Kendo Meet at Aoharu High [Open]

The ride to this school located in an old rural area was quite boring. Well, the Tsurinai believed it was himself. He was currently aboard a bus with the rest of the Kendo team that decided to show up, and was headed towards another school for a Kendo event. In other words, their school was to be competing against another. This wasn't one of his first events in his life time, but it was the first time he had done any serious event with this Kendo team. The Academy's name was on the line here, and sadly he knew he could not win an entire meet alone. They'd have to pull their weight. The thought made him unsettled, as his silver hues glanced out the window towards the roads. It seemed like this area was abit more warm than back at home, so there was no snow in sight and the rays of the sun was hitting them with full force. Must have been nice to be enjoying some rather warm weather for once. At the moment, most of the students were wearing the Kizuna Academy basic uniform and would most likely change into their gear once arriving on the actual school grounds. It was like the calm before the storm, and for some reason Naito felt as if a spark was slowly becoming a flame within him. Maybe because this was the best opportunity to find those who would put up a challenge and took the sport as seriously as he did. These back woods schools didn't have much else to do but focus on sports, right? What else would they be doing? Camping? Hah, how humorous.


Several minutes passed and the bus pulled up to the front of the school. The students were told to take their bags and exit the school to be escorted within the building and led towards the gymnasium where the event would be held. Once exiting the bus, the silver haired student looked back towards the road to see a second bus arriving on the scene. This was most likely the bus holding the students who weren't a part of the team, but came to support them on foreign territory. Seeing how they were awaiting the other school to come escort them onto the premises, this gave the Kendo team time to socialize amongst themselves, and the students that decided to join them on this journey to another school. Though most of his teammates went over to Hibiki, speaking to him about things that didn't concern the actual meet itself, Naito had averted his eyes towards the school. It was quite different than their own modernized school. Infact this building looked like it had some dust on it, though that was just from speculation. They were most likely large upholders of tradition, considering he was sure they could easily muster the funds up for an upgrade. The Tsurinai respected that, and would not condescend them for their old fashion ways. Pulling his blue bag over his shoulder, he'd stand off to the side and continue to stare at the school, waiting for the rival teams invitation to proceed inside.

There was no one to her knowledge that she knew in Kendo club that was going to this particular event, well, apart from a particular friend of hers, though she did not see him on board, so she was a bit disappointed, but excited. Recently, taking up Kendo once more, she had actually gotten practice with the katana as well, so she felt ready for what was going to happen. Worst-case scenario, she would get beaten, and sit on the sidelines, cheering on the more experienced combatants. But she surely was not going to go down by simple means. She was eager to fight by the team, and see what they could do.

Walking off the bus with the team, she would see the weather actually rather hot in this area. Unfortunate for her, considering how loathe she was to be in the heat, she knew what to expect out here, and took it all in stride. The other bus she would see come right behind the first, of the spectators who were not actually participating. Realizing this, the students seemed to move towards Hibiki, leaving a particularly noticeable man looking at the school itself, seemingly taking in the sight. As a matter of fact, the school was a nice looking place. She appreciated the classic look of it all. 'Kind of reminds me of an old cabin...' she thought. Normally, it would be in her mind to join the crowd, and just people-watch, though the boy seemed to have the better idea. Better to stay calm and ready before the big day. She would then walk by the entrance to the school itself, where he was standing. The man was taller upon a closer look, and grey of hair and eyes. He certainly looked....stiff, for a lack of a better word. She would cough in her hand and look at him giving a half-smile. "You ready for today?" she would ask. If she were to get his attention, that is, if he looked at her, she would give a light smile and speak once more. "I haven't seen you since I started coming back. I take it you've been in Kendo longer?" she would ask.

Bus rides didn’t bother Daiki in the least. If anything he found the free time useful to do whatever he wanted, within reason. He just wished he could be on it under different circumstances than a Kendo meet. Sure, he was part of the club, but he couldn’t remember showing up once for practice. Honestly, he had joined because he thought the sport was a practice in grace and human spirit, and had only come so he could say he had something to do with the club. Did he know how the sport worked? Of course. Was he as determined to win as anyone else? Probably. Was he any good? That was debatable. At best, he was just about average. Looking around the bus, he didn’t really know anyone. He expected that though. For now, he would just wait until the bus stopped at its destination.

