From his section of the near empty fridge, Junpei pulled out the lonely onion and started deftly chopping it. It was still early, but...this he was glad for, since the kitchen was empty. His eyes were watering, badly, washing off lines of his make up and literally exposing the clean white silicon of his cheek. Letting it just happen, he scooped up the chopped onions and dropped them into his stew. Nikujaga. Ground beef, snap peas, carrots, potato, onion...stewed for a long amount of time in order to reduce all ingredients to a convenient softness.

Placing the lid back on the pot, he set the heat to low, and all that was left was to wait for it to finish cooking...around an hour or two, maybe three if the sliced carrot or snap peas were still too hard. The amount of stew...good for a week. Stick the pot into the fridge and take out what he needs, and if it isn't finished by the end of the week, freeze the rest to prevent spoiling. Going to the counter next to the fridge, he quickly prepared some rice into the rice cooker, and let that sit to cook as well.

Sitting down at the table in the kitchen, not too far from the stove with his soup simmering, he pulled his make up case onto the table. Time to get to working fixing up his make up. Two uneven pale streaks down his face, make up washed off of his cheeks. Junpei had skills to quick-fix them with just some concealer, foundation, blended into the make up that hadn't been washed off, some addition forms of make up to add details, dimension. Under ten minutes, glancing into the hand mirror at different angles to his right, he was quite happy with his work.

Now...to wait for Nikujaga...

---

Sinking into the tub of soothingly warm water, the pink skinned girl let out a relaxed sigh, wiggling her toes and feeling the water swish in between and around them. Skin sensitive bubble bath smelling like peaches and cream, handful of soap suds and misty warm water, steam thick in the air...just her usual through bath. Claire had caught an early supper with a certain bestie of hers, eating at that restaurant in town, and now she could have a longer than normal bath. Absent mindedly, the harlequin girl touched a patch of dried, cracking skin on the back of her head...reminding herself to call her doctor mama later, wondering what Ash was doing now.

She took the lead, and so they meandered through the nameless little town, through a couple of streets straight to their destination. As they walked he observed the buildings and 'history & culture' that made up the place. They were rustic in texture, extremely unfamiliar and slightly uncomfortable, that being said it might grow on him in time, even if everything did look more than a little plain. Arriving at their destination, a sign hung high above the door said 'Nanoko's nomnoms!!!'

"...now I'm not really sure if I'm translating that correctly, but right or wrong that is really fucking weird," he thought.

The two entered the store, he was handed a basket, and suddenly Kaori almost seemed to gain some kind of determination. Off they went, blasting through the aisles, she dropped items into both their baskets, vegetables, rice, meat, spice; Kyle had some difficulty keeping up with her. A lot of the stuff she was getting looked pretty decent though, some things were questionable, but he was pretty sure that was a cultural thing and he'd just keep his mouth shut.

"If you see anything you don't like just let me know, okay?"

Well now that she'd given him free reign, well...

"I don't think I could complain, the fact that you're making me food is a miracle in and of itself, the fact that its much better than the cafe food is heavenly, though to be honest..."

He slid the basket into the crook of his elbow and attempted to snag a package in it. It was more than just a little difficult, but he managed to snag the package and present it, a bag of tofu, "I'm honestly not sure how to feel about this."

“I suppose that is true. You can’t really expect friends to go and fall out of the sky in front of you and then venture off in glorious friendship with one another. If it were that easier than well I think a lot of people would be a lot more happy then they are right now.” He explained out loud even though he was more or less thinking about what she had said in his head exploring the sentence as if it was puzzle. The one piece that did not fit though was her comment asking about himself. How was he fairing in the friend department? To be put in the gentlest way possible about as good as a racoon on the highway about to meet his best friend a car wheel. He once had friends but now? Well he had Toke but he wasn't so sure if he could count his dealer as a friend. But he was the only one around Yamaku that Ueda could be completely open with. So one friend.... that wasn't that bad right? A little bit brought down from his own revelations he decided the best course of action in the puzzle that was human interaction was the truth, that usually worked. “I know it might come to a shock for you to believe that such a likable dashing talented person such as myself would have no real friends but that would be closer to the reality. A lot of people know me and I know a lot about most people but in the end I guess I would call them associates more than anything else. For I’m perfectly content wasting away without much human interaction but people one way or another stumble upon me, or maybe they are directed by a friend to come find the strange upperclassman with the cane.” He explained with a shrug. “For apparently as the little boy with the PDA in your grade.... what was his name? Ah yes Fuyuki to go find information. They find me because for one reason or another I’m able to calm the woes of their hearts. So they appreciate me. But freinds? Not really there had to be some give and take there with emotional involvement and well that just doesn't happen. Oh well such is the life of the dying hermit.”

