greetings and salutations...and YES...i do realize this is a long chapter...but i am fanatical about details in the stories i either read or write...something i've discovered about myself over the course of penning this fanfic...not too keen on reading stories that are just bones...i like a little meat on dem bones as well...lol...i do not apologize for indulging myself in this respect...to those of you who have sent notes saying you've enjoyed this worded romp thus far...i dedicate this chapter to you as well as to those who faithfully follow this fiction...i hope you dig reading it as much as i did writing it...

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."
-Seneca-

Chapter Twenty-One

The 'Meditation Room' that Shizuru had been assigned upon arrival at the Malibu estate was nothing at ALL like the meditation cells she was accustomed to in the Japanese sense of the word. This was something more akin to a studio apartment than a mere room, lavishly decked out with all the comforts one could wish for. Which was a blessing considering her instructions upon arrival had been nothing more than a perfunctory, make yourself at home and we'll get back with you. Well, a little more than that actually, but the gist of it had been the same.

Miss Merit, the woman who had greeted her at LAX two weeks ago, had talked the entire limo ride from the airport to Malibu, where Shizuru would be staying until such time as the interview with the director was scheduled. The woman had spoken at great length about a great many things, on topics ranging from how the flight out of Japan had been, to the wonderful weather they were now experiencing in southern California, to the best type of sunblock Shizuru should use if she chose to do much walking on the beach. She'd been well versed in the art of making mundane small talk and asking harmless questions, but every query Shizuru had, in turn, levered at the woman concerning the Inner Sacrificio had been deflected by Miss Merit with an apologetic shrug and the noncommittal response of, "All in good time. All in good time. We advocate patience right from the start." Which had proven all too true, since the first two weeks Shizuru experienced in the states were spent patiently waiting. It had been explained to her that the two week grace period that all prospective initiatives to the I. S. were given was to ensure each person had enough time alone to thoroughly weigh and consider their purpose in wanting to contract with the organization.

Upon arrival, Shizuru had been momentarily struck speechless by the size of the place where she would be staying. It turned out that the place in Malibu was an exclusive estate owned by the I.S.'s regional director of the western states, a Mr. Goodwill. Miss Merit had explained that the estate was used as a place for processing incoming candidates as well as a sort of refuge for those already affiliated with the Inner Sacrificio to retire to in times of self meditation and reflection. Shizuru spent those first two weeks in a semi-isolation, dividing most of her time between relaxing in the lavish room or sitting outside on the private patio. Just herself, her inner reflections of the past and present and the spectacular view afforded from her patio atop a small, grassy knoll overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Miss Merit had left a leather bound portfolio with her which included pertinent information about the Inner Sacrificio. She had been instructed to read over the material before reaching her ultimate decision about becoming a new initiate. The woman also left instructions warning Shizuru away from having any contact with the other guests of the estate until such time as she had concluded the interview with the director, Mister Goodwill. This restriction proved no hardship on Shizuru whatsoever, since she wasn't interested in socializing nor conversation with strangers. During the course of her stay, Shizuru had spotted several other guests out walking on the beach alone or sitting in the comfortable deck chairs on the patios opening off of their own private rooms but as instructed, she did not try to engage them in conversation nor did they seem inclined to do the same with her. In fact, the only human contact she had in the entire two weeks she spent at the estate consisted of the periodic conversations she shared with Miss Merit, who made an effort to drop in on her at least every two or three days. The assistant director would show up at various times of the day or night on these unannounced visits and ask Shizuru a series of ransom questions such as, was she finding the food to her satisfaction or was there anything that she needed or wanted while waiting for the scheduled appointment. Shizuru had obligingly supplied her casual answers to the inquires and with a promise to check in on her again later, the woman would vanish, showing up as promised after another few days had passed, ready to continue the series of banal questions and answers. It was a routine that Shizuru fell easily into.