When the bus finally stopped, he yawned. It was time to show his less than perfect skills to the world. Or, it would be in a while. He noted that Aoharu had a strange old look about it. Daiki couldn’t say he didn’t like it, in fact he found it charming and quaint. The look of age gave it a unique feel. He rubbed his head and got up so that he could get off. As he stepped off, he noticed that everyone seemed to be gathering into one large group, with a few exceptions. Thank goodness some pretty woman had come. Maybe it would give him the motivation to win. One pink haired woman seemed to be standing by herself, however. He’s weakness for women kicked in and he went up to her. Seeing the earbuds, he tapped on her shoulder and waited for her to remove them. If she did and gave him the time of day, he would speak to her, “Hello, Madam. I couldn’t help but notice that you weren’t going to meet with anyone. A woman as lovely as yourself shouldn’t be left here alone. It’s a crime against nature. So, for that reason, I am here to ask the maiden’s name.” He gave a gentlemanly bow to her, “Of course, it is standard practice to give one’s own name first.” He stood up straight again and gave her a smile, “I am Daiki Tanaka of year three, class A. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Well that didn't last long. The solitude he had built for himself was shattered with the appearance of another by his side. The silver haired young man did not turn towards the individual, but instead continued to look towards the school with narrowed eyes. "..Hmph.." Was the response he gave to the question that had an obvious answer. Of course he was ready. His name was on the line here, and the Tsurinai Group were not ones to fail in what they were known for. Atleast, that's what he was taught as a child growing up in such a strict household. He gave the female a side glance for a few seconds, not really saying anything, before crossing his arms over his chest and looking back towards the school. "Is this really the time to be making idle chit chat. If you're participating today, go focus on your techniques. Not on me and my time with the Kendo team." As he said this, he would look over his shoulder towards the crowd of people gathering outside the school. This was a big haul from Kizuna, and he was surprised so many would choose to leave Ueitawa to travel to a different area altogether. Well, thinking about it, I guess it was like a vacation. Naito didn't see any red doors here that would lead into Limbo or azure doors into the Velvet Room, meaning only Ueitawa was probably having trouble with the Shadows. With all those disappearances back at home, this must have been a huge weight off people's shoulders most definitely.

Reaching into his blazer, the silver haired Tsurinai would remove his cellphone and begin to cycle through his messages. Even though he was in Ueitawa he was still going to do his duties in monitoring Limbo's growth, and any Shadow activity going on through the varies towns and cities of Ueitawa. Seeing that he had no calls or messages from Chance, Naito placed his phone back in his blazer and let out a feint sigh. No excuses not to focus on the event now. Blaming Limbo for his lack of focus would not be satisfactory. Not now, not ever. For someone who preached about the strong, it was time to lead by example and show those what strength could achieve. The female would probably get bored of him soon and wander off, seeing how he didn't say another word to her after his last statement that basically told her off.

Kahn was glad he brought some music for the ride to Aoharu Highschool, otherwise his eyes might have fallen out of their sockets from boredom. It was a rather long drive up to the meet, which surprised Kahn, but hey at least there was warm weather and sunshine. A gift from Kami seeing how long winter had lingered back at Kizuna. He for one was a bit more confident in the team's performance, Naito would most likely win his match, Hikibi would stand a pretty good chance as long as the upperclassman did not let his nerves get to him, and Kahn was fairly confident in his skill. Sure he was the best, or professional by any standards, but he was at least good. Not to mention he seemed to have reach due to his height, or at least most of the time he did.

