01<@Ardweden> [Monday, January 14, 2002.] 01<@Ardweden> [Wataru wakes up, his head throbbing. He's been having dreams again: of the boys he hurt, of a tower on fire, of a sharp sword entering his chest, of words that sting, of a woman with burning eyes, and of blood. So much blood. But his alarm is going off, and as much as he may try to remember the details, he also has school. In Japan. Fantastic.] 01<@Ardweden> [Down the hall, he can hear his aunt calling, "Wataru, are you up?!"] 01<@Ardweden> [Start!] 06* Wataru sits up, chest pounding. He rubs a hand over his face, trying to wash the dreams away. "Yeah!" He bats at his alarm, stilling it. 01<@Ardweden> [The alarm shuts up. "Good! I have to go to the office - hurry or you'll be late for school!"] "All right!" He reaches over for his glasses, pulls them on. "Thanks!" 01<@Ardweden> [Aunt Midori says something else, that may be 'have fun at class' or... something... but it's hard to say since her voice is moving away from him. Seems she's out the door already.] 06* Wataru exhales. Heavily. Okay, all right, get up, feet on the floor, get in the shower, time for one more day. It'll be fine, he tells himself. All that's still half a world away. He can't control his dreams, but he can control his waking life. 06* Wataru heads for the shower. He makes short work of it, taking a moment's solace from the very American pleasure of hot showers in the morning, and then buttons up his weirdo anime schoolboy uniform thing and hurries to the kitchen. Where Aunt Midori has, as usual, not made him a lunch, but left him 2000 yen on the counter. He pockets it, thinking that he should probably let her know he already has more than enough left over from all her previous lunch money to pay for half the school's meals at this point, and grabs his books before running out the door, skipping breakfast. 01<@Ardweden> [Wataru rushes to school and avoids the toast-in-mouth trope, because honestly, how anime can you GET? On his walk there, he passes a construction site on the right - it looks like it's supposed to be an apartment complex or something, but ever since he's moved here, it's stayed in a state of constant construction without anything apparently being *done* to it. The place itself has always given him a vaguely uneasy feeling, which is kind of bullshit since it's *just* a construction site, but still.] Especially in the already-uneasy context of his dream, the construction site weirds him out more than usual this morning. He usually hurries past it - but today, well... It might be because he's pretty sure he has a Geography pop-quiz in Homeroom, and he still doesn't even know the 47 frigging prefectures of Japan, but ... Just for a moment, he pauses to peek inside. 01<@Ardweden> [Wataru trespasses onto construction property! His aunt would *not* be pleased. Regardless, the inside is dirty, with tools scattered about, and... farther in, he can hear something. Voices? Male voices.] 06* Wataru swallows, dryly. Okay, maybe a bad idea... Glancing quickly around him, just far enough inside to be free from prying eyes, he pulls out the ever-present tarot deck he keeps in his bookbag. Just how bad an idea is it for him to check this out...? 01<@Ardweden> [Wataru does a quick and dirty reading on the equally dirty floor: the Moon, Judgement (Reversed), the Tower. There's deception, maybe in the conversation ahead; it's convincing someone to draw the wrong conclusions, and left unchecked the consequences will be disastrous. He hears a female voice join in on the conversation, and as he jerks his attention up - was he heard? - he drops some of his cards.] 06* Wataru scoops up his cards quickly, ready to dash out if anyone seems to notice him. 01<@Ardweden> [As Wataru reaches down to scoop up the fallen cards, he notices what fell: right on the Moon is the Magician. Over Judgement Reversed lie the Three of Wands and the Eight of Cups.] He makes a mental note of this... Doesn't seem to mean anything, but... He quickly glances up towards the sound of the voices. He doesn't want disaster to happen, not to anybody... But he really didn't come to Japan to be a hero. He's the Xander, not the Buffy. He knows this. But Xanders rush in where angels fear to tread, and that Geography quiz seems mighty unappealing right now... 01<@Ardweden> [One of the male voices makes an alarmed sound, and Wataru hears footsteps coming his way.] Wataru makes sure his cards are put away - careful not to look like a freak - and makes a snap decision to stand his ground, at least for now. They wouldn't try anything in broad daylight like this, would they? Who knows, maybe just the interruption will make things change. He gets ready to act like a sheepish high schooler. 