Post by GoldenKitten on Feb 18, 2012 1:38:56 GMT -4
Amidst the broad daylight of a cool Spring morning in the Bastion Island of Karakura the scene focuses in on a lane of single-family homes in the newly funded sector of Arcadia Gardens. The area promises a new future for the previously overcrowded township along with several other expansions. The construction is of high-quality white concrete buildings well-suited to the regular foul-weather, while still being aesthetically pleasing. It is not all industrial though as the entire island is sodded with fertile soil and the area lined with various fauna.
It is behind one particularly robust timber that we find a thin young man of orient descent wearing a neatly pressed and folded outfit unique to Karakuras premiere Academy; Avalon. However though it is clear what the outfit is it is not any of the colors that separate the various grades of red for Juniors, blue for Sophomores, or white for Seniors. It is instead bright green and additionally his jet-black hair is somewhat of a mess, with the large black shades that hide his eyes certainly being far from standard wear. But perhaps strangest of all is how he constantly stays behind objects even while in plain site, acting as if he is watching the most interesting scene in the world.
And then, without warning, he turns to you and smiles.
“Oh, good day there friend!”
While keeping his back flush to the tree he produces a fine cedar pipe, but instead of lighting it he instead brings it to his lips and begins to puff on it. Large bubbles float into the air before he develops a bored expression and tosses the prop to the side, clearly finished with that distraction.
“I'm your host, Bob! I'm a ninja, keep that in mind as it's detrimental to the story ahead, and life in general. Ninjas are glorious bringers of justice, that's life lesson number one, keep it locked up tight, you'll need it. Why, did you know, if it weren't for ninja's we would never have developed lightbulbs, internet memes about cats, or oxygen? Well now you do. Why, there are entire...I'm sorry, I'm getting off topic. Though honestly, you should go read up on ninjas, you can never know enough. And the more you know!”
A small rainbow appeared over his head as he turned to face away from the tree and with his hands on his hips looked toward the sky.
“The year is five-thousand-sixty-two. To this date the world has been destroyed seventeen times, but mankind is finally learning its lessons. After the great Taco War of four-thousand-nine-hundred-twenty-one in which the Master Ninja Flatius took three-hundred ninjas against the forces of the unjust so that we might all feast upon the greatest culinary creation in history, humankind had to look back and ponder its failings. Countless ages of war with progressively more devastating weapons had dropped much of the Earths landmass beneath sea-level, and even amongst the remaining land little of it was habitable.”
Looking down he sneaks back up against the tree before pointing at you knowingly.
“But I digress, all that is unimportant, except the part about ninjas...you should be keeping notes on that. Main point is, you my friend have the privilege of seeing a story play out during an era of relative peace. It takes place on the man-made island of Karakura, its roles shall be taken by everyday individuals who have no powers, and whose calm days involve finding more out about themselves and discovering the eccentricities of those around them.”
Peaking around the corner he hunkers low as a young girl in the outfit of a Avalon Junior exits the first house in front of which the tree is stationed, and quickly leaves the front gate heading to the next house over. As he slinks around the tree and moves to hide behind the security wall surrounding the house he stays completely hidden despite it being bright out. With his finger to his lips as if to suggest silence he turns to you and comments, “So let us begin this journey into the unknown. Like finding a black Grand Dragon leading a Neo-Nazi rally; so too are the days of our lives.”
“Rye-kun! Rye-kun what are you doing in there?! Hurry up!”
Kitani Kisala could hardly believe him. Takahashi Ryusuke and she had been next door neighbors in the under canal for all their life, and when the island expansion raffle had selected their neighborhood for movement into Arcadia Gardens the family assignments had remained the same as was customary. Besides the living conditions the one other change was that their school appointments had shifted. Having just graduated from Intermediary School they would be living out their High School years in the prestigious Avalon Academy which was renowned for its high standards. She knew it probably didn't mean much to Rye-kun but she wasn't letting this chance slip by for a new start or a potential future, and to be late on their first day of all things!
