Much Ado About Nothing (Open RP)

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

The midsummer night air was pleasantly cool and sweet, the sky completely clear. The dome of the world resembled a vast expanse of black velvet onto which some celestial being had thrown handful after handful of tiny diamonds. At the center of the sky hung slender crescent moon, its entire circle showing in a ghostly glow of earthly luminescence. Tonight however, no one was looking at the sky; at least, not where Jo sat.

After a successful first couple of weeks at the Academy, Jo had decided to treat himself to a play at the Vespasian Colosseum. It was one of his favorite comedies by his favorite playwright, and he was eager to watch the story unfold. Jo purchased a ticket and entered the coliseum, picking up a bag of popcorn and a large cola on the way into the stands. He stood in the entrance and looked around, noticing that the staff had sectioned off only a small portion of the stadiums possible seating, probably due to there being a smaller crowd than on a fight day. As Jo was known to do, he made his way up to the back of the section, ducking under the velvet rope and climbing several rows higher before stopping and taking a seat.

As per usual, no one seemed to notice the boy. He looked very normal in black leather steel-toed boots, denim blue jeans, a black t-shirt and a tan suede jacket; his chocolate colored hair was combed straight back this evening, leaving no obstruction for his hazel eyes to peer through to view the scene onstage. Setting the snacks on the seat in front of him, Jo slowly removed his jacket, stretching a little as he did to loosen up his sore muscles. He’d been working out furiously ever since he started at the Academy. The heavy exercise coupled with a healthy diet and the onset of puberty had resulted in the little baby fat he had before melting away. He rubbed his right shoulder where stretch marks were starting to appear from the rapid growth of his muscles pulling at his skin. All in all though, he always felt good after a hard workout; and the crippling pain that he used to have afterwards had finally subsided to a dull, satisfying ache.

Jo folded his jacket and sat it on the bleachers behind him, leaning back on it like a pillow and sighing with relief as he rested his elbows on the edge of the seat behind him and waited for the play to start.

 

[Takahashi Ren]

Hiyoshi had thrust a ticket to some play into her hands, mumbled something like 'congratulations on passing a class you idiot, have fun,' and then run away. Ren had stared at the place where one of her oldest friends had stood, glanced at the ticket, and shrugged; entertainment was entertainment, and she figured she deserved to treat herself to something nice. She'd never sat through an entire play, though; the few times she'd gone to the colosseum, she'd ended up leaving halfway through whatever was showing. Ren's attention span could only last for so long, but maybe she'd grown up since going to the academy? Maybe she could even try to be one of those philosophical girls with dark eyes and and soft voices.

…Or I can just be Ren, and enjoy the fact that I'm getting a free show. Yeah, that sounds better. She nodded to herself and, after buying a stupidly large drink, clambered up the stairs leading to the small, roped off section of seating for tonight's play. It was supposed to be a comedy, or something, which was fine by her; she could use a laugh or two, though preferably not the kind that made her drink come out through her nose.

A wind kicked up just as she reached her row in the way, way back. Ren was glad she'd decided to not wear a skirt, and was instead clad in her usual jeans and jacket. Her hair hung around her jaw in jagged clumps, the result of a rather disastrous at-home salon session, and swung into her eyes as she took a random seat. She looked around half-heartedly, not really expecting to find anyone she knew here. Hiyoshi had given her the ticket because his sister worked here and it was a cheap gift; all of Ren's other friends preferred roaming through the streets than sitting through what her mother called 'cultured fun.'

She was about ready to give up and accept the fact that she was one of those kids who'd gone to an event all by her lonesome when she looked to her left. The space immediately beside her was empty, but a little further down the row sat a dark-haired boy that she vaguely recognized. The darkness didn't help matters, but Ren was fairly sure she knew the boy from school.

"Hi," she said, turning around to face him fully; her drink wobbled in her small hand but somehow didn't fall over. Well aware of the embarrassment that would fall down on her if it turned out she didn't know him, Ren plowed on, "You were in that big class at the academy a while ago, right? With Takagi?"

She sort of knew she was being a little too straightforward (which to some minds would come across as rude) but Ren didn't know how else to act. If she wanted an answer, she was going to get an answer, even if it was only a grunt or a dismissal. But more importantly - she associated this kid's face with a thoughtful voice, which meant that he probably knew about 'cultured fun' like theater, which in turn meant that he could explain to Ren what exactly she was in for tonight and if she needed to make a hasty retreat.

