[IC] Demon Daydreams and Schemes

[Genkai]

There is a common myth that parents tell their young children...if children behave by listening to their parents and teachers, looking both ways before crossing the street, saying please and thank you, eating all their vegetables, doing their chores and by being nice to others, good things will happen to them. They might find treats or treasures left by spirits. But if children misbehave by not looking when crossing the street, talking back to adults, throwing a fit or staying out at night then bad things will happen to them. They'll be more clumsy and might even get sick. But the worst offenders who are caught outside after dark will find themselves in very deep trouble. A dangerous and frightening demon will hunt naughty kids down and feast upon their souls. This demon is nearly six stories high, carrying a large spiked wooden bat, and is covered in red leathery skin, wearing nothing but a small towel. His horns gleam in the moonlight and his fangs show signs of having chewed upon the many bones of naughty children. If you come face to face with this nightmare, just run and avoid him and his minions. And pray that you are not caught.

Chapter One - Demonic Demands

Friday April 15'th 2016

7:32 PM

Mount Wildwood

The blissful blanket of orange and magenta which had settled over Mount Wildwood had now faded away as everyone was beginning to pack up, back at camp. Tamago had spotted a wooden box by the river as everyone was finishing up at the river. Upon closer inspection, the box didn't contain any dismembered body parts or some cash or even drugs. The box had several dusty but somehow modern looking watches instead. Tamago had been the first to try one on and found that there were creatures all around them that could only be viewed through the watch's special scope. Natazume had then suggested they venture over to Timers & More and see if the owner could make heads or tails of their discovery. "Maybe this find will be worth some cash." Tamago eagerly hypothesized as they came back the camp just as night had settled in.

Of course he would rather they eat first and then go over to Blossom Heights but he was sure the stores would be closing up soon and that if they were going to find anything out, they had to hurry. Tamago looked around at his friend, pretty happy that they were all able to spend some time before their last long semester of school. Everyone was about to graduate and he knew it would be even harder to find free time for them all to hang out. He knew most of them would still stick around Springdale but he also worried that once college was over, some of them would end up leaving their humble city and never look back. Tugging on his grey long sleeve shirt, he crouched down and began to roll up his sleeping bag. As much as he liked bugs, he didn't want to snuggle up with them at night.

Natazume glanced around and brushed her long dark brown hair out of her face. To her, the watches were some kind of child's toy. Even though she had tested it on the way back to camp, she wasn't yet convinced of their purpose or practicality. She let out a sigh as everyone began to pack up even though their trip into the south part of Springdale would only take twenty or thirty minutes. Still, she wasn't going to sway the group to forget about the watches since she was curious too, as to what they were and why they were found in such a random location. As everyone was either packing up or collecting their things to set aside in a safe hidden area, the temperature began to drop. The once humid mountain began to grow very cold at an alarming rate.

"Could there be a storm coming in...?" Natazume wondered as she stood up and leaned her neck back to look at the sky. It was dark and there were no clouds in sight. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach as she walked over to Kazumi and Saki. "Do either of you feel...uneasy all of a sudden?" She asked them quietly. The seven of them had all grown up together ever since they attended Lil Buds. Since then their class has stayed together. This has allowed for a firm since of loyalty but it also ensured that secrets and bad habits were tricky to form. Natazume was pretty close to everyone in the group but it was easier to say she considered Kazumi and Saki to be her best friends. She let out a sigh and noticed she could now see her breathe.

Slowly a red and white mist began to creep into the campsite and Tamago grabbed his green hooded sweatshirt and began to zip it up. "So we're gonna meet at Timers & More?" He double checked, wanting everyone to be on the same page. Some of them drove together, others rode via bike or cab and he wanted to be sure no one got left behind. As everyone confirms the plan, there's a sudden THUD THUD THUD THUD and the trees begin to tremble. The watches on everyone's wrists begin to blink red and the dial spins round and round, not able to pin point where the danger is coming from. "Holy shit...please tell me that's not real." He breathed and took a few steps back as he looked at a large red demon who was now standing between them and their only exit.

