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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Mar 31, 2009 1:20:34 GMT -5
There was a hanged man lying on the stairs, and Shizuka's first reaction was not to stare, or to scream...
... But to reach down and retrieve the card.
"Hey, don't try and get away when I'm trying to do a reading here!" She scolded it lightly, resettling herself back down on the stairwell and looking down at the rest of her deck. She'd been dying to work with her cards all day, but she hadn't had a chance to do it before now, let alone find a place quiet enough to concentrate. Those who saw her would generally come over, either to stare in horror at what they saw as an occult practice, or make fun of it. No one at school took her seriously.
Well, except for the basketball team when she got angry, but that hardly counted.
"Hmmm..." Biting her lip, Shizuka gathered up the cards for another shuffle, and ignored the grumbling of her stomach. It'd been her fault for losing her bento... somewhere, and she didn't want to risk losing this rare opportunity of quiet just to go buy lunch. Her stomach would just have to endure it, for the sake of the future!
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Sho Oshiro
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Post by Sho Oshiro on Mar 31, 2009 14:27:00 GMT -5
Did the girls in this school have nothing better to do than to make bentos for guys? Sho rubbed his forehead with one hand as he walked back from the cafeteria. Third one this month. Some first year--she even gave it to him in the cafeteria while he was buying his usual lazy-day bread. Granted, some of them had been good. He wasn't much of a culinary judge, but could they at least ask before surprising him with a bento? And so now he was wandering back to the classroom to try out the new lunch and wondered just what he should do with the bread. Last time he didn't eat the bread and left it in his locker for a day--well... let's just say he wouldn't be doing that again (what did they put in these things?!).
A soft hum and a rumbling stomach echoed from the stairwell just ahead, followed by the sound of shuffling cards. Sho took a few more measured steps and peered around the corner, his eyebrows arching in mild surprise at who he saw perched on the stairs. "Hello, Shizuka-san," he said, offering a small smile. His dark eyes spotted the tarot deck in her hand before glancing back up at her face. "Care to eat lunch with me?" He held out the bread to her as he ascended a few steps. "It's not much, but your stomach sounds like it would like the snack."
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Mar 31, 2009 14:42:14 GMT -5
The sound of a voice cut through her concentration, but thankfully (for her) Shizuka looked up to see who it was before she snapped at the intruder. There was a long silence in which she studied his face, comparing faces to names to rumors in her mind-- and then recognition struck. The fact that this boy was the Student Council President helped things along.
"Senpai!" She greeted him happily, no longer put-out due to her thwarted attempts. From what she'd seen and heard about Sho, he rarely sought out lunch partners, and (regardless of what everyone said about him and his family life and his occasionally condescending attitude) she thought he'd be good company. "Of course I don't mind, but..."
The girl stopped, blinking at the bread he now held out to her. After staring at it for a little while longer, she looked up at his face, wide-eyed and wide-mouthed-- until she remembered to shut it.
... And then opened it again.
"S-Senpai, wait--!" She was looking worried now, eyes fixed on him earnestly. "I can't take your bread! I heard it was your life, the only thing during lunch that makes you happy!! You shouldn't give away your happiness to an underclassman! It's the only thing you buy on your own since half of the girls here bring you-- uh-- well, maybe it's not since, but... um, anyway, I'll be fine!"
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Sho Oshiro
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Post by Sho Oshiro on Mar 31, 2009 15:18:41 GMT -5
Startled, the young man hesitated as he started to sit down. She had a very surprised expression, complete with wide eyes and open mouth. "...My life?" he asked, a bemused smile playing across his face as he let out a soft chuckle and dropped down onto a stair a few below the girl. Sho looked up at her, still holding out the bread. "It's fine, Shizuka-san. It's not like I would die if I don't eat this. Besides, someone surprised me with a lunch today, so now I have bread and a bento. I'm sort of obligated to eat the bento, so would you like the bread? I can stand to pass around a little bit of my 'happiness', I suppose," he joked lightly.
He set the plastic-wrapped bread on the stair next to Shizuka. Settling back against the wall, he opened the bento in his lap and studied it's contents carefully. Looked edible, at least. After taking a few bites and deciding it wasn't too bad, Sho looked back up at the girl. "Doing another reading?" he asked curiously. He didn't know too much about... all of the tarot stuff, but still found it rather interesting to watch and learn about. "Feel free to carry on--don't mind me." Sho offered another smile and returned to eating.