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Sipping absentmindedly at his cola, Jo began drifting off into space as he awaited the beginning of the show. Thinking of nothing in particular, he reveled in the moment of solace he was able to gain from the brief repose before the start of the show. He never even noticed the girl with the home-cut hair climb through the stands and sit a little ways down from him until she spoke.

”Hi,” The voice jarred him out of La-La Land and back into reality. He turned to see who had addressed him, surprised that anyone had ventured past the velvet ropes as he had. ”You were in that big class at the academy a while ago, right? With Takagi?” The gears in his head clicked as he made the connection as to why she looked so familiar. She had been at the lecture a few days ago and was sitting in the back of the class with the rest of the students.

”Hey,” He replied. ”Yeah; the lecture on how the government is run, right?” The question was rhetorical, they both knew what the lecture was about. Without hesitation, he picked up his stuff and scooted closer. Not so close as to make her uncomfortable, but close enough that they didn’t have to raise their voices to hear each other. ”That was a fun class, huh? ’The government controls everything, and you’d better conform or else!’” His voice mimicked the whine of the professor from before, complete with realistic wheezing between every third or fourth word. ”Bullshit; so long as we keep our noses clean and get the job done, the brass won’t even know we exist, or think about the philosophy behind their actions.” He huffed. After a millisecond, he realized he wasn’t being very friendly and introduced himself. ”I’m Jo, by the way.” He said with a smile that was more like a small grin where only the left corner of his mouth went up. Not able to think of any small talk other than about the play that was about to start soon, Jo decided to stick with what he knew. ”So, you like Shakespeare?” He couldn’t help but notice that she looked a little out of place in a theatre crowded with people dressed up to see the spectacle on stage. Then again, he probably looked out of place too.

 

[Takahashi Ren]

Yeees, my memory rocks. Somehow, Ren managed to keep a smug grin off her face as the boy scooted closer so they wouldn't have to stoop to yelling to make conversation. She could see a little more of his face, and took note of his dark hair and dark eyes; he was sure to be taller than her, too, with those long legs, but so was everyone and she was slowly learning to let that particular fact go.

"Ah…fun, sure." Ren grinned easily as the boy brought up the lecture's high points: do as we say, you heathens, or we'll have your head on pikes. The thought didn't bother her as much as it probably did others; Ren, after all, had no intention of doing something like leaving the village.

She perked up a little when he mentioned philosophy. Ren didn't get the allure of thinking about thinking, but she could appreciate someone's interest in it, which was what made her ask, "You're really into that stuff, aren't you? Philosophy, I mean - I remember you talking about it in class." She set her coke down on the empty space to her right, listening as the boy introduced himself. "I'm Ren," she said in turn, smiling. "Just Ren is fine - I'm not really a fan of being called Ren-chan, to be honest…" Ren trailed off, remembering the times she'd screeched at people to just call her by her name. As a result, she nearly missed Jo's next question about…Shakespeare?

Shakespeare, that dude who wrote that so-called love story about those two teenagers? That was who wrote this play? Ren grimaced a little, hoping the dark covered her face in that instant. Literally every older girl Ren knew lamented about the fact that they would never find a Romeo of their own, and the whole issue made Ren want to bash her head against a wall. But…if Shakespeare could induce that sort of reaction from a tragedy, maybe he could do the same with a comedy? Yeah, she'd just hold onto that. (Though if women started screaming about Romeo in this theater at any time…Ren would leave. Like, she'd ditch her mega-sized coke and flee.)

"Uh…kind of?" Her tone lilted at the end, sounding more like a question than an answer, so Ren hastily elaborated, "I'm not really into plays, but a friend gave me a ticket so I came. He's a great writer, though, so I'm looking forward to it." Well, she figured he was a great writer; his reputation demanded it. "How about you?" Ren asked, steering the discussion away from herself. She could probably carry a conversation about plays and theater and Shakespeare, she just couldn't start one. Maybe it was about time for her to stop avoiding the library and pick up a book or two; her vocabulary, at least, would increase from 'stuff' and 'dude, that's so awesome.'