The woman who thrived on knowledge couldn't believe it either. Her heart stopped briefly. "If this is a...a demon like from those stories our parents told us...I think we better run. Now." She said as she grabbed her backpack and threw it over her right shoulder. The demon raised its spiky wooden club and slammed it down in the middle of their campsite with a fearsome growl. It left a shallow crater that was only a foot in diameter but it was enough to prove its point. This was real and very deadly. Natazume ran around it as it stood up ready to strike down once again. The woman sprinted along the only road leading to the Shrine which would then lead them down the mountain. Her heart was racing as the cold mist continued to follow the group.

"Just keep running!" Tamago yelled as the demon continued to pursue them as they finally made it to the first checkpoint: the shrine. "I hope those guys have insurance!" He commented as he kept on running, keeping near the back part of the group as they began to run down the series of stone steps which would eventually take them back to the nearby parking lot. He tried to wonder what sort of horrible thing he had done to provoke the demon's wrath but nothing was coming to mind. He let out a groan as his chest was beginning to ache. He needed a break. He loved running but not when there was something chasing them. He saw the others not far ahead but he didn't dare look over his shoulder. "How long...is he gonna...chase us?" He panted.

After five minutes of sprinting to the mountain, the parking lot was coming into sight. Behind Natazume, she heard a loud crash which sounded like trees being hit and she hoped her friends were alright. Luckily they had two cars and once everyone was inside, they bolted for the freeway which could take them over to Blossom Heights. They crossed over and drove all the way down to where Times & More was. They found parking by the Everymart close by and once they got out, they realized the chill in the air, the mist, and most importantly, the oni were gone. Natazume braced herself against the car and tried to calm down. "What...just happened?" She panted heavily and put a hand to her chest.

Tamago ran a hand through his short choppy hair and gave a shrug and a bit of a nervous laugh. "Beat's the hell out of me." He commented.

"Is anyone hurt?" Natazume asked the group, figuring that was a more pressing question.

It seemed everyone was alright, some of the group had bits of wood and debris but nothing damaging. Natazume had to consider them pretty lucky at the moment since from what she could tell, the creature had been pretty hellbent on actually striking them down. She finally collected herself and shoved her hands into her jean pockets. "Looks like we better hurry and see if Timers & More is still open." She said. She didn't want their sprint to have been for nothing. Tamago looked at everyone and gave a nod, locking his hands together behind his head as they walked over to where Timers & More was located. Much to everyone's relief, the store wasn't closed yet.

"Sorry to bother you but we wondered if you know anything about these?" Tamago spoke up as everyone held up the watch attached to their respective wrists. "And do you know anything about some red demon in need of pants and anger management..."

The old man introduced himself as Mortimer Goodsight. He had bushy grey hair and looked to be only four feet tall. He had on thick glasses and seemed rather harmless. "Oh ho! You lot of found my old stash of Spirit Watches. And it seems you ran into Gargaros too? You lot have had one eventful evening, I must say!" Mortimer chuckled.

"Sorry...Spirit Watches?" Natazume inquired, not pleased with the lack of explanation.

"Yes, those detect spirits or demons, you can call them whichever you like." He replied. "Anyway, those can let you see spirits all around you and you can even befriend them."

"Why would we wanna do that?" Tamago asked.

"Why?!" Mortimer blurted out, clearly baffled as to why the group of college students would be so uninformed and without a sense of adventure. "Because they can help you! And let's just say some spirits will pester you until you befriend them. They must get lonely being invisible..." He said thoughtfully and gave a sigh. "Not all spirits are good of course, some are outright evil and love to create chaos. If you befriend the right spirits, you can use them to fight against ones who are giving you trouble." He said with a smirk. "They're much better than any old dog or cat, let me tell you..."

Natazume looked to the others, pretty sure the old man had lost his mind. Tamago on the other hand, seemed pretty interested to know more about the watch and any stories Mr. Goodsight had to offer. "So you used to befriend these demons?" He asked the old man behind the counter.

"Oh yes, in my youth I had befriended nearly all 200...but now I only retain a few." He sighed and fished out a tin box and opened it. He pulled out a metal coin and grabbed Tamago's wrist and inserted the coin into the watch, it fitting on the face of the colorful dial. "Come on out Whisper and introduce yourself." He said. The watch began to spin and out came a white creature who looked semi-transparent. It had a large goofy looking face and floated around and looked at the new gang of young adults. "Whisper, I've found you some new friends for you to show the ropes to." Mr. Goodsight explained. "Everyone, this is Whisper, he's a spirit who is pretty ordinary but he makes up for it in his knowledge of information and you will all greatly benefit from his assistance."

