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Johnny Farelli

"I will get stronger. I have to... for everyone's sakes." (FridayStatsUpdated!)

0 · 6,677 views · located in Airdalen Academy

a character in “No-Go AA+”, as played by HolyJunkie

Description

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Theme of the Foreigner: Pretty Fly For a White Guy - The Offspring
Theme of the Athlete: Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
Theme of the Beast: Takyon - Death Grips
Theme of the Warm Home: N O S T A L G I C (Simpsonwave) - Assorted
Theme of Melancholic Jams: Whitewash - Buckethead
Theme of the Forever Lost: Great Gig in the Sky - Pink Floyd
Theme of the To and From: Aunt Suzie - Buckethead
Theme of the Distant Elite: Uptown Girl - Billy Joel
Theme of the Fresh Skeptic: Think - Jimmy McCracklin
Theme of the Ultimate Goal: Heart of Gold - Neil Young
Alternate Theme of the Ultimate Goal: Beyond the Sea - Bobby Darren

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Time for school.

Full Name: Johnathan Farelli
Nickname(s): Johnny, Jay, that baka gaijin 
Gender: Male
Grade: Junior
Face Claim: Makoto Tachibana, Cecil Aijima, among others whose images are used for this thing. 
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual 
Nationality: American - Japanese and Italian genetics


STATS


Intellect: 9 (1 start + 8) 
(git guder.)
Athleticism: 38 (9 start + 29) 
(If I wasn't so strong and fit, I probably wouldn't have made it through the smoke with Haruhi-chan...)
Charm: 8 (0 start + 8)
(I guess actions speak louder than words.)
Popularity: 18 (0 start + 18) 
("Huge", "Muscular", "Kinda Cute", and "Kinda Scary tall" are the general words going around campus.)
Notoriety: 1 (0 start + 1) 
("Did you hear he got in a fight with six guys? He also ran right into the smoke... What's his problem?")

Your most important stat:  
Atheticism
Which stat appeals to you most:
Charm, though "most" in this case is barely reached.

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Simplistic, yet chiseled features. He has thick, Italian brown hair and gleaming deep emerald-green eyes. Standing at 6’4”, he very literally stands out in a crowd. He's very muscular, but he's very lean and compact. He's at an ideal BMI at 205lbs. His preferred attire more often than not is lightweight, sporty attire. More often than not, he tends to pull off the hip/hop look with a bandana to keep his hair back. He has no tattoos.

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Confident and dependable, yet relatively quiet. To him, actions speak louder than words- especially since he can barely speak the language. When he does speak, there’s only the slightest tinge of jadedness in his voice that he often tries to hide under his otherwise cheery and to-the-point attitude. His voice is a soothing, deep one, indicating great practice for... what? No one knows for sure. (It's music. It's obviously music.) What they do know is that all work and no play makes him a seemingly dull boy… except on the literal court of a sport. He does enjoy physical activity, since that's when he understands everyone perfectly through their actions. He was a lot more fun-loving in his previous schools, but he doesn't talk about that.

He's quite laid-back about a lot of things, from the differing personalities of people to even things that inconvenience himself. This is probably why he comes across as an average student, despite performing extremely well in the academy's entrance exam. He seems to have great potential when he gets really serious and passionate about something.

Always willing to help others out, almost to a fault. Very positive, and has a tendency to spot the silver lining. Patient to a point with everyone, but scary to those who commit injustice around him.

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A strikingly normal kid who got big into athletics with an ordinary and a seemingly average academic interest and skill. His parents- his father especially- wanted him to be better at his studies so he could manage a solid GPA so he could make it to the big leagues in the future. This school seemed like the best idea, plus the father wanted to move back to Japan- a plan that was already made before ma and pa got married. Johnny is seemingly behind their plan 100%, if only he could break past that average nature of his during his studies. Learning the language would definitely help him learn things faster. This seems likely, since he managed to pass the very strict entrance exam.

His last home was in a ghetto neighbourhood. He grew up as the only seemingly white guy in a world of ethnic minorities. As such, the only mannerisms he knew- besides the stern love of father figures and teachers, was the stereotypical behaviour of so-called "hood rats". A very poor neighbourhood, which was one of the many reasons why his parents wanted to break out from the area, and also why Johnny's sisters moved out to more decent neighbourhoods for college college. His previous two schools and the experiences within were... eclectic, to describe with a word. He prefers not to talk about certain aspects.

He used to be in a group called "The Boyz". It may sound like a gang, but it was really just a term for "the cool kids" in their part of town. This group also included his best friend Avery. With Avery as "The Brains" and Johnny as "The Muscle", their group of friends maintained a sort of care-free order on the school grounds, where kids can have fun so long as they don't hurt each other. Johnny developed "The Muscle" during school sports and the like, but he also had taken a job at a local gym once upon a time. During work hours, that was the place the Boyz hanged out.

Johnny was rarely ever back at home, instead he was hanging out with The Boyz. Between learning music at Avery's place and playing pool on grubby old tables at a local bar-and-grill, Johnny rarely ever saw much of his parents. What puzzles the boy is that the parents either didn't mind, or didn't notice. Either possibility seemed odd. It was at this point where he realised that his parents must have been hiding something from him. As a way to return the favour, Johnny keeps his musical interests and talents a secret.

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Mother
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Father
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Sisters
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Italian mother- whom he takes after- and a Japanese father who moved to the States at a young age. They moved back as the father’s idea, because this school was ranked highly. The mother was not entirely behind the idea due to the language barrier, but the presence of the translator made the decision a lot easier to make. Beyond the parents, Johnny has two older sisters. Both sisters moved out to college, and often Skype back. His sisters, named Machi and Chieko, are both incredibly talented, both academically and physically. Both sisters took after the father, and look almost like twins. Johnny's sisters are currently studying to become doctors.

Avery, his "brother from another mother," is a smaller boy who'd almost be a dead ringer for Jimi Hendrix. Where Johnny was "The Muscle", Avery was "The Brains". His code of ethics is almost like that of an idealistic leader of a superhero team. They were never a real "Gang", at least, not one with the stigma usually associated with the word. Being the brainy one, and also the only one in the neighbourhood with a computer and some kind of internet connection, he is Johnny's only link to communicating with the past.


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STRENGTH 
Athletic: Strong, tall, lean, fast, and generally very athletic. Prior to the move, he had the confidence to boot, sometimes still does- mainly in physical challenges and sports. He’s familiar with the rules of many a sport, save for most of the more Japanese-centric activities, such as that sword fighting thing, and martial arts. He's especially fast on his feet, thanks to his interest in whatever dances he's learned. Street dance, B-Boying, and even a little classical partner-based dances. This also translates into raw fighting talent- though he does not have any formal training in that field. A fast metabolism means he recovers from wounds relatively quickly, with low risk of scarring.

STRENGTH 
Reading Faces: He is quite skilled at reading faces and microexpressions, and he's always quick to notice even the slightest gesture. The reason for that relates to his previous schools- that which he doesn't talk much about.

STRENGTH
Sign Language: Fluent. He prefers not to talk about why he learned it.

STRENGTH
Talented Musician: He is skilled with a few instruments (guitar, synthesizer, bass, ukulele) and especially powerful and flexible vocalist. His deep, outright sexy voice would probably give the best singers in school something to pay attention to. He can even pull off a decent falsetto, though it pales in comparison to his normal and especially deeper voices. This is a trait he keeps secret from his parents, where even his old friends are in on the secret.

STRENGTH
Tolerant to a fault: Almost impossible to offend. Almost as if he's forcing himself to be naive, he always tries to find the silver lining, why a person acts the way they do.

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WEAKNESS 
Given that Johnny's fitness is impeccably muscular, (no pun intended) he is lacking in fat. Therefore while he has explosive power and speed, he's somewhat lacking in energy reserves. Add to that a fast metabolism and you have a guy that rapidly runs out of fuel in the first two rounds of a boxing match.

WEAKNESS 
Awkwardness / Weirdness: His relative hugeness compared to most others makes the rest of the world feel small, especially places like London or Tokyo. As a result, he is deathly claustrophobic. Johnny also sometimes has that flicker of jadedness in his eyes every once in a while when he thinks of the past- in Elementary and Middle school. He comes across as quiet and awkward despite his confidence for two reasons: He’s a foreigner and doesn’t know anyone, and he is only partially familiar with the Japanese language. He is especially unfamiliar with the culture. Good thing the school comes with a translator to help him learn. Due to his desire to not offend anyone due to his unfamiliarity with the culture, he comes across as awkward and kind of a pushover, despite his imposing size and physique. 'Course, once he gets used to the new culture, he'd be a lot more like his old self. Partly related to the past, he holds a few secrets not even his family knows, secrets that he wishes to deal with, but does not yet have a plan to do so.

WEAKNESS
Gullible: Due to his kind and friendly nature, he is very quick to trust people. Some (ok, let's be real, everyone) would opt to call him "Gullible". Even though his ability to read faces is top-notch, he can still be easily tricked. Also means:
Yes Man: Since he is always willing to help people out, he's also one of those guys who finds it difficult to say "no". This would leave him in awkward situations if he botches his time management- which would become apparent once he starts filling in the schedule.

WEAKNESS  
Unstable Facade: He acts positive, cool, and tough, but is difficult to open up, because he feels he shouldn't share the burdens meant for him. There are some heavy burdens he tries to keep locked away, but the mere act of keeping them locked away is straight-up poisonous to his mental health. Who knows what the results would be if he fails to deal with the emotional strain.

WEAKNESS
Hard on himself He's not often passionate about his own schoolwork because he's more prone to help others first. He feels that he has to out of some form of penance. While being a rock star is always on his mind, he's somewhat arrogant that he feels he has to be the one to help people. His potential remains somewhat untapped, only bubbling to the surface whenever he feels truly passionate about something- such as when he passed the very tough Airdalen entrance exam in flying colours.


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SECRET 
He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, but tries to keep it under wraps due to arrogance. The main symptom in his case is hallucinations involving the Phantom. The Phantom is a pitch-black projection with white eyes and white teeth that assumes a somewhat feminine, yet nightmarishly inhuman form.

SECRET 
He is from the ghettos of Los Angelas. It's not exactly a big secret, but it's interesting to note that he came to the highest school in the world from the lowest point in modern society. Some may say there's a romantic quality of a guy starting from what the rich kids would call "nothing".

SECRET
Aside from music technology like soundboards and amplifiers, Johnny is very technically illiterate. He doesn't know the difference between a browser and the start button. While he's familiar with video game icons through cultural osmosis, he's never played a video game in his life.

His phone is a simple, cheap smartphone (took him a while to learn it) that he only really uses as a glorified "contact list" via facebook. The phone is modular, and contains a high-GB memory card stuffed nearly to the brim with a wide variety of music.

Slowly forming opinions...


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Ryou Giou

I like the dude, in a very home-bro kind of sense. He seems very all-work and no play, which I can respect. Only one life to live, ya know? Still, I know that look in his eyes. Those eyes that seem to look at nothing in particular, because your mind is focused on something else. Something you can't let go of. I know that look too well, man. Would that make us... clones? He also seems happy to help me out, which is pretty rad. He's also the tallest person I've ever met. Symbolic value? Probably. I gotta move on myself.

Gotta chill wit the guy more often. I think he's the captain of the B-Ball team? Can't wait to play alongside the guy. I bet the team'll dominate the ladders, yo.

Awww snap dude! This guy's really good- he had me on the ropes! That's awesome! It's really nice to be in that position when it isn't a fight, you know? It's... nice to not need to keep your teeth in place.

Sora Harigae

He seems more sturdy than he looks. Good to know he's doing fine. He's going out with Fujioka-san? Hope they have a good time... Wait... how did he not know who Luigi is? I don't even play video games, but even I knew about the Mario Bros.

A prime target for bullies... I have no idea why, but it pisses me off. People shouldn't hate on a dude for being.

Aeon Belrose (Shirokami)

Haven't met the guy. Learned his name, it's Belrose, right? Eh... I'm not sure what to think of him so far. Slick hair, though. I'd take pointers, but long hair would get in the way of the now. I'll grow mine out later.

Kazuki Miyamoto

Dude seems to be a big-time rebel. I can respect that. Rebels tend to change the world, man. Saw him at the dance. Very ladies' man, kinda like Lars, actually.

Okay yeah, the guy's like... a Japanese version of Lars. Foul-tempered, impatient, he's like time- he waits for no one. Lars made a great training partner. I like that!

Kaz... Are you alright, buddy?

Gen Fukui

Is that hair dyed, or is it like that one dude with the sick hair? Come to think of it, what is it with bright-haired peeps who wear it out long? I've yet to see an albino home-boy with a crew-cut, know what I mean? Seemed bothered by something, though. I hope I can help. I did learn CPR and stuff... buuut I don't think CPR would help with her problems. I mean, she ain't chokin', na'am sayin'?

I think we'll make very good friends! Great dancer. If she don't mind my saying, that costume was off the hook! ... Whatever it was supposed to be, it was cool!

Inryuko, eh? Maids n shit? Very fancy stuff. I should stop by soon. Gotta check the schedule, see if i got the opportunity. Lunch times seem good. I guess it's some kinda restaurant thing?

Okay, okay... This never leaves this room, but she did look kinda cute with her hair down. Don't you dare tell anyone.

Oh my goodness... holy shit... fuck... that was just... that was too close, man... Thank goodness she's alright... It's not like that... She's a friend, a friend!

Shiori Kitogawa

I think she's a cool cat, dude! Bound to have a lot of cool friends too, I'm sure. I would like to give the guy who bruised her a piece of my mind, though. It'd probably feel... nostalgic... to help a brotha out, you know? Or wait, I mean sista.

Cassiopeia Argyris

Green-hair? She's always with that dude with the slick hair, right? ... Wait, why am I assuming that? It's only been the first day. I don't even know if she's a senior or not.

Come to think of it, what happened to her? I haven't seen her at all this gym class. I hope she's okay.

Devone Kim

Bless you.

Fuyuki Hakuryu

Super cool! We're gonna be good friends, I can tell!
... what the heck is oppai?
Oh... that's "oppai"... So she was asking if guys prefer... Ah jeez...

Haruhi Morinozuka

Never met he- Oh wait, yeah I have. Hope she's alright!

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Bishop Trander

Hot damn dude the guy's got more stamina than me! He's gotta be a big-time swimmer dude. I can dig it! I just need to get back in the swing of things and I'll be right there with him.

We're gonna do great! Poor guy's got somethin' on his mind, but I know he'll break through his funk. After all, I did... I did... didn't I?

Johnny Farelli

Saving lives... getting work done... maybe I'm finally moving on after all...?

Rhys Browning

Sick hair, bro. Swimming team captain? I got good vibes about this guy. At least... he kinda reminds me of Avery, especially how angry he's gettin' over Kitogawa-san's bruises. I may have been the so-called "cool guy", but Ave was always the real leader in our group...

Weird leadership choices, not really taking command there. I guess he was just testing the waters... aw fuck that was a pun.

All honesty: I think we're two peas in a pod. He's pretty passionate about helping others, it seems.