Ueda finished his little story and to his surprise he still did not feel anything it was probably the most he had ever talk to anyone beside Toke about himself in one go and yet he was still as hollow and ambivalent towards the girl as he was everyone else. What caught his attention though was his hand shaking it was a gently tremor but it was a signal as he looked down at it and doing some calculations in his head he figured it was about that time again and so he reached into his coat. Ueda beside his more dangerous drug habits of things a bit more deadly in the short term had a bit of a smoking problem he started back the year or so before he came to Yamaku or was it later? Though in the long run it really did not matter what did matter was that it eased the constant trembling and pain that was accompanied with the slow degenerative process of his body and it helped keep his mind cleared. He knew perfectly well that might just be an excuse of an addict but when you only have a good ten years left you were less worried about the long term side effects of smoking a pack or two. Cursing his trembling hands underneath his breath he took a smoke out from the pack and put it in his mouth and then brought out his lighter from another pocket. Striking once and failing, twice and failing, three times and failing curing his hands as they continued to shake as the broken and degenerative nerve endings were still losing life. Finally though it lit up and soon smoke filled his lungs and he let out a mental sigh of relief as the trembling was dulled by the nicotine if only for a little while. He then realized though that he still had company and he looked at the blind girl in front of him. “I’m being rude again aren't I? You want one?” He asked her with a raised eyebrow. “Though no offense princess but slowly destroying your lungs through a habit that is basically a violation of common sense doesn't really seem like your thing.” His eyes flicked towards the window making sure it was still open. He didn't want the fire alarm to go off or anything. For that would just be problematic at the least.

For once the relentless flow of facts and figures lie still, the clamour of little voices silenced. It wasn't often that his mind was as peaceful as this, as Fuyuki dozed high on his makeshift bed. For an indeterminate amount of time he lay in bliss, unsure of why he was there and totally uncaring; a tree can be a remarkably comfortable place to sleep when you're small enough to lay on a single branch.

In hindsight, falling asleep in plain sight of his quarry was not the greatest of ideas. The first few projectiles sailed past Fuyuki unnoticed, eliciting no more of a reaction than a tired flick flick of one hand, as if he were brushing away a fly. The third however, was better aimed. The sudden thonk to his forehead shattered the soft, muggy pleasure of half-sleep and the next shot hit him dead in the eye. Blinded, half-awake and utterly confused, Fuyuki stood no chance in the face of such a fierce verbal attack and flailed uselessly as he tried to escape. One missed grab was all it took and his small frame tumbled arse over tit out of the tree, hitting every branch on the way to the floor. He wasn't sure how long he lay there, unmoving but probably unbroken, before hauling himself uncertainly to his feet and staggering off. Still blinded in one eye, Fuyuki wasn't even sure where he was going and just blithely walked until he found a wall; 50:50 chance is was either his block, or Matsushita's. It was a risk he would have to take.

He barged through the doors, one arm hanging limp as his vision swam in increasingly murky waters. Marshaling what remained of his mental fortitude, Fuyuki took stock of his injuries, determining that he at least hadn't seriously hurt himself. Half a dozen cuts and bruises, maybe a mild concussion, but that would fade. Most important now was... getting back to... his... room. His meagre physical resources finally ran out and Fuyuki allowed himself to slide down the wall into a sitting position. In a way it was pretty funny; term had only started a few days ago and he had already been thrown down a flight of stairs, ran headlong into someone and now he had fallen out of a goddamn tree. THings couldn't get much worse, right? His gaze wandered up to the notice board on the hallway wall, settling on a notice that made his blood run cold. Room Assignments for Girls Dorm A-07... Aw shit. Even now he was sure he could hear footsteps coming from the nearest stairwell...

Tomo laughed softly when he said that one couldn't expect friends to fall from the sky. She nodded slightly with an amused grin on her delicate features, her fingers slipping over the ivory keys. He always seemed to be so distant, like his mind was in another galaxy. It was puzzling sometimes, but it was also a bit refreshing. If Kyle Parker was like sunshine, Ueda Nobuyuki was like cool water. Perhaps even ocean water, being ever changing and unpredictable. A puzzle indeed.

It was quiet for a moment and the cicadas sang loud and then soft once more, mingling with voice from people outside. "I think you're really your worst critic, Nobuyuki-san," she said in her soft voice, her face angling towards the sunlight from the windows, "You're so far away... Sometimes I wonder where it is you go when you talk." It was not harsh critic but true thought on her part. He was true with her, so she'd be true with him. "Sometimes I wonder if I reached out," she put out her hand, palm faced upward, "if you'd really be there at all... Or that you might just be my own imaginary friend." She smiled softly then, almost apologetically, retracting her hand, fingers curling into her palm. Shaking her dark head slightly, she turn her blank and misty gaze to the piano next to her.

"I wish I could say something to bring you to this moment," she said, but her voice was so warm and gentle it was like it could be swallowed up by the sunny spring day, "To savor something like this." Her eyes closed, dark lashes fanning against her cheeks. "This is better than being alone in a bittersweet tragedy," she murmured in a honeyed tone, "Just being close to someone, if only for a while, seeing every color in their eyes, their face, the way the light touches their skin..." She touched her own cheek before her hand hesitantly fainted back to its position on the cold keys. "Sometimes I want that so much that I feel like I'll break and fall apart," she sighed, "But this..." A smile washed over her, painting her pale features with a rosy kind of porcelain pain. "This is just as precious to me as if I could see," she finally turned her unseeing eyes back onto the upperclassman, "Every feeling, every scent, every sound of this is just as beautiful as if I were really able to see. And it's why I feel more grateful than anyone at getting to share it with you."