Having waited at least thirty-seconds with no response she slammed the front-gate to his home open and proceeded to the front door while calling out, “I'm coming! You better be ready!”
She knew this late in the morning his parents like most were already at work, so it was her duty to get him where he needed to be. On most mornings she'd just have let him go so the teachers might beat some sense into him when he showed up late, but not on their introductory day. However as she grabbed the entry-doors handle and forced her way into the kitchen she stopped and stared blankly at the sight that awaited her.
Annoyance boiled to the surface as her pink eyes went sharp behind her circular-glasses, her tail stood on end, and she grimaced while growling out a sentence, “Takahashi Ryusuke, are you trying to make me mad?”
The mess of light-blue hair that was sitting above a half-dismantled hoverboard with his pajamas still on and a scrunched up and focused face turned to her ever so slightly, the change in his eyes suggested he knew he'd just screwed up. But she couldn't bother this morning, dropping her bag to the floor with a bang she rushed over to where his mother had left his outfit hanging in the doorway not five feet away and ripped it off the hanger. Grabbing him by the collar she stood him up though he willingly went along with it as she tossed the coat over his shoulders and stuffed his pants into his hands. Her large pink cat-ears, each tied with a red bow to match her juniors outfit , twitched violently as she ripped her bag off the floor and started to walk toward the door, “Have it on and be out front in a minute or less Rye, and leave that blasted thing!”
She angrily stormed out the front door before slamming it closed, standing directly outside and wrapping her fingers on the nearby wall with impatience. As soon as the door opened and she turned around to see Rye-kun with his clothes and bag loosely thrown on she grabbed him by the wrist and began and set toward running out the front of the cul-de-sac and toward the nearest train station towering in the distance.
As they proceeded through the rows of similar blocky houses her tail flicked back and forth in an testy manner as she was finally given the time to get on to him, “I can't believe you, you fool! I told you if we didn't make this train yesterday we'd be late for the opening ceremonies! And do you honestly believe they're going to let you bring that mechanical abomination of yours on campus even if you fixed it? This isn't our old school, this is Avalon. Avalon! Even if you're not interested I'm not letting you mess up your or my chance here, I promised your mom that much. So let's move, I'm already worried we'll miss the train!”
With that she pulled hard and raced off forcing Ryusuke to keep pace. She wasn't an athlete but she did well in track and physical-education so she had more endurance than her looks might have suggested. This meant they were hauling at full-speed the entire way to the rail stop. But despite her claims that they needed to be quiet and move, her ill-mood quickly reversed as she fell into a reverie that Rye-kun had already sat through his fair share of times, she would occasionally turn her head around to him before .
“Ahhhh~~~! Isn't it amazing Rye-kun?! This was unthinkable just a year ago. Hey, did you know that seventy-percent of the students that graduate from Avalon go on to Masters? We could really change things! And I bet it's not full of hoodlums and crazies like all these other places, they'll probably be well-mannered and polite. You should look more excited Rye-kun, this is your chance for a whole new life!”
As they neared the train terminal the civilian housing made way to urban sprawl. Karakura Island was a man-made structure floating in the Eternal Sea, in the sector still known as the Pacific to this day. The outer-edges were lined with weather defense as well as both energy and food growing plants, then there were civilian and industrial districts, and the very center was home to a number of high rises surrounding a single structure taller than the rest that was home to government. Not that, that was particularly relevant, but having cleared the rows of homes the city skyline was now in full view, though being mid-day it wasn't nearly the impressive sight it was when fully lit by a neon-array of every color at night.
The large circular rail that took several high-speed trains back and forth from one area of the wheel to the next came into view, and the train was already present. With a glance at the large clock that was posted above the main-plaza and a look around that showed there were not many people on the station it was evident the rail was only moments from leaving. With a heavily uttered curse that she'd beat him to death if they missed it Kisala let him wrist go and rocketed across the open ground as fast as she could go, aiming for the nearest door in the vehicle stopped there. Her lungs crying out as she pushed herself she hardly had time to look in front of her before she flew through the open door a few seconds before it closed and the train began moving, however she didn't have time to register what had happened as, as soon as she had moved through the door a mighty crash had sounded out and her world had flipped upside down.
