Now with 50% less rat.
"Matou-kun? You're this early?"
I turned slightly.
"Oh, it's Mitsuzuri-taii," I let 'Shinji' grin sheepishly. He did that well. Hell, he did a whole spread of facial expressions, mannerisms, and other such things well.
That was about the only saving grace of this entire situation.
"I just wanted to relax a little, Mitsuzuri-taiicho. Couldn't sleep. You know how it is."
Proving once again that I really should think and consider a bit more before I act. Or speak.
In this case, I'd found myself wandering towards the high school Shinji attended basically on instinct, then figured on getting the lay of the land rather than relying on memories, seeing as the day was still very young and classes wouldn't be starting for a few hours.
Plenty of time to make tracks, yes?
Apparently, no.
Mitsuzuri Ayako was captain of the school Kyudo team, and a real go-getter type of person if memory served me right. Cute, too, in a tomboyish sort of way, but the time was hardly right for that sort of mental wandering.
She also tended to come in early to get some extra practice time in, I recalled in a flash.
"You certainly look well for someone who was ill yesterday," she commented as she came up to the firing line and fell into seiza.
I was a little chagrinned when I realized she was in full uniform, meaning hakama, gi-top, the works. Meanwhile, I'd been working out the lingering pain in my arms by seeing how well I remembered this whole archery thing in the school stuff I'd hastily thrown on that morning.
That she didn't seem to think it was worth mentioning said something about Shinji's usual attitude in going about his business. Though it also made things easier on me.
"Saa ... I got better," I smiled, shrugged, and generally let 'Shinji' do his thing a little more. "Though I may be having a relapse later today."
"You can't just go and blow things off like this ..."
Apparently, even Shinji's nonchalance had limits. Oh well.
"Maybe," it was getting a bit late-ish in the morning, and the place was likely going to fill up pretty soon. Time to make tracks. I set aside my yumi, after unhooking the string, and went to retrieve the arrows. I wasn't a great archer, apparently, but could manage decently enough. The vice-captain position, I probably owed to Shinji's charisma rather than anything else. "You shouldn't worry so much, Mitsuzuri-taii."
And I was off.
Or at least, I'd intended to be, around the back of the archery dojo and out of the school grounds by virtue of a small side-entrance.
I almost managed it too.
"Matou."
Keyword, almost.
Slowly, without making any sudden moves, I turned around.
"Kuzuki-sensei. Good morning."
You know, he looked all the larger in real life. Or was it just the sort of presence he radiated? And cold. Very cold and calculating.
"See me after school."
I felt something ... paper? ... thwapping against my face before I realized he moved, and watched an envelope flutter down. I snatched it out of the air.
Damn, but the postal service in this town works fast.
"Yes."
But he was already walking away.
Hmm ...
I clenched my hands.
The shaking only lasted a second or two this time.
I must have been getting better.
Or worse.
Jury's still out on that, by the way.
Hmm. Yeah, I'm hoping I don't make Scary-sensei too OOC. Oh well.
We'll see.
-Griever
When tact is required, use brute force. When force is required, use greater force.
When the greatest force is required, use your head. Surprise is everything. - The Book of Cataclysm
"Matou-kun? You're this early?"
I turned slightly.
"Oh, it's Mitsuzuri-taii," I let 'Shinji' grin sheepishly. He did that well. Hell, he did a whole spread of facial expressions, mannerisms, and other such things well.
That was about the only saving grace of this entire situation.
"I just wanted to relax a little, Mitsuzuri-taiicho. Couldn't sleep. You know how it is."
Proving once again that I really should think and consider a bit more before I act. Or speak.
In this case, I'd found myself wandering towards the high school Shinji attended basically on instinct, then figured on getting the lay of the land rather than relying on memories, seeing as the day was still very young and classes wouldn't be starting for a few hours.
Plenty of time to make tracks, yes?
Apparently, no.
Mitsuzuri Ayako was captain of the school Kyudo team, and a real go-getter type of person if memory served me right. Cute, too, in a tomboyish sort of way, but the time was hardly right for that sort of mental wandering.
She also tended to come in early to get some extra practice time in, I recalled in a flash.
"You certainly look well for someone who was ill yesterday," she commented as she came up to the firing line and fell into seiza.
I was a little chagrinned when I realized she was in full uniform, meaning hakama, gi-top, the works. Meanwhile, I'd been working out the lingering pain in my arms by seeing how well I remembered this whole archery thing in the school stuff I'd hastily thrown on that morning.
That she didn't seem to think it was worth mentioning said something about Shinji's usual attitude in going about his business. Though it also made things easier on me.
"Saa ... I got better," I smiled, shrugged, and generally let 'Shinji' do his thing a little more. "Though I may be having a relapse later today."
"You can't just go and blow things off like this ..."
Apparently, even Shinji's nonchalance had limits. Oh well.
"Maybe," it was getting a bit late-ish in the morning, and the place was likely going to fill up pretty soon. Time to make tracks. I set aside my yumi, after unhooking the string, and went to retrieve the arrows. I wasn't a great archer, apparently, but could manage decently enough. The vice-captain position, I probably owed to Shinji's charisma rather than anything else. "You shouldn't worry so much, Mitsuzuri-taii."
And I was off.
Or at least, I'd intended to be, around the back of the archery dojo and out of the school grounds by virtue of a small side-entrance.
I almost managed it too.
"Matou."
Keyword, almost.
Slowly, without making any sudden moves, I turned around.
"Kuzuki-sensei. Good morning."
You know, he looked all the larger in real life. Or was it just the sort of presence he radiated? And cold. Very cold and calculating.
"See me after school."
I felt something ... paper? ... thwapping against my face before I realized he moved, and watched an envelope flutter down. I snatched it out of the air.
Damn, but the postal service in this town works fast.
"Yes."
But he was already walking away.
Hmm ...
I clenched my hands.
The shaking only lasted a second or two this time.
I must have been getting better.
Or worse.
Jury's still out on that, by the way.
Hmm. Yeah, I'm hoping I don't make Scary-sensei too OOC. Oh well.
We'll see.
-Griever
When tact is required, use brute force. When force is required, use greater force.
When the greatest force is required, use your head. Surprise is everything. - The Book of Cataclysm