Lunch on the Roof [Open]

Tsurinai Naito sat in his seat in class, staring towards the board with his dull silver hues while recording notes. Why he wrote notes when he already knew the material perplexed him; perhaps it was just second nature by this time. As a child he had to record almost everything he heard during his private studies, so the habit must have imprinted onto him sometime during those times. Regardless, the young man sat in class with his usually indifferent expression. Earlier that day he had decided to return to school after the week absence. The reason for this absence was the awakening of a new power within his soul, and the fatigue it brought about him. Many must have thought he had left the school and returned home, as they wouldn't have seen a second of him elsewhere. In actuality, he was bedridden and sleeping like a bear just going into hibernation. When he returned he figured he would be coming back to a butt load of missed work, or atleast a solid scolding from his teachers since he gave no previous indication that he'd be out. But somehow there were neither of those to deal with. The teachers seemed to understand the case and take it easy on him, most likely because he was one of the people scoring the highest in the class. Even his missed work was taken care of for him, which made him question how, but pressed it aside for the time being. This gave him more time to experiment with the new power at his disposal, and also focus in grey matter on the case in general. There was still little to no progress on finding and apprehending the Culprit behind the disappearances after the few months he had come across his power. The best explanation he had so far was that the culprit most likely had something to do with the school, since the majority of the disappearances occurred in the school. And also the fact Kano Genji had received a letter from the culprit during school hours saying someone close to him would soon be thrown into Limbo and killed, and the next day Kiyomi Mio went missing. All the evidence pointed to the solid fact that whoever it was would have seen them on school grounds. No regular civilian would be walking around the school without bringing unneeded attention to themselves, meaning it was someone who could easily blend in. Perhaps a student or even a teacher. The Tsurinai narrowed his eyes at the thought as he spun his pencil in his hand. His thoughts would soon be interrupted by the teacher, Yui, who had noticed the young man drifting off in thought. The older man would ask Naito to give a brief summary of the lesson he had just shared with the class, hoping to catch the young Tsurinai off guard or some sort. Standing from his seat, Naito would dust off his blazer and begin to recite the summary of events in-depth and with even more clarification than the teacher himself.

In that awkward moment between the teacher and the Tsurinai, the bell for lunch would suddenly ring, relieving any tension that was building up in the second year classroom. The students began to converse with one another, removing their lunches from their desks, and some even leaving the classroom to go visit their friends. Naito would reach down to his satchel and open the fine leather. Removing a small box from within, he'd close his bag and pull it over his shoulder. In that moment he left the classroom without saying a single word to anyone, even though a few people did attempt to get his attention. The only response they receive would be a firm shake of the head from the pale faced young man before he left the room entirely. In all honesty they were simply being friendly, but Naito saw no merit in returning their friendship. Was there anything to gain from it? They didn't even seem like the type that could be used in battle if he needed a human shield. So what was the point? On the other hand they were most likely trying to befriend him for some nefarious reasons. Perhaps to copy his notes, or even learn more about his prestigious family. Whatever it was, he was uninterested and wouldn't waste his time on them. Walking down the hallways in a confident stride, Tsurinai Naito made his way towards the staircase that lead to the rooftop. He'd ascending the school building before being greeted by a cold burst of winter air once leaving the building by the rooftop exit. Taking a breath, the young man would walk to an empty seat towards the far corner of the rooftop and would take a seat on a three foot pillar after cleaning it off. Placing his satchel by his side, the second year student would remove his lunch box from his satchel. Placing it on his lap, he'd slowly open it to reveal a hand made meal, that of an upper class resident. It was unknown if Naito had made this meal himself, or if he acquired the assistance of another. Whatever the case, he broke his chopsticks and began to eat the katsu pork and shrimp combination lunch. Folding one leg over the other in a refined manner, he would lean back and look up towards the cloudy sky while chewing his food. To think at any time the Ueitawa region could be taken over by Limbo was a sobering thought. Peaceful days were soon to be over for these people, yet the Tsurinai couldn't have cared less. Perhaps he was alittle too cruel.

