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Post by Treasa "Kage" Munro on Jun 6, 2015 22:11:25 GMT
Poser. Freak. Commoner.
She wouldn't let them see her cry. Since day one, Kage had faced numerous insults and names. She felt alienated, with only a few friends to call her own. All of them with other friends who disliked her. Ryan had Ageha. Shiro and Kai had Yuri. Kai had the entirety of the cheerleading squad. Kage was tired of being picked on. She missed home. She missed the smell of grass and the farm. She feel of a horse's muscles tensing beneath her as it readied to jump. The hours curled up against a sheep's warm wool with a good book in her arms.
She missed being accepted.
Since day one she had been labelled strange, her dyed black uniform causing some nasty rumors. She had said she was in mourning, and in a way it had been true. She was mourning her old self. Her old life. Washio-sensei certainly hadn't minded. She let Kage be and left her to her own devices. And in hours, Kage had met Shiro and had a friend....only to meet Shiro's friends. Yuri had disliked her off the bat, which was fine. Kage hated snooty rich people.
The stables. That's right. In this part of the garden, Kage could almost feel at home. The smell of the grass beneath her feet mingled with the smell of the horses coming from the stables. It was the closest smell to the farm she could find here in this city of metallic smells and perfumes. She was alone and didn't have to worry about them seeing her cry or hearing her sing strange songs from home. Kage's taste in music was another reason people looked at her funny. Celtic music, showtunes, rock music. It was a strange combination, but Kage loved them all.
A few of the horses were out grazing and one of them had made its way to the fence near Kage. The fence was large, so Kage couldn't just reach over it, but the bars were spaced far enough apart that she could reach through and present her hand for the mare to sniff. Kage chuckled as she ran her fingers over its muzzle. Softly, she began to sing.
"I don't know if you can see the changes that have come over me. These last few days, I've been afraid that I might drift away. I've been telling old stories, singing songs that make me think about where I come from. That's the reason why I seem so far away today. Let me tell you that I love you. That I think about you all the time. Caledonia, you're calling me. Now I'm going home...but if I should become a stranger, know that it would make me more than sad. Caledonia's been everything I've ever had. Caledonia..."
Kage trailed off as her face scrunched up from fighting tears. She let out a choked sob and rested her head against the fence. The mare reached her nose through and nipped at Kage's nose as if trying to comfort her.
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Post by Reiichi Murakami on Jun 6, 2015 22:39:28 GMT
A stroll around the grounds was just the thing Reiichi needed to clear his head. The lab reports his chemistry class had turned in were beyond abysmal, and he'd only managed to get through the first page of one before he gave up entirely. How could they have misunderstood such simple instructions? Granted, these students were in 3-D, but that couldn't be their excuse for everything. Maybe he hadn't been clear. Maybe they didn't care. Reiichi didn't like to think that was the case, though.
His wanderings led him to the stables. He usually didn't venture out this far but he'd been seething after he'd read through the lab reports. The more annoyed he was, the longer his walks around the grounds were. There had been scores of students wandering around the gardens closer to the building (and he'd almost wanted to laugh when they saw him coming and quickly moved out of his way), but out here, there was hardly anyone. By the time he got to the pasture, he should have been alone.
Except he wasn't. He caught snatches of song in the air. A girl's voice, soft and sweet and a little sad. English words. Reiichi's English was rusty. He'd gone to San Francisco as an exchange student during his second year of university and had become almost fluent in English, but once he'd returned to Japan there hadn't been many opportunities to practice. So he didn't quite understand what it was she was singing about, but she sounded miserable. His teacher instincts told him to go toward the voice and see if he could help the girl. Despite his fearsome reputation as the Demon of 2-A, Reiichi had a soft side and hated to see students unhappy.
Her back was to him. Long black hair tumbled past her shoulders. One of the horses was at the fence with her. Reiichi was sure he recognized her but couldn't quite place her. She wasn't in his homeroom or his chemistry class. Without thinking, he walked toward her and gently rested his hand on her shoulder. "Everything okay?"
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Post by Treasa "Kage" Munro on Jun 6, 2015 22:52:10 GMT
Why!? she thought. Why did they have ter take us away!? Da dinaay do nothing wrong! It was those men that were wrong...