As the days passed and Shizuru began to relax, the girl was surprised to feel some of the stress of the past year loosen its hold over her. Just a small easing of the tension she'd been carrying around for far too long. She actually began to enjoy the time she spent by herself at the estate. No one demanding her attention, no expectations she felt obligated to fulfill. She felt as if for the first time in a very long time, she could actually step out from behind the mask she'd worn for so long...and just...breathe. She'd even asked Miss Merit to bring in some reading material that she'd requested on one of the woman's impromptu visits and had spent many long hours engaged in the simple act of reading. She'd forgotten what it felt like to be at peace enough to immerse herself in the mind, in the words, of someone else. For too long Shizuru Fujino had been trapped inside her own mind with nothing but horrifying nightmares for company. The comforting, familiar pleasure of just reading a book was somewhat liberating.

She also found that walking the isolated stretch of beach just down the hill from the estate was, in itself, a balm to her shattered mind. The ocean breeze combined with the warm California sun double-teamed the stress and anxiety she'd been struggling beneath for the past year, allowing the girl the opportunity to begin the onerous task of sorting through the tangled mess she'd made of her life. The mess she'd made of other peoples lives as well. It wasn't something that could remove the guilt and shame staining her conscious overnight...but it was a beginning.

As Shizuru stood on the private patio of her assigned room, she turned her eyes towards the glorious sunset spread out before her like an artist's living canvas. The reds and oranges of the sun met the black depths of the Pacific Ocean in a muted blur of sky and earth; the light of the day dying dramatically as it sank beneath the placid waters off the coast. A beginning...indeed, she thought to herself with a small smile of hope.

A sudden shadow stole across Shizuru's heart as she gazed out over the ocean. An overwhelming sense of guilt that threatened to sink her buoyant mood as she stood here in this multimillion dollar mansion, watching the beauty of a sunset play out before her. What right do I have to enjoy ANYTHING, when I know that somewhere across the world from me, a heart that I left broken and abandoned is suffering. Suffering because of me. She shut her mind to the mental image of the girl she'd left behind. I've done what I can for...Natsuki. She'll find this to be true...one day, she consoled herself for the thousandth time, the thrill and beauty of the sunset suddenly turning stale and ugly. Closing her eyes, she stood in the cool breeze sweeping in off the ocean, suppressing a shiver as the temperature began to drop along with the setting sun. Her chestnut colored hair was blown back away from her face as a stronger gust pushed up the terraced hill facing the ocean. Standing a moment longer as the wind ran it's ephemeral fingers through her hair, she said a silent prayer; Please let me have made the right decision. Don't let this anguish I am causing myself and Natsuki...be all in vain. She opened her eyes after that quick prayer and turned, leaving the spectacular view to the sea gulls skimming across the white-capped waves, and reentered her room.

Sliding the doors closed behind her upon reentering her quarters, she gave the knob which controlled the blinds covering the glass doors leading out to the patio a quick twist. The wooden blinds whirred and turned slowly, effectively shutting out the view of the setting sun, throwing the room into an amalgam of shadows and muted light. Kicking off the soft shoes she'd worn outside, she padded barefoot over to the lamp on the desk and switched the light on. As Shizuru turned towards the small bathroom in preparations of having herself a nice long shower, her eyes fell upon the portfolio laying beneath a set of keys on the desk. She frowned, running one long, delicate finger down the supple leather of the folder before picking it up and carrying it over to the bed. Folding her legs gracefully beneath her upon the soft, light cotton comforter covering the bed, Shizuru opened the portfolio, her eyes skimming across the familiar pages held within. She'd already been over this material a dozen times since her arrival and yet she couldn't stop herself from perusing it one last time. Inside the expensive looking folder was all the information she would need to know in order to make a well informed decision concerning her desire to seek guidance from the I.S.

