Dead Fish Tell no Tales [Lun Lun]

Finally, a day off from school. That would be what the average student of Kizuna Academy would say on a free Sunday, yes? Tsurinai Naito was rather different, as he enjoyed his studies. Well, perhaps enjoyed was used wrong here. He would rather study in the confines of a peaceful school library than be surrounded by the idiots of his dorm. Now that made much more sense, did it not? The silver haired teenager sat in his room, reading a book with a nonchalant gaze, while looking towards the clock every so often. The sounds of fun and excitement could be heard just outside his door, and every few minutes someone would come knocking looking for him. He was invited to join in on their festivities, yet he always refused. Why would someone from the honorable Tsurinai Group waste their times with the pissants? Naito was rather conceded, especially since his own family had shunned him and sent him out to Ueitawa. This young man was quite the antagonist when it came to his own family, yet he wore his family emblem with pride. Did he really wish to be accepted by them? Was he so dead set on changing the world, simply to be seen as competent by someone back at home? Hah.. The thoughts made him shut his book with a swift motion. That wasn't why he was looking to use Limbo to his benefit, but someone could easily mistake that for the primary reason, couldn't they? Grabbing his jacket, he'd throw it over his shoulder and head out the door of his room. He had work to do. By work, he meant heading to Nadashiki to slice dead fish into pieces for practice. It was never too late to continue training with his dexterity, was it? As he was leaving the dorm building, he noticed alot of his fellow students in outfits that they probably bought at a bargain store. Yet, he was wearing clean black trousers, black high class boots, a white dress shirt, and even a tie. Thinking about it, Tsurinai Naito always stood out when around his fellow students. In and out of school, he always looked his best.

Taking the bus into Nadashiki, the silver haired boy looked out the window to watch the sun slowly going down. The troublemakers would most likely be out when he arrived. Wasn't that just lovely? Nadashiki was a cesspool of violence and crime, and Naito pitied the fools. Was this what stupidity did to the youth? Such insolence needed to change. The teenager narrowed his silver hues as he exited the bus and walked straight into the sushi bar he had began to work at. Right on entry, the manager gave him a warm welcome. He informed Naito that he hadn't been picking up his checks, and the silver haired boy would look away with a blank expression. "Irrelevant. I don't need your money, I'm here to train." His response was rather blunt, but he did let a small smile escape. Something he hardly ever did. Walking behind the counter, he'd place his jacket on a desk and put on the sushi apron. Washing his hands in the sink, he'd then turn back towards the bar and grab his signature knife. Placing the tip of the blade upon the index finger of his opposite hand, Tsurinai Naito would test just how sharp it was. After a few seconds, he close his eyes. "As sharp as always. Very well, let's get started." He shot a glare towards his manager signifying it was time. The manager threw a strip of red snapper towards his way, and the teenage swordsman would slice through it with the knife. His reflexes and speed were better than ever, thanks to his training within Limbo's bowels. Even the customers seemed impressed, as they began to clap at the display they had witnessed. Though Naito was not doing this for them, he was training himself. They just happened to be there, that was all. "Alright, let's continue."

One of the few times her father comes home early and Emiko was practically shooed out of the house. Quite unceremoniously at that. Her father seemed to be surprised that she'd spent her day doing chores and baby-sitting her sisters. She'd taken them to the park, enlisted their help grocery shopping, and indulged their wishes for sweets. Nothing that she wasn't already used to. She'd spent so much time with her sisters from the day to day that she thought nothing of it. It got tedious at times, but it was her life, and her sisters were her responsibility. If they didn't have her, they didn't really have anyone. Her father hardly counted. He just paid the bills. He rarely spent time with them. With any of them, herself included. Still, he'd surprised her by being there when they came back home. He supplied her with pocket money and insisted that she invite some friends to go do something fun with her. Go to a karaoke bar, or arcade or something. He'd take care of the girls. So inconsiderate. It took Emiko a moment to realize that she had no close friends who she could call up at a moments notice to spend time with. No one to take her away from how suffocating taking care of her family could be sometimes. Eventually, she decided, she'd simply treat herself to dinner. She made it so often for her family, surely she deserved someone else to make it for a change. There weren't many places she cared to dine at in Hayabusa, so she went to the station and took a train out into the city.