She could hear him shake and curse, his breathing waver and then change. Tilting her head and looking confused and a bit alarmed, her fingers tensed on the keys. But the sound of him smoking relaxed her worry. With a relieved sigh, she sat down slowly on the piano seat. The smell of smoke made her grimace slightly, but she just laughed softly. When he asked if she wanted one and called her a princess she scrunched up her nose. "You are right in that I do not smoke," she said, "but I wouldn't say that I'm a princess or that I do not due to logic." She laughed at herself under her breath, before sliding her legs under the piano, white cane resting within her reach. "I do not smoke," she said slowly, tempting her fingers over the piano as she spoke, "because I do not like the feeling it gives me."

The fall looked bad. Fuyuki's arms bent back behind his body and the braches were thick, sturdy things that packed a wallop. Victorian caretakers called those branches Switches, and used them to beat their charges when they'd been naughty. and the boy had fallen through several. They'd broken his fall, at least. Mariko almost felt bad, untill she rememberd the guy had been trying to peep at her. She wrapped the rubber band around her finger and pocketed the last paper bullet. No need to fire any more, the dude had obviously suffered enough. She hadn't really intended to do that. It had been more of a warning shot to establish communications. The guy wasn't moving, was he? Oh god-sama, had she killed a man? No, not a man, a pervert, it wasn't the same, it was self defenc- Oh, there. He moved. Panic over. Now if her heart would stop skyrocketing, that'd be great. She was holding her breath, too. Let that go. And breath in again. She was breathing manually. And her head felt... Okay, her head felt fine. No sudden pressure spikes or anything. Pretty good, in fact.

Breath out.

She turned away from the window, walked to the door, and fished for the button for the lights. There were two buttons here, and she pressed the less used button. And somewhere, the promise went, one of Yamaku's famous 24-hour nursing staff would come running with all their medical know-hows and she'd be able to explain why there was a kid lying on the ground like he'd just tried to climb a tree and why she'd shot at the guy with paper bullets and most likely they would be so wrapped up in just trying to get their head round the sequence of events that the poor kid would bleed out or stroke or whatever sick disease perverts had and die. Good riddance, really. No, she shouldn't think like that, people were still people even if they were perverts. And paedophilic, at her age. Was it pedophillia if you were the same age as the lolicon you were fetishizing? Concentrate, Mariko!

She ran downstairs, taking care to grab the railing. She'd fallen over in this spot one too many times in first year, the last being when she'd been late to an exam, and she'd failed it due to the concussion. Her socks did little to mask her steps as she barrelled down the stairs and round the tight corner and past the suspiciously empty common rooms, The lobby was more packed then usual, with the centre of attention being...

The boy looked worse up close, His shirt had torn sleeves, and his face had torn cheeks. Blood was leaking out his cheeks, and some girl was holding the worst of it with a paper towel. Torn branches and leaves festooned his body like bad bunting. He was wearing a wierd apparatus on his arm, like an oversized smartphone. It hadn't cracked in the fall, thank goodness. It was Fuyuki. The guy in the class over. Mute. He needed the machine to speak. All the androgyny he usually displayed had been swept away by the fall, it seemed. The help ought to be arriving soon, and it wasn't like she knew any first aid, and the boy looked conscious, even though he wasn't moving. Somebody was telling people to move back and give the guy space, and she complied, with the rest of the small crowd.

"Your imaginary friend? That might simplify things... yet I breath, I eat and I sleep. So I think I exist; for no one's imagination would be cruel enough to create me." Ueda replied as he exhaled blowing out small lazy rings of wispy smoke that drifted through the air without a care in the world before being swept away by the spring breeze coming in through the windows scattering the rings as they broke vanishing almost as quickly as they had been formed. Ueda listened as she spoke even though true to her words he was still somewhere else at the same moment. He was on a far off star that could be seen during the night, the kind that would take hundreds of years for his dim reminder of existence to shine back down upon the planet. She talked about feeling, about being in the present, about living has life. To be honest at that very moment she sounded just like well her if a little bit more reserved if Tomo was the gentle spring rain that gave life, she was the summer monsoon the downpours that came and went all within a seeming instant. At that moment he knew he had a choice. She was offering to show him the way across the bridge back to the world of the living, to a land of color and wonder of love and dreams. He had to admit that it was tempting, tempting to exit his world of self-deprecation, to mark the end of his own selfmade exile. But he knew he was just fooling himself and that in the end he knew he was not going to walk across that bridge to go back across would to be forget what happened, forget the exact reasons he acted the way he did. Because in his point even a fragment of the thing called hope was not just something alien to him, it was absolutely terrifying.