The pages contained within broke down in great detail, the organization known as Inner Sacrificio. The first missive was a generic welcome letter stating the name of the organization, a list of Western Affiliates along with several of the directors and assistants names, which to Shizuru's amusement were all names that sounded like something out of an eighteenth century morality tale; Mr. Goodwill, Miss Faith, Mister Credence and so on. Surely these had to be pseudonyms, she chuckled to herself after that first reading. Also included in the dossier was a letter of intent. In it was laid out in naked truth the intent of the I.S. The main goal of the organization was to give shelter and guidance to those EcHOS throughout the world who for some reason or other either could not control the violent stigma associated with the H-12 gene or who needed help in redirection and restructuring. Also, the I.S. made themselves available to any EcHOS family members, who out of desperation, appealed to the centuries old organization for help with out of control EcHOS. If thus invited to step in, the I.S. would intervene on the family's behalf and remand into custody the rogue EcHOS and begin something called a Reverb Detox, which Shizuru surmised was just a polite way of saying forced compliance with the I.S. program. She shuddered at the implications this brought to her mind. But, her situation was different. She was going into this with eyes wide open and in full knowledge of the requirements and limitations which were implied in the dossier.

Also included within the portfolio were several pages containing a brief synopsis of some of the training she could elect to participate in once fully indoctrinated into the organization. She'd found it amusing that the training and instruction offered by the organization were called 'Therapy Sessions'. Regardless of that fact, she'd discovered several categories with intriguing names such as 'The Therapy of the Philosophy of Self', 'The Therapy of Applied Thought', The Therapy of Philanthropic Science' and 'The Therapy of Meditative Combat'. She'd been most interested in the topic of meditative combat and had focused on the sub-therapies under that general header. The few combat therapies she'd skimmed through seemed like nothing more than a refresher course for her. She'd been trained by her aunt, Kagami Kenatsu, since she was old enough to walk. Her aunt had touched on, if not expounded on in greater detail and training, the various fighting techniques laid out in brevity in the dossier. So she was already well versed in many of the sub-therapies offered as examples. The one that caught her eye was 'The Therapy of the Tao Of Negative Ch'i: Fundamental Building Blocks of Expanded Defense'. The short explanation of the training therapy stated that with a union of meditation and application, one could learn to harness the flow of ch'i in order to build body defenses from the Inner Eye. She had no clue what this particular teaching method entailed, but having been brought up with a formal training in all aspects of martial arts, she had been exposed to the practice of ch'i. Before tucking the page back into the pile, Shizuru noticed again, at the bottom of the paper, that only those cleared for this particular Therapy by the attending physician of the western alliance of the I.S. were eligible for enrollment. Definitely something to inquire further into, she noted to herself.

She'd already seen the list of requirements that must be met before acceptance into the Inner Sacrificio would be approved. A few were unconditional while others were optional. Scanning the list again, Shizuru ticked off on her fingers the unconditional requirements, giving her head a firm nod as she agreed to being able to adhere to each one:

1. A one year contract with the Inner Sacrificio of the affiliate alliance and or country must be agreed upon for acceptance into the organization to take effect. This is a nonnegotiable clause and cannot, without stipulation, be broken or extended with a leave of absence. After the one year contract is fulfilled, the active member may then request a release of continuation and return to their previous life with no penalties or restrictions. If, however, said member wishes to continue her or his affiliation with the organization, an additional one year contract will be put into motion and as per stated, will be expected to be completed in full. No signing of consecutive years contracts will be permitted. One year. One contract. One fulfillment.

2. After each one year contract is successfully completed, members of the Inner Sacrificio will gain seniority rankings and privileges which work in conjunction with any and all future signed contracts, enabling said member to accrue status and recognition. This ranking system allows for job placement and advancement within the organization if so desired; covering the managerial perspective as well as all staffing/instructor placements and or security positions. Five full contracts must be fulfilled and written letters of recommendation from no less than three current or past members of the Inner Sacrificio must be submitted in order for a member to be given consideration for a position within the infrastructure of the organization. [See Criteria For Infrastructure Entrance and Decade Advancement Opportunities]

3. All initiates admitted into the Inner Sacrificio must submit to no less than four complete physical examinations per contract year unless otherwise stipulated for training purposes, illness or other physical manifestations. All personal records will be kept on file and classified even after the contract year or consecutive contracts per year have been fulfilled. No exceptions.

4. Correspondence with ties to initiate's lives before being accepted into the organization is not prohibited, per se, but it is highly recommended that dealings of this nature be limited, if not completely disdained until such time as the contract year has been fulfilled. If active members do chose to keep an outside contact, no information whatsoever pertaining to any aspect of the Inner Sacrificio or it's current members or staff will be permitted to be expounded upon in personal missives. Anyone breaking this vow of voluntary silence will be summarily excommunicated from the organization and further admonishments will fall to the jurisdiction of the director of said members affiliated alliance. Penalties and or punishments for blatant abuse or neglect of this clause will be absolute.

