Complications [Flaming Gentry]

Mae exited the Velvet Room, the door closing quietly behind her. She had just met her Attendant, Lisa in there. It had been a nice meeting with the little girl, and she did remind Mae a little of how Ayane used to be when she was younger. It was almost like looking through a window to the past... It was funny really, how similiar they were. Maybe that's why they had gotten along as well as they did. Speaking of Ayane, after the corruption of the School, she had taken in at her exchangee's parents for the time being, until the situation was resolved. Mae, on the other hand, was not so lucky...

She needed to find a place to stay for the foreseeable future. She did have a place in mind... Charles' apartment. But right now, she was... nervous about asking him whether she could stay at his place for the next month, if not longer. Mae was deep in thought on this matter... So deep in fact, that she paid no attention as to where she was walking, and accidentally bumped into someone. "Oh, Sorry!" She exclaimed, bowing deeply. Geez... What was up with her bumping into strangers lately...?

Hikaru wasn't sure what it was, but San Malarus was becoming a sort of haunt for him. Maybe it was because he met his now best friend Alex here weeks ago. Yeah, that event was certainly something he couldn't forget; that was what triggered this "waiting game" with the mysterious Shadow that was supposedly ready to pounce at any moment.

"Exactly how am I supposed to stop it? Assuming these guys can kill it... somehow. I don't exactly have anything to defend myself with, but Kumiko'd definitely be concerned if I showed up with a sword one day... or a gun. Still, maybe there's something I can do. I'll just do a little window shopping and-"

Hikaru should have realized that his feet were still moving, as he managed to run into another person focused on something else. Hikaru almost lost his footing, but he simply stood back and let his body catch up. The person he had run into, a young redheaded girl about his age, was bowing in slight embarrassment at running into him. Hikaru simply turned on his usual charm and, with a comforting grin on his face, spoke to her.

"It's alright, miss. I should probably be apologizing; I guess I wasn't focused on where I was going. I have a nasty habit of doing that, I guess. Wait... Where's-?"

Hikaru quickly reached into his messenger bag, thumbing past his laptop and searching for his notebook. It wasn't there! Hikaru was scanning the sidewalk for his notebook, only to see it behind the young girl, open to the highly detailed portrait of his sister. He walked around her, crouched down to collect it, and held it in his hands.

"Ah, there it is. Sorry, my notebook's a little creativity outlet of mine, and I don't want to lose it. So, what are you up to?"

"Well, I guess..." Mae said meekly. This is like what... the third time in a row she bumped into someone by accident... It was a thing that happened way too often. "Hm? Lost something?" She asked him, as he apparently dropped something. Huh...? A notebook? Mae looked at it. A well drawn picture caught Mae's attention. Just like Charles eh? "Wow, that's really good... Did you draw this?" Mae's voice sounded amazed.

"I'm doing this way too often... Bumping into people... I'm Mae Iharu, by the way." The girl streched out a hand towards him. "And you are? She could've sworn she had seen this guy at school somewhere... "You're from Zela Academy too?"

"As to what I'm doing well...." Mae nodded towards the trunk she was dragging along with her. "Well, the dorms are down for the count, and I used to live there. Looking for a new place to stay while the Dorms are still out of commision." It had been a shock for Mae when she had returned to the dorms yesterday, only to find out that they had been closed. Luckily, they had managed to salvage all of her belongings... Well, most of them anyway. "I slept over at a hotel for the night, but I can't stay there forever... So, I'm gonna see if I can't crash at a friends place." Well, Charles was a bit more than "just a friend" at this point, but right now, Mae didn't feel like going into details. That would have to wait for another time. "Yourself?"

Hikaru couldn't help but smile joyfully at the young girl as she complimented his picture. The picture that almost nobody has ever seen has now been seen by 3 people... and they all said it was fantastic. Hikaru felt that he could probably be a great artist should people want to buy his work. Well, either that or becoming a biologist.
"Um, thank you very much. I... haven't really shown these to other people. This is the only piece of art I made that's been colored. I mean, this notebook's filled with sketches, some, uh, poetry, and research notes."

