The Velvet Room

A blue haze shown through Souji's eyelids. Slowly blinking his eyes open, he had to squint in order to see in the coolly lit room. Looking to his side through a window, Souji saw faint blue smoke passing by. Beneath him he felt the steady hum of what felt like a car's engine.

'Where am I?'

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," A casual voice greeted, almost as to answer his thoughts.

Souji looked forward to where he heard the voice. He was making out shapes easier now and could see that two figures were in the space with him. One looked like a hunched over, old man with a huge pointed noise and an almost eerie grim that stretched from ear to ear. His stark white hair, which had already reseeded to the back of his head, was brushed back nicely. In contrast to his thinning white hair, his dark eyebrows were thick and long, curling around the tops of his bulging, bloodshot eyes. He was dressed in a well kempt black suit with a white handkerchief sticking from his chest pocket.

The second figure was a lot less unsettling, although still borderline creepy in how silent and unmoving she was. She had light blonde hair and was noticeably younger looking than the man. She wore a blue outfit with a gold trim. Her hands rested on a book she held on her lap.

"Ah… It seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny…" The man across from Souji mused, ending his statement with a short creepy chuckle. "My name is Igor," The man continued, "I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

Souji paid the man little heed and instead looked around. Indeed, the space he seemed to be in was that of some fancy limousine or something along those lines. To his left was what seemed to be a liquor cabinet with variously shaped crystalline bottles and glasses inside. On the ceiling was a curious chandelier that looked more like a neon sign than a ceiling fixture. The man and woman across from him sat in front of a small round table that lay bare.

Noticing Souji's confused expression, Igor spoke, "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those bound by a "contract" may enter." Igor let his words sink in for a moment. "It may be that such a fate awaits you in the near future."

Souji nodded curtly, trying to wrap his head around what Igor was talking about.

"Oh, now then… why don't you introduce yourself?"

The man looked at Souji expectantly. Unsure, Souji carefully opened his mouth, "I… My name is Souji Seta."

"I see…" Igor trailed off as though pondering this very heavily. "Now, let's take a look into your future, shall we?"

Igor stuck his arm out over the table, and with a flick of his fingers a small stack of cards materialized just beneath his hand. Souji widened his eyes in surprise. Seeing this, the old man smirked slightly.

"Do you believe in fortune telling?" Without pause for an answer, Igor flicked his hand again, this time in a twirling motion. Immediately the cards fanned out on the table. Looking back up at Souji the man continued, "Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different…" The man paused to laugh another odd chuckle. "Life itself follows the same principles, doesn't it?"

Souji sat there silently. Not getting a response, the man looked back down at the cards. With a flip of his hand a card turned over revealing its face.

"Hmm…" Igor hummed, "The Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future." Igor looked back up at Souji. "It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent."

Souji gasped quietly, but the man paid him no attention. "The card that indicates the future beyond that is…" With another hand flip, another card turned face up. "The Moon, in the upright position." Igor looked back up at Souji, meeting his blank stare. "This card represents "hesitation" and "mystery"… Very interesting indeed." Taking a quick look back at the cards, Igor summed himself up, "It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you. In the coming days," Igor furthered on, "you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny… if the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost. My duty," Igor explained with gesture towards himself, "is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen."

Looking away from Souji, the man swiped his hand over the table and all the cards disappeared once again. Turning to his left he noticed the woman sitting next to him. "Ah!" He exclaimed, as though just remembering. "I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you. This is Margaret," Igor gestured with his hand towards the woman. "She is a resident of this place, like myself."

"My name is Margaret," The lady reiterated with a curt nod. "I am here to accompany you through your journey."

Igor turned back to Souji. "We shall attend to the details another time. Until then…" Igor trailed with a slight wave, "Farewell."

~O~

"Good thing there's something even I can handle!"

Souji's eyes fluttered open as the radio on the train played the theme music that accompanied the add for some soda brand he had never heard about. Straightening himself, he ran a hand through his pale white hair. Looking out the window to his right, Souji saw the gentle rolling landscape of the countryside.

'Was all that… just some weird dream?'

As if just to further vex him, a vivid image of the old man split his thoughts. Groaning in discomfort, Souji grasped his forehead. The throbbing quickly faded as he felt the train grinding to a halt. Hearing the announcement of their arrival at Inaba, Souji pushed the thought of the old man to the back of his mind and grabbed his traveling bag.

Souji made his way off the train and onto the station's dock. There weren't many people getting on at this stop, and even fewer getting off. Just by standing at the stations entrance for a minute, Souji could understand why. The small town that stretched before him was every bit as rural as you could get. Souji didn't even know there were places like this left in Japan.

'Home, sweet home…'

"Hey! Over here!"

A man's voice called out, as Souji was examining the view. Seeing no one around him, Souji surmised it was meant for him. Walking down the stairs, Souji saw two figures waiting in the parking lot.

"Well," The first figure, who was a middle aged man with light black hair and brown eyes, said, "you're even more handsome in person than in your photo." The man was wearing a light blue button down shirt and a red tie. He held a brown jacket slung over his shoulder.

