RP: ZHS [Pilot Episode] School Days

[Reynolds]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School, Tsubomi, Yamatai
Late Summer, YE 38
0800 Hours

It was a pleasant day. Warm, patches of soft, fluffy clouds lazily drifting across the sky. Cicadas crying, crows cawing. A truly idyllic day to start the new school year. The end of summer, but the beginning of something else. Not truly the end, and not the beginning, but a beginning.

Dozens of students were gathered on the grounds of Zenjinkaze, the healthy green leaves of cherry and maple trees offering spots of shade from the warm sun. Some students had arrived early, and others were just joining the group. There had been no real organization to the gathering, no formality. Just a stage set up in front of the koi pond, with the main building looming further behind. Several adults that had to be teachers and staff were seated on the stage, including one wearing a Star Army uniform. Bright eyes flickered behind oddly tinted glasses as she scanned the crowd, apparently performing a quick headcount as the time rolled over to 0800 hours exactly. The rather soft, mousy Neko stood, glancing at the other staff members before approaching the lectern on stage, adjusting a small microphone.

"Um...ahem...ah..." The speaker seemed a bit nervous, blushing slightly before she took up a stance more befitting an officer, jaw tight. "Welcome, students, to Zenjinkaze High School. I am Itto Heisho Murakami Mitsuko, your official Star Army Liaison. I will also be acting as Vice Principal...um...and the Head Librarian." She hesitated for a moment, adjusting the collar of her Duty Uniform, medals gleaming on this sunny day. "This is rather new to me...but...I'll do my best. Please count on me." She smiled and gave a small nod of a bow to the assembled students. She'd been in charge of soldiers before, but this was so different. Even if it was rather likely most of the students would move on to careers in Star Army. Easing them into that was part of her job, after all.

"Oh, right...um...and now, let me introduce to you, the Principal...and...School Nurse..." Her smile faded, as she obviously seemed a bit unsure about that idea. "Um...Shoi..." She seemed to be stalling for time, glancing to one side of the stage. Most of the crowd would realize nobody was standing up to join her. "...Shayla McBelle?" There was an awkward silence, punctuated by another crow's caw, before Mitsuko leaned towards the microphone again. "She must b-" The Neko was interrupted, her last word twisted into a high-pitched 'eeeeeeeeeee' sound, as a figure came crashing onto the stage. The lectern exploded into a shower of wood panels and splinters, mic dying in a squeal of feedback. The plump Heisho flopped onto her rump with a squeak of surprise as a particularly large form towered over her.

"Just call me Shayla! I already told ya that before!" The new arrival was tall...likely the tallest person any of the students had seen on Yamatai so far. And definitely the tallest Neko any of them had ever seen. The 6'7" giantess reached down to take one small hand and easily tug the comparatively pint-sized Neko to her feet, eliciting another squeak. "There ya go, sorry about that. I just thought this thing needed, uh, yah know...more excitement! A big entrance! My last boss was real big on that kinda stuff." She laughed, a loud, booming thing, giving Mitsuko a slap on the back that almost sent her flopping onto the stage again. Thankfully she recovered and made it look like a bow, hurriedly moving aside and out of range to let the Amazon speak.

"Alright, they told me all about this place, and it seems like a great idea. You kids've gotta get ready for the big, scary universe out there...believe me, ya never know what you're gonna run into out there." It was obvious she didn't need the aid of the now-destroyed microphone to make herself heard, her conversational tone reaching to the back of the crowd. "Whether you're gonna be a soldier, or a farmer, or a mercenary, or a vid star, or start your own cult, or gotta kill every damn alien on a backwater planet until they respect you properly...and...uh, right." She realized she was getting off topic. "...learnin' how to defend yourself proper is a good idea, that's all I'm sayin' kids." She grinned at the assembled students...the glittering field of medals on her rather ample chest putting the Heisho's to shame in both categories. "Oh, and I'll make sure you're all patched up and make it outta here in one piece, in case anyone gets a bit too frisky."

Another barked laugh, before she waved over the group of students. "Alright, show's over folks. Someone clean up this mess and get these kids assigned to their dorms already. If anyone's got any questions, find a teacher or one of the student council kids from last year or somethin'." She seemed to be finished, stepping aside to lean rather far over and begin conversing with her Vice Principal, the two making a rather odd pairing.