Against her better judgement, she found herself stopping in Nadashiki. A city she was fairly unfamilar with with a reputation for housing notorious deliquents and dangerous gangs. This was practically suicide. A lone, small, unimposing girl walking the streets alone with money in her pocket. She was just asking to get jumped...or worse. It was best if she picked a place to eat quickly. Even with the voice in her head repeatedly telling her that this was a bad idea, and wouldn't she like to eat in a nicer part of the region, and she'd be lucky if she made it back to her family unscathed, Emiko stood tall and walked down the street with dignity. Recognizing that she was in an area where her usual manners and polite smile would hold little weight, she didn't even bother. Her lips held no hint of smile, nor did her eyes as they coldly took in her surroundings. She spotted a sushi place that didn't look too shady and ducked in. As she entered she noticed the other customers clapping. Looking around, she saw that their applause was for a young man in the back doing some sort of knife display. Without waiting for someone to come and seat her, she strode up and took a seat at the bar.

The girl sat regally in her seat, not wanting to show any sort of weakness in this foreign place. She stared as the boy in front of her skillfully sliced up fish after fish. Could such swordplay be learned simply from chopping fish at a sushi restaurant? Regardless, the customers had a reason to clap. This boy was impressive, though, looking at him, he didn't look much older than herself. "Where'd you learn to do that?" Emiko asked innocently, slipping back into her polite smile in spite of herself and her surroundings.

The silver haired teenager turned towards the young female who began to speak of him specifically. His eyes were narrowed, and his face had the expression of complete indifference. He seemed to be analyzing her with his gaze until finally opening his lips to respond. "My father played a hand in teaching me, but ever since I was a child, I've been rather fond of swords play. Though.." Tsurinai Naito looked towards the knife with his usual blank expression, and even stared at his own reflection in its stainless steel. "..this is nothing compared to a real blade." Looking back towards the female, he'd stab the blade into a wooden block. Though they went to the same school, he had never met her before. Naito didn't really pay attention to the others that he didn't invest time in. And he certainly didn't walk the halls for his health to see those who weren't in his same class or grade. Her smile told him alot about her, and it made Tsurinai quite suspicious of why she was there. He was so used to troublemakers and wannabe gangsters coming into the sushi shop, especially when the sun went down. "You seem rather out of place here." The silver eyed teenager said this as bluntly as ever, as he pinched his chin between his index finger and thumb. "Usually I'm accompanied by delinquents and pissants who look to prey on the less fortunate. Yet here you are, with a polite smile, and not dressed in rags like a peasant. You're either ignorant to the wonders of Nadashiki by night fall, or you're simply very bold." Well, didn't this boy speak without mincing words. It was how he was taught way before transferring over to Ueitawa. Regardless of this, the teenager tilted his head to the side with a slight look of confusion.

"Regardless of any reason, you don't seem very fazed when it comes to your surroundings. I'm wondering if that's from courage, or... ignorance?" Tsurinai Naito was asking himself this, as he looked upon the female with an intense gaze. Suddenly it would break, and his silver hues would shift to their corners and off of her. "My name is Tsurinai Naito. I partake in dissecting dead fish here. What brings you here this night?" Well, that was sudden and rather out there. Was he attempting to start a conversation to see what sort of person he was speaking too? Perhaps. After all, he was recently told to basically open his eyes and see what the world had to offer. Being so dead set on getting rod of the majority of people and structure wasn't a "good" thing, apparently. Though, it was also possible he was looking to analyze this person because he was looking for potential allies in the future. Just having the inhuman boy Aron by his side was not enough. Surely others shared his point of view when looking at the world? He had thought Kiyomi Mio were one of these people, but she seemed rather brainwashed by the current society herself. She apparently didn't understand the use of merit, or an hierarchy. Her life was no where near complicated. For someone like Tsurinai Naito who worked hard to find change, he would never be able to compare himself to her. After years of his childhood consisted of watching his sister fight a crippling disease with more will than the majority of humanity combined could ever muster, it made him change. No one could understand such a thing, right? After all, it wasn't everyday you had to watch your one family member who you truly respected, slowly dying before you eyes.

