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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 4, 2009 1:46:45 GMT -5
[ooc: For Camillia!]
It was no surprise that Shizuka loved summer vacation, for all the reasons that the other students did... and for one more. That reason was spread before her now on the wind-ruffled grass, and she was currently looking down at it with a perturbed frown.
"This isn't telling me anything," she murmured, too focused on the tarot cards to work any real exasperation into her tone. She had no room to complain, anyway; the cards worked just fine when it came to predicting outcomes or solving problems for her neighbors or the flood plain frequenters, but when it came to her own curiosity about the murders... nothing. Nothing good.
The brunette huffed and leaned back to rest her weight on her hands. The riverbank was practically deserted for once (except for the old man waiting for fishermen to trade with), so she didn't feel as embarrassed doing her typical exercise to calm her thoughts.
"Fool. Limitless possibilities, but watch your step and don't dream too long. Magician..."
Surely odder things happened in Inaba than one small girl quietly reciting tarot meanings.
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 4, 2009 2:00:46 GMT -5
Strange things happened, and Camillia was not amused. Not at all.
In fact, she was starting to mentally slap herself more often to keep track of reality-- the story behind the TV could not have been real, but something at the back of her mind told her that it was. Psh. Ixchel? Persona? Talking mascot with changable expressions? A group of high school kids playing detectives?
Without thinking, she stepped into the path near the banks. Despite how she absolutely hated this part of town-- "ACHOO!"-- because of the residential felines, it was a necessary path for her to tread to reach her apartment. Usually she glided quickly through this area on her bike, but... She somehow had forgotten about her part-time jobs and bike. Just as Camillia was about to mutter a Russian curse at the furry animals and the hot sun, she noticed that there was someone seated underneath the gazebo overlooking the river, engrossed at something that looked like it came from some cultish story.
Eager to get out of the sun, the redhead just silently sat down on the other side of the table, blinking and staring down at the cards. Tarots, was it? Some form of divination or fortune telling. Apparently the detective-wannabe high schoolers' case had something to do with it, as well. Something about her own "Other self" was of the Empress, or something. If not for this not-entirely-believable incident, Camillia wouldn't have believed any single thing about myths and the sort.
"Do you mind if I share this gazebo with you? To avoid sunlight," she huffed, wiping sweat from her brow. It was times like these that she wished that she was back in homeland Russia.
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 4, 2009 2:08:13 GMT -5
"Empress is-- eh?" Shizuka broke off abruptly, the dim light in her eyes clearing as she looked up and met the eyes of a redhead. Her first thought was Foreigner?, but she was smart enough to keep her voice from asking the same question. Instead, she fought back a wave of embarrassment that someone might have heard her rambling about the major arcana, and nodded politely, reaching out to discreetly gather her cards up.
"It's hot today, isn't it? Feel free to stay as long as you'd like."
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 4, 2009 4:10:12 GMT -5
"Thanks," she muttered, wrinkling and wiping at her irritated nose. The world really needed less cats. Just then, one of those felines trot past-- and instinctively squeezed her nose shut with two fingers.The wave almost reached her nose... before settling back down her throat.
Camillia took out a handkerchief, wiping at the sweat. It really was hot-- how on Earth do people handle it here? And some even go for the beach, even. The half-Russian heaved a sigh, knowing that she would have to avert her attention away from the heat, lest she collapsed from heatstroke. So the first thing that caught her mind was the petite figure seated across her, who was removing the cards from the desk.
"You are into Tarot? A surprising subject to be interested in," she started, taking deep breaths despite herself. She swore she could see the asphalt melting when she looked at the path.
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 4, 2009 11:09:48 GMT -5
On the opposite end of the feline spectrum was none other than the tarot-reading girl, who didn't notice the other's reaction as the cat sauntered past. It was just a shame her parents didn't allow pets, other than Hideo's red goldfish.
But the girl was speaking again, and Shizuka had to do her best to wipe the embarrassment off her face. She couldn't tell how she felt about the cards but, if the reaction of her peers at school was anything to go by, she most likely thought she was one of those people who gazed into fish bowls and claimed to see the future.
"I get that a lot," she admitted, still trying to puzzle out who this stranger was. She thought she detected a bit of an accent... or maybe she was just purposely formal. "But it's a good way to pass the time, and I do get some use out of it..."