[mft: 479]

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Jo shrugged, ”It’s not that I like philosophy, so much that I like understanding.” He paused for a second to consider how he was going to explain his interest. ”I don’t want to just live life following a set of rules blindly. I want to understand the rules and know why they exist in the first place.” His head was abuzz with the thoughts that constantly filled it; thoughts like “why”, and “why ask why” that created a downward spiral into madness if they weren’t kept in check. Her introduction saved him, her name breaking the vicious cycle.

He chuckled once, ”I wouldn’t dream of it, Ren. Besides, I don’t fancy being called “Jo-kun” either.” He chuckled twice more when he saw her grimace at the mention of Shakespeare, her explanation of how she got the tickets confirming that she didn’t know this play was one of his. ”Yeah, he’s a great writer and all; maybe too great.” He continued, knowing an explanation was necessary. ”His plays are all great, but not just because of the story. Every single line can be studied and analyzed; and, taken in context, add a whole new layer to the story.” He realized that he was sort of gushing about the guy, but he was a great playwright. ”Even without all those hidden layers, the stories themselves are all great. Full of twists and turns, and classic plots taken in new directions. Not to mention his historical plays; they add life and personality to historical figures that we’d only know through textbooks otherwise.” He paused for a moment, taking a sip of his ridiculously large Coke. ”That’s what I mean when I say he’s too great. Why go to such lengths just to write a play? The stories are good enough to stand on their own, they don’t need all those hidden layers. Besides, only people who’ve studied each play thoroughly can fully appreciate all the eccentricities he wrote into them. This play, for example; I had to read the play dozens of times and analyze every other line just to understand all the little nuances. What’s the point if only people who have the time and resources to study each play can understand it?” He looked back to her and smiled his small smile.

”I’m sorry, I’m rambling again. That’s what happens when you spend too much time buried in books, I guess.” An idea suddenly popped into his head. It was completely against his character, but he figured she would appreciate it. ”Do you want to get out of here? I bet if we leave before the show starts we can get full refunds for the tickets. We could go grab some dinner or something instead. There’s a restaurant downtown that has live music every night.” He wanted to see the play; after all, it would be the culmination of over a week of studying in his downtime. Then again, he wanted to hang out with Ren even more, and he wanted her to have a good time.

{MFT: 506}

 

[Takahashi Ren]

Understanding, was it? Ren could get behind that. She supposed it was a feeling every person had, to want to know why they did things and why other things happened; Ren just smothered that feeling until it was nonexistent. She was fine with being a blind mouse in the village's maze; life seemed simpler, that way. Though she did wonder how long she'd be okay with being a mouse; being a lion seemed much cooler, even if it was probably five times as dangerous.

"That makes sense," she said, tilting her head. "It sounds like a loooot of work though, to have to figure all of that out."

The conversation veered towards Shakespeare, as she had thought, but Jo made sure to keep it simple enough. He was clearly a huge fan of the playwright, having spent time reading and rereading plays to unearth every possible meaning. More than that, he was unlike any other kid she'd ever met; Ren couldn't think of a single person her age who willingly analyzed age-old books instead of pranking or trying to figure out the best way to sneak out after being grounded.

…I think this is what Mom meant, when she said I should pick better friends… Ren laughed weakly inside her head, and then piped up, "Maybe he wanted to make everyone happy, you know? Like…give us normal people something easy to enjoy, while hiding something more meaningful for those who look for it." The concept itself was a little beyond her - Ren was the type of kid who wanted things laid out perfectly clear before her - but she liked the sound of it. Too often, it felt like things, be it games or plays or shops, were geared towards just a single group of people. It was nice that there were some things that were for everyone, regardless of who they were.

Ren blinked, her airy thoughts flying away. Jo wanted to leave, after talking about how great Shakespeare was? No…he was probably trying to be nice to her by offering her a way out. She would have to work on her poker face, if she could be read this easily by a complete stranger; that, or she could go into ANBU and wear a mask all the time. Problem solved.

"Do you want to?" Ren asked, slightly uneasy. She didn't mind sticking around to watch the play - it'd be a good experience, at least, something different to dwell on instead of her usual daily activities - and it was clear that Jo had come here for a reason. That, and…she didn't think she was completely okay with eating dinner (dinner, not breakfast, not lunch, but dinner) with a boy she really didn't know. For all she knew, he could be an A-rank stalker, rather than a potential 'better friend.' "I don't mind staying. I could try to get some of Shakespeare's greatness through osmosis."

