Logs: The Magic Glo-Fish
(((Chiaki Ichikawa poses.)))
"I like these cold, gray winter days. Days like these let you savor a bad mood." --Bill Watterson, Cartoonist.
How apt, for Chiaki certainly had one. Winter break was already over, and she was back to her job teaching English, meaning grading homework assignments, making tests, and facing her whiny students six-days-a-week. But this chilly afternoon long after school had dismissed, she was taking a brief reprieve from the deluge of work she'd anticipated, reclined on a folding camping chair by the Samegawa River. Despite not being cold enough to freeze the river over, there was a light layer of snow on the ground around the riverbank, save for the stone steps leading down to the riverside, having been swept clean by local workers. And for now, she was savoring the relative tranquility of the moment, nose buried in one of the books she frequently carries with her, unaware of anyone else who may or may not be there... yet.
(((Shou Hamada poses.)))
Bundling up in his Yasogami coat, Shou, smart-looking student that he is, sits forward on a tree stump along the riverside. He's nursing his own sour mood, honestly, still feeling somewhat impotent (not that kind of impotent) from his encounter with Thora the other day, and the fact that his mother doesn't seem to appreciate his need to study 6+ hours a day and kicked him out, again, hoping he'd act like a kid for once.
He can't help but lift his head to one side, though, and give Ichikawa-sensei a curious look. He knows he's only been in her class for, what, a week now? But she just walked right by and sidled down. He's even been reading the book she assigned.
Granted, much further into it than she assigned, but...
(((Yoh Yamagatani poses.)))
A lone stranger seems to trot down a lightly snow-covered walkway. Bundled up in a thick white jacket, with a single thin orange stripe, and a green scarf, Yoh Yamagatani peers over, you guessed it, yet another map. The boy tends to do a lot of exploring it seems. Or he is new to the area. He appears to be missing his usual giant earmuffs, possibly left at home, or otherwise.
Finishing a hot drink, he throws the cup away in a disposal, and peers out at the river, and its sprawling plain. He glances back and forth from the scene to the map, appearing to hunt for something. If once could see, he kept looking at KNOWS Castle, probably trying to find a less traveled path to the location. Yoh runs his hands through his hair, removing a few snowflakes that might have fallen from a rooftop onto him a ways back, then lets out a long sigh. His first day at the new school was rather rough, not getting to talk to many people, and struggling with his usual bane, literature. If one could see his face, he would look rather frustrated.
He stops for a moment on a small bridge, looking outward for a moment to the river, as if seeking answers to something.
(((Wataru Hoshimoto poses.)))
Speaking of KNOWS.
Someone is slowly emerging from the KNOWS Castle. It takes a nice trek through the streets of Inaba and then moving through the plains. It's quite a travel, really. He is usually let out to do some walking. He travels on his own, able to roam the streets and be amongst the people. Even if some stare at the boy from time to time...
He knows what to do and what not to do.
This brings him to the plains, which is a small travel. He does not have any fishing gear with him. Instead, he is dressed in his usual unbuttoned shirt and cargo pants. The boy has a backpack along his back when he makes his way towards the river itself.
(((Kurou Emihara poses.)))
Kurou is out of his element.
The young man is strolling across the bridge, the handlebars to his bicycle slung over his shoulder, and the laid back teenager is shouldering a stack of large bags on the other. Despite the obvious hardship, the body's half-lidded eyes and smirking facade represent a kid who could care less. The food will get there when they get there, despite Ninja Ramen's adamant claim that the food will 'be there in 30 minutes or we'll seppuku!'
As he passes the boy that appears lost and looking, Kurou takes note, but gives the kid a wide berth, slowing down to look in the same direction. "If ya lost it in the river, kid, chances are its staying there. But, if you're looking for something in the water that you never had...well. Hope for us all yet."
(((Chiaki Ichikawa poses.)))
Chiaki glances up from her book idly, pondering a tidbit from what she has just read, before realizing that she wasn't exactly alone, sitting at the bank of the river. With a gloved thumb pressed into the fold of the book to keep her place, she looks around.
