Well, here it is at long last. The completed first chapter. Now, this is still pretty much a draft and I'm willing to take this back to the editorial
bench if needs be, but I would appreaciate it if you were constructive in your criticism... though you guys are pretty good about that around here.
The only differences between myself and my character (aside from obvious things) is that sense of self-confidence and his strong drive. Me? I'm a nervous
creature and I'm kind of a procrastinator. The character has no prior knowledge or anything like that - just a righteous desire to crack skulls and
kick-start things when it all starts to go down.
Oh, and I call BS on the whole 'magical-constructs/creatures can't be affected by mundane means' thing. Energy is still energy no matter how you
apply it. But then, that's kinda what being a techno-mage is all about, isn't it? Don't write a complex spell-interrupter when a monkey wrench
will do just fine (for given situations, of course).
Dark eyes beamed from underneath thick brows. The lips were stretched into a huge grin under the nose and high
cheekbones. Ezekiel Darkwood was looking at what would become his new home.
He'd recently turned eighteen and he was ready for college. Not everything was right in his mind's eye, though.
At sixty-two inches in height, he felt he was still too short. True, he was technically of average height, but that was the extreme low-end of the bracket that
was labeled 'Average.' At the very least, though, his looks were well above average. His face was narrow with high cheekbones, giving him the slightly
exotic air derived from his Native-American heritage. The dark complexion didn't help in this respect. In high school he would have the girls all but
throwing themselves at him if not for his odd persona. He never liked any of the fads, music, cars, or anything else anyone liked. He was an adamant
iconoclast, determined to be unique even among the 'rejects.'
"Dad, this is incredible," murmured Zeke from his window seat, his gaze firmly fixed on the ground far below.
"Everything is so squared away!"
Mathieu Darkwood looked nothing like his son. His hair was the color of salt and pepper and his eyes were hazel. He also
towered over the boy, even while sitting down. Ezekiel's looks came entirely from his late mother, along with a good portion of her attitude and
world-view. His mannerisms, though, he had inherited from his father. Mathieu didn't mind though. The woman he loved lived on through their son and he
would not have it any other way.
His father didn't even bother looking through the window. Instead, he simply smiled indulgently. This had been
something of present for his son - it was his final billet in the Navy and it was in the place his son had wanted to come to the most. He would retire here and
take up a part time job at the Embassy.
"Of course, son. The Japanese are a very neat and tidy people. Even their civil engineers lay out the towns as
neatly as possible."
For a moment they lapsed once more into companionable silence.
"Thanks for bringing me here, Dad."
Mathieu smiled again and, without looking, reached out ruffled his son's shaggy hair. Zeke didn't mind since his
style was intentionally mussed.
"For you, son, it's nothing."
I won't bother you with any of the settling in BS. I shared a nice little place with my Dad, two bedrooms,
kitchen, bath - the works, all miniaturized into Japanese scale. Though my Dad isn't around much to enjoy it because of his new job - that of a commanding
officer on a destroyer. Some people think that is awesome and I suppose that it is - every now and then I get to go to his ship and look at the awesome stuff
they have there. (One of my favorites is the automated five-inch gun.) Really it all just means that your Dad's not around very often. I love him all
the same, though, and I do my best to keep the place up.
I know a decent amount of Japanese and it's enough to get by - I can speak it reasonably effectively, I'm
just a bit short on practice and vocabulary. I can also read Katakana and Hiragana, but I'm all but hopeless with Kanji.
I have money; it's no big deal though. My portion from my Mother's life insurance policy is locked up in a
trust fund, waiting to be sunk into my college tuition. I'd have to actually get a job if I wanted to go out partying, but that's not my style anyhow.
I hate drunkards - they remind me way too much of just about every jock, band geek, and cheerleader I know. I love Yokosuka, but I stay the hell away from
the place after seven O'clock, and if you can't understand why then I wonder why you're still bothering to read this.
Yeah, I'm just a ray of effin' sunshine sometimes, aren't I?
I can be cool guy, really. It's just that being in the sort of situation I'm in, the sort that most
red-blooded men would kill to be in, is stressing me out so badly that I don't think the finest marijuana would sooth my nerves. Not that I think that
stuff is all that great anyhow. And yes, I speak from experience. Tried it twice and, while it was an interesting experience, I decided that I can do without
it.
Anyhow, I guess I should back up a bit to where this story really got started. That was when I saved the life of a
man. I should have remembered the old adage that no good deed goes unpunished.
My Dad was gone for the month - underway with his ship doing whatever it was the USN had tasked him with. Dad can
trust me to take care of myself, though, and leaves me with money for food. I don't have to worry about the bills because they're all taken care of
electronically.
It was a quiet day. Nice and sunny, and just a bit chilly. A perfect September day in Kanagawa. I was hoping to
get to Chuo Park over in Yokosuka to get some pictures of Mt. Fuji before everything hazed up. I'm no shutterbug, but sometimes I'll take time out for
the oddest things.
So there I was at the station in Juban, waiting for a train, when I noticed an old man dressed up in traditional
style. I'm no expert, but it looked like he was some sort of priest. What really got my attention was that the old man was not looking good. He looked
pale and he was sweating his brains out. And then he clutched at his chest and I mentally cursed up a streak that would have made Old Granddaddy Conway
Darkwood proud of his grandson, even if I did decide against joining the Navy.
As I saw him start to sway, I realized he's about to take a header into the tracks and there's nothing I
can do to stop it. Best of all, the damn train is about to get here, heralded by those electronically synthesized musical chimes the Japanese are so fond of
here (they even put them on the turn signals of their trucks for crying out loud). No one had noticed yet, so as I saw the priest fall, I made a snap
decision.
Seconds before my train arrived, I jumped in, eliciting no shortage of screams and mayhem from my platform.
Meanwhile the same thing was going on at the platform the priest was on, and in the distance I could see the other train coming. Not having enough time to be
gentle, I hauled the priest up and to the ledge.
"Help me!" I practically snarled in my clumsy Japanese. Right away, someone, a conductor, hauled the
priest and another gave me a helping hand on up out of the tracks and back onto the platform. A few seconds later the train rushed by.
I wasn't really paying attention. I was just trying to get it through to them that the priest was having a
heart attack and the stress of the situation probably was not helping. Soon enough, though, they got the message and they rushed to give first aid to the
priest.
I had only a moment to look into the priest's eyes before he was whisked away. There I saw a profound look of
gratitude mixed with the pain he was experiencing. He was thanking me for giving him his life.
There's no way I wouldn't have done it - it is never someone else's problem.
"You stupid gaijin!" snarls another old man. "You've made a mess of everything! The trains are
going to be late all morning now!"
"Urusai!" I snarled back. I was now pissed off. Here I go saving some poor old man's life and this
is the thanks I get? Best of all it started to mess with my ability to put what was on my mind into proper Nihongo words. "If train... get first, he is
dead. You decrepit old fart!" The fun part about the Japanese culture is that you don't need to know a lot of the language to throw out some cutting
insults - it seems to be something they specialize in.
"Watch your mouth, idiot! Did anyone teach you how to speak to your elders?"
"Stupid old man. Deserves no respect."
The old man went incoherent at this point in time - at least to me. The others around me seemed to understand and
looked to be equally horrified and impressed by the vitriol the man was spewing at me. Some of them even thought it was funny. I was glad I had a digital
note recorder in my pocket - some of that stuff turned out to be pretty creative. For a moment I thought the old man was actually going to attack me. I'm
no martial artist but I am a decent grappler with a few well-honed tricks from Aikido - I'd have pinned the old man as soon as I got a hand on him.
Thankfully, the station's police showed up and forcefully, yet politely, guided me away while two more began to try and talk down the old man.
I was taken to the station master's office and with a gesture the officer told me something along the lines of
'sit down and don't touch anything.' Outside it was a storm of conductors and staff wanting to know what the hell was going on in their station,
as well as the transit police. But inside the office it was calm - like the eye of the typhoon. I was alone in there for the moment. It was a bit cluttered.
This was not the ultra-neat space that the Japanese are known for. This was a place of business where thousands of people passed through each day. It was
going to be a bit lived in looking.
Finally, things began to quiet down a bit and the door opened, letting in some of the now-diminished noise, and
with it came two men.
The first one wore a uniform like the conductors, only less elaborate while maintaining a sense of superiority -
like salaryman-meets-military-chic. He could be none other than the station master. Following him had to be whoever was in charge of the transit
police.
The station master was an older man, just passing out of his middle-age. He had a bit of a hang-dog look on him,
as though he was already having a bad day and it had just gotten worse. I couldn't blame him as I'd had my share of days like that.
With a heavy sigh, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit up. He took a deep drag off it, held it for a
second, and the let it go over our heads.
"Boy," he said in English, "You've made my day a hard one."
Taking this in stride I shrugged. "It could have been worse."
"It could have," he agreed mildly. "My superiors don't like it when these things happen. They
tend to take it out on me if I don't make an example of someone."
"Why is that, though?" I said, clamping down on the righteous indignation that I could feel bubbling up
in my gut at the slightest hint of injustice. "How are your conductors supposed to see every single person there?"
"They are trained professionals. It is expected of them."
I sighed at that. "I'd say it's not fair, but that'd be pointless."
The old Station Master harrumphed at that. "You're right about that, boy. I'm supposed to ask you
some questions now. You're lucky I studied English in America. Let's start with your name."
"Darkwood, Ezekiel."
"Darkwood is your family name?"
"Yes."
"That's very interesting," said the Station Master.
"Why's that?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Have you ever read a book called Shogun? Your name reminds me of the Englishman from that book. A shame
that wasn't his true name, which was Adams, I believe. If it had really been Blackthorn I would wonder if you are some sort of distant
relation."
"I've wondered about it, too, but if you'll forgive me that is neither here nor there."
"Of course, I apologize. Age?"
"Sixteen."
The Station Master raised an appraising eyebrow at me and shook his head. I did look incredibly young for my
age.
"Home address?"
(Insert address here)
"Oh, that noisy place?"
"What do you mean?"
The man gaped at me. "You mean you don't know!?" Then he stopped and seemed to think about it.
"How long ago did you get here?"
"About a month ago. Why, what's been going on?"
The old Station Master sighed and had another long drag on his cigarette, puffing politely away from me.
"There's been some wild business with pretty girls fighting monsters. They tend to do a lot of collateral
damage, but so far no one's been killed yet. I suggest that if you ever see anything even resembling that you get out of there and call the
police."
I blinked hard at that. It was hard to believe what the old station master had told me, but when I looked up at
the traffic police officer, he simply nodded his head.
"I'll take your word for it," I said honestly.
The old man nodded. "That's the best I could hope for. Reason for coming to Japan?"
"School and family."
"Good enough. And now the one question everyone is going to want to know: why did you do something so
stupidly brave?"
I could only shrug that this and say, "That man may be someone's son, brother, cousin, uncle, nephew,
father, and grandfather. I only have my Father. How could I be so selfish?"