She introduced herself as Mae Iharu and claimed to have known him from Zela Academy. He tucked his book under his shoulder and shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mae. I'm Hikaru Ryouichi. Yeah, I go to Zela Academy, but I'm a first-year. Were you in the same class as me before? I'm pretty sure I've seen you before. Anyways, unfortunate news about the housing issue. So, you planning on hanging at a friend's place? I wish you luck with that, though if they can't help, I suppose you could hang out at my place. Just an offer."

As for what I'm up to, I was planning on checking the bookstore, maybe take a little walk to get familiar with the place. I need to get a bit more familiar with the area; this place seems different from Penecia, definitely more of a city feel to it. Anything else before I head off?"

"Well, it's really good." Mae smiled back at him. "So, who is it? The girl I mean?" She nodded towards the notepad. Was she sticking her nose somewhere it didn't belong? "Umm... Sorry if I'm being a little intrusive..."

"Well, I'm a Junior, so no. I have seen you around though. And as far as you seeing me... I'm kinda hard to miss, heh." She made a gesture towards her pink hair. "And yes, before you ask, it is my natural hair color." The girl giggled. "Yeah... I just found out yesterday... It's a bummer really, but what can you do?" Alot actually... Mae had a hunch what was causing the issue... Could Mae do something about it on her own though? Doubtful. This was on an entirely different level than those shadows she had faced in Lunapa... "Ah, thanks Hikaru. I'll keep it in mind." That was very... nice of him. But would she need it? Well, maybe. Charles might not.... take her in. Very small chance he would decline, but it was still there nontheless...

"Ah. Well, I don't have much to do right now, so mind if I tag along? My friend has still not gotten off work yet, so I have time to kill." Mae smiled. What else was she supposed to do anyway? Stare out into space all day? No... "I know this place quite well by now... I could show you around. If you want, of course."

Hikaru's eyes were filled with the same joy and wonder as a curious child. He flipped through the notebook to find Kumiko's portrait and showed it to Mae again.

"Her? Yeah, she's my older sister Kumiko. She went to Zela before me; in fact, she was the one who suggested going there, and let me just say... I've met some pretty great people, including... well, you, Mae. Also, no need to worry about being too intrusive. If it's to answer any question your burning curiosity comes up with, I'd be happy to help. After all, I'm a man of many questions myself."

Hikaru gave a sincere grin at the comment on Mae's striking red hair. He twirled a bit of his sandy hair. He never considered coloring it; he liked it the way it was. Of course, when he heard that Mae would like to accompany him, he hefted his messenger bag back onto his shoulder and motioned for Mae to follow him.

"If you want to. I know my way to the bookstore, so no worries there. It's... that way, I think."

With an eager spring in his step, Hikaru walked down the sidewalk toward the bookstore. He opened the door to let Mae enter first before he wandered in after her. Hikaru had a few ideas for books to grab, so he strolled across the towering bookshelves, pointing his finger towards the plaques as he read them.

"E...EM... Ah, in here. Now. let's see... Emerson. Emerson. Hmm... Where is it?"
Hikaru scanned the bookshelves but couldn't find the book. The book was on one of the lower shelves, but Hikaru couldn't see it directly without crouching down. He continued to search...

"Oh, really? That's nice to hear. And yeah, I've met some great people here too. Zela Academy is pretty big, after all." That was one of the school's better points. The school roster housed a large variety of students from all over the world. "Hehe, thanks." Mae flashed her usual cheerful smile at the compliment. "You seem like a pretty upstanding guy yourself, Hikaru. So, is your sister still here on Azores?" Mae asked. Considering their names, Mae assumed they both were Japanese, like herself. It wouldn't suprise her though if his older sister had decided to stay here in Azores after finishing her studies. The islands... were very nice, and Mae liked it here. She even considered staying here after she had finished her studies... But as things were right now... With the whole school situation being as it was right now... How would she, or anyone, get their studies done at all? Hopefully the situation would be resolved soon.

"Sure. I've never been to the bookstore here myself yet. I dunno why. I just never got around to it." Mae shrugged lightly. The bookstore, huh? Sure, why not. Not that Mae was huge into reading, but she did pick up a book every now and again. The two headed for the bookstore nearby, making small talk on the way.

