Chinami's Thoughts on Kobe Division
Sitting on her legs, Chinami silently meditates as she silently breathes in and out. She sits in that position for a prolonged period of time until she hears a small alarm go off to the side of her. Feeling around for the small clock, she pushes a button on it, turning it off. Standing up, she reaches for her walking cane and heads to her scrying table. As always, she begins discerning the futures of one of the division teams. Her choice today is one of the newer teams to appear, Kobe Division.
The crystal ball shows a young boy of seven or eight with ebony-colored hair sitting on the shoulders of a man with similar facial features. They are both in a crowd with numerous other people in a large setting. It is loud and chaotic as everyone's attention is on the scene in front of them: a group of up to six musicians are on a stage playing a popular rock song. The boy's eyes shine as he listens to everything that his ears are being subjected to: the shredding of the guitar, the thumping of the bass, the pounding of the drums, and the loud, shrill yet melodic voice of the singer. It was at this moment that the boy made his decision: this was what he wanted to do with his life.
The scene changes showing the boy a little older as he is sitting at his desk in his room. Behind him are a bunch of crumpled-up sheets of white paper. Beside him, standing near the wall was an acoustic guitar, which his father had gifted to him for his 13th birthday. It wasn't as good as an actual guitar, but all musicians had to start somewhere, right? Of course, all musicians also needed to be good at writing songs, which he was struggling with. He scratches his head with his free hand, while his other one writes down some words on the paper. He silently mouths the words, picturing how they would sound in a song. He does that a couple of more times before a familiar frown appears on his face. He takes the paper he is writing on and crumples it up, tossing it over his shoulder as it joins the other discarded papers on the floor.
He sighs as he leans back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling, as if hoping that some sort of inspiration would appear out of thin air and give him something to write about. He sighs again and scratches his head, closing his eyes as he thought about certain themes that may sound good. The war to be a rock legend was not an easy one. Somedays, he was defeated before he even tried. Sighing, he stood up from his chair and lied down on his bed. Picking up some headphones that were next to him, he placed them on his head and hit the 'Play' button on a CD player. Soon after, he let himself drift away as he listened to the lyrics produced by those who had come before him.
The scene changes to show the boy, now a few years older, inside a music room in a studio. He is singing a song into a mic as a producer, outside the room, listens to him, occasionally nodding his head to the beat. He'll admit, when the talent agent first brought this kid in, he thought he was losing his touch. After years of working in the industry, the producer had seen a lot of people with "supposed" talent step into the business, thinking they were "all that and a bag of chips", only to find out that they were just like every other wannabe musician out there, with no talent, whatsoever.
Thankfully, this kid wasn't one of those. He had talent, and though it needed some polishing, he had a good singing voice to match. He gave the musician a nod, which was his way of saying 'he did good'. Of course, the young man didn't need an old geezer like him to tell him that. He knew he was still a novice in the music business. But he was going to make it. He owed it, not only to himself, but also his younger siblings, and his father, God rest his soul. A confident grin plants itself on his face as he walks out of the music room, with the scene ending shortly after.
The final scene plays out showing the boy now in his current form. He is on stage at a concert, playing and singing his heart and soul out, much to the admiration of the thousands of fans who had come out to see the legendary "Vox" in attendance. His hair sways in the wind as he continually moves his body to and fro to the rhythm of the song, whilst still strumming his guitar. As he moves, he spots a young boy in attendance on top of a much older man, and he can't help but see himself in that kid. His life hasn't been perfect, but he is sure that he is living the dream that he wanted to live.
...Of course, as stated before, the boy's life hasn't been easy. Though he has fame and fortune now, those quickly can be taken away from him. In his quest to find one who truly understands him, he has to do away with those who get in his way. Will he someday be able to find the one who he has claimed as his muse? Or will he eventually fade away, along with his music career, into obscurity?
The scene on the crystal blue opens up to show a medium-sized log cabin built in the middle of a large forest. Despite how isolated it is from everything, it still looks hospitable and safe enough for someone to live in. Outside of the shack, a large silver cage can be seen, the kind you'd normally reserve for a dog, a pet, or some other wild animal. But the being inside the cage, it was an animal... just not the kind that walked on four legs. It was a human; more specifically, a young human boy, no more than four or five. He is staring out at nothing, save for what it's front of him as he uses the knife in his right hand to repeatedly stab his left hand.
Most people wouldn't do such a thing due to the pain and anguish one would generally feel. But that feeling was completely foreign to the boy. He never knew anything about pain ever since he was three years old. Did he get weak from blood loss? Of course. But the feeling of being hurt, bruised, or anything else meant nothing to him. And really, he was only doing this because he was upset. Why was he trapped in this cage? Why was he being held like a prisoner? He didn't know, but he knew he didn't like it. The scene ends as he repeatedly keeps stabbing himself, letting the red liquid make a small puddle beneath him.