The white wisp of a demon let out a hearty airy laugh. "Consider me your demon butler, able to direct and guide you along your journey." Whisper said and held out its hand to reveal seven matching coins with his face and name on it. "Whenever you need me, you can summon me using these. And any other demon you befriend will give you their own coins." He explained.

Taking a coin, the long haired woman found herself feeling rather dizzy. Now she couldn't deny it any longer and went to go sit on one of the blue couches off to the side. "This is a lot to take in." She muttered and looked around the shop. It was mostly made of wood. A lot of fancy watches were on display in the counter and there were other older clocks hanging on the walls. The workshop was off in the back but it was separated by a sliding paper door. There was a small single use toilet for the public and Natazume wondered if she'd need it go throw up at any moment. "I know there are spirits but I never...I never paid the stories much thought..."

Tamago grabbed his coin and looked at Whisper, very intrigued. He stuck his arm out and waved it through the spirit who remained untouched. "Very cool." He smiled. "My name is Tamago." He introduced himself to Whisper. "And that's Natazume..."

"She looks paled than me!" Whisper laughed. "But you're all welcome to ask us any questions you'd like."

"Make it quick, I'm closing up soon and gotta make it home in time for my shows." Mortimer said.

"But you live right upstairs." Whisper pointed out.

[Frenetic Raptor]

Was the chase finally over? Had they successfully made their great escape from the unrelenting Oni in hot pursuit? Kazumi scrambled out of the parked car, her furiously beating heart seeking resolve. Deepening breathes were soon to ease her frantic mind as familiarity returned to its natural state once more. All the signs appeared to shift in the group’s favor, but who knew when or where they would meet their newly acquired assailant. Kazumi let her worried eyes roam in the direction of the darkened landscape they quickly left behind. There was no way she could explain what really happened up on Mount Wildwood; not when everything she had experienced blurred the lines of reality.

Concerned words drew her wary eyes towards Natazume. “Thankfully… I’m fine. I did bring a little piece of the forest with me though.” Kazumi took to tending the leaves and twigs that clung to her red hair, and anywhere else upon her casual attire.

With the group in agreement, Kazumi tagged along to Timers & More. There had to be a logical story behind these peculiar little watches and the creatures they revealed. Once inside, Kazumi kept her ears open while she listened to the old man's revealing words. To believe they would have already stumbled upon the creator of such sophisticated devices so easily seemed highly coincidental. But what about Mortimer Goodsight and these Spirit Watches? Was there a connection between him and the Gargoros’ existence? The possibility remained near in a sea of reasonable doubt.

Even if all of these unbelievable revelations seemed nothing more than paranormal fiction, Kazumi’s wild imagination yearned to seek out the unknown no matter how great or small. Never once had her heart written off these invisible spirits that existed behind the scenes, yet to fathom the means to befriend one or more of these spirits as helpful companions took her by surprise. A glance down at her watch kept her second guessing about the capability to do so. How often had science fiction been proven a fact of reality simply by the passage of time?

Considering the evolutionary advancements in technology, Kazumi kept along with the lesson fairly unfazed. Only the mentioning of malevolent spirits left her questioning the eternal good versus evil mentality of the world itself. The world was indeed a challenging place. What this all meant for Kazumi and her friends remained to be seen.

Her curious eyes drifted upon the very first summons taking place from Tamago’s own watch. The sudden realization of having a demon butler around made her smirk. That was something she would have never expected to hear before this very night. Led by a courageous heart, Kazumi followed suit, reaching out to take a coin for her own. “Hang in there for me, Natazume,” she called out, hoping that she would be alright. The last thing she wanted to see was her best friend passing out on her.

Kazumi lingered near Whisper. “I guess you can just call me Kazumi,” she mentioned lightheartedly, “and I guess you could also say a have a question or two if you don’t mind me asking.” There were so many unknowns regarding the paranormal she wished clarified, but where was a good place to start? Time was short and other priorities were close at hand. “It was mentioned that most of these spirits are no longer befriended. Does that also mean they are befriended to no one else as well?” There was no way to tell for certain how many watches the wise old man really made in his lifetime and who may have had one presently.

“And just because I’m oh so curious. You wouldn’t happen to know why this specific box of watches was placed at the river bank of all places. Wouldn’t it have been safer if they were kept in close possession?” Kazumi remained divided as to whether this find of theirs was purely coincidental.