"Mizukimura-san if only it was so easy to see the beautiful aspects of this world as easily as you do. If it was so then maybe we could be in a perfect world where everyone feels the immense connections that every living thing has to each other." He mused with a small knowing smile leaning up against the side of the piano in a spot where the sunlight caste down from seemingly making the dust covered black wood shimmer the small motes of light hidden in the dust twinkling about like little stars. "But if you wanted to know there was a time when I might of been able to still see the world as you do. I was here and not in some far distant place. But my dreams turned blue and the one that should me the way back across to the world of the living died and yet I was still here........ But that's just how the story goes." He explained to her with a twinge of sadness in his voice something that was usually hidden beneath his nonsensical mannerism and seemingly all knowing philosophies but that existed just the same.

"But I've talked far too much about myself today Princess and resurfaced things I've done my best to forget..... And so instead I present you with a new question are you just going to sit in front of that beautiful musical instrument or are you going to play it? For your eyes might not tell you much but they tell me well enough and you have the appearance of a little girl in a candy shop. And, in my personal opinion I think it would be an insult to the Piano if you did not indulged in your desires." He explained with a small laugh and it was as if a switch had been flipped and the leak had been plugged and the boy with the cane suddenly showed no signs of the alone and almost remorseful personality that was shown moments ago and he was back to the happy and seemingly distant person that everyone else knew him as.

Tomo smiled softly and shook her head slightly. "Well as long as I'm not taking to ghosts," she gave a tilted grin, brushing dark hair behind her ear. She could hear him blowing rings of smoke and she just sighed in momentary defeat. Was his existence so cruel to him then? He mentioned dying many times, but there were often kids their age and younger who were not expected to live long. Death was terrifying. It was why people hated it so much. To not exist anymore... even she was scared of something so unknown like that. But maybe Ueda had more reasons for being this way. She wasn't him, so maybe she'd never know, but it didn't calm her anxiety of wanting to at least help or comfort him somehow. She of all people knew how much it hurt to feel like your completely alone.

The breeze slipped in and she closed her eyes. It was a cool caress and it was very comforting. It reminded her of home. Opening her eyes, she turned her face to Ueda. He sounded amused when he said he wished he could see things like her and she smirked, almost offended. But it was natural for some people to get a bit well like this. People thought she was a dollish little princess, oh-so-perfect and could-do-no-wrong Tomohina. She knew what people thought of her. But if they thought that they didn't know her at all. She just refused to let them see her cry out the ashes of her heart. No one was allowed to see that dark side of her. No one.

"I won't make you do anything, Nobuyuki-san," she murmured gently, "You can be whoever you like. I'll still see you as my Imaginary Friend." Her voice was warm and kind, like it always was, but for some reason seemed more tender than usual. He could speak nonsense and philosophy, and she'd still want to talk to him. It was just how she was. She'd rather people be strange and truthful, than plastic liars. Tomo found that kind of darkness rather fascinating. He changed the subject quickly, neatly and she smiled. He wanted to forget, so she wouldn't make him remember. He asked her if she was going to play the piano and she ran her fingers over the keys once more, entranced by their silky ivory.

"Well since you are so insistent, my 'loyal subject'," she said a bit dryly, but laughed gently, "If my Imaginary Friend wants me to, I guess I really should, though I'm not nearly as good as you." Her fingers slowly traced over the keys and she closed her eyes, her head arching her neck to the side. The sound of pianos, the feel of them under her fingers, it was closest she had ever gotten to being touched in a loving way. It was just as achingly beautiful as when she was all alone in that cold manor. Her own gilded cage, the music her own way of flying. But she couldn't just be satisfied with playing. Instead she sang. While her natural language made her voice sweet as sugar, in english her voice held a sad kind of brass to it's sweetness. Haunting and enticing, she reveled in the sound of her own voice, floating, flying, free.

She played "Lights" on that dusty piano, arching and aching as if she wished she could feel what the original singer had felt. And maybe in a way she felt how they had. These were her childhood friends, songs of singers she could never see. But her Imaginary Friend could see her. While she didn't show people that dark side of her, her voice always gave away her secret when she sang. It was why she'd sing in other language. To try and hide it the best she could. Because the feeling of absolute and pure freedom when singing was to good to give up.

Out of the corner of his eye, Isamu noticed a boy around his age preparing a meal for himself as he sat down. His hair was a bit long, but it looked pretty good. He definitely couldn't manage hair like that. Just at eye level was his personal limit. Pausing the movie, he found himself oddly entranced by the motions he was going through. Cooking was one of the few things that gave Isamu trouble. He'd never been good at it, and not even because of his ectrodactyly. He could grip knives alright, although the motions weren't as natural as they were for full-hands.

Ha, full-hands. One of the many jokes Isamu made about the people around him in regards to his own condition. "Lobster boy" was actually his own invention. First day of class, two years ago, first person he talked to: "Hey, I'm Isamu Tanaka, but...you can just call me lobster boy." The look on that kid's face....just brilliant. Between his own condition and his father's, Isamu learned early on not to pay any mind to the rest of the world, so long as he was having a good time.