Akira Blake

Dude or chick? ... Jeez man, I really shouldn't assume... but my money's on dude... Phew, good thing these are just innermost thoughts, and psychic potential doesn't exist... But then again, that thing with the ninjas never happened before. This school feels... weird...

Tough nut to crack, that's fo sho.

Yuuki Fujioka

Yo, I've seen this kinda thing before. That kinda kid who tries to wall off peeps to focus on schoolwork and nothing else... I've seen bullies flock to that type like moths, dude. Good thing this school's pretty rad. I think she'll do fine, red-head guy considered. Goin' out with the Blue Hair dude? I bet they got somethin' in common.

Given how many uncool dudes I'm starting to come across... I gotta do something... I gotta help...

Tsukiko Kitogawa

Yo it's that musician from Korea! Dude, she's one fine singer. My buddies said a few nice things when we discovered a Youtube video of one of her concerts. I don't think I should relay any of those "nice things", ha ha... Real talk though: she's cool!

Tadashi Kiomine

Yo, that's the dude with the purple eyes, right? I saw him earlier. He looked like he had a lot on his mind. Heh heh, don't we all... I'm sure he's a cool cat. I gotta introduce myself.

Kei Watari

Good eye, recognizing me in the dark. Well, actually Luigi's green stuff would shine surprisingly bright under some of the black lights. Heh.
Strikes me as a dependable guy. Wouldn't mind having him by my side in case shit happens.

Rocco Murray

Was he... was he just choking the kid with the blue hair? Was it provoked? No, I can't assume anything. I gotta know what happened before I can make a call like that.

Mao Nozomi

Who? ... That darker-skinned girl? I mean, she's... someone... Fuck, I was really worried for a sec there...

Maybe i misread entirely, but it seemed like she was a little annoyed at something? I wonder what it was... Was it... Nah, couldn't have been me. I was just helping those photographers out. Helping's what I do!

A really nice artist! And a skater too! She'd like LA. Plenty of skate parks there.

Misaki Serinuma

Wat lol? ... That's what Avery would say. What's that, a photo? ... Huh... Gotta give her props, she's pretty cute. Whoever gets with her'd be a lucky guy, I'd imagine... Well, maybe not. I know jack about her personality, after all.

Kaito Miyuu

What kind of name is "Me-you"? That's a weird sounding name. The pronunciation's all... weird... "Meee-yoooouuuuu"... Eugh. I don't like the sound of it. It sounds like that string that always gets out of tune within minutes.
... Why are you showing me a photo of that Akira Blake fellow? ... Oh, that's Kaito!? My bad! I'd wonder if they're related to each other, but then again I've passed by two albino dudes this morning alone. They're surprisingly common here I noticed. Nothin' like America. No one in the ghetto ever had blue or purple hair either. Is it a Japan cultural thing or something?

Chase Kaufman

Good smile bro! ... You!
... I have no idea who this is...

Kaori Himewari

This is certainly a person! :D

Thanks to Victorant for the character sheet!
Also thanks to Strix for gathering/editing some of the images used!

So begins...

Johnny Farelli's Story

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Yuuki Fujioka Character Portrait: Rocco Murray Character Portrait: Kaori Himewari Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »
  1. Yuuki: https://youtu.be/CVoRgx_DHV8

    by Harυ-cнan
  2. Kaori: https://youtu.be/2fxYjt6KtjM

    by Harυ-cнan
  3. Stat edit - +2 Popularity for both characters talking about Rocco

    by Victorant

0.25 INK

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The girls seemed to quit their gossiping, but it had very little effect on Yuuki's distracted mentality. What a pain... Yuuki thought to herself with a silent sigh. It seemed that the brunette she met earlier that day, Kaori, was sitting behind her. Why the girl chose to sit with her instead of Rocco was beyond Yuuki, but as long as the girl didn't bother her outright there wouldn't be a problem.

"Fujioka-san, Could I bother you for your help on this word here?"

Feeling her nails digging into the palm of her hand, bringing just a little pain, but focusing all of her annoyance under the surface, Yuuki looked up to see who the owner of the voice was. She vaguely remembered meeting him the auditorium, as well as him carrying off that juvenile brat that assaulted Sora. Slipping out of her seat without a word, Yuuki decided that it was worth putting her book down. At least his question seemed to be school related and helping students was one of her new responsibilities. Upon being winked at, Yuuki took her phone out to briefly write down the names of the misbehaving girls that were mocking Johnny, following up on her threat as Akira seemed to be too busy listening to music. If she didn't serve detentions, she wouldn't be taken seriously, and that just wouldn't do. One way or another, she had to get her emotions and the situations she was finding herself in under control. Letting strangers in, losing her focus, it couldn't happen. She would have to be hyper diligent, her guard would have to remain up at all times, especially at Airdalen as it seemed there was little to no avoiding Rocco, Sora, or both during most of her time there. Kyudo Elites with Sora, she had classes with Rocco and gym with both. It was suffocating.

"Are you alright? You seemed out of it there, and I don't think it was those girls who caused it. As a fellow student, I wanna make sure you're alright."

Was it really that obvious? For a moment she hesitated, but realized that it would only make his suspect more, "...I'm fine." Why couldn't she just say it naturally? She WAS fine. What did it matter to her what boys at this school did with their time here? It shouldn't... It didn't! Biting the tip of her tongue harshly, Yuuki reminded herself that she had goals and she was above this kind of behavior. If she was being honest, she was disappointed in herself. If someone who didn't really know her at all could catch on, she was definitely slipping. She needed to get ahold of herself and fill the cracks in the emotional barriers she set between herself and other students before her figurative walls came tumbling down for good. She worked too hard, came way too far to let something like that happen. Elite academy or not, she had to persevere. Blocking them out, if that is what it took, she'd do it happily. There wasn't anything Yuuki wouldn't do if it meant moving up the academic ladder a little bit faster.

"Also I really do need help with this word,"

Adjusting her glasses as a physical representation of adjusting her composure. Going back to the matter at hand, Yuuki tapped the characters on the page, "Etto... (Meaning: Uhm...) This is... ...Pro.." It took her a moment to remember how the pronunciation worked, a moment of hesitancy making sure that she was about to say it right as she switched from Japanese to the English word. Now that she was the female class representative and the club leader of the school's study group, she felt pressure to get it right the first time, "..Progression.." It was a bit struggled as English wasn't her first language, but she managed. From cram school to studying all on her own, Yuuki spent a lot of time practicing English. Even so, the word wasn't one that was frequently used in everyday conversation so it was a bit of a challenge to her.

When class began, Yuuki waved over her shoulder fleetingly as she began to return to her desk, "If that is all, there is an assignment and a partner I must attend to." Yuuki spoke in a courteous but clearly aloof manner as she delivered her parting words. She wasn't the type to open up, but the fact that someone tried to check on her wasn't completely lost on Yuuki. It was a nice sentiment all the same, despite her completely shutting down his attempt to lend an ear. Why do so many people at this school involve themselves in other people's business? Why bother? Why even care in the first place...? Yuuki thought to herself cynically, wondering if there were ulterior motivations behind the intentions of those who seemed to continually intrude upon the matters that did not pertain to them. What did they want?

Sitting down, she spun around in her seat to face Kaori, "Alright, do what you can, but I am not getting a bad grade on this, so if you can't do it, hand it over to me." Yuuki instructed indifferently. She wasn't going to argue this, she would check over each flash card for mistakes before submitting them. Another person being required for this work was not going to ruin her grade. She wouldn't allow it. Pulling out blank flash cards from her bag, Yuuki wasted no time in filling out the cards in both English and Japanese. This assignment was almost too easy for someone who went to cram school and practiced the language. Questions and phrases useful for daily life or travel were the main things such classes taught you, so she was confident in her translations.

Feeling her eyebrows shift as an uncertain expression crossed her features, Kaori hesitantly nodded, "Sure thing..." She agreed, still rather spaced out. She wrote a few questions on the cards, but when her ability to write in English failed, she scooted the paper over to Yuuki. It was better to entrust that part to the class representative, as she seemed to care quite a bit about getting a good score, "Gomenasai, Kaichou. I'm not good at English..." Kaori apologized realizing that the brunt of the English was being placed on Yuuki's shoulders. Still, her apology felt a bit like lying because Kaori knew that her struggle academically wasn't kept to only the one subject. She had trouble all across the board, even in gym class now that she quit gymnastics a few months back. She was not very strong in any of them. She had to make a lot of improvement, but the motivation just wasn't there.

"Perhaps if you had a less disruptive boyfriend you would be able to focus. None at all is ideal when one wishes to focus on improving though." There wasn't resentment coating her words despite how vehemently Yuuki had shut down the girls gossiping about Sora before. Those girls were spreading gossip, wasting valuable time, but it seemed that Kaori was actively trying to do something, in class at least, so she held her with at least some regard for the girl sitting with her. Yuuki was simply stating her own personal beliefs, as it was how she managed to get a scholarship despite coming from such a poor family. Her middle school wasn't the best place to get an education, the books were severely outdated so she had to make up for it with hard work in her free time. Cram school, tons of time in the public library, her life revolved around her studies, and in the end it seemed to have paid off for the most part now that she was sitting among the rich and elite. Still, was it overstepping to say something like that to her classmate? Yuuki wasn't used to offering advice, but she could see that the other girl was making an effort. From the crumbled up flashcards on the desk that were failed attempts at writing the English translations to her determined expression, it was obvious, "...That was probably out of line, Gomenasai." Yuuki apologized, but in her inexperience with that as well her tone wasn't as sincere as it could be and it was presented in a way that was as nonchalant as discussing the state of the weather with a stranger.

Dropping her marker, Kaori quickly bent over and fumbled to pick it up off the floor, "H-He's not-" She couldn't say that. Who could and couldn't be trusted with that information was unclear. She didn't know her classmates well. Even if the class representative wasn't a bad person like the senior was, what if she came to judge Kaori for entertaining a feigned relationship just to avoid an aggressive senior instead of reporting him? She remembered how prickly that class president had been earlier that day. The last thing she wanted was to get on her bad side, "You weren't... " Kaori sighed in defeat. What else could she even say that wouldn't sound like a pathetic excuse or incriminate her situation? Still, it felt nice to discuss things with another girl, especially one that wasn't holding back just because she was the 'girlfriend' of the guy in question. Either the class president was confident or fearless, either way, she could respect that, "He really is...distracting." She thought back to what happened in the hall and visibly shivered. It was the last thing she wanted to think about in class, but now that Yuuki brought him up, it was an unavoidable thought. Just what was he thinking? How could he do something like that without even a trace of difficulty? Kaori didn't even realize she was clenching the marker until the joints in her thumb began to ache as it pressed firmly into the plastic. Slowly loosening her grip Kaori quickly scrawled down her next idea for the assignment in Japanese to busy herself, "You would know too though, right?" Kaori may have taken several steps back in her social abilities, but she wasn't an idiot. He went to sit with Yuuki after getting Kaori's number, and he threw a bit of a tantrum about her denying that he was special, comparable to the two he had thrown with her already, but there was a crowd of potential witnesses and she was the class president. While she was mostly speculating, she assumed that there was something that he had to have done to inspire the class president's comment, well, aside from what little she knew that Yuuki witnessed in the hall. Still, Kaori was almost certain Yuuki didn't even see the worst of it. Given Yuuki's status as a student elected authority figure, she figured that they would have received a stern talking to from the violet-haired girl if she happened to see the problematic side of what happened. She saw that Yuuki went wide-eyed and her suspicion was verified, a brief knowing smile crossing her lips. Watching the class representative clam up and retreat into homework was disheartening, but at the same time at least she wasn't the only one struggling. It left Kaori with an odd sense of camaraderie.

At first Yuuki wasn't sure if that question would lead to unnecessary conflict, so she did her best to avoid it altogether and drown in the assignment, but that was even more suspicious than any stammered answer would have been. Is this going to be a problem now...? Yuuki thought to herself wearily. In the past, she might have felt threatened if this discussion had been about Kei or about any potential sincere and dedicated relationship in the past for that matter... but she wasn't deluded enough to get hung up on a guy so easily, not anymore, especially when it was baseless and fabricated. Boys were unreliable after the novelty of a girl wore off. She knew that all too well after what Kei did to her, but it was something she barely had to remind herself of as she witnessed it every day from overhearing as a relationship ends because of cheating on the side of a street for all to hear all the way to watching grown men buying last minute jewelry and knockoff purses from shady vendors for their wives because they forgot some special occasion or another. She wasn't going to let a boy get in between her and other girls. Girls needed to stick together because they needed someone on their side. She wasn't going to let a boy injure her odds of making a new friend. Not a lot in common, but it's a start. Kaori thought to herself, a little amused by their shared predicament, but only a little. She would have ultimately preferred a conflict-free school life.

Somehow, it seemed even though the conversation cut off that it wasn't necessarily awkward. There was an unspoken understanding in the silence that Yuuki was somewhat confused by. Why wasn't she angrier? More offended? Yuuki couldn't even deny that something had happened, yet the other girl could still smile at her like that. As baffling as it was, they had an assignment to do. Shaking her head with a quiet laugh, Yuuki doubled down, "You're certainly... very strange when it comes to your boyfriend, Himewari-san..." Yuuki replied a little delayed, softly laughing afterward as she wrote, but there wasn't another word on the topic from either of them. It was settled. They each knew what they needed to about the other for now.





Popularity: +1 to Johnny
Popularity: +2 to Rocco

Intellect: +1 to Kaori, Yuuki





Characters Present

Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Yuuki Fujioka Character Portrait: Bishop Trander Character Portrait: Fuyuki Hakuryu Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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  1. Stat edit - Popularity for talking about Fuyuki

    by Victorant

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Johnny “Jay” Farelli


A moment’s hesitation, followed with the words “I’m fine.” Sometimes Johnny wished he had never learned to read microexpressions, it was akin to learning Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny weren’t real. Once one learned it, they could never go back. Most students wouldn’t notice the tiniest movements and muscle contractions, but Johnny could. He didn’t quite believe Yuuki’s provided answer.

Still, she seemed to close up and calm down, and the foreigner wasn’t about to make a scene to get the girl on-edge again. He simply nodded with a warm smile. “I’m glad to hear that,” he replied in a low voice. “Progression,” He added the English word very naturally. “That’s a great word. Arigato, Fujioka-san.” He returned to his work as Yuuki left. She was a good girl at-heart, but something was definitely bothering her. Despite his uncertainty on how different Japanese customs were, and how he shouldn’t butt into the business of others, Johnny had a desire to help solve whatever problem there was. … No... Bottle that up for later. I gotta focus…

One hundred flash cards, covering an English word or phrase and the Japanese equivalent. Not only that, but with a focus on words and phrases that would be useful for tourists. The foreigner could not ask for a more useful assignment for someone in his particular position. With the help of his textbook, Johnny identified his name and Bishop’s name together under “Partnership”. And he got to moving to the more easily identifiable blonde-haired boy with the toned body. “Konichiwa~.” Johnny greeted as he lifted a desk with one strong arm. As the rest of the juniors milled about, minding their own business, Johnny set the desk next to Bishop’s before grabbing the accompanying seat and sliding it casually under his bum with a smooth movement.