Shizuka trailed off and took a closer look at the redhead, a little more concerned now. She didn't really look that well. "Are you okay?"
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 4, 2009 11:27:23 GMT -5
"I am fine, save for the allergy and the heat," she reassured the other as best as she could manage, brow furrowing as this girl looked like as if she didn't like to talk about her interests with others. Why not? It was a blessing if people could share out their interests and be vocal, not to be bounded by any rulings or ethics.
She briefly pocketed the handkerchief, pointing at where the girl had kept her deck. "I am, however, interested in this form of divination. Do you mind showing me while we spend the time here?" she started politely, knowing it was a request that people usually do not agree to-- in fact, requests were always presumed to be troublesome and without it's merits. But Camillia seriously didn't want to think about the heat. Really.
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 4, 2009 11:36:56 GMT -5
Well, there went the theory that the only people interested in her fortunetelling were the housewives and her little brother, and the occasional person her age. But then again, this girl could fall under the third category quite easily.
Shizuka studied her for a minute to ascertain that she was actually being sincere, and then relaxed and gave her a warm smile. Joking or not, practice was practice. "I don't mind at all! Do you have a question for the cards?"
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 4, 2009 11:48:19 GMT -5
Camillia blinked; the cards require a question? Now that was a first. Though in all honesty, she herself was not in control of her own life-- her family was.
The Hidetoshi family.
She cringed at the reminder of that family name, and the significance of it. It was a family of historians, though they might as well be the world's scribes, what with their observant behaviour. Camillia stepped out of the darkness of the Konstantine family, only to step into a deeper pool that was the Hidetoshi's. It struck her then... She did have a question.
"My life's purpose," she said easily, unperturbed by the heavy meaning behind those words. She was lost, yes; she had been but a puppet all her life. Camillia doubted that would change, even if she moved to the end of the world away from whatever she had held dear; whatever she had risked to be considered family. Her dark crimson eyes narrowed ever so slightly, remembering how she had gambled her life for the German, Abendroth. Did the Hidetoshi expected that as well? She didn't know. As much as she prided herself in her skills in observing others' behaviour, she came out with nothing regarding the house that was even more foreign than the people she knew and met in this small town of Inaba.
Pushing all the thoughts aside, she just gave a shrug and eyed the girl seated opposite of her, observing her actions. "Is it an invalid query?"
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 4, 2009 13:15:03 GMT -5
"Of course it isn't!" As unflappable as ever, Shizuka only flashed her a reassuring smile. "It's one of the questions I get a lot of, besides the ones about love or money." Most people started off with lighthearted, silly questions or a general reading, too skeptical at first to take her seriously. Here then was another unique case. It was a deep question, one that could weigh heavily on the querent, but this girl didn't seem bothered by it at all.
"Don't worry," she added, placing the deck in front of the girl. "To start off, can you put your hand on top of it, please?"
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 4, 2009 22:25:51 GMT -5
Camillia did not see how placing a hand on the deck would change the outcomes of the cards' arrangement, considering it ran on the theory of probability, but did so anyway with her left hand even as she generated that thought. It was her main hand, but what if it was part of the rules that she was to use the right hand? At that thought, she hesitated, her arm hovering slightly away from the tarot.
"... Is there a standard protocol on which hand to use?" she started uneasily, not wanting to break any taboos. Since when did she start to become so superstitious?
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 4, 2009 23:49:40 GMT -5
"Definitely not," came the prompt answer, calm and composed and most certainly not in a voice that could be called ethereal or mystical in any way, shape, or form. Shizuka had always disliked those kinds of fortunetellers, who would put on a show and chant some mysterious gibberish that meant absolutely nothing while they waved their hands over a crystal sphere or some other magical item. Didn't it work better for everyone if things were handled regularly and in a manner easier to understand?
"You can use whatever hand you want, really. I'm the one who has to be careful about which hand to use, but you're good to go with whichever!"
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 5, 2009 3:10:14 GMT -5
"Apologies," she nodded, putting her hand on the deck at last. Camillia noted that the cards were well-kept and maintained, and even though she couldn't smell the "freshness" that came with all new cards, but it could easily fetch a good price if this fortune teller was to sell the deck anytime.