The boy who was cooking was currently chopping an onion. Oh, those were lovely times. However, something made Isamu pause: the tears on his face were....turning his face white? What?! Was....WAS HE A ROBOT?!

No, moron. Obviously he isn't a robot. Still, that's....not something you see every day. I think I know this guy, actually! What's his.... Ooooohhhh, this was gonna get to him! Wracking his memory for a name, Isamu clapped his hands and stood up triumphantly. A....little too triumphantly. While he'd been thinking, the boy went over to the table and started...applying make-up. To his face, which....clearly wasn't real. Huh. That....damn, that sucked. He'd actually seen something like that before, in a documentary. A man whose face had to be surgically removed after mold spores infected his sinuses. In a cruel twist of fate, he'd gotten the surgery so that he could see his grandchildren grow older. The surgery robbed him of his eyes.

Mind racing, Isamu stopped on a useful tidbit of information that the other boy would likely appreciate. "Hey. I've heard chewing gum prevents you from crying when you....you know. Chop onions." That came out uncharacteristically awkward. Hmm. Might be because his conversational partner was clearly in a vulnerable state, what with....his face uncovered. Probably.

Kaori took a good look at the package he was holding. It was tofu, just tofu. There was nothing wrong with it and it was as popular brand. Maybe Americans don't have tofu and he doesn't know what it is? She had to remember that as a foreigner he wouldn't know about certain things in Japan. "It's called tofu, Kairu Senpai. It's a type of bean curd made from soy milk. It's very good for you. It's high in protein, iron, and doesn't have a lot of calories either. It's very common here in Japan too." Before this she hadn't really considered that he might need some things explained to him. It was a nice feeling to be able to help. She looked closely at the package again and she realized something else about it. "Oh I see now! I'm glad you saw that Kairu Senpai, I didn't even notice that it was on sale. I should get two more." She went back to pick up two more packages and placed them in Kyle's basket and headed to the checkout.

Kyle

"It's called tofu, Kairu Senpai. It's a type of bean curd made from soy milk. It's very good for you. It's high in protein, iron, and doesn't have a lot of calories either. It's very common here in Japan too."

He looked at her somewhat incredulously, "I know what it is, but-"

"Oh I see now! I'm glad you saw that Kairu Senpai, I didn't even notice that it was on sale. I should get two more."

Not even hearing a peep, off she went to go grab two more packages, tossing them into his basket and making her way to the checkout counter. "This girl..." he shook his head. He knew what tofu was, but he'd never actually tried it, not really sure he wanted to, but since they were getting it...he might as well; what else could be said? With a shrug he trotted along after her to the checkout counter. He placed the basket on the counter as did Kaori and the cashier started ringing them up. Now finally getting a chance to take a breather he looked around the store, plain, generic, busy body workers and average customers near a not so average school. Something felt off...but everything was normal...right? ...OH damn that's what it was, it was normal, average, ever since the accident people have looked at Kyle strangely without his arm. These people though, they were just doing their own thing, even the cashier, he had to wonder if they were doing it out of respect or because they were used to it. Kyle didn't know and had no way to know.

"Ok, your total today is 8200 yen, cash or credit?" The cashier brought Kyle back to reality. 8200 that was about...$80? Made sense, they did a lot of stuff, looking over at Kaori his face dropped a bit as she started taking money out to pay the cashier.

"I hope you're not seriously thinking you're paying this all by yourself," he reached into his back pocket, flipping open his wallet, pulling out a couple of notes and putting the wallet away. As silly as it might sound, that was one of the first things he learned how to do with one arm and he was proud of himself for it. He had plenty of money too, it was actually pretty easy to convert US dollars to Yen since they basically equaled the same amount, just add two zeroes. He handed her his money, "I agreed to help you carry the food if you cooked it, but I think we can both pay for the food since we're both eating it, right?"

---

"Trader Toke"

In his quiet little corner of the world, he took a long drag from the electronic cigarette in his hand before blowing the nearly sightless vapor out. Clean, cool, no smell...except maybe for the smell of his room, it gave off the impression of someone who...frankly just didn't really give a damn. Oh the tales he could spout out as to why his room smelled such a way, how cruel the world was, life sucked and how Obama is the anti-christ, but why spout out facts that he already knew? The only reason he knew them was because he thought about them, thus learning from them, a goal he aspired to teach to everyone at this pitiful little spot on the face of the planet...but maybe that was just the drugs talking. He couldn't really be bothered, too much effort, not much fun, no payoff, pointless and boring to him. He took a look at his watch...it was nearing that time, the time when his good..well "friend" would be coming by to pick up. If there was one thing he learned about Nobuyuki Ueda, it was that the man was aimlessly wandering all the time, yet like clockwork, managed to stop by every time he needed a fix. That bein said, he had time to kill and thus would kill it with a walk.