With his plan to make up to Gen-chan only applicable later, all Johnny had left on his mind was his joy over saving that girl from the fire. Tapping into that joy, the foreigner felt laser-focused toward this class. Johnny immediately got to jotting down some phrases in English. His handwriting was typically messy, yet legible. For this assignment, however, Johnny made sure to write each phrase in as clean a print as he could. His mind fired on all cylinders as he recalled all the times he met tourists in Los Angelas who had asked for directions, as well as the phrases Johnny had asked for himself as the so-called “new blood” in this country. Visits to coffee shops, bus stations, even restaurant orders, Johnny remembered as many as he could, and easily got at least fifty set up with English phrases. In English, all the phrases filled his mind… but he needed to write down the Japanese equivalents; that was the hard part.

The foreigner then laid his textbook open on the new desk. As he thought up the Japanese equivalent of saying the things he had written down, Johnny looked over his textbook to find the written character equivalent. Over the past two months- and even before he had moved to Japan, Johnny primarily focused on the spoken language. Reading and writing the language was a whole other ball game. That said, Johnny felt he could do it, especially alongside Bishop-kun.

“How’s things with Fuyu-chan, by the way?” Johnny asked, “Were you safe from that fire?” He was particularly focused on the schoolwork, but it couldn’t hurt to break the ice. Johnny didn’t even need the microexpressions knowledge to tell that Bishop-kun had something on his mind. Between a tired look in the blonde’s eyes and his head hung low, It was like Johnny could literally read the words, Bishop-kun just wanted the week to be over.

---

Intellect +1
Popularity +1 to Yuuki, Fuyuki

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Bishop Trander Character Portrait: Fuyuki Hakuryu Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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  1. Stat edit - Popularity for talking about Fuyuki

    by Victorant

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BISHOP TRANDER


He was in his own head for the most part as students filtered in and got themselves situated. When the bell rang, he more or less snapped out of his daydreaming and glanced around to see what was going on. In all honesty not much had changed, but he did notice that there was a list on the board giving them all directions on the day's assignment. <Oh so... I guess there's no teacher for this class?> In truth, this was a relief seeing as he had a lot going on and a teacher to pick on someone and put them on the spot was a small relief. He read the list and instructions finding that this was kinda simple; or at least the project was straight forward. Also he was with Johnny which made him smile. The taller junior was smiling most of the time, so seeing a friendly face right about now was a huge relief. “Konichiwa~.” The deeper voice made Bishop turn to see his new partner (Johnny) make his way over with desk in hand. "Ohayo."

Easily the two got to work, both having a master of English they thought up of dozens of English phrases. It seemed that Johnny struggled with the Japanese equivalent so Bishop helped, he wasn't as fluent as he liked to be but his mother had taught him Japanese since he was little making the project go by easier. In some cases, there weren't any clean translations so they had to investigate an alternative together. In the mix, Bishop would learn a few new phrases as well in the process. The two were working well together.

“How’s things with Fuyu-chan, by the way?” "Hm?" Suddenly his face shot red after understanding the question. “Were you safe from that fire?” There was a pregnant pause with Bishop's mouth slightly agape looking to Johnny. "Y-yeah we're fine!" He'd state that comment entirely too loud in the class then sat up. "Well, not- well. 'We' isn't the proper term. Not that we- no uhh.... W-we were fine, wasn't even in the building. Hah." In a rush Bishop lowered his head to just a few inches above the table going back to diligently working. "Did- were uh. Were you anywhere near the fire? I mean you're here now so- you're fine. Right?" Johnny's guess that Bishop was tired of this week was right on the nose. He was an awkward mess, very happy to work on this and get this day over with.
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Intelligence +1 (Bishop)
Popularity +1 (Fuyuki)

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Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Bishop Trander Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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Johnny “Jay” Farelli


Johnny stared thoughtfully at Bishop from the sudden volume shift. He blinked once, then his mouth spread once more into his typical easy smile. “That’s good to hear.” he replied as his lips curled into a grin. The foreigner was fairly certain that he and Haruhi were the last ones out, but "fairly" and "absolutely" were different words for a reason. Johnny was genuinely glad to hear that everyone was alright, Bishop included. That said, Johnny couldn’t help but chuckle at how cute Bishop was suddenly acting. “Gomen, that was rude,” he pinched a cheek with a free hand to regain composure.

“Anyway, yeah, I’m all good, man.” A sudden tug in his heart. A sudden familiar tug in his heart. I can’t… shouldn’t tell a lie- No. You are fine. You may have fucked up earlier with Gen, but you still saved Haruhi-chan! But don’t brag about it. Be stoic and strong, like Superman!

“I just helped someone get to the park, N-B-D.”
As the foreigner learned more of the written language, he started writing some of the first symbols he determined would fit. While his English handwriting was perfectly solid, the calligraphy of the symbols was incredibly sloppy. When he compared his work to that of his partner's, Johnny stifled laughter at the sheer juxtaposition of skill. Hi gaze moved from Bishop’s own work to the blonde-haired boy himself. Johnny could almost feel the heat radiating from a brain that desperately tried to maintain composure.

“Chin up, my friend,” He softly pat a large hand on Bishop’s back. “I think it’d be strange if a first week at school turned out perfect, you know? I know I’ve done some dumb-ass things this week. You just gotta hold your head high and keep moving forward.”

Easier said than done in my case, but I’ll figure it out- I have to.

Intellect +1
Popularity +1 Bishop

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Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Bishop Trander Character Portrait: Fuyuki Hakuryu Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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What a train wreck, Bishop listened a bit more on edge than what warranted for the situation. Johnny laughed and he gave a curious look, instinctively checking himself but then realized it wasn't him. He was over reacting probably and sighed. “I just helped someone get to the park, N-B-D.” 'NBD', that made him chuckle himself. Not many people actually spoke like that, even in English so it was funny. "Well at least you helped some people. Not everyone does that."

Staying busy with class work, Bishop continued on with the list of important words to know for a tourist.
-Bus schedule
-bathroom
-please
-police station
-bus station
-train station
-park

"Chin up my friend." With a hand on his back, the blonde looked up to his fellow exchange student with a curious expression. “I think it’d be strange if a first week at school turned out perfect, you know? I know I’ve done some dumb-ass things this week. You just gotta hold your head high and keep moving forward.” There was a pause. How did he know? Did he know? For several moments Bishop sat there unsure as what to say. "H-Hai.... Thanks. Johnny. Turning to look at his desk he sighed, then glanced to the clock to see what time it was. It was then he remembered that he was going to introduce his senior (Fuyuki) to his parents. <One thing at a time...>

Bishop would glance around the class to just see if anyone else was watching him. Not that he expected anyone to, he was hardly anything to notice or be deemed as important in school. If nothing caught his eye, he'd get back to work being more involved now and helping Johnny with some of the words or phrases that he knew and Johnny didn't. And for whatever they didn't know, they referred to their dictionaries.
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Intelligence +1 (Bishop)
Popularity +1 (Johnny)

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Devone Kim Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Bishop Trander Character Portrait: Sora Harigae Character Portrait: Misaki Serinuma Character Portrait: Ryou Giou
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"Thank you very much!" A cheerful smile accompanied those words. Being called gorgeous, it is something Fuyuki had grown accustomed to. She received it countless times whether it was lip talk or sincerely, the novelty eventually wore of. But, it also meant she was able to distinguish the intentions behind that common compliment. "Unfortunately, none. I am simply a Japanese..." It ended with a helpless sigh. She had always found the traditions and the philosophy of the pure restrictive. So, the term anomaly is a word she associated with pleasant uniqueness. "So, I am envious of your anomaly. It makes you more beautiful."

Their small talks continued while Fuyuki worked on the assignment with lightness. "Of course, we are partners after all!" Unlike the rest, she has no problems working with others whether known or not to her. She was raised to cater to the public and it helps that she is an inherent people-person. "Hm?" She was a bit engrossed with the sentence she wrote down, before the dot connected. "This you mean?" Her fingers reached for her hair bells as she gently held it. "Yes, it is. The sound is comforting and also ensures I would never be lost!" Tapping it playfully, the tinkling sounds came out.

Following that sound, the school bell rang. "I guess we are done for the day." Fuyuki stretched her arms forward as she glanced at the paper containing Misaki's contact details. "Sure!" She picked it up and waved at her partner goodbye. "Well until then, have a nice day!" When she was now alone, she gathered the papers for the homework. They were mostly done, just the final touches. So, there were really not much work left. She then decided to leave soon after, she has an appointment after school. She was looking forward to it. But before leaving, she gave Kazuki a look over and meeting those golden eyes, she waved at him and then went on her way.

But, Fuyuki has yet to completely step out of the room when she saw a rather interesting scene. Her eyes shimmered as she decided to take that exit. She walked passed Devone and like a soft passing breeze, it carried a hint for her. "Kim Reizei Devone-san. Hold tightly on that black knight." And when the meaning had reached, she was already quite a distance from the scene. She would have joined in the fun, but she has things to do. She did, however gave Sora, a wave. She then took out her phone and pressed a number. There is a call she should make.

Not before long, Fuyuki was in front of a classroom. It was one of the rooms used by the juniors. Specifically, she was here to pick up hers. Class is already done. Normally, it would be the boy who would be picking up the girl. But, she was older and the senior, so the ball was hers to roll. It was undeniable that her presence was making a commotion among the other juniors. After all, she is a senior and notably, she had been making quite a name for herself, being a new transfer student, couple days ago. This, of course, was not done intentionally.

"B-kun?" There was no teacher so Fuyuki entered the room and found her junior. Her face lit up like a lamp in a dark alley. The sound of bells followed her movements which made it rather difficult not to take notice of her presence. She went to Bishop with that smile of hers. The others within the room grew envious, after all, it was a senior girl and as Misaki described, a gorgeous one. "Let's go home." She then looked at Johnny. "Hello Jay-chan! I hope you don't mind me taking my junior away."
Intellect +1 Fuyuki
Popularity +1 Ryou and Misaki

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Gen Fukui Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Bishop Trander Character Portrait: Fuyuki Hakuryu Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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  1. Closed from interaction - Incoming Collab!

    by HolyJunkie

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Johnny “Jay” Farelli


The American giant did not have any club obligations on Friday, which made it a perfect day for Johnny Farelli to begin his new part-time job. Today had been a pretty hectic day, which left the foreigner clenching his jaw in a somewhat grim apprehension. After all, he still had to deal with certain consequences. While he performed as well as he could in class, he couldn't help but dread the implications of Gen-chan not returning during lunch.

Was the word he had asked about such a taboo that she'd hate him now? What could the word possibly mean? Why did Fuyu-chan introduce the word in the first place? Was Fuyu-chan some sort of cunning tease? The foreigner didn't know for sure. Looks can be deceiving; he was living proof of that. However, he couldn't confirm such a thought until a pattern showed up. All he knew was that he felt his stomach turn every time he recalled that petrified look on Gen-chan's face, and the sound of the clip board hitting the stone-covered ground of the park, where Inryoku had been stationed temporarily.

Despite his reservations and anxiety, he wasn't about to fail at the advice he just gave his partner, Bishop. Near the end of class, Johnny held an at-worst neutral expression while working. When Johnny and Bishop had only just completed their cards, the bell rang. With a rubber band holding the flash cards together, the tall American stepped to the front and slipped the bundle into the teacher's inbox. As he did, he heard the familiar bells of Fuyu-chan. The senior had come to pick up Bishop, it seemed. This was only confirmed when she spoke directly to Johnny.

Without really thinking, he nodded and flashed a thumbs-up. "Don't let me keep him!" He joked with a grin. In truth, he really wanted to have Fuyu-chan explain what "oppai" meant. When he thought of it, he felt his lungs tighten, like phantom hands squeezed them. He couldn't just ask that in front of the classroom. With Gen-chan's reaction, who knows what everyone else would say and do? He bit his tongue behind closed lips, hiding his intentions under the quip. Instead, he decided to take his leave first. Before heading out the door. He waved to Bishop, "Keep your chin up, Bishop. See you later!" He smiled naturally enough, but Fuyu-chan's presence simply reminded him of the whole "oppai fiasco". Hide the anxiety. Be tough. Keep your chin up, he reminded himself as he headed out the door.

---

The school-provided textbooks were stored surprisingly neatly alongside the ukulele case. At the top of the locker, Johnny's small gym bag hung on a hook, containing his gym outfit. The foreigner slapped his cheeks as he stared into his locker. After the initial sting, the foreigner rubbed his cheeks to try to clear his mind. It was depressing thoughts like this "oppai" anxiety that brought her to the forefront. The foreigner couldn't afford such a distraction in a foreign country, though it seemed that distractions find him anyway. This school, after all, seemed unusual and alien to him.

After a long period of consideration, Johnny carefully shut and locked up the stuff he wouldn't need to bring home. It doesn't matter now. his thoughts jumbled the words together, I did help someone at least. It was enough to get him to smile and wave to others who greeted the tall foreigner. He even came across those art students who had used his well-toned body as a reference. "Words can hurt, but words can heal too," he recalled the words from his best friend. Avery always knew how to diffuse a situation. Although there were some situations words couldn't resolve, and Johnny was the backup plan. Johnny chuckled at the bittersweet memory as he moved.

Time seemed to speed on by when the foreigner was heading through the corridors, milling through waves of students heading to their respective clubs or rendezvous points for Friday night hangouts. The American didn't have such luxuries today. He had the first day of his job to worry about. He pondered if the Smith would be able to help him with figuring out a Kris Kringle gift.

Outside, the ground was cleared up from fallen cherry blossoms, and the faintest traces of smoke from the fire lingered high in the sky. The building that had been affected was taped off while construction workers moved briskly about, moving materials, tools, and in some cases, coffee. The foreigner couldn't help but be impressed at how quickly the school organized so many workers. Was it all on stand-by? Just how well-funded was this school? The foreigner could hardly believe it. Having come from the ghetto, the mere idea of "Top funding" seemed almost alien to him. His previous school in particular was... notorious... partly because of its meager funding. It made Avery and the Boyz seem like diamonds in the rough, though the old teachers didn't much care for their music and tendency to get into trouble.

"Welp..." The foreigner turned away from the sight of repairs and renovations and started heading for the main gate. As he spoke to himself, he straightened himself with a summoned determination. The sheer height of the American was noticeable from across the campus. "I'm gonna get to the forge and work, and figure something out," He vowed to himself in a low voice, "And nothing will come out of the blue and stop me."

---

Intellect +1 to Johnny
Notoriety +1 to Fuyuki (Had to think hard on this one, lol)

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Bishop Trander Character Portrait: Fuyuki Hakuryu Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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The project between Bishop and Johnny went as smoothly as one could hope for. Right as the bell rang, the boys had finished and wrapped up their flashcards with a rubber band. He sighed in relief and began to pack up. He had a weekend to look forward to and relax, hit the pool and let this bad first week just roll off- or that's what he hoped. It was a lot to process, with his long time dear friend Devone being found after so long, only for her to shut him down completely. Making 1 new friend (Akira), being shut out for a spot on the school's swim team despite his athletic scholarship. Then there was a fire and all the drama surrounding that.