As the few and far between buildings passed, Kahn would look for doors that led to the Velvet Room or perhaps Limbo. Perhaps the crisis and threat of the shadows was only in the Ueitawa area around Kizuna academy? Hmm, either that or the doors were cleverly well hidden. He checked his phone to see there were no important messages, and he shrugged a bit. Eventually he heard a few students say that they had arrived, and Kahn would look out the window. He was a little surprised to see that the school was a little less advanced then Kizuna, then again they were in a rural area so there might be less money and rich people. Then again, the fountain was a very nice touch. moments later the students were piling off the bus, and a few began to stretch, Kahn being one of them. He looked around to get a head count of people he knew, there was a pink haired woman along with...Daki, who from Kahn's first impression knew what the womanizer was doing already. Then looking to his red head, he saw Lorielle speaking to Naito, who seemed to blow her off.

Kahn would approach the two, "Relax a bit Naito, most of us have been practicing, and all we can do is put our best foot forward. If we win that's great, if not, at least we tried. If we lose, well then we come back next year and beat them." Kahn never quite understood why Naito was always so serious. Granted, he chalked it up to pride for the most part, but Naito seemed to take pride to the next level. Either that or he was a perfectionist. Either way, Kahn was half-expecting Naito's sharp tongue to unleash a verbal lashing for his 'attitude' or 'ignorance'. He would deal with the reaction. In the meantime he would smile and wave at Lorielle, noticing a rather familiar eager look on her face.

"Hey, Lorielle, I see that eager look in your eye. You a little excited to fight someone else than fellow classmates?" He would ask, though he already knew the answer. Though he was reminded by the fact that they still had to go out on that outing to that restaurant he was talking about. Oh well, maybe after the trip for a late dinner perhaps? For now, only time would tell.

Gabby hated loud social events, so she didn’t know why she had decided to travel so far to root for the Kendo team. Actually, she did. She had no life and her mom kept bothering her to be more involved with school activities. Apparently, reading and studying didn’t count. So, given that as motivation, she was here against her will. At least she could say she did it. She didn’t know anyone on the bus though, and even she could get bored. She wasn’t into sports anyway. Where were they going anyway? It felt far out, but it couldn’t have been as far as she thought it was. She reached into her bag and pulled out a book. Just become she was getting involved with school didn’t mean she had to actually pay attention to what these people did. It wasn’t until the bus stopped that she left the world of her book, and its wonderful content on infectious diseases. With a roll of her eyes, she closed it and put it back into her bag. She stood up, got off the bus, and stretched her arms and legs. They weren’t sore; she just needed to get the blood flowing again.

She looked around to gather her surroundings. It was an old school. Maybe it was the same on the inside, maybe not, but she couldn’t complain. A school was a school. It wasn’t the only thing though. There were also the students who had been on the two buses. She only recognized two of them. One was the boy she had met at the clothing store the other day. Her plan: avoid the weird one. The other was, to her surprise, Lori. She hadn’t seen her on the bus, which meant that she had been riding the one for the team. Gabby had never guessed that Lori was into kendo. She was standing with two people that were strangers to the blond, however. One was a white hair man who seemed to be shrugging off what Lori said. She admired his direct manor of speech, but it bothered something inside of her that he was speaking to her friend that way. The other was a red haired boy who was far to excited for this event.

She kept her head tilted slightly towards the ground and went over to them. She wasn’t going to say much, definitely not to the boys, but she at least had something to tell Lori. When she was near them, she didn’t look up. She would mumble the girl’s name slightly and wish her good luck, or however they did it in kendo. Then, she would fall silent again.

Lorielle would listen to the man. He seemed relatively cold, probably due to the focus he had on the competition; also seemingly apparent when he made it clear the best thing to do would be to practice. She would nod, pretty much in agreement. "Fair enough. Good lu-" she would manage before seeing Kahn coming to her "aid"? He acted as though he was trying to diffuse the situation...implying there was something to diffuse. "Well, in Naito's defense..." she said, catching his name when Kahn said it. "...I would like to win as well. We should all be ready when the fight starts," she said, taking the doormat route of things. She would have to someway get over that habit of hers, being as submissive as she is.

