Tales Past Twilight
Series of mysteries regarding the supernatural, solved by the Zweilts.
. . .
Tale 1
Photographic Girl
* Yuki knows how terrible the number 3 can be, especially in a photo. Still, it was only superstition until Anzu shot her picture and the person in the middle of the three students is absorbed into the camera while Yuki watches in horror. *
It's easy to tell when Hotsuma is angry because Yuki can feel the vibrations of slammed doors throughout the mansion. And he's within the dinning room no less, preparing the table for dinner. When the door feeds its reverberations through the boy, he stops and balances a tremulous bowl of soup in his hands, relaxing as the world stills once more. "I wonder why Hotsuma is upset?" he wonders out loud.
Tooko, rubbing her ears frustratedly, replies, "I'll ask for you, Yuki, because here the noisy, little bugger comes now."
A second after she closes her mouth, the double doors slam open and Hotsuma stomps into the room. His face is red not from embarrassment, but from fury.
Yuki sets the bowl down before speaking. "What's the matter, Hotsuma?"
"It's his fault," he growls. "Why'd you have to find someone that stubborn?"
"'Find someone?'" echoes Yuki uncertainly. "'Stubborn?'"
"It's that stupid Duras! All I need is one favor and he's too far up his own ego to help me!"
"Quit yelling, you moron," Tooko chides, "and what's your problem, anyway?"
"It's our class assignment," Hotsuma answers broadly, but Yuki picks up immediately.
"Ah, it's a documentary project for our Research Class. We're supposed to document anything we deem important or interesting and present it to the class Friday. Did you want to videotape Luka?"
"No, he's boring. But, I want him to take this camera, go to Infernus, and video all the weird and gross demons over there! Sure most humans won't believe they're really demons, but maybe Sensei'll think I took the extra mile with design and special effects - or whatever. I need a good grade, else I can't play sports, Yuki."
"Fighting Duras is enough for you," Tooko says with a sly smirk. "Why sports?"
"Whatever, ya hypocrite - your brother plays tennis, so I'm gonna play a sport too."
"That's true. But he has a higher attendance and better grades than you, not to mention his positive attitude and multitude of friends - "
Hotsuma makes a loud noise of disgust. "You're gushin' about him again. Can't you not ruin my appetite before I even ate yet?"
"Knock it off, both of you. It's dinnertime."
Yuki exhales when Kuroto and Senshirou enter the room. And like that, tensions plummet to more manageable levels. Senshirou tasks himself to assist Yuki. Before long, everyone is seated and eating (besides Luka who leans on the wall closest to Yuki).
Halfway through dinner, Hotsuma taps Yuki's shoulder. "What're you doing again? Y'know, the documentary."
"I haven't decided yet," Yuki says after a moment's pause, trying to get from out his head and into reality. "There's been so much going on."
Hotsuma starts smiling. Yuki gets a suspicion he may have walked into a trap. "Good. We can be partners!"
"Partners? I don't think we can have - "
"Nonsense. You, me, and Luka - to Infernus for footage. You'll get an A and you won't have to stress about getting bad grades or your video topic! Or what about the fact stress makes you more likely to have a heart attack? That's why if we work together, we can do this!"
Yuki frowns. What are you planning, Hotsuma? This doesn't sound like you...
"Hey," Tsukumo interrupts, voice soft. "Isn't that a dangerous place for Yuki? That may not be a good idea."
"I know," Hotsuma replies sharply. "We won't be going there. Luka would be! We'll just edit the footage later."
"Um, I don't know." Yuki looks over his shoulder to watch Luka. The Duras was glaring at Hotsuma with cold eyes, but now he softens his expression to look at Yuki.
"Why do I feel like you're trying to manipulate Yuki into your scheme," Kuroto grumbles over his cup of smoking tea.
"I ain't manipulating no one! It's an offer! An offer from a considerate classmate to another!"
Hotsuma's partner, Shuusei, leans back in his chair to observe his comrade. "There are wonders in this world that can work. Why only Infernus?"
"Why not? This world is stupid and boring. Infernus is stupid, but it certainly ain't boring - that place must be crawling in strange and weird crap! Humans nowadays are too tame and afraid to break routine."
"Then how about making the documentary on things that are not humans such as animals?"
"And bore me to death editing it? No way."
Yuki, on the other hand, looks away in thought, mind roaming about topics that do not include humans. He thinks about endangered species or extinct species, but the one thing that catches his attention most is memory.