"Thanks!" Mae said to Hikaru with a smile as she walked through the open door. "Umm... You're looking for this one, right?" Mae pointed out the author on one of the lower shelves. "Emerson. What book is this anyway?" She picked it up, looked at the cover before giving it to Hikaru.

The Book's Cover:


Hikaru looked over to Mae who had found the book at an instant, hiding below Hikaru's sight. Hikaru smiled thankfully and received the book. "Self Reliance". This was, thankfully, the book that Hikaru had been looking for, mostly because the school library and bookstore on Penecia didn't have a copy available. He thumbed through a few pages as he spoke to Mae.

"This is a collection of a few of the essays written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, including his little masterpiece 'Self-Reliance'. You probably wouldn't know, but this guy belonged to one of the most interesting movements in America in it's earlier periods. He was a part of the Transcendentalism movement.

The reason I'm so interested in them is because I feel like this movement really defines me; a few of the main points of this movement included a return to a simpler life, the focus on the struggle between science and nature, and the idea that each person should strive to be an individual in the face of society. It... makes me feel like my odd little quirks are just special and unique qualities about me. I only wish I was alive during their time; maybe I wouldn't feel so... out of step with society.

You've probably seen it, right? While most teens these days are absorbed in social media and fashion and being popular, I feel like... I never found interest in that. At first, I was worried about what others thought of me, but books like these make me feel happy that I never followed their example. I can see it in you too, Mae. Do you... feel happy to be an individual?"

Hikaru snapped the book shut and shook his head quickly.

"Oh! Er, sorry about that. These kinds of things always make me feel a bit philosophical. Anyways, I'm going to look through the manga section, see if I can get my sis anything while I'm here. Go ahead and look around on your own if you want. I'll be over here."

Hikaru wandered into the manga section and flipped through the books, looking for any new copies of Sergeant Frog, a manga series that Kumiko had begun to read recently.

"Huh..." Mae listened to Hikaru intently. This stuff was interesting, she had to admit. This Emerson fellow had some pretty good ideas. "Hehe, don't we all? I guess most people think it's a bad thing to stand out. I never understood why. I like his ideas. Too bad not everyone shares our opinion on this." Mae smiled wryly. "I guess I took up alot of this from my mom. She's a singer in an industry where you practically need to stand out, or be unique to gain any momentum at all. So yeah, I'm happy to be an individual. Wouldn't the world be boring if everyone thought and acted the same?"

"No need to apologize, Hikaru. It's interesting." Mae smiled warmly back at him. "Manga, huh?" Mae asked. "I read some from time to time. Not as much as I would've liked, but eh. I should pick up a new series to read. All of my books are back at the dorms at present, and I need something to read." Mae followed Hikaru to the manga section. "Got any recommendations?" She asked.

Hikaru couldn't help but beam joyfully at Mae; she was charming, curious, and individualistic as well. He felt that he was genuinely bonding with her, but something in the back of Hikaru's mind grew worried as he recognized this. Come to think of it, it seemed to be doing that whenever Hikaru met somebody he felt deeply attached to, like a best friend. Surfacing from Hikaru's past came the memory of certain people: Kaeli Umbridge, Bernard Cross, and even Alice Baisley .

They were his best friends at the orphanage, the three people who wanted to stick with him through thick and thin as companions for life. Hikaru was young then, and he desperately wished that it could come true. No, he believed it would come true. It just had to.

And then, Hikaru watched as his friends walked out the doors of the orphanage, their new parents holding their hands as they guided them home. He remembered how excited they had looked as they left, never turning to face Hikaru.

Alice was the exception. She begged her parents to adopt me as well, but they seemed unwilling to comply. Hikaru still saw Alice's tear-streaked face as her parents took her out the doors. Hikaru had stopped making friends afterward.

"Is that what's happening to me? Am I... afraid of growing attached to people because I'd have to break that bond of friendship? It seems ridiculous, but... No. I don't know about it. If I had to leave, I'd be hurting so many people..."

Hikaru that he was on the verge of crying, his eyes misting at the thought of his past, but he turned his face from Mae to avoid letting her see it. He put a smile back on his face and found the first issue of Sergeant Frog and gave it  to Mae. He also grabbed the newest issue for Kumiko and stacked it on his other book.

