It really has been a while... Sorry about that everyone, I've been busy trying to get into a routine not to mention my computer refused to even let me sign on and do anything which was awesome. Sarcasm... Anyways, Chapter 2 is here! This is from Naō's POV similar to how the last one was from Mizuki's. Hopefully the next chapter will come out a little faster.
And here we go!
The feeling of the moon's light forced Naō to open her eyes and sit up in defeat. For the past few hours, ever since Fuyuhiko had basically kicked the lot of them out of the restaurant, she had been tossing and turning in hopes of finding solace in sleep only to find it eluding her. She massaged her forehead with one hand in an attempt to rid herself of an oncoming headache before slipping out of bed and making for the outside world. It was past midnight and almost everyone else on the island was either asleep or minding their own business. While she did have the opportunity to tour the island while all the others were asleep, she chose to remain close to her hut.
She didn't think much of how she looked when she settled herself on the edge of the pool and let her legs dangle in the water. The emotions she had felt back at the meet-and-greet pestered her like a gnat as she let her mind wander. Emotions of concern and uneasiness had been especially prominent by the end of the gathering, but there had been a lightness to it in the beginning. Perhaps the mention of the Killing Games had caused the emotions to darken so suddenly, but she had no way to make sure of it without having to experience the onslaught of emotion once again. "'I was blessed with a gift. It's a gift and a curse. It never ends,'" she muttered.
"A quote from the American musician Dan Fogelberg, if I'm not mistaken," a voice announced from the shadows.
Naō visibly jumped and nearly fell into the water had it not been for her fingers' instinct to cling to the perch beneath her. Her head whipped around to face the shadows, searching through her settling hair for who had spoken. It took her a moment, but she soon made out the outline of a tall muscular figure leaning against the outer wall of a hut. A sigh of relief escaped her at the sight of the darkly clad boy- or rather man, considering how old he was- and let herself relax. "I never would have thought a ninja would know an American musician, much less the lyrics to one of his songs," she commented.
Hattori remained in the shadows but she could tell that he was slightly amused by her words by the faint vibration of emotions she felt from him. He turned his sharp gray eyes to meet her eyes, the gleam in them telling her that he expected her to flinch or look away. Instead, she held his gaze as his lack of emotion shrouded her in a veil of emptiness that she hadn't felt in a long time. Although she may have imagined it, she could swear she saw him crack a smile. "I believe the better question would be why a Japanese born girl such as yourself would know an American musician despite never going outside of Japan," he countered.
A silence fell over them at his logic fell short, but she decided to humor him with an answer. "For your information, Mister Hattori, I'm actually half European so it isn't that odd. Especially when-" Naō's mouth snapped shut on its own, halting her words from being spoken aloud. Especially when my sister loved American music.
He regarded her quietly as she struggled to get the words out. While she appreciated his consideration, she hated the feeling of helplessness as memories of the past, of Shirō, began to bubble to the surface. Eventually, her mouth began to obey her again but it didn't speak what she had originally intended. "Have you ever lost someone and felt such emptiness from their death that you didn't know how to function anymore?"
The normally stoic ninja erupted with resentment and despair so suddenly that Naō shuddered at the sudden arrival of such powerful emotions. Just as quickly as the emotions had appeared, they vanished back under a barrier of self-control. Hattori's face was smooth and emotionless as he moved out of the shadows and into the moonlight where he stared down at her with a steady gaze. The Ultimate Ninja towered over her even more than usual making his presence even more pronounced than it had been before. To her shock, he knelt down near the water's edge and cast his gaze to the smooth surface. "There was a time once, long ago, when I felt that way," he admitted with no more than a whisper. "I would assume that you have felt that way as well, if you are asking such a thing. Or rather," he glanced over at her as he continued, "you are still feeling that way."
It was amazing how observant the man was and how little he managed to reveal about himself. He could tell, even without the gift she had, what she was feeling despite how well she had become at masking her pain. Naō didn't respond aside from pulling her legs from the water and turning to meet the ninja head on. "You'd be surprised how few people actually realize that I feel anything, seeing as I rarely show my own emotions," she giggled half-heartedly.
The ninja's brows knitted together almost to the point of merging with faint wrinkles forming at middle. Without a word, he stood to his full height and turned his back on the girl. For a moment, it looked as though he would leave until he glanced at her over his shoulder. "Hiding one's own feelings for the sakes of others is admirable, but also a painful burden to bear," he whispered so quietly that Naō almost couldn't make out his words. Then, he was gone.
