Very Hot Arrival (Open)

[Ishida Sai]

RIDICULOUS

Was what would be in Sai’s thoughts if only he had the mental fortitude to do so. The sweltering heat was already forcing the teen to succumb towards to it as it seemed his skin and flesh has shriveled up to the utmost degree. He knew it was hot according to the information gathered through the net. But for Pete’s sakes, this hot? Sure the country of the Rising Sun was hot in the summers like any other country… That’s a given. But…

Nevada is hell on Earth

The endless immense amounts of sand surrounded him with the blue sky overseen with that same sun. Laughing with same-as-usual mere contempt of those under him… Started to slightly annoy him.

”W-water…” he gasped dryly and almost pathetically with his shriveled hand reaching for the canteen.

Why? Why on Earth didn’t the car arrive…? Sai’s memories penetrated deep inside the center of his psyche as if in reflex to cruelly remind him of the reason. The owner of that Honda Civic car sent an e-mail explaining that something went wrong with the engine as he sent it to a mechanic for some final retuning. Of course, an apology was given with a lowered cost.

This didn’t seem too bad. A simple walk wouldn’t be too bad along with the low cost… Why not?

Oh, the world just had to be so cruel.

And no bus? Well… To be quite frank, Sai is in fact, broke, in a sense. His parents are somewhat living a level of living that probably be permanently damaged from him going abroad for some time… Which means he had to be frugal and assign himself towards part-time jobs… Which comes to mind what the hell is his father doing with all that money he got from being a bodyguard…

With his hands on the canteen slung around his neck… Sai felt the low weight of the vessel and the lack of sloshing… Which could herald one thing…

He held the canteen to his lips and sipped… Water was a tad warm. Given with the high temperatures of the environment. A bit of despair speared through his young heart when the last drops of water disappeared down through his esophagus…

”…Shit,” he cursed in his mind, trying to keep himself from talking to prevent increasing thirst.

The teen simply dropped the metallic vessel back against his chest dangling freely as he continued to walk forward in the sand with a simple duffel bag in tow…

___________________________________

”….Huh?” escaped his lips back when he was sitting in the dining table with his parents with the chopstick almost reaching his mouth to transfer the small piece of meat.

”….What do you mean I’m going abroad to America…? I didn’t sign up to be an exchange student,” Sai inquired with a confused expression.

”We know,” he remembered Mother starting to explain first as usual and started to use his Father again, ”But your Father decided it’s probably… About time for you to look around the world…”

The explanation wasn’t enough with his face not changing accordingly.

”Look. Just shut up and go with it.”

___________________________________

A grimace entered his shriveled face from the memory. Damn Mom….

He sluggishly continued on in the midst of the sand… Until he viewed what looked like the city a distance away. A small lopsided smile spread with a mutter.

”Finally.”

With that image sent into his eyes… His brain interpreted it as a signal to move his body towards the city more vigorously…

___________________________________

Sai couldn’t help but groan and palm his face with his eyes seeing the ridiculous set of stairs he was seeing.

”…Are you f****** kidding me?”

His body almost slumped down to the sand at this. Even despite something like this wouldn’t be too taxing… Though succumbing against the heat had its toll on him… With a strained groan… Sai just simply trudged his way up… Only to pass out at the top, embracing a hot darkness…

___________________________________

”So you’re awake? remarked a female tone.
The teen’s eyes opened to look upon a white ceiling greeting his awakening. He simply sat up to see a middle aged woman holding up a water bottle for him.

”It looks like it,” he answered with a grateful visage while chugging down the offering.

Oh…. Sweet nectar of life… Where have you been…?

”Shibusen.”

It wasn’t a question. A flat statement.

”Yeah,” a clarification response.

With a small smirk at this, ”You won’t last like that, kiddo.”

The remark didn’t sting. Maybe she’s right. Seeing that she lives here and all…

”I’m not used to hot weather,” he casually stated whilst finishing the last drops of hydrogen atoms combined with di-oxygen molecules, ”Thanks for the water, ma’am... I don’t have much mo---“

A raised hand stopped him mid way. A small sardonic smile grew on her visage.

”Forget it. I only did what any normal human would do…”

Sai stared at her with an expression of confusion… Soaking what just happened for almost a milli-second before nodding in understanding. He looked around to see he was within what looked like a simple town with mainly cobblestones in the streets and bricks with glasses for the buildings. With him sitting up, the teen could feel that he was sitting on a bench of some sort.

”I see. Well… I can’t simply impose you any longer… Have a good day, ma’am.”

A bow of gratitude was returned with a mere grin. That was their only good-byes towards each other.