Hopping off his bed, he pocketed the e-cigarette and made his way out, making sure to carefully lock his door with the contraption he had set up, something to prevent intrusion. He walked down the stairs and looked to his left, towards the common room, unlike its usual quiet or bustling scene, he instead found one of his classmates, Isamu and someone he didn't recognize staring each other down, the situation looked awkward and Toke couldn't help but smirk bemused by whatever predicament they had found themselves in, and walked away.

His journey took him across the garden pathway, a nice scenic place where the student body to relax and enjoy the great outdoors. His walk was aimless, but that was the whole point of it, it was meant to kill time, little did he expect though, as he crossed towards the athletic wing to find a girl sitting, alone, against the school building; how curious. Small, young looking, possibly a first year, jet black hair, hm... Despite having such a low presence in this place and time, it was for that exact reason that he was able to notice her; she was out of the norm. Then again, saying such a thing in a school meant for the abnormal was just reiterating the point, but she wasn't part of the humdrum activity that was taking place across the way, she was separate and separate was something he could work with. He made his way over to her, he wasn't sure if she noticed him or not, but it wasn't until his shadow loomed over her that she responded.

"And what's a lone raven like yourself doing away from rest of the flock?" He asked quizzically.

Shit, shit, shit! The worst case scenario had happened; not only had Matsushita spotted him, but now Fuyuki couldn't even escape without drawing attention. In typical Yamaku fashion, the nursing staff had swarmed out of the woodwork as soon as the accident was reported and a small crowd had rapidly coalesced around him. Chances were the girl had recognised him, though hopefully she hadn't picked up on his alter ego... yet. He considered waving the nurse away or perhaps playing up the injuries to get himself removed to the nursing wing, anything to escape the area, but doubted that either would work out. The Yamaku medical staff were smart enough to see past a student's blagging and the commotion would likely draw even more attention. Instead he simply sat still, waiting for the nurse to finish first aid and the pounding in his head to die down... it was a long wait. After a good twenty minutes the pain had faded, his suspected concussion no longer an issue. The nurse gave him a stern talking to, lecturing Fuyuki on the dangers of climbing trees; the twigs and leaves lodged in his tattered uniform had given that much away. Finally the crowd dispersed, leaving him and Matsushita alone in the corridor, a heavy silence filling the air between them.

How the hell do I get out of this..? he asked himself forlornly. 'I was just playing in the tree' sounded ridiculous and 'I was trying to have a nap' was just silly. None of the excuses he could think of sounded appropriate, especially in light of the girl's obvious impression that he had been peeping. In that regard he was a bit lucky; at least Matsushita hadn't worked out his identity yet. After gathering his thoughts for a few moments, he decided to come clean. Or at least pretend to... 'Matsushita. I deeply apologise for my indiscretion.' Fuyuki gathered himself up to his full, if rather pitiful, height and bowed as low as he dared. 'I... I was captivated by your charm and wanted a... closer look, but was afraid to approach you.' Bullshit, bullshit, stir it all up, he thought furiously. Selling his dignity like this was painful, but the alternative was far worse. 'I am very sorry... What can I do to make up for this?' Just ask for some shit on Cocksucker-senpai or something, get it over with! In stark contrast to the cold fury he felt inside, Fuyuki put on his best apologetic/shamed/chastised expression, even opening the waterworks just a little. Matshushita would need to be one heartless wench if this didn't soften her response. Fingers crossed she was a normal girl, not a twisted little fucker like himself...

Azusa

The sun shined brightly on the parts of her body that werent covered by the uniform of the school. The wind was blowing gently on her face making it a nice day to stay outside. She was still sitting against one of the school buildings ready to nod of into a deep sleep. Her forehead was a little sweaty from sitting out in the sun the whole he eyes were on the brink of closing as she heared an unfamiliar voice making her immediatly fully awake again.

She raised her head to get a good look at the boy thay was covering the sun from her "O, uu H-hi" she felt scared being so close to the boy he didnt look like he would be someone that would treat her for a drink 'How do I get out of this' She only looked in the corner of her eyes to see if she could just make a run for it but it didnt seem to be that way with her leg like that "I-im just sitting here."

She needed to be carefull with this guy it wasnt smart to let him know that she didnt actually have any friends or was socially weak "My friends have umm club activities. Soo um im waiting for them" She felt bad for lying to him but she couldnt think of anything else to say to him at the moment. She wasnt that good of a liar most of the poeple wouldnt believe her if she lied about something but she didnt want to get bullied today just like at her past schools.

"Trader Toke"

"Oh?" An eyebrow raised, a smirk creeping at the corner of his lip, he observed the terrified child, "Good gods she's shaking worse than a lioness in heat and she's a terrible liar to boot." Possible social anxieties, definitely the nervous type, this should prove interesting.

Toke raised his hands defensively, "Relax little raven, just because I look like a wolf doesn't mean I bite. It does seem, however, that destiny has played its hand this day, coincidentally enough I too am waiting for a friend to get back from club activities." He couldn't really know where Ueda was, the man was so aimless he could very well be in Australia and none would be the wiser, but than again, like clockwork... He gave a polite bow to her, "My name is Tetsuo Kano, may I join you while we wait for our friends?" he was curious as to how fragile she was, a statement like that could very well push her over the edge, but perhaps she'd prove him wrong.