Rubbing her forehead which had smacked straight into the floor with a sigh she opened her eyes and looked around. It only occurred to her now that her glasses hadn't smashed into her face so they must have fallen, this was made more evident by anything that was more than five-feet away being a massive blob of blur. Regardless she knew she'd just slammed into somebody, she was sorry about it but couldn't miss her first day even if Rye-kun didn't make it, thankfully she could see him by the door though a little out of focus. She was however confused by the look on his face, looking at someone somewhat aggressively to her side instead of helping her up, she wasn't sure how she felt about that even as she followed his vision.
Though she hadn't found whomever she had run into yet she knew she had to apologize so she did, “I...I'm sorry, are you ok?”
But even as she spoke she heard Ryusuke speak out angrily to whomever he had been staring at, “What was that, huh?!”
Following his gaze she found herself looking up at a girl slightly older than them. She had to be the one that she'd run into though unlike her she was standing calmly and didn't even look like she'd taken the hit. Kisala was oblivious but at the point of impact the girl had caught her by the side and flipped her upside down and to the ground to avoid damage herself.
She had dark skin which was unusual even amongst the multi-ethnic population of Karakura, most of the Indonesian and African descendants existing in other Bastion Islands further West. Though she was their age she didn't appear to be going to school from the looks of her outfit which was a cyber-punk look that few people would have the courage to wear. Black with neon-blue strips that actively glowed with LED lights, she wore a long sleeved jacket that had bell sleeves that opened to cover her hands with a large blue skull on her chest. She had a mini-skirt of the same make though high candy-striped stockings covered her legs so there wasn't much to see and though she was standing it was evident she was wearing large friction skates that could propel the user quite fast. She wore a glowing blue aviators headset that had a large black antenna sticking into the air with a skull similar to that on her shirt on either earmuff.
But despite being strikingly unusual what immediately caught Kisala (despite the distance clouding matters) and anyone else's eye was, in fact, the eye looking back at them. The girl had long pitch-black hair that hung to her waist and was cut so that it dropped over the right-side of her face covering it completely, and leaving only one half exposed. That half was home to cute features, but namely a penetrating orange eye that seemed capable of staring through a person, and was currently focused on Rye-kun. It was disheartening to be under her watch, it wasn't as if she she was supernatural, but even though her face was untelling it was clear there was some underlying rage in the slight glare she gave that she was ready to cast upon anyone.
Though Kisala couldn't tell what had happened or what the situation around them was she couldn't just ignore what she'd done and tried to reiterate, “Um, I ran into you right, again I'm sorry!”
But she and Rye's statements went uncommented on for better or worse. The girl just looked at Ryusuke for a little bit longer before her eye briefly traveled to Kisala who shirked a little, then she looked out the nearest window without a word. Instead opting to touch her headset and fill the silent (whether because nobody was present or they were watching the scene unfold Kisala couldn't tell without her glasses) carriage with the muffled sound of indistinguishable heavy metal. Irked but unwilling to succumb to the awkward silence or let Rye grow angrier about whatever had happened she instead opted for the obvious, speaking softer than she had most of the morning.
“Um, uh...Rye-kun, could you help me find my glasses? I can't see any-”
Before she could even finish a crunching sound filled the area, and she had a sickening drop in her heart as she'd sat on a pair before and knew what it sounded like. It did however cause her head to snap in the direction it had come from. Though out of her vision range she could tell somebody large was standing there though she couldn't tell who they were or if they were even aware of what they'd just done.
However a quick answer came as the figure stepped forward and stated, "A single stumble upon the road of life is all it takes to find yourself on the path of death."
