Damn plot bunnies always get ta me, ya know? I try working on other stories then ADD seems to attack my brain.
Thus, a WHOLE new idea comes to me. 'What if...
You'll figure out. But you'll have to waiiiiiiit.
Other than that; chill, and enjoy a fic. God.
The sound of a car pulling up to pick up a passenger before zooming back along its path is what woke Souji up. And instead of seeing the interior of the Bullet Train he was on; he saw... blue. Lots... and lots... of blue. But, if he were to be specific; it's more like a velvety background.
"Ahh... It seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny." called out with a chuckle that entranced Souji. It was almost like a storyteller's: you're always at the edge of your seat hear what he has to say next.
The voice belonged to an elderly looking man wearing a black tuxedo with his hands bridged under his chin for support. His back was hunched over with a protruding nose, pointed ears, and bloodshot eyes that poked out of his skull, almost looking in Souji's very soul.
"My name is Igor. I'm delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter..." Igor smiled. "Only those bound by a contract may enter. Perhaps yours is a fate that will intertwine with such actions?" Igor chuckled again. "Well, why don't you introduce yourself?"
Souji leaned forward, out of the dark seat that he sat in to let Igor get a look at his features.
Souji was a tall man, standing at 6 foot even and had an athletic build leaving him with not that much fat. His eyes and hair were a brilliant shade of silver; the former being slightly slanted upward and the latter longer than most school allow: streaked all the way down to his shoulder blades and the front fringe lightly touching his eyebrows. He also wore a black school jacket that he unbuttoned out of discomfort; III was etched on the collar of his jacket, signifying his 3rd and last year of high school; a white dress shirt that was untucked; black dress slacks; and black loafers.
"My name is Seta Souji. My pleasure to you, as well." he replied curtly.
"Hmhm... yes. Now, let's take a look into your future, shall we?" Igor raised his left hand up high, before swooping over the table in front of him, making cards appear before him. He smiled. "Do you believe in fortune telling? Each reading is done with the same cards; yet each time it is different." A chuckle. "Life itself can be quite the same way, correct?"
He flipped the first card. "Hm... the Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent. While the card following that is..." Another flipped. "The Moon. In the upright position. This card represents 'hesitation' and 'mystery.' Very interesting indeed. It seems at your place of arrival there will be a quick misfortune, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you."
Souji stayed quiet during most of this but decided to speak. "Do you know in any more detail what might happen?"
Igor shook his head. "The cards only have a general meaning. This is as specific as I can be."
Souji sighed and leaned back into his chair.
"In the coming days, you will enter a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your life. If the mystery goes unsolved; your future will be forever lost. My duty is to provide assistance; make sure that does not happen." He waved his hand over the table again, and the cards vanished. "Ah! I've neglected to introduce my assistant to you. This, is Margaret." Igor's left hand left the bridge to present a beautiful platinum blonde haired woman, wearing a dress the same color as the 'Velvet Room.'
"My name is Margaret. I'm here to accompany you in your journey." her introduction was curt; as well.
"We shall attend to the details another time. Until then; farewell." And the room started to dissolve from side-to-side in Souji's vision.
Souji woke up from his nap to see the Bullet Train's interior again. 'Jeez. What the hell was that about?' His thoughts were pulled aside when his phone started ringing for a text message. Frowning, he flipped open the top to read a message from his old Uncle Dojima. 'We're outside Yasoinaba Station; ready for you.'
"All those heading to the Yasoinaba Station please move to the side opposite of the train tracks." the conductor spoke over static intercom.
Noting that meant him; Souji pulled his duffel bag to the other side of the train and slept the rest of the way.
Stepping off the train and through the archway, Souji looked for his old Uncle. Ah! There he was: silver hair ran through the family, after all...
Seeing him for the first time in a decade, Souji wasted no time in shaking Dojima's hand. "Wow, you're more handsome than in your photo. Welcome to Inaba, I'm Ryotaro Dojima. I'll be taking care of you... I'm your mother's younger brother and that about sums it up."
Souji chuckled. "It's been a long time."
