesecake with some oolong tea, Hiro-kun~"

Hiro smiled and took a step back from the table. "Right away! I'll tell our chef to give us the very best she's got! Then I'll brew the tea myself and be back posthaste." As quickly as he'd first appeared to Katashi, the butler was gone. Just as he disappeared from sight into the cafe's back rooms a single pink petal fluttered down to rest on the pair's table, bringing with it the slightest hint of the tree's heavenly aroma.

After the butler left Katashi felt more relaxed. ?Okay look,? he said, turning to Aiko, ?I know you?re going to want to tell all your friends about this place and how great it is, but let me explain why you?re not going to.? He crossed his arms, his expression serious, although his face was still wet from crying. ?Lots of your girly friends coming here is going to be bad for both of us. I won?t be able to visit my friend without awkward run-ins like this one, and with all your friends coming here they?ll probably hog all the cute butlers from you.? His face went softer, and he continued, ?Can?t you just keep quiet about it? It?ll be like our secret.?

Failing to see the severity of Katashi's insistence, Aiko shrugged. "Ok! It really is a nice, classy place with cute butlers. What more could I ask in this little secret?" She giggle a little to herself.

Relaxing a bit, Katashi sat back and stared out the window. ?It really is a nice place, isn?t it??

"Oh yes. It's great! I honestly have to thank you for introducing me, Kudo-kun. Like, oh my god, I would have never found this on my own. Maybe I should deviate and shake things up every now and again." She had a wide grin on her face and addressed Katashi. "It's no wonder you picked this place. It's so chic and fancy."

?Oh, yeah, well, it?s not like I had much a choice with the way you barged in here and all, but you?re welcome.? he smiled, giving the best fake laugh he could muster up while he held back his annoyance. ?Just wait until your dessert comes. It?s delicious!? he said hopefully, wondering if the dessert was going to live up to the extremely high standards. He desperately hoped it would. It would be just his luck for a lie to be discovered over bland cheesecake.

Aiko said, "I'll trust your word on it. I mean it's nice to have the cute butlers and all, but of course for a place like this my expectation for the food is high. Though even if it wasn't I could forgive this place with Hiro-kun around." She looked around briefly to see if he was back with the tea and desserts, and continued her conversation. "Heh, speaking of him, I'm hoping my boyfriend won't be jealous of me being here. He may try and hide it, but I know he'd go to a maid cafe when I'm not looking."

Both teens were too distracted to hear the light tinkling of ceramic implements until a joyous "Bon app?tite!" Sounded off, jolting them back to attention just in time to watched Hiro spin with a flourish, a tray in each hand and not a single cup or plate moving out of place while he did. The overzealous bit of showmanship over, he gracefully slid each tray onto the table and in front of its respective diner. Aiko was allowed to feast her eyes upon a single slice of unassuming key-lime cheesecake, next to an ornate cup of oolong tea dappled in hand-painted blossoms of various flowers, especially cherry blossoms. Katashi was given a slice of souffle cheesecake covered in various berries - cranberries outnumbering the others for a bit of tart with all the sweet - and all the colorful juices the fragrant bouquet bled onto his meal. Next to his 'usual' was a cup with a design very similar to Aiko's - with slight imperfections thanks to its handmade design - and filled with tea that let off an enticing aroma Katashi couldn't quite place. "Katashi-kun didn't order another drink, and the tea I brought him earlier must be cold by now, so I brought him the house special!"

?Oh, well, thank you!? Katashi replied, staring at his cheesecake.. ?Yep, looks just as great as all the other times I?ve ordered.? he smiled rather cheesily, and slowly lowered a fork to the dessert. But he found that once he took a bite, the taste of the cheesecake was amazing. ?Mmmf ?his es greaf!? he mumbled, berries dripping down his chin.

Very pleased with the showmanship that went into serving the food, Aiko clapped and exclaimed, "Bravo!" She took a bite out of the cheesecake she ordered and let out a contented "Mmm~" After finishing a bite, she was about to compliment the chef to Hiro, but laughed when she saw the berries dribbling down Katashi's chin.