Wasn't this great? He thought he'd get some peace and quite, but that was interrupted by the loud and obnoxious third year named Barbados Cole. Tsurinai Naito closed his eyes and raised a hand to his head. Though his expression was rather indifferent, it was almost as if he was giving off the aura of irritation and annoyance. "Refer to me by my name. We're not friends, so don't call me anything else but Tsurinai Naito, Barbados Cole." The young second year was rather harsh as he opened his eyes and slowly glanced up towards the sky. In all honesty if he didn't like the third year entirely, he would have most likely ignored him or called him trash to his face. Naito wasn't the one to mince words when around people he held no opinion or respect for. It was the Tsurinai way to tell it like it was and hold no shame upon your words. To be a Tsurinai meant you were a member of a proud family that had the power to influence those around them through either fear or inspiration. No one respected someone who held their tongue and was too much of a coward to speak what was truly on their mind. If you were to be strong, you were to be honest. There was no reason to lie to those who were beneath you, because they could do nothing to stop you regardless of their wishes. In the midst of biting into his lunch and thinking about what it meant to be a Tsurinai, Naito's silver hues gazed up towards the sky to surprisingly see what appeared to be crows flying by. This moment reminded him of a specific moment in his child hood. A small breath of air escaped his lips as he simply stared up, losing his indifferent expression, and giving a round eyed gaze. ""I saw some crows earlier and I thought: The world has gone to hell, but life moves on." Hmph.." Naito spoke more to himself than he did to the third year, but it was certainly loud enough for the other to hear. Though it'd seem rather random, it was obvious he was thinking out loud to himself. It was rare to see the young man drift away from the hear and now and think of the past, but after the recent situation with fighting his own memories, he knew he had some demons to face in his own life. Especially if he planned on creating a new world with his ideals. After a few silent seconds, Naito ushered a blink before snapping back to reality. His silver hues looked towards Barbados and then back towards the bento box on his lap. "This investigation it quite the pain. There has been little progress since Kano and myself had explored Limbo's bowels once before. Though I've grown in strength, I regret to be informed that the secret we're searching for is still out of our reach." The young Tsurinai looked towards his gloved hand before stretching out his fingers.

"I plan on getting more information from an Attendant in the Velvet Room that has been assisting so far. She, or he, seems very competent, and a true asset to my future plans. Apparently the denizens of the Velvet Room are created to follow a set number of rules and serve no purpose until us, the guests, pay them a visit. I could only imagine how anxious they could become simply waiting decades for a Persona-User to grace them. At the same time, it makes me wonder if there have been Persona-Users before us. Before Limbo was even thought of being created." The second year student would place his lunch on his lap and cross his arms over his chest defiantly. Slowly closing his eyes, he'd ponder the thought to himself, since Barbados did not seem like the thinking type at all. What was the saying? All brawn and no brains? That could have been the case when it came to him, seeing how he took everything so boastfully and gay. That uncaring attitude of his would surely get him in odd situations in the future. That was to be certain. Tsurinai Naito would shake his head to himself before giving a sigh and opening his eyes. His eyes were focused towards the doorway to the rooftop and would slowly narrow as he thought to himself. "Whatever the case, I feel the best method to learning how to use Limbo is to get our hands on the culprit. After all, they seem to have a method of controlling the supernatural world somehow. If we learn the method, we could surely restore a proper order sooner than later." His eyes stayed on the doorway and he kept his voice low enough for only Barbados to hear. Eavesdroppers were unneeded and would be dealt with. "Either way, I implore you to keep a keen eye on the request board the Attendants maintain. I'm sure one of these days they'll find something of use for us." With those last words Naito would fall silent and look back towards his lunch. If there was one thing the Tsurinai despised, it was ignorance towards current events. Not knowing the causes of this world's changes made him severely irritated, but he had learned to deal with it over the years. Sometimes patience was indeed a virtue, even for someone of his blood.