Souji was slightly unsure of what to make of such a greeting. He tried smiling, but it appeared uneasy.

"Welcome to Inaba," The man greeted, "I'm Ryotaro Dojima, I'll be looking after you." Dojima paused a moment, thinking. "Let's see… I'm your mother's younger brother… and that about sums it up."

Souji bowed in greeting. "It's nice to meet you."

Dojima rubbed the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. "You probably don't remember, but we've met. I've changed your diapers before you know."

Dojima stared at Souji for a moment awkwardly expecting him to say something, but was only greeted with a similar. Neither seeming to know what to say now, Dojima looked down at the second figure, a young girl wearing a white shirt and a brown skirt who was next to him. She had been hiding partially behind his leg, shuffling her feet. "Ah, this here's my daughter." Dojima gently pushed the little girl out from behind him, positioning her between Souji and himself. "Come on , Nanako, introduce yourself to your cousin."

Nanako glanced up at Souji who towered above her. She made a few noises as if thinking of something to say then changing her mind before finally mumbling out only the tail end of the word "hello". Immediately after speaking, Nanako circled back around her father, hiding behind him again.

Dojima laughed, looking backwards at Nanako, "What're you so shy for?" Embarrassed, Nanako slapped his leg playfully. Dojima gave a jestful yelp of pain before laughing again. Nanako, who obviously was not enjoying herself as much groaned uncomfortably.

Dojima looked back up at Souji. "Well then… let's get going. My car's over there."

Responding with a nod, Souji followed after Dojima and Nanako to their car.

'He doesn't know it, but that's probably the best family greeting I've ever gotten…' Souji smirked. 'Perhaps it's my family as a whole that's just awkward in casual family settings.'

~O~

The car ride was uneventful. All three of them sat in silence while Souji looked out the window. All around he saw buildings he was unaccustomed to. Unlike the city and all the metal and concrete it was made of, Inaba was a gentle landscape. Everything seemed so small compared to what he was use to. There was hardly anyone outside either.

As Souji observed he felt the car turn into a lot. Looking, he saw that is was a gas station. Immediately as the car parked, an attendant came rushing out to greet them.

"Hi! Welcome to Moel!"

Souji reclined back in his seat as Dojima and Nanako discussed bathroom arrangements. He felt a tad tired from his trip and found his mind wandering back to the dream he had on the train.

'What was that old man talking about, with… some sort of contract? What could that mean…'

Souji shook himself from his wonderings as he felt the front doors close. Deciding to get some fresh air, Souji opened up his door and stepped outside. As he stood up, he heard Dojima talking to the attendant.

"Are you taking a trip?"

"No," Dojima replied, "We just came to pick him up. He just moved here from the big city."

"The city, huh…?"

Dojima ignored the attendants last statement and glanced over at his car. "Fill up my car while your at it. Regular's fine."

"Right away, sir!" The attendant replied with a nod.

"Good time as any for a smoke," Dojima mumbled as he looked off into the distance. He walked away from his car as he pulled out his lighter from his pocket.

As soon as Dojima had walked away, the attendant turned to Souji. "Are you in high school?" Souji, who had been previously observing his surroundings, was surprised to be addressed suddenly. "Does it surprise a city boy to see how little there is out here?" The attendant asked regardless of not having his first questioned answered. "There's so little to do, I'm sure you'll get bored fast. You'll either be hanging out with your friends or doing part-time jobs." The attendants face lit up after his last sentence. "Speaking of which, we're actually looking for part-time help right now."

Souji watched as the attendant approached closer to him, stretching his arm out to shake his hand. "Give it some thought, why don't you? We don't mind if you're a student." Not thinking much of it, Souji grasped his hand and shook it. A thin smile crossed the attendant's face, which quickly disappeared as realization crossed his features. "Oh! I should get back to work." The attendant quickly ran off to go pump the gas.

Souji watched the attendant run off. Looking back he saw Nanako watching him from over the hood of the car. As he opened his mouth to say something to her, a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over him. His sight went blurry and he stumbled forward a step. As he regained composure, he saw Nanako standing in front of him, a worried expression on her face.

"…Are you ok? Did you get carsick?" Souji blinked a few more times as Nanako looked him over. "You don't look too good.."

Souji played it off with a laugh. "Don't worry Nanako, it was nothing." Souji's words did not match how he felt however. He could feel himself getting shaky as he stood there. "Uh, why don't we get back in the car? I think the attendant's almost done."

Nanako nodded solemnly.

'What's the matter now?' Souji thought as he opened his door and sat down. 'I was fine 'till now. Maybe it was the old man from earlier…' Souji dismissed his thoughts again. 'Nah, Nanako's right… I'm probably just carsick.'

~O~

The sodas hissed as Souji, Dojima and Nanako each opened their respective cans. The three had just sat down for dinner at the small wooden dining table in Dojima's house. As Souji was about to take a sip of his drink, Dojima cleared his throat.

