XBLAZE - Concurrent:Butterfly [IC]

[Bird of Hermes]

Tsugumi Uro
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)
Crystal: Phase 1 (Clear)

Hey... Have we met before?

This must have been a case of mistaken identity, Tsugumi didn't recognise this girl at all.

He racked his brain to try and see if he could recall. Firstly he thought of his previous high school; he had purposefully kept as few friends as possible and was careful to maintain his appearance as just an acquaintance to the rest of the student body. Her face didn't seem particularly familiar and didn't seem to resemble anyone he really knew, let alone those he was on speaking terms with. He had also made sure to never actually meet any siblings of his classmates either except for passing in the school corridors or maybe even small talk lasting a few sentences or longer.

With all that said, he moved onto the next viable option - children of his guardians ex's. Aunt Arakawa had a string of former lovers with varying degrees of success to say the least, however there was a few that the two of them both actively tried to forget about. Now although the fact that this person may have recognised him through that means, there was no way Tsugumi recognised her, and without Naoko to verify this matter, he only had one option, end the conversation. Throughout his life, he had learned the best ways to go overlooked and avoid unwanted drama. The best way was to be forgettable. Being too nice or to cruel in this situation would only create an unwanted reputation, so blandness and vagueness was the order of the day.

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you are. There's a lot of people here, I think you must have gotten me mistaken with someone else."

He shook is head for an added effect while giving an apologetic look on his face. It was a very specific look he had examined from students who worked in retail who were dealing with a very difficult customer and gently trying to persuading them to finish their order and to go and darken someone else's door.

Then again with that said; there was no real way for him to actively get out of this situation on a train like this, especially with the Principal up there. Depending on what this stranger wanted, Tsugumi could just roll with it as for all he knew there could be a notable chance that he never saw her again.

"So, what's your name?"

[Airen]

Tsugumi Uro
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

"Yeah, mistaken with someone else... That's probably right."

For one reason or another, the young woman seemed troubled by that answer, even though on a fundamental level she seemed to agree with it.

"But I still can't shake the feeling..."

Sighing, more disappointed in herself than anything you had said, the young woman adjusts herself in her seat, turning her body completely to face you as if she had suddenly decided this conversation was going to go on for a bit longer now that you had asked her a question in return out of what ultimately amounted to social obligation. Dressed in jeans, t-shirt, and black jacket, with a form that hinted at a vaguely muscular stature, the most notable thing about the young woman wasn't her casual choice of clothing in this sort of environment, but rather, the fact that her hands were bound with bandages, or rather, the sort of hand bandage-like material that was commonly used by boxers and mixed martial artists.

Her silver bracelet was also far more personalized than those possessed by everyone else on the train, "Northern Cross Academy: Mizuki" emblazoned along it's surface even as she wore it more as an armband than as a bracelet.

"Then again, my memory's got a history of being a bit faulty, amnesia episode a few years back," shaking her head, as if the physical act of doing such a thing would also help her shake off whatever dregs of memories she was apparently dealing with, the young woman's expression goes from slightly troubled one moment, to that of a tomboyish smile the next, "So yeah, sorry for bugging ya I guess, the name's Yamamoto Mizuki, 3rd Year, martial artist, student babysitter to a certain vampire principal who wants me to make more friends."

Extending her hand, as if meaning for you to shake it, the young woman's smile is certainly friendly, if a bit... Inexperienced, as if she wasn't used to such expressions.

"Nice to meetcha."

[Airen]

Kotetsu Shima
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

It was hard to tell exactly when the principal took certain actions. Listening to the chatter of the other students as your efforts bear fruit and you click the ever distant send button on your newfound cellular device, there's a moment, a single brief nanosecond, in which you think (it was quite possible you had imagined it) you see the principal's eyes divert down to seat in front of her, but it's over in a blink, and in that same blink...

Director Nagatani

Oh? Is that so?

A response has come in.

The woman's multi-tasking skills are vaguely horrifying; posing her questions to the Ms. Florence, while simultaneously texting you back, and listening for other questions in the slowly growing roar of the train car, the really scary part is that she doesn't seem to be putting forth much focus at all, or rather...

Her focus was so complete, she could look at (and keep track of) everything in front of her at once.

Director Nagatani

If that's the case. Perhaps I can serve as a worthy opponent instead, while it's doing it's best to catch it's breath.
Would you like to play a game?
It's like a test of focus and endurance, we'll see who stops playing first.

And now she was challenging you to a vague 'game,' all while still awaiting the questions of other students...

And you got the feeling she was doing it because...

You were being too quiet for her tastes...

...The kind of teacher that picks on the quiet kid, just because they happen to be the one who is, most likely, actually not paying attention.

...It was almost bully-esque.

[Daiki]

Lucas Guerrin
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Crystal: Phase 1
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

Hailey Dunn

Anyway... I brought all your stuff to your dorm room yesterday, and I'm watching over things now, so you don't have to worry about anything.