5. Any other limitations or requirements that must be met before an accepted member can actively participate in the various Therapies founded upon the dogma of the Inner Sacrificio, will be contingent upon the mandated regulations attributed by the individual Praeceptor [Teacher]. All pertinent information regarding stated requirements or prerequisites for these Therapy Sessions will be supplied on a need to know basis.

6. After completion of the introductory interview, if both parties are in agreement to these unconditional requirements, prospective member will then become an active initiate of the Inner Sacrificio and leave behind for the duration of the one year contract all aspects, obligations and loyalties of their previous lives. For it has been our staunch belief and practice over the ages that one cannot bring anything other than that which is inside their own heart and soul with them into this arena. Outside trappings are a hindrance when it comes to the restructuring and retraining of an EcHOS. Before signing the contract, prospective initiates will renounce even the name they brought in with them, taking for themselves a new name that they shall henceforth be known as until such time as the one year contract is fulfilled.

-Vita turpis ne morti quidem honestae colum relinquit-
A life of shame leaves no room even for an honorable death

There were a few other various paragraphs and disclaimers but the gist of the entire dossier was boiled down to those six requirements. Could a person agree and adhere to those six stipulations in order to be embraced by the Inner Sacrificio? Shizuru Fujino knew that as for herself, the answer was...yes. After much soul searching and thought, she discovered over the course of the two weeks spent waiting for the interview that she COULD agree to and keep faith with all six of these major requirements.

A one year contract; what was a year to her now anyway? Time held no meaning for her. She didn't have anywhere else to go nor was anyone waiting for her return. Out of nowhere the image of two green eyes shadowed in pain materialized in her mind. Oh God! Natsuki! Her heart cried out silently as she tried not to think about what the girl was going through in her own life right now. Stop it Shizuru! She chastised herself harshly. Now is not the time for weakness. Your decision to leave was the only honorable option. The longer you stayed around her the more pain you put her through. You have nothing to offer anyone any longer. So just let it go...let her go. She had to take several deep breaths in order to clear the guilt-ridden shame of being the purveyor of the confused anguish Natsuki was probably going through at this very minute. But what choice had she truly had? It was either stay and continue to cause pain simply by the fact of her very presence or leave and cause pain that would, in time, fade away for the person she loved most in this world.

Fade away, the words rang hollow and ominous in her ears, fade away like the name which I will give up by choice...tomorrow. She'd been defined by the name Fujino her entire life. How would it feel to suddenly shirk the responsibility and weight of a family name which had stigmatized her life thus far? She'd given this question much consideration and had reached the conclusion that she would be more than willing to set aside her family name until such time as she felt emotionally, as well as physically prepared to harness herself to it, once again. She laughed bitterly at the comparison of her family name to a harness. When has it felt like anything other than a harness? She questioned herself angrily. I am the thoroughbred horse shackled to a family name...and my father, my FATHER, the cruel rider who manifests his power over me with ungentle tugs and yanks on the bridle. She fell back onto the bed with a sigh, draping one arm over her eyes. Tomorrow she would give the answer regarding her decision to become an initiate in the Inner Sacrificio. If after the interview with Mister Goodwill, his offer to accept her intent to contract with the organization still remained open, she would no longer be Shizuru Fujino. She would be...?

Now that's a damn fine question Miss Fujino, she scolded herself, a frown drawing her delicately arched brows together in consternation. Relaxing back into the comforts of the soft bed, she let her mind wander freely on this topic. She'd pondered this question periodically throughout the past two weeks, but had STILL reached no conclusive decision as to what name she would take for herself. What did other people in the organization use as their pseudonyms? Surely not everyone chose a name like Miss Merit or Mister Goodwill. There had to be SOME people in the I.S. who didn't think that highly of themselves. And what of the Rogue EcHOS? Were they arbitrarily assigned names or did they have a choice in the matter at all? She couldn't picture someone being hauled in off the streets voluntarily choosing a name like Mister Charity for themselves. Gah! She groaned, pounding one fist against the mattress in agitation. She'd had two weeks to come up with a name for herself and here on the eve before the interview, she still had nothing.