Damien yawned as the professor droned on and on and on and on… My God, why did I ever think it was a good idea to come back to school? This is a freakin’ nightmare! But his chest throbbed ever so slightly, reminding him exactly why he was sticking in school. That, and there were plenty of beautiful women all around to captivate his attention- something the instructor clearly failed at. Besides, even this was better than sticking around the house all day, listening to his father nag him. So ungodly boring teacher it was to be.

Finally, salvation arrived with the ringing of the lunch bell. An hour of freedom, of not going out of his bloody mind with boredom… oh yeah, Damien already had his favorite hour of the day. Deciding that lunch break was probably not the best time to flirt, Damien began to climb the stairs, holding his lunch under his arm like it was a football. Finally, clearing the top floor, Damien threw open the door to the roof, expecting some peace and quiet, considering the biting winter wind, but sometimes even his luck decided to surprise him. Not one, but two guys were up here, in the midst of a conversation.

Screw it. I’ll just make do. Besides, it’s probably a good idea to get to know people around here, anyways. With that in mind, Damien strode up to the pair, nodding slightly in acceptance before sitting down on an AC unit. “Heya. Hope y’all don’t mind. The name’s Damien Lier- I just moved here. Mind if I ask your names?” Opening up his lunch, Damien took out the steak sandwich and bit into it, chewing slowly as he waited for the two before him to respond.

As Barbados began to jump around and punch at the air, Tsurinai Naito's eyes would simply watching him before looking back towards his boxed lunch. Once again the fool called him squirt, and the look of annoyance came upon the Tsurinai's face. Before Tsurinai Naito could give a proper response to Barbados, the door to the rooftop suddenly swung open to reveal a student the silver haired teenager had never seen before. His eyes narrowed as the student made his way towards them, as if he were invited, and took a seat at an A/C unit. The moment he began to speak, Naito's cold gaze remained focused upon him without any instance of blinking. "Interrupting a conversation and inviting yourself to sit with us as if we're even acquaintances. You've got some nerve. I'm not sure if that's just bold confidence or stupidity." The silver haired Tsurinai spoke with a blunt tone as he continued to gaze towards this newcomer with his usual stoic look. Considering Naito believed the culprit could be a student or a teacher, this boy was nothing but a suspect that could be looking for information. The fact he wasted no time in inviting himself to join them also made the young man suspicious, and all too ready to send him off in a body bag. Was this harsh? Perhaps. But Tsurinai Naito was not one to take chances. Especially when it came to the trash he surrounded himself with. There were few people in Ueitawa who held the potential to be of some use in his new world. If they weren't of use, then they had no purpose and no reason to speak with him. The second year student purposely did not share his name with the newcomer, and continued to gaze at him with narrowed hues. "What's your reason with wanting to speak with us? There is no merit for you here, and nothing to gain by attempting to join us either. Don't waste your time, nor ours, by attempting to get to know us." His words, though harsh, were spoken bluntly and without much expression behind it. He took his chopsticks and placed another piece of meat in his mouth before taking a few bites. It was perhaps wrong to put everyone in the same category as being incompetent and a waste of time before making a solid opinion of them. Though it did stop any sort of feeling of being disappointed and let down when you held everyone in contempt at first. After all, he was not obliged to show respect to those who didn't warrant it. Especially those who he did not know. Through his studies of a child he knew people did things simply for self preservation and status. There was no such thing as being selfless, and as such, he would not garner his time in attempting to truly understand others who held no respect from him. They needed to earn his time.

Damien nodded at Barbados, who if not cautious, was at least being polite in the circumstances. “Hey man. Nice jabs, by the way. Boxer?” Damien asked, interested. But while Barbados was courteous, insofar as much as Damien expected anyone to be after being surprised as he had, his companion was not so genteel. Holding back his rising anger (and some choice language), Damien shook his head, not intimidated in the slightest by Naito’s glance. No, the best way to torment those looking for a rise was to deny it, no matter how good it would feel. “Well, ain’t you just a cold one? But you’re right, and I apologize: I obviously should have had the courtesy to turn on my psychic hearing so I didn’t interrupt the conversation that stopped the moment I opened the door.” Damien replied sarcastically.