Katashi reached for the tea to wash down the mountain of cheesecake he managed to shovel up. Then pressed the warm cup to his lips and took a gulp. The tea was had a unique, slightly salty taste, with an underlying delicate sweetness that completely contrasted the merciless explosion of flavor that was the cheesecake. Katashi looked slightly confused and peered down into the cup. The tea itself was mostly clear, revealing a few shriveled up petals resting at the bottom of the cup. A compulsory deep breath hit him with a scent that drew him to gaze at the caf?'s centerpiece.

"Ocha wo nigosu." Hiro muttered just barely audibly with a smile when he saw the realization dawn on his customer.

The girl sitting across from Katashi took a dainty sip out of her own cup of tea, enjoying the combination of the sweet, tangy cheesecake with the earthen tones of the oolong tea. "Mm...this is really good tea too. It's no Gakara, but still really good." The pronunciation showed Aiko's more Americanized accent. The tea place that Aiko was referencing was one of the more fancy tea houses in Osaka, of course having enough money to go to whenever Aiko is in the mood for tea.

After they had finished eating Katashi looked over the bill. ?Okay, you owe 2,000 yen, I?ll get my bit.? he informed Aiko, rifling through his wallet. He finally found a piece of paper where he kept track of his money and jotted down the amount he was spending, as well as something else at the bottom of the paper which he tore off and stuck with the money.

Aiko nodded. "Ok." She fumbled through her expensive looking, designer purse and pulled out a 2,000 yen bill. Pocket change for her. "If this was America Hiro-kun would be getting a generous tip."

"That's very kind of you, but we at Blossoms' Rest don't accept tips. It is our pleasure to serve our mistresses and masters~" Hiro explained.

?Well, see ya!? Katashi waved as he stood up and left the building.

Hiro bowed low while Katashi stood up and waved back at him throughout his exit. "Farewell! Please come again!"

As Aiko saw Katashi leave, Aiko said to her faithful butler, "Thank you so much, Hiro-kun. Your service was most excellent, but I gotta go back to my parents' place. Hope to see you again~" Aiko got up, balanced her copious bags of "last minute school shopping" and got up to be on her way home.

"I can't wait to have the honor of serving you again, Aiko-hime. Until then!" The butler replied, bowing and waving to Aiko much the same as he had to Katashi. Hiro waited patiently until his customers were both out of sight, then collected their payment, quirking an eyebrow as he pulled out a scrap of paper left with Katashi's share of the bill. "Hm?"

The paper appeared to be a note which read, ?Thanks for going along with that. I owe you. If you ever need anything, just call.? after which a phone number was scribbled with a small smiley face at the end. For a split second upon reading the note, Hiro's eyes narrowed, then his face cleared and he began to walk back towards the kitchen. When he passed a trashcan his arm stretched out towards it. The note dangled over it for a moment, but then Hiro's hand clenched back over it and he stuffed his fist into his pocket and stepped into the kitchen.

"Hey, old hag! How long do you need me today?"

 

[Stinging Bea]

?

Izumi Takino
17 Years Old | Second Year | XI. Strength

Recollection...?

​

Izumi almost jumped out of her skin as she walked into the door at Oshijima Yurui Owari. She figured that the man who greeted her as she walked into the riverside shop was merely trying to be friendly, but his overenthusiastic, booming voice was enough to almost cause her a heart attack. Thankfully, it didn't take the girl too long to calm her nerves and give the older man a small smile and nod back, more so as he directed her towards the cashier of the shop if she needed anything. If she did in fact need assistance, Izumi found she wouldn't have to wait for long. Only a few moments passed after she began to wander the store before a boy approached her. She figured him to not really be too much older than her, if any older at all.

"Irassyai, how may I help you today?" the boy asked.