01<@Ardweden> [A young man - college aged and extremely handsome - walks into the room. He's wearing a red trenchcoat over black clothing and is quite tall; obviously Japanese, though he has wavy silver hair and green eyes. Something about him is unsettling, and he holds a lit cigarette in his hand. The man looks at Wataru for a moment and smirks, then says, still looking at him but obviously not *to* him, "It's one of your classmates."] Something inside Wataru screams BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD, and it's not just the intense Sephiroth vibe this guy is giving off. *One of his classmates...?* If someone from Shunyo is here... That could really get him into trouble. Trouble is the last thing he wants, Christ, he just got *away* from trouble.... "I... Sorry, I think my review sheet blew in here. Um. Did you see it?" 01<@Ardweden> ["I'm not buying it," the man continues casually. "You're probably a spy." From behind him steps a boy Wataru's age, and Wataru *does* recognize him: wearing a perfectly pressed Shunyo uniform, it's Reiji Ozora - he's in his homeroom and about as average looking as average could be... except he always had a really thoughtful way about him (completely different from his younger sister, Kyoko, who everyone knows as the sort to fly off the handle at the drop of ANY hat). He frequently shows up late for school in the morning and occasionally misses class. Reiji frowns. "I don't think so."] Wataru's brow furrows. "A spy for what?" Seriously? Spies? "Anyway, I have a Geography quiz in like ten minutes and I really need that sheet." A sheet he's almost certain is in the pile of papers he left on his desk this morning, but whatever. He glances at Ozora, slightly hinting, without being outright confrontational about it, that he *also* has a Geography quiz in like ten minutes, so what are they both doing standing around a creepy construction site for? 01<@Ardweden> [The man laughs. "You're worried about a *quiz*?" but Reiji Ozora's eyebrows rise as he looks at Wataru. "He is," he says to the man. "I know him. I'll walk him there." He looks at Wataru and- man, that's a much more intense stare than he thought the normally gentle Reiji was capable of. But hey, it's better than the green-eyed guy.] 06* Wataru is totally a little weirded out by the stare, buuut... If he manages to get to class on time, AND disrupt whatever Bad Mojo was going down here - like who is that silver-haired guy anyway, seriously - well, that's two counts of win. "Aw, man, awesome. Maybe you can help me cram while we walk?" He sort of has a shy, awkward little chuckle. 01<@Ardweden> ["Of course," Reiji says. The man frowns. "Very well. If you vouch for him, I guess I can't complain." He smiles at Wataru. It's an objectively nice smile, but his eyes are dangerous. "I'll see you around." To Reiji: "I'll finish with the Three. Give my regards to the Queen." Reiji nods once, and the man turns and walks off, quickly.] 01<@Ardweden> [Reiji takes this opportunity to turn and make his way briskly out of the construction site. He doesn't even look to see if Wataru's with him.] Wataru's skin immediately prickles. Three. Queen. No way. No *fucking* way. Wataru follows him out, with a half glance behind him. 01<@Ardweden> [As they leave, Wataru realizes that everything is still. Silent. But stepping over the edge of the construction yard, sound just comes *back* somehow - all that ambient city noise he didn't even realize was missing rushes in. A car even appears in the middle of the street, speeding forward and turning the corner like it was always there (wait, it was missing? what?).] 01<@Ardweden> [Reiji, for his part, doesn't seem to notice.] 06* Wataru staggers a bit - what the HELL was that? (I didn't do that, right...??) he wonders. 01<@Ardweden> [He isn't sure. Reiji's just walking towards Shunyo, and Wataru realizes... well. There is no fucking way they're making the geography quiz.] 06* Wataru sighs a bit as the reality of this sinks in. It's okay - it's okay. He hasn't missed any other quizzes. The school will call his aunt to tell her he missed Homeroom - Japan is nuts that way - but he can live with it. He'll just tell her he spent too long in the shower or something... He'll just have to study those goddamn prefectures a lot and hope there's a make up quiz. 01<@Ardweden> [In one of the alleys they can shortcut through to get to school, Reiji stops. He looks at Wataru, one hand in his pocket and the other loosely at his side. "What were you doing there?"] "I told you, man. Looking for my study sheet. It blew out of my hands." 01<@Ardweden> [Reiji seems wholly unconvinced. "That's a long way for your sheet to blow. And you shouldn't have been there."] "It's on my way to school, I pass it every day. Anyway, whatever. It's not like we're making the quiz now, anyway." He sighs. 