Loosen up and enjoy the ride a bit, it's one of those rare off duty days.

Lucas pocketed the phone after the exchange.

While he was appreciative of Hailey looking out for him, and trying to help him relax, he emitted a groan as if she had proposed him to deal with a grizzly armed with his bare fists. Reading the hidden message made him grimace.

Show some common sense, will you?

He couldn't help but feel like berating her for asking the impossible. If she had been there, he would have given her the u srs? look. Lucas pictured her smiling face encouraging him to go mingle with the students, and actually felt like he could actually punch a bear.

After all, how could someone deprived of basic social skills and fundamental subtlety, as well as being unable to read the proper timing to enter a conversation, could ever hope to engage in a friendly chat with anyone? Especially strangers.

Lucas tried to gain focus as he eyed carefully his future schoolmates. It's not like he had never seen Hailey interacting with people their ages. But somehow, he assumed her approach would not fit him. She always had that confident and friendly mask in front of others.

This is useless.

One, he didn't give enough of a fuck to go through the effort of faking a persona.

Two, he was not that kind of performer, who could sway the masses with their hypocritical smile.

Three, his true personality would come out at some point anyway, destroying any kind of effort.

Without the will nor the skill to turn himself into a facsimile of his best friend, the option was out. Trying to bullshit through a conversation would be ineffective, so what was left? Lucas doubted his professional facade would work on people in this situation. He had no intention of making friends but introducing himself early would facilitate later exchanges. If they were to live and be taught together, basic interaction would be expected.

Still pondering over the most efficient way to manage that, Lucas got up and walked towards the back of the car. Maybe the inspiration would come to him if he went on a stroll.

Hm, need some ice for that eye too.

[Airen]

Lucas Guerrin
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Crystal: Phase 1
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

No one stops you from leaving the first car.

Moving without really thinking about it, pondering questions to which you have no real answers, it's a vague feeling of frustration that follows you throughout the growing noise of the train cars. The students that had been sleeping were slowly but steadily coming to life, and while there was certainly an overwhelming sense of awkwardness amongst the majority of them, they were still managing to put up a social front that someone like you...

Couldn't really match... At least not for any significant length of time.

Hailey seemed to believe that it all came down to inexperience, perhaps, if you simply took the time to practice, you'd be more easily able to slip into the confines of a normal life, but...

That kind of thought was probably...

Just idealism on her part.

The principal's voice follows you throughout the cars, coming on over the speakers even though she could be heard from the open doors connecting train car to train car. The students in the second car weren't any different from the first, all of them coming to 'life' now that the sun was rising over the forested horizon, but while your walk is slow, purposefully facilitated to give you as much time to think about the pain-in-the-ass task that ultimately awaited you in the future...

You don't have that much space for a stroll.

Standing with her back to the door leading to the third car, the only student that wasn't in a chair, and, in fact, seemed to be purposefully barring this second exit, was-

"..."

-A young woman with silent eyes.

...Sleipnir.

You could tell from everything about her presence. While she was standing with her back to the door and her arms crossed, her eyes were lit with attention and a sharp sense of focus, and even though the other students were talking and laughing...

She... Was not.

Not even the crack of a smile.

And her position on the door, one that refuses to budge even as you approach, and maintains perfect balance even as the car occasionally lurches, is one that silently declares 'this is the end of the line.'

Even so...

"...Swollen eye?"

Eyes flickering to your own...

"...Here."

She holds a water-bottle (half-frozen) out for you to take.

Yes...

Not only was she guarding the door, but...

It seemed that she was also...

Watching over a drink cooler.

[palad1n]

Watanabe Yuuki
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

Yuuki had tried to put the girl besides him to the back of his mind during this train ride.

One would have thought that living with a girl for two years would have eased him to interact with girls, but that is sadly not the case for someone like him; even now, he always felt awkward and self-conscious around girls whose name is not Evelyn. That is why he felt quite relieved and thankful when the girl was asleep for most of the train ride.

Now though, the girl is finally awake, and seems to be messing around with tarot cards. Interesting to be sure, but Yuuki is content to leave her to her own devices...

Until the girl spoke to him.

"Hey, you're a Strange Red, right? Fate was kind to you... Want your fortune told?"

It seems someone had been paying attention more than the usual norm.

Putting the uncomfortable feeling of being observed by a girl aside, Yuuki begin to weigh his options, carefully considering whether to accept the girl's offer or not. And his answer is--

"... Sure." He replied after a few seconds of silence. He did not believe in fortune telling, true, but in a train filled with people with supernatural powers such a mundane thing as fortune telling has a higher chance of being legitimate; he is also fascinated to a certain degree with tarot cards, so he saw no reason to refuse the girl's offer.

Besides, this would be a good chance to get acquainted with someone else, along with improving his social skills a little when it came to girls. Not that his skill with boys is much better in that regard.

That being said...