[vietmyke]

The several hours or so had been a blur to Taka- it had all gone by so fast. They had all been up on Mount Wildwood, enjoying eachother's company before all of them finished their final semester of college and went about the rest of their lives. Takahiro was sure many of the others intended to stay in Springbrook- after all, it was their home, and people usually didn't leave once they came to the quaint little town. While he was sure most of the others were staying in town- he wasn't too sure if he was going to. Taka had been offered a position on one of the J2 League teams, The Tesshū F.C., to start immediately after graduation. Taka had yet to tell any of the others yet, and thus far only Tamago knew- through an embarrassingly comical series of accidents that ended up in him finding the letter. Taka had of course made Tamago promise not to tell anyone, and was still heavily thinking it over during break.

Then as the sun went down, they came across the box- that did not contain severed hands as Taka had jokingly suggested, but instead a set of watches, ones that looked similar to the plastic toys one would get kids meals from Nom Burger. The lot of them had a laugh, and put them on, and felt like kids again. The only thing that made Taka not disregard the watches completely was their sudden ability to see things through the lens of the watches, little creatures as it were.

The mood changed completely however with the appearance of the massive Oni-creature-monster-thing. The gang took off sprinting away down the mountain, Taka with his superior stamina and speed outpacing the others by a good margin- enough so that he had time to get to his- or rather, his sister's car, and scoot it towards the base of the mountain to pick the others up before they bolted all the way to Times & Mores, stop signs and streetlights be damned.

At the shop, they met up with the old man Mortimer, and questioned him about the watches. As the old man explained about the watches and demons, Taka listened as he stood by the window. The normally relaxed and lazy senior was still buzzing from the recent rush of adrenaline, and repeatedly shot glances out the window to be sure that the monster hadn't followed them through town, as unlikely as it was. He met the spirit named Whisper, who offered the group of them a set of matching coins with which they could use in conjunction with their watches to summon him as needed. It was at this point, they offered the discussion up to questions.

Kazumi, asked about the reason the watches were kept by the riverbank, as opposed to in a safebox. A question which Taka seconded, it was weird that such potentially valuable items were stored in a plain wooden box by the river where any curious passerbys, such as themselves, could come across them. Taka, considerably calmer at this point, also chimed in with a question of his own.

"And why do these watches look so... childish...?" Taka asked, his face scrunching as he searched for polite words. "I mean, its gotta be said, these things look like they're straight out of the kid's meals at Nom Burger.

[Wishful Stray]

Heavy breathing soon fogged up the car window as the young musician rested her head against the cool glass; her pale skin was flushed with color from a mix of fear and signs of exertion. Groaning softly Saki rested a hand against her side, a stitch gleefully making itself known, it had been years since the slender woman was forced to run like that. Her mind was still reeling trying to understand and absorb what just happened, the last thing she could remember was Natazume asking if she had felt uneasy. The scenery rolled by pleasantly, happy and cheerful as if nothing had happened.

She frowned slightly, what had happened...she had been sitting on the bank watching everyone else mingle and play her feet dangling into the water, the warm summer sun heating her back. A book was precariously perched on her lap, flipped open to a random page with bright pictures and flowing script simply waiting to be read. Calloused fingers toyed with the books fraying edges; another one of her father’s collection, it spoke of demons and conquest, a tale about a young man sucked into the netherworld and how he fought bravely to return back to his beloved. In truth it was a child’s tale; something one’s parents would read to them before bed, either that or warn them off to sleep with tales about monsters yokai eating your soul for misbehaving. She had always enjoyed those better than simple fairy tales.

The rest had become a blur, the box of watches, Taka’s childish jest about severed hands, even her own curiosity towards the strange gadget. The multi-colored mist was still vivid in her mind as was the Oni it had brought with it, now that she had time to think on it she frowned realizing she had left her book sprawled out on the shrine steps where she had dropped it in the mad dash down the mountain. She wondered if it was still in one piece and if she would have the time to go get it.

As the car slowed down so did her breathing, the car cut off as if shuddering from the same exhaustion settling into her muscles. She was definitely going to feel this in the morning but for now she slide out of the car rejoining the others offering a non-verbal grunt in reply of the inquiry about the group's well being. Calloused fingers rummaged through her short hair removing pieces of twig and brush as she did a quick inspection of herself, her glasses seemed to have survived the ideal with remarkably little damage. Still frazzled by the events Saki had to run to catch up with the others heading towards the clock store, taking the time to inspect the watch on her arm. It really did seem like a kid's toy, the colored dial against the white casing, the strange scope attached to it.