01<@Ardweden> ["No, I mean you *shouldn't* have been there." Reiji steps closer to Wataru. Despite Wataru being taller than him, there's something weirdly intense about the guy, and he reflexively steps back, bumping into the wall behind him. His tarot deck falls out of his pocket and onto the ground.] 06* Wataru swallows. Oh. Bad. Bad bad bad. 01<@Ardweden> [Reiji's gaze drops to the deck. He stoops to pick it up.] "Dude, I'm sorry," he says. "I didn't know there was anyone there. I don't care, all right? Whatever that was, I don't care. -- Hey," Wataru frowns, trying to prevent this pickup of decks. 01<@Ardweden> [Wataru grabs the deck before Reiji does, but he saw them. He straightens, along with Wataru, and frowns slightly. "Why do you have those?"] "It's just a dumb thing, right." He looks down. Keep cool - this is a threatening situation, and now he thinks you're a freak, but that's okay, nothing has to happen. Just breathe, and nothing's gonna happen. "They're stupid, I saw them on some stupid TV show and wanted to learn how to use them, but it's bullshit anyway." 01<@Ardweden> [Reiji shakes his head. He unzips his jacket to reach under it, probably into the pocket inside the dumb-anime-school-uniform blazer, and pulls out his own deck of tarot cards. His is well worn, with a rubber band around it. He holds it up, letting Wataru see.] 06* Wataru glances at them. "Huh?" He looks at Reiji's slightly scary face. "Did they show that show on Japanese TV too?" 01<@Ardweden> [Reiji sighs and removes the rubber band. "Drop the act." He starts shuffling the cards with practiced ease. "You have those cards, and you know how to use them. You were in that construction site - nobody *normal* would have been able to be there."] 06* Wataru is definitely nervous now. "Hey, I'm fucking normal, don't - look, whatever, man. I don't want to - I don't even know what this is about." Breathing is good. Just breathing - nothing's gonna happen if you keep your cool. He won't hurt you. You won't hurt him. You're just going to push aside the wreckage of this shitty day and sail on past it. 01<@Ardweden> [Reiji holds the deck out to Wataru. "Draw, give me the card, and then draw again. And if you *still* want to live in ignorance, I won't stop you. I'll never talk to you again."] 06* Wataru tries his best but his breathing is coming fast, now. He looks at the card. Options... He's being given options, at least. A way out. (So much blood, a tower on fire, the woman with burning eyes) Tentatively, at first, he reaches out his hand. (A sword entering his chest. Judgment, Reversed.) He pulls back his hand, then closes his eyes and reaches out - perfectly, horribly aware of what card he's going to draw. 01<@Ardweden> [Wataru touches the top of the deck and draws a card. He flips it over. The Hanged Man. Reiji's eyebrows go up, and he takes it if Wataru lets him, shuffling it back into the deck and holding it out for him a second time.] Pick anything but the Hanged Man, anything but the Hanged Man, Wataru thinks to himself. Pick anything but the Hanged Man. 01<@Ardweden> [Wataru draws his second card and flips it over. The King of Cups. Reiji looks at it, puzzled. "Huh." He takes it back, shuffling it into the deck. That clearly wasn't the result he expected.] 06* Wataru glances at him. Is that it? Is it over? 01<@Ardweden> [It seems so. Maybe? Reiji's putting a rubber band around his deck. "I apologize," he says, bowing formally to the other boy. "Perhaps you're better at hiding who you are than I thought."] This legitimately confuses him, but it troubles him too. There is something Definitely Not All Right going on here, and the fact that tarot seems to be involved is, to use the technical term, FUCKING WEIRD. "Uhhh... Th..anks?" He tries to make it sound like he literally has no clue what just transpired. Which. Is not that far from the truth, really. 01<@Ardweden> [Reiji nods, his eyes thoughtful. Wataru never really paid attention to him before, but now he's realizing that this guy... really doesn't smile that much. He tucks his cards away again and seems to be waiting for something.] 06* Wataru makes a mental note to try to act as normal as possible, even more than before. Security blanket or not, those cards should probably stay home from now on... Or he should hide them better. Tarot drama is not something he would have expected from his new school. 06* Wataru glances at Ozora. So... we go to school now, right? What's the guy waiting for? 01<@Ardweden> [At Wataru's look, Reiji Ozora nods again. He turns and walks out of the alley, on the way to school, not saying a word.] 06* Wataru isn't sure why he's not more relieved at the thought that he might not be the biggest weirdo in school... but follows anyway, preparing his excuses to face the rage of his homeroom teacher. 01<@Ardweden> [End!]