Her gaze first falls on the two on the bridge. She missed that last line of dialogue in her deep thought, but it seemed somewhat... shady. Kid with large backpack and bike talking to another with a map? Perhaps a deal of some sort? Kids these days...
Then to the young man with the backpack heading for the river. She doesn't recognize him, and for now dismisses him as just another student walking home from somewhere. She's got a sense that something about this boy was... odd, but whatever. That pretty much describes all of today's youth in Japan.
And then... the other student reading. She recognized him from her class -- smug little bastard, it would seem. She knew that he'd transferred here from the big city recently, much like ol' whats-his-name with the gray bowl cut and odd-looking bulges underneath his winter uniform (seriously, what was he wearing under it, a suit of armor?)... and... ohgodheslookingatme.
Chiaki forces a polite smile, sitting up and nodding to him. "Ah, good afternoon Mr. Hamada. Doing some homework, I see."
(((Shou Hamada poses.)))
Shou "aheh"s a bit, abashed when spotted, but shrugs it off. He closes the book around his own thumb and tries to give a polite smile. "Hello, Ichikawa-sensei." He looks at the cover of the books he's reading and nods with a slight smirk, "It pays to be ahead, doesn't it?" He tries to relax, but has a bit of trouble doing so around a teacher -- especially a new one.
He leans back, with his own backpack leaning against the stump he's sitting on. He's smart, but he's oblivious, and blots out the interacting kids, and the strange priestess may as well be a world away for the time being.
(((Yoh Yamagatani poses.)))
Yoh just seems to stare into the water deeply for a time, until he hears a voice behind him. It appears to be... someone he doesn't quite know. I guess it looks like he lost something from what the person says. "Oh, heh, don't mind me. I am just checking out the scenery while in this area of town," he says with a smile, trying to be kind to the stranger. "Thank you, though."
The boy bows to Kurou, and as he returns to an upright position, he sees two more people gathering nearby. Maybe they would know how to get to KNOWS from here. He slowly begins to stride towards to two others nearby, and stops for a moment after approaching a small distance. That woman looks familiar. Maybe it is someone he knows? he continues walking towards them, and as he goes, spies someone out of the corner of his eye... Is that lady wading in the river? at this temperature? Huh, maybe it was a dare. Hopefully.
(((Wataru Hoshimoto poses.)))
As Wataru nears the river, the young boy leans forward and he kneels against the ground. His head moves towards the river. As he is so close towards the water, the child peeks in. "...Ponyo..." At first, there is no response. Yet, as a few moments pass over..
SPLASH!
The water rises from the ground, splashing all over the place and anyone who is nearby. The boy himself is giggling from the splash. As the water finally comes, a small head peeks out. The boy scoops the creature into his arms, hugging something very close. However, he looks over his shoulders to see that there are people around. Blink.
Wataru leans forward to tuck the creature's head down. "...Will see you soon, Ponyo~" Then, the eyes drift towards the first person in mind: Yoh. "Hi hi, Not_My_Yoh."
(((Kurou Emihara poses.)))
Kurou gives Yoh a polite bowing of the head, fairly more nonchalant than etiquette probably requires. The delivery boy just gives a shrug to the boy, before he moves to his destination. Then, a fairly large (and freezing) splash of water drops atop his head, sending a shock of stunning cold to the boy's core. Leaping into the air, Kurou scrambles not to actually leap off the bridge, his tall pompadour drenched slick against his head.
Oh no you didn't.
As casually as he can muster, Kurou hops up, dusting off his shoulders like this was the most casual thing in the world, his pocket comb wielded in his hand as he quickly tries to shore up his poofy coif's walls. He hasn't noticed the creature yet, or anything else that would terrify the boy out of his skin. "Hey, you order the Happy Family, extra spicy?"
(((Chiaki Ichikawa poses.)))
Chiaki, again, forces a grin. "That's what I like to hear! Taking initiative and preparing! But don't let that get in the way of knowing the material for the next class..." Of course, Shou's probably rather familiar with Chiaki's penchant of giving reading quizzes and verbally drilling students on literature material.
