Onward and upward!

Kichou Asakura, the intrepid reporter! ...and Japanese history teacher.

[kichoh-blog]

Tae’s eyebrows raise further than they have all day, and that’s saying something. “So you two know each other?” Her hunch about their situation was right, then. Sure, there are plenty of scientists from out of the country who might want to come to Japan and teach for mysterious reasons, but now that she knows that O’Brien and Sheffield know each other, she’s convinced there’s something to her theories about their odd situation. There really must have been some kind of scandal. Perhaps O’Brien’s bitterness is because Sheffield pinned the blame on him? No, it’s too soon to be jumping to those sorts of conclusions.

She has to smile when O’Brien insists that he wasn’t trying to flatter her. He doesn’t sound like he’s trying to get on her good side; it seems more like he’s not a very good conversationalist. She had a feeling that that was why the beginning of their conversation was so rough. If he’s just a little awkward, she’s willing to put it all behind her. “I appreciate it.”

[inayalesweater-deactivated20130]

“Yeah, I’ve known him for a really long time.” Emphasis on “really”; he’s known Sheffield since college. The guy still pissed him off, even today. He was lucky to not have suffered through any strokes or heart attacks throughout the years from just pure rage. “I don’t like him.” Heat was pretty damn sure he had the right to say so now. If he didn’t like Sheffield after so many years, then Sheffield probably was… well, terrible.

His frown went away after a few seconds and was replaced with a forced smile. “I-I er… thanks.” He wasn’t quite sure what he was thanking her for though, it just sort of happened. His mouth usually did have a mind of its own. “I mean, it’s no problem, I guess.”

[kichoh-blog]

"I take it you're not thrilled about running into him here, then." Tae doesn't want to ask about the situation too directly, because it might discourage him from dropping any hints, but she's curious enough that she has to nudge the conversation in that direction as a little. As polite as Sheffield seemed, she doubts she'd be able to get any information from him. He gave the impression of someone good at answering questions without giving any actual information.

Yup, her assessment of him was right. She just smiles, less interested in that aspect of the conversation now than potentially hearing something about the circumstances that brought O'Brien here.

[kichoh-blog]

Dorm Post

The end of the first day back at work has finally come, and the first real day of classes tomorrow! Tae’s ready to get her lecture notes together and hit the sack so she’s well-rested to teach her new students.

…Come to think of it, though, she hasn’t even met her dorm mate yet. Katsuya Suou, she recalls from the list. A man’s name. She has to admit she’s a little apprehensive about the idea of rooming with a man, but she doubts there will actually be any problems. In fact, she’s looking forward to meeting him.

Since she spent most of the afternoon meeting new students and teachers, it’s getting late when she gets back to her room. She tries the doorknob, thinking that it’s probably unlocked because her roommate’s there; if it is, she sticks her head inside and greets him with a smile.

[bigsuou-blog]

That night, Katsuya is entertained on getting his dorm ready for a year of activities. Displayed on his shelf are the recently put photo frames with pictures of his brother and family and a little Lucky Cat statue standing on one of the sides. As he gets up to store away the last bag containing his belongings his eyes meet the other bed across the room and that reminds him of the roommate he has yet to meet.

I wonder what kind of person he would be? Maybe I should have prepared something as a welcome gift, it would be rude not to! I’m don’t know his tastes though, so maybe something not so sweet would be a good choice. How about—

His train of thought is suddenly interrupted when the door opens and a short haired lady smiles at him.

“Can… Can I help you, miss?”

[kichoh-blog]

Tae steps inside and sets her bags down next to her.

"You're Katsuya Suou, right? The dorm list said I'll be your roommate this year. I'm Tae Asakura."

She takes a look around the room--it looks plenty spacious enough for the two of them. There are dressers on each side of the room, one with each bed, and even two small bathrooms as well. Basically the same in layout as the one she had last year.

As for her roommate, he sounds stern, but she gets the feeling he's nice on the inside. She hasn't but glanced at his belongings, but the photo frames and whimsical decorations indicate someone with a good heart.