 

[Edto Xar'Sivaree]

Zoia 'Sivaro stood in the back, awkwardly trying to get comfortable in the uniform she wore. She took the rules to heart when it came to the uniform, and didn't alter anything about them. Probably not the greatest idea, given none of them fit her body properly, especially the underwear and skirt. The skirt was around her waist, not her hips, and everything else just fit badly. She forewent the shoes, having already destroyed them in her attempts to put them on. Making a mental note to tell any teacher who tried to get angry at her for not wearing shoes that if they were built for the Vekimen, she would wear the damn thing. The sickle style talons protruding from her feet, however, made other plans, not involving said shoes. All in all, she looked like your wild, promiscuous, party girl walking out of the hosts bedroom, sans the inebriated or even remotely approachable look. She looked as if the clothes were a mild annoyance to her, but kept her firm gaze locked on the stage for the speech.

What a speech is was as well. The antics to her were simply aggravating, and picking out the VP and Principal was a simple task to her. It was filtering out all the other, aggravating sounds that annoyed her. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the Principal's comment regarding killing aliens of a back-water planet. "Charming... Well I figure I'm on that list, given I am from a backwater planet, and have little respect for you already" She muttered in Vekimen, doubting highly anyone in this school knew how to speak it, let alone understand it.

She really didn't understand the point of this school. A school to teach people how to fight shouldn't need so much work put into it. A couple of sparring mats, and a lot of willing Vict... Volunteers would be more than enough to allow someone to practice how to fight and win. This school and culture seemed to make it so much more complex, and in turn drove the VDTF to start classifying aspects of their kinds natural fighting into "Styles" which she was abhorred by. Who cares what kind of style someone does if you can't beat them. They are better than you, and that's it. This would be a weakness the Vekimen would try and exploit as much as possible.

She did mull on the scary universe comment, finding it a little redundant. "Why would I bother coming here if I believed the universe was safe... I would be an idiot and think I didn't need to know how to defend myself" She muttered again, switching to trade. She /wanted/ to be heard this time. She was almost daring people to come and give her some wishy-washy explanation as to why fighting was more than survival. Like an art, which is a funny analogue give they call their fighting styles Military Arts, or Martial Arts more commonly. "What is the point of this speech if we are here to fight. Walking out unscathed seems like a waste of time, and if no one died, no one is truly fighting for their lives" She grumbled, the strong of hisses, clicks, screeches, and growls possibly sounding rather annoying to anyone nearby. "This school sounds useless" She finally sighed, going back to enjoying the sun. She already had her dorm set up for her prolonged stay. No need to scramble about. Too bad whoever was with her was going to have to suffer. She wasn't to be blamed for her body, though, and her pity was purely satirical.

 

[Ametheliana]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

Yuu Sakaki was tall enough to stand in the back and see the stage without contempt for those in front of her. The contempt from other students, though, was cause for concern for the observant Neko. The clicking and clacking noises coming from the odd, scaled, upsetting creature next to her made her shift her footing. The principal gave Sakaki pause and she wondered what it was that had created such an interesting Neko.

The speech was nearly ruined when next to her, Sakaki heard the creature speak in a language she understood in a tone she wished she did not have to hear. She walked away from the creature and found herself closer to the splintered lectern and stage, listening and taking it all in. Her vision strayed away from the Principal after she had given orders to start asking questions and onto the koi pond with the beautifully curved wooden bridge and the fish underneath, where her eyes stayed until she was touched on the shoulder by another Neko, much shorter than Sakaki and wearing the white yukata and red hakama of the traditional samurai.

"Lost in thought?" Rei asked Sakaki.

Sakaki turned, her bright eyes focusing on Rei's white ones, then said, "Oh, I-I guess I was."

The Ketsurui Samurai, Rei, said in parceled out bits and pieces of phrases to make one whole one, "Not good, to be lost, unless in thought."

"I'm only lost in thought," Sakaki said, hoping to rectify the issue.

"Mmmm, but were you?"

Sakaki said, "I'm not lost here."

"Then where are you going to go?" Rei quipped quickly.

Sakaki replied, "Well, I don't know that just yet."

Rei smiled knowingly, "Then you are a bit lost, aren't you?"

"I-I guess I am," Sakaki said, becoming confused by the samurai.

"That way," Rei said, pointing randomly.

"I'll go that way, then," Sakaki concluded and walked off in the direction Rei's white sleeved yukata had pointed.

Rei put her hands against the edge of the stage and pushed against it to jump up and sit against it while Sakaki went off in the direction of the East building.

 

[HAMnJAM]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

Sutauto Kunio was in slight minority, one of few Minkan present. Someone spoke in some abhorent sounding language, which made him recoil slightly. Not the first time he'd heard some languages that he didn't know. He didn't let it bother him, and once the "ceremony" had ended, he walked towards the Koi pond. He stopped at one end and observed. It was beautiful. It reminded him of home, his old home. It was calm. He shifted his pack which caught his Katana against his waist, pulling it up behind the pack making it hard to see.