"The mindset of an American put into terms that Japanese can understand. That's pretty impressive stuff
there, kid. The press is gonna eat this shit up. Got anything else to add?"
I shrugged once more. "Nope. Just hope that old priest does okay."
The Station Master waved it off. "All our conductors have what you would call first response training and we
had a defibrillator and oxygen to him in no time. The paramedics responded pretty quickly, too, so he should be fine."
"Good. Is it possible for me to go now?"
"Of course. This was all just a formality so we have something for the records."
With that, we both got up and I was shown the way out the offices, but not before we bowed to each other. The
place was back to normal, but the conductors all looked at me furtively, and I somehow felt drained.
So much for a nice day outside, I thought as
I turned and trudged back home.
I spent the rest of the day hiding in my apartment, expecting a flood of press. There was, but it was nowhere
nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
Looking out my window I noticed that a sizeable crowd of reporters had gathered outside the apartment building. I
knew that the neighbors would appreciate it if I just answered their questions so they could go their way, so with that in mind I went out there to face
them.
Right away, the reporters, who had been lounging around, jumped up when I came out of the building. However, they
did not start asking questions right away. One of them seemed to take the lead though, a slightly rough looking middle aged man who seemed the epitome of the
term 'street casual.' What really caught me by surprise was when he greeted me in passable English.
"Good afternoon, Mister Darkwood. I am Kenishi Hagino of the Yomiuri Shimbun. I wish to translate for
you."
That got my attention - the Yomiuri Shimbun had the biggest readership in all of Japan. I knew then that if they
ran this story, then Raven only knew what I'd have to deal with. But you know what they say about good deeds and punishment.
"Yes, I'd appreciate that," I said. "Let's get started. I assume you already have the
basic information about me since you already know where I live."
"Yes, the rail line was very forthcoming with that information."
I rolled my eyes at that. "Last time I give out my address," I grumbled. "Okay then, so what would
you like to know?"
"If you please, Mister Darkwood, we want to know the story from your eyes."
"Alright then, no problem." I then recounted my story in as much detail as I could muster. Everyone
seemed to be impressed about how I jumped in at the last moment and got back out again, both with only seconds to spare.
"Thank you, Mister Darkwood," said Kenishi once I'd finished recounting the events. "Now
everyone wants to know: why did you do it?"
"Because it was the right thing to do," I answered.
Kenishi seemed puzzled, but relayed the answer. There was a bit of animated response from the rest of the
reporters, only some of which I caught.
"Sorry, Mister Darkwood, but my colleagues and I wish you to elaborate."
"Alright. Most Americans have this mindset that things like this are not someone else's problem. We do
not stand by when someone is in trouble like that. We act out of compassion. It is as simple as that."
Kenishi nodded and relayed that to his colleagues. They all seemed satisfied with that.
"We were told that you are here because of family and school. Can you explain more?"
"Yes. My father is an officer in the US Navy. More than that I shouldn't really say. I'm also here
because I wish to expand my knowledge in various subjects in engineering, and I also wish to study Shintoism up close in its native country."
They seem to be impressed with that, and then someone asked a question that Kenishi balked at.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"He wants to know if you have a girlfriend."
I snorted at that. Personally, I wouldn't mind finding a girlfriend, but I was in no rush.
"Look, isn't it obvious that I don't have anyone in my life right now? I just got here a month ago
and I just finished settling in. And there's no one else my age here. You're a reporter. Do a little footwork next time."
Kenishi snorted at that and relayed what I said, earning a few guffaws from the other reporters.
"I think that's all everyone needed to know about," said Kenishi. "Good day, Mister
Darkwood." And with a bow, he and all the others left.
I spent the rest of the afternoon thinking that it was over until I heard the familiar ping-pong of the doorbell.
I peaked inquisitively over the book I was reading, pondering if it was a straggling reporter, before getting up to answer the door.
I have to say that my preconceptions were completely and utterly blown out of the water.
She stood there, with an unreadable expression on her face. Her hair was cut in a traditional style that evoked the
Japanese nobility of times past - long and perfectly straight. Her eyes, despite the blank expression, had a fire that burned with the almond-framed orbs. She
was my own height, and wore the uniform of an all-girls academy that was nearby. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that she was in her senior year,
getting ready to graduate.
But what got my attention the most was the amount of spirit energy this girl had. This young lady had more spirit
energy than I did, and I was certainly no slouch in getting my own reserves built up as far as I have.
Carefully I checked the address that the Station Master had given me. The house was
the right one. It was not really a house, but a small apartment building - one of the newer ones that actually look nice. He was probably some spoiled rich
kid. Why would he bother with saving Grandfather's life?
Karma, Rei, karma, I reminded myself. It
is not for you to wonder why. Simply show your appreciation, be done with it, and hopefully the scales of karma will balance out.
I found the right one and rang the door bell. A moment later the door opened and I was taken back by what I saw.
He was young. In fact, he couldn't be older than me - he looked like he was twelve and not sixteen! It didn't help that he's also small and trim.
He looked at me with dark eyes filled with puzzlement. And the hair - sweet Kami-sama, I have friends that would kill to have hair that was thick, glossy,
and wavy like his.
Last, but not least, was the presence that he radiated. He may have been small, but there was a palpable sense of inteligence and cunning combined with an
iron will.
It took me a second to find my voice.
"Are you..." I forgot the name! Nice, Rei, very nice. Good thing I still had the note in my hand. I stared hard at the name - it would be all but
impossible for me, but I would rather die than admit defeat to something so small, especially in front of a man. "Eh-ze-ki-eh-lu-san?"
He blinked his eyes as his confusion seemed to deepen. "Yes. That is my... What is the word? Ah, personal name."
"What? OH!" I cried out. "I forgot Americans put their personal names first! Gomen nasai!" By
reflex, I bowed to him and held out the platter of curry that I asked Makoto to fix for me. "Please, Da-lu-ku-wu-do-san, accept this gift as my gratitude
for saving my grandfather's life."
Of course, this means that I don't see the surprised expression on his face.
"Sugoi!" I heard him say fervently. I guess he really liked curry - which is good because the sooner I left
it with him, the sooner I could go and eat. "Ano, I do not think I can eat all of it. Do you want to eat with me? Please, come in."
His Nihongo was a bit clumsy, but he was easy enough to understand - better than most Americans I've had the chance to meet. All the same, though, I
don't want to be troubled with keeping him company.
"I really shouldn't intrude," I said, giving a rote excuse that is common - one does not desire to disturb someone else's home.
"Bah! Nonsense!" he decried. "You are hungry?"
I opened my mouth to reply, but my stomach spoke first. It was so loud! Right away I could feel my blood rushing into my face and I could barely stand to
look at him as he laughed.
"Sho ga nai," he said, smiling. It was not a petty or cruel one, but one filled with mirth. It didn't
make it any easier to take, though. "Please, come in," he went on. "In America it is not polite to starve a pretty girl. Especially when she
brought you food."
I stood there, amazed as he retreated inside, leaving the door open for me. If he were a normal Japanese man, he would have thanked me for the meal and let me
go my way. But then, a normal Japanese man would probably not have saved my grandfather - it is not the normal person's place to do such things. But this
person was one of those bold and outrageous Americans who throw caution into the wind at a moment's notice. Of course he would do something like that when
a girl like me shows up at his door, the cursed sexist pig.
I hated myself for it, but my stomach would not be denied any longer. Enduring his presence would be worth it, especially since it was Makoto's
cooking.
"Hai," I called out as I stepped inside and began to exchange my shoes for the house slippers he had. At least he was ready to have guests. As I
set my shoes down next to his, I notice how big the boy's shoes are in comparison to mine. Surprised, I look over at him and down at his feet. He does
not bother with the slippers himself - most of the one-size-fits-all slippers that stores carry would never fit his feet! Instead, he wears heavy
tabi-socks.
"Set it on the table, please," he said politely, knowing that I was staring at him. Damn him for being so accomodating. "What is your
name?" he asked.
"Hino Rei," I replied as I set the curry down on his table. I started to look around then. The living room had a modest entertainment center, but
the walls were mostly dedicated to bookshelves that groaned under the weight of books. I couldn't get an immediate idea of what sort of books they were
because they were all in English.
The kitchen and dining room were tastefully spartan. The counters and walls all bare, save for the bare essentials
needed for a functional kitchen - a knife block full of cutlery and a cutting board, a well stocked spice rack, an empty dish drainer, and so on.
"It is good to meet you, Hino-san," he said, maintaining his polite demeanor as he began to set the table. I hoped it would stay that way. "I
have been making friends, but there is no one my age here. All elderly people and couples with young children." I knew the area well enough and he was
telling the truth. My shrine was not far from here. I merely nodded at what he said. He began to serve me first and I wondered what he hoped to
accomplish.
"Forgive me, I am curious. What do you do?" he said as he finished serving me and began to fill his own plate.
I looked at the admittedly handsome foreigner who spoke to me in his clumsy, yet earnest Nihongo. "I think that is obvious, Darkwood-san," I said
acidicly, no longer tripping over his name.
Darkwood, however, shrugged it off as he then sat down.
"Itadakimasu," we said together. Makoto did not disappoint - the curry was delicious.
Darkwood swallowed, savoring the curry silently for a moment, then said, "You go to an all-girls academy. It is obvious, indeed. I was curious about your
hobbies and occupations. I am not trying to romance you."
Once more he caused me to turn red, the bastard. I'd tell him off, but I had to be the better person - and I refused to show that he is getting to me. I
had to remain calm and cool.
"I am a miko at my Grandfather's shrine."
Darkwood's eyebrows moved up at this and he swallowed before speaking. "A Shinto shrine?"
I had to work hard to keep myself from glaring at him. "Yes. Why?"
"Shinto interests me. I wish to study Shinto," he said before taking another soonfull of curry. He closed his eyes again as he savored the flavor.
"This curry is divine."
"A friend made it," I said off-handly. "Why are you interested in Shinto? Is it just for the pretty little mikos?" Sweet Kami-sama, did
I really let that slip!?
Darkwood made nothing of it though. He simply smiled at me like my Grandfather might have, which was all the more infuriating.
"No. It is the desire of my family. My grandfather is a powerful shaman. He says I have great talent and potential. He says I must develop my
skills."
This was unusual. I knew there were some strange Americans like this one, but I never got to meet any until now. My curiosity was, to my surprise,
piqued.
"Does he want you to take over for him?" I asked.
"No. He says that it is not my path." To my surprsie, I noticed that most of his curry was gone already. "Instead, my cousin will be next. I
am to find my own way."
"I see." I couldn't understand it. Why was he so interesting? "What are your hobbies?"
He smiled. "I love riding bicycles. The wind on my face is wonderful. I like music. I like Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Coldplay, Keane, Beatles... A
little bit of everything. I also like to play flute. My favorite is to study engineering."
