Ryo Kido's Story

A girl sat in the corner of the room, her legs folded underneath her as she worked on sewing something, ignoring the fact that she happened to be wearing a skirt. She mumbled to herself a song her mother used to sing to her, that her grandmother sang to her mother, and her grandmother's mother sang it too. "Eyes like diamonds, pure and clear, lips rosier than all, no one's more perfect or innocent, than my favorite doll." Of course, such a song would make her seem slightly narcissistic, considering her doll was made in her exact image, but she sang it more out of habit than anything, and was paying more attention to her work than what she was mumbling.

Another girl stood in the middle of the room, with her hand to her chin, looking around pensively. She held her hands out in front of her, making a frame out of them as she observed the wall nearest the blackboard. "Maybe we should paint it blue? Oh, or purple?!" When her friend didn't answer her, she turned and placed a hand on her hip. "Ran, this is more important than whatever witchcraft you're mumbling about over there."

"It's not witchcraft," she said, not offended but rather matter-of-factually. She held up the white cloth she was sewing, "It's a bonnet."

"Well this is more important than a bonnet too, okay," Ryo tried to convince her. "This is our new clubroom! Aren't you the least bit excited about what we're going to do with it?! The amazing possibilities."

"Eh," she shrugged her shoulders and Ryo slumped in defeat.

"Ugh, I don't think you get excited about much Ran."

She walked over towards the table near where the other girl was sitting. There wasn't much in the white walled room now. There were two medium sized tables with six chairs at each, a blackboard, and Ryo's laptop that she had sat up on one of the tables. She pulled the laptop closer and began looking over a list of names. These were the people who signed up to join yesterday. They were supposed to be showing up to the clubroom soon, since it was after school. She wondered just who would actually make it.

She pushed her laptop back to the side and put her elbows up on the table and propped her chin on her hands, her eyes trained towards the door. Her eyes had an expectant, excited gleam in them. She could barely contain herself.

Ran kept to her sewing beside her.

((OOC: Alright, everyone is limited to three posts until I make my next post, since I'm the first poster, this way the RP can move along without anyone getting too left behind :). By the end of your three posts though, you should at least have made it to the clubroom :3))

"Miss Kitano, please understand that this matter is more important than you think."
Yumi's homeroom teacher called her aside to the faculty office just when she was about to head off. She was the same one Yumi had the previous year, when she was a freshman. This was her second year as a freshman. Not that Yumi particularly cared. After all, everything they'll teach her this year was just a repetition of the last.
"I understand." Yumi sighed. "I'll have to leave the school if I fail this year, right? Fine, whatever."
"I spoke with your parents and--"
"So you did. That has nothing to do with me now, and the year's barely started. I'll take my leave now."
She turned and left the faculty office before the personal lecture could proceed. Yumi had more pressing concerns at the moment.

...so to speak. Yumi had been having pressing concerns for the past three months. It's the sword, she thought as she paced through the school hallways. She glanced at the sheathed sword slung over her shoulder. There was no question about it: ever since her dojo presented her with the sword, she started to see...things. Some of them even noticed her back. They're not used to being seen. It's the sword. Yumi became somewhat restless after that. Yet, for some reason she herself couldn't quite articulate, she will not part with the sword.

By chance she overheard her classmates talk about the two girls from another homeroom. Yumi's classmates would not approach her directly; they were usually either intimidated or embarrassed to be seen with her. Apparently, the two girls in their gossip were in the middle of creating a paranormal research society.
"Isn't that ridiculous?" said one of her classmates. The other laughed in agreement.
Yumi had to admit, she thought the idea of a paranormal research society absurd as well. But with my situation, "normal" isn't exactly what I aim for.

She had gone to the faculty office with the original intention of asking about this new club. Yumi obtained their meeting time and place, in addition to a gratuitous talk about grades and attendance and all that nonsense.

Yumi stopped close enough one of the classroom doors. This is it. They might be able to help. There was boy waiting at the door. One of the upperclassman, if Yumi remembered correctly. Not sure what his name is, though. Yumi walked up to the boy, who noticed her as she stepped closer.

"Hey, you're not going to go in?"

Misao looked at the the girl who just introduced herself as Yumi Kitano. He finally figured out that he was right. She was a lower classmate. He looked at the other boy waiting to see if he would introduce himself. After a minute of waiting he looked back at the girl. "It's nice to meet you Yumi. I'm Misao Fukuzawa from class 2-A." He then bowed to the girl. Just after she stood back up straight he heard a noise and looked around to see if he could find the source. He gave up after a second of looking he somehow knew he wasn't going to find a single thing. Misao then looked atthe other two. "Well if you don't mimd I think I am going to head inside now." He gave the two a smile and knocked and opened the door. "Hello? This is a club isn't it?" he asked as he entered the room.

As Ryo sat there looking at the door she began to notice a huddle of shadows gathering outside of it accompanied by whispering voices. She turned and looked at Ran. Then back at the door, "That..." She started to say.

"They're real," Ran assured her, without looking up from what she was doing, "and they're probably your club members."

"Oh," Ryo said excitedly, and nearly fumbled out of her chair as she rushed up and towards the door. "I'm okay!" she said confidently, after tripping. "And they're OUR club members Ran. So stop working on your witchcraft and come greet them."

"It's a bonnet."

"Yeah, well..."

As she was talking to Ran over her shoulder, she didn't notice that the others had already opened the door and were heading inside. She almost ran right into the first one that entered but stopped just short as she heard him call out, "Hello? This is a club isn't it?"

"I'm Kiyoko Miyazaki," another one said. "Is this the Lolita Club?"

"I told you we should have made a bigger sign Ran," Ryo hissed.

But Ran was too busy concentrating on the spot right above one of the boy's shoulders. There was a spirit there, following him around, probably having fun making popping noises in his ear. Mischievous ones like that tended to get on her nerves, and she could kind of sense that he felt it there too. She remained quiet though, wanting to see if he would maybe say something about it later. She also sensed other spirits when the others entered. Less mischievous, more reserved, though she couldn't see them now maybe she would with time, if everyone decided to stick around the club that is. A warmth filled her chest. These people were the real thing. People like her...

"Yes, this is The Lolita Society," Ryo said to the newcomers. "My name is Ryo and that person staring from the corner there is Ran." She motioned in, "You should all come sit down!" She merrily said.

Misao Fukuzawa and Shuuya Natsume...
Yumi had just gotten to register their names in her mind. But something else about them caught her attention. Misao seemed to be startled by something as he finished playing with the soccer ball. Did he hear the noise too? Of course he did. It was the same one her classmate Shuuji--no, Shuuya--heard. He was less bothered by it, but Yumi was certain he heard it too. Years of kendo had trained her to pick up on the slightest subtleties. Both of them heard it, and it made Yumi feel uneasy. There was something about the young girl that made her uneasy as well.

Yumi thought she saw a specter, but she also thought she didn't. Did it sense her uneasiness?
The excited noises from the two girls in her classroom broke her thought. "Well," she said to herself, "It seems I've come to the right place."

She entered the clubroom and was greeted by a girl named Ryo, her friend Ran at the corner also smiled a greeting.
"Yumi Kitano, 1-B" she mumbled as she un-slung her sword from her shoulders and took a seat. "Nice to meet you." she said, in afterthought. The girls seemed kind, but Yumi was still unsure of how to approach a situation such as this.

She glanced at Misao, Shuuya, and the girl named Kiyoko. She finally rested her eyes on the two girls. To be able to gather such people here...perhaps they really can help me.