What makes a person who they are? Their memories, Yuki assumes. Without limbs or senses, the person is still themself, just with a set of different skills. Without being able to recall their past experiences, people are not themselves. They do not respond to the call of their name or the things they once loved.
Yuki starts to think of all his forgotten memories and a heaviness start to weigh his heart. Is it right for them all to see him as their Yuki of the past? Aren't they two, completely different people? So, they shouldn't...
He is jerked from his thoughts with a firm clasp on his shoulder. With a jolt, he looks to the arm connecting the fingers, then the person the arm connects to. Silver eyes watch him under dark hair and furrowed brows.
"I'm fine," Yuki quickly blurts before Luka can worry about him. "I-I'm just really pessimistic sometimes, you know. It's a bad habit..." He forces himself to laugh and smile and is unsurprised Luka is not convinced. But the Duras respects his privacy and backs away.
At the end of the night, Yuki and Hotsuma manage to convince Luka to film some of the stuff in Infernus. With a quick tutorial of how to work a camera, Luka leaves.
Yuki still has his camera while Hotsuma sighs and starts to play video games. Perhaps he may tape some things having to do with memory.
.
.
To others, the documentary is as easy as breathing. Freshman journalist Anzu Mashiba thinks of her trusty camera as a sword, powerful and as an extension of her nosy nature.
Just before heading to school, Anzu always grabs her camera. It's a little old, but it's still good for one more time.
Her documentary takes place at school, highlighting all the eccentric and mysterious students. The first thing she does is record a grumpy blond boy in her class.
"And here we have the wild Hotsuma Renjou," she narrates. "His fury extends to everyone man, woman, and child. He's also dumb and unreliable - what a champ."
Hotsuma, who was sleeping, sits up and glares at the pigtailed girl. "Knock it off! Whydda talkin' about?"
"The beast is awake! All hell's broken loose!" Anzu playfully skips away, Hotsuma shouting after her.
There are plenty of strange people in my class. What about him?
She sets her sights on a boy looking out the window with a melancholy look. "Ah, the mysterious transfer student. Has connections to several students in Izumimari as well as a mysterious - dare I say attractive - individual every so often. Despite being a cliche, this boy is sweet and adorable, not cold. Could that sugary-sweet smile be a facade? Yuki Giou could be the most enigmatic student yet..."
Yuki blinks into reality when he hears his name. Though, looking around, most mind their own business while a girl with a camera scampers out the room.
.
.
"Please use this time to edit your documentaries."
Hotsuma flips open an ancient-looking computer that, while startling modern people, feels natural. He prefers this over touch screen laptops. He downloads the film on the chip and watches it load into the screen.
Luka, you didn't let me down! He chuckles evily.
The Duras managed to nab some pretty amazing footage. He aimed with a steady hand despite the camera being handheld. He got shots of amazing-looking creatures and monsters, got shots of dismal backgrounds, and got the occasional shot of Duras going about their day in Infernus.
Eventually he attracts the attention of his classmates who gawk in amazement of his footage.
"Wow, the special effects look so real!"
"What creativity..."
"I think Hotsuma has found something he's good at."
Oh yes, thinks Hotsuma evily, solid A at this rate.
Anzu pokes her head through the crowd at looks at the footage as well. Her stomach lurches at the amount of effort made to each shot, even if the documentary's story is a little unclear.
Anzu feels cheated.
Photography and film is her area of expertise, one she spent many years and a day on. She's being upstaged by a boy with sudden film prowess. Her documentary about strange students could never compare to his masterpiece.
She sulks back into her seat. Dang it, Anzu. How are you gonna beat that?!
"Um, Anzu?"
She looks to the soft voice her called her name: the transfer student.
"Are you okay? You're never gloomy."
"Thanks for asking, Yuki. Yup, I am definitely gloomy. Your friend's a god at this crap! What am I supposed to do?!"
"...sorry. If you feel better, I'm not doing something as grandiose as his. I'm making a documentary over memories."
"Memories? That's..." Anzu frowns up in thought. "Why that?"
He smiles. "No real important reason..."
Anzu narrows her eyes. You're a reeaal cookie, eh, Giou? "Good luck on that. I need to find a way to make my documentary the best."
"I know you'll do amazing. You're the head journalist, after all," says the boy sincerely.
He's right. I will do anything to beat Hotsuma!
Anzu starts to laugh. It starts out slightly strange before descending to comic book villains levels of laughter.
"Is she okay?"
"Probably."
Tale 1, Part 1
Photographic Girl