“As for sitting down- well, as well off as you look, I reckon you haven’t quite bought the school yet, so this AC system is a free chair, as far as I see it.” Damien chuckled as he slapped the AC in question. “But yeah, probably just stupidity, so don’t worry about it.” Damien took another bite of his sandwich. “But yeah, I really have no reason. I came up here to get away for a while, and since I was so stupid as to forget my X-ray vision at home, too, I didn’t know y’all were up here. But when I saw you, I thought that I might as well be polite and introduce myself- yanno, like normal people do? So yeah, no merit and all that. I guess you’re a fellow who doesn’t like small talk too much. That's cool.” Damien shrugged, finishing the first half of his sandwich before wiping his mouth with the accompanying napkin.

Swallowing, Damien continued to talk, actually enjoying this. Hell, it was almost as good as a old fashioned brawl. “By the way, nice thousand-year stare. Lovin’ it. But you should blink every now and then, too- you might ruin your eyes.” Damien said, motioning with the second half of his sandwich. “Anyways, shall we start over again? I don’t know why, but I feel like we got off on the wrong shoe.” Smiling slightly, Damien wiped his hand off, putting the sandwich back in its case. Putting his lunch to the side, Damien stood up, walked over to Naito, and extended his hand to shake. He wouldn't be the bad guy. Not today. “Howdy. My name is Damien. Nice to meet ya, man. What's your name? How are you doing?” Still, even through this, Damien’s American accent slipped through occasionally, coloring his words ever so slightly.[/color]

As expected, this piece of trash started to spew words out that held no meaning to that of a Tsurinai. What was he to warrant any real attention? He was but a bug attempting to snap at the wings of a Phoenix far beyond his range. If Naito were in a generous mood, he would have atleast laughed and humored the insects notion, but instead he would interject midway through his drama club monologue. And so it went: "But yeah, I really have no reason. I came up here to get away for a while, and since I was so st-" The Tsurinai's calm, yet blunt voice would cut off his trail of thought with a simple statement that would surely set the mood. "Don't bother rambling on as if we actually care for what you have to say. There's no spotlight for you here. Go crawl back into the hole you've dug yourself out of. I'm sure you'll find some kindred spirit, with a lack of grey matter, to endure your vexatious voice." With that said, the silver hued young man would simply place another piece of pork in his mouth as if it were just another Monday. His attention would shift back over to Barbados Cole, basically rejecting the existence of this newcomer who had purposely made his way towards them both, and would speak with a calm tone. "Either way, Barbados, we'll speak more on our previous subject at a later date. In other news, I hear a pretty big boxing meet is coming up. I'm sure this school could use you taking the gold for them. I do hope you wish to participate for the sake of your honor, and the honor of your classmen. After all, the rest of your team pales in comparison to anyone with an ounce of skill." The silver haired Tsurinai taunted Barbados Cole with his words, but there was little condescension behind them. Though Naito did not count them as friends, he did understand that Barbados was a fellow athlete. That was the only reason he had an opinion of the male, since he himself knew of the hard work it took to be good at a trade. Though Tsurinai Naito had never seen Cole in actual action against another human being, he had seen the boxer fight the supernatural Shadows. Though even then, he relied more on his Persona than his own strength, which made the second year student wonder if he truly was competent in the ring. The only other boxer Naito had known was Ogami Gabishi, but even that fool was a coward at heart. Couldn't always judge a book by their cover they always said. "Telling by how cocky you can be, I have a feeling you have yet to face a grueling defeat. I can only imagine what would happen once the mighty Barbados falls before another. I'm sure the reactions will be quite humorous." The silver haired young man gave a thin smile his he looked down towards his bento box and took another bite of his food. Thinking about it, when it came to kendo the Tsurinai had yet to experience a grueling defeat himself. Coming to Ueitawa he expected there to be a different sort of challenge than he had back home, but the first match he had vs Ejji ended with him finishing the fellow second year without breaking a sweat.