"I'm Watanabe Yuuki." He began, fidgeting a little before asking the question that has been on the back of his mind since the girl spoke. "If you don't mind me asking... how could you tell that I'm a Strange Red?"

The reason why he asked that question is simple: Watanabe Yuuki dislikes attention, which means he would try to keep the fact that he is a Strange Red a secret. He needs to know whether it is actually rather easy or obvious to tell that he is 'different' or 'special' from the others, and depending on the answer it would have an impact on what he can expect in the future.

If it is, then he'd have to hope that he can blend in well enough to avoid too much attention.

If not, then the girl has successfully grabbed his attention even more.

... Hopefully the girl is kind enough to answer as she told his fortune.

[Daiki]

Lucas Guerrin
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Crystal: Phase 1
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)


Lucas felt a gaze on his back for a fleeting moment as he left the first car. It was nothing particularly subtle, as if the vigilant being simply wished to make Lucas aware that he couldn't walk away unless granted permission. The trained young man stopped, allowing his instincts to dictate the best course of action. Without turning around, he waited for a couple of heartbeats.

Lucas knew that the Principal of Northern Cross Academy, and now his Boss; had been studying each of the students with interest during the whole trip. She had received reports, and knew what to expect of each of them. Nobody could escape her attention, not even an evasion adept like Lucas. She probably wanted to emphasize that point.

As if he had been given clearance through silence, Lucas proceeded further down.

It only took him second to forget any thought about Nagatani Isako. His mind was focused on another matter entirely, one he would most likely not solve within the time frame left before their arrival in Tomobiki.

Unions were slowly rising with the sun. Sound had started to rise in echo to the past car's. Adolescents checking their belongings, examining the items they had been given recently, looking out the windows, putting on coats and blazers in preparation for the morning chill that awaited at the train station.

Not all of them, seemed ready to tackle the new day in a place they had never visited. It was there. Doubt. Anxiety. Wariness. All of that changed for enthusiasm, excitement... as laughter erupted here and there only to be interrupted by curious chatter.

As he passed rows, Lucas marveled once more at how expressive human beings could be. These were indeed facial expressions he had seen many times.

Yet, it never ceases to amaze.

Hailey's words resonated painfully in his mind as he saw a girl offering some sort of cookies to a boy who was looking at her with envy.

Neither of them could have noticed the distress behind Lucas' mask. Not even the person with whom he had shared so much with could understand. She was a gentle soul who had a positive outlook on life, so it was only logical for her to come up with such a solution. Yet, it would never come to be.

Nothing short of desperate measures could ever trigger a change.

Which meant that he was currently stuck in a loop about how to deal with other people. Adding to the hurdle itself, students had started to form groups already, or would soon, making the whole ordeal even more depressing.

Lucas saw both his train of thinking and his actual walk cut short by the obstacle in front of him.

A lone girl, contrasting from the rest of the car occupants. In a position that dictated she would not allow access. A quick overlook confirmed Lucas' suspicion. The confident posture and ever attentive stare both giving him pause.

Another Sleipnir.

Lucas contemplated his options.

He could either go back or start an argument. While he was rarely interested in following Sleipnir every rules, Lucas knew that two agents bickering over something as stupid as that wouldn't generate more than a headache and a summoning. In fact, it might even undermine Sleipnir's authority in the eyes of the freshly arrived Unions.

On top of that, Lucas was in no mood for that. He was ready to turn heels when she talked. Lucas eyed her with suspicions as she produced a bottle of water. After a second, he reached for the plastic container. With an awkward and careful movement, he managed to grab onto it, making sure none of his fingers would touch hers. Not quite looking at her, he addressed a vague nod, before applying the cold to his face.

After a while, he spoke up.

"Thought I would be the only Sleipnir."

The tone was devoid of emotions but implied a note of melancholy.

For Lucas, becoming a Union after serving Sleipnir for so long was far from being an excruciating experience. On the contrary, he found that his personal goal could only be reached after becoming one.

However, he was far from the norm.

When people who had been trained to hunt certain individuals were to switch side as an irony of fate, who could blame them for cursing their own existences? Those who had been the protectors had become the offenders. Their sole existence endangering humanity now. It wouldn't be enough to deal with the guilt of so many blood spilled, one would become the one to bleed. Someone absolutely convinced their actions were right for so long, what would they think after discovering their infection? How would one cope with that? Lucas didn't know. But it certainly would not be pleasant.

"The name's Lucas."

While he wasn't eager to thank her yet, he could at least give her that much.

[Kuroyuki]

Yoko Aoyama
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

After sending my text, I got one quickly back in reply.

Texting

Kasumi! New phone!

Yeah, they really spoil the students here! Everyone was given one...

I'm a little jealous of how much money the Agency seems to have...

Anyways, are you close?

I'm waiting at the station to pick you up.

Were we close? I think we are... Who would know about how close we are to the school? Was there a way for me to find out on my phone?