"Well, might I suggest Sergeant Frog as a new manga choice? Kumiko's been reading it for a while, and it absolutely cracks her up. Here's the first issue if you want."

Should Mae skim the first few pages of the manga, the plot would be explained to her; a race of frog-like aliens sent a small conquest group of 5 aliens known as the ARMPIT Platoon to conquer Earth, only to end up losing their ultimate conquest weapon, the Kero-Ball, and remain stranded on Earth in the house of a Japanese family, whose son now possesses the ball. Determined to conquer Earth through a variety of unsuccessful hijinks and plots, the platoon adapt to life as though they were actual members of the family.

Hikaru's voice broke the moment of silence as he came up with a new question.
"So, Mae, what exactly interests you? Is there any subject that you have a lot of interest in? I'm curious to see what you like. I'd be happy to answer your questions as well."

"Umm... Something wrong, Hikaru?" Mae asked with a concerned look on her face, as Hikaru turned away from her. Was he crying? "I know it's none of my buissness, but if you need someone to talk to, I'm more than willing to listen." She said quietly. Mae could sense that it was something bothering Hikaru, although the girl was unsure of what it could be. Regardless, Mae, being the caring individual that she was, felt the need to help him out.

"Thanks." Mae took the book with a smile, and skimmed though the first couple of pages. Seemed like a fun enough read.

"Interests? Oh, I like singing alot. I practice every single day in my room when I have the chance." Mae was very proud of her singing voice. And not only did her friends think it was good, others did as well. The singing competition she won last saturday was proof of that. "As for other subjects... Oh gee... I dunno. I guess Music in general is pretty fun." She smiled sheepishly. "Do you have any paticular hobbies?"

Hikaru subconsciously rubbed his eyes as he attempted to steer Mae away from that topic. The past was the past, and Hikaru wanted it to stay that way. But the fact that his mind still held these memories only proved that his past was still following him. He liked Mae, but like with Alex, he still didn't feel open to talking about his past. He silently wished that Mae was just as understanding. He simply smiled and tried to calm Mae's worries.

"I-it's no problem, Mae. Just a small issue. Nothing to concern yourself with. Nobody should concern themselves with it; I should carry that burden myself."

He listened to Mae as she explained her interest in music, especially vocals. He understood Mae's interest in music; Hikaru picked up the trumpet a few years ago, and he was proud to see himself improve. He was also curious about Mae's singing ability and experience.

"Singing? Well, that's fantastic to hear. I... would love to hear it sometime. Maybe you'll let me know when your next performance is; I'll be sure to attend. As for me, well, I guess I have a wide range of interests, partly thanks to my research, but I do have a few hobbies; I could do some drawing, researching, but I prefer to practice my instrument of choice... The trumpet! It's been a couple of years, and I can say that I've really improved since I started."

Hikaru invited Mae to follow him as he swiped a recipe book from the shelf, unconcerned with what was in it; whenever Kumiko and Hikaru could cook together, it didn't matter what they made. Hikaru stacked the books on the counter and paid for both his books as well as Mae's manga book.

"Need anything else before we go?"

"Alright, if you say so... Just note that if you ever need to talk, I'll gladly listen." Mae gave Hikaru a reassuring smile. "I understand it's a bit tough to talk about something personal with a stranger like me." Yeah, he had all the right in the world to refuse. After all, they had just met. No need to rush things right? "Sure, I'd love to sing for you someday. Actually... I have a performance scheduled on Saturday this week, in Penecia. I won a singing contest, and that was the prize. A concert of my own." She smiled cheerfully. Just thinking about it got Mae pumped up. "I do have 2 free tickets for the performance... One of them is reserved for one of my other friends, but I dunno who should have the second one. I guess if you want to go see it, you can have the ticket."

"Oh? You play the trumpet? That's neat! How long have you been practicing?" Mae asked curiously. Trumpets weren't all that commonplace around teenagers, it felt refreshing seeing something new. "Oh, you're paying? Y-you don't have to pay for mine! But that's nice of you. Thanks..." She said awkwardly.