Azusa

A gasp came from her mouth but she could quickly cover her mouth he probably wouldnt notice it since he was busy sitting down knto the ground. The pupils in her eyes darted around and her heartbeat raised a lot higher. 'Why did this have to happen' she was on the brink of having a panic attack occuring to her. She needed to calm down but how could she if there is a punk sitting right next to her. 'What do I do. I cant just leave. And he wouldnt leave till his friend gets here. What if he askes why im at this school or why im so tense at the moment.' A shadow fell on her face as she looked down to her lap "Y-yea sure." She gave a fake smile but not out of happiness only to convince him that she didnt mind letting him sit next to her 'I got to stay strong dont give him any emotions to work on and dont say anything stupid.' How long would it take till his friends arrive.

"Trader Toke"

He deliberately positioned himself near her, but not so close as to scare her off; a distance identifying a close presence, without actually breaking any personal bubbles. As he lowered himself down a short gasp escaped the girl's lips, his smile grew a little broader, she'd make an interesting game. He could say literally anything this girl right now, but if he wanted to succeed at "cracking the code" he needed to remain quiet. Anyone with serious anxiety issues would have a billion questions running in their mind prompting them to run away in fear, stimulating those thoughts with unnecessary questions would only complicate things. Quiet instead, when calm would bread contemplation, reflection and most importantly curiosity. He waited for several moments, savoring the gentle sunlight that beamed down against him, she at least had good taste in spots. Hopefully in the meantime her storm would calm, but after several minutes he finally decided to get a conversation starter going.

Reaching into his coat pocket he produced, the small black pen shaped device, his e-cigarette. He brought the device to his lips and inhaled, the blue light at the end of it shining before pulling it away and exhaling. He needn't speak words until she was ready to do so, he only needed to show action, slow, deliberate, but casual in their movements so as not to startle her. Maybe she would take the bait, or maybe simply Ueda would ruin the moment.

If one by chance walked into the music room at the current moment they would see a strange pair of bedfellows within that in any normal circumstances would probably never meet. The dying washed out drugridden son of an innkeeper and his wife and the prime and proper princess daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the country. Though maybe in a way that showed in some strange way that maybe the founders of Yamaku ideals were not total bullshit, that in the end everyone is the same as one another be they healthy or disabled, rich or poor, broken or whole. So as Tomo played Ueda just stood with his eyes closed listening letting the music paint a picture and if only through the span that it took for it to be finished the picture was real and it lived and breathed and Ueda saw a world that might just be seemingly brighter than the one he was currently stuck within. But like most things the song had to come to an end and Ueda knew it was about time for him to go on having prior obligations to be dealt with. To step outside of that room and enter back into the reality that they were seemingly if only for a little bit exempted from. As the last notes were struck and rung out into the expanse before fading away into silence once more. And for a moment Ueda was tempted to not say anything to extend whatever time he had left before he had to leave but eventually he did speak as he clapped his hands together as vigorous as one would at the end of a great symphony. "And you are the one telling me that I'm my worst critic?" He asked her with a teasing smile. "In my professional opinion it sounded beautiful. I understand that being the prime and proper lady you were most likely told to be modest as the sun shining down upon us. But occasionally taking pride in ones work is not such a bad thing princess." He declared.

Sighing as he straightened up he took his cigarette out of his mouth and dropped it to the floor grinding out the flame with the heel of his shoe. Looking up at the clock it would seem that he was running a bit and he dreaded to think of what trouble Toke had gotten himself up to in the time he was left waiting for him. "Well I'm sorry to have to end our little gathering here but it would seem I'm late for a prior engagement." He turned to leave and began to slowly patter his way out of the room the soft sound of his shoes stepping upon the ground contrasting with the solid thunk of the cane. He dared not to turn back to be tempted to stay any longer then he already had and so he moved to the door but before he did he gave a few last words of advice as he did. "Oh and Mizukimura-san. You should sing more often, I don't know what I saw back there Princess and it took me a moment to put it together but for a moment it seemed I finally got to see the bird free from her gilded cage and soaring through the sky. Happy and free suits you much better princess."

With that Ueda walked out the door with a small wave of hand to the second year and he trotted down and away from the dusty old forgotten music room. The only sound left being the faint echo of his cane as he walked down the hallway. He thought of the girl for a moment longer and chuckled to himself. Tomohina Mizukimura, Second Year, Blind and yet seemingly able to see the world better then him. A princess.... correction a bird stuck in a cage dreaming of the open air. He truly did hope that she found whatever it was that would unlock the cage that encased her.

I really hope that Toke has not gotten himself into any trouble....... Who the hell I'm I kidding?