Izumi glanced over in his direction, easily deducing that there was a bit of family resistance between the boy and the man who greeted her at the door. Most likely a father and son duo. Izumi opened her mouth to begin to speak to the boy, but as she took in his features a bit more she began to feel a strange sensation in the back of her head. It literally felt like something was scratching away, and for some reason... Izumi had the feeling she had seen this guy somewhere before. The problem was, she couldn't figure out just where that was or even why she suddenly found such a trivial thought so... important all of a sudden.

A blush ran across Izumi's cheeks as she realized that she had been staring at the boy for sometime now without even responding to him at all. "Ah... An apple," she suddenly blurted out. "I got hungry while I was running and... stopped in for a snack! I was wondering if you maybe had an apple I could buy? And a sports drink to go with it?"

As if trying to hide from any further embarrassment, the girl quickly turned to look at something on the shelf. Awkward introductions were never a good thing and Izumi was pretty sure she just made herself look like some sort of weirdo. She was thankful that she wasn't feeling any sudden sort of attraction, like the sparking of a sudden crush. Of course, Izumi was not exactly that sort of girl... so the chances of that happening were low.

"It's so weird that I feel like I've seen this guy somewhere before... And just all of a sudden, at that. I mean, I've been in this store before... so maybe that's where... But..." she paused her thoughts for a moment, glancing back in the cashier's direction for a moment. "Um... a headache, huh? Y-Yeah, that's rough," she paused again, looking a bit apprehensive. "This... is probably gonna sound crazy, but... Do I... know you...? Like, have we met before? Super recently?"

 

[Dungeon Maker]

Kagawa, Daiki

M | 18 | 3rd Year | Class A

XV The Devil

Purple Dreams.

Names... animals... boys turn to girls and the other way too...

This was off. It was strange and weird but different and new.

- - -

"No. No! No. Oh no. Weak. Did that one." A young man with overgrown blond hair sat in an Osaka hair salon. Loud commentary on his search results made it obvious that none of the hair cuts on the image search were remotely close to the vision that Daiki Kagawa had in mind for this school year. It was an issue of them being either too normal or too cowardly. Anything good was already did and done before.

He was supposed to have taken time in the morning to go threw styles but he slept in because a strange dream left an impression in his head that was startling. Something about students that he kinda recognized but not all of them. Didn't really make any sense though but it wasn't real and it didn't matter. It's not like he did anything in the dream anyway nor did any of it apply to what was happening.

"We can help the next customer." The receptionist looked directly at the boy who'd been impatient about the wait but was now ignoring the women. "Daiki Kagawa, we're ready for you."

"Yeah, right here." He said, standing up then heading towards the open seat where a stylist waited for him at a small station with a large mirror. Upon sitting the air escaped from the cushion and puffed out the scent of hot hair dryers and old spray.

"Do you know what you want?" She asked, grabbing a couple tools from the cluttered counter where stray strands of hair were left from other customers. Turning his gaze away from the poor hygiene he realized the receptionist asked a question. Distracted, he poked at his phone and glared the screen for a brief moment as he sat.

"You sure about that one?" She asked.

"Yeah I'm sure--- oooh no, this one. This one." He saw what was on his screen and quickly realized it was that ugly bowl cut from those wierd fashion shows. Oh god why... just the thought itself, just god damn that image. To purge the thought, he pulled up an image with pulled back hair on the top and short sides. It seemed like he would just have to deal with this one. He wanted something else but he wasn't about to take back what he asked again.

A few minutes later and it was done. Looking into the mirror Daiki squinted, a squint that if were a spoken word would be quite loud.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yeah this side is uneven with the other."

"I'll fix it right away."

"That's good but the back, I need a hand mirror."

"Here's one."

"Has my neck always been that uneven?"

"I'll adjust it."

"Why didn't you remember from the last time I was here?"

"I'm sorry Mr Kagawa, It's been a couple months."

"Just remember next time. My hair grows quick and I like it this way." A total lie. He was growing tired of this look and wanted a different one. It was too late to change it now. He could go home and buzz it but that just looks worse and then the hair cut was pointless.