Kunio looked back towards the stage, and began to walk over towards the closest side. His thoughts began to wander to his father, who he had not seen for months. It held in his mind, with the thoughts of where he went. He'd said nothing on the day that he left. His emotions began to crawl towards his face, so he shook his head a little bit and thought back to the task at hand. He needed his dorm assignment. He stopped at the stage edge. From what he could see, the crowd was still mumbling. He saw a Samurai sitting on the edge of the stage a little ways away. He observed again before moving towards the two, seemingly opposite, Nekos on stage.

They were still in conversation, but through what he could tell, The conversation seemed dominated by the larger one to him. Thinking before he spoke, he realized it might be better to ask the Samurai, since she was the only one with a fighting style similar to his that he knew of. He walked towards the samurai and gave a bow. He smiled as he spoke, trying to give a good enough first impression,

"Excuse me, do you know what dorm I am assigned to?"

 

[Ametheliana]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

"Omae?" Rei said after the Minkan had approached her. She raised a finger to rub it against her forehead and think before it went back down to her side and she chirped a reply with two different questions, "What is your name? What is your fighting style?"

 

[HAMnJAM]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

Kunio continued his smile, "My name is Sutauto Kunio, and I practice Tandoku Migi Ken." He then began to think of why a Samurai would be here, and then began to realize that this Samurai was probably going to be his instructor. He quietly began to wonder whether he had made the right first impression or not, but nevertheless needed the answer.

 

[Ametheliana]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

Rei closed her eyes and nodded emphatically as she heard the name of the sub-style she hadn't yet found in her short time of traveling, then said in a tone more subdued than her nod, "I would love to learn more about your style, kōhai. For now, you are in the West dormitories with a young Nepleslian I am training, as well as some others, who is named William. You two will likely get along." Then she added in both Yamataigo and Trade, "Shirimasen, I don't know."

 

[HAMnJAM]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

Kunio bowed to the Samurai, "Thank you, I look forward to sparring with you." He smiled one last time before turning towards the west building. He'd known few Nepleslians, but he was familiar with their etiquette that he had heard of from his father. The other name intrigued him, his manners wiped his mind clear of doubts, at least for now. He looked forward to getting closer to graduation, but also hoped it wouldn't be too short. He made a final turn towards the west building, and felt good about the first day so far.

 

[Gunhand4171]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

Towards the rear of the assembled students was tall Nepleslian teenager. William eyed the the assembled students as he walked up to the rear. His hands rested against his twin kendo swords, his eyes watching the Vice Principal. As the overly tall Neko slammed into the podem, he jumped back slightly.

As the rest of the assembly finished, and people began to file out, William stood where he was and looked around, finding Rei. Rei was not only his Sensei...but his adoptive mother...

William moved slowly over as she spoke first with a Neko girl, then a Minkan. After the later had left he stepped over to Rei. He bent over in a bow, but quietly spoke so that no one could hear what he said except Rei.

"Hello Mother-Sama. Where exactly am I supposed to go...?" He asked standing back up. "Also the Neko is tall... I'm now the second tallest person here." He said looking back to the destroyed podem.

 

[Ametheliana]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

Rei pressed her palms against the stage and swung her legs out to jump off of it and landed in front of the 16 year old she had taken from the orphanage, then said, "You will be in the West dormitory, where I just sent a Minkan boy named Sutauto Kunio. Aitsu," she said, referring in Yamataigo to the boy just out of earshot while pointing at him.

She thought it a good idea to have him meet as many other students as possible, to find those that he could train with and that could open him up to the greater possibilities of the martial arts that would be taught in Zenjinkaze.

She pushed gently on the bottom of William's back and guided him in the direction of the West dormitory, saying, "You can catch up to him, Musuko."

After sitting back down on the stage, Rei wondered what had given her the impetus to call him "son", and if this is what the clan had in mind when they asked her to become a Ronin, all the while keeping a stoic demeanor as she waited for more of her students to come with questions.

 

[Gunhand4171]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

William nodded to his mom as she gave him a little shove and a little 'Go make friends' talk. He moved, glancing back at Rei as she sat back down. Never in a million years thought would he have ever thought that he would be adopted, and to be adopted by a samurai...

His eyes looked back to where he was walking, as he followed the Minkan to their dorms. Yet he followed at a distance, not ready yet to speak to the others.

 

[Ace]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School
Tavigo looked on over at the ceremony as he tended to the grounds seeing people arrive perking his ears at conversations he found interesting and focusing on them. Eventually hearing that some people were heading off to the dorms he decided to turn around as they would have to pass by him. Tavigo saw the Minkan boy and began to talk to him. "Greetings I am Tavigo Ymy. I am grounds keeper here. Any problems you not want to speak to others about tell me. I help." While his Yamatigo was quite broken he was at least understandable and was getting better by the day.