She could see them punch their hand into their other and crack their knuckles shortly after, but the entire situation was still above her head. She understood that everything wasn't exactly peaches-and-cream, but without her sight the trouble they had actually just found themselves in was something she was still quite oblivious to. After all she had no way of knowing the biggest, meanest, most evil sonuvabitch their age had cast himself as protector of the girl she'd just tried to bowl over.
It is behind one particularly robust timber that we find a thin young man of orient descent wearing a neatly pressed and folded outfit unique to Karakuras premiere Academy; Avalon. However though it is clear what the outfit is it is not any of the colors that separate the various grades of red for Juniors, blue for Sophomores, or white for Seniors. It is instead bright green and additionally his jet-black hair is somewhat of a mess, with the large black shades that hide his eyes certainly being far from standard wear. But perhaps strangest of all is how he constantly stays behind objects even while in plain site, acting as if he is watching the most interesting scene in the world.
And then, without warning, he turns to you and smiles.
“Oh, good day there friend!”
While keeping his back flush to the tree he produces a fine cedar pipe, but instead of lighting it he instead brings it to his lips and begins to puff on it. Large bubbles float into the air before he develops a bored expression and tosses the prop to the side, clearly finished with that distraction.
“I'm your host, Bob! I'm a ninja, keep that in mind as it's detrimental to the story ahead, and life in general. Ninjas are glorious bringers of justice, that's life lesson number one, keep it locked up tight, you'll need it. Why, did you know, if it weren't for ninja's we would never have developed lightbulbs, internet memes about cats, or oxygen? Well now you do. Why, there are entire...I'm sorry, I'm getting off topic. Though honestly, you should go read up on ninjas, you can never know enough. And the more you know!”
A small rainbow appeared over his head as he turned to face away from the tree and with his hands on his hips looked toward the sky.
“The year is five-thousand-sixty-two. To this date the world has been destroyed seventeen times, but mankind is finally learning its lessons. After the great Taco War of four-thousand-nine-hundred-twenty-one in which the Master Ninja Flatius took three-hundred ninjas against the forces of the unjust so that we might all feast upon the greatest culinary creation in history, humankind had to look back and ponder its failings. Countless ages of war with progressively more devastating weapons had dropped much of the Earths landmass beneath sea-level, and even amongst the remaining land little of it was habitable.”
Looking down he sneaks back up against the tree before pointing at you knowingly.
“But I digress, all that is unimportant, except the part about ninjas...you should be keeping notes on that. Main point is, you my friend have the privilege of seeing a story play out during an era of relative peace. It takes place on the man-made island of Karakura, its roles shall be taken by everyday individuals who have no powers, and whose calm days involve finding more out about themselves and discovering the eccentricities of those around them.”
Peaking around the corner he hunkers low as a young girl in the outfit of a Avalon Junior exits the first house in front of which the tree is stationed, and quickly leaves the front gate heading to the next house over. As he slinks around the tree and moves to hide behind the security wall surrounding the house he stays completely hidden despite it being bright out. With his finger to his lips as if to suggest silence he turns to you and comments, “So let us begin this journey into the unknown. Like finding a black Grand Dragon leading a Neo-Nazi rally; so too are the days of our lives.”
“Rye-kun! Rye-kun what are you doing in there?! Hurry up!”
Kitani Kisala could hardly believe him. Takahashi Ryusuke and she had been next door neighbors in the under canal for all their life, and when the island expansion raffle had selected their neighborhood for movement into Arcadia Gardens the family assignments had remained the same as was customary. Besides the living conditions the one other change was that their school appointments had shifted. Having just graduated from Intermediary School they would be living out their High School years in the prestigious Avalon Academy which was renowned for its high standards. She knew it probably didn't mean much to Rye-kun but she wasn't letting this chance slip by for a new start or a potential future, and to be late on their first day of all things!
Having waited at least thirty-seconds with no response she slammed the front-gate to his home open and proceeded to the front door while calling out, “I'm coming! You better be ready!”