She would turn to Kahn in his question, and her smile got a bit wider. The shine in her eyes could practically be seen. "Yeah, all set to go. I even took up practice with the katana, so I would be ready for what comes up. Gotta give it my all," she said. She was quite excited for the day ahead. It was her only thing to do outside of school that was not music. She would have said something to Kahn, probably asking about his plans in tactics, when she seemed to feel a presence behind her. She would turn to see Gabby. She could not grab what she said, as she was probably speaking too silently. But her steps seemed to warn her of her coming. Either way, she was happy to see her. She quickly set her bags down and would wrap her arms around her, giving a big hug to her, before letting go shortly thereafter. "Heya Gabby! I didn't expect to see you here. I'm glad you joined us," she said giving a wider grin. She didn't seem so eager to be here, and that was something unusual that Lorielle had seen from her. She didn't think she was part of kendo, since she did not catch her on the bus. Then again, she did not catch Kahn either, but she did not think she would be here to participate. She would turn her head to notice a man, dressed quite fancy to be practicing in kendo, appear at the entrance. She would listen to his introduction, dropping her smile in place of a neutral show of attention, and nod. 'Calling us Denizens makes us sound a bit evil doesn't it...?' she had that particular afterthought. She would turn back to Gabby, waving at her as the team started to leave to follow them. "I guess we are all going to follow? I am sure the people watching will be able to split off," she pondered, before following, with Kahn and Gabby if they so chose to join her.

The gymnasium was perhaps not as big as the one at Kizuna Academy (though she could not recall, not remembering a time she was in there), but still quite large. She would notice seats and bleachers where the spectators presumably were supposed to be. If Gabby were to head there, and she happened to be right about her not being in the club, she would wave at her smiling. "Wish me luck. I promise not to break any bones!" she would say. She would then move to the south side where the Kizuna team formed up on, thinking on the captain's words as she went to get her equipment. "Implying being richer is a quality of kendo? Surely anyone could be strong in it..." she would mutter out loud as she grabbed a set of her own, beginning it to strap onto herself. Perhaps she was being silly, but it was how she felt. She would remain silent after what she mentioned out loud, pushing the thought from her head, unless someone came to her about plans. Right now, the man named Naito would be right. Focus would be essential for what was coming up next.

((Mei is busy. Skip her. Daiki, if you can't post without Mei's post you can ask for a skip aswell. However it's not your turn.))

Kahn was surprised to see Lorielle jump to Naito's defense, "We all would like to win, but it's not the end of the world if we don't. Naito is just....always serious, and he could maybe lighten up a bit. It's just a suggestion." Granted he excepted Naito to use his violent tongue to offer a witty retort, but that was Naito. Oh well, when Lorielle turned to him and smiled he already knew the answer before she even said it. The glint in her eye was bright, very bright. He smiled when she answered his question. He hoped she did pretty well in this meet, perhaps he would take her up on that offer after this meet.

"I'm not worried, I've seen you fight. You'll be just fine, just put your best foot forward. If you lose, then you have nothing to be ashamed of because you did your very best." He would reply, that was what he lived by. Granted, there were a few exceptions to that rule, but he had handled such exceptions in the past as well. When suddenly, she turned around and hugged someone named Gabby. It looked like she knew him....or was it a her? Whoever it was Kahn felt a slight...ping of....jealousy perhaps? But...why? He or...she was a friend...he should be happy to meet him or her. He would offer a smile and simply ask Lorielle a question.

"Friend of yours Lorielle? If so it is nice to meet you!" He was trying to be friendly in case Gabby was shy. After all he didn't want to scare Lorielle's friend away if he could help it. Suddenly a well-dressed young man approached the group, and bid that the group would follow them. Kahn would nod at Lorielle's comment about calling the group 'denizens' made them sound evil. Kahn would follow Lorielle, but at the captain's words he would raise an eyebrow. He really didn't like this guy. As he began to get his own equipment on, he would softly mutter, "He needs to be knocked down a peg or two." After that was said he would begin to focus...now....now he wanted to win.

Perhaps Naito was right about focus and winning after all.