"Alright. You remember the charge from last time?"

"Paid when I got in." Still really poor service for a high price. At least he didn't fall for the upsale.

"Thank you for coming back. We cannot wait for your next visit."

"Yeah, whatever." He said, getting up then walking out with his face buried in his cell.

Pretty good day for wearing just a tee shirt. Naturally a leather jacket was a source for overheating. It was tempting to throw it off.... nah. This jacket was for showing off to the guys and would actually be hard to replace because of its cost. It was a parting gift from a long time ago. It helped that he didn't grow much. He could practically wear everything from the last seven years without a problem.

His hand buzzed while his cell vibrated.

"What? It's Daiki. Idiot, you have me in your contacts. Then put my name in it: D. A. I. K. I."

A few minutes of listening revealed an issue with plans for the day. The usual spot was a no go. Something about an investigation on those veg heads in the area. No way was Daiki getting anywhere near infected people.

"We'll just hang out later. Like the park or something." He turned a corner without thinking about where he was heading. Quickly enough he discovered that his conversation was distracting him from navigating to the park. He was heading in the opposite direction.

"Uh.. text me or whatever. Gotta go." He shoved the cell into his pocket then looked around. Osaka was still pretty big and he hadn't lived in the city long enough to know its streets. In other words, he was lost.

Looking around he saw what could only be the Butler Cafe.

"Huh. Don't think I've been to this place. Why not." He was hungry and he was sure that the guys weren't keen on bringing food to the park.

Walking to the entrance he saw someone leave, a younger guy that was probably fifteen or sixteen. Blond, a couple inches taller (ok a few inches, gdi), and an unfamiliar face. Very strange feelings of deja vu washed over him.

Unfortunately, the shorter blond didn't recall a name or time when they'd met. With that strange dream linigng in his mind, he wasn't sure about this kid. Daiki wasn't about to show hesitation. He took control of the opportunity.

"Hey. Do I know you from somewhere?" He asked, bluntly. His height of 5 feet wouldn't make for a very intimidating stature but his clothes and muscles should at least give away his age but his voice... short guys just have higher tones. To compensate he spoke harshly as if interrogating this kid.​

​

 

[Strange]

? Katashi Kudo ?

As Katashi exited the Butler cafe he felt a wave of relief wash over him. He did it. Somehow he managed to both be discovered and worm his way out of it. His homophobic popular "friends" would never find out.

"Hey. Do I know you from somewhere?" a slightly high-pitched voice called out in a harsh tone.

Katashi turned, swiveling his head around. Did someone say that to him? He scanned the crowd, trying to find anyone facing him or looking his way. But, everyone seemed to be heading somewhere or talking with friends. He shrugged, turning to continue walking, and then almost bumped into a five foot tall guy in front of him. With the seven inch height difference he must have looked right over his head. The guy looked older, although his height was a bit misleading. "O-oh? Uhh... " Katashi stammered, caught off guard by the question and the peculiar guy in front of him.

Had he seen this guy before? Now that he mentioned it, he did look familiar. "I don't think so?" Katashi said, confused. "I probably would have remembered someone with your..." he paused, thinking it probably wasn't best to call the guy short. He wasn't big, but he looked fairly strong and Katashi didn't need bruised knees getting in the way of soccer. "your, uhh, hair. Not many blondes, especially in that uhh, unique, style." he finished, sighing in relief. "Although you do look familiar. I wonder if we..." he suddenly thought he remembered where he had seen the boy from, but the memory fled before he could figure it out. "Hm, nah."

​

 

[Kana]

.
2 - A
.

e?-?ri????????takanashi?
??????​

One week before the new school year.