When Naito heard Barbados actually acknowledge the trash, the Tsurinai couldn't help but shake his head and take another bite of his food. He was far too kind to people he didn't know, especially when the people around them could be the murderers for all he knew. Placing his bento box down beside him, the silver haired young man would cross his arms across his chest and shift his eyes away from the conversation. He held not interest in listening to the ramblings of a fool. Especially one that had the gall to interject themselves in affairs they had no place in. This... person... whatever his name was... was obviously up to something. Naito couldn't trust some random person appearing out the blue and attempting to be friendly and meet him. Nor accept the fact that people were actually idiotic enough to try and befriend people who they knew nothing about. The thought process of trash was almost compelling enough to investigate. Almost. Instead of showing the decency of atleast listening to the newcomer, the second year student would look off the rooftop towards the miles of trees and the dirt path that would lead back towards Hayabusa. It was obvious he was pondering something to pass the time, but it seemed like he didn't plan on sharing his thoughts. Especially with people he did not know, nor trust for that matter. Maybe he was being too cruel to this newcomer he knew nothing about, but he honestly had no reason here to be nice. What was the point of making friends? He had told Kiyomi Mio plenty of times before. Friends were a crutch for the weak, and those who were truly strong needed not one to survive in life. They held you back and made you soft; and in time they would become one of your biggest weaknesses. Atleast that was the teachings that Tsurinai were subjected too at a young age so they never made the mistake of gathering them later in life. There were only two types of people, the competent and the incompetent. The competent had what it took to be used as tools for the greater good. The incompetent could crawl into a corner and lick their wounds for all they cared. They were the problem why the human race was nothing but a stagnant cancer that did nothing but suck the life out of anything they touched. If you held no value in life, then why continue to exist? Why hold down those who have true potential, simply to look over you? These questions were questions Naito constantly asked himself, as he couldn't fathom any reasons for why the weak did such things.

Unfortunately for Naito, Damien was not the kind of bug to be brushed off with a mere gesture. No, he was that special breed of unstoppable-claws-of-doom-digging-into-your-clothes-forcing-you-to-purge-them-with-fire-and-flood kind of bug. So when Naito tried to shut him down with a few clever words, Damien paused for a few moments for courtesy’s sake. But the moment that proud brat shut his trap, Damien continued his sarcastic tirade, having far too much fun with it for one man to stop him. If Naito wanted this to end before Damien was ready, he would have to buy a muzzle for the giant. So when Naito refused to shake his hand, Damien just shrugged, sitting back down on his AC, taking another bite from his sandwich. It really was a good sandwich.

What absolutely floored Damien, is when Barbados began to speak English. “Halle-freakin’-lujah. Is that English I hear?” Damien laughed at Cole’s observations. “Damn straight we’re rare. Do you know how many beatdowns I’ve had to serve just because of my blonde hair? All I hear is gaijin-this and gaijin-that. Man, and I thought the West was bad.” Damien chuckled, finding a common ground in their common tongue. “Ohh, is that all it is?” Damien nodded knowingly to Cole’s statements about Naito. “And here I was thinking that I forgot to put on deodorant or something.” Damien laughed.

“Hey man, where are ya from? You sound West Coast, but I can’t quite place ya. I was born in L.A., myself. Were you running with a gang that I’d know?” Damien glanced over at Naito. Judging from Cole’s reactions, the rich kid probably didn’t know enough English to keep up with them. Damn, is this how Los Latinos feel, speakin’ Spanish when no one else can? I don’t blame them one damn bit. This is hilarious. Damien thought, chuckling slightly to himself. Hearing Naito once more, Damien was pleasantly surprised. Everyone back home respected boxers; it was one of the only ways to pull yourself from the gutters. “No way, man! You box? What’s your record?”