It was obvious Tsurinai Naito was lost in thought at this time... The manager had to pat him on the back for him to suddenly snap back from his own mind. his eyes shifted over to the man and slowly narrowed, as the manager gazed back at him and gave a wink. "I wasn't aware you were bring a girlfriend here, Naito-kun! Here, let me prepare a house special for her! Oh, it's on the house, don't worry!" This man was always rather enthusiastic when it came to such things, yet Naito's stone face didn't flinch. "You've got it entirely wrong. We've just met."

It took the boy a moment to respond to her question. She looked up from his blade to his face to see why he might have hesitated and caught him staring rather intently at her. His gaze seemed as intimidating as his skill with a knife, but she was determined not to break it and simply continued to smile at him as if his eyes didn't make her slightly nervous. He didn't look quite like the other delinquents that she imagined roamed the streets of Nadashiki after nightfall. He was well put together, and his clothes underneath his apron didn't look like they were bargain priced hand-me-downs. Though, that simple fact did not make him any less intimidating. Especially not when he admitted that he had a fondness for swords play...with a real blade. That little fact did quite the opposite. She couldn't help but jump when he suddenly stabbed the knife into his wooden block, his grey eyes on her once again. Cursing herself internally, she smoothed down her pink pleated plaid skirt, hoping to hide her shaking hands underneath the counter. Her face still under complete control, she continued to smile at him as he told her she was out of place. She looked about the room as if this notion was new to her, taking this time to imperceptibly take a deep breath and calm herself down. When she turned back to him he had gone to explain how he was usually surrounded by miscreants and the like. She wondered briefly if he was trying to scare her or if he was just blunt before answering. "What gave it away?" She raised an eyebrow at him, unable to keep the sarcasm from tinting her voice. I'm not unaware of the rumors that surround Nadashiki after sunset. Perhaps that knowledge only made me curious." Or stupid, she added in her head. She hadn't wanted to admit to this boy that her ending up in Nadashiki was purely chance. That this just happened to be her stop and rather than turn back and go home like a good little girl, she decided to explore the most dangerous part of the area after sundown. "Perhaps that does make me bold. She wondered aloud to herself. But just because she might be bold (an adjective she rarely associated herself with) didn't mean it wasn't a stupid decision to make.

More like self preservation. Emiko muttered uncharacteristically, bringing a hand up to brush back a piece of hair now that she was sure she'd stopped shaking. She was somewhat surprised by his sudden introduction, but she didn't let it show on her face. Tsurinai Naoto...what an interesting way to put it. "Takenaka Emiko," The girl inclined her head towards him and smiled. As to why she was there...how would she put that? If the way Tsurinai spoke was any indication, he'd rather she get to the point. "Father sent me out with some cash and told me to go do something with myself. I guess...a sort of reward for babysitting my sisters all day. Though she imagined going to Nadashiki for dinner by herself was the farthest thing on his mind when he'd handed her the money. No helping that now. She was already out here on her own, and she was sure she could take care of herself. She'd done pretty all right so far anyways. The second half of the battle was getting home.

Emiko stared at the young teen in front of her who seemed to be absorbed in his own thoughts. She wondered what they were, as he seemed pretty preoccupied. Hopefully nothing unsavory like getting his goons to ambush her once she was out of the shop. Though, she imagined him to have too much dignity for something like that. Maybe. There was no telling how underhanded people could be at times. Especially those used to this city's rough streets. Though, he held himself so...regally. Almost like a prince, or someone rather high born. Before she could bring him out of his reverie to ask him about it his boss snapped him out of it with something rather unexpected. The offer for food on the house was welcome, and she was willing to take it, if not for the one incorrect fact that caused him to make it. "You're incorrect." Emiko stated factually at the same time that Naoto spoke. She hadn't broken from her polite smiling mask, but she couldn't stop the heat rising to her face, coloring it a soft pink.