Eri slowly opened her eyes, in her room that by now was brightly lit. She took a glance at her alarm clock, telling her just how long she had slept in today. 10:27 AM. With a sigh, she let herself roll onto her back as she stared at the ceiling. Waking up in the morning had become a countdown for her. Every night her dreams about returning to school had become more vivid, and terrifying... although, tonight's had been rather peculiar. A group of schoolmates she hadn't interacted with before... and some kind of maid? That was new. Eri closed her eyes for a moment to contemplate what kind of deeper meaning it could have, but as she felt herself sinking too deeply into her thoughts, she quickly opened them again, and got out of bed.

Still in her sleepwear, the girl walked into the kitchen and opened her fridge. It was barren, mostly. Milk, a bottle of green tea, and water. A small, plastic container with leftovers from the day before, and a half loaf of bread she'd put in the fridge to try and make it last longer, since she barely ate from it. Looking at it though, there seemed to be some suspicious patches forming along the rim of the slices... Meaning she should probably pay a visit to the convenience store if she wanted to have anything to eat. With another gentle sigh, she took out the milk to pour a glass, and walked towards the window as she drank it. It was a bright day, perfect for a stroll outside, she supposed. She gave her glass a quick rinse with water before setting it down on the countertop and returning to her bedroom to change.

Not feeling like putting effort into her outfit for a short trip to the store, she simply wore some blue jeans shorts, keeping on the wide white tee she'd slept in. Still, she felt a slight pang of joy when she was able to finish her 'look' with her favourite shoes: a pure white pair of sneakers, with black socks coming out of them for just that extra pop. As much as she liked how they complemented any outfit, she'd never been able to wear them to school for fear of what might happen to them. Before walking back out, she stopped herself in front of the mirror... but her slight smile gradually faded as her gaze slid from her shoes up to her face, and she hastily exited the room when it met her reflection's.

Stepping into the hallway she quickly shrugged off the feeling. She put on her army green coat and grabbed a jute bag from the shelf by the door, before stepping outside into the bright light of the sun.

 

[(Drakath)]

Kiro Irakuza ~ Hunger XI-2​

Music blared as Kiro moved his arms in complex rhythmic patterns. Colors flying across the screen as an inflated score continued to rise. 'Perfect!' and 'Great!' continuously appeared, rating his timing as he pressed, pulled, spun, twisted, ect. nearly twenty buttons. Around 2 minutes of Zen intensity later, his session of, 'Guitar Hero on Steroids' as he called it, was over. "Woo~!" he quietly exclaimed, leaning back with his arms high. He input his name when prompted, registering the new high score for that particular song. He relaxed and stepped off of the platform, ready to move onto the next game as he checked one of his pockets. Empty. Damnit. The thought that he no longer had candy on his person only made him crave for it. Giving a disappointed sigh, he reluctantly left the multi story building in search of sweets.

A rather slow walk throughout town allowed his mind to wander, leading him past the nearby karaoke spot and further towards the inner city as he slowly forgot about his drained supply. Eventually he ended up heading along the riverside, simply watching the water as he moved until something caught his eye. Rubber shoes. He stopped and turned to see the complete figure. A man, sleeping on the grass. Tall, thin, comfortable clothes, with grayish shoulder length hair that had bangs, and headphones. Kiro paused with a nagging feeling. He looked, familiar. He stared, trying to figure out why. A quick walk over and it stuck him. He's got... Black eyes, it think. Wait, how do I know that? He imagined him with said eyes open, and his imaginative vision filled the background with purple.

He saw him sitting, hand raised in a Rakkouken uniform, as quietly distorted, incomplete speech filled his head, '~ mistake ~ here, ~har~ N~, ~ec~d ~ear, monkey, ~nd of pet~'

Kiro recoiled slightly and shook his head. The hell?.. Purple... "No way!" This, student, was in his strange dream. He considered waking him up but feared the possible reactions he could have. For all he knew, he was going crazy and this could just be some random dude off the street. Still, the urge to talk to him was far too compelling. And so, Kiro stood over the sleeping male, pondering the various approaches he could to waking him up and the explanation that followed.