What name indeed! What name would most clearly define who you are? she asked herself sarcastically. What name would a person who only brought pain and suffering to others chose to call herself? Monster? Destroyer of Hope? What about Despondency? Grunting in disgust, Shizuru rolled over onto her side, pulling an overstuffed pillow into her arms, hugging it tightly against her body, tired of thinking about pseudonyms. She didn't care what she was known as...as long as she could find what she needed here. She desperately needed a chance to heal the wounds left inside her from the past year. She clung to the hope fostered by a letter written long years ago by her mother's love, Jiro Chosokabe, that this organization had helped him regain a sense of connection with himself. If the I.S. could grant him peace of mind, if it could restore his lost honor and allow him the opportunity to heal self-inflicted mental wounds, might not it help her as well? The words of her aunt upon leaving Japan rang softly in her mind as Shizuru felt her eyes getting heavy, her lids slowly fluttering closed. Kagami's voice hummed ethereally in her memory as she gave in to the seductive comfort of the bed and drifted off into an uneasy sleep, "There is nothing that you cannot achieve if you are dedicated to achieving it."

Shizuru awoke with a start, barely keeping the scream pushing it's way out of her sleep addled mind from ripping through the room. One hand covering her mouth, she sat up, dislodging the pile of papers she'd been laying on, sending some scattering to the floor. Her body was trembling and she could feel the sweat beginning to cool against her skin as she ran a shaking hand through her disheveled hair, eyes wide in confusion. Where am I? was the thought that momentarily raced through her mind as she glanced wildly around. Recognition was slow in returning as she fought to control her labored breathing. Blinking in the soft light of the desk lamp, she placed one hand over her racing heart, clutching the material of her shirt in a fist. What was this pain in her chest? It felt...almost too real to be merely a dream. Pulling her legs up beneath her, the girl sat up, trying to remember what had caused her to feel such an overwhelming sense of...panic. Had she been dreaming? Perhaps. Her dreams had been nothing short of nightmarish for the past six months, so that was her best guess. And yet, it hadn't felt as if she were dreaming. It had felt...she frowned, trying to put words to a feeling she was not awake enough yet to fully understand. It felt as if her heart had suddenly become encased in ice and then shattered into a million broken pieces. The sense of panic and fear still clung to her body and she shuddered. It took several long minutes to calm her racing heart and recover from the nightmare.

Yawning, she glanced at the nightstand beside the bed, the digital clock reading 3:33 AM. "Baka," she chided herself, dragging her legs across the crumpled pages from the dossier she'd fallen asleep on top of, knowing that she would never be able to go back to sleep before morning. She threw her legs off the side of the bed, sitting up straighter with a one-armed stretch. Pushing her feet into the soft slippers she kept by the bed, Shizuru stood up. A gnawing pang in her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. She'd have to go scrounge up something for herself from the communal kitchen then. Each morning a menu was delivered to the occupants inside the estate and one could chose in advance what meals they would like served to their rooms. If you failed to submit your choices, it was up to you to fend for yourself in the kitchen. Miss Merit had tactfully suggested that it would be easiest to have her food delivered to her room, but if the mood struck her she was always welcome to whip something up in the estate's well stocked kitchen. She grimaced at the thought. Cooking had never been something Shizuru enjoyed. Maybe she could pilfer some fruit or something that did NOT require actual prep time NOR pots and pans.

She tidied up the mess of papers scattered across her bed and on the floor, still wondering at the sense of panic she'd awoken to, before quietly leaving the room. The estate was somberly silent this early in the morning as she padded down the hall toward the kitchen. Not that she'd ever noticed much activity or noise here to begin with. If she hadn't seen with her own eyes several of the other guests, she would have sworn that she was alone here in the huge house. She passed several other doors just like hers, each with a number stenciled on it in a reflective, silver paint. She heard no sounds behind those closed doors as she walked by each one. Four to be exact. The door to her room was number three of the four.