...changing the color of items is a relatively mundane bit of sorcery. If this is the only complaint I get, I'll happily change them all."

While I was thinking about it, the principal was talking about changing our phones colors... That's it. Maybe she would know if we're close. I got up from my secluded section of the train and started walking up to the principal. If anyone started giving me funny looks, I didn't really notice... Because I was thinking about what color I should change my phone into. Silver? But I'll blind myself in the sunlight... Grey is... too plain. Not silver but not grey... Oh! That works.

I stopped in front of the principal before holding out my phone for her to take.

"White. Close?"

For people hearing my voice for the first time, it was very soft. Easy to miss if you weren't paying attention especially with my terse speaking, but surprisingly melodic. Despite that, I knew the principal heard me and understood me without a doubt. If I was asked why... I just know. She seemed to be that kind of person.

[Bird of Hermes]

Tsugumi Uro
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)
Crystal: Phase 1 (Clear)

The woman seemed troubled but in her current state I noticed a few things; the hints at a muscular build, the bandages on her hands - this person wasn't 'just' a student but a fighter. It wasn't like fighters like these to get troubled over simple things like mistaken identity

"Then again, my memory's got a history of being a bit faulty, amnesia episode a few years back,"

That struck something of a cord with Tsugumi, his memory of about 5 months ago was a bit foggy and as far as he knew, only one other person knew about that. Now two people who had amnesia meeting up could easily be a coincidence but two Drive patients with one of whom recognising the other? If that was a coincidence then it was too slim for his liking.

Was this important? Probably. Was he going to talk about it? No.

So yeah, sorry for bugging ya I guess, the name's Yamamoto Mizuki, 3rd Year, martial artist, student babysitter to a certain vampire principal who wants me to make more friends."

"Nice to meetcha."

Her hand was slow, hesitant, nervous. She may be smiling now but to Tsugumi it seemed to have a nervous shake to it. Either she was scared of him (which was utterly preposterous) or she was more troubled by this than she was going to admit to him. Formalities however were formalities as he extended his own hand and gently shook it.

"Uro, Tsugumi Uro, 3rd Year, sleep deprived and brand new to the whole Union Drive and vampire thing."

[RacingeR]

Loraine Irwin
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train)
Phase: Early Morning, Before Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly.

A chill ran through Lori’s back as she saw Nina’s answer. What she meant was something akin to recruiting the top ten doctors in the whole world to solve the issue. Lori quickly started writing a reply, without allowing herself any delay. Between starring in an international incident again and the tracking device, she’d take the tracking, thank you very much.

To Nina

No, it is just a bracelet, no need to call the doctors over it. I’m fine.

I’ll deal with it.

Somehow. Not very enthused about the whole thing to be honest.

But on a happier note, I already found two persons of interest in the first day. Quite promising!

After writing that last message, Lori’s eyes ran over the car, briefly noting the boy who stood up and walked away, before looking around for more interesting people. Or rather, people with interesting bits of the supernatural with them.

[Airen]

Watanabe Yuuki
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

"How do I know?"

"Isn't it obvious? I have been blessed with divine providence, there is little that can be hidden from me."

It was a response that seemed almost perfectly designed to both answer your question, while simultaneously failing to actually tell you anything of note; although whether she was doing it to purposefully mess with you (and had found out about your status in some other way) or if she actually did possess some sort of psychic powers for this sort of thing was left purposefully vague...

That much at least... Making it difficult to tell if she was telling the truth or not... You had a feeling was a purposeful choice on her part.

"To those with the divine sense, it is easy to tell red from blue; to the minds of the mundane, I guess you could fall it a form of instinct if you wish; but at the same time, you confirmed it for me all on your own. You're quite honest."

She talks a lot.

Shuffling the cards in her hand, shifting her body more to better face you even as she pulls down the tray that had been embedded into the seat of the chair before her, there's a brief moment where her clothes shift and you can see something red lying, just beyond the right side of her collarbone...

But it's just a glimpse, and it's already over by the time you can process it.

"Now, silly questions aside, let us take a look into your future."

Voice still relatively light and cheery, the manner in which the girl draws her hand over the deck of cards is nevertheless theatrical, spinning her hand above it a few times, as if to purposefully make things more dramatic, it's only when half a minute passes and you start to get a little impatient, that the cards suddenly shoot across the surface of the table, sorting themselves seemingly of their own accord-!

"My, my, the future is aggressive as always."

Enigmatic and heavy, the sudden shift in tone reminds you of that 'purposefully over-dramatic' air fortune tellers took on in movies, and you get a bit of an impression that she may be trying too hard to be cool, but...

She seemed to know magic, or at least...

A hell of a sleight of hand...

...It wasn't like you were someone that could tell the difference.

"Now-!"

A dramatic flip of the center card.

"Huh, Tower. The immediate future, huh? But really, such an easy reading...?"

A chuckle, then...