Naō remained seated by the water's edge for a few heartbeats before standing and retiring to her room. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, she could feel it.
It had become the norm for Naō to awaken at the crack of dawn due to her upbringing with her grandfather being a butler, which also meant she was the only one awake or even conscious. Her walk to the hotel restaurant was surprisingly tranquil, the sun just glimpsing over the huts that were their temporary homes and the breeze off the ocean cool against one's skin. It was truly a paradise, if she had ever seen one. Even so, a feeling of dread lurked in the pit of her stomach.
She decided against waiting for the others in the lobby and went straight to the restaurant. What she saw was an honest surprise.
"G'morning! Nice day, idin't it?" Ann Oakley chirped from her seat. The golden haired girl was smiling a toothy grin that highlighted her shockingly blue eyes, making them appear even brighter than before. As she had yesterday, the cowgirl was done up in overalls and a flannel shirt with a pair of heeled cowboy boots that rested on the chair next to her, where her signature hat also sat. Before the girl was a mountain of various dishes that Naō found herself hopelessly unable to depict with words, but the thought of how Ann hoped to eat so much was the first thing that came to mind.
Eventually, she regained her composure and met Ann's smile with her own shy grin. "Good morning, Miss Ann. It is a really nice day today, I hope the sky remains clear throughout the day," she replied politely.
Ann stared at her, face screwing into an odd scowl. "No need for the 'miss', missy." The toothy smile appeared again. "We aren't that different, age wise, so 'Ann' is just fine." The cowgirl tossed an arm over the back of her chair and turned to look Naō over. "Now then, you're…uh… Naomi, right?" she asked hesitantly.
It took the next twenty minutes to correct the cowgirl and get the pronunciation correct, but even after their efforts she continued to pronounce it more like "Nay-O". Eventually, Naō conceded defeat and left the girl to her breakfast. By that time, a few more ultimates had trickled into the restaurant. Hattori took up a position by the window where he could keep an eye out for any trouble; Etsuko was bent over a napkin with a pencil, scribbling furiously and muttering under her breath; Takuma stood as far from others as humanly possible and gazed at the décor of the dining area with fascination; and lastly, Mizuki fiddled with his food as if trying to decide if he had an appetite or not.
Naō ultimately chose to take a seat near Hattori, seeing as how he was the only one she had been acquainted with up until that morning. The ninja gave her a sparing glance then continued his vigil without even a grunt. She didn't let it bother her since the ninja had a tendency to use very few words unless he was interested in a particular topic. Even so, this topic was one he may want to hear.
"Hate to say it, but the emotions in here have become a lot muggier since yesterday." She cast her own glance at the prone man. "Any idea why?"
He briefly met her gaze before glancing around the room with prodding eyes, trying to see through the armor everyone wore to hide their inner thoughts and feelings, then returned his gaze to Naō. "It is odd. Perhaps it was the mentions of the previous 'game' during the introduction that has made them so weary of each other and the conditions they have found themselves in," he said.
She palmed her chin in thought. He wasn't wrong: everyone had become either scared, angry, or sad at the mention of the past Killing Games despite the rousing words spoken by their chaperones. Everyone was on edge, waiting for something to go wrong. Waiting for the next game to begin. However there were a few like Ann Oakley who had remained completely positive despite the implications made. "Perhaps, but who knows for sure, right?" she stated cheerily.
Hattori stared at her before pushing himself off the wall and settled into a seat near her. "Enough with the false cheerfulness, Naō-san. It does not suit you."
A shared glance caused their gazes to meet, then Naō found herself wondering if the emotions she felt were not those of the others, but her own.
"Are the preparations almost ready? I'm tired of waiting for the fun to begin," a sing-song voice sighed in the dark room.
Her partner turned to stare at her and smiled. "Won't be much longer, ma'am. Try to be a little patient; the longer you wait, the more fun you'll wind up having!" the voice assured.
She blinked and growled angrily. "Oh please, I just want them to fall into despair already! Forget patience, I want to see the blood fly like fireworks and their screams to be as loud as those on roller coasters. It really isn't too much to ask, now is it?"
Her partner nodded and began to work even faster than before.
The girl looked at the brightly lit screen before her where rows of pictures revealed to her the people she had been waiting months to meet. "Not much longer now, then the true game can begin!"
Just above the row of picture was a title decorated with an odd red mark.
Project: Resurrection Despair
So... Cliffhangers galore! Sorry 'bout that folks but it wouldn't be fun if there wasn't a little drama.
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Thanks for reading-
Ouka-noir and Jaybirb