During his mental thoughts, he paused thinking about all the people he met and the events the school hosted. Akira, Johnny, Arietta, Mei and others that sort of just- disappeared. His thoughts then once again turned to Fuyuki as a blush covered his cheeks. The remarkably bright girl who out-shined him in a blinding sense. She was.... Enamoring and so very frustrating for the poor junior all at the same time, he didn't get as to why she was so eager and keen on having him by her side. He was beyond flattered and wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to say no right no. It was all so very confusing.

Bishop continued to think and dwell on Fuyuki to the point where he didn't notice that she walked in looking for him, missing her signature sound of bells. He had her pictured in his mind when she approached. "B-Kun?" Bishop froze and slowly turned around, thinking for a moment that she was summoned thanks to his day dreaming. [cololr=#0080FF]<Crap.... Does she know I was thinking about her?>[/color] He smiled sheepishly with red cheeks. "H-Hai, senpai-" "Let's go home." "G-g-g-g-g-o where?" Why did she have to say it like THAT?!

In a moment of panic, he looked around to his other students to see if anyone was giving them attention- which of course since it was Fuyuki several students were watching. "Ah- yeah. S-sure... We should go, Fuyu-senpai." Bishop was clutching his bag with a white knuckle grip as his heart raced, looking down into her (Fuyuki's) eyes. Fortunately she turned away to address Johnny. "Hello Jay-chan! I hope you don't mind me taking my junior away." "Don't let me keep him!"

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"Keep your chin up, Bishop. See you later!" This was all so embarrassing. "Y-Yeah, hehe." Bishop gave a thumbs up to Johnny as he left, leaving him one on one with the girl who made him so stressed out for some odd reason. He gulped and clenched his bag tighter, looking down when Fuyuki went back to him- which didn't help at all since his eyes were starring straight at her chest. When he caught himself he awkwardly shifted to the right to avert his gaze, did she (Fuyuki) notice? "So uh- you ready to go?" His eyes shifted over to look back to his senior (Fuyuki) daring to look her in the eyes again, when they did he inhaled silently and bit his lip; suddenly remembering their moment on the park bench earlier.
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Intelligence +1 (Bishop)

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Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Bishop Trander Character Portrait: Fuyuki Hakuryu Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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"Arigatou!" Fuyuki's gaze landed on the departing form of Johnny. Her eyes held that usual cheer, but underneath there is a subtle glint. What it exactly meant was left only to her understanding. And when the green-eyed foreigner left, she returned her undivided attention to her adorable junior, Bishop. His cheeks were red like plums that she wanted to pinch them like some kind of stuffed toy. However, she still has the sensibilities not too cause much attention. After all, she could already see that her junior was not used to such spotlight. So, she held back.

There was another interesting thing to note. Fuyuki followed Bishop's gaze when he was looking down. It pinpointed to one of her peeves, so to speak. "Tell me." She leaned forward, awfully close to his face, while placing her hands on the desk between them. "Do you also like them bigger?" There was a noticeable pout on her lips, but her eyes reflected seriousness and the hopelessness which resembled that of a puppy. Her expression was seductively charming that the other juniors present could not help but blush and the other overly active ones had nosebleeds. "Do you?"

When Bishop managed a response, Fuyuki decided to relent. She pulled away from the desk and then offered her hand for him to take. "Well, we can't keep them waiting, right?" She was of course referring to his parents. It would be rude for her to keep their son this long. She had also informed ahead her security and house that she would be returning home at a later time. There was an obvious resistance, but she had always been the kind that blazes through her path and just face the consequences afterwards. It was fine as long as she did what she wished for.

"Kindly escort me, B-kun." Those acacia-hued eyes gazed at Bishop. From this point on, Fuyuki would rely on him. Ever since she was young, she had always been taken by car to anywhere she goes. Unless, it was something she did not receive permission to. But usually, she would have just walked there. She does have basic knowledge of public transportation, but she never really used one. But if he would be picked up, she would still need to rely on him to introduce her or at least present her to his parents.

Fuyuki allowed herself to be led by Bishop, but of course she was holding his hand. It was something she would not concede on. The serenity that was constantly far from her was near again. It was a surprising thing and she had yet to fully understand why it was that case for her. That is why she simply followed behind her junior and looked at his profile with a gentle gaze. Never once did she looked at anything or anyone else. But inside her mind, she was seeking answers to her questions.

It had been just a few days since Fuyuki's attendance at Airdalen. But, she had encountered a lot of familiar faces. Some were pleasant, some were not so. She also met new interesting people. She learned new things and confirmed old ones. But at the end of it all, she was thankful to have Bishop as her junior. At first, it was just curiosity. She had always been fond of foreigners. But then, she received something more than a mere satisfaction for her preference. This had been a colorful week for her.

Fuyuki's hold to Bishop's hand tightened. "Don't leave me alone. Don't let me go, okay?"

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Character Portrait: Gen Fukui Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Kazuki Miyamoto Character Portrait: Tadashi Kiomine Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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xxxxGen was exhausted as she stepped out of the Humanities building. Unfortunately, she had not completed the assignment as the class ended. Half of the time was spent speaking with Aeon about her partner, Cassiopeia's absence then followed by an attempt to mediate between Tadashi and Kazuki. The Hellion called her friend Tadashi, 'Tin Man'. It really irked her as reality came crashing down that Kazuki wasn't always a nice person. Her involvement also didn't seem to matter as the two boys subtly jabbed each other with remark after remark about a pretend job interview. Tadashi remained courteous asking about her progress with her assignment and patting her shoulder to show that everything would be alright but she was still troubled about their difficult partnership. At the very least, it's temporary. I should focus on finishing mine before it's due.

xxxxShe waved as she neared Tadashi sitting on a bench under a tree. "Hi dear~ thanks for waiting." They were roommates so even if it wasn't spoken or reminded about, there was an expectation that they would travel home together as good friends. Tadashi really was a gentleman to think of her. She caught him smile to himself and tilted her head curiously because from what she had witnessed in English class, it wasn't the smoothest running day to earn one. "You're smiling~ may I ask why?" She teased a little like he had been caught red-handed but really, she is happy that he is and smiled too. Gen suddenly remembered that there was something she needed to take care of before heading home and the timing was good too as she caught sight of the tall junior, Johnny approaching the school gates. "Tadashi-kun, there's someone I need to speak with first. I won't be long!" she explained quickly before running off and letting him stay seated or catch up with her at his own pace. Gen still had every intention to travel together.

xxxx"Jay~!" Gen called out with a hand waving in the air from the other side of the gate. She was short and easily blended in the crowd of students if not for her hair, a light blue color that reflected calm skies. Some students moved aside as the School Diva thanked them and tried to quickly but politely make her way to catch Johnny's attention before she lost sight of him. She was a bit ashamed of her reaction at the Inryoku cafe, as the leader of the host club and as his friend but such a question had really surprised her. Now that there had been some time to adjust to the surprising nature of it, she wanted to make things right before the weekend. It couldn't wait until Monday because she cared about him and didn't want him to worry. What kind of hostess would she be to leave a customer on a bad note? More importantly, what kind of friend would she be to leave Johnny unanswered and potentially confused?

xxxxD'oh! Just as he crossed the threshold through the main gate, the foreigner froze in a comical way. With a slow turn, his eyes beheld none other than Gen. With a gasp, his eyes lit up. "Gen-chan!" She took another step forward and a deep breath in before speaking. Gen had all intention to talk about what happened and the question he posed but she was having a hard time finding the right words. While she was committed to get around to it, it didn't make the task any less daunting. She was reserved about such topics and found them embarrassing to think about and even moreso, say out loud to an individual of the opposite gender. "I'm really sorry.. I didn't have the chance to return at the cafe." She began. An apology was owed first as her face was full of guilt. She could have reacted more professionally, she could have masked her surprise more and she could have avoided the scene overall but she wasn't perfect. Even as an aspiring actress, she had a long road ahead of her.

xxxx"No no, it's alright. If anything, I'm really sorry," The foreigner seemed to mirror Gen as he spoke at almost the same time, "I didn't know what that word meant and I just had to ask that in the middle of your club and I-" There was barely a breath between words as Gen insisted on taking responsibility. "I should have answered your question instead of leaving it like that." "I should've known the word meant something bad..." Johnny pressed his palm to his face and pinched his temples. Her crucifix eyes widened as her friend looked stressed. Her fingers reached out and brushed over his hand that was by his face with warm reassurance. "You couldn't have known, dear~ It's fine, really. I should be the one to apologize. I'm glad you wanted to ask me." Gen smiled, looking up at him.

xxxxThe thick guitarist's hand moved with the smaller, softer hand, and Johnny stared at Gen for a good moment. Then, he cracked a smile, and he began to chuckle. "Heh... look at us." He stood up straight and pat Gen's hand with his other. "I'm so relieved, though. I thought you'd have hated me for that... but I shouldn't have made that..." He struggled for the word, so he went with the English word, "Assumption. I shouldn't have made that assumption... I'm also sorry." Gen released her grasp on his hand as the misunderstanding's tension was cleared. A hint of pink surfaced her cheeks as passerbys whistled at the heartfelt moment, drawing their own conclusions. "I don't think I could ever hate you, Jay~" She really couldn't. They were dates to the Halloween dance and he had been there for her when she was harrassed during gym class. They were still in an awkward getting to know each other stage but Gen was certain that Jay was a good person, a true friend through and through and the language barrier didn't change that. Johnny smiled. The words said seemed to flow through him like liquid gold, filling him with a serene sense of relief. He wanted to say something in response, but the simple smile seemed all that could ever be needed.

xxxxThen there was the tricky part, answering the dreaded question. Gen couldn't look him in the eyes because it was too embarrassing and she fidgeted by playing with her hair until it was all said and done. "Oppai means... a lady's chest size is..generous..." She spoke slowly, carefully selecting the words to get across the meaning without furthering the embarrassment. generous...? For a moment, Johnny stared into Gen's amethyst eyes. His lips flattened as Johnny's emerald eyes brimmed with puzzlement. Somewhere behind the lenses, however, gears were spinning at lightspeed. When it finally clicked, he snorted. "Oh..." His mouth curled into a grin, and he began to laugh. "Oh!" He took a deep breath, but the laughter came back in droves. "Oh thank goodness. Thank goodness, I'm so glad..." As he wiped a tear from one eye, the foreigner finally calmed down. The relief on his face was palpable. "Man... I'm so happy it was just that. All this time, I thought it was somethin' like a racial slur!"

xxxxGen sweatdropped. She was glad Johnny took it well but she didn't share in the amusement. It had been tough to say. "I...overreacted, didn't I?" she thought aloud because she's well aware that her sensibilities do not align with her generation of peers. Sora easily came to mind as she recalled how openly he misinterpreted Tadashi accompanying her. Highschool gossip also did not avoid such topics that she would shrink from. She felt different in that regard and while she stayed glued to her traditional views, the world was constantly changing. Johnny shrugged as he rubbed the back of his head, "I just felt so bad about it. Given what I thought it could be, It's... i dunno- funny... that it turned out to be like, nowhere near what I thought. I'd never wanna hurt my friends." He smiled a wide, pearly-white smile. "I'd never wanna hurt you." Gen smiled back just as wide, shoving her insecurities to the back of her mind. What did it matter if she was different? She still had friends who accepted her just as she is. "Thank you dear. I'd never want to hurt you too."

xxxxThe foreigner, however, suddenly lost all light in his eyes. As he heard a voice shout a more explicit version of "Get out of the way!" Johnny's eyes wandered slightly. He spotted something that made colour wash from his face. A freak accident? A car lost control? A reckless driver? It couldn't be confirmed yet. All that mattered was that a car launched onto the curb, and was barrelling its way towards the two students directly outside the gate.

xxxxJohnny's brain screamed, MOVE!! Adrenaline burst forth like a grenade. Time seemed to slow for the foreigner as his legs bent and launched him forward in an explosive acceleration. His thick arms shot out, one wrapped around Gen's waist, the other wrapped around her torso and rested his hand over her head. "Jay?" she squeaked out, oblivious to the car and incoming danger. She had no clue why she was pulled so close to his form. The unfamiliar male warmth and musk sent her mind in a frenzy. It happened too fast with no time for questions or a chance to pull away.

xxxxThe foreigner didn't think much about how it would look from a reputation perspective as he pressed her close. All he cared about was getting the both of them out of the way. His legs exploded with kinetic energy as soon as he had a secure grip on Gen-chan. With a slight twist in his movement, the foreigner spun in the air to keep the smaller girl above his larger muscular body. He barely felt the car brush against his foot before the two of them descended towards the ground. As his intended spin brought him below, the foreigner saw, for a split-second, an angry driver's profile as the car sped off beyond the wall. He knew he had seen the face before, but that had to have been impossible. The face Johnny knew was left behind in San Francisco. There was no sound to signify that the car had crashed; only the dopler effect of the roaring engine making distance.

xxxxWith a thud, the foreigner landed on his back, with Gen-chan held close to his chest. His heart roared like an engine as his eyes glazed over. Images of blood and the sound of screams flooded his mind as lagged memories followed the surge of adrenaline his body instinctively forced out. On the sidewalk on the inside of the wall, Johnny's wide eyes were glazed over as he inhaled sharply, and panted heavily. Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Holy fuck. Holy shit. He clenched his eyes shut to try to stem the torrent of his thoughts. As tears formed around his eyes, his voice spoke weakly. "May...? Wh..." No... not her... she's... After they opened again, His eyes regained focus as he started to control his breathing. "G-Gen! Gen-chan! Talk to me, are you- Are you alright?"

xxxxThe phantom appeared squatting in front of Johnny. Within the black figure, a wide, toothy grin emerged. The phantom hands then moved to form sign language only the foreigner could read. I / see / how / it / is / . / First / fire / now / this / .
It's not like that... The phantom shook in a way that suggested laughter, and subsequently vanished. It's... not... "Gen?" Johnny repeated, "Please be okay..."

xxxxGen's eyes opened with some hesitation. That was the closest she had ever been to a near death experience. Living alone, she had always feared something bad would happen. In fact, if it hadn't been for Johnny.. Gen was panicking as her thoughts raced with overwhelming 'what ifs'. Her breathing was heavy, rapid and her small form couldn't stop shaking. She didn't know how to calm down on her own, still reeling in from the shock. One minute they were just talking and the next, they were dodging a speeding car.

xxxxThe foreigner's thick muscles released their tension as he sighed in relief. For a split-second, Johnny suddenly managed to think of something other than Gen. He turned his head towards the gate, but the car was nowhere to be seen. A chase scene? Johnny didn't get a license plate number, having been so focused on preventing a tragedy. In regards to dealing with the runaway car, he was in no position to do anything. Instead, the foreigner kept his thick arms wrapped around Gen in a gentle, protective embrace. He also rested his cheek on her head. After a moment to re-take control over his breathing, Johnny spoke softly into Gen's ear. Due to how shaken he was, he didn't even think to speak in Japanese. "Gen-chan, listen to me: breathe slowly. Take a deep breath. Everything's gonna be alright," He reassured as the adrenaline wore off, flooding his torso with the pain of developing bruises, "Everything's-" He winced, "gonna be alright."