Flipping it open she looked through it seeing the small creatures appear in its view once again, different shapes and sizes passed through the view as she filed into the store snapping it close returning her attention to Tamago as he asked about them and the strange creature that had chased them down the mountain. The explanation peaked her interest her head tilting slightly to the side as she continued to listen to her friends ask question and make comments. “Be friend demons….?” Sake mused looking back at the watch wondering if the cook book she had recently started reading had actual merit, though her attempt at creating treats left little to be desired; she was even having a hard time pushing the strange concoctions off on her friends.

“Do they actually like treats?” Her question was seemingly lost as Whisper popped into life happily chattering on and on about how he was a spiritual guide and be happy to answer any questions. He reminded her of the man who gave tours of the town always going on about how great everything was. Kazumi raised a good point in asking why the box had been left carelessly on the mountain side, even Saki would admit that seemed bad for business. Wouldn’t it have been better to sell them off to people willing to take up the task. She found herself sliding forward to the front of the group to gain a better look at Whisper, noticing that Tamago could easily wave his hand through the strange creature.

“I’m Sayuki, but everyone calls my Saki.” Her greeting was cheerful enough as she looked him over, “Ne, do all demons talk? Or are some more animalistic?”

[Genkai]

Friday April 15'th 2016

8:06 PM

Timers and More

When Kazumi tried to assure her, despite the bizarre circumstances, Natazume could only let out a grumbling whine. Meanwhile Whisper turned his attention to the other woman named Kazumi who asked whether or not the other demons were friends with other people. "It's entirely possible that other spirits are friends with other wearers of your watches. Those are an older prototype, I see Mortimer has been neglecting his tinkering with the spiritual electronics. Hmmm?" The floating wisp gave his old friend a look of amused disapproval. Before Whisper could ponder the girl's second question, Mr. Goodsight spoke up again.

"I was hoping someone would find them. They are old...like me." He laughed a little. "I couldn't bear to part with them so I hid them, hoping they would be discovered but it took several years it seems..." He glanced to Whisper. "He is right in mentioning there are other types of watches used to summon spirits. These were one of the first models. You might think I should save them but then they wouldn't be serving their purpose. Only those with true adventure in their heart should have them." He explained. At one of the boy's comments about them looking childish, Mr. Goodsight huffed. "Back in the day, bright colors were all the rage, I'll have you know!"

"When? The 60s?" Tamago joked. "But I like them, they're eye catching!" He spoke up.

"If you want to bother me some more, come back tomorrow. I'm missing my shows!" Mortimer snapped.

Whisper then turned his attention to Sayuki who said to call her Saki. "Hello hello, my dear." He smiled wide at her. He then remembered her question which almost got lost in the ramblings of the old man. "Oh, yes, we love treats!" Whisper confirmed. "Some love candy, some love drinks and others like vegetables, you'll just have to figure out which they like. The more happy they are, the better their abilities are." He said and moved around to where Natazume was. The woman finally collected herself and pushed herself up to rejoin the others, Whisper silently followed, still observing the group of young adults.

"You all are able to summon me at will, of course if I'm with someone and I'm summoned elsewhere, I'll vanish into a puff of smoke. Just try not to summon me when you're in the middle of on coming traffic or in the middle of a snowstorm. Of course you might not even see me in a snowstorm..." He shook his head a little. Tamago gave a nod and put the medal in his pocket and glanced to the owner of the shop was still giving them a grumpy look.

"I think we better go guys..." Tamago spoke up.

Natazume nodded and rubbed her face. "Do you think it's safe out there?" She couldn't believe she was asking such a thing but after almost being murdered by a gigantic demon, she felt she had to ask. "What if that demon shows up again?"

"He doesn't show up twice in one night and only if there's trouble afoot!" Mortimer mentioned.

"If you ask us, he's the trouble." Tamago said. "But yeah there isn't anywhere that's open close by unless you count the Everymart." He mentioned as they all started to head toward the exit with Whisper following overhead. "Why don't we just call it a night? I gotta say our camping trip is probably off the table now." As cool as it might be to go back and look for more demons, Tamago had a sudden urge to be back in his real bed where it was safe. "But maybe we should all meet at the Community Center in Uptown? Maybe we can find some awesome request that could net us some cash or something?"