She wanted to go home. She wanted to go back to the green hills and the bondfires in the distance. The sounds of bagpipes and the musty smell of the farmhouse. She wanted to feel her father's hand on her head as he promised things would be better tomorrow. Hell, she wanted him to drunkingly mistake her for her mother. ANYTHING but this. She didn't want to be here in this unfamiliar place.
But she had friends here, too. People that cared about her. She had Crystal, who in two months had warmed up to her so much. Michi and Shiro had become so close to her, despite the differences in their personalities. Kage WASN'T alone. She just....missed her father.
Her thoughts had her so preoccupied that she didn't notice the presence walking up behind her or the impending shadow he cast as he stood behind her. She only felt the firm touch on her shoulder. Only heard the voice that spoke so caringly and concernedly. A male voice. A male TEACHER'S voice. Her eyes widened and the tears stopped as fear set in. The images began to race across her mind. Strong hands, a grip on her arm, cold metal pressed against her head. Her breathing picked up, ragged and fearful.
Slowly, she turned around....and saw his face. At first, she didn't even register it at Murakami-sensei. She'd seen him around school and was thankful she hadn't had him for homeroom. No, she saw the man who'd used her as a hostage. Their faces melded together and she pressed her back against the fence. In her panic...
...she screamed.
Her scream drove the horse away and sent the nearby birds flying. She threw out her arms to push him away, flailing them to keep him away. She found herself hitting the ground as she curled her knees to her chest, trying to scramble away, unable to move anywhere with the fence pressed against her back. She continued to scream as panic and fear overtook her.
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Post by Reiichi Murakami on Jun 7, 2015 1:03:18 GMT
Saying that Reiichi hadn't been expecting that was the understatement of the millennium. One minute the girl'd been crying and the next, well. He'd never seen that kind of terror in anyone's expression before. It sent chills down his spine. Is it me? Am I that scary? Instinctively, he took a step back and raised his arms over his face, missing the shove but taking a few hits from her flailing hands. Now her name almost came to mind. Reiichi could recall the staff meeting.
New student. Foreign. Afraid of men. Has panic attacks. Her name danced on the tip of his tongue--what was it? Some of the girls called her Kage, for reasons Reiichi didn't fathom. He assumed it was a cruel nickname and if that were the case he didn't want to make it worse by using it. Her surname was an M. Morrison? Miller? Monroe? Munro. That was it. "M-Munro! That's--"
But everything he tried to say was swallowed up by her screaming.
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Michiko Fujiwara
Mod Second Year
Junior Member
i'll flap my very own wings ｡.｡:+*
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Post by Michiko Fujiwara on Jun 7, 2015 1:42:25 GMT
Ever since she'd met Wakahisa-san that day, Michiko couldn't stop sketching. Her class notes from today were coated in doodles, thumbnails, half-finished sketches she planned to flesh out later, even though she couldn't use them for anything just yet. But that was fine with her. She could save them for later, or show them to Wakahisa-san. She would love that, wouldn't she? Surely she would! Oh, Michiko wished they sat closer to each other, then it'd be easier to -- She heard screaming. It sounded far away, but the further she wandered along the sidewalk, the louder it grew. She knew this voice. Kage-chan? Before she could process it fully, she broke into a run, following the noise. What she found was Kage-chan, and a man -- one of the teachers, she thought? -- and oh, no, Kage-chan had trouble with men! Michiko darted over, around Murakami, and knelt by Kage's side. Her expression pinched nervously. Oh, no, she was supposed to do something, but what? How was she supposed to help Kage-chan when she was like this?! She'd seen her like this before, but it was so long ago, and she hadn't really done anything at all! Her brother had been the one to handle it. "K-Kage-chan! Kage-chan... please calm down...?" She tossed a helpless look toward Murakami. If only he could do something, but he'd just make it worse. Michiko hesitated. Could she touch Kage-chan when she was like this?! What had Kage-chan's brother done again? She could almost remember it -- Oh! She gripped at Kage's shoulders, trying to steady her breath. "An acorn rolled down and down~ Oh no, he fell into a pond~!" She wasn't as good of a singer as Kage-chan; her voice was reedy and small. She wasn't even sure if Kage knew this song, but maybe it would help her! ( Song + Lyrics~) |
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Post by Crystal Emmerson on Jun 7, 2015 1:59:30 GMT
Crystal was exhausted! Practice was brutal today at the pool. With a competition coming up soon, the coach was determined to get them ready for it. The first years had it easy; anyone that was extremely good or had been on the team longer than a year was worked to the limit. Crystal made her way out to the grounds, a scream filling her ears which caused her heart to sink. She knew that voice too well and that worried her.