"Let's make a toast." He looked over at Souji and attempted a warm smile. "Welcome to the family."

Souji bowed slightly in response. Satisfied, Dojima looked back at his plate, "Now, let's eat." Souji looked down at his meal. It was a simple pre-prepared meal that looked as though it had been bought earlier. Musing at the casualness of his dining accommodations, Souji realized he was starving. Lifting up his chopsticks, he began to dive into his meal.

"So…," Dojima began, swallowing some noodles, "Your mom and dad are busy as always… They're working overseas was it?"

Souji nodded. "Yeah."

Dojima ate some more before speaking again. "I know it's only for a year, but getting stuck in a place like this because of your parents…" He shook his head, "It's rough being a kid."

Souji smiled sincerely at this. "Oh, I don't mind so much really. I've stayed at my other relatives places before."

Dojima looked slightly relieved. "True, at least you know what to expect. Well, it's just me and Nanako here, so it'll be nice having someone like you around." Dojima smiled. "So long as you're here, you're part of the family so make yourself at home."

Souji smiled and bowed. "Thank you for your kindness."

Dojima gave another short laugh. "Oh c'mon, there's no need to be so formal." Dojima looked over at Nanako who had been watching the two conversing. "Look, you're making Nanako all tense."

Nanako looked startled and looked back down at her plate embarrassed. Dojima, now at a loss for words, decided to also go back to eating. Right as he was about to bite into a piece of chicken, a loud ringing noise came from his pocket. Dojima sighed. "Who's calling at this hour?"

Souji watched as Dojima answered the phone, his face slowly contorting into an annoyed expression. "All right, I'm on my way." Dojima ended the call, sticking his phone into his pocket. "Looks like I made the right choice to skip the booze…" he mumbled under his breath. Turning back to Souji and Nanako, Dojima spoke, "Sorry, but I gotta go take care of some business. Go ahead and eat without me."

Nanako stood up as Dojima crossed to the kitchen table and grabbed his jacket from the back of a chair. "I don't know how late I'll be. Nanako, you help him out, ok?"

Nanako looked down glumly before responding. "…Okay."

Without another word, Dojima crossed to the foyer and opened up the front door. The sound of rainfall could be heard outside. "Nanako!" Dojima yelled from the door, "What did you do with the laundry!"

Nanako looked up, "I already brought it in!"

"…Alright. Well, I'm off."

The door closed, leaving Souji and Nanako alone in the house. They both heard the car start up outside and pull out of the driveway. As the car's noise gradually faded away into the night, Nanako turned on the TV. The screen lit up and the face of a female announcer showed up on the screen.

"-for this week. Next, let's take a look at the hourly breakdown of tomorrow's weather. With storm clouds moving in from the west, expect rain throughout the day tomorrow in most areas."

Nanako looked sadly back at her plate. "…Let's eat."

Souji sat there, sitting across from Nanako. "So," he started, "What does your dad do for a living?"

Nanako swallowed a bit of food. "Oh well uh… he investigates stuff. Like crime scenes. My dad's a detective."

Souji's eyes widened in surprise. "A detective? That's interesting."

Nanako nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. He's busy a lot though."

Souji nodded understandingly. "Do you know what my father does?" He asked.

Nanako looked up at him interested, shaking her head.

"Well, he's on the executive board of this big company you see. It's called the Kirijo Corporation."

Nanako's eyes widened in interest.

"Yep, so they get to travel all over and see cool stuff." Souji smiled. "Three years back they went to France for a year and brought me back some art books. This time, they're in America so I'm not sure what they'll find for me there… maybe a hamburger."

Nanako laughed. "That's cool!"

"Yep, it really is." Souji was glad he could get Nanako's mind off a more depressing topic.

Suddenly, the TV made a cheerful melody and a male announcer's voice came on, "And now for the local news. City council secretary Taro Namatame is under fire for an alleged relationship with a female reporter. His wife, enka ballad sensation Mizuzu Hiiragi, revealed to this station that she will likely pursue damages."

Nanako looked back at Souji. "Souji… if that man was already married… why would he be in a relationship with another woman?"

"Uh…" Souji rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you see…" Souji thought for a moment.

While he was thinking, Nanako had reached for the remote and changed the channel. The screen changed to the picture of a supermarket set ideally on the cape of a dazzling beach.

"At Junes," the overly cheerful commercial speaker said, "every day is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products!" After a brief pause, the closing jingle played: "Every day's great at your Junes!"

Nanako smiled brightly at this and began singing the song to herself. "Every day's great at your Junes!"

"Hey your not half bad, maybe you should sing the song for them." Souji remarked, smiling mostly out of relief that the previous subject was dropped.

Nanako blushed at this. "Oh I'm not that good…" Looking back at Souji she saw that he hadn't even touched his food yet. "…Aren't you going to eat?"

"Oh right." Souji looked back down at his untouched plate. 'This shouldn't be too bad at all,' He thought to himself as he lifted a piece of chicken to his mouth. 'I think I might just be able to survive one year.'