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

”Hmm… I never thought of it that way before.” Jo said pensively as Ren made her observation about the playwrights writing structure. He was brilliant; thinking of the intellectual and the working man alike so he could bring happiness to as many people as possible. Jo couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of that himself, and gained new respect for Ren having done so. Her nervous answer to his suggestion to leave, however, threw him for a loop. ’Why would going out to eat… oh… OH!’ Realization struck him like a ton of bricks. ”I’msosorryI didn’tmeanitlikethatIjustmeant-“ He stammered quickly, his cheeks flaring up a brilliant shade of red. ’Stupid! Stupid!! Stupid!!!’ He silently berated himself. When it came to philosophy, literature, or ridiculous amounts of trivial factoids, he was more knowledgeable than most adults; but he was never a social butterfly. Hell, he spent more time with his face buried in a book than hanging out with the other kids at his old school.

He took a deep breath before continuing, calming down and trying to explain what he meant. ”I really want to see the play. It’s my only day off from school and studying and training, so I want to have a good time and just relax; but, it’s probably your only day off too. I just didn’t want you to have to sit through the play if you didn’t want to. I’m fine with doing anything that isn’t school related, honestly.” He felt embarrassed about his faux pas, and it showed in his quiet, sad tone. ”I wasn’t trying to be creepy or anything. I just wanted you to have fun, too.” Jo never had a friend before, he hoped he hadn’t ruined his chances with a slip of the tongue.

The orchestra in the pit blared out a final sound check as the lights dimmed on the audience. Three spotlights illuminated three clowns as they tumbled onstage, performing slapstick humor and tumbles much to the amusement of the audience, their performance warming them up for the play that was scheduled to start in a couple of minutes.

 

[Takahashi Ren]

"I didn't mean it like that," Ren said quickly. She waved her hands around, grateful that they were far back in the stands and pretty much alone. Man, she really, really needed to work on her poker face…and her tone, and pretty much everything about her if people could figure her out that easily. "I just - stranger danger, you know? Better to be safe than sorry, and all that stuff."

…She'd said 'stranger danger.' She'd actually said the words. Ren felt like she could have died of mortification in that second, but it was the truth and she really didn't have another reason as to why she didn't want to go with Jo. But…yeah, this moment was going up there on her list of "Horrific Moments, Volume 2"; hell, it might even make the moment of the year edition. Ren let out a small laugh, hoping the situation had been dispelled. Jo was talking again, explaining how he'd come here to unwind, and wanted Ren to be able to do the same.

"It's not like you dragged me here." Ren grinned at him; she was a little uncomfortable around him (which she chalked up to plainly not knowing him), but that was something that could only pass with time. Nothing to it, really. Besides - his small voice was making her feel horrible, and Ren hated feeling horrible, especially when she was the cause. "I came here on my own, and I really do want to see the play. Just…help me out a bit if I seem completely lost, yeah? It'll be a win-win situation for us both?"

As she spoke, a trio of clowns clambered onto the stage. Ren's grin grew a little wider. She, unlike most kids, loved clowns; they had awesome makeup and their wigs glowed like fire. If there were clowns here, everything would be all right.

She reached over with her elbow and nudged Jo. "Smile," she told him, glancing his way for a second before turning her attention back to the rolling clowns. "Come on, you love this kind of stuff, right? Though…maybe not the clowns. You probably like the overall atmosphere." Ren waved a hand at the crowd below them, waiting in anticipation for the main event. "I can see why. It's kind of awesome, the way everyone gathered here for this."

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Spoiler

If you're interested, here's a LINK to the script of the play. Or, if you'd rather watch it (and I suggest you do, the actors are amazing!), here's a LINK to the play on youtube. OR, if you just want the gist for what's going on, here's the LINK to the cliffnotes. I figured it would be easier to just do the entire play in one post.