"To experience an intense change... Well, we are being dragged out to a gilded cage of uncertainty, of course the way you live from now on is going to be different."

A pause, one that she likely felt was suitably dramatic, then...

"Beyond that... Eh, Fool? Really? That simple...?"

She starts to laugh.

"New beginnings, infinite possibilities... It seems that, now that things have changed, you should embrace that new start and go in a different direction than what you had before... But that's just so... So safe-!"

Seemingly both amused and disappointed (for some reason) the girl's giggling fit takes awhile to fade.

"That's the kind of advice you can get from a normal counselor, but it's a perfect fortune for a transfer student I guess~"

[Mooncake]

Kotetsu Shima
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)


Shima stared at the screen, letting the sounds of the train and the people in it was over him. It was impressive how fast the principal could text while still holding a conversation. You could only get that skill through years of experience in pretending to pay attention.

They did have some time before they pulled into Tomobiki, by his reckoning - he wasn't sure, but it didn't make sense for the principal to wake the sleepers up if they weren't going to arrive soon.

His fingers hit the send button a minute later.

Shima

Alright. What kind of game is it?

[palad1n]

Watanabe Yuuki
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

"How do I know? Isn't it obvious? I have been blessed with divine providence, there is little that can be hidden from me."

Answering his question while failing to actually tell anything of note... Yuuki doesn't know whether she was telling the truth or if she was just messing around, but she definitely gave that vague answer on purpose. Not that he actually felt down about it, really; it's nice enough that she still humors him enough to answer his question.

"To those with the divine sense, it is easy to tell red from blue; to the minds of the mundane, I guess you could fall it a form of instinct if you wish; but at the same time, you confirmed it for me all on your own. You're quite honest."

She talks a lot - the complete and total opposite of Evelyn - but he finds her to be quite amusing and intriguing. If he's still unaware of the supernatural, he would have easily dismissed her as someone with a strong chuunibyou syndrome, but now he find himself listening intently to every words that she said; From what he could gather, she's basically saying that differentiating Strange Red from normal Drive Unions are easy for her, but normal students could differentiate the two through instinct. Another interpretation is that she basically just guessed, and he confirmed it for her.

Still, being praised for being honest by someone he just met... brought a small smile to his face.

But if the supernatural are real, and he took her seriously because of that, just how many chuunibyous in this world are actually telling the truth?

Another question to be pondered for another time, but at least he is safe from possible attention for now...

"Now, silly questions aside, let us take a look into your future."

He thought he had seen something red on the right side of her collarbone as she pulled down the tray, but being merely a glimpse, her voice immediately snapped his attention back and he didn't pay it any further heed.

Besides, purposefully staring at a girl's skin beneath their clothing is just wrong.

With her preparation complete, Yuuki watched silently but intensely - just like someone who is paying attention to a teacher in front of the class - as she theatrically spun her hand above the deck for a good half-a-minute. Of course, even someone like him has limited patience, and just as he started to feel his patience growing thinner and thinner-

The cards... suddenly shot across the table and sort themselves on their own accord-!

"My, my, the future is aggressive as always."

Once again, the sudden shift in her tone after that display gave him the impression of someone who's trying too hard to be cool. But while the old him would have dismissed this girl's antics, the him in the present could appreciate it; in fact, after hours of a silent and somewhat tense train ride, he decided that having her act and talk like this is rather refreshing.

Case in point, he's smiling again, eyes widening in amazement at what just happened. While there is a possibility that it's a sleight of hand, Yuuki is willing to give her the benefit of doubt and think of it as magic... Though given that he couldn't really tell the difference, the end result is the same.

He felt like a kid again, brought to a magic show by his parents for the first time.

This feeling of 'fun'... The 'joy' of interacting with other people...

Coming to Tomobiki seems to be the right choice, and he hopes that Evelyn could feel the same.

"Now-!"

A dramatic flip of the center card.

"Huh, Tower. The immediate future, huh? But really, such an easy reading...?"

A chuckle, then...

"To experience an intense change... Well, we are being dragged out to a gilded cage of uncertainty, of course the way you live from now on is going to be different."

A pause, one that she likely felt was suitably dramatic, then...

"Beyond that... Eh, Fool? Really? That simple...?"

She starts to laugh.

"New beginnings, infinite possibilities... It seems that, now that things have changed, you should embrace that new start and go in a different direction than what you had before... But that's just so... So safe-!"

As the girl giggled in amusement and disappointment - perhaps she was expecting a much more dramatic reading from a Strange Red - Yuuki couldn't help but agree that the fortune seems safe, and that is a good thing in his opinion; he had never really been someone who is always curious or daring to go on an adventure, so 'safe' describes him pretty well in that regard.

Still, infinite possibilities... A new start...

Yes. He could get on board with that.