___________________________________

”So… This is Shibusen, huh…?” he murmured to himself with his feet upon the last steps of stairs leading up to the academy with his duffel bag slung on his shoulder.

Unique is certainly one term to describe it. Rather, deathly unique is more accurate with the skulls and burning candles on the main front side of the facility… One would wonder if melted wax drips from them…

”Well… I guess I’m here then.”

With a short sigh… Ishida Sai simply took his first step onto the Shibusen ground into his new future ahead of him.

[dreameater]

Damien quickly counted the money he had made to cover his 'travel expenses.' While it was true that as a minor, he was unable to enter casinos, there were often far less discerning- and far more lucrative- businesses hanging around the back alleys. All one had to do was look for them. Damien chuckled as he remembered his most recent cash cow, the back-street brawlers gang. He had made quite a bit of money betting on himself before he was run out of town. 

"'N' I betcha that some o' them are still wonderin' what just hit them. I feel bad fer that fella that charged with a knife, though. I doubt he was expectin' t' find an axe in his face.[/color]"Damien caught himself running his tongue across his lips and stopped himself."No, no! Ya just fought. Control it, dammit![/I]" Damien stumbled into a diner and asked for the special, hoping to cool himself down a bit. 

The food arrived quickly, served by a rather cute waitress who curtsied after placing Damien's lunch on the table. Damien ravenously wolfed down the food, as if carving his pound of flesh from the steak. The food never stood a chance. Inhaled in minutes, the steak had disappeared better than a rabbit from a magician's hat. Damien asked for the check, his madness having left with his hunger. Damien sighed. "I gotta be careful, especially this close t' Death City. I can't be goin' on a rampage if I want t' make a good impression.[/I]" Damien paid in cash (as if he ever had a stable enough income to use credit) and quickly left before the waitress gathered up enough courage to talk to him. "Any other day, honey. But right now, I don't think I could stand the friggin' mood. Au revoir, sweetie. Maybe I'll pass through the town again."

Damien walked out the door, once again hitting his head on the door frame.
 "Damn! Haven't y'all ever thought o' makin' these damn doors Texan sized?" Damien muttered before rubbing his head, blinking as he stared at the ridiculous, drooling sun. In deference to the heat of the idiot sun, Damien removed his hoodie and stuffed it in his duffle bag, relying on his undershirt for decency's sake. Damien shook his head as he headed for the dusty highway, sliding his hands out from his pockets and sticking his thumb proudly into the air.  While hitch hiking was near impossible back east, people were far more trusting in the west. Then again, trust was easily given when it could be taken back with the shotgun in the front seat. Finally, a beat up pickup truck rolled to a stop. An old, wiry man slapped the side of his car and motioned to his truck bed.

 "Get in!" He called. Damien gladly complied, slinging his duffle bag into the back before following it. The old man opened the partition and got the truck in gear. "Hey kid- pass me a coke, will you? Feel free to take one yourself." Damien shrugged as he took a coca-cola from the mini fridge in the truck bed and passed it through the partition before taking one himself. He made sure of the seal, and sniffed the soft drink before taking a small taste test. The old man must have seen him in the mirror, because he chuckled. "Don't worry, kid- it ain't drugged. Smart of you to check, though."

The ride passed in silence for a few minutes before the old man broke it once more. 

"So... What's yer name, kid? And where are ya headed?" Damien shrugged. He had nothing to lose from answering.

 "My name's Damien Lier. As fer where I'm going, that would be straight t' Hell." The old man guffawed as he heard that, nearly swerving from the road in his mirth. 

" you're gonna have some mighty fine company down there, that's for damn sure!" The old man shook his head as Damien leaned back against the truck, watching the miles roll by. "Well then, at what stop can this old cowboy leave ya? If ya need that extra oomph getting to your final destination, I can always drop ya in Las Vegas..." Damien took a swig from the coke and belched in satisfaction. 

"Only if you're willin' t' drive me out, too. The only proper way in or out o' a city like that is in a vice fueled haze- or unconscious. Death City, Nevada, will do fer now." The old man sat in stunned silence for once.

 "Well I'll be damned. I'm headed the same way, t' see my wife and kids. But I'm an old man. What are you going there for? Are you one of them Weapon Meisters?"He asked quizzically.

Damien shook his head, even as Death City rolled onto the horizon. "Nothin' so glamorous. I'm a Weapon, one o' the fellas that get down 'n' dirty t' fight." The old man grinned.