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COLLABORATION WITH HOLYJUNKIE

|| NOTORIETY +1 KAZUKI ||
|| CHARM +1 JOHNNY, GEN ||

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Gen Fukui Character Portrait: Akira Blake Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Bishop Trander Character Portrait: Kazuki Miyamoto Character Portrait: Fuyuki Hakuryu
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"Hmm..." Kazuki looked unimpressed by Akira's retorts and probably the act of escaping from his whimsical villainy. As if to emphasize that, he did not move as he watched her scamper away through the nearby window as if it was not his problem at all. The eyes that had been gathered towards them now held a well of concern towards the white-haired junior who ran away from the infamous Hellion. When it comes to resisting him, it never ends well that is the prevalent notion of those who knew the trouble-loving senior.

After a good few seconds, Kazuki finally moved and went to the now opened window. His amber gold eyes looked at Akira's escaping figure. "So girly." He muttered under his breath, but it did not matter to him if anyone heard it though. He tilted his head to the left and placed a hand at his nape as if expressing through his actions that this 'bothersome'. Actually if one would truly observe, his eyes moved so subtly quick, casting its attention ever so briefly towards 'Rapunzel' and that eyesore of a blonde kid. It seemed blonde people are sources of his irritation, always. At this point, he can empathize why Hitler chose to annihilate an entire race, instead of a few.

Kazuki placed a hand at the window sill which lifted him up and then he effortlessly slid out of the window in a smooth fashion. His feet landed on the ground without issue as he began to walk away following Akira's trail. However, he did not seem to be in a hurry at all. It was far different from the usual fast-paced him that is seen by all. He seemed to be out of his element. People believed he would be running after his prey like a cheetah, but instead he was enjoying a leisurely stroll. There was no urgency in his steps as he even greeted some acquaintances he passed by. Yet, it would not be good to underestimate him. Because even now, his eyes were certainly locked on his 'toy'. There was no escaping that especially when he needs a good round of distraction.

Eventually, Kazuki found an interesting tool. "Let me have it and I'll hook you up with Saori later." He spoke with that confident tone which people usually could not help but believe in. The said guy handed it to him and he placed it beneath his feet. That devious smirk returned to his lips as he kicked his foot for a good start and soon enough he was literally skating through the school grounds without him wasting much energy. It was not a problem for him to dodge the stationary or moving objects in his way. After all, he is hardwired to bypass all walls or locks that prevent him from doing whatever he pleases with his life. But of course, it didn't take long when he garnered the attention of the school staff.

It was rather inevitable. Kazuki was skateboarding through the crowd of students all heading to their clubs or going home. Moreover, he was not the kind to mind other people. He had always let people make a path for him rather than him telling them to move away beforehand. The school staff was yelling at him to not skateboard or to stop causing trouble for others. Now, he found those orders disagreeable to him and so, he simply continued on his way, letting it be carried by the wind and before long, he was coasting beside Akira without much fuss. "Oi. Kaichou-chan. Did you really think you can escape me?" His voice carried the usual mischief, but also held a certain tint of aggressiveness. He placed down a foot to stop his momentum and kicked the board up as he caught it effortlessly.

ImageThen, Kazuki wrapped his free arm around Akira's frame from behind and pulled her in a one-arm embrace. It was both an intimate and restraining action that he has no trouble using. His eyes narrowed with teasing quality as he placed his face so awfully closed to hers. They were clearly skin-to-skin. His gold pupils exuded that devilish confidence and his lips adorned a sneer. "Since you are so adamant going to work." His very breath blew on her face with that husky sensation while his scent wrapped around her.

"Let's go. I will accompany you." Kazuki pulled Akira closer. He also did not mind if people are staring at them. He also did not mind the passing whispers in regards to his sexual preferences. Certainly, it would not be long before it had spread within the campus the possibility of him and her having that homosexual affiliation. "I will compensate your hard work. I assure you." The last of his words were said with that seductive undertone and him teasingly nibbling a portion of her ear. "Kaichou-chan." He made a point as this time, he encircled her body with his other arm that was still holding the skateboard in hand, completely locking her against him.

However, there was no need for Akira to resist. That's because his hold slackened. His eyes were not looking at her anymore and instead was glued with intensity at the main gates. A whirl of emotion flashed through his gaze, but it was hard to pinpoint what they were due to how fast they disappeared. One thing was for certain. He released the white-haired junior from his arms. "I'll find you later." He messed her hair for good measure and even left the skateboard with her, but his eyes never rested on her even once. He then walked away from her without much fuss. His feet soon carried him to the scene where another car incident occurred. It had not even been a week since the one he was personally involved in. That memory brought him a wave of unnecessary emotions that he crumpled and threw away immediately.

"Big guy." Kazuki was now standing over Johnny and Gen who were in an embrace. His eyes for the first time did not hold the normal sass. Instead, it held that glint of familiarity as it overlapped with something coldly stern. "Let Gen go now. You might crush her." It was hard to detect if he was being mean or being considerate, but there was no joke in his tone this time around. His golden eyes narrowed giving it a sharpness resembling that of a jungle cat calculating the detailed movements of whatever that took its attention. He lowered himself to the grown as he squatted right behind Gen. "Take care of yourself." His eyes landing on Johnny without a ripple of emotion in it. As it would appear, he and this jug-head seemed to meet under the getting hurt star.

Image"Why are you always getting hurt when we meet, big guy?" Whether there is a jab of humor there or none, it cannot be determined so easily since Kazuki looked at Johnny with those eyes piercing in its gaze. "But, thanks." He muttered as he switched his attention to the crowd gathering about. "If you are not helping or calling for someone to clean this mess, scram now." A growl from the Hellion was enough to have some to scatter away. He did not carry much dark clout of fear like that of Ryou or respect by Aeon, but he did carry a reputation that is not afraid of having a throw down if angered.

"Gen." Kazuki addressed his fellow senior, but it was softer. He waited for her response to him, before he continued on. "Come with me." He stretched out his arms a bit, opening it for her. His eyes softened something quite different than what is known of him and if one had been observing him in detail. They would consider this rather unorthodox of the Hellion. Recently, he would only show such gentleness towards a certain brown-haired girl senior. "I need to know you're fine." The haughtiness, arrogance, and confident mischief could not be heard or seen in him at the moment. "Okay?" He added like an assurance and his eyes solely reflected Gen.

Notoriety + 1 Bishop

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Character Portrait: Gen Fukui Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Kazuki Miyamoto Character Portrait: Tadashi Kiomine Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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Tadashi waited for a moment on the bench, enjoying his surroundings until a familiar voice graced his ears. "Hi dear~ thanks for waiting." Her taller senior partner and roommate stood, sweeping some hair from his face Tadashi stood to great his dear friend Gen. There was a look that Gen have him, which made those bi-colored eyes of his looked down at her curiously, ignoring the severe height difference between the two. [b]"You're smiling~ may I ask why?" That's what she was curious about, the class had gone by so shaky that she was concerned for him. He was smiling after what had just happened, but in truth it wasn't even that bad. Kazuki didn't even recognize him and had already played a few cards, he (Kazuki) hadn't changed a bit- in the sense that he was still the boisterous 'hellion' of Airdalen. It was also probably true that the only reason he wasn't kicked out was because of his relative as a member of faculty if he remembered correctly. Tadashi put his hands in his pockets giving a very gentle sigh. "I'm smiling because I've come to understand, that I'm not chained by the same bonds that held me last time." He glanced off for a moment to take in the over size of the the school as if he was taking something in before he returned back to Gen so he could finish making his point.

"I'm happy because I'm not the same person I used to be and not scared by the same things anymore." He nodded in agreement with himself. He turned to walk with Gen out of the school grounds. "Tadashi-kun, there's someone I need to speak with first. I won't be long!" "Of course, I won't be far behind." He continued to walk at a much slower pace with his old friend rushing to catch up with a senior looking student. By the mannerisms of interaction he noticed it wasn't the case, he was her junior- or at least a junior given their body language.

He made his way peacefully towards the front gate when in a flash, too fast for him to completely react and process this taller student (Johnny) tackled Gen to the ground as a car came racing across the sidewalk and floored it past in a moment of extreme violence. His eyes widened seeing the aftermath, it was too fast for him to have done anything and Tadashi began to speed walk over, with his eyes glued to the form of Gen and Johnny. <Please be alright, please be alright.> He pushed through the crowd to see Johnny holding onto Gen tightly, he was afraid the larger boy would actually smother her. Before he could say a word a familiar voice called out. Kazuki.

By now a lot of people were crowding around the scene making Tadashi turn around to face other students. "Everyone please step back. We need to make space for them to breath." He would do no good by walking up to Gen and offering his own hand for her to grab, she needed space. He'd get other students to back away slightly allowing them some space. He glanced over his shoulder to see the 'hellion' offering concern to Gen. This was the first time that he had seen Kazuki offer an emotion other than aggressive narcissism. He was comfortable enough with himself to not intervene, but he would be close by so that Gen could easily see him. He wasn't abandoning her.
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Character Portrait: Gen Fukui Character Portrait: Akira Blake Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Kazuki Miyamoto Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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A slow learner. Not very perceptive. Akira was always reminded of her shortcomings back in Britain and now she realized that everything her teachers said about her back then was probably true. Kazuki had caught up with her... but how? Hearing a vaguely familiar voice, Akira noticed the skateboard. Bloody hell! Where did he even get that? Akira thought to herself in irritation.

"Oi. Kaichou-chan. Did you really think you can escape me?"

Well... in truth she wasn't confident that she would get away, but not trying, resigning to the arrangement, it felt like permission. Before she could figure out how to ditch him she felt herself reeled back toward him, "Hey!" Akira hissed at him in English, slipping up due to her predicament. Doing her best to pull herself free and trying to lean her head away from his, Akira cursed herself for not being faster. Not that it was fair considering he used a skateboard to catch up with her while only expelling a fraction of the effort.

"Since you are so adamant going to work. Let's go. I will accompany you."

Knocking against his figure with her shoulder as he blew on her ear, Akira bit down on the inside of her cheek as an involuntary shiver coursed through her. It wasn't really that she wanted to go to work, they needed her! Chiyo sent her a text wanting her to come in to fill in for one of the girls and Akira agreed to do it. Chiyo had been there for her during a lot of her tough times. Despite the woman's obvious lecherous obsession with teens, she never once made one of her sexual passes toward Akira when she was at her most vulnerable. She didn't truly intend to take advantage of anyone despite her fantasies and it led to her becoming much closer to her boss than she ever expected. She was almost like a second chance at a mother so Akira didn't want to let her down, "Just go home or something!" Akira countered, unaware of his situation. She assumed he was simply a spoiled rich kid, she had no reason to believe that they had anything in common. It certainly didn't feel like they could reach any common ground.

Why is he tugging me toward him!? I thought he said we could go now! Akira thought to herself both irritated and flustered. Homosexuality was not the kind of reputation she wanted, especially as a class president. Especially not with HIM. His notorious status alone... being seen with him wasn't very befitting of a class president, and as a freshman, no one knew her well. They only knew what they saw and so far it wasn't anything good.

"I will compensate your hard work. I assure you."

"That again? What does that even—" Akira began, but as she felt the shell of her ear captured between his teeth she was silenced, lest she make a humiliating noise. Akira squeezed her lips together firmly until the danger passed, "Let go, I'm going to be late, Teme!" [AN: A Japanese word that is essentially a rude way of saying "YOU!" as in "You bastard!" Usually, it is simply translated to bastard or some other nasty name.]

"Kaichou-chan."

Thankfully before she had to make another attempt to escape him he freed her. Akira let out a relieved sigh, she didn't know the reason why he suddenly changed his mind, but she wasn't going to question it either. After everything that had happened that day, Akira was exhausted, and she still had to go to work. She'd take any assistance she could get as far as making her day go a little easier was concerned.

"I'll find you later."

Image"Take your time," Akira replied with a sweat drop. Honestly, if he forgot all about following her to work... that was totally fine with her. While she assumed that would be a miracle, she decided to try and slip out while he was occupied with whatever. If she got far enough ahead of him she doubted he would be able to find her. Making her way toward the gate, Akira noticed a crowd. Was everyone that rushed to get out? What was with the backup of students? Also, why do I have to carry the damn skateboard that HE stole for all I know anyway?!

As she grew closer, Akira finally realized what occurred by the gate. The scene, it was... Akira dropped the skateboard without even noticing. Even though Johnny, a member of the Basketball team and the guy who removed Saburo from the scene in the gym, and Gen, the girl that was so helpful and led Inryoku were both involved, Akira felt an overwhelming compulsion to leave. Even though she knew that girl was important to Rhys and even though she wanted to know if they were both okay... Akira’s first instinct was to get as far away from Airdalen Academy as she could possibly get, and that Akira did. When the crowd finally began to disperse Akira pushed through the openings and left. She was shoved around a bit as she squeezed between people, but once she broke through Akira ran as fast as her feet would carry her. She could feel the painful way the soles of her shoes smacked against the concrete sidewalk and how her lungs began to burn as she kept at a full sprint, but she didn’t slow her pace. She felt tears welling up. Visions of the wreck flooding to the surface, flashing before her eyes in flickering tidbits. Things she had boxed up, wrapped in a pretty little bow and locked away had suddenly spilled out of the closet. Everything she couldn't face greeting her all at once.

The ivory haired girl didn’t stop until she felt her legs buckling beneath her, daring to send her tumbling face first into the unforgiving pavement if she didn't stop. Turning into an alley quickly before crumbling to her hands and knees, shaking hands pulled at her tie, Akira loosening it in a last effort to breathe easier. Letting it fall to the ground below, trying to catch her breath at the same time as she struggled to draw one in, it played out in her mind like a private screening at the cinema.

✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧

The night that permanently altered her life was very dark and cloudy, Akira was partying pretty hard with her friends at a stranger's house, as usual, doing recreational drugs on the regular wasn't uncommon for her back then. British teens always were pretty wild, especially those from Akira’s neighborhood. Their parents weren’t really they problem. They were just spoiled and felt the world owed them everything. The feeling when she was using, the hole in her chest she couldn’t describe was momentarily filled and she felt complete, even if it was fleeting. She was chasing a sensation that would never last, only thirteen years old but already getting mixed up with an older crowd, it was where she met Noelle and Emilie. Maybe she should have known better after Emilie collapsed in the bathroom floor from an overdose. When Noelle drove her to the hospital. When they were left to pace the hall, refusing to tell anyone at the hospital who they were or who their parents were even when the police showed up. While Emilie's parents were finally notified, Akira and Noelle managed to get by without their parents discovering their habits. So it continued, the girls hadn't learned anything from Emilie's close call. They swore they would never let it get that far ever again, that they would use the drugs instead of being used by them, but Emilie and Noelle were already heavy abusers of illegal substances.