"Engineering?" I said, shooting him a puzzled look. "A hobby?"
"My passion," he corrected me, smiling grandly about it. "When I was a child, I liked watching cars. I would try to learn what made them
move."
"I still don't see what is so special," I said, all but sneering at his poetic ranting.
"I want to revolutionize the world," he said, as if the answers to all of life's problems lay within the push of some magical button. Of course,
I was soon to learn that all engineers are like this.
"What? How?" I asked him.
"Wait," he said as he got up and left the table. He padded lightly into what was presumably his room and then there was some rustling of papers. He
came back, burdened with several surprisingly large sheathes of paper.
"Here, look," he said as he laid them down before me. "Project Kaneda - Hydrogen-Electric Motorcycle." And indeed it was a motorcycle -
one that resembled the iconic motorcycle from the anime, Akira. He flipped through several of these pages, briefly showing me detailed drawings of various
components without benefit of verbal description. I was thankful for that - I simply would have been confused.
And then came something new.
"Project Nausica - Steam Powered Airplane." Once again, the title was an apt one, as it did resemble something that Hayao Miyazki might have come up
with. Moreover, I was starting to sense a trend here.
"Project Shizuma - Wind, Solar, and Hydrogen Power Plant with Super-Conductive Transmission Grid." Shizuma. As in Giant Robo. This boy was a nut.
The only reason I caught the references was because each of the anime he had referenced had been iconic touchstones in the media industry. I admit, I had gone
to see Nausica, especially since the idea of a woman in the role of the hero interested me.
More importantly, though, Darkwood was a brain, pure and simple. He really did not look like it, but he was. Ami would get along well with him, but then even
he might puzzle her - Ami's topic of choice was biochemistry. Darkwood was entirely gears and cogs.
It had to stop, though. All of the machinery and moving parts was starting to give me a headache.
"Fine, I understand," I finally said. "You're some weird kind of nerd. What about this business with studying Shinto?" He blushed
and had the decency to look embarrassed, as though he wanted to say, Oh no, I was doing it again, wasn't I?
"Ah, yes," he said as he began to roll up the drawings, quickly, but not so quick as to be hasty. Part of me noticed that he did so flawlessly,
aided by years of practice. "Where did I leave off?"
I rolled my eyes at him in annoyance - how could he be so absent-minded? "You grandfather, shaman, wants you to study Shinto, but not take over for him.
And what do you mean in that he is a shaman?"
"Well, my late-Mother's was from a tribe of Native-Americans."
"Native-American?" I asked. "You mean indians? With bear claws and eagle feathers?"
Now he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Well, it's not like we live in caves anymore."
It was the first acidic remark he'd used on me, and, Kami-sama curse him, it was well deserved, too. People like me get so wrapped up in ev that serything
that sometimes we hardly even bother to think about other cultures except in the broadest strokes.
"Gomen nasai," I said, hiding my grudge under those words.
"Anyways, a few of my Mother's people still hold onto the old ways. I don't blame them, really, because it is a large part of our culture. Among
my people you have ones like my Grandfather, who speaks to the spirits around us for guidance.
"When I was born, my grandfather told me that Raven himself came to him in a vision. He said that I was one of his children and that the quiet way of the
Shaman was not to be my path."
"Raven?" I asked. "You mean like the Tenguu?"
"No. Our Raven is not a demon. He is a very powerful Kami-sama" Darkwood then closed his eyes and smiled as he recited, "He is a provider and
a thief, a hero and a fool. He brought light out of darkness, but he is himself cloaked in midnight black. He is a symbol of dark brooding sadness and of
death, yet he brings life and unrivalled joy. He is credited with creating the earth and all its mysteries, but even the smallest secret attracts his
attention. He is a silent spy, and an unstoppable chatterbox. He is many things…" Darkwood then opened his eyes, focusing on me with that penetrating
gaze of his, and I felt my measure being taken as he finished, "and sometimes he is nothing."
It was impressive, and I was moved by his words, by I was not one to be swayed so easily. With hardly a thought, I swiftly replied:
"And just what is that supposed to mean?"
His response was equally swift and chiding. "It means that you should not worry about things too much. You will only find yourself running in
circles." What the hell happened to the soft boy that was here a moment ago? "I wish to learn about the practices of Shinto from you - not those of
the every-day practitioner, but those of the priests. Are you willing to teach me?"
"Why should I?"
"Because technically your Grandfather owes me a life-debt."
I couldn't stop myself from gaping at him. I simply was not expecting that. These are old words, words hardly used anymore. Life-debts are not easily
repayed, and if they are it is through a lifetime of servitude, or by giving one's daughter... Oh dear sweet Kami-sama, please do not let that be!
"Relax," he said crossly, as though he was reading my mind. Not that he needed to - my expression was probably screaming it. "I am not asking
your hand in marriage. I am asking for an education in your ways."
"Fine then, you can wait for my Grandfather to come out of the hospital."
"The poor man is going to be infirm for several months, Hino-san. I wish to learn from you instead."
With that I had enough and got up from my seat. "I believe we've discussed enough here tonight, Darkwood-san."
"I see," he said as he got up was well.
"I can show myself out," I said, all but snapping at him as he approached. He stopped. The expression on his face was equal parts puzzlement and
betrayal. Good, let him suffer my arrows for even attempting to foist himself onto me like that, the swine.
"Very well. I hope the rest of your night is more soothing, Hino-san."
I said nothing more as I left, shutting the door somewhat more loudly than I had intended to.
I walked alone all the way back to the shrine - my home. I was glad to be back there, away from that man and content to spend a quiet night without my
Grandfather around with his ecchi behavior. But why did it seem so cold here all the sudden?
I visit my Grandfather the next day - I am taking leave from school in this 'time of crisis.' The only
crisis is the Shrine itself as it can't be left entirely to the hired staff.
As I enter his room I see that he doesn't look as bad as he did before. He has more color in his face. The doctor told me that he is still very tired and
that I can only spend a short amount of time with him before I must go.
He stirs at the sound of the door opening and shutting.
"Ah, Rei-chan," he said drowsily, a slow smile forming on his face. "How is my lovely granddaughter today?"
"I am well, Grandfather. As is the Shrine - you needn't worry about it. Between the staff and myself it is all well."
"Good, good. And what of the boy who save me?"
For a moment I wondered if I should lie to him, but I decided against it. "I asked Makoto to make a curry and brought it to him as a thank you
gift."
"Ah. So what is this boy like?" I blinked and looked at my Grandfather in surprise. He only chuckled, and indulgent yet tired sound, and said,
"You can't fool your old Grandfather, Rei-chan. Besides, I've known a few Americans in my time. A boy like him would never pass up a chance to
have dinner with someone as beautiful as you, my Granddaughter."
"He is smarmy, conceited, and overconfident Grandfather. He honestly seemed to believe that he had some sort of chance at wooing me by having me teach
him about being a priest."
"Wait... He asked about training? Quick, Rei-chan, what is his name?"
"Darkwood. Why is that important?"
My Grandfather closed his eyes and laughed softly to himself. "I thought that boy was familiar looking." He then opened his eyes and looked to me.
"Rei, that boy is the grandson of my best and oldest friend, a Shaman of great repute from America. The man is like a brother to me. He told me some
time ago that his grandson would soon be arriving in Japan and asked if I could teach the boy what I know. Now it seems that Karma does not wish me to teach
the boy. Instead, that person shall be you, Granddaughter."
My scream of outrage was heard all across the hospital complex and I was asked to leave for the day.
The next day I received a very tersely worded note under my door.
You will find me at the Hikawa Shrine. Go there for your training.
-Hino Rei
The Hikawa shrine was a modest size Shinto shrine at the top of a hill surrounded by Sakura trees. Upon seeing the
place I thought it would look beautiful in the spring time. With the trees all around, it gave the old shrine an air of rustic mystique.
I felt I could come to love this place.
I parked my bike by the stand. It doesn't resemble any of the local models. The Jamis Coda Elite hardly does.
The light aluminum road-frame, high performance all-weather wheels, and the disc-style brakes set it apart. Yet the biggest thing to make it different was
the addition I made - a Free Radical by Xtracycle. It was a cantilevered frame that fitted into the rear-wheel's place and had modular fittings to accept
a variety of accessories. Right now, it was setup with the saddlebags - ones that actually lived up to real saddle bags in terms of capacity.
The bike also had a battery-powered motor assist. Unlike many models back in the US, this one was more like the
Japanese models that assisted the crank instead of the wheel. End result: it goes faster.
I locked the bike and began to make my way up to the shrine. I took the steps at a slow, leisurely pace, and
enjoyed the scenery as I did so.
As I got closer I caught the faint scent of wood smoke laced with sandalwood. There was no one around at the
moment, so I went inside the shrine and looked around.
At that moment, Rei entered. She had an entirely different look this time as she wore her miko robes and hakama.
She had a thin sheen of sweat on her skin and she brought with her the scent of smoke and sandalwood.
By the Raven she looked glorious.
"So, you found it without any trouble," said Rei as she moved past me.
"I have a good sense of direction."
"Indeed," said Rei in a somewhat bored tone as she picked up a broom and moved outside. "I have
work to do, so I can't entertain you or anything."
"Of course, I wouldn't dream of it. I can take care of myself."
"Good. Ever since that morning things have been hectic for me."
"How is your Grandfather?"
"He is doing well - they said it was a mild heart attack. The doctors intend to release him in a
week."
"That's great to hear. He seems like a nice man."
"If only he'd quit looking at skirts."
I smiled and pretended not to hear the last comment. "Do you need help?"
"Don't you have anything better to do?"
"Not really. My day is wide open and I like working outdoors, especially when it is this nice
outside."
"So ka. Take this broom. The leaves need to be swept out of the paved areas. We also have wood that needs
to be split. You will find the wood shed out back. I trust you can handle that?"
"Hai, Hino-san."
"Very well. I will be close by attending to other chores."
"Hai, Hino-san."
And with that, Rei left and I got busy. The shrine's grounds were lovely and the weather was spectacular - I
didn't mind the work one bit. It really didn't take me long to clean up the paved areas and I soon found the woodshed out back.
There was a chord of wood, stacked neatly. A second, smaller pile of wood was there as well. This smaller pile
consisted of thin, regular pieces of kindling. With this example to go by, I found the chopping blade and got to work once more.
This time it was time consuming and tedious, but I simply allowed my mind to drift as I let my hands work for me.
I was distracted at some point in time when a couple of Ravens perched on the larger wood pile to examine me with inquisitive expressions.
I looked up at the two as I worked. "Has your mistress sent you two to spy on me?" I asked. I got no
answer. "Don't worry. I am not insulted. It seems to be her nature."
"What seems to be my nature?" said Rei's voice behind me.
I didn't even bother to look this time. "Your sun sign is in Aries," I said casually.
"How did you know that?"
"Your attitude screams it."
"I still don't see why I should train you."
"My skills are incomplete. I'm still looking for the missing pieces."