[kichoh-blog]

raidork started following you

[kichoh-blog]

“You thinkyou are? That’s unusual.” Separated at birth, maybe? Sounds like something that only happens in movies. They seem to have grown up with the same taste in style, too, which seems even more bizarre. Bizarre, but fascinating! She hopes this kid takes her class; she’s so curious about him and how different he already seems from his brother.

Then Tae realizes her rudeness in suddenly launching into inquiries about his relation to Raidou and laughs. “Sorry, I haven’t even introduced myself. I’m Ms. Kichou, the Japanese History teacher. I take it you’re new here?”

[villemontxiv]

Raido gave a shrug. It was the only reasonable option, really. It wasn’t like the two Kuzunohas came from different dimensions or something. Wouldn’t that have been weird?

Looking back at the woman from beneath the brim of his hat, he nodded, “Yeah, I’m new.” He didn’t want to give details. Actually he shouldn’t, if he wanted to remain attending the school altogether. Once Ms. Kichou introduced herself, Raido took a better look at her. She was pretty and looked kind of old-fashioned, like him. Maybe they could get along. Maybe.

“I’ll be taking that class soon,” he spoke in realization. “Raidou takes it too, right?”

[kichoh-blog]

It seems like this Kuzunoha isn't that eager to talk about his situation. Understandable; he's probably been pressed about it all day. Tae decides that the questioning should be left for some other time. And since he says he'll be taking her class, she's sure there will be plenty of opportunities for that.

"Yes, he does! Not a lot of people seem to be taking my class this year, so it's nice to hear I have another student." Her class is one of the few that Raidou seems to attend on a semi-regular basis, so Raidou and Raido will probably have chances to interact in it--hopefully not while she's lecturing, though. "Speaking of which, I don't think I got your first name..."

[narumicounseling-blog]

A dance..?

“Time to get out my dancing shoes..!”

[kichoh-blog]

"Can I trust you not to step on any toes?"

[kichoh-blog]

Dorm Post

The end of the first day back at work has finally come, and the first real day of classes tomorrow! Tae's ready to get her lecture notes together and hit the sack so she's well-rested to teach her new students.

...Come to think of it, though, she hasn't even met her dorm mate yet. Katsuya Suou, she recalls from the list. A man's name. She has to admit she's a little apprehensive about the idea of rooming with a man, but she doubts there will actually be any problems. In fact, she's looking forward to meeting him.

Since she spent most of the afternoon meeting new students and teachers, it's getting late when she gets back to her room. She tries the doorknob, thinking that it's probably unlocked because her roommate's there; if it is, she sticks her head inside and greets him with a smile.

[kichoh-blog]

Tae laughs at that last comment; it almost sounds as if he’s trying to flatter her. “You know, I was talking to the new psychology teacher earlier, and he was saying the same thing.”

In fact, it seems like everyone’s been especially nice to her today. Though she naturally thinks two or three times about people’s intentions, she generally accepts the most trusting interpretation. Hopefully accepting that kindness at face value won’t come back to bite her later.

[inayalesweater-deactivated20130]

Upon hearing “psychology teacher”, O’Brien quickly frowned. “Oh. Him.” He almost spat out the last part. He got a feeling that Sheffield’s been to almost everywhere, telling people lie after lie. “Don’t listen to a thing he says. I don’t trust him.” 

…Never mind, it wasn’t good to soil people’s reputations. Serph hadn’t really done anything bad. Then again, it wasn’t like Heat was bashing on Serph… he just wanted to make sure the guy didn’t hurt anyone anymore. “But I mean what I said—I wasn’t trying to flatter you.” He hardly knew how to compliment his way out of a paper bag. 