On that wretched night she'd never forget, Akira found herself senselessly smashed and high on... well even she wasn't entirely sure what drugs she took at that party. Panic and the intense feeling of needing to leave led to her calling her parents, asking for them to come to pick her up from the next town over. They were infuriated, worried sick, but they couldn't leave a thirteen-year-old by herself at such a place. Akira knew she had messed up, but the party was too wild, the older kids were doing all sorts of things she wasn't willing to partake in. She tried to convince Noelle and Emilie to leave with her but they were having too much fun, both girls at least three years Akira's senior felt they could take on the world, that they were invincible. Akira felt anything but.

When Elizabeth, Akira's mother, and her stepfather Keiran finally pulled in Akira was sitting on the sidewalk. They guided her into the car as she was staggering on her own, and it was painfully silent as she laid down in the back. The world felt like it was spinning, and before Akira knew it, it actually was. Their car was upside down, rammed by a drunk driver that was going much too fast. The head-on collision had flipped her step-father's car. By the time Akira was even remotely lucid they were at the hospital. Elizabeth and Keiran were being rushed to surgery, Akira's vision was blurry and while there wasn't a single scratch on her body she was pretty banged up with bruises. She was lectured about how she was lucky that she was still standing. Akira didn't feel very lucky. Her world was in shambles, seconds brought everything crashing down.

One drunk man shifted her entire universe in less than a minute. Once again Akira was pacing, begging, praying to any deity that would listen. It was her fault. Hers. Why wasn't she hurt? Why were they paying for her bad decisions? The hours felt like years. Akira wasn't really sure how long they were in surgery exactly. All she recalled was that Keiran's life burnt out first. Her mom fought, but she also succumbed to her injuries. Akira collapsed to her knees then too. It was morning before Adrian arrived, and by then Akira was relatively sober, more so than she had been in weeks.

Adrian tried for months to get her sober, it eventually stuck, but the fighting, the guilt, he had to get her out of there. He had to get her away. Seeing the house they all lived in, seeing the streets, the restaurants they frequented, it was tearing her apart. The blame she shouldered, it was preventing her from moving on and after the incident with Luca, enough was enough. Adrian contacted their grandmother Misako, and after a lot of convincing, he managed to get Akira a one-way flight to Japan. It was a long time before she began to show signs of vitality before a smile found it's way back to her features. Working at the cafe helped. Chiyo took in a broken young girl and helped her through the first year after her mother died. It was Chiyo who held Akira as she cried on the anniversary of the accident and it was Chiyo who held her every time Akira's healing faltered.

✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ✧

Chiyo. Work. Akira couldn't go to work like this, but she at least needed to notify Chiyo, needed to let her know that she wasn't going to fill in after all. Leaning against the wall now that her breathing had relaxed a little, Akira pulled out her phone and called her boss. When she heard the woman answer, Akira quickly began, "Chiyo-sama... I.. I'm not coming into work today. There was a car accident.. I'm sorry, I-I can't..." Akira could hear the way her voice faltered, the way she stammered through her words. God... if she didn't pull herself together she'd only worry Chiyo.

"Where are you? I'll come get you."

ImageWhile it was a nice offer and Akira craved the support her boss always supplied, she knew that she couldn't do that. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were the busiest days at the cafe. They were likely swarming with customers, "I...I have to go now, bye." Akira quickly hung up before the older woman could present her argument. She knew Chiyo would worry, this wasn't how they handled her setbacks. Lifting herself up off the ground, Akira retrieved her tie and stuffed it into her pocket. Unbuttoning the top button of her shirt and removing her blazer, Akira focused on tidying up the pieces. She couldn't change her state of mind, the storm raging inside, but she could fake it on the outside so she dusted herself off and wiped her eyes before exiting the alley.

Walking down the street as if she hadn't even broke down in the first place, Akira moved on to order an iced coffee from a street vendor. Sitting to herself on a bench in a less crowded corner of the square, Akira intermittently sipped at her drink. Skipping out on work, not going straight home, it wasn't like her...

Even knowing that she wasn't being her 'new' self, the Akira she fabricated after returning to Japan, the Akira she desperately wanted to be... she couldn't sway the rekindled sense of accountability that she felt. Back to square one already? Did she relapse that fast? Bothering others with her trouble... Chiyo... Grandma Misako... she couldn't bring herself to do it. She'd sit here until she felt she could smile again, even if she didn't mean it, she didn't want to unload her baggage on anyone again. I shouldn't have ran away... I should have checked on them... What if they were hurt...? Damn it! Akira's free hand slammed down against the bench in a fist, revolted by her inability to do even that. They were okay... They'd be at school Monday and everything would be fine... it had to be. How could she run away like that when Rhys' friend was in that kind of situation?! Hitting the bench harder the second time around, Akira winced. She was going to be there a while. She was still too messed up. Too conflicted to face anyone she knew.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Gen Fukui Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Kazuki Miyamoto Character Portrait: Tadashi Kiomine Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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Everything was so loud, noisy and chaotic as her head started spinning and the crowd was a blur. She was enveloped in a comforting warmth that ushered her still and quiet. She’d never known a mother’s embrace or a lover’s but this was the closest. She felt like a child all over again seeking refuge from a world she barely understood. Her confidence was gone, her school status forgotten and all other aspects of her outward appearance was meaningless and distant now. There were staring eyes and moving lips passing the same amount of judgement as they did concern. What did it matter if she was popular? Anyone else in her place would have experienced much the same just less of it. Disaster was a magnet to attention.

"Gen-chan, listen to me: breathe slowly. Take a deep breath. Everything's gonna be alright,"
Gen didn’t say a word but listened carefully. It was the only voice that soothed her in that vast ocean of noise. Breathe.. she closed her eyes and focused on every inhale and exhale but the rhythm was unsteady as were her nerves. "Everything's-" Her savior winced, "gonna be alright." A single tear fell from her eye trailing down her cheek. She said she'd never want to hurt him but he had hurt himself rescuing her. She was such a burden and her persistent insecurities told her she wasn't worth it. I'm sorry.

"Let Gen go now. You might crush her."
She heard her given name spoken from behind her, expressing a personal relation to her compared to the crowd around. She couldn't have guessed who it might be until later. She lifted her head away from Jay and returned his space back to him. Gen was cold on her own but she had to face reality sooner or later. She was a lady, not a baby. Her slender fingers brushed the cemented ground to get up and carry her weight but her pink-purple eyes adjusted to the gold hue before her and the voice that called her name again. "Gen." Her tear finished falling onto her uniform. Miyamoto-san? She was in disbelief as her crush noticed her, spoke softly and acted familiar to her after a time of neglect. "Come with me." Her eyes traced his open arms, inviting another feeling of warmth. This was a gentle side of Kazuki not many got to see. "I need to know you're fine."

Gen's lips quivered as she thought about how nice it would be to listen, to be with him for just a short time. Was there harm in playing along if she didn't put a blindfold on her heart to his tricks and expected nothing short of a player? Could she let her ideals go, be like other girls and live in a moment of bliss where everything appears perfect.. was it a crime to want that? If she didn't expect any more then she wouldn't get hurt and still have the experiences of a love. Gen was drawn to him with his devilishly handsome looks, his carefree spirit and charm. For once, that guy she liked.. he was present just for her, his eyes held only her and his arms maybe if she just closed that distance. "Okay?"

Her hand slowly reached out for him but grasped air. Her heart longed for him but not this, not now. This wasn't romantic. She wasn't even sure if this was authentic. Did it take a dangerous occurrence to make him look at her like she is precious? You can’t- Her lips parted but no sound came out. You don’t- She moved forward and tried again. You won’t- Her eyes glossed with a heavy heart as she pulled back her hand completely and held it against her chest. Just say it!!! Her blue hair swayed in the breeze as she realized that somehow she was unable to verbalize her decision to Kazuki.

Gen gave up on confronting her love interest and looked to Jay again. He was a dear friend who had her gratitude and his condition was important too. Jay-- It happened again. Her voice wasn't coming out but she didn't think hard on it because they were both involved in the incident. Perhaps she was just shaken with Kazuki because of the different behavior then with Jay because of the close call? Her new roommate and oldest friend Tadashi was nearby and there was no reason for her to have trouble talking to him. Tadashi- she tried to call out to him but nothing had changed.

Gen's small body curled in fear. My voice...it’s.. She tried to say anything and everything but no words were said even as she scratched desperately at her throat. It was useless and her dreams shattered beneath her feet. ImageJohnny, Tadashi and Kazuki were there for her but she was mentally miles away in a dark place. As an aspiring actress, she relied on her voice to sing and to act. It was her gift and in the blink of an eye it was, gone. Her identity was, gone. It was all that she had.. her childhood, her present and her future. Gen didn't know what to do so she panicked and ran.
She was always afraid of being alone but she had never been more alone than ever. Her eyes overflowed with tears as her shoes hit the pavement one after the other with urgency. Gen didn't know where she was going but what did it matter if she had lost what made her, her? I should have just died. She ran through a group as all her thoughts shifted to negative and downhill. Every face she ran past came across as an unkind, judgemental stranger. The churchgoers who ridiculed her when she was young surfaced in her mind and how they despised her for the way she looked. I’m cursed. They were right about me. How foolish I was to think I could be admired, be special, be on stage like this? The mute actress! Gen turned a corner and out of breath and energy, fell to the ground as her tears refused to stop spilling. God, why? Why me? she cried out as her tears formed a small puddle, reflecting the haunted eyes back at her.





|| POPULARITY +1 Johnny, Kazuki ||
||CHARM +1 Johnny ||

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Character Portrait: Gen Fukui Character Portrait: Devone Kim Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Kazuki Miyamoto Character Portrait: Ryou Giou Character Portrait: Tadashi Kiomine
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  1. I wrote "[Address here]" because I didn't want to risk name-dropping an actual address.

    by HolyJunkie
  2. Theme: https://youtu.be/YfPes4W_7XE

    by HolyJunkie

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Johnny “Jay” Farelli


Kazuki’s appearance was somewhat calming, but the things he said were confusing. Crush her? Never. Even in the heat of the moment, he instinctively made sure she wouldn’t get crushed. He even made sure there was a proper channel for fresh air to flow through. At-first, he thought the phrase was meant to be a tension-relieving joke. However, the look in Kazuki’s eyes didn’t seem like those filled with concern. Rather, they seemed almost… emotionless, or even predatory, like a lion giving a cold glare to someone approaching their cub.

As Kazuki growled at the gathering crowd, Johnny’s mind raced. From his limited interaction, Kazuki seemed spirited and care-free, and hot to handle- a lot like Lars back in America. Also like Lars, he grew cold and difficult to read whenever something really bothered him. Why was he looking at me like… I’m an enemy? Is it Gen-chan herself… or the car? He wondered. He had terrible flashbacks involving the car already, but it was possible he wasn’t the only one.

“Are you okay, Kaz?” Johnny found himself asking as light seemed to return to his emerald-green eyes. His own gaze showed no resentment, only genuine concern just as much as he showed it for Gen. Also in his eyes was a hint of confusion toward the unusually cold and distant look he was receiving. Even if he considers Kazuki a buddy, he couldn’t let go of Gen simply by his say-so. In the American’s mind, it was up to Gen and Gen alone.

However, when Gen herself seemed fine, Johnny was about to help her up to her feet. By then, his own breathing and heart rate had normalized. For a moment, he thought Gen was gonna be fine. However, he caught a glimpse of a tear, and the sight of her hands going to her throat.

Johnny’s brow furrowed in concern, and he was about to ask her what was wrong, when the blue-haired diva tore from his proximity and ran off. “Gen!” He called, “Gen…?” The American took a step forward, but something made him stop. The sight of onlookers whispering gossip while eyeing the tall foreigner, the tell-tale snaps of phones taking pictures. Soon, on social media, there would be pictures spread of the foreigner, looking baffled, concerned, and confused all at once. He was so trapped in his thoughts that he didn't care about social media; he didn't even realise his senior was nearby.

He recalled the brawl he had unfortunately been caught up in. She does have a rep… If I forced more help, it might start to hurt her rep… He ensured that she was unharmed by the event, that much he could be certain about. Everything else was psychological, and only a closer friend could help with that, Johnny figured. Rhys is still here, isn’t he?

He gazed at the ground, deep in thought, before he felt a buzz on his leg. With a flinch, he produced his phone. With a single glance, he found that he was starting to run late for work. With one more look at the corner Gen-chan disappeared to, Johnny turned and headed out. He paused once, and returned to his phone. He tapped out a message to Gen. At-first, he wrote “call me”, but he remembered the point where Gen put her hands to her throat. His eyes widened as a theory entered his mind. He couldn’t be certain of it, but he still typed: “Text me back as soon as you can. If you’re still not feeling alright, I’ll be at work, over at [Address here.]” The Forge was not too far away- only a few blocks- easily walking distance for someone smaller than the foreigner.

With one more look back at the campus, Johnny pocketed his phone and continued onward. The Phantom lingered at the corner of his vision.



That afternoon, he walked to the Smith’s. He couldn’t work himself up to run. When he entered the front door to the workshop, the Smith looked up from his work table, puzzled. “You’re late!” He called with a smile.

“Gomenasai, Sensei!” Johnny apologized.

“Got caught up saving someone else’s life?” The Smith guessed as a joke as he pat the sling around his arm.

“Well…” The foreigner cleared his throat. He decided to laugh at said joke instead of coming across like he was bragging. Johnny then returned to the priority subject. As he walked, he thought about something he could do in order to apologize to Gen. He grabbed her without asking permission, which was usually frowned upon in Japan. “Uh… Sensei! I’d like to make something small, like… uhm…”

“Ooh, I thought I’d test you with something small, but you have a project in mind already?” The Smith paused as he noted the calendar. After taking a step toward the calender, the Smith rapped a finger on the upcoming date. “This is a gift.” the old man less asked and more stated as fact. His mouth curled slightly as he gazed back at the foreigner, “For a girl?”

“Yeah- Well, I mean- it’s for a friend,” Johnny corrected. He could swear he caught a flicker of a mischievous nature in the blacksmith’s eyes. “What would be something I could make?”

“A bracelet!” the smith chimed automatically, “Simple, yet elegant. Good project to- how you Americans say it- Learn the ropes. What sort of material are you looking to use?”

“Well, I-“ Johnny didn’t catch “material” or “bracelet”. He said as such, flubbing the pronunciation of both words.

“Hah! Of course you don’t know ma-ter-i-als.” The Smith smirked as he enunciated the word slowly. “Come on,” he beckoned, “Let’s get you started.”

Johnny soon found himself staring at a series of metal bars. All of them were marked with a series of numbers. The Smith was bringing out more pieces of material. Tiny plates tagged as varying types of gold, bronze, silver, and less precious metals. “I don’t think I know how to work with-“

“That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?” the old man laughed, “I’ve got a soft spot for young love!” He clenched his uninjured hand over the handle of his hammer, with he had crossed over his heart in an oddly bubbly joy. “Oh that just takes me back to when I was in school. You’re lucky you’re learning this trade now! I didn’t have this back then.” He placed the hammer onto the nearby anvil with a light clang.