Rei said nothing for a moment. "That will be enough wood for now. Come inside and I will give you some
food."
"You don't have to."
"Ie. Karma demands it."
"Ah. Far be it for me to argue against karma."
Rei gave me some onigiri - a Japanese rice ball with a flavored 'filling' in the middle. While I ate, she
left and returned with a bundle that she tossed down at my side.
"If you're going to work here, you might as well look like you belong here." And then she was gone.
I finished my onigiri and looked inside the bundle - it was a set of clothes for a shrine accolyte. I didn't waste any time and got changed.
The rest of my work for the day consisted of numerous menial chores. To the uninitiated or the uninclined it would
seem like onerous tasking to cut wood, sweep paths, patch holes, and trim shrubs, but I was fine with it. The one thing I wasn't really fine with glares I
was receiving from Rei.
"We need to talk," I told her in no uncertain terms when I was allowed another break.
"About what, Darkwood-san?" she said, arching one of her elegant eyebrows.
"You don't like me for some reason. That's fine. I can go somewhere else. Unless there is something
I can do about it?"
Rei glared at me, then sharply turned away. "It is my Grandfather's wish that I train you. He said that
he knew your Grandfather."
"Whoa," I said under my breath. Grandpa Bear never said anything about this. It seemed like he was up
to his old games of leaving me with hidden paths to stumble upon. "Okay, so you're honor-bound to train me. We must find a way to come to terms.
What is upsetting you?"
Rei turned her glare back on me. "Understand this: I am not going to treat you as anything other than an
accoylite and a student. You will not flirt with me or ask me out on dates. You are not to assume that something I do for you is because I like you.
Wakari mashita?"
"Yes, but this resolves nothing."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what I said. All that you have said has only confirmed what I said earlier: that you do not like me.
You are so angry at me that it is disturbing the wa of this place - one that is supposed to be serenity inviolate."
"You want to know why I don't like you? Fine then! You are just another chauvenistic male pig! I bet
that you undress me with your eyes all the time. There's no way I can get along with a sauve, swaggering gaijin like you."
The daggers had come out!
"Alright," I said, mustering up as much calm as I could so I could properly talk to Rei. "I
don't know what your problem is exactly, but there are a few things you need to know about me. I am not a chauvinist, I am a gentleman. I was taught to
respect women by my father, a respectable man who is an Officer and a Gentleman of the US Navy and who has loved one woman in his entire life.
"Also, I am not stuck up, suave, overconfident, or anything like that. I am simply confident and assertive -
something that my Father has drilled into me for as long as I could remember. Now if you have a problem with all this, then I think that your issues are with
men in general and that you need to meditate deeply about your spiritual and mental state." Rei was postively glowing with rage, barely keeping herself
from going completely apopoleptic.
"Get. Out."
"In your mental state I don't think your could force me to leave, but I will anyways. Good luck, Rei.
You are going to need it." And with that I went to change. Somewhere behind me I heard an inarticulate cry of pure rage.
This girl had problems. I don't know what had happened to her in the past, but someone had wounded her so
deeply that it caused her to hate men on a universal scope. And somehow my very character was bringing this hatred straight to the fore. I know that I can be
a bit too much for some people. They hate me for being a confident know-it-all - a never-ceasing fount of knowledge that loves to interject to say,
"You're doing it wrong."
Long ago, I learned to try not to help people. Many of them are far too proud to take up the advice of someone who
is as young I was at the time I learned this lesson. I became withdrawn, and that made me a target of the bullies, the jocks, and anyone else who was part of
the 'in' crowd. Of course, they left me alone for the most part once they learned how well I stood up for myself. It did not make me any more
accepted, though, but I was fine with that.
I strove to never, ever be like one of them.
But I never imagined then that my character as it is now would set someone off so badly. The first time it
happened I had been surprised, but I soon learned that people like this are few and far between - those being the ones that already have severe issues. And
Rei was one such person.
"May the Raven bless you with clear sight, Hino-san," I murmured as I changed, "so you may find the
evil that lurks in your heart and learn to understand it. So mote it be."
I left the accoylite's clothes in the changing area and left the shrine. The day had started out so promising,
but now I was simply emotionally drained. As I mounted my bicycle, I vowed myself a hot bath, some meditation, and a bit of time with my rune stones to help
settle my soul.
Meditate!? MEDITATE!?
The sheer nerve of that boy! He dared to come here and point out my flaws to me so casually, then tells me to
meditate!?
I stood there, my rage boiling over. Finally I could stand it no longer. I screeched horribly and stormed off after
the insulting American. I stopped at the changing area, putting my hand to the door, but as I did I heard something inside. Zeke was saying something in
English. Mine isn't the best, but I listened anyways.
My heart nearly stopped - he was praying for me to his Kami-sama!
What am I doing!? Was I really about to... I don't even know what I was about to do to him, except that it
would have been very bad. I turned away from the door and ran. What was wrong with me? I hate that boy so much, so why does my heart feel so heavy like
this!? I don't need this in my life. I cannot have it. And even if I could, I wouldn't want it because I would only try to change him. He would
grow to resent me, then leave me heartbroken. No, I cannot have this... but why does my heart have to feel like this? Why does it remind me so much of
Kaidou?
When I got home there was an unwelcome surprise in the mail. A letter from the local television station, TV
Ashita. Dreading the contents of the letter, I opened it and read. The English was surprisingly good, but that didn't really matter. What did matter is
that the local news wanted to do a lifestyles artical on how a young American goes about his day in Japan. Curse whoever coined the term "No good deed
goes unpunished." The letter didn't even provide a callback number for if I decided that I didn't want to go for the interview - they simply
assumed that I wanted to do it. Of course, this meant that it would be the height of rudeness to not go.
The next day found me at the TV Ashita studios. I was sent to a make-up room where a aesthetician applied make up
to my face. It's not really what you might think - it's just standard procedure and the makeup is not at all heavy. Just a touch here and there to
make the features of your face stand out better for the camera.
The aesthetician was very professional, finished with me in no time, and politely asked me to wait - there was an
audition going on, and my interview would take place afterwards.
With a sigh, I had a seat, got comfortable, and began to meditate.
I didn't get to do it for long. I started to hear a bunch of screaming from the studio. At first, I thought
it was just a bunch of melodrama for the audition, but then I heard things crashing. There was no way the studio people were faking that kind of destruction.
I poked my head our cautiously and made a double-take. There was some crazy-ass monster-chick with bull horns menacing a bunch of girls - one of whom was Rei!
Best of all, the bull-girl was giving me some seriously creepy vibes - the kind of feeling you get when you see a scary bug that makes you go
ZOMGWTFBBQ-KILL-IT-QUICK! The horned chick was screaming something about stealing energy. I saw Rei throw a piece of paper at the bull-girl and it somehow
paralysed her - I'd have to ask Rei about it later if I got the chance. Then a drop-dead gorgeous brown-haired amazonian caught the bull-girl by the arm
and flung her into a stage set depicting some strange ruins.
But that just wasn't enough. As I crept out of the make-up room I saw the crazed monster-girl get up and then
attack some other hapless girl. And wouldn't you know it? That freak was stealing energy - I don't know how I know, I simply did when I saw
it.
I'd seen enough. I found a fire ax at a nearby fire station, but I didn't think it had the right
je ne sais quoi for the job. So I took the
ax to the nearest energized stage light and hacked the power cord. A startlingly bright spark told me what I needed to know and the wooden handle kept me from
getting grounded. Carefully, I used the ax (thank the Raven it was sharp!) and used it to split the outter jacket of the insulation and carefully pulled the
wires apart, getting a few sparks for my trouble - shit that stuff was tricky! Once I had a good meter to work with, I held apart the positive and negative
leads, putting them close together just to be sure - I got a nice little arc of electricity in reply.
Excellent!
"Hey! Bull face!" I called out. By now, the monster has some other girl pinned to a wall with her horns
- some blonde-haired Japanese dressed up like a school-girl-turned-super-hero. What made my day even stranger was that I got a vibe that told me it was
exactly what she was, too.
Never mind. It was time to cajun-fry me an anthropomorphic cow!
"You want energy? You got it!" And before the monster-girl could even turn my way - she would have had
to get her horns loose first, I jammed the leads into her spine, one at the base of her head and one at her hips. "ALL THE POWER IN TOKYO'S POWER
GRID!"
She screamed an undulating cry at fifty hertz (the alternating frequency of Japanese AC current) and her spine
arched, flinging the Japanese super-girl away. I started to smell the unique stench of living flesh being being fried mixed with ozone, and gritted my teeth
as I felt my own hands starting to burn. I refused to let go, though. I knew that if I did this crazy bitch would kill me and everyone else here.
Suddenly, the monster bucked and threw me to the deck. I rolled with it to a stop and felt my had brush something
- the fire ax! The monster was still getting her bearings, so I grabbed the ax and charged at her, screaming a war-cry that would have done my ancestors
proud. The monster only had enough time to look at me with a horrified expression on her face. I almost felt sorry for her as I brought the ax down on her
head, right between the horns. She went down with a wet sounding smack, her eyes already glassy and dead. She then disappeared, leaving a card behind. There
was a jet of darkness emitted from the card (Mum! Dad! Don't touch it! It's pure EVIL!) and the card turned black and disintegrated. For good
measure, I looked to where the monster had been, drew some mucous from deep inside my throat and spat the viscous load on the spot.
"In the name of Raven, my curse upon you - go to hell and stay there."
Next up I felt something on my metaphysical radar. I turned and spotted them up in the rigging - two figures that
I could only describe as dark elves with neon-hued hair. And then I knew... I was too far pissed off and hopped up on my own adrenalin rush to think
straight... so I did the dumbest thing I could have done. I challenged them.
"YOU!" I called out, pointing at them. "YOU DID THIS! COME DOWN HERE AND FIGHT ME IF YOU
DARE!" The Raven smiled down upon me this time, forgiving my moment of idiotic bravery. The two gave me a horrified look, then fuzzed out of existence.
I guess that they didn't really have any fight in them right then. But then, I guess you'd have the wind taken out of your sails if you just saw one
of your minions freaking ax-murdered by some dude that came out of nowhere. I snarled as I felt them go, tossing the fire ax aside.
"Kowai!" I heard someone say plaintively.
I looked over to my side and saw them. They were all dressed up similarly to the first girl I saw. But that
wasn't the biggest surprise. It was that the four of them were part of the group from earlier - the girls that were there for the audition. Of course,
Rei was the one in the red.
"Yare yare," I sighed. "Looks like my life just got a lot more interesting. And not in a good way." I felt my hands
tingling and looked down at them. Big mistake - my palms were blackened by the burning insulation. Like, ouch.
"Ano... Would one of you girls be able to do something about this?" I asked, holding up my burned hands for them to see. A
couple of them started at the sight. Two of them even cringed. "Like, before it starts to hurt really bad?"