 

[Dungeon Maker]

Kagawa, Daiki

M | 18 | 3rd Year | Class A

XV The Devil

Daiki was peeved already at the fact this kid just looked around without even seeing him, like come on he was standing right there. Then of all things to happen the guy just about walks over Daiki like he's a small rock on the pavement.

"Standing right here-!" He said, barely able to get it out before this kid finally caught onto him. But instead of getting angrier, Daiki was confused by the kid's reaction. He wasn't sure about knowing the shorter blond. Like who the hell could forget a little man in leather?

"Huh, whatever. I'm Daiki Kagawa." The short blond said. "3rd Year at Rakkoken High. Don't forget it."

"So who are you?" He demanded. Not only was the conversation a drag but the short blond was getting hangry. After a moment his stomach made itself clear, grumbling like an old man so that the two people could both hear it. "The Blossom's Rest any good, it's butler cafe right? I know that the one in Tokyo is horrendous but looks like you didn't storm out angry."

​

 

[Jay]

​

---

Male | 18 | 3rd Year | The Hierophant

Monday, March 25th | Oshijima Yurui Owari | 2:00 PM

​

---

Tatsumi froze at the girl's response. She felt as if she knew him? Was this for real? It couldn't have been a coincidence surely? He studied her face for a moment longer, the light glinting gently against his glasses, half-obscuring his eyes. He wasn't imagining this... right? The dream was refreshing with familiarity in his mind as he traced over the details of the redhead's face. Everything down to the last freckle was so accurate.

Yet saying he saw her in a dream, wasn't that kind of creepy? What if she was just making a genuine mistake? He had to play this off a little more subtly still.

"I-I'm sorry... I'm not completely sure if we have, Takino-san."

His face quickly tinted with embarrassment and panic as he realized he had called her by name. How did he know her name? Had he heard it in the dream? What if the dream was false and he had just addressed this poor girl by some random name thought up by his overtly odd imagination?

There was a brief moment of awkward silence when he heard another feminine voice sound to his side, his head turned slowly to see whom exactly it was that had addressed him. His jaw almost dropped... as he found himself staring at another familiar face. A girl from Rakkoken High, one that came to the store rather regularly, he recognized her face... but it wasn't that that shocked him. She had been there. This girl had been present during the dream.

He took a step back in shock, there was no way, this couldn't be a coincidence. "K-Kami-sama..." He muttered under his breath, trying to get a hold of situation that was presenting itself before him, yet the newcomers words did nothing to ease his senses.

?...Have we met before?? In a dream, I remember seeing you...D-did you had a dream like that?? Where you saw yourself and many others, most of which are people you didn?t even recognize...in a place you also didn?t recognize as well...Have you ever experienced a dream like that??

Tatsuo stood there, slightly taken aback, his glasses just a little too askew for his liking. "...I see." He said softly, though more as a term of self acknowledgment, an appreciative understanding of the fact that he wasn't, in fact, going insane. Quickly righting himself and fixing his glasses, he glanced between the two girls with a pensive expression.

"It seems... the dream last night wasn't just my imagination then." He coughed gently and spoke in a slightly quieter tone, so that his father wouldn't hear. "Matsusheta Yuuki-san, Takino Izumi-san, please follow me a moment... I believe it is now apparent that we have aught to discuss."

As soon as he finished speaking, his demeanor changed and he smiled gently, raising his voice this time so that his father was certain to hear him. "Ahh yes, my apologies to you both, we just so happen to have a few of that item left in stock, but they're being kept in storage. Please, follow me." With that, Tatsuo began to walk towards the back of the store, towards a door that lead somewhere a little bit less populated.

---

 

[Your Daily Vitamins]

Giichi J?​

Male | 18 | Third-Year
???? Temperance​

---

1. Stranger Ways To Show It
Monday, 25/4/20XX

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-----

?Your third year will be starting soon,? she said to him over her shoulder as she reached overhead to shelve the bowls. ?I?ll be so happy when you go back to doing something with your life.?