“Stranger Danger”… wait… what? You heard mothers telling their children of it, and children dutifully repeating the phrase back; but Jo had never heard anyone else actually use it out of that context before! Jo could barely restrain his laughter as the awkward moment blew over in a scene of ill-at-ease duality that very well could have come straight from the play. He smiled even as she told him to, chuckling a little at the sight of the clowns slapstick antics and acrobatic tumbling. ”The clowns are fun and all, from a distance anyway. I read a horror book about a serial killer clown once when I was younger and I’ve been a little freaked out by them ever since.” He shuddered at the memory of going to a carnival two days after finishing the novel. ”But you’re right, I love the atmosphere. The energy of the crowd waiting with bated breath to be completely absorbed into a world of fancy, coupled with the artful mastery of the players in bringing the audience with them on the journey is breathtaking.” Jo was doing it again; rambling, that is. He just couldn’t help it. He always had so many thoughts in his head that it was either hard for him to share them at all, or they all came rushing out at once. ”Don’t worry; once you get used to listening to the Olde English, the story kinda takes over. There’s only really a couple of things you won’t get because they’re out of context with this day and age.”

Jo settled deeper into his seat as the lights dimmed further and the music started. The curtain rose…

Jo was instantly lost in the world being portrayed on the stage. For two hours he watched the story of two couples unfold; the tales of their courtship (or, in the case of one of the couples, anti-courtship) and the comedic shenanigans that surrounded them making him chuckle and occasionally laugh out loud with the rest of the audience. In the end, the antagonist’s plots against the two couples were thwarted, and they lived happily ever after. Throughout the play, Jo was more than willing to explain anything to Ren that she didn’t get, but he was sure that she’d be just as enthralled in the story as he was.

 

[Takahashi Ren]

Spoiler

Thanks! I hadn't seen the globe's version before, it was great

Ren held back laughter as Jo revealed his fear of clowns. Ah, well, she'd protect him if one got too close; she'd just jump on the clown and beg him (or her) for an autograph, and all would be well. She listened as he talked, content to let him ramble. Ren didn't mind, and there wasn't much she could add to his mini-speech anyway; she still didn't get why he was so invested in it all, but it was nice that he liked something so much.

The curtain rose, and Ren instinctively leant forward. The story started with a bang, more or less - rapid words, funny accents, and characters that bustled about right after each other. She was a little lost in the beginning, what with the different characters and the two intertwined love stories, but she soon fell into the story. It was like Jo had said; once she got used to the language, Ren didn't think too much about the somewhat confusing culture or the archaic words used. She just watched, and laughed as a serving girl continuously got in the way.

The play went on for a good two hours, during which Ren brought up her legs onto her seat and wrapped her arms around them. By the time it concluded and the actors bowed on stage, the sky was a deep black, dotted with stars. Ren yawned slightly as the noise started to settle down below them, and looked mournfully at her now-empty coke.

"That was kind of awesome," she said to Jo. Ren thought about her next words, not wanting to sound like she'd enjoyed it for just his sake, because it really had been fun and she was glad she'd stuck around for it. "I think I'm starting to see why you like Shakespeare so much. The dude loved his word battles though - Beatrice and Benedict kept going at it…"

But overall…she'd liked it, watching a story unfold right before her eyes. Ren grinned, thinking that it wouldn't be so bad to sit through another play someday. The only question she had now was what to do next, and…how to keep her mom from grounding her for life, because she (and Ren) had figured that Ren would leave after twenty minutes.

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

The players took their bows and the curtains closed. Loud applause echoed from the empty stadium seating surrounding the relatively small group that had attended the show. The lights rose and people began filing out, directed by helpful ushers. The end of the play brought Jo back from the fantasy world Shakespeare had created. He sighed deeply; the sound half contentment, half sorrow. Content in the performance, sadness at its end. “To part is such sweet sorrow.” Rens voice broke his silent revere; ”Yeah, the play was amazing!” He agreed with a smile. ”If you liked Beatrice and Benedicts word-battles, then you’d love Taming of the Shrew.”

Jo stood, shrugging his shoulders and shaking the feeling back into his legs. He hadn’t realized that he had been so into the performance that he’d sat on the edge of his seat long enough for them to go numb. ”Well, I guess we should head out…” He said, picking up his jacket and pulling it on. ”I’ve only got permission to be out until the play’s over. You know how parents are.” He picked up his trash and (much to his own surprise) expertly tossed it into a not-so-nearby trash can. He made his way down the stairs towards the exit, falling into step at the same pace Ren was moving. As they exited the stadium, Jo realized how late it really was. The streets were empty save for the small amount of foot and carriage traffic from the attendees of the play.