"That's the kind of advice you can get from a normal counselor, but it's a perfect fortune for a transfer student I guess~"

"I suppose." He answered after being quiet this whole time, a small smile present in his face. "I have to say, the future seems pretty good for me... though I'm sorry if the readings are too safe and normal." he added, eyes looking at flipped cards of Tower and Fool; any doubts that he had for the tarot reading is gone thanks to the reading and grandeur, and his tone is genuine. "Thank you for reading my fortune..."

A pause. He realized the girl hasn't shared her name yet.

"Um... I believe I don't know your name yet." He said as his cheeks reddened a little, feeling awkward for not asking earlier. It also made him realize that he had been calling her 'Fortune-chan' in his head all this time.

In his defense, it's been a few years since he last asked someone for their name.

[Airen]

Loraine Irwin
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train)
Phase: Early Morning, Before Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly.

On a train such as this, people with an (extra) abnormal air to them must exist in some form.

It is a conclusion that is easy to reach, when one gathers members of the supernatural community, there's always one or two of them that seem to stick out even from amongst their peers.

And in this situation, where at least half of the members of the supernatural community did not come from Ishana, it was a chance, perhaps, to see those sorts of things that you wouldn't be able to see in the city of Sorcery.

Like a (theoretical) vampire.

Having already done most of a once over on the first train car, and with Nina having yet to respond to your frantic attempts to keep her from causing an international incident (again), you follow your instincts and move to check out the second car of the train, the only other one that you seemed to be allowed to access at the moment, and...

...Almost immediately, you see something that is, quite frankly, an absurd event.

The Leaders of Ishana, the Ten Sages, only had six members to their number; and out of those six members, two of them had, at some point in the past, left the island seemingly without any intention of returning to it over thirty years ago.

Those two members, Zwei "The Conjuror of the Blue Blaze," and Vier "The Boundless," were collectively known in Ishana as the "Lost Authorities."

It was a very specific title that was treated as separate from the title of "Ten Sage," because of one simple thing, a thing that you knew about from all your years of sticking your nose where it didn't belong, and a thing that most members of the Current Sages quite simply would never admit to being true.

Namely...

The sorcery used by those two, was something that not only lacked any form of written record on the island, but, according to testimony from their old colleagues, didn't make any sense even when it was being utilized right in front of other users of sorcery. Exorcist, magus, shaman, unions with scanning abilities, it didn't matter, not a single person who saw what they had done... Had any real understanding of what was even happening in front of them, let alone how to replicate it.

Zwei had seemed to be able to use "blue flames that consume all other phenomena," while Vier, also called the Weakest Sage, had apparently been capable of...

Something.

Even you had never found that answer, although the sheer fact that such a question even existed at all made you doubt the nature of her title as "Weakest Sage."

But... Whatever it was... The remaining sages all had a desire to bring the other two back to Ishana, and while you had never seen either one before now, you had certainly seen pictures... And heard the rumors that she was working as a teacher in some other part of the world, but...

"Lady Vier, I've finally found you-! Upon my arrival, Lord Zehn wished for me to request your immediate return to Ishana, he stresses that the situation is serious, and that your presence is in fact necessary."



"Yeah... Sorry kid, but I'm gonna have to go with no. Those guys don't want me, they want to figure out how I tick is all, and I've got no time to be poked and prodded and stolen from; tell em I got a teaching job somewhere else when you go back; it's not the first time they've tried to play the island is in danger card. Nothing is getting past that barrier. Zwei enhanced that barrier!"

A scoff.

"Honestly, does he think I'm an idiot? I get sweet-talked into going back there, and they're never letting me out again... And I'm not really a fan of that outcome... You can tell Kuon I said hi though if you wind up going back after tasting freedom... She's the only decent Sage there."

The sight of her sitting cross legged, youthful as ever in a black sweater and jeans that punctuated those seemingly college age looks, sipping orange juice out of a bottle while lecturing a dark-haired young man that you didn't recognize, but nevertheless seemed to be from Ishana was... Bizarre...

Mainly because she dressed like a normal person, but also because...



"Hey there, you an Ishana kid too? Loraine?"

She had seemed to instinctively notice you the instant you had walked through the door, and smiling at you in a mostly kind way...

Had even seemed to know your name.

"Want to sit with us? Something to drink? I've got orange juice and water, soft drinks don't really work out on antique train rides."

[Airen]

Yoko Aoyama
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

She seemed genuinely surprised that you had come up to talk to her.

With most of the other students staying in their seats, and only half paying attention to the things she was saying, the murmurs that appear when you walk right up to her without faltering, contains not only talk of the ears and 'fluffy tail' as some people put it, but also the bravery that comes with being the first person to voluntarily approach the 'vampire' of your own accord.

Of course, you didn't think of either thing as particularly notable, and indeed, the only person you really focus on is the vampire in question...

"Alright, white it is."

Who is also the only one that seems to hear your voice, as loud as the train car was getting with all of the side conversations.

Reaching out to touch it, as if taking it from you simply wasn't necessary, the act of messing around with the phone's color, at least by her methods, once again invokes the image of a vampire in your mind; the color seems to simply drain away from the phone, white starting at it's edges before overtaking the rest of the object in it's entirety.