The scene changes showing the boy a few years older. He is outside this time, walking around a large city. He didn't know where he was, but he didn't care. Anything was better than being caged up like some animal. This wasn't the first time he had been out. In fact, he had escaped many times, after he had learned how to pick the lock on his cage. His father never knew about his escapades. The boy always made sure to return home before it got really dark, which was usually when his dad returned. The boy had never been caught in all of his three years, so why should they change now? And even if he was caught, well... he figured he'd burn that bridge when he got to it.
Today was a day of excitement. It was his first time inside the city, and his first time inside this place... this place filled with many aquatic animals. He never knew places like this existed. It was really fascinating! He was so enthralled by all he saw, he failed to notice that he had caught onto the lower part of his pants, causing him to trip over them. He frowned as he hated falling down. He didn't feel pain, but he hated the ground, especially lying on it.
As he prepared to stand, he looked as a hand was extended to him. He looked up at the person's face, and looked as it belonged to a girl with a black bob-cut hairstyle. As he stared up at her, it seemed as if all time had stopped for him. Being locked in a cage for most of his life, he never had much human interaction before. The only interaction he had was with a man whom he deeply despised. So things, like: love, affection, pleasure. All of those were foreign to him. ...But now, at this very moment, as he took the hand that was offered to him and stood up on his own two feet again, he liked this feeling. It was foreign and weird, but he liked it. He really liked it.
The scene changes again showing the boy, now much older than before. He is standing over the body of an old man in a business suit, a bloody hatchet in his right hand in an office. Of course, calling it an office would be a bit of a stretch. The entire scene looked like something out of a B-rated horror movie. The victim's body was scattered all over the room, with almost all of his body parts thrown this way and that way. And the blood... it never ceased to amaze the boy how a human could have so much blood. Almost all of the victim's blood had turned the royal blue carpet in the room, completely red.
The boy stares down at the man, a neutral look on his face. This wasn't the first man that he had killed, and it wouldn't be his last. Honestly, he didn't even know this poor bastard. He never did anything to the kid. So why did he kill him then, you ask? Simple. It's cause it was his job. Plain and simple. Speaking of which, he knew he'd need proof that the job had been completed. Looking at the dead carcass of the victim, the boy, nonchalantly, picks up the victim's head, his scared features still visible on his face. Figuring that this would be proof enough, he turned around and began walking out of the room. He stopped once, simply to wipe some blood off of his cheek, which wasn't his obviously. The scene ends as he vanishes from sight.
The scene changes once more, showing the boy in his current form. He sighs as he reaches his current destination: a large high school. He was instructed by his leader that he was to attend high school to give him a cover. He didn't know why he had to bother. If anyone found out what he did for a living, he'd just kill them. Simple, right? But the leader's orders were orders. And it wasn't all bad. Most people had the sense to leave him be. And those that didn't... well, he made sure that they wouldn't bother him again after he was done with them. ...Or anyone else, for that matter. The boy's life is certainly not straightforward. But he's not complaining.
...Still, it begs the question of what will become of the boy when both his crimes and his past catch up to him. Though the injuries inflicted on his body are of no consequence, what about the injuries inflicted on his mind? Has the years of so much pain and turmoil done away with what little morality he has left? Is he an unfortunate victim of circumstance? Or the immoral villain in someone else's story?
The scene opens showing a young boy of seven or eight walking through a school. ...Though he is a boy, it is very hard to tell due to his effeminate appearance. Of course, his appearance never bothered him or his family. He couldn't help the fact that he looked like a female. He was just born that way. And there was little he could do about it.
...So why did everyone else have to make a big deal about it? Even now as he walked down the hallway to his classroom, he could feel the dozens of eyes staring at him, the murmurs and whispers of not only his peers and classmates but also some of the teachers and staff. He hated it. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? Why bully and make fun of him for something he had no control over?! It wasn't fair! He hated it! He kept his head down as he let his feet, which were getting heavier and heavier with each step, as if they were being weighed down by some invisible force, guide him to his destination. ...Though where he was going was no better. At least outside of a class, he could hide and run away. You couldn't do that in a closed environment...
The scene changes showing the boy a bit older. Unlike before, he seems to be a lot happier. The reason? Because he was finally being true to himself. He was currently wearing a white, flowing dress with his hair in pigtails. He also had some lipstick and makeup on, making him look completely like an ordinary female. He wasn't ashamed or embarrassed. He liked wearing this stuff. It made him feel more... lovable, at least to himself. ...And to one other person. Speaking of which, the boy looked as a bespectacled boy, who was a bit older than him, walked to him, taking his hand. The two smile at each other and walk into the school building together as the scene ends on a happy note.