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Mar 31, 2009 15:34:33 GMT -5
Shizuka spared the bread a cautious glance, still reluctant to just take it, but her stomach was already arguing that he had been the one to offer, and to not take it would be considered rude. Well, far be it from her to be discourteous to the President, of all people...
"Just this once," she informed him, conceding and plucking the bread from the stair and its wrapper. "And I'll definitely pay you back, I promise!"
The rest of what she might have been about to say was neglected in favor of munching on her snack, a blissful look stealing over her face as the rumbling pangs of hunger were finally subdued. She would have been content to stay in this food-induced reverie, but Sho's next words brought her back to reality. He... was interested? And not weirded out? He could have just been humoring her, but he seemed sincere enough, and she liked to think she was a good enough judge of character to know when someone was being truthful or not.
"I'm trying, but..." Shizuka frowned down at the cards. "I keep getting pretty depressing results, which is never a good sign. Maybe I'm picturing the wrong questions... oh, but hey!" The frown disappeared, to be replaced with a hopeful expression directed in Sho's direction. "Can I do a reading for you, Senpai? I can do a general one, unless you've got any questions about anything, and I can try that, too!"
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Sho Oshiro
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Post by Sho Oshiro on Mar 31, 2009 16:37:02 GMT -5
"Don't worry about paying me back!" Sho said with a laugh, lifting one hand to cover his mouth. "It's only bread--not like I can't afford them whenever I want them. It's better than letting it go to waste, too."
He glanced at the cards in her hands for a moment in silence as he picked away at the bento in his hand. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you asking it about? From what I know--which, granted, isn't much and just what I read on the internet--but if you're feeling down or distracted, wouldn't it pick up on those feelings?"
Shizuka's energetic question brought a surprised expression to his face. "A reading for me? Hmm..." He tilted his head to the side in thought for a moment, then let out a good-natured laugh and smiled. "No questions come to mind at the moment, but if you'd like to try, then I'd be interested to see!" He had never had someone read tarot for him, though his sister did try to pick up reading tea-leaves once a year after they moved to Inaba. She had only lasted a week of forecasting his death and failure as an older son before growing bored and finding something else to bother him with.
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Mar 31, 2009 17:17:54 GMT -5
"Mmmm..." The brunette gazed at her deck pensively, racking her mind to come up with any reason why she'd be depressed or anything of the sort. "It's true that you shouldn't try to do a reading when you're not feeling well, but I don't think I've been that way lately. I was just trying to see if I could learn anything about the murders, but..." She shrugged. "I don't know, somehow it's always bad news. Maybe it's just the feeling I get whenever I think about it, though."
The truth was, every single reading had either been negative or uncertain. Shizuka was the kind of girl to try and find positivity in everything, and that included her cards, but when the exact same cards kept coming up in the exact same order and reversal... it was a little disquieting, not to mention disheartening.
Suddenly realizing that she'd been staring at nothing in particular for a good five minutes, she gave her head a shake and flashed Sho a smile of her own, holding out the deck to him. "I'll do a basic reading, then. It won't be anything too fancy, so I hope you won't mind! Ummm... if you could put your hand on the deck, it's a little easier to start." Because it can attune to you went unspoken, because even if Shizuka didn't always care what people thought of her, it was for the best if her upperclassman didn't think she was crazy.
She'd just gotten a new lunch buddy, after all! She couldn't scare him off just yet!
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Sho Oshiro
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Post by Sho Oshiro on Mar 31, 2009 20:24:48 GMT -5
"Ahh..." Sho said in understanding. The murders were enough to throw anything off it's normal track. Why shouldn't it disturb occult forces also? Especially when being performed under a close relation to a person's emotions. "I'm sure it's nothing too be worried about in a broader sense. Everyone is shaken up about these murders--coming from such a small town like this, it's bound to cause some kind of uneasy reaction."
He patiently waited as she drifted off into thought, returning for a moment to the bento until she was ready to continue.
Put his hand on the deck? Sho deposited the box into his lap and set the chopsticks inside of it. "Like this?" he asked, placing his right hand over the cards. He frowned slightly at the sight of his calloused fingers and large hand dwarfing Shizuka's own hand and the deck resting in her palm.
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Mar 31, 2009 21:33:57 GMT -5
Obviously not as perturbed by the size difference between their hands, Shizuka nodded approvingly. "Just like that. With that, I should be able to..."