"Oh how noble, I like you already!" Whisper said.

[Wishful Stray]

April 16th, 2016
Saturday
9am

The fallen leaves crunched lightly underfoot as she made her way back up the shrine steps, a sense of surrealism surrounding her. The area looked just like it always did, there was no sign of the wild dash they had made only yesterday. A half-hearten greeting left her lips as she passed the shrine, the old priest was out sweeping again and she didn't have the heart to tell him that it never did any good. Her dark colored eyes searched the area looking for something that proved that yesterday had happen besides the watch attached the her wrist.

'This isn't a dream....maybe I'm hallucinating? Or it could be an elaborate hoax...'

She frowned at how unsure her thoughts sounded, she knew if she opted to voice them out loud they would sound just as ridiculous as she felt for even allowing herself to think them. She chided herself for not wanting to believe in something so strange when she was always reading books and trying to convince the others it was real. But having a hobby wasn't the same, her conviction was lacking now that she had to face reality. Sighing her eyes focused on the red leather bound book, at first it looked on worse for ware, yet as she got closer she noticed the dirt grounded into it like it had been stepped on by something large. Whatever it had been it was definitely a lot larger than any of her friends.

'The Oni.'

She didn't have a viable reason for anything else leaving that mark, a shaky hand circled around the book before drawing it close to her person. Looking up she realized that she had reached the path at the back of the shrine, the same path they had walked up eagerly yesterday for their picnic. She stood there torn; her curiosity in fight with her survival instinct screaming that it was a very bad idea to continue up that path. Her feet shuffled as she took another tentative steps forward, nothing but normal sounds of the forest surrounding her bolstering her courage to keep marching up the steps.

The farther she got a long the more she felt like something was watching her, the hair on the back of neck seemed to stand up straight as goosebumps raced down her arm. A loud snap from the left caused her to jump in surprise, her footing slipped sending her tumbling back down the steps a hiss of pain escaping her lips. The tattered book was still clutched in her hand as she groaned sitting up holding her head.

"I got it, going up there is a no go..."

She grumbled out loud to whoever cared to listen, if she couldn't go up then she should at least head towards the Community Center to meet up with the others as promised.

April 16th, 2016
Saturday
10:15am

The tattered book laid sprawled out over pale colored legs, stains of grass and twigs clung to the chocolate shaded skirt continuing up towards Sayuki's white blouse; her hair and glasses were tilted forward as she continued to read sitting aimlessly on a small bench. Her appearance had a calm disheveled look as if she had spent the better part of the morning out hiking or exploring a forest patch. A small scratch flushed red, angry and determined to make it's presence known sending a twinge of pain out every time the young musician moved her head.

Bright gold letters shimmered on the pages, happy drawings danced on the opposite page, how funny to think that yesterday such a fairy tale was nothing more than a myth, but perhaps there was more truth to it then she had believed. The childish watch was still tightly fastened to her wrist all to happy to remind her that yesterday wasn't a strange dream from reading too many of her father's books.

The towering bulletin board gleamed brightly in response, it was unblemished and beckoned travelers towards it with temptations of rewards and adventure; post of request and needs for any of the townsfolk brave enough to try and ascertain. The girl had looked over them briefly earlier, her breath coming out in short burst and gasps, she was surprised to see she was the first of the group to reach the Community Center normally Natazume was the most punctual one after all.

Leaning back against the wall she sighed softly, her hand slipping into her pocket toying with Whisper's coin wondering if she should summon him to relieve the build up of questions circling her mind; her limbs still felt heavy sore and in protest to the unwanted run they had to suffer yesterday, her brain felt sluggish as she yawned softly her eyes slowly drifting close as the book stayed safely nestled on her lap merely waiting to be picked back up.

A peaceful breeze blew through the Center as Saki gave into the impulse to nap while waiting on the others.

[Frenetic Raptor]

Shimmering eyes of blue widened upon the favorable morning sky in delight, eagerly anticipating a fresh new day full of endless possibility. For in this little world of hers, there actually existed curious spirits residing beyond the limitations of human sight. Who knew what Kazumi would have believed otherwise, prior to one of life’s strangest preludes she had ever encountered? A lowering glimpse at her wrist provided the only physical proof she needed to confirm the truths she could no longer scrutinize in a once divided mind. Even if the device was childish by design, proper functionality was all that really mattered in the grand scheme of things.