[kichoh-blog]

Tae's eyebrows raise further than they have all day, and that's saying something. "So you to know each other?" Her hunch about their situation was right, then. Sure, there are plenty of scientists from out of the country who might want to come to Japan and teach for mysterious reasons, but now that she knows that O'Brien and Sheffield know each other, she's convinced there's something to her theories about their odd situation. There really must have been some kind of scandal. Perhaps O'Brien's bitterness is because Sheffield pinned the blame on him? No, it's too soon to be jumping to those sorts of conclusions.

She has to smile when O'Brien insists that he wasn't trying to flatter her. He doesn't sound like he's trying to get on her good side; it seems more like he's not a very good conversationalist. She had a feeling that that was why the beginning of their converastion was so rough. If he's just a little awkward, she's willing to put it all behind her. "I appreciate it."

[kichoh-blog]

raidork started following you

“Oh, hey, Raidou! How are you—”

Tae stops mid-sentence when she suddenly realizes that this student isn’t Raidou. It was an easy mistake to make, what with their similar clothes… and hairstyles… and faces, but there are some significant differences. And not just the scars on his face, either. There’s something about his demeanor, the way he holds himself, that gives the impression that he’s a very different person from Raidou.

“I’m sorry, I mistook you for a student of mine.”

[villemontxiv]

Raido turned on his feet when he was addressed, expecting to see another unfamiliar face. He couldn’t remember how many times he’s been mistaken for the other Kuzunoha at that point, and he sighed inwardly when he didn’t recognize the young woman. Folding his arms, he gave her an odd look. Luckily she quickly caught herself before he could even open his mouth, which was a bit different from his past encounters. At least this woman was observational.

“I’m his twin brother,” he grumbled, “At least I think. We even have the same name, imagine that…” He gave a sort of weak chuckle before glancing off to the side. Just how many people have he disappointed that way?

[kichoh-blog]

"You think you are? That's unusual." Separated at birth, maybe? Sounds like something that only happens in movies. They seem to have grown up with the same taste in style, too, which seems even more bizarre. Bizarre, but fascinating! She hopes this kid takes her class; she's so curious about him and how different he already seems from his brother.

Then Tae realizes her rudeness in suddenly launching into inquiries about his relation to Raidou and laughs. "Sorry, I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Ms. Kichou, the Japanese History teacher. I take it you're new here?"

[kichoh-blog]

((semi-hiatus note))

((from the 28th through the 3rd i'll be out of town, and though i'll have my laptop with me, i probably won't be online much at all. i'll try to get some responses done but most likely there will only be a few. sorry about that!))

[kichoh-blog]

“You seem pretty mature. Guess I was being nosier than I needed to be, huh?”

Despite what she says, she thinks she senses some apprehension on Seraph’s part. She has a feeling things will work out fine, though. Seraph seems immediately likable, at least to Tae; she probably won’t have much trouble making friends here.

[allatpeace-blog]

At this point, Seraph has no idea what really constitutes as mature. Maybe the number of past lives a person has lived ties into it or something but she smiles anyway. It’s surely a compliment either way. 

“No. It’s part of your job to worry about us, isn’t it? I don’t really mind.” She should be doing what’s she’s supposed to be doing.

[kichoh-blog]

Seraph seems much more cooperative than most of the students Tae's had, maybe to an unusual extent. She appreciates having such a good student, though she has to wonder what kind of environment this kid came from that had brought her up to be so respectful.

"I appreciate your understanding." Tae's voice has a slight teasing tone, but not a mean-spirited one. More seriously, she adds, "Good luck with your first year of public school--I think you'll do fine."

[kichoh-blog]

raidork started following you

"Oh, hey, Raidou! How are you--"

Tae stops mid-sentence when she suddenly realizes that this student isn't Raidou. It was an easy mistake to make, what with their similar clothes... and hairstyles... and faces, but there are some significant differences. And not just the scars on his face, either. There's something about his demeanor, the way he holds himself, that gives the impression that he's a very different person from Raidou.

"I'm sorry, I mistook you for a student of mine."

[kichoh-blog]

Another blunt question! But it is a reasonable assumption. She sighs and responds, “If only it was that easy. I think that kind of thing only happens in movies.”