“Wait what?” Johnny’s tanned face ran a deep red almost instantly, “It’s not-“ his mind suddenly began to race. Could it be a confession gif- No this isn’t a crush. We’re just friends. This wasn’t what it looks like. I can’t be… This cannot be. It can’t possibly work. She’s a good person, and I’m… not… “It’s not like tha-“ he managed to blurt.

The smith laughed and slapped Johnny on the back with a calloused hand, “No need to be modest, Jay-shounen. Here, we’ll work with some easy material. You’ll have your gift, I promise you!”

What’s a shounen? He never got to ask that question, as he was quickly ushered to get into a spare apron and gloves, and he was now watching intently as the old smith heated up a piece of round-stock in the forge, and handed the steel- heated to a glowing yellow at the very end- to the foreigner. The smith pointed to a large machine with set about a foot above a pedestal. “Flat,” the old man spoke clearly.

Johnny took a couple of seconds to figure out what was being said. He placed the yellow-hot round-stock onto the pedestal. The old man pointed at a bar near the floor, which reminded Johnny of the large round sinks at a stadium. He pressed his foot down, which lowered the bar like a lever. The huge block above the round-stock began to slam repeatedly. It only took the first strike for Johnny to flinch.

The old man laughed, “Don’t mind!” he said, “You alright?”

“I-I’ll get used to it,” Johnny grinned as the shock wore off. He pressed his foot back down, and the hammer continued to pound the end section of the round stock into a flat slab.

Once a flat section was formed, Johnny was handed a very dull “blade” at the end of a long handle. “Hot-cut”, the old man said slowly. Johnny carefully placed the “blade” over the flat section, and let the power hammer slam the blade through the still-hot slab of steel.

Soon enough, there was a small bar separated from the round-stock. The old man took the hot cut tool and rest of the round-stock away. In exchange, he handed Johnny a pair of tongs. The old man pointed to the forge, the power hammer, and a small anvil with a hammer set next to it before leaving to put the excess material and tool away.

Johnny picked up the tiny bar- still hot- with the tongs. He noted that he could stretch it out, and began drawing out the small bar with the power hammer. Eventually, he had a long, thin bar that seemed an appropriate thickness for a woman’s bracelet. With another heat, and under instruction from the smith, Johnny used the tongs and hammer to forge a point on both ends of the bar. He recalled a certain gift he had given a long time ago… a particularly cool design he had seen in a store. Several allowances went into buying that piece for… huh… he did buy a good gift… Once upon a ti-

No… FOCUS! Johnny snapped out of his glazed look. He was in a dangerous workshop with fire and extreme heat everywhere. He had to make this work, for the sake of a friend. A friend!

With a pair of wrenches, Johnny twisted a yellow-hot bar around and around to produce a spiral shape throughout the middle section of the bracelet. His muscles flexed as he took care not to twist too hard and risk ruining the piece. By the time the piece cooled he had a decently spiralled bar of metal, similar to some fencing designs. Since the material was evenly heated, the twist turned out quite well.

Another heat later, and Johnny began carefully hammering the point on one end into a smooth curled end. There were some bumps and soft spikes, but those would be cleaned off later. As soon as Johnny finished driving the sharp points into even curls, the old man returned and examined the foreigner’s handiwork. “Decent,” the man smirked, “Lucky I did the hard stuff for you, though.”

“Thank you, this thing’s really cool. It’s got a chill quality to it,” Johnny said with a bow.

“Chill?” the smith rose an eyebrow, “Must be an American thing, this chill.”

“Yes.” Johnny replied with a quick nod.

“You know what to do now?” the smith asked.

“Just gotta make it a bracelet,” Johnny grinned as he picked up the twisted bar and started heating it up one more time. With a wooden hammer and tongs, he carefully curved the length of the bar into a curling bracelet shape. He used the horn of the anvil in order to help define the shape.

“Good,” the smith complemented flatly, “Not too hard. You’re big, bracelets are tiny.”

Johnny figured that he needed to lighten his strikes, or else risk ruining the twisted pattern he had spent the better part of a few minutes twisting out. He softly tapped the bracelet ends to slowly bend the piece close to a circular shape, then an oval-like shape, one that would fit comfortably, yet not too loosely around a wrist.

Once the foreigner finished and the piece had cooled down, the smith examined the bracelet. After a few seconds examination, the smith nodded silently and beckoned the foreigner to follow. “Polish,” the old man said as he handed Johnny the currently muddy-looking bracelet, but Johnny did not understand.

“Beg pardon?” Johnny asked.

“Polish,” The man said as they paused in the middle of the shop, “You don’t know polish?”

“I don’t know that word, man.” Johnny shrugged.

The smith beckoned once more, “Bring it with you.”

The smith brought Johnny to a belt sander next to a series of wheels. One was covered in long wires, and another appeared to be made of thick wool. On the side of the wheel, a sticker labeled it as “SCOTCH-BRITE” under Japanese text.

“Polish…” Johnny repeated the word in Japanese, before he slowly pushed the bracelet toward the wire wheel. “Oh!” Something in Johnny’s mind clicked as he saw that the wheel had knocked off a section of scale buildup on the surface of the steel. “Yooo!” Johnny continued the polishing process. The texture of the steel began to pop out within the smooth, bright finish. “Polish! That’s a new word for me.”

“You learn quickly for a gaijin.”

“What’s a ‘gaijin’?” Johnny asked. Now his suspicions from earlier have been turned on their heads. If the friendly smith used it, maybe it was not an insult, but instead just a term with a particular definition. Or did it have some sort of stigma? You learn quickly… for a gaijin… I wish Gen-chan were here…



The old man laughed when Johnny had asked the question, but otherwise had failed to answer because a client had just walked in. The client and the smith spoke to each other so fast that Johnny had difficulty catching up to the conversation. It really made him realise just how far he had to go in order to be fluent with this tough language.

Instead of a futile attempt to listen in, Johnny eyed the finished work up close. it was not quite fully polished yet. The foreigner took it back to the polishing wheel and smoothed out the faces further. The steel he had used was not exactly difficult to work with, and it produced a fine bracelet nonetheless. He was quite happy with it. However, it needed something more.

The foreigner didn’t have enough time today to add that something more, however. There was much else that needed to get done. When the steel work was all said and done, the smith was only mildly impressed. “You have good vision and control over your muscles. You just need technique and knowledge. I will teach you temperature so you will do this yourself next time.”

Johnny bowed his head, “Thank you, sensei.” The rest of his time at the smith’s involved more heavy labour. The foreigner assisted the other apprentices by carrying the heavier hammer and following their strikes. Throughout, he practiced conversation with the other smiths- though the most they spoke of was simple instructions to improve Johnny’s performance. They seemed to like the foreigner well enough. At least, they didn’t seem to dislike him.



When it came time for a break, Jay was drenched in sweat. His arms felt like a tangle of wet noodles on the inside, but the muscles felt as hard as the steel he had constantly worked with. His shoulder muscles in particular seemed even bigger by comparison.

“Back to work!” The Smith called. Jay was about to get up when he heard that memorable chuckle. “That was a joke, Jay-shounen. How do you like the work so far?”

“Pretty tough,” Jay smirked, “Nothing I can’t handle.”

“You learn quickly,” The Smith repeated, “It’s a good trait to have.”

“Yeah,” Jay massaged his arms gently. As his break went on, he thought about Kazuki, and how his presence and actions felt incredibly odd to him. He felt something was wrong, but he couldn’t place where it was. ”There’s this friend at school, I feel like something was wrong with him.”

“You try to talk to him about it?” The Smith's smile vanished immediately as he assumed a visage of professional concern.

“Not yet, but he’s… he’s more the kind of guy who lives by his rules.”

The Smith smiled and hummed thoughtfully. “Have patience, Jay-Shounen. You can’t force change on people." The Smith leaned back in his chair, which groaned under the more stocky man's weight. "When we let things convey onto us, that is true artistic expression. When we convey ourselves onto things, that is delusion.”

Johnny paused as he managed to decipher what was said. He then hummed in understanding, “So how does that… translate to hammering metal?”

“Your strikes are at the mercy of the metal. The metal is not at your mercy.”

“I see,” Johnny nodded as his eyes wandered to the bracelet- currently incomplete, but very very close, as it sat on an empty spot of workbench.

“Was your mind in the forge as well?” The Smith asked, noting Jay’s distant stare, as well as the subject of the stare.

“Maybe…” Johnny replied, “I let things convey onto me… And this applies to music?“

“It applies to all art. The word Americans use is inspiration.”

Inspiration… passion… Johnny remembered that as he got into the swing of things, his mind left him behind, and his body worked on autopilot. No memories, no quizzes, nothing crossed his mind as he had worked. There was only the heat of the forge, and the brilliant yellows and oranges of sparks and glowing steel. Can I take inspiration from that? Is that respectful? “Can… Can the dead convey onto me?” Johnny turned to meet the Smith’s face.

The Smith glanced at Johnny for a short, silent moment. “I think the dead convey onto us the most,” The smith replied very naturally, though Johnny caught a flicker of sadness in his teacher’s eyes. “That is history.”



Work was soon done, and the others left for home. Johnny and the Smith remained to finish going over the employment papers. Since the foreigner was used to being self-sufficient due to the lack of present parents, he had his information with him. They got through the initial paperwork within half an hour.

“I’ll see you next week- or sooner if you feel like it,” the Smith called to Johnny as he left.

“I’m coming back tomorrow to finish the bracelet! Thank you!” Johnny returned as he left. He slipped the bracelet into his pocket, since it was too small for his thick muscular wrist. Tomorrow, once he added the finishing touches, his next step was to obtain a small box with which to hold the gift. This was easily found at a dollar store… or at least, the Japanese equivalent of one.

In the meantime, it was getting late. The foreigner, feeling quite happy with his first ever smithing project, returned home. His muscles ached, but not unpleasantly. To the foreigner, the aching was a mark of him surpassing his limits. With his parents still out of town, Johnny arrived home at the crack of dusk, and fell immediately to sleep as his head met the pillow.

---

Athleticism +1

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Character Portrait: Gen Fukui Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Kazuki Miyamoto Character Portrait: Tadashi Kiomine Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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Tadashi's focus was to give his dear friend Gen some space for faculty to arrive and took care of things, or that's at least what he hoped would happen. It appeared that no one was injured to include Gen but it also seemed that no one in the center was calming things down. "Everyone please allow the people some space. No one is hurt, thank you for your concern. We can-" In a flash Gen bolted past him running as fast as she could giving Tadashi a shock. Both eyes almost eclipsed into opposite colors as she (Gen) left school grounds and ran further. A second blur rushed over which he recognized as Kazuki. "Tch." He wouldn't allow this to proceed. Tadashi departed himself at a much slower pace to follow the two (Gen & Kazuki), mostly to not cause any more attention towards Gen. He was only thinking about her in this moment, he knew all too well what she could possibly be feeling. <Kazuki you reckless idiot...>

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When he made his approach, Kazuki literally snarled at him but it didn't halt Tadashi's progress. "Down boy." With eyes of pure crimson he walked over but stopped within a meter of the two (Kazuki & Gen) glaring powerfully with his wicked eyes at Kazuki. He'd glance to Gen, unfortunately unable to shake the intense look on his face which he would apologize for later. "Kazuki, you need to release Gen at once." He'd interrupt in the last few muttered words the 'Hellion' was saying to his friend Gen, calling the boy by first name only. He wasn't completely blind though, it appeared that Kazuki had become more than hypersexualized narcissism wrapped in a bad rebellious attitude. It was both interesting and elating to see this, but ended in a sour note having realized that his former bully was more than what he had previously thought of him not 19 minutes ago. He'd stand unwavering, keeping keenly aware as to not crowd Gen in her delicate state. He'd been there before. In the throws of anxiety and fear, seemingly on an edge that you can't see your way down from. No amount of people wanting to love for you or help would be able to do anything until you were able to come back down from this ledge and LET them help you. It was already evident from earlier, Gen ran for a reason and Kazuki running after her (Gen) wasn't being heroic in this instance. He could very well make things worse and Tadashi was going to be selfish and stop him (Kazuki). "You're not helping. You're being reckless and selfish like you always are, let her go." With the inflection in his voice, Tadashi's conviction was palpable even from a distance. He was able to carry his voice to strike at Kazuki almost like a weapon.

He'd take a breath, constantly stirring his frustration at this one person to be productive yet also effective at what he wanted. Wasting energy on Kazuki was a losing matter. "If you actually cared you'd know better- Kazuki. Some things are better left alone, but you never did know how to put things down did you?" Now his past was beginning to flow out of him. Every time he stated the 'Hellion's' name, it was a hiss of acid that shot from his lips. Those years of torment, getting by because of his uncle and abandon for anything that didn't benefit anyone but himself (Kazuki). His fists were beginning to clench now, but beyond this he knew enough to keep his composure. "Not everything is so simple and people won't just come to you when you suddenly give them attention. Kazuki- leave her alone."

His heart was beating quickly, his brain pulsed in rhythm as he processed the situation rapidly. Tadashi didn't know anything about Gen's feelings, but all he knew was that he didn't want her to be in pain. Gen ran from Kazuki, Johnny and even himself for a reason, he's going to respect that. But he'd be damned if Kazuki make it worse. He would be there and he wasn't going to back down. His fists clenched tighter as his eyes narrowed even worse so towards Kazuki. Emotions from years ago now finding new life as a form of expression. Everyone loves a bad boy, Kazuki was almost the poster child of them. It didn't matter what he (Kazuki) did, he got what he wanted and left a mess in a mile wide wake wherever he ventured and at Tadashi's personal expense. It was easier and cooler to just take his (Kazuki's) side, without considering how everyone else being affected helped. But there was one difference now, from back then. He wasn't afraid any more. Wasn't afraid of Kazuki, the boy was just that- a boy that had grown into a mess.

"You've done enough... Let her be." In the end, Tadashi relented knowing that even he needed to hold to his own words. He'd hold his ground and now finally look to Gen, his expression softening for a moment of great concern. He was worried about her and was doing his best, which required restraining himself which was always difficult. But it was worth it, even if it made him the bad guy. The one to dare to step in front of the 'Hellion' of Airdalen. Was it fated to happen in the first place?
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Norotiety +1 (Kazuki)

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Gen Fukui Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Kazuki Miyamoto Character Portrait: Tadashi Kiomine Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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  1. Those hardest to love, need it most. ~ Kaz https://youtu.be/6V_SwIAl1Hs

    by Valkyrieknight

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As her tears fell to the ground, her mobile sprung to life after receiving a text message. It was not like her to ignore her phone in case of emergencies but she was unreachable, disconnected from everyone and everything, drowning in a negativity that she had bottled up to hide from the world but was now spilling over, just like the drops from her eyes. It was all in plain sight now that Gen was not the Lorelei, the School Diva or the President of Inryoku.. Such grace and image had left her, exposing the other side of the mirror. Without her cherished voice, she was hollow and worthless. That state of mind gripped her with such intensity, she had run from the people who cared about her... She had never been so selfish, indulging her insecurities over others and their feelings. The girl she knew, aspired to be was better than this but that idealised view of herself carried a voice that was capable of touching even the hardest of hearts. She did not have her greatest asset anymore and her heart was broken of her own accord.