 "Well, I sure as hell am grateful I gave one of ya a ride. A Meister and Demon Weapon once saved my family from a group of monsters, so I like to return the favor whenever possible. If ya ever need a place to stay, feel free to find me in the phonebook. Noah Smith's the name. My wife won't mind, especially now that my son just went away to college. She always loved doting on him, even with my two daughters. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to meet you, too!" The old man once again broke into a deep guffaw, and this time Damien joined in. He felt a pang in his heart for the family he had missed for  six years. 

" I'll definitely be sure t' take ya up on that offer, Mr. Smith. Thank ya." Damien smiled softly as the town rose up to meet them. "That was a little quick." Damien muttered. He found that he was actually sorry that this was true. He rather liked Mr. Smith, as the man was one of the few who Damien could hold an extended conversation with without becoming irked.

The pair slid quietly into town, and Mr. Smith was kind enough to drive right up to the gates of Shibusen before letting Damien out. 
"Thanks fer the ride, Mr. Smith!" Damien called out as he jumped out the back, taking his duffle bag with him. 

"No problem, Damien. I'll be looking forward to seeing ya again, kid!" Mr. Smith answered as he peeled away. Damien shouldered his bag with a sigh as he stepped forward. The gothic architecture was a little overwhelming, but other than that, Damien felt as if he could get used to it. He took the steps two at a time, relying on his brute strength to propel himself up the steps. At the top, Damien saw a kid who looked around his age, even if not his height. Cheery, and sure of his self control after speaking to Noah, Damien decided to try being friendly.

 "G'evenin'!" Damien called cheerfully. "I'm guessing you're a student here, but are ya new, too? And are ya a Meister or a Weapon?" Damien asked, his voice resounding though the air.

[Ishida Sai]

The place was seriously unexpected by every means. The teenager had thought there would be more... Gruffer/tougher looking individuals since this is an academy where even students duke it out with the beasts of which they call... Eggs of Kishin. But then again... Supposedly it can't be helped. Adolescence and prepubescence has occupied almost every student in the academy.

Disappointment wasn't there in Sai. Rather, simply, just neutrality in his flatline emotions. The theme of death isn't really something to be surprised of since the brochure had the picture of the academy itself to begin with... But then again, seeing with your own eyes has the most dramatic effect than seeing just a picture. The eyes are after all, the tools which usually verifies the reality of its users.

Continuing on the Academy's theme... The meister-to-be dropped a single cold sweat at it despite how... Childish it seemed. It wasn't a sweat from fear. Rather, a sweat from chagrin which betrayed his stoic visage. Part of him loathed to enter, but duty kept on pushing him to keep going.

As his thoughts were enveloped from in his pondering... Someone was calling him genially towards his person.

Sai turned to see a fellow student of around his age. Definitely taller than him in height and for sure surpasses the lanky teen in muscle volume by a huge degree. The spiked dirty blonde hair the peer had in combination with his deep voice... The Japanese couldn't help but feel a tad aggravated.

Of course he shouldn't be to begin with... But previous encounters of such type as this blonde person back in Japan ended in... Interesting disasters. Then again, this is America. Not Japan... So perhaps it'll be a tad different here. Though thoughts and memories that all the students came out of the country are also kept into his consideration...

Oh well. Who cares... This wouldn't be the first strife he had despite Sai would rather not place himself in a troublesome position on the first day.

Finally responding towards the towering teen/thug, Sai greeted back with a nod.

"I am," he answered towards the first question and then continued towards the second, "Meister... So, uh... Who would you be...?"

Feeling the etiquette of the Japanese culture on to him... Sai asked (Out of habit) the question in which has always somehow started fights back at his hometown... The teen slightly clenched his fists in a simple preparation, as always, to see how his fellow teen reacted to his diction.

[dreameater]

Damien's left hand clenched involuntarily, even as he felt his right ball into a fist and his skin morph to accommodate the blades that began to erupt from his forearms. "Who does this little Asian piece o' shit think he is? I'll beat yer ass int' the ground until you pop up on the other side, where ya belong.[/I]" Even as his soul surged red, Damien recognized it and was able to calm down somewhat. "Cool it! Ya just had a nice lunch, a good conversation, and found a home. Do ya really need a fight on the first day, too?[/I]" Damien willed the blades to disappear under his skin once again. He was pretty sure that the student hadn't seen them yet, but at least Damien hadn't attacked. That would have been a bit of a giveaway.

Damien took a deep breath before answering. "Look. I just had a nice day, and I really don't feel like getting mad right now. And trust me when I say you don't want that either." Damien then noticed that the small man had balled his hands into fists without realizing it- or perhaps he had. "Or maybe ya do." Damien noted wryly before he continued speaking. "So here's the deal: You try t' not get pissed off from the sight o' me, 'n' I'll try not t' get angry. Deal?" This time, though it was still (barely) genuine, Damien had to coax a smile onto his face. Despite his words, Damien couldn't help but be irritated by Sai's brusque nature. 