And then... splash! Chiaki isn't hit by the water, having the forethought to sit somewhat distanced from the banks ever since one of her older folding chairs broke while she sat right by the bank, causing her to fall into the river with a spectacular splash.
Rather, she simply turns her head to the young'un at the banks with... whatever the creature was, eyebrow arched.
(((Shou Hamada poses.)))
He runs a hand through his short hair and flips his ponytail briefly before shaking his head. He can't see through the forced grin, and genuinely think she's happy about it. "Thank you, but you don't have to worry, I..."
Splashing sounds break his line of speech and Shou feels cold water seeping through the legs of his school slacks and feels that same biting water splash onto his hands, and as he looks down, his book as well. Still, he's mostly just surprised, not frustrated, and looks over at the kid playing with said water. Too slow to see whatever-that-was, he just eyes him with a curious expression.
(((Yoh Yamagatani poses.)))
Walking towards what looks like someone he knows, a large splashing noise and a familiar voice catches his attention... as well as a familiar bestowed alias that was quite peculiar. He turned quickly to find the teenager he remembered encountering on his first day on this side of town, Wataru. maybe it was a chance to ask him about why he was being called that.
"Hey, I remember you!" He begins to stride over. It appears the splash got some others wet, and probably angry. He walked over, being a bit cautious. Getting wet at these temperatures was bad. While he knew Wataru's first name, he didn't quite know what his last name was, and well, was a bit on the nervous side to address on a first name basis, as his appointed nickname could get worse for all he knew.
(((Wataru Hoshimoto poses.)))
The young boy tilts his head over towards Yoh, who is approaching the boy. Wataru offers a smile, then he tilts his head over. "Hi hi." His eyes drift over towards the others who were either wet, or not wet. Otherwise, the attention is stolen away from them in favor of Yoh.
"...Ponyo here. See Ponyo. Ponyo my child." The boy looks happy. Then, the youth is facing the water. Bending his knees while facing the river, the hands clap together and the boy says. "Papa here. Papa back. Papa take care of you. Protect you~"
Yoh will get treated with the head of a eel-like fish popping up. It's a koi-fish, actually. However, there is a faint, bright glow.
...Then it dips into the water again.
(((Kurou Emihara poses.)))
Kurou Emihara blinks at Creepy McCreeperson with the glowing fish. "Uh...huh."
....Awwwwkward.
..."Did the fish order the Happy Family? I got other deliveries." Kurou looks over at Yoh, wondering just how far off the rocker it takes someone to be to adore their fish. He's thinking below Angel of Death, but above mashed potatoes in the hair.
(((Chiaki Ichikawa poses.)))
And... for now, Chiaki shuts her book, flipping a flimsy paper bookmark into the crack for now. Yep, the kid seemed a bit odd, and he was. Autism, perhaps? She frowned very slightly -- kids like that tugged on her heartstrings a bit. The teacher rather hoped none of the others would have a beef to pick with the guy... The glowing fish, on the other hand... Well, that was something you didn't see every day. She originally thought it was some sort of toy, but when it moved... huh...
"That's... certainly new..." She muses aloud to herself.
(((Shou Hamada poses.)))
Shou just sort of...keeps staring. For comedic effect, watch his glasses slide down his nose and him not adjust them for a good thirty seconds. He's not patently freaked out (yet).
Lines of thought: That is a very glowy fish. Also a very friendly fish.
Well, bio-luminescence. It happens! Not in freshwater fish it sure as hell don't. "Uuuhm." Shou's jaw slacks a bit after Ichikawa-sensei speaks. "Yeah."
(((Yoh Yamagatani poses.)))
...Okay. First, the kid keeps calling him strange things, and now... he has a Koi that also functions as a Lite Brite. How weird is that?
Yoh couldn't help but stand there for a second. He pondered if it was a reflection possibly, but it was getting too dark for anything like that. It shone too brightly. "The... heck? Since when do fish light up?" For a time, all he could do was point at the spot where Ponyo poked its little head out of the water. He finally spoke up, part of his father clearly coming out in him. "What a discovery! Surely it must be rare! Is the fish yours?" He couldn't help himself but ask that, despite it being obvious from what Wataru sating earlier.