However, as far as you could tell, it was more of a subdued form of alchemy than any sort of 'color vampirism,' but just like you...

She seemed to have a theme she wished to uphold.

Although, in addition...

She seemed to have some sort of spell set on herself, a sorcery that was set on a 'loop' using her own innate Seithr in a circular way to keep some sort of 'effect' going perpetually... You couldn't tell what it was, and indeed, the only reason you had even noticed was because you were right next to her now, and used to noticing that sort of thing...

Perhaps it was the reason why her eyes were red?

Although you somehow doubted it... It seemed a bit more invasive bit of sorcery than just that...

"And as for distance... I'd say another ten minutes or so?" Smiling at you, voice still bearing that 'innate' charm, her eyes flicker more than once towards your ears, and her hands twitch a single time, but it seems that, while there's a vague curiosity there, she's aware that randomly touching a student's head (fox ears or not) is not exactly appropriate behavior for a principal to exhibit and refrains from doing so, "Has Kasumi-chan gotten impatient?"

[Airen]

Tsugumi Uro
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)
Crystal: Phase 1 (Clear)

"Yeah? Bit new to it myself... Well new to the Union thing at least, Isako-Sensei always looked kinda like a vampire..."

Her grip was quite strong, not in a way that made you think she was trying to purposefully hurt your hand, but rather in that unknowing manner that comes about from someone assuming someone else is just as super humanly strong as they are, and not really realizing that that might not actually be the case, and you have to squeeze back a bit in order to keep your fingers from being painfully squeezed together in an embarrassing way. While she had seemed somewhat distressed by her 'faulty memory' as she put it, it's an innate distress that she nevertheless seems to throw off for the most part as the handshake ends.

For a moment it seemed like the conversation would end there, letting out a breath and turning her head slightly, as if she had accomplished some sort of task that she normally wouldn't want to do, or just felt slightly odd about the awkward way she had started all of this in the first place, Mizuki's eyes drift away from you and towards the principal...

"...!"

Before landing firmly back on you, as if the older woman had looked (glared?) directly back at her, and her flinching recoil had landed her right back in the same position.

'Wanting her to make more friends' huh...?

"Don't have anything for the sleep deprivation on me, but we should be reaching the train station soon, there's no real coffee shop, but the station always has some of the cheap stuff brewing at the counters, if you drink coffee. If you're more of an energy drink kinda guy, you'd have to hit up the stores... Or, well, take a nap I guess."

A pause, as if she was searching for another thing to talk about, then...

"Are you from the city? I'm actually from here myself. Tomobiki, I mean, never really been to the city."

[Kuroyuki]

Yoko Aoyama
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

When I got up there, the principal seemed surprised that I went to take her up on her offer. I tilted my head in confusion while the background said something. Didn't she say she would change the color? So should you be surprised when someone goes to take the offer?

"Alright, white it is."

After the principal got over her surprise, she started doing her color vampirism by simply touching my phone. No... That's wrong. It's not really vampirism, but alchemy? Alchemy that's looping from her fingertip? I looked closely at it. Slow-acting looping alchemy with it centralized on her fingertip. It feels like there's something else involved... But I can't tell even with my closeness to her...I just tilted my head in confusion again.

I don't understand. Normally sorcery was an easy puzzle to place together, but this... It felt like doing the puzzle upside down with extra and missing pieces.

And as for distance... I'd say another ten minutes or so?

Ten minutes... Okay. I should send Kasumi a text.

Texting

Kasumi! New phone!

Yeah, they really spoil the students here! Everyone was given one...I'm a little jealous of how much money the Agency seems to have...Anyways, are you close?I'm waiting at the station to pick you up.

You got one too? Yay!

10 minutes.

And sent.

Has Kasumi-chan gotten impatient?

I nodded towards her and then noticed something. She looked at my ears before her hand twitched. Why was that? I tried to think why someone would want to touch them until I remembered something. I think Kasumi mentioned she liked touching it saying that it felt good. Could the principal be thinking the same? I think Himari once said "If someone helps you, then the least you can do is help them as well!" She helped me now it's my turn to help her.

"Fine."

I look up at the principal telling her it's fine to go ahead and touch my ears since she helped me.

[Bird of Hermes]

Tsugumi Uro
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)
Crystal: Phase 1 (Clear)

The first thing that caught him as the woman's iron grip. Howling loudly in pain would have only made a scene so Tsugumi kept quiet... to the best of his ability. However no matter now great he believed his self control to be, he still could not stop letting out a stiffed squeal in a response to the pain. He instinctively tried to squeeze back; not to try and 'assert dominance' in the handshake but simply to just avoid getting his fingers crushed flat in that vice that was Yamamoto. When she let go, he glanced at his hand which had been left a pale white after the blood being cut off.