When the two imbeciles began to speak of America, Naito took this as his opportunity to wrap up his lunch and place it back within his satchel. Placing his bag over his shoulder, the silver haired Tsurinai would stand from his makeshift seat and place his hands in his pockets. Shifting his silver hues towards Barbados, he'd give a stoic glance before closing his eyes and continue towards the entrance back into the school. "We'll talk later, Barbados. This conversation is taking an uninteresting turn." With those final words, the refined individual would exit the rooftop and head back inside to leave the two to their conversation.

[Exit]

Damien shook his head and chuckled at Cole’s answer. “Learn? Hell, the only person I think learnin’ anything is me. I swear, the Japanese have skulls thicker than my elbow- it feels like I’m punchin’ a concrete drum or something. And I know there’s at least 10 people who came back for seconds.” Shaking his head, Damien sighed. Especially in a country that doesn’t allow firearms, you would think they would learn how to fight. The only thing they ever seemed to learn here was that damned samurai honor that wouldn’t allow them to lose to a foreigner. Guess what, punks? Commodore Perry’s back, and he’s here to stay! Damien snickered to himself.

Hearing Cole’s explanation, Damien nodded knowingly. “Ahh. You’re from New Yawk” Pronouncing the city’s name with a Bostonian accent, Damien grinned. “I swear, some o’ the funniest accents come from New York. Right behind Texas and Cali, that is.” Damien laughed at his self-deprecation, just barely noticing Naito leaving the rooftop from the corner of his eye. All the better, I suppose. Pompous bastard. “Still, ya got lucky, man. Clique’s all fun ‘n’ games until you get the knife in the back. Still, the benefits are nice- while you’re still alive to get them.” Damien grinned, mocking his own fate.

But still, even with that, Damien couldn’t help but feel an itching in his fists, begging him to take a swing when he heard Cole’s record. It wasn’t anger- no, Damien actually rather liked Cole- rather, it was just the primal desire to fight, the battle urge he was so familiar with. Still, he slammed down the urge, crushing it until no longer existed. In its place, an idea sprang forth. “Hey, if you aren’t in the boxing club, why not join me in the Discipline Committee? Really, the only reason my job exists is to scare other delinquents in line, so I might as well get a few other mofo’s who can take care of themselves. What do ya say?”

Damien shrugged. “Yeah, it’s more or less a survival move in the slums. Still, make your way up high enough, and you’ll be living the life.” Damien chuckled as his left hand moved subconsciously to his right shoulder, where the gang tattoo was still etched into his skin. Oh yeah, you’ll get everything you’ll ever want- and then some. All the women, drugs, and money you could ask for- and they’ll cut your heart out for free! Damien thought cynically, though he refused to let his internal dialogue show on his face. “Still, it might’ve been pretty fun to get into boxing- I wish I had done it.” Settling into a fighting stance, Damien started shadowboxing, throwing some jabs before releasing a monster uppercut. He caught himself shifting weight to deliver a kick, before stopping and laughing. “Actually, nevermind. It’s hard as hell not throwing a kick or two in there.”

But that smile on Damien’s face grew even bigger as Cole dismissed Damien’s initial offer. “Well, yeah. Of course I’ll pick a delinquent to help me. One less person to discipline, one more person to help spread it around. And hey- it might sound like a comic book, but it works. Besides, what else do you have going on? Like you said, you’ve got nothing going on, and you’re not gonna join the boxing team anytime soon. So why not? Might even be fun. And if it really is gonna end soon, you’ve got nothing to lose by joining. Besides, I can’t control the 3rd years, since they won’t respect an underclassmen. Half of ‘em have the same attitude you do, and decide to raise hell since they think there’s no consequences waiting for them. Plus, free food from the snack bar.” Damien said, dangling that last bit as a joke- most of the food here seemed horrible. “But yeah, that’s enough of my pitch. What do ya say?” Damien chuckled. “At this rate, I might have to convert ya by force.” He joked.