Last edited by Black Aeronaut on 04 Sep 2009 09:29, edited 1 time in total.
bench if needs be, but I would appreaciate it if you were constructive in your criticism... though you guys are pretty good about that around here.
The only differences between myself and my character (aside from obvious things) is that sense of self-confidence and his strong drive. Me? I'm a nervous
creature and I'm kind of a procrastinator. The character has no prior knowledge or anything like that - just a righteous desire to crack skulls and
kick-start things when it all starts to go down.
Oh, and I call BS on the whole 'magical-constructs/creatures can't be affected by mundane means' thing. Energy is still energy no matter how you
apply it. But then, that's kinda what being a techno-mage is all about, isn't it? Don't write a complex spell-interrupter when a monkey wrench
will do just fine (for given situations, of course).
Dark eyes beamed from underneath thick brows. The lips were stretched into a huge grin under the nose and high
cheekbones. Ezekiel Darkwood was looking at what would become his new home.
He'd recently turned eighteen and he was ready for college. Not everything was right in his mind's eye, though.
At sixty-two inches in height, he felt he was still too short. True, he was technically of average height, but that was the extreme low-end of the bracket that
was labeled 'Average.' At the very least, though, his looks were well above average. His face was narrow with high cheekbones, giving him the slightly
exotic air derived from his Native-American heritage. The dark complexion didn't help in this respect. In high school he would have the girls all but
throwing themselves at him if not for his odd persona. He never liked any of the fads, music, cars, or anything else anyone liked. He was an adamant
iconoclast, determined to be unique even among the 'rejects.'
"Dad, this is incredible," murmured Zeke from his window seat, his gaze firmly fixed on the ground far below.
"Everything is so squared away!"
Mathieu Darkwood looked nothing like his son. His hair was the color of salt and pepper and his eyes were hazel. He also
towered over the boy, even while sitting down. Ezekiel's looks came entirely from his late mother, along with a good portion of her attitude and
world-view. His mannerisms, though, he had inherited from his father. Mathieu didn't mind though. The woman he loved lived on through their son and he
would not have it any other way.
His father didn't even bother looking through the window. Instead, he simply smiled indulgently. This had been
something of present for his son - it was his final billet in the Navy and it was in the place his son had wanted to come to the most. He would retire here and
take up a part time job at the Embassy.
"Of course, son. The Japanese are a very neat and tidy people. Even their civil engineers lay out the towns as
neatly as possible."
For a moment they lapsed once more into companionable silence.
"Thanks for bringing me here, Dad."
Mathieu smiled again and, without looking, reached out ruffled his son's shaggy hair. Zeke didn't mind since his
style was intentionally mussed.
"For you, son, it's nothing."
I won't bother you with any of the settling in BS. I shared a nice little place with my Dad, two bedrooms,
kitchen, bath - the works, all miniaturized into Japanese scale. Though my Dad isn't around much to enjoy it because of his new job - that of a commanding
officer on a destroyer. Some people think that is awesome and I suppose that it is - every now and then I get to go to his ship and look at the awesome stuff
they have there. (One of my favorites is the automated five-inch gun.) Really it all just means that your Dad's not around very often. I love him all
the same, though, and I do my best to keep the place up.
I know a decent amount of Japanese and it's enough to get by - I can speak it reasonably effectively, I'm
just a bit short on practice and vocabulary. I can also read Katakana and Hiragana, but I'm all but hopeless with Kanji.
I have money; it's no big deal though. My portion from my Mother's life insurance policy is locked up in a
trust fund, waiting to be sunk into my college tuition. I'd have to actually get a job if I wanted to go out partying, but that's not my style anyhow.
I hate drunkards - they remind me way too much of just about every jock, band geek, and cheerleader I know. I love Yokosuka, but I stay the hell away from
the place after seven O'clock, and if you can't understand why then I wonder why you're still bothering to read this.
Yeah, I'm just a ray of effin' sunshine sometimes, aren't I?
I can be cool guy, really. It's just that being in the sort of situation I'm in, the sort that most
red-blooded men would kill to be in, is stressing me out so badly that I don't think the finest marijuana would sooth my nerves. Not that I think that
stuff is all that great anyhow. And yes, I speak from experience. Tried it twice and, while it was an interesting experience, I decided that I can do without
it.
Anyhow, I guess I should back up a bit to where this story really got started. That was when I saved the life of a
man. I should have remembered the old adage that no good deed goes unpunished.
My Dad was gone for the month - underway with his ship doing whatever it was the USN had tasked him with. Dad can
trust me to take care of myself, though, and leaves me with money for food. I don't have to worry about the bills because they're all taken care of
electronically.
It was a quiet day. Nice and sunny, and just a bit chilly. A perfect September day in Kanagawa. I was hoping to
get to Chuo Park over in Yokosuka to get some pictures of Mt. Fuji before everything hazed up. I'm no shutterbug, but sometimes I'll take time out for
the oddest things.
So there I was at the station in Juban, waiting for a train, when I noticed an old man dressed up in traditional
style. I'm no expert, but it looked like he was some sort of priest. What really got my attention was that the old man was not looking good. He looked
pale and he was sweating his brains out. And then he clutched at his chest and I mentally cursed up a streak that would have made Old Granddaddy Conway
Darkwood proud of his grandson, even if I did decide against joining the Navy.
As I saw him start to sway, I realized he's about to take a header into the tracks and there's nothing I
can do to stop it. Best of all, the damn train is about to get here, heralded by those electronically synthesized musical chimes the Japanese are so fond of
here (they even put them on the turn signals of their trucks for crying out loud). No one had noticed yet, so as I saw the priest fall, I made a snap
decision.
Seconds before my train arrived, I jumped in, eliciting no shortage of screams and mayhem from my platform.
Meanwhile the same thing was going on at the platform the priest was on, and in the distance I could see the other train coming. Not having enough time to be
gentle, I hauled the priest up and to the ledge.
"Help me!" I practically snarled in my clumsy Japanese. Right away, someone, a conductor, hauled the
priest and another gave me a helping hand on up out of the tracks and back onto the platform. A few seconds later the train rushed by.
I wasn't really paying attention. I was just trying to get it through to them that the priest was having a
heart attack and the stress of the situation probably was not helping. Soon enough, though, they got the message and they rushed to give first aid to the
priest.
I had only a moment to look into the priest's eyes before he was whisked away. There I saw a profound look of
gratitude mixed with the pain he was experiencing. He was thanking me for giving him his life.
There's no way I wouldn't have done it - it is never someone else's problem.
"You stupid gaijin!" snarls another old man. "You've made a mess of everything! The trains are
going to be late all morning now!"
"Urusai!" I snarled back. I was now pissed off. Here I go saving some poor old man's life and this
is the thanks I get? Best of all it started to mess with my ability to put what was on my mind into proper Nihongo words. "If train... get first, he is
dead. You decrepit old fart!" The fun part about the Japanese culture is that you don't need to know a lot of the language to throw out some cutting
insults - it seems to be something they specialize in.
"Watch your mouth, idiot! Did anyone teach you how to speak to your elders?"
"Stupid old man. Deserves no respect."
The old man went incoherent at this point in time - at least to me. The others around me seemed to understand and
looked to be equally horrified and impressed by the vitriol the man was spewing at me. Some of them even thought it was funny. I was glad I had a digital
note recorder in my pocket - some of that stuff turned out to be pretty creative. For a moment I thought the old man was actually going to attack me. I'm
no martial artist but I am a decent grappler with a few well-honed tricks from Aikido - I'd have pinned the old man as soon as I got a hand on him.
Thankfully, the station's police showed up and forcefully, yet politely, guided me away while two more began to try and talk down the old man.
I was taken to the station master's office and with a gesture the officer told me something along the lines of
'sit down and don't touch anything.' Outside it was a storm of conductors and staff wanting to know what the hell was going on in their station,
as well as the transit police. But inside the office it was calm - like the eye of the typhoon. I was alone in there for the moment. It was a bit cluttered.
This was not the ultra-neat space that the Japanese are known for. This was a place of business where thousands of people passed through each day. It was
going to be a bit lived in looking.
Finally, things began to quiet down a bit and the door opened, letting in some of the now-diminished noise, and
with it came two men.
The first one wore a uniform like the conductors, only less elaborate while maintaining a sense of superiority -
like salaryman-meets-military-chic. He could be none other than the station master. Following him had to be whoever was in charge of the transit
police.
The station master was an older man, just passing out of his middle-age. He had a bit of a hang-dog look on him,
as though he was already having a bad day and it had just gotten worse. I couldn't blame him as I'd had my share of days like that.
With a heavy sigh, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit up. He took a deep drag off it, held it for a
second, and the let it go over our heads.
"Boy," he said in English, "You've made my day a hard one."
Taking this in stride I shrugged. "It could have been worse."
"It could have," he agreed mildly. "My superiors don't like it when these things happen. They
tend to take it out on me if I don't make an example of someone."
"Why is that, though?" I said, clamping down on the righteous indignation that I could feel bubbling up
in my gut at the slightest hint of injustice. "How are your conductors supposed to see every single person there?"
"They are trained professionals. It is expected of them."
I sighed at that. "I'd say it's not fair, but that'd be pointless."
The old Station Master harrumphed at that. "You're right about that, boy. I'm supposed to ask you
some questions now. You're lucky I studied English in America. Let's start with your name."
"Darkwood, Ezekiel."
"Darkwood is your family name?"
"Yes."
"That's very interesting," said the Station Master.
"Why's that?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Have you ever read a book called Shogun? Your name reminds me of the Englishman from that book. A shame
that wasn't his true name, which was Adams, I believe. If it had really been Blackthorn I would wonder if you are some sort of distant
relation."
"I've wondered about it, too, but if you'll forgive me that is neither here nor there."
"Of course, I apologize. Age?"
"Sixteen."
The Station Master raised an appraising eyebrow at me and shook his head. I did look incredibly young for my
age.
"Home address?"
(Insert address here)
"Oh, that noisy place?"
"What do you mean?"
The man gaped at me. "You mean you don't know!?" Then he stopped and seemed to think about it.
"How long ago did you get here?"
"About a month ago. Why, what's been going on?"
The old Station Master sighed and had another long drag on his cigarette, puffing politely away from me.
"There's been some wild business with pretty girls fighting monsters. They tend to do a lot of collateral
damage, but so far no one's been killed yet. I suggest that if you ever see anything even resembling that you get out of there and call the
police."
I blinked hard at that. It was hard to believe what the old station master had told me, but when I looked up at
the traffic police officer, he simply nodded his head.
"I'll take your word for it," I said honestly.
The old man nodded. "That's the best I could hope for. Reason for coming to Japan?"
"School and family."
"Good enough. And now the one question everyone is going to want to know: why did you do something so
stupidly brave?"
I could only shrug that this and say, "That man may be someone's son, brother, cousin, uncle, nephew,
father, and grandfather. I only have my Father. How could I be so selfish?"