-----

With his eyes low, he didn?t respond to his mother. He had gotten used to those types of comments from her and learned to excuse them. He couldn?t defend himself from every trivial thing, and he reminded himself of this as he scrubbed his plate clean under running water. His mother carried on talking.

-----

?Especially since you never go to look for a decent job after school. You do not want to be consistent? How can you talk about wanting to move out if you can not keep a job??

-----

The young man handed his washed plate up to his mother?s outstretched and waiting hand. She took it from him and picked up her dishrag while he returned to washing. She glanced back at him expectantly as she dried, before she barked, ?Giichi!?

-----

?Sorry mother,? he said, meeting her eyes with an even stare. She looked bothered. He acted unfazed. This was apparently one of the times when she wasn?t being rhetorical and needed her son?s attention. ?I was listening.? He handed her a plate and quickly followed up his apology before she could realize it was another son?s empty offer. ?I did make some money in the past two months. I did those odd jobs and ran errands around the apartments and made 44,300 yen. I worked so hard for that. And the other day after I finished dog-walking for Kinoshita-san, Akutsu-san, Furusawa-san and Ishii-san, Furusawa-san told me that Akiba-san - the saleswoman who lives two floors above us - was planning on moving some things to storage tomorrow. I think I could help with that.?

-----

?You made 44,300 yen in two months when you could have made 64,800!? She didn?t miss a beat with the calculation in her head, though Giichi didn?t think to figure where her numbers came from. The small woman set the last dried plate in the cabinet before she stepped off her stool and continued, explaining herself as she pushed it back into the nook between the fridge and the counter. ?Minimum wage just rose this year, Giichi, because we are prosperous! You could be making 900 an hour, at a three-hour part-time, for three days a week. 64,800 yen in two months! We are fortunate to live in Osaka City, but you do not take advantage of it.?

-----

Giichi had stepped aside and wiped his hands on a towel draping over the oven handle, silent as he listened to the lecture he began receiving more frequently. He thought to himself that had he not brought up moving out to his mother some time ago, her favorite topic to scrutinize would have stayed relevant to school. A familiar trill came from the wall-mounted house phone beside the overhead cabinets, and Giichi?s mother went to inspect Caller ID, but not without yet more words to share.

-----

?And if you get a job,? she continued, picking up the cordless phone from its cradle, ?you would be saving us money. I would not need to give you an allowance anymore. That money will go to necessary things. You getting a job would be considerate and generous to me and your father.?

-----

?... Ok,? Giichi said quietly, but his mother paid him no mind at that point. Both he and his mother were dismissive as other things took up their attention. She had turned her back to talk on the phone with no doubt a member of her study group, and he had opened the refrigerator and picked out one of several convenience store bento boxes he had bought from the other day. He was quick to take the cold lunch while his mother?s back was turned, as he knew his bulk buy had insulted her the day he came home with it. To her it was a waste of his money when she could have prepared for him his own boxes, but to Giichi they were convenient for him when he would be gone for long stretches of time, like today.

-----

He walked through the open kitchen and dining room into the living room, as all three places shared a space in the apartment. Picking up his opened backpack from the low couch, he stuffed the box inside, zipped up the bag, and slipped it onto his back.

-----

?Giichi?? The young man looked back to his mother, who held a hand over the phone?s mouthpiece. She gave him a concerned look. ?Please. Don?t be out late tonight. I?ll worry.?

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?I won?t, mother,? he recited, reaching into his trouser pocket to make sure he had his key ring. When he felt the familiar ridges of sawed nickel and brass beside the weathered leather of his wallet, he started to head for the door.

-----

?I love you,? she said.

-----

There was a pause as he slid open the door, and he glanced back over to her as she hadn?t moved from her spot in the kitchen. She stared at him, her hand still over the phone while the sound of a woman prattled on, ignored.

-----

?... I love you too, mama.?

-----

Her eyes lingered on him, watching as he dropped his first to step through the door and out of sight.

​