The hall was paneled in a pale, white wood that gave the soft lighting from overhead fixtures a warm caress. The flooring was some type of polished sandstone, a rich creamy color shot through with veins of a deeper tan. Black and white photographs adorned the walls of the hall, all with a nautical theme and presented in expensive silver and black metal frames. One of the photos caught her eye as she moved past, and she paused a moment to study it more closely. She'd singled out this particular photograph several times before on her solitary walkabouts through the house and stopped again to appraise the piece. It was a picture of a piece of strangely shaped driftwood lying on the beach. Nothing spectacular really, just the odd piece of saltwater infused wood lying half-buried in some sand. What had caught Shizuru's attention was the shadow of the person taking the photograph. It lay across half of the driftwood, obscuring the other half in a dark blotch of shadow. A simple phrase was written in beautiful script beneath the photo: "Shadows can only eclipse that which we have yet to discover." She stood mesmerized by the photo and the words for several long minutes before feeling her stomach rumble angrily. Letting out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, Shizuru continued her trek towards the kitchen.

Skirting the edges of the large, sunken den/living room area of the estate, replete with all the amenities of comfort and entertainment, she rounded the corner in the hall and stepped through the arched entrance into the kitchen. The dining area of the kitchen had four round rattan tables placed in front of the glass wall facing out towards the ocean...each with four accompanying dark colored, high backed rattan chairs surrounding the table. There were also bamboo blinds separating the four tables which could be levered up or down individually, depending on whether or not one desired a bit of privacy while dining. All blinds were down at the moment, making each table into it's own semi-private booth. Shizuru had chosen to have all her meals delivered to her room so she had no idea if anyone ever actually came down here to eat. The few times she'd been in the kitchen since arriving, she'd seen no one at these tables. As to whether that was a testament to the low number of people occupying the estate at the moment, or whether everyone here preferred, as she did, to take their meals alone, was anyone's guess.

Thoughts on what she might be able to find to eat that wouldn't require any cooking or cleanup, Shizuru suddenly pulled up quickly as she belatedly realized that one side of the refrigerator's double door was open, the light from inside throwing a weak glow around the floor in front of the fridge. Another guest, or perhaps the chef getting a jump on the morning menus to be prepared later on. Frowning in curiosity, Shizuru leaned slightly to the left as she tried to peer around the open door of the fridge which was obscuring her view of the person standing there. She could hear the contents of the refrigerator being shuffled through; the clinking of jars and the rattling of containers being pushed around as whomever it was pawed through the items inside. Debating on whether or not to simply turn around and return to her room without her snack, a loud growl from her stomach cut through the darkened silence of the room causing Shizuru to blush, certain the person standing in front of the fridge heard the embarrassing noise. Preparing herself for the inevitable confrontation with the other guest, she ran her hands nervously through her hair, knowing she must look a mess with her rumpled clothes and sleep tousled hair. But the person remained oblivious to her presence, his or her attention focused solely on whatever they were searching so diligently for in the refrigerator.

The words of Miss Merit instructing her to have no contact with other guests staying at the estate rose up in her mind, but a combination of curiosity and hunger drove Shizuru to take a tentative step closer, trying to catch a peek at whomever was standing there. As her eyes adjusted to the low output from the fridge light, she saw that the person bent at the waist, rummaging through the vegetable crisper drawers, was female. She was wearing a pair of short shorts and a t-shirt; her feet clad in a cheap pair of red flip-flops that these beach dwelling Americans seemed to favor. Shizuru couldn't tell anything other than that due to the fact that the girl's back was all she was able to see. Deciding on the spur of the moment that she'd just wait until later to come back and snag some fruit, Shizuru made as if to turn around.

At that precise moment the girl in front of the fridge straightened up with a jubilant "Ah-ha!" and with a quick move, preformed a combination of a jump-turn around, pushing the fridge door closed with one hip before spinning around on the balls of her feet, bringing her face to face with a startled Shizuru.