"The mindset of an American put into terms that Japanese can understand. That's pretty impressive stuff
there, kid. The press is gonna eat this shit up. Got anything else to add?"
I shrugged once more. "Nope. Just hope that old priest does okay."
The Station Master waved it off. "All our conductors have what you would call first response training and we
had a defibrillator and oxygen to him in no time. The paramedics responded pretty quickly, too, so he should be fine."
"Good. Is it possible for me to go now?"
"Of course. This was all just a formality so we have something for the records."
With that, we both got up and I was shown the way out the offices, but not before we bowed to each other. The
place was back to normal, but the conductors all looked at me furtively, and I somehow felt drained.
So much for a nice day outside, I thought as
I turned and trudged back home.
I spent the rest of the day hiding in my apartment, expecting a flood of press. There was, but it was nowhere
nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
Looking out my window I noticed that a sizeable crowd of reporters had gathered outside the apartment building. I
knew that the neighbors would appreciate it if I just answered their questions so they could go their way, so with that in mind I went out there to face
them.
Right away, the reporters, who had been lounging around, jumped up when I came out of the building. However, they
did not start asking questions right away. One of them seemed to take the lead though, a slightly rough looking middle aged man who seemed the epitome of the
term 'street casual.' What really caught me by surprise was when he greeted me in passable English.
"Good afternoon, Mister Darkwood. I am Kenishi Hagino of the Yomiuri Shimbun. I wish to translate for
you."
That got my attention - the Yomiuri Shimbun had the biggest readership in all of Japan. I knew then that if they
ran this story, then Raven only knew what I'd have to deal with. But you know what they say about good deeds and punishment.
"Yes, I'd appreciate that," I said. "Let's get started. I assume you already have the
basic information about me since you already know where I live."
"Yes, the rail line was very forthcoming with that information."
I rolled my eyes at that. "Last time I give out my address," I grumbled. "Okay then, so what would
you like to know?"
"If you please, Mister Darkwood, we want to know the story from your eyes."
"Alright then, no problem." I then recounted my story in as much detail as I could muster. Everyone
seemed to be impressed about how I jumped in at the last moment and got back out again, both with only seconds to spare.
"Thank you, Mister Darkwood," said Kenishi once I'd finished recounting the events. "Now
everyone wants to know: why did you do it?"
"Because it was the right thing to do," I answered.
Kenishi seemed puzzled, but relayed the answer. There was a bit of animated response from the rest of the
reporters, only some of which I caught.
"Sorry, Mister Darkwood, but my colleagues and I wish you to elaborate."
"Alright. Most Americans have this mindset that things like this are not someone else's problem. We do
not stand by when someone is in trouble like that. We act out of compassion. It is as simple as that."
Kenishi nodded and relayed that to his colleagues. They all seemed satisfied with that.
"We were told that you are here because of family and school. Can you explain more?"
"Yes. My father is an officer in the US Navy. More than that I shouldn't really say. I'm also here
because I wish to expand my knowledge in various subjects in engineering, and I also wish to study Shintoism up close in its native country."
They seem to be impressed with that, and then someone asked a question that Kenishi balked at.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"He wants to know if you have a girlfriend."
I snorted at that. Personally, I wouldn't mind finding a girlfriend, but I was in no rush.
"Look, isn't it obvious that I don't have anyone in my life right now? I just got here a month ago
and I just finished settling in. And there's no one else my age here. You're a reporter. Do a little footwork next time."
Kenishi snorted at that and relayed what I said, earning a few guffaws from the other reporters.
"I think that's all everyone needed to know about," said Kenishi. "Good day, Mister
Darkwood." And with a bow, he and all the others left.
I spent the rest of the afternoon thinking that it was over until I heard the familiar ping-pong of the doorbell.
I peaked inquisitively over the book I was reading, pondering if it was a straggling reporter, before getting up to answer the door.
I have to say that my preconceptions were completely and utterly blown out of the water.
She stood there, with an unreadable expression on her face. Her hair was cut in a traditional style that evoked the
Japanese nobility of times past - long and perfectly straight. Her eyes, despite the blank expression, had a fire that burned with the almond-framed orbs. She
was my own height, and wore the uniform of an all-girls academy that was nearby. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that she was in her senior year,
getting ready to graduate.
But what got my attention the most was the amount of spirit energy this girl had. This young lady had more spirit
energy than I did, and I was certainly no slouch in getting my own reserves built up as far as I have.
Carefully I checked the address that the Station Master had given me. The house was
the right one. It was not really a house, but a small apartment building - one of the newer ones that actually look nice. He was probably some spoiled rich
kid. Why would he bother with saving Grandfather's life?
Karma, Rei, karma, I reminded myself. It
is not for you to wonder why. Simply show your appreciation, be done with it, and hopefully the scales of karma will balance out.
I found the right one and rang the door bell. A moment later the door opened and I was taken back by what I saw.
He was young. In fact, he couldn't be older than me - he looked like he was twelve and not sixteen! It didn't help that he's also small and trim.
He looked at me with dark eyes filled with puzzlement. And the hair - sweet Kami-sama, I have friends that would kill to have hair that was thick, glossy,
and wavy like his.
Last, but not least, was the presence that he radiated. He may have been small, but there was a palpable sense of inteligence and cunning combined with an
iron will.
It took me a second to find my voice.
"Are you..." I forgot the name! Nice, Rei, very nice. Good thing I still had the note in my hand. I stared hard at the name - it would be all but
impossible for me, but I would rather die than admit defeat to something so small, especially in front of a man. "Eh-ze-ki-eh-lu-san?"
He blinked his eyes as his confusion seemed to deepen. "Yes. That is my... What is the word? Ah, personal name."
"What? OH!" I cried out. "I forgot Americans put their personal names first! Gomen nasai!" By
reflex, I bowed to him and held out the platter of curry that I asked Makoto to fix for me. "Please, Da-lu-ku-wu-do-san, accept this gift as my gratitude
for saving my grandfather's life."
Of course, this means that I don't see the surprised expression on his face.
"Sugoi!" I heard him say fervently. I guess he really liked curry - which is good because the sooner I left
it with him, the sooner I could go and eat. "Ano, I do not think I can eat all of it. Do you want to eat with me? Please, come in."
His Nihongo was a bit clumsy, but he was easy enough to understand - better than most Americans I've had the chance to meet. All the same, though, I
don't want to be troubled with keeping him company.
"I really shouldn't intrude," I said, giving a rote excuse that is common - one does not desire to disturb someone else's home.
"Bah! Nonsense!" he decried. "You are hungry?"
I opened my mouth to reply, but my stomach spoke first. It was so loud! Right away I could feel my blood rushing into my face and I could barely stand to
look at him as he laughed.
"Sho ga nai," he said, smiling. It was not a petty or cruel one, but one filled with mirth. It didn't
make it any easier to take, though. "Please, come in," he went on. "In America it is not polite to starve a pretty girl. Especially when she
brought you food."
I stood there, amazed as he retreated inside, leaving the door open for me. If he were a normal Japanese man, he would have thanked me for the meal and let me
go my way. But then, a normal Japanese man would probably not have saved my grandfather - it is not the normal person's place to do such things. But this
person was one of those bold and outrageous Americans who throw caution into the wind at a moment's notice. Of course he would do something like that when
a girl like me shows up at his door, the cursed sexist pig.
I hated myself for it, but my stomach would not be denied any longer. Enduring his presence would be worth it, especially since it was Makoto's
cooking.
"Hai," I called out as I stepped inside and began to exchange my shoes for the house slippers he had. At least he was ready to have guests. As I
set my shoes down next to his, I notice how big the boy's shoes are in comparison to mine. Surprised, I look over at him and down at his feet. He does
not bother with the slippers himself - most of the one-size-fits-all slippers that stores carry would never fit his feet! Instead, he wears heavy
tabi-socks.
"Set it on the table, please," he said politely, knowing that I was staring at him. Damn him for being so accomodating. "What is your
name?" he asked.
"Hino Rei," I replied as I set the curry down on his table. I started to look around then. The living room had a modest entertainment center, but
the walls were mostly dedicated to bookshelves that groaned under the weight of books. I couldn't get an immediate idea of what sort of books they were
because they were all in English.
The kitchen and dining room were tastefully spartan. The counters and walls all bare, save for the bare essentials
needed for a functional kitchen - a knife block full of cutlery and a cutting board, a well stocked spice rack, an empty dish drainer, and so on.
"It is good to meet you, Hino-san," he said, maintaining his polite demeanor as he began to set the table. I hoped it would stay that way. "I
have been making friends, but there is no one my age here. All elderly people and couples with young children." I knew the area well enough and he was
telling the truth. My shrine was not far from here. I merely nodded at what he said. He began to serve me first and I wondered what he hoped to
accomplish.
"Forgive me, I am curious. What do you do?" he said as he finished serving me and began to fill his own plate.
I looked at the admittedly handsome foreigner who spoke to me in his clumsy, yet earnest Nihongo. "I think that is obvious, Darkwood-san," I said
acidicly, no longer tripping over his name.
Darkwood, however, shrugged it off as he then sat down.
"Itadakimasu," we said together. Makoto did not disappoint - the curry was delicious.
Darkwood swallowed, savoring the curry silently for a moment, then said, "You go to an all-girls academy. It is obvious, indeed. I was curious about your
hobbies and occupations. I am not trying to romance you."
Once more he caused me to turn red, the bastard. I'd tell him off, but I had to be the better person - and I refused to show that he is getting to me. I
had to remain calm and cool.
"I am a miko at my Grandfather's shrine."
Darkwood's eyebrows moved up at this and he swallowed before speaking. "A Shinto shrine?"
I had to work hard to keep myself from glaring at him. "Yes. Why?"
"Shinto interests me. I wish to study Shinto," he said before taking another soonfull of curry. He closed his eyes again as he savored the flavor.
"This curry is divine."
"A friend made it," I said off-handly. "Why are you interested in Shinto? Is it just for the pretty little mikos?" Sweet Kami-sama, did
I really let that slip!?
Darkwood made nothing of it though. He simply smiled at me like my Grandfather might have, which was all the more infuriating.
"No. It is the desire of my family. My grandfather is a powerful shaman. He says I have great talent and potential. He says I must develop my
skills."
This was unusual. I knew there were some strange Americans like this one, but I never got to meet any until now. My curiosity was, to my surprise,
piqued.
"Does he want you to take over for him?" I asked.
"No. He says that it is not my path." To my surprsie, I noticed that most of his curry was gone already. "Instead, my cousin will be next. I
am to find my own way."
"I see." I couldn't understand it. Why was he so interesting? "What are your hobbies?"
He smiled. "I love riding bicycles. The wind on my face is wonderful. I like music. I like Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Coldplay, Keane, Beatles... A
little bit of everything. I also like to play flute. My favorite is to study engineering."
"Engineering?" I said, shooting him a puzzled look. "A hobby?"