Dojima chuckled. "I'll say. I remember when I changed your diapers!"
Dojima looked over his shoulder and saw his little daughter. "Oh, and this here's my daughter." Dojima crouched down to her size with his hand on her head. "C'mon Nanako. Introduce yourself to your cousin."
Nanako looked down at her feet before looking eye-to-eye with Souji. "..'lo." She said quickly before rushing behind her father.
Dojima chuckled. "Why are you so shy?" Nanako blushed and smacked his back. "Ow!" he fake cried before chuckling again. "Well, that's about it. My car is over there: let's go."
Souji nodded.
When Dojima stopped for gas, Souji decided to step out the car for a quick stretch around. Of course he would've gotten past cracking his neck if it weren't for a hand touching his shoulder.
He quickly shrugged it off and glared at the offender, an employee. "Don't touch me."
"Whoa, sorry there. I just needed to get your attention. I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind working here part-time; we need all the help we can get."
Souji rose an eyebrow. "And why would you want the help of a high school student?"
"Oh, this town is so small, you'll probably end up hanging with friends or doing part-time jobs. Give it some thought." The attendant reached her hand out to shake Souji's hand but soon retracted it as she realized Souji wouldn't shake it.
"Oh, I gotta get back to filling your car up. Later." the employee quickly left before Nanako stood next to Souji's tall stature.
She looked up at him. "Are you okay? You look a little carsick."
Souji sighed and shook his head. "Just a little dizzy. I'll be fine as soon as we get home."
"Okay.."
As the car pulled in, and everyone filed out; Dojima opened the sliding door and entered his residence wordlessly, Nanako following the suit.
Souji stopped, however and stared at it. 'I'll be here for a whole year. Might as well make it a good one for my last year at high school...'
Souji stepped inside too, and was greeted by a pleasant sight: sushi filled the table of the living room; and sushi meant a happy Souji.
Setting himself down and grabbing his iced tea, Souji sighed contently. Dojima took his beverage as well and spoke. "I propose a toast. To a great year." Souji rose his drink to that and took a gulp or two before setting it down by his plate filled to the brim with sushi; primarily crab meat.
"So. Your parents are hard at work, huh? They're overseas right?"
"South Korea."
"I know it's only for a year, but it's rough getting stuck in a place like this. It's tough being a kid."
"I'm used to it. Last year it was with my grandparents in Germany. And before that; America."
"Well, it's just me and Nanako here; so it's gonna be fun having someone like you around. So long as you're here, you're family so make yourself at home."
"Oh, Dojima-san, that would be unwise."
Dojima chuckled. "Fine then. So. Let's eat."
Just as Souji reached for his chopsticks, Dojima's cell rang. "Gah... Hang on a second." He stood up and pulled out his phone. "Dojima speaking. Uh-huh... Mm..." A sigh. "Yeah I see... Where is it? ... Hm. Alright I'm on my way." He clipped his phone. "Made a good choice to skip the booze... Sorry, but I got some business to take care of; eat without me. Nanako, you help Souji out, okay?"
Nanako nodded. "Okay..."
Dojima left the house but called from the outside. "Nanako it's raining out! What'd you do with the laundry?"
"I already brought it in!" was the answer.
"I see. Well, I'm off!"
Nanako settled back into her seat and turned on the TV, with the channel on the news. "-for this week. Next, let's get a breakdown of next week's weather."
Nanako looked back at Souji. "Let's eat."
Souji nodded. After five bites, he decided to break the ice. "What does your dad do?"
"Oh, he's a detective." Nanako explained.
The news suddenly blared back to life about an alleged sex scandal of the city council secretary: Taro Namatame.
After the news break, however, a commercial came on about Junes: a raiding scion of grocery chains.
"At Junes, every day is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products!" Then a horribly sung catch phrase followed. "Every day's great at your Junes~!"
Nanako, however, found it lovely and sung it again.
Silence ensued, and the meal was finished.
The dishes were done, and Souji fell asleep in his new room, only to wake up to fog. And tiles for a floor.