 

[HAMnJAM]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

He turned around when the groundskeeper spoke, half in surprise, "Oh! Hello Mr. Ymy. My name is Sutauto Kunio, and I will keep that in mind." He smiled and drew breath to say something before seeing the Nepleslian who was behind him, a few steps behind. He looked back at the groundskeeper and gave a hasty bow, "Excuse me."

He smiled at the Nepleslian swordsman, "Are you heading for West Wing?" He shifted his left arm, which pushed his small pack which in turn moved his Katana from the small of his back to its natural waist position. He thought to himself how long the Katana had been sitting against his back, and mid thought laid his left hand on it non-aggressively and leisurely.

 

[Ace]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School
Tavigo simply bowed back before returning to work.

 

[Gunhand4171]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

"Oh...uh yeah..." William replied shifting slightly uncomfortably. He scanned the Minkan's features till his eyes came to rest upon his katana. "I am William. Your Katana is quite beautiful." He said quietly, opening to the teen the only way he knew how. Swords.

"I haven't had the chance to use a real sword. I only have my kendo swords." He said drawing one of the swords. It's wood painted black, and blue cloth wrapped the hilt. It looked like a cheap kendo sword, yet William had put so much work into the sword that it seemed it could take a beating and keep going. He held it out for the Minkan to take and examine it closer as they continued to walk.

 

[HAMnJAM]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

Kunio took the kendo sword and examined it. It reminded that he needed a training sword, "I need to find myself another training sword, My old one became smaller, and sharper," he smiled at William, "I am Sutauto Kunio." He extended his arm holding the kendo to give it back to it's wielder. "When we get to the dorms, I'll show you this one." He moved his head in a sharp way towards his Katana.

He looked ahead and saw the doors to the west building. He let his right arm grab it's handle and open to let his 'companion' enter first. "I guess we get to grab a room of choice unless I'm wrong."

 

[Gunhand4171]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

William nodded and took his kendo sword back. "I am William." He said giving a slight bow as they moved towards the building. He moved through the open door and looked around inside.

"This is much bigger than the orphanage..." He muttered under his breath as he moved aside for Kunio to lead the way. "You take the lead, I will get us lost..." He said softly. "Though if that is true I would like to pick a room closest to a garden or courtyard..." He added.

 

[HAMnJAM]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

Kunio heard a few words from Williams mutter, which made his smile solemn for a moment. He walked inside as he spoke "...Alright." He took a few heavy strides ahead before resuming his regular pace. He found one of the empty dorms and looked inside to see if there were any belongings or people for that matter. He didn't see any and walked inside. He set his small pack on one of the beds and turned to his companion, "I guess we can take this one!" He gave a screwed up smile as he opened his pack, pulling out a small picture of his mother and father. He looked at the closest dresser and put the portrait on the top closest to the bed.

He muttered solemnly, "They seem so foreign..." He shook his head slightly before going back and forth between his pack and his dresser putting folded clothing in the drawers, though not very many. After that was complete he slipped out the broken training sword, both its hilt and the top half of the blade. Looking at it a second he put both pieces on the bed, turned around, and slowly pulled his blade from it's sheath. It glistened a shined sliver and it's edge looked sharp and clean. He held it out for his companion to see, but held it close to him.

"This is Nokori, The sword that was an almost parting gift from my mother. She never got to see me receive it, but it was her idea. Be careful."

 

[Gunhand4171]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

William followed behind the Minkan as they walked through the dormitory. He looked in with Kunio and followed him into the room. He moved and placed what few belongings he had that Rei had hastily acquired for him. He placed all his clothes inside the dresser and laid out his kendo pads. As he had less than Kunio he sat down on his new bed until his new roommate pulled out his sword.

William stood and carefully took the sword. It was the first time he had ever held a real one. He ran a hand over the blade reading over the inscription. He then held it a made a small swing feeling the weight of the blade.

"It is a beautiful sword Kunio-san." He said passing the sword back to him, holding the sword by both the blade and the hilt as he held it out to him

 

[HAMnJAM]

Zenjinkaze Fighting High School

Kunio took his blade back, checked it over himself, and sheathed it. He then proceeded to shuffle through his backpack, found a small stand and set atop the dresser, and balanced the priceless weapon upon it. He walked to his bed and sat down, looking at William. "So what's your story?" He smiled, genuinely looking intrigued. William was the first, and hopefully not the last, acquaintance that he wished to become a little more. To him, friends were important as breath, for you always might need someone to help.