"Gen." That voice was calling her again but the figurative wall was up the moment she broke into a run from the school. Her eyes like rain, just poured heavier. It was not in her control to stop no matter who was looking her way. Embarrassed? No. There was no embarrassment where there was no more pride to defend. "You will be fine." Stop lying.. Her hand resting on the pavement clenched into a small fist. It's not fine. None of this is fine. It will never be fine. She wasn't purely happy, ever. Her own birth was a mistake and as such, so was her existence. She lived the best that she could to give herself a meaning and a purpose but that had been stolen from her. She can fight all she wants for happiness but she can lose it all in the blink of an eye whether she deserves it or not, like her voice. Romanticism.. fate.. happy endings, how pathetic was she to believe in that silly nonsense? She is not the girl in any of those stories. For a while, she could pretend. Dance, act and sing to fool a crowd along with herself the possibility of a fantasy but now, she can't even do that. What remains without the passion, is an ordinary girl crumpled on the ground with no will to move forward.

"You can push me away or punch me whatever." The voice persisted but it wasn't making a dent and she did not have any wish to. She wasn't mad at Kazuki for ignoring someone like her. He had no obligation to give her attention or affection. There are plenty of fish in the sea or so she's heard. Fuyuki is something else, someone else to him. Although she did not know the brunette deeply, it was easy for Gen to see that she was no match for her. He had made that perfectly clear and she was attuned to such affections just at a glance. "I'll accept it." No, I am the one who must accept... Gen sniffled. It was getting hard to breathe but it was still hard to quit sobbing. Emotions can't be killed. But at least.. I'll have this memory, this scrap of a moment I was someone even when it ends.

The barrier that kept people out was forcibly smashed as she was pulled into the same arms she denied before. Her pink-purple eyes opened wide and there were no words even if she did possess the ability to speak. It was very nearly just as shocking as the incident by the school gates with the car. It would be a stretch for anyone to believe that but for Gen, it was or maybe even more. A heart is more fragile than a body. "Just let it out until nothing is left. Until then...I will be with you." Then his arms tightened and she was trapped in warmth again but of another person, a love interest's.. a warmth that filled her with hopelessness. "I'm so sorry, so sorry...Gen."
"Kazuki, you need to release Gen at once." Another voice cut through like a thunderclap. She barely had time to think over Kazuki's apology as one shock followed another. Her tears were still running down her cheeks uncontrollably, temporarily hidden by Kazuki's hold on her that pressed the mess she was against his chest. She no longer had any idea what was going on. The situation was escalating too fast for comfort. "You're not helping. You're being reckless and selfish like you always are, let her go." An angry Tadashi was an anomaly that shook her to the core. Her friend was standing up for something after all those years, standing up for himself and her. "I'm happy because I'm not the same person I used to be and not scared by the same things anymore." Tadashi's answer echoed as his mysterious smile flashed through her mind. He had changed incredibly but Gen on the other hand, I'm still.. scared. All her fears and insecurities had not changed, just amplified.

"If you actually cared you'd know better- Kazuki. Some things are better left alone, but you never did know how to put things down did you?" Gen bit her lip. A personal anger was radiating from him directed to Kazuki. She didn't have to directly look at her friend to tell, she could feel it in her bones. She had her own reasons to be upset at the Hellion but Tadashi's, she was not completely aware of. She was left in the dark about a great deal of what her friend had gone through and as they began planning the move to live together, she was seeing all new sides of his story. For the most part, they had been heartrending. He had endured so much and returned but she did not have that same hope for herself. "Not everything is so simple and people won't just come to you when you suddenly give them attention. Kazuki- leave her alone." Those words hit a bull's-eye but Kazuki didn't release her. Instead, he did the opposite as his embrace brought her closer. Gen for a lack of understanding, took a peek and examined Kazuki's features. If this had occurred under happier circumstances, the proximity was deserving of a blush. Who she beheld was not the Hellion just as she was not the Lorelei and this stranger that she had not seen before, holding her... she did feel bad for him. There was a pain there as their beating hearts in that small space started to sync. "You've done enough... Let her be."

Kazuki stirred to meet eyes with Tadashi. Gen held her breath as her own eyes shifted from one boy to the other rapidly trying to process what happens next. The two did not get along at all during the English assignment but this situation was much worse. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Kazuki had his arms around her solidly and Tadashi was staring at her with concern and his fists clenched. What do I do? She forgot about herself, caught in the middle of an unexpected standoff between her love interest and close friend. "Who. The. Fuck. Are. You." Kazuki's hug loosened a little but his resolve didn't. He did have a reputation for the stubbornness even when dealing with authority. However, Tadashi's anger scared her all the same because these two boys who came after her and had conflicting mindsets like oil and water.. they were both precious to her. They both cared just in their distinctly separate methods. Stop it! A rush of panic surged through her as she attempted to speak up yet again but no words came out. She was begging for the scene to not extend anymore. She cannot bear the thought of it. "Scram."

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Tadashi.. Kazuki... Gen closed her eyes and the tears ceased. With the last ounce of strength, she decided to try again. She was not able to help them make peace in the classroom when she had a voice and the circumstances were drastically different. The squabble was not over a one-time assignment, it was over her and whatever history they shared in the past. It was personal and heavy but she wanted to lift the load. She was the only one present to do it, believe in the heart in the both of them even if one's was more hidden than the other. She couldn't speak so her actions had to do the talking, her hand gently grasping Kazuki's as she stood and encouraged him to his feet. Before she was hesitant to even touch him but at this time, it was as if they had bonded for a long time. Maybe previously she was simply charmed as many girls were by the bad boy senior but for now, he was a dear friend too. She then walked over to Tadashi with Kazuki in tow, closing the distance. Her other hand reached to grasp his as well, unwrapping the fist. Holding a hand each of both of the boys, at the same time, she lifted their hands to wipe a tear from each eye. Tadashi's hand was moved to wipe the tear away from her right eye and Kazuki's hand, the tear away from her left. Afterwards, she lowered their hands and smiled as brightly as she could for them as if she had never cried in the first place. Her cheeks were rose-colored and glowing and her unique eyes as haunting as they were with crucifix shapes, shimmered with faith. Even she did not know if she was happy or faking it till she made it but her message conveyed or not, she wasn't letting either of them go until all is well. That is just where she stands.

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Character Portrait: Johnny Farelli Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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Johnny “Jay” Farelli

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Jay shook awake, his eyes felt heavy, but his breathing was sharp and quick. He wasn't sure why his body picked now to wake up- the moon was high in the sky, and the sky was as black as a city skyline could allow. Johnny groaned as he licked his dry lips. His throat felt parched, so he decided to get a drink of water. He stood up from his bed and headed through the door.

As he crossed the threshold, still half-asleep, Johnny's eyes widened as he found himself in a small classroom.

"Class, we have a new student joining us today." She was there, ebony, and beautiful. His eyes became transfixed, like they did the first time. Next to her was a kind old woman who made odd hand gestures, but John didn't notice.

"John, you're staring, man." Avery's voice reached him, but John didn't turn for a moment. Finally, when he felt a nudge on his shoulder, Johnny turned his head. "You okay, John?"

"Yeah," Johnny spoke breathlessly as his gaze slowly returned to the majestic creature. He had never felt the sudden feelings he felt in his guts before.

Avery smirked as he looked at the new girl. "Go say hi, man."

"Wha-"

"When you can, of course." His best friend leaned back with a knowing look. "Don't wanna get in trouble with Mr. Whitaker again."

Johnny looked back, and their eyes met. She smiled, and so did he. Johnny waved sheepishly, and the girl wordlessly rose a hand to her lips, stifling soundless laughter.

"I think I will," John replied to Avery, as he stood up and approached.

"John Farelli," Mr. Whitaker was ever the eagle-eyed stout man. "Please return to your seat."

"I just wanted to say hi," John replied.

"That would prove difficult Mr. Farelli," Gen's voice suddenly filled the room. Johnny shuddered as the air grew cold and the light faded. Where the girl stood, the Phantom remained.

"Why's tha-?" John asked automatically, but his voice grew more nervous, "Wait this isn't right.. Aver-" He turned to see that his friend- all his classmates- even Mr. Whitaker- were gone.

"You think you want to say hi." Gen's voice continued, ire polluted her tone. Her cross-shaped eyes formed in mid-air, staring wide-eyed at Johnny no matter where he looked. The stare was almost accusing with how wide the eyes were. Haruhi's eyes appeared as well. "You say you want to save people, but you only want to feel good."

"It's not true!" John insisted. "I only wanted to say hi!"

"And where did it get us? Where did it get you?" The roar of a car engine filled his ears, growing louder and louder. As John turned, he saw the driver's face. Why did it have to be me, John?

The window was bright, but Johnny only caught a glimpse, as he shot awake before rolling out of his bed- tangled in his blanket. After a brief period ofpanicked flailing, Jay slowed his breathing. His heart rate thundered through his body, and he felt sweat as cold as ice all around him.

"Weakness..." He muttered to himself as he carefully untangled himself and stepped- alone in the apartment- into the lone bathroom. "Lock it up." He felt his knuckles slam against something, but he didn't look. "LOCK IT UP, damn you!" He growled suddenly before clapping a hand to his mouth. He breathed slowly between his fingers. "I need... to be me again..." He muttered the mantra as he turned on the cold water. He coughed as he rubbed his eyes. Tears had formed in the night, leaving salt caked onto his cheeks. "I have to be strong... for everyone's sakes..."

He looked at what he had struck. The medicine cabinet door was buckled. "Fuck me sideways..."

After he left the bathroom, Johnny dropped to the floor and began his morning routine.

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The skies remained dark with clouds filling the skies. They may not have had the same sickly colour as the chemical fire from yesterday, but they inspired a dismal attitude in most people. With his smiling mask refreshed, Johnny Farelli was not most people this morning. Sure there was that episode with the medicine cabinet, but his parents were out of the city for a few days more. There were a few errands to complete today; completing Gen-chan's gift, grocery shopping, learning more about Tokyo. Buying a new door and installing it was hardly a problem for the foreigner.

First things first, Johnny began his day by rushing over to the Blacksmith's workshop. It was somewhat early in the morning on a relatively easier day, and most people would be sleeping in. As he entered, the Smith greeted him with a large mug of coffee in his hand. The foreigner wore sweat pants and cross trainers. Beneath a thick hoodie with zipper pockets, he wore a logo tee that fit over his build. Shirts he technically outgrew were the only ones he had, unfortunately. (TSE insists it's "fortunately" for the sake of the ladies.)

"All it needs is a little..." Johnny rattled a spray can and ran an even coat of automotive paint over the finished steel piece. "There." The paint dried rapidly, giving the steel bracelet a lovely purple colour. The transparent nature of the paint itself allowed the subtle steel lattice pattern to show through. The purple matched the image burned into his mind. Also, as is known for a good automotive paint, it dries very quickly.

"Brat!" The blacksmith called, "As long as you're here, could you help?"

"Hai, sensei!" Johnny barked in response. He had all day, after all. After he finished the heavy lifting the smith couldn't accomplish with one arm, the foreigner returned to his finished product and held it up in the light.

The smith smirked as he approached, seemingly knowing something the foreigner didn't. "Good luck, brat," the old man said as he patted Johnny's shoulder.

"What for?"

The smith chuckled, "If it falls through, it'd make a fun plot to a manga."

What's a manga? Johnny thought. He was about to ask, when the Smith playfully smacked the foreigner's shoulder. "You should go get a nice box for that. I don't keep any here." Understandable, paper burns when in contact with the flying embers and superheated scale.

"Oh yeah!" Johnny slipped the bracelet into the left hoodie pocket, which he then zipped up. "Where can I get one?"

"There's an outdoor mall downtown. Plenty of stores there." The Smith headed back to his workbench, where he had left his mug. "There's bound to be an arts and crafts store that's got what you need."

Johnny nodded. With a low bow and a loud and clear thank you, (the smith shook his head in amusement and shoo'd the foreigner out) Johnny was out and on his way. He then pulled out his phone and began looking up a specific location for the outdoor mall. The phone was the only computer he had any familiarity with. When he navigated the touch menu, he paused at the icon for Contacts. The tension in his heart was still there. Mentally,he reminded himself, Forget it. I've got a job to do. Just get it done.

As he jogged through the industrial sector and into a more active public area, Johnny felt pretty darn good. The piece was exceptional for being his first attempt at working with steel. He knew that it was all because of the smith helping him during critical moments, the heat-treating, picking out materials and all that stuff only an expert would've known. However, the foreigner did forge and shape the steel himself. He had the arms for it at least. ”I’m gonna learn all that other stuff,” Johnny smirked at the idea. He wondered if he could get more hours instead of Friday afternoons, but he knew that between the three clubs, he probably wouldn't be able to. There was a nice zen quality to the work. As he looked at the steel he carried, he felt like the dream from last night had never happened. For a moment, there was a genuine bliss, one that not even his daily exercise could bring.

For a good long while, the foreigner jogged lightly. He had enough spacial awareness to weave around people and stop at traffic lights. However, he did flinch when he found himself standing at the entrance to an enormous garden park. The pink sakura blossoms had long vanished, swept up by the wind and city sweepers alike, making way to a deep green. The leaves were darkened to a beautiful deep green. Between the trees, the foreigner could only see a long winding path leading to who-knows-where. Upon broader inspection, the foreigner realised that this was one of the biggest parks he had ever seen.

”Yoyo…” Johnny struggled to read the name. He produced his pocket dictionary to quickly decipher it. ”Yoyogi…” He mumbled.

”Hello! On your left!” A jogger called, to which Johnny shifted aside to allow a small group to pass. The foreigner flashed a smile and bowed his head. ”Hello!” He called in response.

The foreigner joined in their jog for a bit. With his long legs, his stride easily overtook the other joggers. The leader of the pack called a word that the foreigner didn't quite catch, and they all upped the tempo. Soon enough, they were making a controlled dash for the next eight hundred metres. The foreigner hadn't done a dash in a while, so he wound up sweating heavily and panting by the end of it. Meanwhile, the other joggers called their thanks and continued on at their previous pace.

Why did they thank me? Johnny wondered as he watched the joggers vanish behind a bend in the path. Was it because I was a goal? Did they use me? No, they couldn't have.

The foreigner continued walking down a different path, where he found himself on a large brudge overlooking a beautiful pond. The structure wassolid, as were the planks that made up the foot path. The foreigner leaned on the railings as he watched the green canopies sway in the wind.

This is a beautiful place, the foreigner thought. It was nothing like home. Los Angelas had its wonderful places, to be certain. However, there was not quite the exotic appeal to the trees that once had pink leaves, the vastly different buildings, the tight quarters of the streets, and Mt. Fuji looming over the city like a guardian deity.

I’ve thought this before... but it is a place to start again. The foreigner refreshed the day's errand in his mind: to get a gift box. Johnny then spun around to continue walking.

---

+1 Athleticism