She knew this late in the morning his parents like most were already at work, so it was her duty to get him where he needed to be. On most mornings she'd just have let him go so the teachers might beat some sense into him when he showed up late, but not on their introductory day. However as she grabbed the entry-doors handle and forced her way into the kitchen she stopped and stared blankly at the sight that awaited her.
Annoyance boiled to the surface as her pink eyes went sharp behind her circular-glasses, her tail stood on end, and she grimaced while growling out a sentence, “Takahashi Ryusuke, are you trying to make me mad?”
The mess of light-blue hair that was sitting above a half-dismantled hoverboard with his pajamas still on and a scrunched up and focused face turned to her ever so slightly, the change in his eyes suggested he knew he'd just screwed up. But she couldn't bother this morning, dropping her bag to the floor with a bang she rushed over to where his mother had left his outfit hanging in the doorway not five feet away and ripped it off the hanger. Grabbing him by the collar she stood him up though he willingly went along with it as she tossed the coat over his shoulders and stuffed his pants into his hands. Her large pink cat-ears, each tied with a red bow to match her juniors outfit , twitched violently as she ripped her bag off the floor and started to walk toward the door, “Have it on and be out front in a minute or less Rye, and leave that blasted thing!”
She angrily stormed out the front door before slamming it closed, standing directly outside and wrapping her fingers on the nearby wall with impatience. As soon as the door opened and she turned around to see Rye-kun with his clothes and bag loosely thrown on she grabbed him by the wrist and began and set toward running out the front of the cul-de-sac and toward the nearest train station towering in the distance.
As they proceeded through the rows of similar blocky houses her tail flicked back and forth in an testy manner as she was finally given the time to get on to him, “I can't believe you, you fool! I told you if we didn't make this train yesterday we'd be late for the opening ceremonies! And do you honestly believe they're going to let you bring that mechanical abomination of yours on campus even if you fixed it? This isn't our old school, this is Avalon. Avalon! Even if you're not interested I'm not letting you mess up your or my chance here, I promised your mom that much. So let's move, I'm already worried we'll miss the train!”
With that she pulled hard and raced off forcing Ryusuke to keep pace. She wasn't an athlete but she did well in track and physical-education so she had more endurance than her looks might have suggested. This meant they were hauling at full-speed the entire way to the rail stop. But despite her claims that they needed to be quiet and move, her ill-mood quickly reversed as she fell into a reverie that Rye-kun had already sat through his fair share of times, she would occasionally turn her head around to him before .
“Ahhhh~~~! Isn't it amazing Rye-kun?! This was unthinkable just a year ago. Hey, did you know that seventy-percent of the students that graduate from Avalon go on to Masters? We could really change things! And I bet it's not full of hoodlums and crazies like all these other places, they'll probably be well-mannered and polite. You should look more excited Rye-kun, this is your chance for a whole new life!”
As they neared the train terminal the civilian housing made way to urban sprawl. Karakura Island was a man-made structure floating in the Eternal Sea, in the sector still known as the Pacific to this day. The outer-edges were lined with weather defense as well as both energy and food growing plants, then there were civilian and industrial districts, and the very center was home to a number of high rises surrounding a single structure taller than the rest that was home to government. Not that, that was particularly relevant, but having cleared the rows of homes the city skyline was now in full view, though being mid-day it wasn't nearly the impressive sight it was when fully lit by a neon-array of every color at night.
The large circular rail that took several high-speed trains back and forth from one area of the wheel to the next came into view, and the train was already present. With a glance at the large clock that was posted above the main-plaza and a look around that showed there were not many people on the station it was evident the rail was only moments from leaving. With a heavily uttered curse that she'd beat him to death if they missed it Kisala let him wrist go and rocketed across the open ground as fast as she could go, aiming for the nearest door in the vehicle stopped there. Her lungs crying out as she pushed herself she hardly had time to look in front of her before she flew through the open door a few seconds before it closed and the train began moving, however she didn't have time to register what had happened as, as soon as she had moved through the door a mighty crash had sounded out and her world had flipped upside down.