Gabby was shocked, to say the least, when Lori hugged her. She wasn’t quite sure how to react, so she hugged her back semi-awkwardly. Now that she thought of it, she hadn’t been hugged since she was very young. It was kind of weird, but nice. She gave Lori a small smile and a nod, “I’ll be honest, I was dreading coming. If I had known that you were here, I wouldn’t have thought that way. Sorry.” Why she apologized, she didn’t know. It’s not like she had insulted Lori, but she felt as if she somehow had. She shook it off. It was just a pesky thought with no basis. Another boy, apparently an acquaintance of Lori’s, spoke and asked a question then proceeded to yell? at her. She froze on the spot. Of all things, he had to be loud. How could Lori get along with people like this? It was a miracle. All she could manage was to stay silent and nod even so slightly and glance away.

A sharply dressed man approached, saving her from having to respond verbally. He claimed that he was there to lead them to the gymnasium. She actually smiled a little when he used the word denizens. It wasn’t often that someone used such a word. She wouldn’t call it complex, but it just didn’t come to people’s minds. Most of the time, people used the word ‘members’ or something of the like. It was like her own special little happiness when she heard people use words like it. She followed him and the group into the gymnasium. When it came her time to break off from the team, she spoke up, “Good luck, Lori. Don’t get hurt out there.” She then looked at the boy from earlier, “You too, I guess.” It was more of a mutter than anything else. She still didn’t know him, but he was a friend of Lori’s. She went over to the bleachers and found a seat so that she could watch the meet unfold.

The Tsurinai teen would not turn to even grace Azame with a look as he continued to look towards the old fashioned school. "If you're here to speak about "losing" then perhaps you should join a Kendo team that isn't competitive. Using your care free "Win or Lose" attitude isn't helping anyone here. Speak for yourself, and not the others. If me being serious all the time is the price to wanting to succeed, then so be it. Atleast I won't be trash who makes excuses before the Kendo match by saying 'we can come back next year'. Pitiful and pathetic." Naito spoke with his usual calm tone as he kept his arms crossed upon his chest. The silver haired young man was not arrogant enough not to know losing was a possibility, but he was sure of himself that he could win. Going into a match with a doubt of yourself, or having those thought processes saying 'it's okay to lose' did nothing but lower the drive to actually want a victory. Azame was acting like a poison right now to their own team with this constant talk of 'you tried your best, even if you lose' nonsense. It was annoying. Naito was surprised to hear the female was "defending" him, even though he honestly didn't need it. "Atleast someone here has their head on right. That Win or Lose mentality needs to be abolished here and now." Once saying this in his usual calm voice, the stoic Tsurinai would fall silent and simply listen from here on. Though Naito had invested a notable amount of time into the Kendo team, he really didn't speak with his team mates at all. Sure, he held conversations with Hibiki Kei, but that was only because he was the captain. He warranted Naito's respect for putting up with some of the members on the team that weren't in it to win it, and was just using the team as something to perhaps kill time. It was truly a shame, but the Tsurinai felt it'd be a waste of time attempting to get trash to raise themselves above their usual lowly manners. Atleast when it came to the Kendo team solely. The young man would tilt his head forward, allowing his silver bangs to fall over his face in an unruly manner, as he found himself in thought. "Even if I were to do exceptional here, if the rest of the team loses their matches then that means the entire Kendo Meet is a loss. This is a team sport, so I suppose we're only as strong as our weakest link. This whole working together thing has not dawned on me in its entirety as of yet. Such an issue..." Naito thought this to himself as he closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side. He'd let out a short sigh before shaking his head. More than anything, he wished for a victory... But to have to lower himself to assist the others if they began to lack was truly bothersome to him. Could he swallow his pride if something like that were to happen?