It was only then that the girl became aware of Shizuru, or rather she became aware of the shadow lurking behind the refrigerator door as it shut. Making a strangled sound in the back of her throat, the girl reached up and yanked the headphones she was wearing down around her neck, cursing loudly, "Fuck me running! You scared the shit outt'a me!" Clutching the item she'd removed from the fridge to her chest, she laughed nervously. "How long you been standing there?"

Shizuru gave the flustered girl a quick bow, trying to calm her own startled heart at the girl's loud greeting. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give you such a fright. I was only looking for some fruit. I skipped dinner," she explained sheepishly, embarrassed and a bit irritated to be caught so off guard. "Again, I apologize for intruding." As she turned to leave, she felt the girl's strong fingers lock onto her wrist, halting her departure.

"Hey. It's cool. Sorry I got a bit freaked. Wasn't expecting anyone to be hiding in the shadows of the kitchen like that." She laughed, a high, rich sound followed by a snort. "Anyway, don't rush off. Here." Flicking on the light above the counter, she waved her free hand towards a bowl of fresh fruit. "Try an orange. They're grown in a local orchard owned by one of the Decades. He's an ass, but he does grow some hella tasty fruit." Her voice and inflection was overly exaggerated, vowels strung out and stretched into more syllables than was absolutely necessary, as if she were enjoying the taste of each word she uttered. An accent with a sing-song type of cadence to it; pleasing to the ear, nothing like Shizuru had heard before.

"Thank you so much," Shizuru bowed her thanks and reached for one of the oversized oranges arranged artfully in the basket along with several other types of fruit, taking the opportunity to study the girl standing in front of her. She was tall. Long blonde hair with...purple...highlights streaked through it, pulled up into two pony tails. Her eyes were a sky blue, skin aglow with the obligatory tan obtained beneath a California sun. One ear was full of piercings while the other held only one. What Shizuru had at first taken for shorts were instead a pair of plaid boxers, her shirt a sweat shirt with the sleeves cut off, emblazoned with the name of a sports team that Shizuru didn't recognize. Titans. Must be something American then, she surmised, watching the girl as she tried to open a jar of green olives. Her body was nicely proportioned, well toned and athletic in build. A few years older than me, she judged, peeling the skin from the orange, which came away easily beneath her fingers in a burst of citrus tang. Looking around the pristine kitchen for a garbage container, the girl must have read the questioning glance Shizuru was throwing around the room.

Giving the cabinet door beneath the counter a kick with one foot, she flashed a toothy grin. "Garbage is under there." After directing Shizuru towards the trash, she hopped up on top of the counter, sitting with her legs crossed at the ankles. She gritted her teeth as she tried to pry the lid off of the jar of olives she'd nabbed from the fridge. The vacuum seal made a 'popping' sound as it finally opened. Giving a satisfactory grunt, she dipped two fingers into the jar and removed an oversized green olive. Stuffing it into her mouth, she held the jar out towards Shizuru. "Want one?"

Shizuru smiled, tossing the orange peel into the trash. "No thank you. I think the orange will be satisfactory." Pulling a slice off between two fingers, she brought the fruit to her mouth. It was delicious! Juicy and fresh. She could have swore that she tasted the kiss of the California sun in the tangy-sweet morsel. "Mmmm, you're right. This fruit is wonderful." Whatever or whoever this 'Decade' was grew extremely tasty oranges.

"Yeah," the girl replied, a scowl suddenly darkening her face. "Goddammit!" she swore, pulling the olive out of her mouth and eying it critically. "I HATE these lil pieces of pimento they shove in these things. Just brine infused red jellies. GROSS! I prefer kalamata, but greens are good too...if they aren't stuffed with pimentos." She spit the pimento out into her hand and laid it on the counter top, dipping two fingers back into the jar, fishing for a second olive. As she removed the prize and shoved it into her mouth, Shizuru noticed a small tattoo on the back of the girl's hand. The letters T.C.B and a lightning bolt. The girl must have spotted Shizuru's gaze on her hand because she held it up and out towards her so she could get a better look. "T.C.B. Taking Care of Business. It's Elvis's personal logo." Turning her right leg, she pointed to another tattoo inked on the outside of the calf; this one an image of a pair of gold sunglasses with the words "The King" beneath it. "Got this one too. It's a tat like the glasses Presley wore all the time in the seventies. That dude is like...my idol. Hella cool. Came from a dirt-ass poor southern family but then BAM!" She slammed one palm against the counter making a sound like a gunshot, causing Shizuru to nearly jump our of her skin, before continuing, "Outta nowhere he becomes the SHIT!" Spitting out another of the disgusting red pimentos and lining it up beside the other one, the girl made an irritated sound and threw Shizuru a wide smile. "Jesus. Sorry. I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Tennessee."