After a moment in which she'd just sat there, more or less holding his hand (and hoping very much that someone didn't just walk in and see them like this), she drew the deck away, shuffled it twice without so much as a falter, cut the deck with her left hand, and took a deep breath. A more serious look crept into her eyes and her smile became a calm, steady line. Without a word, she selected the top three cards and placed them neatly in a horizontal row.
"This," she said quietly, tapping the left card, "is your past." She flipped it over, showing no reaction the card revealed. "The Page of Wands... in your case, it's probably that you were given a message, either about some kind of move or leadership position, or some kind of transition like that."
The next card was treated just as casually. "This is the present, which could also describe you. The Magician is seen as someone charismatic and witty, who can charm others and present new ideas and solutions in a way that seem almost magical. Otherwise, it means something is revealed to you."
The last card-- and now Shizuka blinked, looking down at the skeleton that had just been exposed to her. "... Your future. Death. It doesn't always mean an actual death-- in fact, it's hardly ever an actual death, but it does mean a change. Something will end, but something will also begin, and you'll come from the experience even stronger than before."
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Sho Oshiro
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Post by Sho Oshiro on Apr 1, 2009 13:42:55 GMT -5
The bento box forgotten on his lap, Sho watched with rapt curiosity as she drew her hand away and began to shuffle the cards. She performed each movement without even the slightest hesitation. His dark eyes followed each of them and he studied the images carefully before she began to speak.
The Page of Wands. The Magician. Death.
He managed to keep his expression flat asides from the slight raise of eyebrows as the points started to come together in his mind. Of course... those 'Persona'... Although he wouldn't call what he had been given much of a leadership position, it could certainly turn into as such. It would be his responsibility to protect the other students from Inoue if something similar happened to one of them. (As much as he would hate having to ask help from Seta and the others from Yasogami.) The Magician... he had always considered himself having some of those traits, but now the name meant a different thing to him.
I am thou, and thou art I
"Humm..." Sho said softly, brow twitching down into a soft frown as he studied the last card. That one... he couldn't quite figure out. Of course, it was the future, and he knew he should keep it in the back of his mind.
He straightened back up and smiled softly. "Thank you, Shizuka-san. It made quite a bit of sense." The young man hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward again. "I'm wondering if I could make another request for your help--not... Tarot again, but something regarding school."
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 1, 2009 14:18:53 GMT -5
"Eh?" Drawn from her own thoughts regarding the reading, as well as Sho's reaction (since it apparently had meant something to him), Shizuka blinked twice and then released a sigh, relaxing and settling comfortably back into the role of cheery student. She gathered up her cards again, pocketing them for the time being, and gave the boy her full attention.
"I don't know how much help I'm going to be with school things," she admitted ruefully, shaking her head. "You're the one to go to for that, Senpai-- um, but I guess you can't go to yourself, can you... well! I'll hear you out, at least!" He'd allowed her to work with her cards, for which she was incredibly grateful, so the least she could do was agree to listen to this request of his.
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Sho Oshiro
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Post by Sho Oshiro on Apr 1, 2009 16:23:56 GMT -5
"Well--I'm aware this is a little sudden, and considering it's almost half-way through the school year a little odd, but..." Sho rubbed the back of his heck with one hand and poked at the contents of the bento with the chopsticks in his other hand. The food was getting to room temperature and lunch was almost over, but he really should finish it. "As you know, I'm the president of the Student Council. One of our previous members had to leave due to issues at home and can no longer be a part of any after-school clubs or activities."
Finally deciding to stop playing with the food, Sho closed the bento box and set it down next to him on the stairs before giving Shizuka his attention. "I've been reviewing a number of students since the new term started to see if they would be interested in filling the position. You were one of the candidates, and so I am wondering if you would like to try and be the secretary for the Student Council." He paused and took a breath, thinking for a moment. "You would be able to stay in your other clubs, of course, if you like, and you can have a say in when meetings are scheduled so better work with your own schedule."
He paused again, then gave a small, polite smile. "At least think about it."
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 1, 2009 17:06:44 GMT -5
"... Me?" Most embarrassingly, the question came out as little more than a squeak, and Shizuka flushed, dropping her eyes to rest on her shoes. Her mind, however, continued to repeat the question in incredulous tones. Out of all the questions that Sho could have asked, she honestly hadn't expected that one. She might have been the basketball manager, but Student Council was a much different thing. She was more used to yelling at a bunch of noisy boys to stop leaving their towels all over the place than sitting in a room and taking notes! How could they possibly have considered her??