Feeling protective of his new friend (and also a touch chivalrous at the difference in their gender), he made a polite offer; ”Do you want me to walk you home? It’s kind of late, and I’m a lot less scary than the other “strangers” that could be out there.” He smirked, his joke aimed at her statement earlier that night. ”I’ll even vouch for your whereabouts to your parents if needed…” If her parent’s were anything like his, they’d want to know where she was so late. If he weren’t such a bookworm and a good kid, his parents would be more worried about him being out so late.

 

[Takahashi Ren]

"I'm gonna have to check that out, then," Ren said, already planning her first voluntary trip to the library. The title sounded decent and she trusted Jo to not recommend something that read like Romeo and Juliet. She almost cringed at the thought, and refocused her attention to tossing away her trash and following Jo down the stairs. He had a point about the parents thing; Ren's mom was probably shining the spatula, ready to chase Ren around the house with it.

…Maybe I should just sneak in through the window? she wondered, ambling out the exit with Jo at her side. The street outside was near empty, occupied only by the play-goers and huge, looming shadows. Ren wasn't afraid, though; she was more occupied with trying to figure out the least troublesome way to return home. Her mom would be okay with Ren telling the truth and saying that she'd actually stuck around for the play. The problem wasn't really that it was late out, it was that Ren had promised that she wouldn't be gone that long and she'd kind of stomped that promise into the ground and then dumped soda over it.

She was dragged out of her thoughts when Jo offered to walk her home. Ren blinked, her feet moving onwards automatically.

"Uh…" Ren had wandered about this late before, but only after telling her mom. If she had an accomplice - friend, she meant, if she had a friend - to water down her mom's fury, then she'd probably get off with only a tongue-lashing. "Would you mind?" Ren asked sheepishly, coming to a stop at a fork in the street. "I live about five minutes down this street." She kicked a foot at the street to their right. It was technically in the shadier part of the village, though Ren had never had (much) trouble walking home late at night.

[mft: 314]

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

”Of course not! I offered to, didn’t I?” He chuckled to Ren. She paused at a fork in the road, sheepishly pointing her foot towards the right. Jo was confused as to why she looked so ashamed to be asking him to walk her home. Was she worried about offending him by asking? Were here parents all that bad? Or… was she embarrassed about living in the lower income part of town? Jo had never thought of that before. He wasn’t rich by any means, his family was barely able to afford to live in the subdivisions; but he’d never actually traveled into the more impoverished parts of the village. Not at night anyway. Jo didn’t care; not about the potential danger, not about the shadiness of the area. He only cared about getting his friend home safely, and bringing the smile back to her face.

”Only five minutes, huh? Great! I can just cut across through the alleys to get home.” He took a step towards the right street, turning ab=nd waiting for her to show him the way. ”Shall we?”

{OOC” Sorry for the short post! Had to write it at work between shifts. Internet is down at my place. Do you want to move this to a different forum, or keep it here? If you want to move, then {Topic Left}, if not, then I’ll stay.}

 

[Takahashi Ren]

Spoiler

no worries! I'm gonna keep it here, just for simplicity's sake.

Jo agreed, which Ren had expected (he seemed to be too nice of a guy to do anything but), and Ren smiled her thanks. Though when he mentioned cutting through the alleys to get home, the smile slipped and her hands shot up automatically.

"Uh." She stared at her hands, lowered them, and then hastily said, "That's not a good idea. Like, that's not a good idea at all." Ren had never gotten into any serious trouble in her neighborhood at night because she knew a few basic rules, the first being 'do not wander around in shady little alleys where serial killers may roam.' Maybe asking Jo to tag along had been a bad idea; as much as Ren didn't want to face her mom's full wrath, she really didn't want to find out the next morning that a boy had been skewered near her home.

…Yeah, I've been spending too much time listening to horror stories. Ren swept all of those creepy thoughts out of her head and started walking home, following the main path lit by streetlamps. Houses and a few boarded up stalls lined both sides of the street, and every now and then they passed an admittedly dark and shady alley.