Mariko's skin crawled. in her minds eye, a billion botfly larvae laid their eggs deep under her epidermis, and a million fresh new lives were happily gorging away at her reservoirs of fat and lipids, quick to turn them into their own selves, writhing under her skin before finally spreading new transparent wings, cutting back through her skin and flying away. That's how it felt when she'd heard that the pervert had been targeting her. She shivered a little as he went on about his motive and reason. It came across as insane. What was he expecting, that she'd forgive him? That's she'd shrug off being stalked for what could've been possibly a YEAR, without even having any shred of privacy or moment to herself. (except in winter when she'd kept the window locked, thank god) Did he even know what he was doing to her? Did he care? Mariko blinked, trying to hold back the sudden increase in moisture. Most unlike her. Maybe she was trying to overcompensate, overacting her emotion so he'd finally notice it. She never cried when she was alone. Not that she didn't feel sad, just that she never needed to act it out when she was alone. So she slapped Fuyuki across the face, turned on her heel and ran back up the stairs. It was appropriate, wasn't it. The mute bastard had it-

The penny dropped halfway up the stairs. Mute. The girl had been mute. And suddenly she'd seen the only other person she'd known was also up a tree spying on her Obviously spying on her.. And you could never tell what he was thinking about, since his freudian slips were letter sized and not word sized. So, the mute were ganging up on her? For what purpose? What had she done against the Mute? Why were they ganging up on her? Had she offended one, who'd gone off crying to their Mute leader? Did the Mute Yakuza have a vendetta against her, so she'd never talk to anyone about the Mute conspiracy? Were there mutes in every organization, secretly pulling strings behind every public figure whose job was to sit at podiums and answer questions with their working mouths? Did Thomas Pynchon accidentally discover the truth and wrote it down in the crying of lot 49? Was that why all his postmodern bullscheiße sold so well despite being madder then a spoon, to discredit the guy? Why was this making an increasing amount of sense? She stopped. Going back to her room was what was expected of her. Mariko was a routine animal. Routine, like a million james bond spy novels were quick to point out, got you killed. So she musn't go back there in a while. Not even to get her papers for Origami club later. She'd need to borrow some while she was there. She needed to see what Fuyuki would do after she slapped the guy. Hadn't he been yelling at her after she'd slapped the guy? He had a bony head, it'd hurt her more. She didn't know what the guy had been complaining about.

Excessive emotion was not something that Fuyuki often had to deal with. His own reactions were somewhat deadened, perhaps due to the barrier his muteness had built between him and others or perhaps he was just borderline sociopathic; that would also explain why he didn't care as much as he should have done when Matsushita's eyes began to glisten. Aside from a slight, very slight, twinge of guilt over the effect his deception was having on her, Fuyuki was quite happy with the girl's response. It was a necessary evil for both of them; she could think of him as a pervert and save face for nearly killing him (and a part of him did rather resent that) and he could get away with a minimal chance of his secret being discovered. Well, there was the mild chance that she may be scarred by the experience but... Well, fuck it, he thought. She had nearly committed manslaughter, so in his eyes Matsushita deserved a bit of payback. And she was clearly feeling it; the girl's expression grew more and more sickened as he continued, eliciting a rather cruel amusement in Fuyuki. Never knew I was a sadi- The thought was interrupted by a sudden impact, throwing Fuyuki to the floor once more. Matsushita had... slapped him? No, no that wasn't a slap. She must have full on punched him in the face.

The excessive emotion he had dealt with earlier was suddenly in the other court as Fuyuki utterly lost it. 'What the duck is wrong with you, you ducking count?' He tried to rage after her as Matsushita fled up the stairs, tapping out a stream of profanities on his PDA. Sadly the effect was marred by the auto-correct software and calm, relaxed voice. 'I was giving you a ducking chance, female dog. Duck it, I have had enough of this shot.' Fuyuki gave her the one finger salute, turned on one heel and marched out of the block. Or would have done; perhaps exacerbated by the slap or the blood pounding in his head, a wave of pain crashed over him and Fuyuki staggered into the wall, trying to fight the lightheadedness. He prayed that Matsushita had gone back to her room; for his sake, this conversation must not continue.

The communicators were in the pipes? The skirting board? Did they employ mice as carrier pigeons? The mute probably didn't trust the telephone system. They'd never be able to get their secret agents inside a place so reliant on sound. Was that why Fuyuki has slumped over next to the doors? Or was all that deaf conspiracy bullscheiße Mariko's fantasy and the boy had just lost consciousness again? Probably the latter. Mariko could never stop a runaway train of thought, but she knew why a train of thought didn't really have wheels and tracks. Was Fuyuki just slumped against the wall because he'd lost a coin? Was he bowing? Why was he still here after Mariko had gone to her room and back? Had he collapsed again? Was she, Mariko, in any position to help? She'd slapped him,wouldn't it come across as hypocritical? Was he on the floor because she slapped him? Mariko was tall, yes, and with long arms comes long muscles, but that much?

Mariko stepped down the stairs, shoes making soft clicks against the floor, and bent close to the boy. "Eto... " She began. "Are you okay. Fuyuki-san...?"