Beckoned by a promised deadline she dared not miss, Kazumi sought after her bike and found a seat, hyped to reach her friends. A hastened adjustment to secure her backpack over her purple top was the final check of importance. And so, with the green light aglow, peddling feet propelled her onward. Not until she passed the opened entrance gate did her feet quicken, anticipating the exhilarating Breezy Hill’s descent. Wisteria Gardens, a place of strong natural attraction was the first to fade behind her focused sights. The drifting tortoise clouds stood not a chance at the hare’s accelerating pace.

Skillfully traveling the path surrounding the Gourd Pond Museum, a smile widened, her hair blowing more so in the gently swirling wind that followed along with her easing advances. Kazumi’s arrival in Uptown Springdale signified the final stretch. There would be no distractions along the way as she took no heed to the mischievous thoughts of the always tempting Banter Bakery nearby; certainly not after a hearty breakfast with the parents. With her sights set entirely upon the Community Center directly ahead, she carefully weaved around traffic and pedestrians alike until settling nearest one of the benches that immediately caught her attention.

Getting off of her bike, Kazumi approached a napping Saki, finding the girl to have taken what appeared to be an involving detour of sorts into the heart of the woods. Just as long as meeting up with the dangerous Gargaros alone was of no desire, then curious minds should always be allowed to remain curious. Wishing not to disturb a deserving Saki for a little while longer, Kazumi looked around, a hand shielding her eyes from the brightening rays of the sun radiating down upon her. None of the others were in her sights just yet. For now, she would remain on the lookout, eagerly ready to spot their eventual approach.

[vietmyke]

Taka breathed out heavily, his breath a visible cloud in the early morning air. Up earlier than most people in town had any business being up, Taka could see the first half of the sun as it rose into the sky, tinging the sky a mixture of orange and light purple. Still catching his breath, Taka bent over, his hands resting on his knees and his face dripping with sweat as he watched several others run by. He and the rest of the college soccer team had been on the track behind Arcadia Academy since five in the morning. Unlike most of their daily practices that happened in the afternoon, Saturday practices were in the morning, bright and early.

Shaking his head, sending sweat flying off to his sides, Taka's eyes were drawn once again to the brightly colored watch he had found in the mountains last night. The watch was a bright red, and easily caught the attention of the other team members. Several questioned his choices in fashion, and others thought he was attempting to start a new trend, but Taka generally ignored most of the comments thrown his way.

"Hey! K-Ton! Keep up!"

Whipping his head around, he saw his team captain running up behind him- meaning that he was about to get lapped. With a deep inhale, Taka got back to running. After a quick 2km run, the team got straight into kicking, passing, and dribbling drlls, which continued for another half hour before the team practiced plays, 3 v 3s, and then finally 9 v 9s and mock scrimmages. This continued until around 7, at which point they cooled down to the tune of classic pop-rock before the coach finally let them go. With a few hours to spare before he was supposed to meet up with his friends, Taka and a few other boys from the soccer team stopped by the Breezy Hill Everymart for a quick bite to eat and a drink. The soccer boys hung around for a while and talked for a bit, before Taka excused himself and began making his trek towards the Community Center.

With his bright orange soccer cleats changed out for a pair of comfortable sneakers of an equally bright shade of orange, he made an easy walk towards the community center. His hands stuck firmly in the pockets of his black soccer pants, the red and white of his jacket- emblazoned with the school emblem on the breast, and his last name across its back- flashed as it floated lightly in the morning breeze. His sling backpack was relatively deflated and hung lazily off his shoulde, currently holding little more than his soccer cleats, a pair of shorts, a sweaty towel and a water bottle.

As he approached the community center, he saw the brown head of hair and glasses that were distinctly Kazumi's standing by a bench, bike in hand. The contents of the bench were none other than Saki, napping as a she occasionally did.

"Ohayo," he said casually, pulling his hand out of his pocket in a sort of two fingered wave/salute.