The next scene plays out, showing the boy again, though he is worse for wear compared to his last appearance. He is walking down a street, jumping out at every little thing that either passes him or makes a noise. It was plain to the naked eye that the boy was suffering from something. He was rubbing his arms, vigorously and looking every which way. Despite it being a cloudy day with the wind blowing, he was sweating profusely and his heart was constantly thumping against his chest as if someone were using it as a drum set. ...Yes, these were all tall-tell signs of an unfortunate disease that many people who had gone long without a certain "need" or "want" suffered from. And that disease was called "withdrawal".
A wise man once stated, 'All it takes is one.' What he meant was, all it took was just one try or one temptation to get a person completely hooked or addicted to something. And in the young boy's case, it was methylenedioxymethamphetamine. That was the scientific name for it, anyway. On the streets, it had a variety of nicknames. The most well-known was 'Molly'. People in the U.K. referred to it as 'Mandy'. Some called them 'happy pills'. And some people preferred to call it 'Ex', as it was a shortened form of the drug name, itself. And that drug was called 'ecstasy'.
But at the moment, the boy, who was still walking down the street, anxious and alert, didn't care what it was called. All he knew right now was that he needed to get his hands on that stuff, ASAP! But with no money in his pockets, he had no way of acquiring it. But he had to get some! He just had to! Even... even if it meant stealing from and betraying the trust of the one whom he had come to admire and adore...
The scene changes showing the boy again. He is currently lying on a hospital bed, which he is strapped in. His condition from the last scene hasn't changed much. In fact, he looks worse for wear. His eyes are bloodshot red, his hair is frazzled and he was breathing heavily. It was obvious that he was still going through signs of withdrawal. Before, his only issue was figuring out how to acquire funds to get the product. But now, he couldn't get some even if he had money! Why? Because his family had forced him into this hell-on-earth called a rehabilitation clinic, or 'rehab' for short.
How could they do this to him?! So he had a problem with drugs. That was no reason to go to these extremes! No one wanted to help him! Everyone was against him! His family, his peers, even his former ex! ...His ex... Just the thought of that bespectacled boy was enough to send the boy over the edge as he felt himself screaming! As if on command, a female doctor along with some male nurses appeared. The boy knew what was coming next as the nurses held him down while the nurse injected him with some sort of strange drug. In a few seconds, all the boy could see was darkness. Pure, sweet darkness...
The final scene plays out showing the young boy in a colorful dress with a black wig on a stage as dozens of cameras flashed at him, taking pictures of him as he continued to pose. After his ordeal with rehab, he came out stronger than ever and began to use his feminine appearance to his advantage, becoming a cosplayer/model. His start may not have started out he'd have liked it, but he wasn't complaining about how his life was now.
...But though he managed to win the battle against his addiction, has the boy truly managed to quell his demons? During his time of struggle, he was forced to burn several bridges, the likes of which can never be rebuilt or used again. They say the only way to turn a white rose red is to dye it the color of blood. White represents 'purity' and 'innocence'. But do those abstracts define this model-like star? Will he be able to continue being a flower meant to represent 'love'? Or will he eventually wilt and be crushed under the weight of the sins he had previously committed?
With all cards of her tarot deck placed in front of her, the blind seeress sighs and lets the spirits take hold of her as her hand slowly glides over each and every one. It stops suddenly at certain cards for several seconds before continuing to search for the ones that she feels are correct. After scanning all 78 of them, she wordlessly and effortlessly flips over three of them, not even checking to see if they were correct; she knows they are.
The first card revealed features eight wands flying through the air (The Eight of Wands). This card represents fire. And as we all know, fire is passion, as well as desire. It speaks that the person seeks to acquire love through the senses, one of which is music.
The second card, like the first, features eight objects; this time, they are cups (The Eight of Cups). This card represents water: gentle, flowing, and the element that brings forth life. It signifies the person is seeking more than just sex. They seek an emotional connection. They wish to find someone who understands them and likes them just for them.
The last card features, like the previous two, eight objects. They are pentacles (stars), being crafted by a worker sitting on a bench. (The Eight of Pentacles). This card represents the earth, and represents sexual attraction, love for the body, and the desire to both touch and be touched.
These three men, all bonded by their desire to find and claim those who caught their eye. They've had to bloody and dirty their hands, their souls, and their hearts to get to where they are today, but they have no regrets. All is fair in love and war, and they seek to be the victors in this battle, no matter who they have to face... and kill.
But will their desires wind up being the death of them all? In their quest to claim their treasures, they've unknowingly placed themselves in the limelight, which means all eyes are on them. And as stated, they've all had to do things that would make them all pariahs if society were to ever find out. Can they keep hold of the skeletons trapped in their closet? Or will their enemies find out their secrets themselves? Only time will tell...
