Post #2476499 in Vampire Knight: The Revelation, a roleplay on RPG

Hikari frowned for what seemed the umpteenth time that night. Ever since she left her brother's side, her luck had almost increased. She had lost to a child on one of the water boarding games, something she found rather hilarious though really since it was just she and the child. And when the child won, he mimicked a move she had pulled on Eien earlier; he stuck his tongue out at her and scampered away happily with his prize in tow. She was now at a game that seemed fairly easy. All she needed to do was fit a ball into a small bowl, and she'd win the prize in the bowl, which, to say the least, was a goldfish. It, however, was the only goldfish in the stall to be black in color.

She had recognized it to be a black moor goldfish. She had found it odd that they would only have one as she actually liked the black goldfish. When she had spotted it, she made it her goal to obtain it one way or another. So, it was, perhaps, no surprise that she had spent the last ten minutes trying to win the black goldfish. Every time she tried, the ball would end up either on the floor, or in another bowl. She had given away fifteen goldfish by the twentieth minute of standing at the stall, and the vendor was running out of goldfish. He had sighed, irritated that she had refused to give up on the black goldfish, however; a spark of glee filled his eyes when she ran out of coupons.

She sighed defeatedly, running her hand down her face in the process. "I just cannot win tonight can I?" she spoke more to herself than anyone really. It really wasn't her night. First the penguin, then the Ferret, now the goldfish. At least with the goldfish she had managed to win some but not the one she wanted. She pursed her lips together, sighing softly before shaking her head. "Sorry little guy, guess I wasn't meant to have you," she spoke, chuckling at her own words and how ridiculous they seemed to be. Not that she cared, she'd say whatever she wanted as long as it didn't get herself or her family into trouble, and looking a bit insane was always a good way to keep unwanted attention away.

After seeing Farah off into the company of her relative, one of the more responsible ones at that, Tatsuhiko had taken to wandering mostly aimlessly through the festivities. He could smell Tora nearby and knew that it would be trouble for someone eventually, so he was rather hoping to take in what sights there were to see before the general chaos ensued and made such passive enjoyment impossible. So he drifted around almost as though he were incorporeal, stopped only occasionally to speak by people he remembered, but did not know very well. He was uncertain why they wished to speak with him, but he was polite as he could manage, though he seemed to always find himself looking for a way to extract his person from the conversation. He did not understand why so many people found it necessary to touch others when conversing with them. He was unaccustomed to such things and frankly uncomfortable with it, Tora and Farah excepted. Even that was more concession he would make for the nature of the relationship and less a straightforward desire or inclination towards contact itself.

He had thus far not tried his hand at any of the games, as he honestly was not entirely sure of the appeal such things were supposed to have. Most of them tended to be tests of accuracy in some capacity, and he was well aware that his capacities in this area were vastly above the norm, which rather took the amusement out of the attempt. He had grown rather tired of forgone conclusions, all things considered. Nevertheless, he still had a number of paper slips tucked up his sleeve, which indicated his chances to make an attempt at something. Perhaps he should find a small child to which he could give them…? It seemed illogical to hold onto them. Of course, this would necessitate actually interacting with a small child, and he was not so certain he wished to do that.

The solution to his conundrum presented itself—or rather herself—at a booth apparently dedicated to winning small fish. He heard her talking, and for a moment stopped, presuming that perhaps she was speaking to him, but when he glanced over, he recognized that this was evidently not the case, and that the words (obviously not directed at him, now that she’d actually said them) were intended for a small, darkly-hued fish. “Your pardon, Miss Hikari,” he said, reaching into his sleeve. Withdrawing his paper slips, ten in total, he inclined his head politely and extended them. “I was not intending to use mine; so you are welcome to them if it pleases you.”

Hikari was about to leave when a voice caused her to turn her attention towards the source. She furrowed her brows in confusion when Tatsuhiko presented her his tickets, and she stared at them for a moment. He was going to give them to her? Because he didn't intend to use them? Then what was the purpose of buying them? She shoved that thought to the back of her mind. He was just being nice, and she offered him a smile. As much as she really wanted that black goldfish, she had accepted that she just wasn't meant to have it, and that tonight she was just out of luck.

"That...is kind of you to offer, Tatsu, but I am afraid I must decline. It's not that I don't appreciate the offer, I do, but my luck just isn't all that great tonight. I'm sure there is something you'd like to do with them. One doesn't simply come to a festival without the intention of having fun," she stated, shaking her head in the process. She placed a single hand upon his, and pushed his hand back towards him. "Ah, actually," she stated, the sudden idea forming into her head. There was, perhaps, one thing the tickets could be used for, however; it was his decision, and she wasn't going to push it.