(((Wataru Hoshimoto poses.)))
When the fish disappears once last time, bubbles are left for the boy. The youth is looking over towards the bubble. Then, he pokes at it. A vibration draws to the youth. He giggles a bit, then he stands over near the edge while waving, "Bye bye, Ponyo." Then, the boy offers a smile.
Creepy McCreeperson looks at everyone with a blank gaze.
He looks at Yoh once. He bobs his head, "Ponyo is my baby." He looks over towards the group. "Bye bye..." He waves a hand their way, then he looks at Yoh. "Bye bye, Not_My_Yoh-san." And.... the boy is quick to run off. Quickly.
Looks like he is trying to make it back to something.
(((Kurou Emihara poses.)))
Kurou Emihara takes a deep breath, and lets it out slow. "I'm going back to where there's lights on the streets. And streets." And with that, the delivery boy picks up his Happy Family, and his handlebars, and heads for Port Island.
Perhaps more than a little quick. Not that he's freaked out or anything. Kurou stays cool as a cucumber, man. Frosty. But frosty cucumbers still don't know what to do with glowing fish and their adoptive parents.
(((Chiaki Ichikawa poses.)))
"...and that fills my weird quota for the day." She sighs, turning her book over in her hand, before looking back at the remaining folks. Chiaki looks at Yoh. Wait a minute, that's the guy from yesterday! "...Hey!" she calls over.
(((Shou Hamada poses.)))
Shou looks at Ichikawa-sensei and just shrugs, then looks in the direction she's indicating when she calls out. He shakes the water out of his book the best he can and just sighs. Inaba is...a little stranger than the brochures let on.
(((Yoh Yamagatani poses.)))
In all seriousness, Why does weird stuff keep happening in this area? When going in the other direction of Lunarvale, going to school far away, those towns didn't have anything weird going on. At all.
Yoh sighs, and does a classical droop emote. Not only did that kid continue to call him 'Not_my_Yoh-san', He didn't get to ask him either question on his mind. People seem to take off so quickly, and without warning. At about this point, he perks up, hearing another familiar voice. It sounded like... Ichikawa-sensei, from the last few days? Before he turns around Kurou takes off suddenly as well. Strange. He turns around to see the familiar lady, and another figure he doesn't seem to recognize. he was to them both regardless. "Hello!"
(((Chiaki Ichikawa poses.)))
Chiaki nods to Yoh, forcing another smile. "Yoh, was it not? From the alley near the antiques shop?" She inquires. Her memory is rather clear, having been there just yesterday. She stands, just to be polite, and fold up her chair. "Such a coincidence to meet you here."
(((Shou Hamada poses.)))
Shou recognizes the guy, but kind of hopes he doesn't notice him back. He's not exactly proud of the situation they met during, so he just goes back to his slightly soggy book and tries not to think about Glo-Fish too much.
(((Yoh Yamagatani poses.)))
It was her! Yoh nods and makes a small bow. "Yes, that's right! From the whole strange thing in the shopping alley, if I am not mistaken." The boy looks back at the water, maybe peering for another appearance of the strange fish. After not seeing it, he throws a thumb backward towards the water. "That was odd, huh? I can't seem to figure out why he calls me that, either."
Being farther up, Yoh gets a better look at the figure behind the woman. It was that kid from the day of the collision accident. What was his name? Nngh... he always had a bad time recalling names of folks. All he could do for the moment was point at the boy and snap his fingers, trying to remember. As if snapping fingers actually helped. "He... Ha, um... Hamada! Thats right!" He finally says. "Hamada-san!"
(((Chiaki Ichikawa poses.)))
Chiaki shakes her head. "Ah, it is not a problem." She gathers up all her stuff, and checks her wristwatch. "Well, I wish we could talk more, but I have an appointment I need to catch." She says, dusting off excess snow from her clothes and brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I hope to see the two of you again soon. I know I will see you again, Mr. Hamada." And with a nod to the both of them, he heads for the steps.