"I used to play hide and go seek here a lot," she said, gesturing around at just about everything. "The alleys are fine to go in during the day - there's all these little crooks inside that are awesome hiding places." She couldn't play anymore because of school and stuff, but the memories still brought a dim, slightly nostalgic smile onto her face. "What about you, Jo? Ever played in these parts before?" Ren said it teasingly; she loved her weird and slightly messed up neighborhood, and would have taken great delight in showing him around if it weren't so dark out.

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

”Maybe not; but I think I could handle myself. The great thing about being a student at the Academy is the combat training. Besides, in alleys that tight, they couldn’t even outnumber me.” Half of what he said was bravado, the other half truth. He was getting pretty good at ninjutsu and taijutsu, and in tight alleys he could only be attacked by one person at a time (unless they came up behind him too). Either way, in a space that confined, even a student could best a couple of street thugs. ’Especially since they wouldn’t be expecting a wall of flames from a kid.’ He thought to himself. Most of the scumbags that roamed the streets like that weren’t very combat proficient, and relied heavily on fear to intimidate their targets. A show of force was often enough to scare them away. At least… that’s what Jo had read.

While they walked, Jo swiveled his head left and right to take in his surroundings, ever vigilant in case of trouble. He had to admit, the area was very interesting. The boarded up homes and shops made him sad though, as if the buildings were simply the skeletal forms of the once life-filled streets that were left behind to decay in a state of poverty. Still, it left a lot to the imagination, and he could see how playing would be fun in such an environment. ”No, not really,” he answered her question. ”I was raised in a subdivision, so all the houses look the same, with the same well manicured lawns and well lit streets. Very…” Jo tried to think of the word he was looking for to describe the bleak uniformity of the suburbs. ”Sterile. Besides, I didn’t have too many friends when I was a kid, so I spent most of my time inside reading.” After a second, he shaked off the melancholy thoughts of lonliness and smiled. "But you're right; it looks like a fun place to mess around."

 

[Takahashi Ren]

"If you say so," Ren said uneasily as Jo danced around her warning. Maybe it was just her way of thinking, then; she'd grown up being told to never go into narrow, closed off spaces at night, and the thought that she might now be able to handle herself had never come to mind. Ren supposed that the academy had given her somewhat of an edge over a common thug, but…it seemed too surreal to think about for long. So she didn't, and instead paid more attention to where she was walking. This old road had rocks jutting out all too frequently, and Ren had fallen flat on her face many, many times.

Jo told her about his own neighborhood, which left Ren raising her eyebrows. She'd been in the subdivisions a handful of times and knew of the similar houses, but it was his admission that he hadn't had many friends that left her surprised. Sure, Jo was a little nerdier than the people she knew, but that wasn't really a bad thing. She decided it must be something singular to his neighborhood and focused instead on the latter part of his answer.

"It's an awesome place to mess around in," she corrected, grinning. "Sometimes we even get bald old men chasing us and yelling. It's all a kid could ask for."

As she spoke, she winded to a stop in front of a narrow, two-story house settled between a shabby looking shop and another home. The lights were on and Ren could make out a vague, humanoid shadow lurking in the corner of one window.

"This is me," she said, pointing unnecessarily at the house. Ren wandered up the little stone path to her door and knocked softly. Her mom had probably been able to see her for a while, now; the knock was just to fend off a potential lecture about how Ren needed to be polite no matter who she was dealing with. With that thought in mind, Ren mentioned to Jo, "Uh…she's not scary, my mom, she's just…kind of out there."

As if on cue, the door creaked open and light spilled onto the porch. Ren's mother stood in the doorway, arms crossed and apron on. Where Ren had the appearance of a particularly violent cherub, Ren's mom looked like a typical aging beauty: long, wispy brown hair pulled back and gray eyes surrounded by crow's feet. She was also way, way taller than Ren, and loomed over her daughter.

She glanced over Ren, as if making sure she had all of her limbs intact, and then looked at Jo before returning her gaze to her daughter. "…Please tell me you didn't use some obscure jutsu on this boy and melt his mind."

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Jo didn’t address the look of surprise on Rens face when he mentioned his lack of friends. There was no need to go into how the few friends he did have stopped talking to him and treated him as if he were dead once they found out he was chakra sensitive and would be entering the Academy instead of joining them at school in the fall. He did laugh out loud at the thought of being chased around by angry senior citizens. They stopped in front of what Jo assumed was Rens house, her comment confirming his belief. Jo was more worried about facing a wrathful mother than any thugs on the streets; maybe that’s why Rens next comment about her mother made him worry more than knowing she’d be angry. ’Out there? What does she mean?’