With the obligatory socialisation at an end and his hand (mostly) recovered aside from that pins and needles tingle, he slowly began to adjust his view to the landscape through the windows and admiring the warm orange glow that was slowly beginning to rise.

"Don't have anything for the sleep deprivation on me, but we should be reaching the train station soon, there's no real coffee shop, but the station always has some of the cheap stuff brewing at the counters, if you drink coffee. If you're more of an energy drink kinda guy, you'd have to hit up the stores... Or, well, take a nap I guess."

Well so much for sitting back and doing nothing. Even through the dialogue seemingly came from nowhere, Tsugumi wasn't surprised per-se, she did say that the principal (who was perhaps her guardian? he didn't quiet hear that properly) wanted her to make more friends. This unfortunatly meant more forced socialisation for the both of them. Given everything that little miss Death Grip had let slip in the past few minutes, he still wasn't sure if she was the kind of person that he really should get to know or if worst came to worst - stay away from. In the meantime it was probably best to stick to what he knew: be bland, be boring, be forgettable.

"All my aunt ever has around the house is tea, so I'm used to drinking that.

"Are you from the city? I'm actually from here myself. Tomobiki, I mean, never really been to the city."

"Eh, I've been on the move. It's more boring that you'd expect honestly."

That was delightfully vague he thought to himself, Tsugumi wasn't exactly comfortable with offloading onto strangers.

Another pause in turn, trying to think of an agreeable reply just to try and keep the smalltalk going for the sake of bother of them under the watchful eye of the Principal. Also if he could get her to talk more than him the better.

"So, Mizuki-Chan. What's the city like?"

He then leaned in closer, just to make sure no one else could hear.

"And what's the Principal like?"

[Airen]

Lucas Guerrin
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Crystal: Phase 1
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

"Rhea."

While your movements were awkward to an unfortunate extent, it seems that the young woman either doesn't notice the obvious motions, or simply doesn't take any real offense to the fact that you were making a clear, conscious effort to avoid even the tiniest bit of contact with her fingers.

"Rhea Dirlam. First name, Rhea."

Spoken without real emotion, the girl keeps her eyes on you even as she seems to think about what you had said earlier, as if that little comment was something that must be responded to in a very specific sort of way.

"Our members are everywhere, becoming Unions ourselves was only a matter of probability. The world enjoys these sorts of jokes."

Justifying it to herself through what amounted to pure logic, the young woman nevertheless stands up straighter, searching through the pockets of her hood for something that automatically draws your interest purely because of an innate paranoia, even though you knew with absolute certainty that no member of Sleipnir would be foolish enough to brandish a weapon on a train, especially on this train, and...

"It's early. Not eating breakfast makes people irritable, at least according to the doctors, so here..."

Hand emerging from her pocket in a slow, careful way, the item that she had apparently been searching for is revealed to be-!

A half-empty bag of small, round donuts, not powdered, but rather, lightly glazed.

"I bought a bit too many for myself anyway, I overestimated my own appetite at the station."

Showing a hint of emotion for the first time, a (very light) feeling of generosity hidden within that calm voice, the young woman holds the bag out to you not in an expectant manner, but rather...

As if she didn't really mind one way or the other.

[Daiki]

Lucas Guerrin
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Crystal: Phase 1
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)



Lucas considered her for a bit.

If he was to be honest, he would admit that this kind of interaction was better than anything he could have asked for. While he couldn't take for granted Rhea's personality, their short exchange had revealed that she didn't seem to take offense, or notice, about Lucas' particular quirk and distant act. Even the fact that he offered no word of gratitude seemed to have been either forgiven or ignored.

It would have been understandable if she was as socially disabled as himself, however she was comfortable enough to actually speak her mind and help out a stranger.

Himself didn't feel uncomfortable in her presence, an impression that he didn't know what to do with yet. Lucas could still appreciate the quiet air around her. It was the reason he had been able to relax until she fetched for the the bag holding sweet confections in her pocket.

He had tensed at that but it was nothing to be afraid of. Instead of the barrel of a miniature gun, he was currently facing glazed dough.

Forced kindness rubbed Lucas the wrong way. A cunning person could easily manipulate others in order to make them feel indebted to them. For someone who hardly trusted anyone, it was a logical thought. But, he felt no such attempt in that gesture. Nor in her tone. In fact, it was the first time she had allowed a subtle change.

Lucas, who was still trying to calm down from the false alarm, felt like he had to strike back somewhat.

"Are you actually trying to trigger a feeling of obligation, here?" he asked, his voice turning slightly more human, accusatory even.

One he would take when expecting a trap from Hailey.

"Much like you, I have received extensive mental conditioning against all kind of methods of manipulation and torture when I joined Sleipnir."

Lucas forced himself to keep a neutral expression.

"Not once did I give in to earthly desires..."

He had to try hard to suppress himself from looking at the mini-donuts.

"I'm not that cheap."

He still took one.

Fais chier.