She wasn't about to guess anything else as things started to settle down, and she oddly found herself not feeling much of the heat of the summer sun anymore.
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 5, 2009 16:39:57 GMT -5
Shizuka fell silent, all of her concentration now resting on the cards and the hand that held them in place. She let the girl's hand remain there for a little while longer, then gently eased the deck out from under it and went through her usual shuffle and cut routine. Although her original shuffle tended to consist of three or more cards, she only selected one this time.
The Devil. Not one of her favorite cards, but the fact that it was upside down had her studying it closely.
"... You're being suppressed by an influence you either can't fight or don't wish to. It's self-destructive. However, this card is reversed, which means... you'll gain the strength to free yourself, because what awaits you isn't failure or captivity. There will be obstacles, but at the end is freedom and a new strength. Your purpose is to reach that strength and make it your own for whatever purpose that might be. Just know that the strength you get will change everything you know, including the lives of the people you're close to."
Taking a deep breath, Shizuka rubbed her forehead and laughed under her breath. "Sorry if I can't be more specific than that, but that question's always tricky to answer. In the end, the only one who can truly answer that is the one asking the question in the first place."
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 5, 2009 21:12:09 GMT -5
Camillia's eyes widened, if not slightly, in surprise as the divination was read out. She saw the card being drawn out, and the word scribbled at the top of the card (reversed to be readable from her point of view?). The Devil? That sort of fit, she mused inwardly. Nonetheless, the divination seemed to ring truth within the depths of her mind, and she resisted the urge to ask more.
As the teller finished the divination and laughed, Camillia nodded. "I could understand that," she nodded earnestly before continuing, "It is something that the one who asked the question should find out for themselves. This is nothing but a guide."
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 5, 2009 22:38:12 GMT -5
"Well, that's a nice change of pace." Unable to hide her surprise at the girl's comment, Shizuka hummed thoughtfully. "Normally everyone else I do that reading for gets annoyed that I don't just flat-out tell them what their life goal is supposed to be. But I'm glad you understand; it makes my job a whole lot easier!"
Her smile returned full-force as she gave her querent a polite nod of the head. "I'm sorry, I've been pretty rude, haven't I? My name is Shizuka Nakano. Thank you for allowing me to do a reading for you."
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 6, 2009 6:50:03 GMT -5
Camillia smiled at that. "It is safe to assume that my perspective is different from others, considering we observe different cultures," she noted, knowing that her accent do the talking for her. The cicadas felt really noisy to her ears at the moment, just as she took up her handkerchief to wipe at her forehead again. At the rate this was going, even going home would not help her a bit in the weather. It wasn't like the cheap apartment came with air-conditioning...
But she raised an eyebrow again at the girl's greeting. "Rude? Not entirely," she replied, still slightly taken aback by how open the girl was with her name. Perhaps it was a norm among the Japanese, she couldn't tell. "Salutations, Nakano-san. My name is Hidetoshi Camillia. I am interested in the art of reading, as well-- though only just recently," she nodded and raised her right hand in an offer for a handshake. Norm was that one must only shake hands with the right arm. She didn't know if it was applicable in Japan or not.
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 6, 2009 9:55:47 GMT -5
So she was foreign! Such an obvious thing wasn't something to be proud of for noticing, but Shizuka couldn't entirely suppress her pleasure that she'd at least observed that much about the stranger. Who knew what kind of culture she was from? Inaba rarely got foreigners, and even transfers were unusual, but the girl appeared to be close to her age... was she both?
The handshake was greeted with a puzzled blink, but she was only confused for a moment, and recovered with barely a lapse, reaching out to clasp Camillia's hand with her own. Protocol dictated which name and honorific to use, but the girl looked as though she ate, drank, and breathed formal, so...
"Really? If there's anything you want to know, just ask away, Cami-chan!"
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 7, 2009 3:10:34 GMT -5
Taken aback slightly, Camillia withdrew her handshake. Now... That... was sort of a surprising honorific to use for someone you just met. She did her best to surpress most of the surprise to convert into a single action-- to raise her eyebrow. "Well... I would be interested to know the reasoning behind the '-chan', if you do not mind," she said bluntly, wiping her neck in slight embarassment. Most probably it was because she had never been called that way-- it was something new to her, after all.