Crystal broke out into a run, her bag being thrown over her head to make sure she didn't lose it. Thankfully, her longer legs helped give her some added distance. "Treasa!?" She called out as she turned around some hedges to see the scene that was there. Kage was terrified, freaking out after Murakami-sensei from what she could tell come up from behind her. Thankfully, Michi was there at Kage's side; which left Crystal knowing what she needed to.
Running over to Murakami, she breathed a little heavy as she raised a hand and pointed to where she came from. "Please, come with me, Murakami-sensei. I'll explain away from Treasa while Michi-chan calms her down." God, she hoped that he understood and trust her on this. "I know why she's like this." She added her blue eyes holding worry for both her girlfriend and her Chemistry teacher.
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Post by Treasa "Kage" Munro on Jun 7, 2015 3:33:20 GMT
Kage stared up at Murakami, her screams continuing. All she could see were the men that held her hostage. All she could feel was the gun against her head....and then....arms. She felt warm, comforting arms around her. At first, she thought it might be her mother. That this time, the men had actually pulled the trigger, but the voice she heard calling her name was Michi's. She could faintly hear Crystal, too. That's right. She wasn't in the field. This wasn't that night. She was in Japan....at school. The face that had been so concerned for her was Murakami-sensei's.
"M-Michi-chan....?" Michi was singing. Kage didn't recall ever hearing Michi sing before, but the little children's tune was familiar to her. Her mother had taught her and Duncan a couple little kids' songs when she was first teaching them Japanese. Shakily, Kage joined in. "Then came the loach and said 'Hello. Little boy, let's play together..."
The screaming was gone. Kage was breathing heavily. Her throat hurt. She clung to Michi, though and cried. It didn't last very long, just long enough for her to gain her composure back. She smiled up at her friend. "Thank you..."
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Post by Reiichi Murakami on Jun 8, 2015 0:26:58 GMT
Reiichi was pleased for any excuse to get away from the wailing girl. Even if that excuse was a girl he recognized from his chemistry class. Emmerson. Normally she was pretty good, but she must have been asleep at the wheel while her group was working on their lab reports, or they wouldn't have turned out so badly. He'd make a point to talk about it later. Now was not the time.
"I know, Emmerson. She's afraid of men." he said while she led him out of earshot from the other two. His tone was clipped, and that time he caught it. "Excuse me," he added, softening his tone. He stopped when she did and adjusted his glasses. "There was a staff meeting about her. But I've only seen her a few times and didn't recognize her right away. I don't know the whole story. It wasn't discussed." He sighed, kicking at the dirt with the toe of his shoe. "What can I do to help her?"
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Michiko Fujiwara
Mod Second Year
Junior Member
i'll flap my very own wings ｡.｡:+*
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Post by Michiko Fujiwara on Jun 8, 2015 1:53:52 GMT
Michiko stopped singing as Kage joined in, staring wide-eyed at her. S-she was... Was she okay now? Her arms fumbled around the other girl's thin shoulders as she sobbed. She didn't know what else to do, but this seemed right. That had been so scary! She hadn't realized she felt all quivery inside until the churning began to settle, starting with one big lurch.
Regardless, she returned the smile Kage-chan sent her.
"Do you feel better now, Kage-chan...?" she ventured. "Do you need anything? Water? Can you stand up?"
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Post by Crystal Emmerson on Jun 8, 2015 2:32:24 GMT
Crystal led Murakami off to the side, waiting until they were out of ear shot and sighed. She stopped, looking up to him, opening her mouth to speak though he did first. She visibly frowned when she heard his first words about knowing but sighed and relaxed more as his tone softened and continued on. "She's told me the whole story."