“It’s not as if I don’t like teaching, of course—I even thought about being one back in high school. But I took the job mostly because I couldn’t get on full-time as a reporter.” Most times she’d been turned down on account of not having enough experience, having just gotten out of college at the time.

[inayalesweater-deactivated20130]

“You think so?” Then again, it did seem very Hollywood-esque. Not everyone could just gain fame and fortune on the spot, he supposed. Especially not here; this place may be full of eccentric people, but Heat was somewhat certain that there wasn’t any “big scoop” here anyways. 

“I’m sure if you work at it, you’ll get there eventually. Everything takes time and you’re still pretty young.” He was talking from experience, of course. It took him years to actually find a job as a scientist—a high-end one, at that. All those years wasted on studying until his head ached and all that work really paid off. 

[kichoh-blog]

Tae laughs at that last comment; it almost sounds as if he's trying to flatter her. "You know, I was talking to the new psychology teacher earlier, and he was saying the same thing."

In fact, it seems like everyone's been especially nice to her today. Though she naturally thinks two or three times about people's intentions, she generally accepts the most trusting interpretation. Hopefully accepting that kindness at face value won't come back to bite her later.

[kichoh-blog]

“You’re right about that. I ought not to be so hasty!” Though for Tae, patience is anything but simple. “And thank you very much—but try not to get my hopes up too high.”

Though Tae still is a little suspicious about what happened to bring Sheffield here, he doesn’t seem too bad. The two of them could probably get along well, even if he is a little stiff.

[powerofagod-blog]

He nods, a little impressed with her determination. Though her method of thinking is a little off in his opinion. You’ll never make it high if you don’t aim for it. Like his ideal is gaining the power of a god. And he’s closer to it than anyone else had ever been. 

“If you say so. Though I would think high expectations are never really a bad thing.” But Sheffield has always had such a huge ego, so it’s rather obvious that he would give this sort of advice.

[kichoh-blog]

Tae nods thoughtfully. "You have a point there... I prefer 'goals' to 'expectations', though." Tae's a strong believer in hard work, because even if she doesn't succeed she still feels good in the end knowing she gave it her all.

Presently Tae extends her hand, saying, "It's been nice meeting you! Let's make this a good year, okay?" And she thinks it will be, considering that she's hit it off pretty well with almost all the new people she's met today.

[kichoh-blog]

Tae smiles back, seeming to have warmed up to him, though her expression changes to a more thoughtful one when he asks her about her job. “It’s something I’d considered in the past, but I didn’t really see myself doing it. When I was in college, I wanted to be a journalist.”

[inayalesweater-deactivated20130]

A journalist, huh…?

“Oh, so what are you doing here? Need some cash before hitting it off with some huge scoop or something?” Well, his question was at least plausible. He wished he thought of something like that back in high school, but what with his sister… going away and his motivation for finding a cure, he wasn’t surprised he ended up a scientist. It wasn’t like he had some other route he could have taken anyways.

[kichoh-blog]

Another blunt question! But it is a reasonable assumption. She sighs and responds, "If only it was that easy. I think that kind of thing only happens in movies."

"It's not as if I don't like teaching, of course--I even thought about being one back in high school. But I took the job mostly because I couldn't get on full-time as a reporter." Most times she'd been turned down on account of not having enough experience, having just gotten out of college at the time.

[kichoh-blog]

“Wow, that’s a tough question.” Tae contemplates it for a moment before giving her answer. “I guess I’d say a friend is someone you can trust enough to be honest with. Someone you can share your feelings with and know that at the end of the day they’ll still be there for you.

“But don’t worry about being that close with the people you’ll meet here immediately. It’ll take time to form a bond like that with someone.” Tae smiles warmly.

[allatpeace-blog]

Seraph nods. She’s not sure she completely agrees with her on her description, for one is not always honest with a friend and sometimes they do things and fight against each other. She knows this, but still, she’s right about trust. Someone to trust with your life and someone who you wouldn’t mind taking yours as well.