"Fucked up." Souji commented to himself. But the only way out was forward.
Walking at a brisk pace was a challenge with all this goddamn fog, and it only got worse when he heard a voice.
"Do you seek the truth?"
That, is what set him into a more jogging pose, wanting to get out as soon as possible. Of course he heard the voice again.
"If it's the truth you desire, come and get it.."
A little bite more jogging and he found him self in front of a square. Of a square. Of a square. That was door. Knowing random doors were never good news, but there was no way around it; Souji pressed the middle square and the door opened.
Fog flooded into the next room and there was person there. Shrouded in the fog, the person's arms clutched close to their chest. "So, you're the one that's following me. Try all you like..."
Souji decided his best bet was to knock the living shit out of this person, so he sent a punch for their face. "Ohoho... so you can still see through the fog..." A kick. "I see, Indeed, you possess an interesting quality." Another kick. "But, you can't take me so easily... If what you seek is 'truth' then you will search even harder to find it..." The person summoned more fog, to which somehow made Souji pass out.
Souji's eyes opened and his smell was greeted with the fresh scent of... BACON. Oh sweet lord, did Souji like bacon...
Quickly putting on his uniform and making sure his hair wasn't a jumbled mess, Souji literally jumped down the stairwell, his feet not touching a step, landed in a three-point stance, and ran over to Nanako.
"Hey, um, is there, uh uh, BACON, around here...?" Souji frantically asked Nanako.
"Uh.. yeah, I'm cooking some right now..." Nanako stated, a bit freaked out.
"GREAT. Thank you."
After an interesting breakfast Nanako showed Souji his way to Yasogami High before heading off to her own school.
On the way, a young second year commandeering a rickety bike warned Souji to look out before effectively crushing his own balls.
Souji looked down the alley and hissed. "Yikes."
Then he left the poor kid to fate and focused on his own. Stopping in front of the gate, he looked up at the structure in front of him and shrugged. 'Not as big as the last one, but that might not be such a bad thing...'
Souji entered the establishment and headed straight for the third floor. 3-1 was his class, Souji would be damned if he was late the first day.
He slid open the screen door garnering all of the seniors' attention to him, along with the homeroom teacher, Mrs. Sofue. "Ah, I was wondering when you might've gotten here. Class! This is a transfer student, hailing from the city. He shall remain with us for the entirety of the school year, so please treat him with respect." She introduced him.
A rowdy senior decided to heckle him a bit. "Ah, he's nothin' but a punk from the city!"
"Tak-!" Mrs. Sofue started but Souji held a hand out in front of her and walked over to the guy.
Souji put his foot and the ridge of his desk and leaned in closely so the people around him could barely hear. "Wanna call me a punk again? There's more than one reason why I got transferred after the school year started."
"And what might that be?" the punk countered.
Souji grinned. "This." He then forced the desk to over by pressing his foot on it, causing the senior to fall as well. As the class was all in a fluster about what just happened, Souji calmly stepped back by his teacher. "You were saying, Mrs. Sofue?"
Mrs. Sofue shook her head. "Like I was saying, treat him with respect; for he shall join the graduates just like you will at the end of the year." Mrs. Sofue scanned the room. "Let's see... ah, there's a seat: next to the window."
Souji followed Mrs. Sofue's hand, and found the empty desk. Closing in on it, he slid in and effectively went into 'silent mode' for the rest of the day.
Even if everyone around him was making comments.
The day rolled by quickly, Souji picking up on where the class is at the moment, and our silver-haired protagonist was prepared to go home. No matter how much he knew learning was important and no matter how many good grades he got on his report card; Souji hated school. Rumors, mostly.
As he was about to reach for the door, an intercom message popped up. "Attention, teachers. There has been an accident; please report to the faculty office at once. All student must be detained from leaving the school until the message of confirmation has been dropped."
Mrs. Sofue looked surprised at this and rushed out of the classroom, effectively beginning rumor central.
'Jesus, will they ever shut up?' Souji thought bitterly. A few minutes of heated discussion later, a signal was given and the classes could freely evacuate the school, as soon as possible.