Not even her parents had called her anything similar to that.
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 7, 2009 12:58:36 GMT -5
"The reasoning?" Shizuka echoed, her original puzzlement returning in full force. Camillia really must have been new if she didn't even know why people used that honorific. Or did she mean that specific one when applied to her? Maybe everyone else, confirming her suspicions, had addressed her more formally.
It made sense, and yet it was the sense itself that made her frown. She was formal enough at home, and with adults, but she'd never enjoyed it. If Camillia wanted a reason, then...
"There is no reasoning," she said cheerfully, holding up a finger. "You just seemed like a Cami-chan to me, and it's a lot easier to say than your full name. Besides, it's cute, isn't it?"
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 7, 2009 19:10:47 GMT -5
Camillia blinked, then wore a thoughtful expression on her face. "I guess it does have less syllabuses to pronounce compared to my full name, and apparently nicknames are a norm in this society--" she looked up at Nakano. "Cute?" There was definitely something wrong with the two of them under the gazebo of hot summer sun. Maybe the heat had gotten to her. Never in her life the half-Russian was associated to that word, and she could only shrug in response. After a moment of thought, she presumed that she should comment on the... nickname.
"Do you happen to have a circle that conforms with your decisions? If so, perhaps you should change this word of addressing, after all," she muttered, a disturbing image of strangers walking by and addressing her by that... -chan thing. It wasn't normal, especially for people her age, right? It was supposed to be for addressing small children. Like Seta's cousin, perhaps. Or perhaps Camillia's outlook was changing her social category to 'Child'. That wouldn't end well on her own part.
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 8, 2009 1:37:28 GMT -5
The brunette pursed her lips, brows drawing together as she tried to make sense of what Camillia was saying-- and fell short of that understanding most miserably. She didn't have a circle of anything of the sort, and the decisions she made weren't conformed by anyone other than herself... which definitely didn't count.
"I don't have a circle or anything like that..." She smiled ruefully and stretched. "But I stand by my opinion! Oh, unless it makes you too uncomfortable..."
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 8, 2009 4:05:14 GMT -5
The girl looked confused. Camillia took that as a cue to stop yapping, attempting to find another topic for conversation, just as she suddenly lighted up and responded. The half-Russian really needed to start learning the topics of interest people her age have, no matter how pointless they may be. She just found peers her age group have weird interests and hobbies... Or perhaps it really was just herself that has these problems of comprehending social life.
"No, call me what you will," Camillia replied immediately, not wanting to deny others' small wishes. "I was just surprised, that is all." At that, she took up her handkerchief to wipe at her sweating forehead again-- perhaps she should have really taken a towel during summer days, instead. She took a break from work today, so she was pretty much free and figured she might need a walk, what with the crazy business of TVs and monsters still trampling through her mind. Somehow by talking to this girl, the troubles disappeared.
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 8, 2009 17:15:07 GMT -5
Shizuka's smile, while understanding, still held a trace of apology. "Well, you're free to call me whatever you want, if it helps. But in the meantime..."
She was still keeping an eye on Camillia's obvious discomfort to the heat. Being one who had lived in Inaba all of her life, Shizuka was not only used to the warmth of its summers, but reveled in them. It was the cold she dreaded.
"It might help a little if you got it wet," she offered, nodding at the handkerchief the other girl held. "The river's nice and cold, and I bet it'll feel good!"
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 9, 2009 8:10:01 GMT -5
"I think I will stick with the norm, Nakano-san," she objected politely, knowing that it was hard for her to feel attached to such a habit. It.. just didn't feel normal for her to give other people inappropriate-sounding names. Noticing that she must be ruining the mood with her constant wiping, she started to pocket her handkerchief-- just as Nakano suggested a fine idea.
"You are genius," she noted delightfully, taking out the wet cloth from her pockets once more and moving to the riverside already. There were a few people fishing (in this weather?) and she unceremoniously dipped the handkerchief into the river, feeling the cooling waves of the water passing through her fingertips. She sighed just as she did; it was so welcoming at that moment.