Crystal inhaled before glancing back the way they came. "Men came onto their family farm when she was younger and took her hostage against her father who owed the men money. It was at gun point..." She told him, looking back up to her Chemistry teacher. "She can handle and not freak out like this if she can see you in front of her. I wouldn't try to touch her unless you ask her to either. She may show a sign of being fearful...but she won't freak out if she can see you coming towards her. That's the most important thing that needs to be remembered when dealing with Treasa."
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Post by Treasa "Kage" Munro on Jun 8, 2015 4:10:13 GMT
Kage nodded, silent a moment. "I-I think so." She felt bad. Her friends were so ready to jump in there when she had an attack. She was sure she had scared Murakami-sensei to death. It wasn't HIM that scared her so much, just men in general. She stood, her legs quaking beneath her, and she looked around. She HAD head Crystal, hadn't she? Murakami-sensei was gone, too. She looked at Michi a moment, confused.
"Wasn't..." There they were. Only a few feet away. Kage could spot Murakami's head just passed the hedges. "I should go apologize," she said, looking over at Michi, her eyes pleading. She didn't want to go alone. Clinging to Michi's arm, she walked over to Crystal and Murakami-sensei. Good thing she hadn't heard Crystal telling him. She might have flipped. Very few people knew the truth and Kage preferred to keep it that way.
"Sensei....I..." Kage trailed off a moment, searching for words, "....I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to lose it like that or scare you." She let go of Michi's arm so she could bow to the tall teacher.
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Post by Reiichi Murakami on Jun 9, 2015 12:13:12 GMT
Reiichi Murakami was famous for his poker face. No matter what happened, his expression was always totally neutral (maybe not totally, he always did have a slight scowl). As soon as Crystal had explained what was going on, his eyes widened. He quickly shifted his expression back to his normal one. A hand slid up to adjust his glasses yet again. That poor girl. No wonder she'd reacted the way she had.
"I understand. Thank you, Emmerson. Now," He cleared his throat. "I'm actually glad to have run into you because I just read your group's lab report--" He caught sight of two girls coming toward them from out of the corner of his eye and turned around to face them. Munro and...who was the other girl? Fujiwara? His arms hung loose at his sides and he made an effort to keep that ever-present slight scowl from reappearing on his face.
"No, no. It's...all right," he said evenly. "I shouldn't have come up behind you like that."
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Post by Crystal Emmerson on Jun 9, 2015 17:38:36 GMT
Crystal saw Murakami's eyes widen, nodding lightly as she listened to him. Though what she didn't except was for him to switch to talking about the lab reports. She'd admit it...her group didn't cooperative very well with her and that would show on her normally very good grades. Though now!? She didn't feel now was the appropriate time to talk about that. Crystal wanted to go check on Treasa and Michi-chan!
Though as she opened her mouth, she noticed at the same time as Murakami that Kage and Michi were walking over to them. A look of relief crossed her face as a sigh escaped her lips. "Treasa, Michi-chan." She said letting Kage speak her mind to Murakami. Now, Crystal hoped that Murakami wouldn't speak about what truly happened and just about the incident that just happened. Crystal moved a bit closer to Michi, looking down at her and smiled. "Thank you, Michi-chan." She whispered softly to her friend.
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Michiko Fujiwara
Mod Second Year
Junior Member
i'll flap my very own wings ｡.｡:+*
Posts - 52
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Joined - January 1970
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Post by Michiko Fujiwara on Jun 9, 2015 21:15:18 GMT
Michiko simply let Kage tug her along. She couldn't possibly argue! Kage-chan still seemed to need her, and if that was the case, Michiko didn't mind lending her time. As long as this was resolved properly, she was happy.
She couldn't help but flush a little at Kuri-chan thanking her.
"Ah," she shook her head, looking down at her toes, "I don't mind..."
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Post by Treasa "Kage" Munro on Jun 9, 2015 21:25:04 GMT
Kage was thankful to have the world's most wonderful girlfriend and the world's most amazing friend. Had no one come, she was sure Murakami would have resulted to either slapping her across the face, which probably would have made things worse, or just running off to find Washio-sensei and let her deal with the problem. Kage didn't particularly LIKE her homeroom teacher. The woman was obviously trying to help Kage with her fear by making her face it head on. Hence the dance with Spencer and Souta, which she'd bitched about to Michi enough times.
"...but there must have been a reason you came to find me, Murakami-sensei? Am I in trouble?"
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