(((Shou Hamada poses.)))
Shou smiles, crookedly, and turns to him. "Hey, umm...Yamagatani-san?" He just nods and watches Ichikawa-sensei go. "Fun...Uh..." He pauses, clearly at a loss for words. "Times, huh?"
(((Yoh Yamagatani poses.)))
Yoh nods. He had remembered him! It was an odd meeting though, so it wasn't expected. "Yeah, that's me." He remembered just how they met, when that teenager, Reki, ran into Thora, and caused a bit of a mess. While funny to look back on, luckily no one was hurt bad. "Heh, I suppose so, if you call a glowing fish fun," he said, making a rather poor attempt at being funny.
He couldn't help but wonder at this point if Thora's coat had gotten returned.
(((Shou Hamada poses.)))
The Yasogami student shrugs and scratches his head. "Well you've got to call it something. I'm pretty sure it's actually some sort of freak phenomenon, but. That's a bit of a mouthful, huh?
Shou wonders that himself...but knowing Reki, he's sure it's back in her hands. Or in the hands of those KNOWS guys... Shou's been thinking on that, too. KNOWS is another Inaba mystery. Probably not as remarkable as glo-fish though.
(((Yoh Yamagatani poses.)))
Yoh couldn't help but rub his head. Well his head was cold, but he usually did this when he thought a lot as well. How would a fish like that come into existence? Was it an experiment? An undiscovered species? A genetic defect? "Definitely. What's more, is I swore it came to him when that kid /called/ it!" He said, glancing around.
(((Shou Hamada poses.)))
Shou just wordlessly "Mmmm"s for a bit, letting that statement air. A bio-luminescent fish is one oddity. A fish that interacts with people so readily is another. Of course, there's any number of tricks one could use to do so. But that's the most obvious, logical thing, so that's what he's going to go with.
He pauses during his statement and looks at Yoh, tilting his mouth with a doubting expression. "Maybe he just had it trained." Shou closes his book for good now. "Provided it wasn't a fluke or a hoax, which seems more likely. Maybe it was just a regular fish. Maybe it was...a puppet or something. I didn't get that good of a look at it, honestly."
(((Yoh Yamagatani poses.)))
Yoh lets out a sigh. Shou could be correct. After all, it did make an unusually large splash for what its size seemed like. It doused the folks that got wet. "Now that I think about it, I wouldn't be surprised." The boy halted for a moment before continuing. "Y'know... I have a few questions for that guy next time I see him. Something is bugging me that he keeps saying."
'Heh, this is about the time Reki would take off,' Yoh ponders as he peers at his cellphone, looking at the time. Yet another individual he needed to ask some... rather blunt questions.
(((Shou Hamada poses.)))
Shou smiles at Yoh. "Well, as cool as it would be if this were, say, a new species, we have to be realistic. Coincidences happen all the time." He then turns down, brushing his pants off. "I guess I have a question or two to ask him myself, but...if he faked that, it's not like he'd tell me anyway." He gives a shrug.
Shou's too smart for his own good, unfortunately, and will stay entirely disbelieving until the creepy occult truths of Japan kick him square in the face.
(((Yoh Yamagatani poses.)))
Yoh nods quietly, listening to the boy. It probably was a fluke for all he knew. Still, it certainly would be quite a tale to tell his friends. After all, Koi are supposedly lucky. How lucky would a GLOWING one be to see?! He can't help but chuckle to himself upon thinking this. Would be rather interesting if it was a real light-bearing Koi. "Well, I had better head home. Starting to get dark." Yoh bows courteously to Shou. "It was nice seeing you again. Seems like the people I have met recently... I keep bumping into randomly. Hopefully we will meet again," He says cheerfully. After waving, he turns and begins walking towards the station to Okina City.
Heh, glowing Koi. Wait 'til his mother hears this.
(((Shou Hamada poses.)))
Shou waves courteously, "Yeah, I know how you feel. Take it easy!" and once the figure is out of sight, he brushes himself off, stares at the water for a moment in thought, then heads home.