"It doesn't require any tickets or anything, and it's more tradition than anything," she began, clearing her throat in the process. "but they are going to be lighting and sending off the lanterns soon. Since I can't seem to find my brothers, nor my cousins or sister, I, uh...," she continued, laughing nervously in the process. Tatsuhiko was Farah's friend, that much Hikari knew, and she knew that he was also a bit like her adopted sister in a sense that they both did not like crowds. At least that is what she deduced by her observations, however; she wasn't going to ask about it, necessarily.

"You don't have to go, but I'd appreciate it if you did," she finished, her smile growing brighter in the process. He really didn't have to go. She could manage on her own, but it would be nice to view the lanterns in the company of someone, whether it was family or friend. In this case, she hoped it'd be in the company of a friend. She'd never truly interacted with the Fujiwara male, besides his brother maybe. Regardless, the decision was his, she wasn't going to force it. She'd go see them by herself if it came down to it. The black moor goldfish continued floating in the water, staring at the two with curious eyes.

He was slightly confused to say the least. He had no use for the tickets; he had not purchased them—they were rather given to him, and he’d been under the impression that everyone received some amount for free. Apparently not so—he wondered why that was. His expression did not change as she pushed his hand back with one of her own, but something in his eyes went slightly unfocused.

There is death on the air. The smell of blood, thick and cloying, crowds his olfaction. He knows, somehow, that much of it is hers. She is gravely injured, and he feels something in him stir. A primal, defensive fury rises, bubbling up from beneath his skin, but his anger is not like fire. It does not explode—it freezes. It freezes everything. Indeed, the air around them seems to grow perceptibly chillier, and he reaches for the sword at his side—

Tatsuhiko’s eyes widened fractionally, and he shook his head in just the faintest movement before he blinked, bringing his oculars back into focus. She was still there—it must not have been a very long vision, perhaps a couple of seconds at the most. They are not usually triggered by anything in particular, but he could not help but notice the coincidence of this one with the brush of her hand. It was particularly unusual because he sensed he was inhabiting his own body in this vision. Most often, he either floated around as some kind of nonexistent observer or found himself passenger in the mind and flesh of another. But Tatsu knew that had been him, which was strange on many levels. Why should he feel such foreign rage at the scent of this person’s blood? Why should she appear in his visions at all? As far as he knew, he was to keep an eye on she and her family, which meant that he may well be one day asked to kill them. This thought itself did not make him angry—only melancholy.

The invitation was most unexpected, and he tilted his head to one side, a lock of dark purple hair falling over the bridge of his nose and into an eye. He supposed he understood the reasoning behind it… and he was not so averse to company as most seemed to assume he was. He only disliked crowds. So he nodded mildly. “Very well,” he said by way of acquiescence. “I do not find fault in the suggestion. I have not seen this lantern-lighting before. Thank you, for the thought.” There was still the matter of the tickets, however, one which was abruptly solved when a small horde of children went running past. They stopped a few booths down, and Tatsu sighed through his nose.

“One moment please, Miss Hikari,” he said, jogging smoothly and oddly noiselessly towards the group of children, most of whom looked to be between seven and ten years of age. He was not the tower his brother was, but neither was his height inconsiderable, and so he crouched so as to be closer to their eye level, saying something too quietly to be heard, which was met with enthusiasm from the kids. He distributed the tickets, one to each, which left him with one. Rather than being unfair, he stood, stiffening awkwardly when one of the younger ones hugged him around the leg. He still didn’t understand contact.

The child eventually released him at the behest of her guardian, and he took a more sedate pace back towards his friend’s sister. Eyeing the one ticket left in his hand, he flickered his glance upwards, then between Hikari and the black fish. Well, it wasn’t like he had anything else to use it on, after all—and one kindness was surely worth another. Placing it down on the counter, he took the object he was to throw and tested its weight and balance for a moment. From there, it was nothing at all to gauge the appropriate distance, and the toss landed perfectly in the center of the bowl the black one swam in. It was placed into a bag of water and handed to him.

Tatsu held the creature up to his face for a moment, blinking at it. “I am told it is bad luck to name such a one,” he said with a trace of skepticism, “but I suppose whether or not he receives an appellation is entirely up to you.” This time, it was not tickets he offered in her direction, but the fish.

Hikari stared with curious eyes as Tatsuhiko seemed to just zone out. She had waved her hand a few times in front of his face, trying to call his attention, however; whatever he was thinking of, seemed to be deep. She rose an eyebrow when she received no response, and was about to call out his name and shake his shoulders a bit, when he seemed to come back. Her brow merely ascended further but she thought nothing further of it. She was about to say something when he excused himself, jogging towards the small group of children that had ran by moments ago. She watched as he gave them his tickets, a small smile forming on her lips as she shook her head. He really was an odd creature, however; that was as far as she'd let her thoughts go. She was about to suggest to leaving, however; he had placed the one ticket he had left, down on the counter where she had been moments ago.