“It takes time for everything. But I can handle that. I’m patient.” It’s probably a strange way to answer, but it’s at least an answer. 

[kichoh-blog]

"You seem pretty mature. Guess I was being nosier than I needed to be, huh?"

Despite what she says, she thinks she senses some apprehension on Seraph's part. She has a feeling things will work out fine, though. Seraph seems immediately likable, at least to Tae; she probably won't have much trouble making friends here.

[kichoh-blog]

Tae laughs a little. “Well, it’s sort of embarrassing to say after I’ve talked about it so much, but I don’t get to do all that much. Mostly I write stories for local newspapers when I can, interview people every once in a while… Nothing that impressive.” It probably sounds even less so to him, she thinks, if he really had worked on a project as important as he implied.

[powerofagod-blog]

“Well, you can’t start out big, of course.” Even Sheffield knows that’s true. It takes time to get yourself up the ladder. Good leadership skills and determination is what got him to where he was. And though he did make it there young, it was still a large amount of effort.

“As long as you work at it, I think you could go far.” He can’t help but say it, because it’s true. And though this woman is ridiculously naive she certainly has potential in a career. Especially considering the silly hobby she has of investigating of her own will.

[kichoh-blog]

"You're right about that. I ought not to be so hasty!" Though for Tae, patience is anything but simple. "And thank you very much--but try not to get my hopes up too high."

Though Tae still is a little suspicious about what happened to bring Sheffield here, he doesn't seem too bad. The two of them could probably get along well, even if he is a little stiff.

[kichoh-blog]

“A scientist, huh? From the way you talk about it, it must have been tough.” Just like the other new teacher she’d talked to. He didn’t seem that eager to discuss it, which wouldn’t be that suspicious normally, but considering what she heard from Sheffield… let’s just say she’s very curious now.

“I won’t pry, though.” She extends her hand for him to shake it. “I hope you have a good time working here.”

[inayalesweater-deactivated20130]

“Oh, heh…” Almost miraculously, Heat cracked a smile. “Don’t worry, I think I will.” He was certain he would, especially after helping Seraph obtain a map.

“So, err… Have you always wanted to be a teacher?” He asked, a bit curiously. Everyone at Megaten High had their reasons for coming here, right? He might as well strike a conversation with her. She didn’t seem too bad, and it would keep his mind off of his old job. 

[kichoh-blog]

Tae smiles back, seeming to have warmed up to him, though her expression changes to a more thoughtful one when he asks her about her job. "It's something I'd considered in the past, but I didn't really see myself doing it. When I was in college, I wanted to be a journalist."

[kichoh-blog]

“Yes, we are.” For some reason Tae hadn’t really thought of it that way before; she had always thought of them as just co-workers. Perhaps it’s because she’s only been working here for two years. But having been asked the question, she realizes there’s really no reason not to call him a friend.

“And speaking of which, since you’re new here, my recommendation is for you to start making some new friends too! Grades are important, but school can be really rough if you don’t have peers you get along well with.”

[allatpeace-blog]

Friends. As far as she knows they tie you to the world but yet they are still encouraged. And why? Is trust and care really so important? Are they required to understand the world? It’s a strange moment where she has to contemplate this. But she wants friends. She decides on that as a definite thing. Friends…comrades in a never ending battle with the self. They mean something to people.

It takes a moment for her to realize that she’s over thinking again. “I suppose you’re right. I’ll work on it.” Though she’s not really sure how to go about doing so. “But…could you tell me what you really think defines a friend?” Because for some reason she’s curious as to what other people think they are.

[kichoh-blog]

"Wow, that's a tough question." Tae contemplates it for a moment before giving her answer. "I guess I'd say a friend is someone you can trust enough to be honest with. Someone you can share your feelings with and know that at the end of the day they'll still be there for you.

"But don't worry about being that close with the people you'll meet here immediately. It'll take time to form a bond like that with someone." Tae smiles warmly.