Rubbing her forehead which had smacked straight into the floor with a sigh she opened her eyes and looked around. It only occurred to her now that her glasses hadn't smashed into her face so they must have fallen, this was made more evident by anything that was more than five-feet away being a massive blob of blur. Regardless she knew she'd just slammed into somebody, she was sorry about it but couldn't miss her first day even if Rye-kun didn't make it, thankfully she could see him by the door though a little out of focus. She was however confused by the look on his face, looking at someone somewhat aggressively to her side instead of helping her up, she wasn't sure how she felt about that even as she followed his vision.
Though she hadn't found whomever she had run into yet she knew she had to apologize so she did, “I...I'm sorry, are you ok?”
But even as she spoke she heard Ryusuke speak out angrily to whomever he had been staring at, “What was that, huh?!”
Following his gaze she found herself looking up at a girl slightly older than them. She had to be the one that she'd run into though unlike her she was standing calmly and didn't even look like she'd taken the hit. Kisala was oblivious but at the point of impact the girl had caught her by the side and flipped her upside down and to the ground to avoid damage herself.
She had dark skin which was unusual even amongst the multi-ethnic population of Karakura, most of the Indonesian and African descendants existing in other Bastion Islands further West. Though she was their age she didn't appear to be going to school from the looks of her outfit which was a cyber-punk look that few people would have the courage to wear. Black with neon-blue strips that actively glowed with LED lights, she wore a long sleeved jacket that had bell sleeves that opened to cover her hands with a large blue skull on her chest. She had a mini-skirt of the same make though high candy-striped stockings covered her legs so there wasn't much to see and though she was standing it was evident she was wearing large friction skates that could propel the user quite fast. She wore a glowing blue aviators headset that had a large black antenna sticking into the air with a skull similar to that on her shirt on either earmuff.
But despite being strikingly unusual what immediately caught Kisala (despite the distance clouding matters) and anyone else's eye was, in fact, the eye looking back at them. The girl had long pitch-black hair that hung to her waist and was cut so that it dropped over the right-side of her face covering it completely, and leaving only one half exposed. That half was home to cute features, but namely a penetrating orange eye that seemed capable of staring through a person, and was currently focused on Rye-kun. It was disheartening to be under her watch, it wasn't as if she she was supernatural, but even though her face was untelling it was clear there was some underlying rage in the slight glare she gave that she was ready to cast upon anyone.
Though Kisala couldn't tell what had happened or what the situation around them was she couldn't just ignore what she'd done and tried to reiterate, “Um, I ran into you right, again I'm sorry!”
But she and Rye's statements went uncommented on for better or worse. The girl just looked at Ryusuke for a little bit longer before her eye briefly traveled to Kisala who shirked a little, then she looked out the nearest window without a word. Instead opting to touch her headset and fill the silent (whether because nobody was present or they were watching the scene unfold Kisala couldn't tell without her glasses) carriage with the muffled sound of indistinguishable heavy metal. Irked but unwilling to succumb to the awkward silence or let Rye grow angrier about whatever had happened she instead opted for the obvious, speaking softer than she had most of the morning.
“Um, uh...Rye-kun, could you help me find my glasses? I can't see any-”
Before she could even finish a crunching sound filled the area, and she had a sickening drop in her heart as she'd sat on a pair before and knew what it sounded like. It did however cause her head to snap in the direction it had come from. Though out of her vision range she could tell somebody large was standing there though she couldn't tell who they were or if they were even aware of what they'd just done.
However a quick answer came as the figure stepped forward and stated, "A single stumble upon the road of life is all it takes to find yourself on the path of death."
She could see them punch their hand into their other and crack their knuckles shortly after, but the entire situation was still above her head. She understood that everything wasn't exactly peaches-and-cream, but without her sight the trouble they had actually just found themselves in was something she was still quite oblivious to. After all she had no way of knowing the biggest, meanest, most evil sonuvabitch their age had cast himself as protector of the girl she'd just tried to bowl over.