"No, I think I'm done here. So... Wanna grab something to eat?" She asked casually. "I'm getting kinda hungry, to be honest."

Hikaru smiled weakly at Mae's offer to listen to his problems; plenty of the people he met seemed to want to listen to his problems, and to each person, he chose to say nothing. After all, this problem was not easy to remedy, and speaking about it would only sour Hikaru's mood and revive the memories of his past. He was appreciative of their concerns, but as he said before, nobody should have to listen to his sob story.

The young girl had gladly invited him to attend her well-deserved concert, handing him the ticket. Hikaru slipped the ticket into the inside of his wallet, making it the first thing his eyes would fall upon whenever he used it. He bowed in gratitude.

"Thank you very much, Mae. I'll be sure to attend. But, wow, you must be REALLY good to win your own concert for your performance. I haven't heard you sing yet, and I'm already impressed."

Her curiosity seemed piqued by the mention of his trumpeting practice. He thought back to a couple of years ago, when his father watched with interest as Hikaru looked through the isles at the instrument store, examining each instrument with a grin on his face. He tried out the violin, drums, even the accordion, but none of them seemed to match the experience of playing the trumpet for the first time. Though the feeling of cold metal on his lips felt a bit unnerving, a few minutes of playing wore the feeling away, and Hikaru managed to belt out some strong notes. That was what Hikaru liked about the trumpet; no matter what else was playing with it, the trumpet's music naturally stood out to listeners, and the notes it shouted rang loud and clear, like the announcement of a king.

"How long? Well, I picked it up about four years ago, and I've been practicing whenever I come across an interesting piece of music, especially video game music. I could probably find a time to perform for you, if you'd like. My instrument is still back at home, though. Hmm... When can we meet next? Oh. I could probably give you my number so you can let me know when you're available."

Hikaru began to scribble his number down on a piece of his notebook paper when Mae acted surprised that he chose to pay for her book. He dismissed her worry with a wave of the hand.

"No worries, no worries. 'Tis my treat for you, milady. I'm just hoping you enjoy it. Kumiko got quite the kick out of it, so I'd think you'd love it as well."

"Sure, I think I could go for something to eat. Let's head on out."

Hikaru kept the door open for Mae to exit before he let the door slam shut behind him. Hikaru's eyes looked over at each restaurant they passed, even glancing at the takoyaki shop where he'd met Alexander. He quietly whispered "Ah, memories." before they passed the shop. Hikaru felt a headache growing in his front temple and rubbed at it for a second.

"Your choice, Mae. Looks like they've got quite the variety around here, from the typical burger joint to a delicious sushi restaurant. I'd eat pretty much anything once, so I couldn't quite make a decision in the near century...

Ehehe. I make joke."

"Ehehe... I guess so..." Mae chuckled modestly. She wasn't one to brag about her talents, although she knew very well that she was very talented. "Well, I had my friends supporting me, so there was no way I could let them down, right? Besides... When you enter a contest like that, It would be a shame not to give it your all." The competition had been somewhat tough, but Mae ended up winning. "I took a big risk by singing in Japanese, but it's the language I'm the most comfortable singing in. And besides, I wanted to have fun." She said, smiling. "Hehe, hope you'll like it."

"Well, considering the state of the school... I have time pretty much every day now." Mae shrugged. "Well, aside from spending time with my friend Ayane. She's an exchange student from Japan. We've known eachother since we were little kids. Funny how things work, right?" It had been... an interesting twist of fate when Mae had gotten that E-Mail from Ayane saying that she would be enrolling as an exchange student at Zela Academy for the next two months. And what great fun it was to see her again at the airport. It was almost like the two had been destined to be friends since day one. Mae accepted Hikaru's Phone number, and slipped it into her pocket.

"T-Thanks, Hikaru-kun. That's really sweet of you." She took the book with a happy smile. "I'll make sure to read this when I get home." She said as she dropped the book into the plastic bag with the store's logo on it. "Hedwell's Books" huh? Mae made a mental note of the store's location in the back of her mind should she want to go here again.

"You know what? I haven't had any Takoyaki in a while..." Mae said as they passed by the takoyaki shop. "If that's okay for you, of course."