"My passion," he corrected me, smiling grandly about it. "When I was a child, I liked watching cars. I would try to learn what made them
move."
"I still don't see what is so special," I said, all but sneering at his poetic ranting.
"I want to revolutionize the world," he said, as if the answers to all of life's problems lay within the push of some magical button. Of course,
I was soon to learn that all engineers are like this.
"What? How?" I asked him.
"Wait," he said as he got up and left the table. He padded lightly into what was presumably his room and then there was some rustling of papers. He
came back, burdened with several surprisingly large sheathes of paper.
"Here, look," he said as he laid them down before me. "Project Kaneda - Hydrogen-Electric Motorcycle." And indeed it was a motorcycle -
one that resembled the iconic motorcycle from the anime, Akira. He flipped through several of these pages, briefly showing me detailed drawings of various
components without benefit of verbal description. I was thankful for that - I simply would have been confused.
And then came something new.
"Project Nausica - Steam Powered Airplane." Once again, the title was an apt one, as it did resemble something that Hayao Miyazki might have come up
with. Moreover, I was starting to sense a trend here.
"Project Shizuma - Wind, Solar, and Hydrogen Power Plant with Super-Conductive Transmission Grid." Shizuma. As in Giant Robo. This boy was a nut.
The only reason I caught the references was because each of the anime he had referenced had been iconic touchstones in the media industry. I admit, I had gone
to see Nausica, especially since the idea of a woman in the role of the hero interested me.
More importantly, though, Darkwood was a brain, pure and simple. He really did not look like it, but he was. Ami would get along well with him, but then even
he might puzzle her - Ami's topic of choice was biochemistry. Darkwood was entirely gears and cogs.
It had to stop, though. All of the machinery and moving parts was starting to give me a headache.
"Fine, I understand," I finally said. "You're some weird kind of nerd. What about this business with studying Shinto?" He blushed
and had the decency to look embarrassed, as though he wanted to say, Oh no, I was doing it again, wasn't I?
"Ah, yes," he said as he began to roll up the drawings, quickly, but not so quick as to be hasty. Part of me noticed that he did so flawlessly,
aided by years of practice. "Where did I leave off?"
I rolled my eyes at him in annoyance - how could he be so absent-minded? "You grandfather, shaman, wants you to study Shinto, but not take over for him.
And what do you mean in that he is a shaman?"
"Well, my late-Mother's was from a tribe of Native-Americans."
"Native-American?" I asked. "You mean indians? With bear claws and eagle feathers?"
Now he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Well, it's not like we live in caves anymore."
It was the first acidic remark he'd used on me, and, Kami-sama curse him, it was well deserved, too. People like me get so wrapped up in ev that serything
that sometimes we hardly even bother to think about other cultures except in the broadest strokes.
"Gomen nasai," I said, hiding my grudge under those words.
"Anyways, a few of my Mother's people still hold onto the old ways. I don't blame them, really, because it is a large part of our culture. Among
my people you have ones like my Grandfather, who speaks to the spirits around us for guidance.
"When I was born, my grandfather told me that Raven himself came to him in a vision. He said that I was one of his children and that the quiet way of the
Shaman was not to be my path."
"Raven?" I asked. "You mean like the Tenguu?"
"No. Our Raven is not a demon. He is a very powerful Kami-sama" Darkwood then closed his eyes and smiled as he recited, "He is a provider and
a thief, a hero and a fool. He brought light out of darkness, but he is himself cloaked in midnight black. He is a symbol of dark brooding sadness and of
death, yet he brings life and unrivalled joy. He is credited with creating the earth and all its mysteries, but even the smallest secret attracts his
attention. He is a silent spy, and an unstoppable chatterbox. He is many things…" Darkwood then opened his eyes, focusing on me with that penetrating
gaze of his, and I felt my measure being taken as he finished, "and sometimes he is nothing."
It was impressive, and I was moved by his words, by I was not one to be swayed so easily. With hardly a thought, I swiftly replied:
"And just what is that supposed to mean?"
His response was equally swift and chiding. "It means that you should not worry about things too much. You will only find yourself running in
circles." What the hell happened to the soft boy that was here a moment ago? "I wish to learn about the practices of Shinto from you - not those of
the every-day practitioner, but those of the priests. Are you willing to teach me?"
"Why should I?"
"Because technically your Grandfather owes me a life-debt."
I couldn't stop myself from gaping at him. I simply was not expecting that. These are old words, words hardly used anymore. Life-debts are not easily
repayed, and if they are it is through a lifetime of servitude, or by giving one's daughter... Oh dear sweet Kami-sama, please do not let that be!
"Relax," he said crossly, as though he was reading my mind. Not that he needed to - my expression was probably screaming it. "I am not asking
your hand in marriage. I am asking for an education in your ways."
"Fine then, you can wait for my Grandfather to come out of the hospital."
"The poor man is going to be infirm for several months, Hino-san. I wish to learn from you instead."
With that I had enough and got up from my seat. "I believe we've discussed enough here tonight, Darkwood-san."
"I see," he said as he got up was well.
"I can show myself out," I said, all but snapping at him as he approached. He stopped. The expression on his face was equal parts puzzlement and
betrayal. Good, let him suffer my arrows for even attempting to foist himself onto me like that, the swine.
"Very well. I hope the rest of your night is more soothing, Hino-san."
I said nothing more as I left, shutting the door somewhat more loudly than I had intended to.
I walked alone all the way back to the shrine - my home. I was glad to be back there, away from that man and content to spend a quiet night without my
Grandfather around with his ecchi behavior. But why did it seem so cold here all the sudden?
I visit my Grandfather the next day - I am taking leave from school in this 'time of crisis.' The only
crisis is the Shrine itself as it can't be left entirely to the hired staff.
As I enter his room I see that he doesn't look as bad as he did before. He has more color in his face. The doctor told me that he is still very tired and
that I can only spend a short amount of time with him before I must go.
He stirs at the sound of the door opening and shutting.
"Ah, Rei-chan," he said drowsily, a slow smile forming on his face. "How is my lovely granddaughter today?"
"I am well, Grandfather. As is the Shrine - you needn't worry about it. Between the staff and myself it is all well."
"Good, good. And what of the boy who save me?"
For a moment I wondered if I should lie to him, but I decided against it. "I asked Makoto to make a curry and brought it to him as a thank you
gift."
"Ah. So what is this boy like?" I blinked and looked at my Grandfather in surprise. He only chuckled, and indulgent yet tired sound, and said,
"You can't fool your old Grandfather, Rei-chan. Besides, I've known a few Americans in my time. A boy like him would never pass up a chance to
have dinner with someone as beautiful as you, my Granddaughter."
"He is smarmy, conceited, and overconfident Grandfather. He honestly seemed to believe that he had some sort of chance at wooing me by having me teach
him about being a priest."
"Wait... He asked about training? Quick, Rei-chan, what is his name?"
"Darkwood. Why is that important?"
My Grandfather closed his eyes and laughed softly to himself. "I thought that boy was familiar looking." He then opened his eyes and looked to me.
"Rei, that boy is the grandson of my best and oldest friend, a Shaman of great repute from America. The man is like a brother to me. He told me some
time ago that his grandson would soon be arriving in Japan and asked if I could teach the boy what I know. Now it seems that Karma does not wish me to teach
the boy. Instead, that person shall be you, Granddaughter."
My scream of outrage was heard all across the hospital complex and I was asked to leave for the day.
The next day I received a very tersely worded note under my door.
You will find me at the Hikawa Shrine. Go there for your training.
-Hino Rei
The Hikawa shrine was a modest size Shinto shrine at the top of a hill surrounded by Sakura trees. Upon seeing the
place I thought it would look beautiful in the spring time. With the trees all around, it gave the old shrine an air of rustic mystique.
I felt I could come to love this place.
I parked my bike by the stand. It doesn't resemble any of the local models. The Jamis Coda Elite hardly does.
The light aluminum road-frame, high performance all-weather wheels, and the disc-style brakes set it apart. Yet the biggest thing to make it different was
the addition I made - a Free Radical by Xtracycle. It was a cantilevered frame that fitted into the rear-wheel's place and had modular fittings to accept
a variety of accessories. Right now, it was setup with the saddlebags - ones that actually lived up to real saddle bags in terms of capacity.
The bike also had a battery-powered motor assist. Unlike many models back in the US, this one was more like the
Japanese models that assisted the crank instead of the wheel. End result: it goes faster.
I locked the bike and began to make my way up to the shrine. I took the steps at a slow, leisurely pace, and
enjoyed the scenery as I did so.
As I got closer I caught the faint scent of wood smoke laced with sandalwood. There was no one around at the
moment, so I went inside the shrine and looked around.
At that moment, Rei entered. She had an entirely different look this time as she wore her miko robes and hakama.
She had a thin sheen of sweat on her skin and she brought with her the scent of smoke and sandalwood.
By the Raven she looked glorious.
"So, you found it without any trouble," said Rei as she moved past me.
"I have a good sense of direction."
"Indeed," said Rei in a somewhat bored tone as she picked up a broom and moved outside. "I have
work to do, so I can't entertain you or anything."
"Of course, I wouldn't dream of it. I can take care of myself."
"Good. Ever since that morning things have been hectic for me."
"How is your Grandfather?"
"He is doing well - they said it was a mild heart attack. The doctors intend to release him in a
week."
"That's great to hear. He seems like a nice man."
"If only he'd quit looking at skirts."
I smiled and pretended not to hear the last comment. "Do you need help?"
"Don't you have anything better to do?"
"Not really. My day is wide open and I like working outdoors, especially when it is this nice
outside."
"So ka. Take this broom. The leaves need to be swept out of the paved areas. We also have wood that needs
to be split. You will find the wood shed out back. I trust you can handle that?"
"Hai, Hino-san."
"Very well. I will be close by attending to other chores."
"Hai, Hino-san."
And with that, Rei left and I got busy. The shrine's grounds were lovely and the weather was spectacular - I
didn't mind the work one bit. It really didn't take me long to clean up the paved areas and I soon found the woodshed out back.
There was a chord of wood, stacked neatly. A second, smaller pile of wood was there as well. This smaller pile
consisted of thin, regular pieces of kindling. With this example to go by, I found the chopping blade and got to work once more.
This time it was time consuming and tedious, but I simply allowed my mind to drift as I let my hands work for me.
I was distracted at some point in time when a couple of Ravens perched on the larger wood pile to examine me with inquisitive expressions.
I looked up at the two as I worked. "Has your mistress sent you two to spy on me?" I asked. I got no
answer. "Don't worry. I am not insulted. It seems to be her nature."
"What seems to be my nature?" said Rei's voice behind me.
I didn't even bother to look this time. "Your sun sign is in Aries," I said casually.
"How did you know that?"
"Your attitude screams it."
"I still don't see why I should train you."
"My skills are incomplete. I'm still looking for the missing pieces."
Rei said nothing for a moment. "That will be enough wood for now. Come inside and I will give you some
food."