These contemplating thoughts would soon come to an end as a figure approached the group with a mock Katana over his shoulder, and an Aoharu High uniform. It was much different than Kizuna Academy's own uniform, and was alot more subtle. Probably playing testament to how their school was located out here in the sticks. The way he called them denizens called Naito to raise a brow in question. What an interesting term to refer to them by. When the blonde made a comment about how it made them seem evil, the Tsurinai gave a side glance towards her. "To them, I'm sure we are evil. Coming from a region that's had a surplus of activity with Shibakuzoi and also publicity. I suppose it could give us an image of evil to those located out here in the middle of nowhere. Though, perhaps there is a mixture of jealousy aswell. How laughable." Though he said this was laughable, the indifferent expression never changed on the silver haired teen's face. Turning his attention back towards the student that addressed them, it appeared he was the opposing team's captain. He didn't look very hyped and ready to go before this meet, but Naito was no fool. There was probably a burning fire within him that he was just containing until the competition actually began. To these thoughts, the Tsurinai narrowed his gaze and began to follow the young man who would lead them towards the gymnasium. After a few minutes of walking, they'd find themselves in the building and Naito could not help but examine it with those silver hues he held. It was quite a spectacle. Home field advantage indeed. Regardless, the man began to leave before leaving a remark. Something the Tsurinai's eye flinched to when he heard it. Apparently poor people were strong, hm? Was that a jab at his own family's success by taking advantage of the poor and weak? Perhaps he was thinking too far into this. Regardless, a thin smile came across his face as he walked over to their team area and began to prepare his gear for the meet. Hibiki would most likely be rallying his troops soon, so Naito wanted to be prepared before hand before that time came.

As he was doing his finishing touches, the silver haired teen would turn to look at the opposing team with a blank stare. Something didn't sit right with him about them. Their captain made that snide remark for a reason, and it was obvious Kizuna would need to bring their A-Game if they were to be victorious this day. There could be no doubt in their mind, or they would surely lose this day. Luckily he had nothing to worry about then. If there was one thing a Tsurinai was, it was confident in their abilities. This would be nothing but another match to him, but he couldn't say the same about his team mates. Especially since he didn't know much about them, including their strengths and weaknesses with a blade. After all, he never really trained with anyone in the dojo, and never wasted time observing them either. He was a member of a team, at the same time wasn't. Hopefully this would not come back to bite him later. Such a pain having to rely on others for victory. It made his stomach turn.

Lorielle kind of felt a bit happy when Naito spoke up for her. He probably did not literally seak for her, but he at least agreed with her. She would look back at Kahn when he still explained the win or lose scenario. To her, it just did not strike her as something she would rather do. Winning would be so much better after all right? Focus would be necessary, and hopefully Kahn would realize this once the battles would begin. She would trust Naito to be talented enough to win them something, and if not, she was still going to try as hard as she could. She had gotten practice in with the katana, and was nothing less than determined to be ready for this battle.

When Gabby seemed to hug her back, she was happy. More so relieved, since she might have crossed a line when she basically attacked her. She would give her a cheerful smile, seeing at least her presence made Gabby feel better. “I am glad I don’t hurt your chance of going. I promise I will do my best,” she said smiling. She has been becoming a good friend of hers, and was slowly becoming more consious of how she feels, and if anything, only feels more encouraged by her being there. She would look at Kahn as he spoke to Gabby, who seemed a bit confused at him talking. Gabby to her seemed to be a bit shy, so she could understand how she would feel. When she would look at Kahn she would silently give him a signal of lowering her hand to her side. If he got it, she would be sending a sort of signal to calm down, but not to worry. Kahn was probably not aware, so he could not be blamed for it. And the rest would be moved from her thoughts when she waved goodbye to Gabby as she made her way to the spectator’s bench, and went to her gear.

After the captain had left, and while she was dawning her gear, Naito would respond to her when she muttered her comment. She was actually hoping no one would hear that, which did make her feel slightly hot in the face. But the feeling would fade rather quickly. She would turn to Nato for a moment. “I suppose. Jealousy is probably it. Though, if they can beat us, they would not have to worry about taunting us,” she said. She wished that everyone could just be on equal footing and no one could complain, nor disagree. But sadly, at least for now, this would be impossible with what she or anyone has.

Soon, the captain, along with a a blonde woman, who was, for all her tomboyish nature, fairly attractive. That is not even mentioning the man who looked just as great. Or, he would, if he was not directly staring at her, as if asking for a fight. She was already a bit weak in the knees, but she would stand her ground. Being in control of the body will only make her stronger when she finally fights. It would be on her mind because the woman clearly called out Kahn to battle. She would not look over to Kahn, and nod, making sure he could not be distracted by her. She was suddenly feeling more competitive, and was ready to see how this battle would go.