She could say no. The President was understanding, and he had to know just how scatterbrained she was by now. There were far better candidates more suited for these things, and she wouldn't have the slightest idea of what to do and--
But he'd asked her. Refusing went against her very nature. If they needed help and she was able to provide it, shouldn't she?
Now looking thoroughly conflicted, Shizuka managed to lift her head enough to meet Sho's eyes. The smile he was giving her seemed vague, polite for the sake of politeness, and she felt even more uncertain than ever. This was a duty for him, of course. She hadn't expected anything else.
"I'm honored, but..." She couldn't hold the gaze for too long and quickly looked back down. "I hardly have any experience with that. If there's a candidate who could handle it better..."
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Sho Oshiro
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Post by Sho Oshiro on Apr 2, 2009 2:09:59 GMT -5
Sho was a little startled by her reaction. Certainly, she was a lot more interesting than many of the girls on campus. Still, the startled and upset expression made him uneasy. He... hadn't done anything that unreasonable, had he? Simply wanted to know if she would be secretary. When she looked up at him, he felt as if he had punted a puppy. Now he was most certainly concerned.
At her muttered half-apology, Sho glanced down at the stairs as well and heaved a soft sigh. "I'm sorry if I bothered you with the question." He let out a small laugh. "I didn't think it would be that terrifying of a request." This time, as he pushed himself to his feet, the young man gave her another smile--this time, more honest and a little amused by her reaction. "Just think about it, all right? We will, of course, train you if you do decide you might want try it out."
He shoved one hand into his pocket, the other holding onto the unfinished bento box. He peered at the top of the stairs over the rim of his glasses for a moment, contemplating if he should wander back to the classroom to finish his lunch. Then he looked back down at the seated girl. "It was nice getting to chat with you, Shizuka-san. Just find me if you ever have an answer about the student council thing."
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 2, 2009 2:40:38 GMT -5
Shizuka didn't reply, not out of any sense of spite or annoyance, but because she didn't know how to reply. Apologize for bothering him with her own response? Granted, she hadn't done anything wrong, but it was a little silly to almost have a heart attack over such a small matter.
... Okay, so maybe Student Council wasn't exactly small, but that was beside the point. Sho had certainly proved himself a capable and competent leader for as long as she'd known of him (and there was little that went on at Inoue that she didn't know about). Serious, she'd heard and witnessed, but diligent and someone the students respected. If the President himself would go through the trouble of seeking her out, then...
Shizuka caught sight of his smile as he stood, hazel eyes widening as it sank in that this was actually the first smile of his that she could call genuine. With that came the realization that she didn't really know this boy... but she found her curiosity piqued nonetheless. A position on the Student Council meant she could help her fellow students, and it was a chance to make new friends.
Which meant she'd have to speak now or hunt Sho down at a later time, which might inconvenience him, and she'd already done enough of that for one day.
"Wait--!" The words slipped out before she could prevent them, and she almost stumbled in her rush to get to her feet. "It didn't bother me or anything, I was just surprised, so you don't have to apologize, I should be the one to apologize, um, so I'm sorry, sir--"
This was coming out all wrong and disjointed, and the only thing that kept Shizuka from launching into full-fledged and flustered signing was the grip she had on her school bag. After a forced pause to draw in a breath and some fidgeting, her gaze became more direct.
"It might be a pain at first, but... if you can put up with me, Senpai, I'd be happy to try the position."
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Sho Oshiro
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Post by Sho Oshiro on Apr 2, 2009 14:09:34 GMT -5
Sho had ascended a few stairs when Shizuka's startled and anxious voice made him halt and turn around. He made a small noise and reached out to steady her, but the small female seemed to regain her balance on her own. He did, however, remain in his position of reaching out towards her as she launched into her hasty and fumbled apology.
Sir? Did she just call him sir?
Unable to help it, Sho let out a snort and broke into a soft laugh. "Shizuka-san," he managed when she stopped to try and calm her nervous hands. "You don't have to apologize either. And you don't have to call me sir." The smile returned to his face as he straightened his posture. "Senpai or some variation of that is perfectly fine."
He nodded once when she announced her decision. "Either the vice president or myself will find you and inform you when the next meeting is. We can walk you through the steps then on how to take the minutes and all the finer points that need to be learned until you feel confident enough to do it on your own--if you stick with it." The young man offered her a small bow as the bell signaling the end of lunch echoed through the halls. "Thank you for considering it, Shizuka-san." With another small smile, he turned back to the stairs and started up towards towards the third floor.
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