Her brows furrowed slightly as she watched him, curious to see as to what he was going to do, and for a moment, she stared in awe as the ball landed inside the black goldfish bowl. It really wasn't fair, her luck, that he'd be able to do it so much as the first try, however; there was no use in crying over spilled milk. He had won the small creature fair and square, and she was about to applaud him until he spoke. He had said it was bad luck to name a black goldfish, or perhaps just a goldfish in general, but nevertheless, he presented it to her. She took a moment to assess the situation, glancing at the fish and then back to Tatsuhiko. She had wanted it, that much she was certain of, but why was he giving it to her? She thought of it no longer, pushing it to the back of her mind as she took the fish.

"Bad luck or not, everything needs a name," she spoke, staring at the fish. "How would you hope to ever identify it otherwise? Besides, wouldn't you want a name if you didn't have one?" she stated more-so than asked. It was a silly statement, she knew that, but she felt like saying it regardless. "Kuro. It's short, easy, and hard to forget," she finally stated, staring at the black creature in her hands. The two seemed to hold a staring contest, neither one blinking (though the fish really didn't have the capability of blinking) before she straightened herself out. She glanced at the watch on her wrist and pursed her lips together. It was almost time for them to start lighting the lanterns.

"Thanks again, for coming along," she spoke, tucking the fish securely in her arm as she turned towards the area where they needed to go. "You don't have to stay for the whole event. It was made mainly for those who liked the more serene kind of lifestyle, though really I don't see why they would choose lantern lighting for its representation," she continued, glancing towards Tatsuhiko from the corner of her eyes and then back to the black goldfish in her hand.

The statement she made about names was not silly to him. In fact… it was very resonant. For a long time, he’d had no name, either. He hadn’t thought much of it, at the time. When they’d addressed him, they had simply used his number. Nine, they’d said, which he later learned was short for of nine hundred and ninety nine. They’d called Tora eight. At least until Tatsu had taken to calling him Tora, for the creature that he shifted into. Tora had returned the designation with another of the same, and the hiko part was added when they needed official names to register for Cross Academy and otherwise move about in the world. Yes, he understood quite well what it was like not to have a name, and he almost smiled at the fact that she showed no hesitation in naming something as simple as a fish.

It made him wonder, for just a moment, what kind of person he’d be if he’d grown up in her world, and not in his.

But such thoughts were useless, because he was as he was, and he served whom he served. Much of life was more inevitable than others took it to be. But Tatsu could see the future, or possible futures, and honestly, most of the time the possibilities were not broad. Today marked the first significant deviation he’d seen in decades, and the last one had been… unpleasant. He might not know everything, but he knew enough. “No gratitude is required,” he answered mildly. “I am only doing what I wish to do. It is not an inconvenience.” Folding his hands into his sleeves, he moved so as to be walking beside Hikari, though at a respectful distance. That didn’t stop the whispering, of course, but he’d grown used to it by now. There was little point trying to contest the assertions being made, and he no longer tried. Tora seemed to revel in it, but the best Tatsu could hope to do was tolerate it.

He gave the comment some thought, tilting his head to the side before he decided to answer. “Perhaps because lanterns themselves have a warm feel to them. They are fire in its most benevolent, gentle form. A representation that even the most destructive things can be turned to benign purpose.” He wasn’t sure he believed the last part, actually, but it seemed like something that a more optimistic or gentle person might think.

Hikari rose a brow at his explanation. Benign purpose? Fire? Perhaps, it did have a lot of properties and uses. Fire was mainly used for destroying things, however; in some cases, it could be used to provide warmth, to provide light. "That...may be true I suppose. But then again how can you truly say that when the fire is still being destructive? Good intentions or not, it still must destroy something in order to provide that benign purpose. It's...almost a contradiction that way, but I suppose not everyone would see it that way. It still has to feed off of something right?" she stated, pursing her lips together before shaking her head. She probably shouldn't have said that, but for some odd reason, she couldn't keep her tongue from wagging.

"But, as you said, I'm sure that is what they thought. It's also supposed to be a way of sending off spirits, if I remember correctly. Each one is supposed to be a light guiding it home," she stated, smiling a bit lost in the process. "I could be wrong though. Whatever the reason, they are nice to look at, especially when you're with family or friends," she continued, glancing down at Kuro in the process. She'd have to get a fish tank for him now, something she was sure she could get Eien to do the next day or request one from the headmaster. It'd probably be best and easier just to ask the headmaster. As they walked, she could hear a few whispers coming from the other students, and she allowed her irritation to get to her, and she snapped.

"Mind your own goddamn business!" she snapped at them, causing some of them to yelp and turn around while the others covered their faces trying not to laugh. She narrowed her eyes at the ones who were trying not to laugh before sighing and shaking her head. People were always so fast to jump to conclusions, and it irritated her and annoyed her to no end. She had wanted to punch someone once, and she almost did, when they had made a comment about her sister and cousin. It was one thing to say it about her, she didn't care, but to say anything about her family, then that was when she let it surface. No one messed or talked about her family, regardless of what they had to say.