This girl was.. interesting. He hadn't meant to startle her by stabbing the knife down in the wooden block, and for once he found himself regretful of what he had done. Though he was, he simply listened with an indifferent expression. Tsurinai Naito was an odd boy, as his upbringing was quite strict most the time. Being a member of the Tsurinai Group, there were a series of rules he could never break. Having regrets was one, as his father believed if you were regretful, you were showing a weakness in your resolve. The silver haired teen shook the thoughts from his head, as he simply continued to listen to the young woman. She knew of the rumors of Nadashiki, and still chose to travel out there alone? Was this arrogance, or confidence? There was a thin line between the two, but he couldn't help but feel impressed. It wasn't everyday you met someone who did what they wished without letting the lowly ones around them, stop them. For once, the "royal prince" decided to listen to another without finding their speaking to be annoying and pointless. He'd have to remember her name.. Takenaka Emiko. Perhaps it was weird to keep a mental note on almost everything you heard throughout the day, but the Tsurinai made it a habit. Though most the information he did hear was rather pointless. The people of the Ueitawa Region seemed to have it easy, even though there was chaos happening. People disappearing, they used it as entertainment. It was sad, yet interesting. When it came to Emiko's siblings, Naito's finally showed a reaction. His usually indifferent face caught some color, as his eyes shot to their corners almost immediately. Though this reaction came out of nowhere, he was quiet. He had even lifted a hand over his lips to keep himself from saying anything more. Little did Emiko know, but she had just claimed a large part of his respect. Naito, himself, had a younger sister he tended to for a large majority of his childhood. One could argue she was the main reason he wished to use Limbo to change the world so absolutely. His younger sister had a disease that forced her to fight to survive, and her will was a motivation for him. He had dyed his hair for her, when she lost color in her own, just to show support. Though no one knew this...

Referring back to the Manager that mistook Emiko as his girlfriend, the man would look back and forth between the two teenagers. He noted the feint tint of red upon the girl's face, and noticed Naito's own surprised expression, and then would give a laugh. "I SEE! Secrets, huh?! Then let's say this is on the house for our new guest! I'll go prepare the best we have to offer!" The Manager patted Naito on the back once more before bowing to Emiko and taking his leave. By this time, the silver haired boy had reclaimed his composure before the female. "You're interesting, Takenaka Emiko..." Tsurinai spoke with a calm tone. Though he truly despised the weak that held down the strong, for some reason he had a rather.. soft.. spot when it came to younger siblings. If it were anyone else, he'd ridicule them, but in this case he hoped Emiko was atleast teaching her siblings how to be independent in the future. "I've been in your shoes before. As in, tending to family because my parents had "better" things to do with their time." The teenager's silver hues would narrow, as his eyes looked down into Emiko's own. "My sister is very sick, and for the majority of the day she needs to be tended too. Atleast, that's what the doctors said. My father was a harsh man, and he despised weakness. So, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure he was not happy when he learned his youngest daughter had such a condition. Infact, he turned his back to her." Naito, already disliked by his father, chose to tend to her out of spite of him. He never expected he'd actually grow to love his sibling more than anyone in the family. One would thing the sickly girl would be learning from her brother, but it was the other way around. She taught Tsurinai how to fight for what he wanted. She wanted to live, and so she forced herself to stay strong, and show him just how strong the human will could take the body. From that moment on, he despised others who took advantage of their freedom and didn't work to raise themselves above the others. He automatically disliked people who didn't apply themselves, and was so content on where they were. If she could continue to fight to press forward, why couldn't they? Things needed to change.

The Tsurinai finally snapped back to reality, as he noticed he was telling abit too much about himself. Shifting his silver eyes to their corners, he'd tilt his head so a strand of silver hair fell over his face. "I shouldn't be speaking so much about my family. It'd be a waste of both our time. Either way, I hope you're teaching your sisters how to be independent in the future. They can't count on you all their lives if they truly want to grow in this world. They need to be prepared for the dregs of society to try and keep them down. It's become quite a problem that the weaker people seem to cling to the strong.. Alot of people are wasting their potential because of it." He seemed to be trying to switch the conversation off of his family. Luckily at this time, the manager returned with a large display of sushi, just for Emiko. He put various plates down upon the bar infront of her, and Naito watched quietly, with his usual blank expression. "That's alot. I'm not sure Takenaka can handle all of that..."