[Genkai]

A funky pop song broke Tamago from his dreamy paradise and caused an arm to flail out from his tomb of cushions. With a groggy grunt, he successfully swiped across his phone's screen to deliver silence to his cramped dorm room. Tamago groaned and pushed himself into a slouched seated position. He rubbed his face and sorted through the events from last night. He and his other friends had been out at Mount Wildwood and had planned on camping for a few days but that adventure was cut short by some massive red monster with a crazy bat. Tamago shook his head and finally got out of bed, quickly shaking his head to rid himself of the sleepiness trying to keep its pesky hold on the culinary creator. He checked the time and knew since it was 9:35, he had about 30 minutes before he agreed to meet the others over in Uptown at the Community Center where they'd try to make some funds to fuel their spring break.

He got changed into jeans, a light green t-shirt and grabbed his bag and headed out of his room. Thankfully his other roommates weren't around to ask why he was back so soon. He really wasn't sure how to explain everything to them and he was glad that for now, he didn't have to think about it. He glance down at his left wrist where his new watch was. It really wasn't a dream after all. Tamago sighed and headed out the door and found where his bike was locked. Soon enough, the green haired boy was breezing up and around the museum and towards Uptown Springdale. His stomach gave a fearsome lurch and he knew he needed to stop by Banter Bakery before continuing towards the Community Center. "I've got time..." He muttered to himself, though he knew if he checked his watch, it wouldn't be able to refute his notion since it didn't tell time, at least not obviously.

Natazume Hiroshi meanwhile, was still in bed but she wasn't asleep either.

Since she lived so close to the Community Center, she saw no use in scrambling to get there and instead spent most of her morning meditating and doing research online about spirits and myths. Before last night, she hardly gave ghosts much thought but now she was forced to open her eyes a little wider. Natazume's parents had the day to themselves so they decided to take the train to go someplace outside of Springdale. Natazume thus had the house to herself and was happy for the solitude and space. She was dressed in a summery yellow dress which had white polka dots on it. It was one of the more colorful things she owned but after last night's close call with death, she saw no point in making the most of the days she had in front of her. Around 8:50, she finally ventured downstairs and refilled her cup with a fresh splash of green tea before outside to the side garden where she tended to the plants, enjoying the sun's friendly hello.

Feeling spiritually satisfied, the woman cleaned up the kitchen and slipped into a pair of black supportive sandals and locked up the house. She glanced down at her right wrist where the watch was tightly fashioned. Though her right hand was in fact dominant, she still preferred wearing most of her jewelry on her right hand, even her watches. She brought up said right hand and flipped her dark hair back over her bare shoulders. She had eaten breakfast already and felt fairly content, considering the events of the evening, only hours ago. Natazume only had six blocks to traverse before she reached the Community Center. She passed Beautiful Blooms and walked upwards until she could cross the street safely. She passed by Everymart and continued until she reached the small building where many events and gatherings were had.

Already, Kazumi, Saki and Taka had arrived, making the normally early bird feel somewhat taken aback. Natazume gave the others a small wave and soon it seemed the only straggler to wait for was Tamago. She considered the fact he may have jogged to their meeting place which might account for his delay but it was still rather troublesome. She knew the others might need to talk about the events from last night but she also knew that they would be better off consulting Whisper together. But since someone was already running late, she decided to summon him without Tamago. "Anyway, I think while we wait, we should review the events from last night." She mentioned as she took out the coin and inserted it into the watch. A large puff of purple smoke appeared and when it cleared, their friend was floating, looking intrigued. Glancing around, Natazume noted that any other passersby didn't seem to notice the summoning. That was good.

"Good morning everyone! What sort of adventure are we about to get into?" Whisper asked them, wearing a wide grin.

The long ling at Banter Bakery hadn't deterred Tamago, who had finally obtained a peach tart. He felt pretty proud of himself but knew he needed to hurry if he wanted to make it back up to the Community Center on time. Tamago quickly ate the tart in three gigantic bites before he hopped back on his teal bike and headed north, weaving around many cars and pedestrians as need be. He was worried his friends were already waiting for him. Or worse, that they hadn't waited, found a cool job and had left without him. He ended up making it to the Community Center just after Whisper had been summoned. While he loved to stay fit, he decided not to stuff his face and then bike like a madman anytime soon. Tamago panted and walked his bike and rested it on the back of the bench, still winded. "Sorry I'm late...had to...go to...Banter...Bakery."

"If you were going to be tardy, you could have at least brought us all something nice." Whisper said.