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 9, 2009 21:17:59 GMT -5
"I-I'm really not that smart," Shizuka started to demur, but Camillia was already riverbed-bound, and she was protesting to the air. She glanced in the direction the girl had gone, a small smile tugging stubbornly at the corners of her mouth. For how serious she seemed, she was at least able to smile... that had to mean something, right?
Grinning a little more cheerfully now, she swung her legs back and forth and tipped her head back to look at the sky. "I think I met another interesting person..."
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 10, 2009 2:38:55 GMT -5
When she was done, she hurried herself back to the shades of the gazebo, looking at the fortune teller for a moment before sitting down. "This really works, Nakano-san," she started, hoping she wasn't being troublesome to the other. Just then, it occured to her that it was a possibility that she was a student, as well-- though she hadn't seen her in Yasogami High before. Perhaps it was middle school? Camillia risked the question.
"... Thus, as this summer holidays come to an end, which school shall you return to for your studies?" the redhead inquired, still polite and feeling the cooling handkerchief cooling her system, as well.
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 10, 2009 14:04:44 GMT -5
"I'm glad!" If her smile was anything to go by, Shizuka wasn't troubled at all. "I know it can get really hot here, and a lot of people like to use the river to cool off..." That was, until the old man the locals so fondly knew as "Fishing Freak" came racing over to rant about how they were scaring off all the fish. Not that she'd ever done it; it would be bad if any acquaintances of her father saw his daughter gleefully romping in the river. No, she'd just observed, maybe dipped her feet in a few times, but that was it.
She blinked when Camillia mentioned school, only just managing to withhold a grimace at the very thought. Break was almost over, and she wasn't looking forward to going back to school. At least during the vacation, she'd had her neighbors to talk with, but school was a different story. She just wasn't comfortable there, and the friends she had only really talked to her to ask for fortunetelling or a favor.
"Inoue Preparatory--" She started to answer automatically, then made a face. "It's easier to just call it Inoue, actually. You're not a student there, are you? I don't think I remember ever seeing you..."
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 10, 2009 20:04:09 GMT -5
... Nakano was in high school. Camillia smartly decided to reserve her comments in regard to the other's size in relation to her education level. Being the lifelong actor that she was, she nodded in agreement, as if that thought never flashed in her mind. "I see. Indeed, we seem to be from different schools. A Yasogami student, actually," she started, mentioning the name of her school in the same way as Nakano did. "But I would be interested to know if the student council in your school is currently active," she added after some thought.
Camillia herself was part of the student council, but she figured that if the other school's counterpart was active, a collaboration would take place-- though it's mostly just her sole idea. ... She just thought up of it the very moment the girl mentioned her school name, really. Come to think of it, there had been much rivalry going on between the two schools-- it would work both ways if they actually cooperated in an event for once. Though again, it was only her own idea. The redhead mentally noted down to discuss it in the next meeting.
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Post by Shizuka Nakano on Apr 10, 2009 22:10:02 GMT -5
The response this time was a raised eyebrow as Shizuka (once again, as this happened on a daily basis) found herself just as confused as she'd been earlier. As far as she knew, every high school had an active student council, but maybe she was just ignorant and inactive student councils were more numerous than she'd thought. Or maybe Yasogami's student council wasn't that active. She hadn't really thought to ask the few students she actually knew.
"As far as I know..." And now Sho came to mind, prompting a very small cough that sounded more like a stifled laugh. "I'm not a member, but I've talked to the president a few times, and I can't see it not being active when he's in charge of it. Why do you ask?"
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 10, 2009 22:28:34 GMT -5
Ah, so she knows the president. That could be useful. "Nothing big. I was just contemplating on an event collaboration between the two counterparts. There are a few notable objectives that we could achieve if we organized something to this nature; an example would be to settle the rivalry going on between the two schools. Perhaps it could be something easy and simple, for example a sports match between the two schools..." Camillia stopped herself. Was she babbling again? She didn't know if Nakano actually knew what she was talking about. There was even the probability that she wasn't even part of Inoue's student council.
"... I apologize. What I was trying to say is, something to that nature is possible," she ended awkwardly, feeling as if part of her sentence was in garbled grammar-- as usual. The half-Russian needed some fixing with her grammar (her ultimate bane); as well as to catch up with local slangs.
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