"You don't have to."
"Ie. Karma demands it."
"Ah. Far be it for me to argue against karma."
Rei gave me some onigiri - a Japanese rice ball with a flavored 'filling' in the middle. While I ate, she
left and returned with a bundle that she tossed down at my side.
"If you're going to work here, you might as well look like you belong here." And then she was gone.
I finished my onigiri and looked inside the bundle - it was a set of clothes for a shrine accolyte. I didn't waste any time and got changed.
The rest of my work for the day consisted of numerous menial chores. To the uninitiated or the uninclined it would
seem like onerous tasking to cut wood, sweep paths, patch holes, and trim shrubs, but I was fine with it. The one thing I wasn't really fine with glares I
was receiving from Rei.
"We need to talk," I told her in no uncertain terms when I was allowed another break.
"About what, Darkwood-san?" she said, arching one of her elegant eyebrows.
"You don't like me for some reason. That's fine. I can go somewhere else. Unless there is something
I can do about it?"
Rei glared at me, then sharply turned away. "It is my Grandfather's wish that I train you. He said that
he knew your Grandfather."
"Whoa," I said under my breath. Grandpa Bear never said anything about this. It seemed like he was up
to his old games of leaving me with hidden paths to stumble upon. "Okay, so you're honor-bound to train me. We must find a way to come to terms.
What is upsetting you?"
Rei turned her glare back on me. "Understand this: I am not going to treat you as anything other than an
accoylite and a student. You will not flirt with me or ask me out on dates. You are not to assume that something I do for you is because I like you.
Wakari mashita?"
"Yes, but this resolves nothing."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what I said. All that you have said has only confirmed what I said earlier: that you do not like me.
You are so angry at me that it is disturbing the wa of this place - one that is supposed to be serenity inviolate."
"You want to know why I don't like you? Fine then! You are just another chauvenistic male pig! I bet
that you undress me with your eyes all the time. There's no way I can get along with a sauve, swaggering gaijin like you."
The daggers had come out!
"Alright," I said, mustering up as much calm as I could so I could properly talk to Rei. "I
don't know what your problem is exactly, but there are a few things you need to know about me. I am not a chauvinist, I am a gentleman. I was taught to
respect women by my father, a respectable man who is an Officer and a Gentleman of the US Navy and who has loved one woman in his entire life.
"Also, I am not stuck up, suave, overconfident, or anything like that. I am simply confident and assertive -
something that my Father has drilled into me for as long as I could remember. Now if you have a problem with all this, then I think that your issues are with
men in general and that you need to meditate deeply about your spiritual and mental state." Rei was postively glowing with rage, barely keeping herself
from going completely apopoleptic.
"Get. Out."
"In your mental state I don't think your could force me to leave, but I will anyways. Good luck, Rei.
You are going to need it." And with that I went to change. Somewhere behind me I heard an inarticulate cry of pure rage.
This girl had problems. I don't know what had happened to her in the past, but someone had wounded her so
deeply that it caused her to hate men on a universal scope. And somehow my very character was bringing this hatred straight to the fore. I know that I can be
a bit too much for some people. They hate me for being a confident know-it-all - a never-ceasing fount of knowledge that loves to interject to say,
"You're doing it wrong."
Long ago, I learned to try not to help people. Many of them are far too proud to take up the advice of someone who
is as young I was at the time I learned this lesson. I became withdrawn, and that made me a target of the bullies, the jocks, and anyone else who was part of
the 'in' crowd. Of course, they left me alone for the most part once they learned how well I stood up for myself. It did not make me any more
accepted, though, but I was fine with that.
I strove to never, ever be like one of them.
But I never imagined then that my character as it is now would set someone off so badly. The first time it
happened I had been surprised, but I soon learned that people like this are few and far between - those being the ones that already have severe issues. And
Rei was one such person.
"May the Raven bless you with clear sight, Hino-san," I murmured as I changed, "so you may find the
evil that lurks in your heart and learn to understand it. So mote it be."
I left the accoylite's clothes in the changing area and left the shrine. The day had started out so promising,
but now I was simply emotionally drained. As I mounted my bicycle, I vowed myself a hot bath, some meditation, and a bit of time with my rune stones to help
settle my soul.
Meditate!? MEDITATE!?
The sheer nerve of that boy! He dared to come here and point out my flaws to me so casually, then tells me to
meditate!?
I stood there, my rage boiling over. Finally I could stand it no longer. I screeched horribly and stormed off after
the insulting American. I stopped at the changing area, putting my hand to the door, but as I did I heard something inside. Zeke was saying something in
English. Mine isn't the best, but I listened anyways.
My heart nearly stopped - he was praying for me to his Kami-sama!
What am I doing!? Was I really about to... I don't even know what I was about to do to him, except that it
would have been very bad. I turned away from the door and ran. What was wrong with me? I hate that boy so much, so why does my heart feel so heavy like
this!? I don't need this in my life. I cannot have it. And even if I could, I wouldn't want it because I would only try to change him. He would
grow to resent me, then leave me heartbroken. No, I cannot have this... but why does my heart have to feel like this? Why does it remind me so much of
Kaidou?
When I got home there was an unwelcome surprise in the mail. A letter from the local television station, TV
Ashita. Dreading the contents of the letter, I opened it and read. The English was surprisingly good, but that didn't really matter. What did matter is
that the local news wanted to do a lifestyles artical on how a young American goes about his day in Japan. Curse whoever coined the term "No good deed
goes unpunished." The letter didn't even provide a callback number for if I decided that I didn't want to go for the interview - they simply
assumed that I wanted to do it. Of course, this meant that it would be the height of rudeness to not go.
The next day found me at the TV Ashita studios. I was sent to a make-up room where a aesthetician applied make up
to my face. It's not really what you might think - it's just standard procedure and the makeup is not at all heavy. Just a touch here and there to
make the features of your face stand out better for the camera.
The aesthetician was very professional, finished with me in no time, and politely asked me to wait - there was an
audition going on, and my interview would take place afterwards.
With a sigh, I had a seat, got comfortable, and began to meditate.
I didn't get to do it for long. I started to hear a bunch of screaming from the studio. At first, I thought
it was just a bunch of melodrama for the audition, but then I heard things crashing. There was no way the studio people were faking that kind of destruction.
I poked my head our cautiously and made a double-take. There was some crazy-ass monster-chick with bull horns menacing a bunch of girls - one of whom was Rei!
Best of all, the bull-girl was giving me some seriously creepy vibes - the kind of feeling you get when you see a scary bug that makes you go
ZOMGWTFBBQ-KILL-IT-QUICK! The horned chick was screaming something about stealing energy. I saw Rei throw a piece of paper at the bull-girl and it somehow
paralysed her - I'd have to ask Rei about it later if I got the chance. Then a drop-dead gorgeous brown-haired amazonian caught the bull-girl by the arm
and flung her into a stage set depicting some strange ruins.
But that just wasn't enough. As I crept out of the make-up room I saw the crazed monster-girl get up and then
attack some other hapless girl. And wouldn't you know it? That freak was stealing energy - I don't know how I know, I simply did when I saw
it.
I'd seen enough. I found a fire ax at a nearby fire station, but I didn't think it had the right
je ne sais quoi for the job. So I took the
ax to the nearest energized stage light and hacked the power cord. A startlingly bright spark told me what I needed to know and the wooden handle kept me from
getting grounded. Carefully, I used the ax (thank the Raven it was sharp!) and used it to split the outter jacket of the insulation and carefully pulled the
wires apart, getting a few sparks for my trouble - shit that stuff was tricky! Once I had a good meter to work with, I held apart the positive and negative
leads, putting them close together just to be sure - I got a nice little arc of electricity in reply.
Excellent!
"Hey! Bull face!" I called out. By now, the monster has some other girl pinned to a wall with her horns
- some blonde-haired Japanese dressed up like a school-girl-turned-super-hero. What made my day even stranger was that I got a vibe that told me it was
exactly what she was, too.
Never mind. It was time to cajun-fry me an anthropomorphic cow!
"You want energy? You got it!" And before the monster-girl could even turn my way - she would have had
to get her horns loose first, I jammed the leads into her spine, one at the base of her head and one at her hips. "ALL THE POWER IN TOKYO'S POWER
GRID!"
She screamed an undulating cry at fifty hertz (the alternating frequency of Japanese AC current) and her spine
arched, flinging the Japanese super-girl away. I started to smell the unique stench of living flesh being being fried mixed with ozone, and gritted my teeth
as I felt my own hands starting to burn. I refused to let go, though. I knew that if I did this crazy bitch would kill me and everyone else here.
Suddenly, the monster bucked and threw me to the deck. I rolled with it to a stop and felt my had brush something
- the fire ax! The monster was still getting her bearings, so I grabbed the ax and charged at her, screaming a war-cry that would have done my ancestors
proud. The monster only had enough time to look at me with a horrified expression on her face. I almost felt sorry for her as I brought the ax down on her
head, right between the horns. She went down with a wet sounding smack, her eyes already glassy and dead. She then disappeared, leaving a card behind. There
was a jet of darkness emitted from the card (Mum! Dad! Don't touch it! It's pure EVIL!) and the card turned black and disintegrated. For good
measure, I looked to where the monster had been, drew some mucous from deep inside my throat and spat the viscous load on the spot.
"In the name of Raven, my curse upon you - go to hell and stay there."
Next up I felt something on my metaphysical radar. I turned and spotted them up in the rigging - two figures that
I could only describe as dark elves with neon-hued hair. And then I knew... I was too far pissed off and hopped up on my own adrenalin rush to think
straight... so I did the dumbest thing I could have done. I challenged them.
"YOU!" I called out, pointing at them. "YOU DID THIS! COME DOWN HERE AND FIGHT ME IF YOU
DARE!" The Raven smiled down upon me this time, forgiving my moment of idiotic bravery. The two gave me a horrified look, then fuzzed out of existence.
I guess that they didn't really have any fight in them right then. But then, I guess you'd have the wind taken out of your sails if you just saw one
of your minions freaking ax-murdered by some dude that came out of nowhere. I snarled as I felt them go, tossing the fire ax aside.
"Kowai!" I heard someone say plaintively.
I looked over to my side and saw them. They were all dressed up similarly to the first girl I saw. But that
wasn't the biggest surprise. It was that the four of them were part of the group from earlier - the girls that were there for the audition. Of course,
Rei was the one in the red.
"Yare yare," I sighed. "Looks like my life just got a lot more interesting. And not in a good way." I felt my hands
tingling and looked down at them. Big mistake - my palms were blackened by the burning insulation. Like, ouch.
"Ano... Would one of you girls be able to do something about this?" I asked, holding up my burned hands for them to see. A
couple of them started at the sight. Two of them even cringed. "Like, before it starts to hurt really bad?"
Last edited by Black Aeronaut on 04 Sep 2009 09:29, edited 1 time in total.