"Ah, sorry about that. They just don't know how to keep their mouths shut," she stated, emphasizing the last word a bit as she shot another glance towards the crowd. She glanced between Kuro and Tatsuhiko, though, before a grin pulled at her lips. She had two new friends now, though she wasn't entirely sure she'd still consider Tatsuhiko a friend quite yet. Friend was a better word than what they were saying anyways.

Tatsuhiko allowed one eyebrow to ascend his forehead. “I am… rather accustomed to such murmurings at this point. I suppose it is one of the drawbacks of being somewhat… unsocial that every time I so much as speak with someone else, it counts as news.” His eyes narrowed slightly, the only sign he gave of his displeasure. They’d always talked about him. Where he went when he would occasionally disappear for weeks at a time, what his business was with Farah, and they usually guessed nothing wholesome. He was sure there would be new rumors about this, simple and honest as it was, within the hour. Honestly, had people nothing better to do than discuss the lives of others? He never had been able to understand it. He supposed she must be even more used to it than he was, given her family. He was a shadow, but they stood quite prominently in the spotlight, the forefront of vampiric society, despite the fact that very few of them were really vampires at all. At least, not entirely. Her side of the branch was more wolf than anything.

Of course, he was not supposed to know any of this, and so he did not comment on it. Instead, he came to a stop beside her, lighting a lantern when his turn came and watching the completion of the ceremony. It was a simple affair, but there was something beautiful to be found in that simplicity. Perhaps he only found it so because it was something he would never have, and the unattainable was always more alluring than the mundane. He wondered again what that vision had meant, that he had, and why she had been in it. Prior to this day, they had exchanged mere sentences in total—usually, he only saw people close to him unless he was looking. He’d caught a couple of glimpses of Farah’s future, even, though he would never dream of telling her what he saw. Some of the endings were, of course, very dark. In no few of them, she was dead. In one or two that he fervently hoped against, he killed her himself. She did not fight him.

The thought made him vaguely sick with guilt, and so he pushed it aside, though the melancholy could not be banished from his eyes. Sighing gently through his nose, he turned to the woman with the fish. “Will you permit me to escort you back to the dorms, Miss Hikari? I am headed in that direction as well.”

"Accustomed or not, they should still learn to keep their big mouths shut. They shouldn't be so quick to judge a situation, and just because two people are walking together doesn't mean anything. For all they know, we could have been siblings, and to suggest...well I guess in one society it wouldn't be frowned on, but still!" she stated, crossing her arms against her chest in the process as she continued to glare at the others who continued to whisper. She shook her head at them and grabbed a lantern when it was her turn to light it. She hesitated for a moment, glancing at the lantern before lighting it, watching as the small flame flickered back and forth, licking the air in a dance. She smiled, watching as it dulled a bit before setting it loose.

She watched in small awe as the lanterns were set loose, some floating in the air while others landed into the small puddles of water. It was a sight to behold, watching as they all littered the sky like floating stars. She reached out, trying to grasp one of them, but pulled her hand back when she realized what she was doing. She shook her head just a bit, her thoughts fluttering just for a moment, over towards her parents. She wondered what they were doing at this very moment, if they were looking at the sky as she was. The thought brought a melancholy smile to her face before she shook it away. She was brought out of her reverie when Tatsuhiko spoke, and she turned, blinking at him a few times to process the question.

"Ah, well if you are headed that way, sure. I could use the company," she spoke, shrugging her shoulders in the process. "I see why Farah enjoys your company so much," she noted off-handedly and nothing more. Which in a sense was true, she could see why Farah spent most of her time with the Fujiwara male. He was...pleasant to say the least, though there was something that was bothering her a bit. "I know it's probably just your etiquette, but could you perhaps not call me Miss Hikari? Hikari would do just fine, however; like I said, it's probably just your etiquette and I understand if you don't. Just...yeah," she stated, raising her brow a bit in the process. Regardless, it was just a suggestion. He didn't have to stop calling her Miss Hikari if it was just how he was, and she would respect that. She just found it a bit odd to be called as such.

The comment about Farah honestly surprised him, though the feeling only manifested as a flicker in his eyes before it subsided. He shook his head when she made the request. Tatsu understood that some people preferred informality, and he tended to defer to the preferences of the other person with regard to such things. He would be perfectly fine doing so here as well. It was just that most of the people in his life insisted on the use of titles, and so he’d gotten use to using them. “I will use your name, if that is what you wish… Hikari.”

Snippet #2476499

located in Cross Academy, a part of Vampire Knight: The Revelation, one of the many universes on RPG.

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