Swallowing another piece of the orange, Shizuru opened her mouth to reciprocate the greeting, but paused. She'd been instructed not to mingle with the other guests of the estate. But, not to the exclusion of being rude and refusing a simple introduction, surely. Returning the girl's genuine smile, Shizuru responded, "It's very nice to meet you...Tennessee. I'm..." Here she paused. She didn't know the proper etiquette governing name disclosures, so she chose to ere on the side of caution. "I'm...new." She covered her mouth with one hand and laughed nervously at the absurdity of the situation. Obviously the girl's true name was NOT Tennessee and obviously she herself DID have a name, only, she wasn't sure if she was supposed to share that information or not.

Tennessee's blue eyes widened. "Wow. A new initiate huh? Well, welcome to the I.S. Guess I'll just call ya NOOB, since I'm sure you've been instructed not to tell anyone your real name OR talk to strangers." The girl broke into loud laughter, drumming the heels of her feet against the front of the cabinet door as if sharing a private joke with herself. "Oh man! Goodwill would FREAK if he knew you ran into me tonight." She cocked one eyebrow up at Shizuru's curious expression before asking, "Are you here voluntarily? Or are you a Rogue...like me?"

Trying to remember what exactly a Rogue was, Shizuru opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by a loud snort from the girl on the counter. "Never mind. You got volunteer written all over your innocent looking face. Me, on the other hand...well...my family had me picked up about six months ago. Seems I was walking the razors edge...if you know what I mean. Causing them problems, getting into a bit of trouble now and again. I say fuck that! Nothing but a girl out getting a few kicks. I'm sure I would've gotten bored with that scene soon enough. Anyway, long story short...here I am." She grinned as if that explanation should answer any questions Shizuru might have.

A bit overwhelmed at the girl's straightforward personality as well as the realization that she'd been instructed NOT to mingle with the other guests, Shizuru snagged another orange from the bowl and gave the girl a quick bow. "Well, it was very nice to meet you Miss...Tennessee. I'm afraid I need to make an apology for cutting this conversation off so quickly, but I really must get back to my room and try to get a bit of rest before my interview in the morning. I shall look forward to seeing you again sometime in the future, perhaps."

The girl's blue eyes narrowed, but the smile she flashed was exuberantly cheerful. "Oh yeah. Sure thing Noob. Good luck with your interview. I guess the next time we meet, I'll have to call you something other than NOOB. Ha-ha-ha!" She held a hand up in farewell. "Take it easy. And if ya can't take it easy, take it anyway that you can!" A burst of laughter and Tennessee vaulted easily off the counter onto the floor, tucking the jar of olives under one arm while pulling her headphones back on with the other.

Holding her orange in one hand, Shizuru turned and began making her way out of the kitchen, wondering at the strange girl she'd just met.

"Hey!"

The sound of the girl's voice halted her departure and Shizuru turned back around trying to wipe the impatient frown off her face before facing the girl. "Yes?" she asked politely, wanting nothing so much as to return to the privacy of her room.

"Just a bit of friendly advice. Be sure this is what you want before you sign that contract. I'm not saying this organization is shady or whatever. I mean come on, how else could a chick from the wrong side of Memphis, Tennessee wrangle a week spent in a joint like this? Just...make sure this is what you want. I didn't get a choice and if I could...well...just be sure, yeah? I'd hate for a NOOB to go into this with eyes closed. See ya." And with that cryptic statement, the girl trotted down another hall, leaving Shizuru a bit more nervous about this whole thing than she'd been upon entering the kitchen.