Damien stuck out his right arm, turning a bit sideways so as to provide a slightly smaller target in case his peace treaty was rejected. "Let's try this again, shall we? I'll start, then. My name's Damien Lier. I'm a Demon Weapon, Axe-Type. The enemies are the Kishin-whatevers and those goddamned witches, so let's try t' fight them more than each other. What's yer name, Meister?" Damien's hand remained firmly in place, a peace flag defying the rest of the madcap world. Damien slightly marveled at his actions, and wondered if Shibusen itself wasn't having the slightest effect on his Madness.

Damien mentally shook his head. "Wishful thinking, clunker. You just don't wanna get in a fight on the first day. You want t' prove ya at least have enough self-control t' make it t' day two.[/I]" Now that Damien got another look at Sai, he realized why he felt in communion with the boy. He too, had that resigned, fearless look that meant he wasn't worried about getting his collar ruffled in a fight. "Maybe it's just a cultural thing. What's an insult here I know means nothin' on the East Coast, so how much more for the Land o' the Risin' Sun?[/I]" While not the sharpest tool in the shed, Damien could at least figure out the differences in people and himself- other than the foot and hundred pounds he had on Sai, that is.

[Ishida Sai]

Almost immediately, combat mode ticked into Sai's mind with Damien strongly clenching his fist. And at the same time, he almost jumped back to avoid being hit by him. Being close up at the beginning would usually be good if attacking first... But now that he involuntarily increased the range---

Before he'd do anything, Sai noticed the giant calming himself. This is a first. All the people who expressed their urge to fight usually won't back down like he did... Curious of what the Weapon would do with the possible thought of maintaining a relatively peaceful day, the meister retained his standing posture in the same place... To hear what this Weapon had to say.

It was as he had expected. Pissed off it seems, though looks like the guy had some sense to not start anything... Then said person attempted to deal with him for peace. Which was never really needed to begin with. Though it seems as if he is assuming Sai is of a belligerent nature. Noticing the Weapon's change in posture was evidence of that.

Again, not needed. The introduction was made from him. A Demon Axe, eh?

"...Not my type of weapon," the meister thought to himself, Probably not the best to partner up anyway..."

It was given that he was very well aware that they wouldn't work very well together. So it might be to both of their best benefit to not work with each other.

With the wish to not create any form of violence to ruin the day, Sai wordlessly shook Damien's much gruffer hand.

"Well met, Damien," he emotionlessly without any real care of his impressive size, "Ishida Sai, Meister."

"Well met my ass," a sarcastic tone reverberated in his mind, "Guy acts like some sort of big boss and felt like punching me... Oh well. Might as well go along..."

Though a chance of this being a farce to get a sneak attack is possible. That's nothing too much to worry about since an application of pressure points in Damien's hand can be quickly applied the moment attack happens.

[tehinferno]

Yuu was very upset, and felt as if he would explode at any moment. Damaso would not wake up when he tried to make him, and he had to leave. Yuu didn't have time to do his hair, so his usual pink mohawk, hung awkwardly to the side over his usually shaved head. The part that frustrated him the most was that he didn't get to file his nails today. He only got to apply nail polish, and that was it. He ran on with an awkward hop in each step. Yuu crossed a corner, and ended up seeing two boys about his age. It was very obvious that they were new, and he could sense tension.

"Are you both...Okay?" Yuu smiled at them and gave a wave. He figured he'd toy with them for a while, instead of Damaso for the day. This though excited him.

"If you're both new or something...I'd love to help you around." Yuu didn't wait for their answer, because he already knew. His excitement only heightened, but he tried not to let it show. The biggest issue was if they attacked him, and he knew how he would handle that. Even if he wasn't capable of it then Damaso would just come, and he could make a fool out of them.

He flipped his hair, and stood there for a moment, assessing both of them. One of them seemed to be chinese, and the other one...was just...grody. They'd both make neat new play things. They weren't women, but that would just make this all the more fun.

[light]

Light would walk into the school, not really caring as to where she would be going until she first spotted the three men there. Seeing as most of them were about her age and were in a discussion, she decided to walk up to them. She thought that they would accept her, though she saw the calculating look in one of the boy's eyes and instantly felt wary. Taking out a small piece of bread that she had stole from someone before she came to the city, she started nibbling softly before waiting to see how this would play out.

"" So hey everyone... "" she would say, not really caring for the resonse.