Souji just finished gathering up his things and left the building as he saw the kid with bike talking with two girls.
Deciding against getting friendly with underclassmen, Souji continued on; until...
"Hey, it's the transfer student!" one of the girls exclaimed.
"Fuck." Souji muttered.
"Hey, you're from the big city, right? Same as Yosuke, over here!" the girl with brown hair asked, and then pointed at the kid with the bike. 'Yosuke' scratched his head.
"I believe you should watch your manners among your senpai; don't you think?" Souji responded, folding his arms across his chest.
"Oh. Sorry... senpai." the brown haired girl apologized. "I'm Satonaka Chie. This is Amagi Yukiko." 'Chie' introduced pointing at the raven-haired girl.
"Umm... hi." Yukiko said nervously.
"And I'm Seta Souji. Now is there anything you need?"
"Umm. I was just wondering if you want to walk home with us, and-"
"No."
"-no?"
"My Uncle Dojima needs me home because he told me last night not to stay out so late." Souji lied.
"Oh.." Chie sighed.
"Later." Souji immediately left the scene before more people started crowding around him. As for where he was going: let's just say he needed to pick up some groceries.
Junes had always been a reliable source of useful, everyday items, like bananas, which Souji liked.
And it was also where Souji found that the TVs they had in stock would not be found everyday... nor at all.
"Jesus, a 60' inch screen? Who need that?" Souji chuckled and leaned against the screen.
However, he stopped laughing as he fell INTO the TV. "Wh-whoa! What the fu--?!"
Souji landed on his back, with a thump. Which hurt. He got up slowly and gripped his head. Then he noticed his surroundings. "Wait a sec... am I in the fucking TV?!" Souji asked no one. "Oh fuck... I'm so.... FUCKED!"
"Well... like in the dream... nowhere to go but forward..." That didn't make it any easier; though.
Walking along a path, he stumbled into what looked like an... apartment room. "Well... this isn't good."
That's when he heard a chuckling. "No it is not..." Souji turned around to the source and froze.
He saw him... only it wasn't him.
"Surprised to see me?" the other him asked.
"Well, I don't think every day I run into myself.." Souji commented.
The other chuckled again. "But you know what you do run into, right? Relationships... friends... for what? So that you can crush their heart, and make them feel horrible?"
"I wouldn't say I did it on purpose. I leave because I have to leave. I try to distance myself so others won't miss me."
"Ahh, yes. You don't give a damn about the world, do you? You hate it how every time your parent don't even give a fuck about wherever you're staying?" the Souji seemed to be enjoying this.
"Yeah, actually. If they just would listen to me one fucking time, maybe I'd get somewhere."
That's when the other Souji seemed weird. "You mean... you're embracing me."
Souji looked skeptical. "No. I fucking hate your guts. But, what all you say is true. I fucking hate being left alone, even if it's for my own good."
"We-he-hell... looks like the fucked just became the fucker."
"And that means?"
"Lift up your hand."
Souji did so, only because of the other him's change in attitude. However, he was sufficiently shocked with what happened. His doppleganger disappeared for a split-second before reappearing as a samurai in front of him.
"I, am Yoshitsune. You and I shall walk this path of strife, and torment. However, the rewards will be great; and I shall join you on your great journey." He said, before turning into a card and landing in Souji's hand.
Of course Souji would have thought more of this, but a claw literally came out of nowhere and scratched his left eye. "MOTHERFUCKER!" Souji grabbed his eye and looked at the offender: a blob a black goo that had two arms protruding out like claws.
'Summon me, master.' Souji heard Yoshitsune from within his mind.
Souji looked at the card one more time. And said a word that would change his time in Inaba... forever. "Per...so....na."
Epic cliffhanger, as always, because let's face it: those words nearly MAKE you want to stop.
As for Yoshitsune and not Inzanagi, well, you'll figure out eventually.
So, tell me what you think: and be honest.
You know what to do.
Read, Rave, Review.
Ja ne~!
Jharoz