Then the door opened. Ren’s mom towered over the both of them; but, to Jo’s surprise, what came out of her mouth wasn’t an angry interrogation of where her daughter had been. Rather, her voice seemed to be wearily suspicious. Was it a common occurrence for Ren to use genjutsu on her friends? No matter, Jo was there for two reasons; a) to make sure Ren made it home safely, and b) to vouch for Ren in case her mother was upset with her. ’Mission Objective A: Complete. Now to start Objective B…’ Jo thought before addressing the woman.

”Of course not, Ma’am.” Jo said, his face wearing his small smile. ”My name is Narashi Jo,” he introduced himself with a polite bow. ”I'm a student at the Academy as well. Ren and I met at the theatre and really hit it off. I offered to walk her home after the play; she said you get worried about her when she’s out too late.” Jo ad-libbed a smidge, but he was sure Ren would just go along with it. He continued with a small chuckle. ”Besides, I don’t think we’ve been taught a genjutsu that powerful yet.”

 

[Takahashi Ren]

As expected, Ren's mom started off the interrogation with a ridiculous question. People said that Ren was a little bit random; after interacting with her mother, it became obvious as to where she got it from. Ren would have rolled her eyes, if she thought she could have gotten away with it.

"I watched the play," Ren said after Jo had finished introducing himself. "I met Jo there, and we ended up watching the whole thing." Ren paused, taking a moment to silently thank Jo's lying abilities. "It got later than I thought it would be so I asked Jo to take me home so you wouldn't get too worried. I'm sorry I told you before that I'd be home earlier.

"And no," she added, squinting at her mother, "I didn't do something to his head. Come on, mom, I'm not that crazy."

Looking like she barely believed that, Ren's mother sighed, and then shifted aside in the doorway. "I'm grateful, then," she said to Jo, offering him a wan but warm smile. "Thank you for walking Ren home, Narashi-kun. I'd invite you inside, but it is late and I'm sure your own parents will be wondering where you are. And on that note…" She pulled out a spatula from some hidden pocket in her apron and brandished it at the pair of kids before her. "Would you like us to escort you home? It can get quite dangerous at night, you know."

Were Ren a normal kid, she would have choked in horror at her mother's antics. As it was…she'd gotten entirely too used to them in her eleven years, and could only cross her arms and wait to see what happened next. Arguing or begging her mom to act normal wouldn't do her any good; if anything, her mom would just act worse to spite Ren. It had happened before, and it would happen again. Ren did, however, glance sideways at Jo, trying to gauge his reaction. He'd laughed before, but Ren's mom was someone who could only really be handled in small doses.

[mft: 342]

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Jo released a silent inward sigh as Rens Mom accepted their story. Even if the story was true, there were some parents who would still interrogate their children just to make sure. Maybe it was the fact that he was polite to a fault, or that he simply had the face of someone trustworthy; but he had always been able to get on the good side of any adult. One bully at his old school had even called him a parents “wet dream;” which, while it should have been an insult like “goody-two-shoes”, Jo took as a compliment. He smiled and produced another small chuckle; ”Thank you, Ma’am; but I think I’ll be alright. Besides; once you’ve escorted me to my home, I’d be honor-bound to escort you back to yours to make sure you got home safely. We’d be right back where we started and stuck in an endless loop.” If Ren thought her mother was bad, she would be flabbergasted at the ridiculous banter he had with his parents. Their wordplay, while not as eloquent as Shakespeare (honestly, it could get downright crude), was just as heated as any of his comedies.

”But you’re right, it is getting late. I should probably head home. It was a pleasure to meet you, Ma’am.” Jo said with another polite bow to Rens Mom before turning to her daughter. ”This has been really fun! We should hang out again sometime. I’ll see you at the academy this week. I hear there’s a really interesting lecture on the psychological effects on killing in combat on Monday. See you then!” Jo said with a smile and a wave as he walked back down the stone path to the street and made his way towards home. He almost turned down an alley to cross over to the road that lead to the subdivisions, but instead chose to stay on the main road. No point in taking unnecessary chances!

{Topic Left Unless Stopped}

MFT: 329

 

[Takahashi Ren]

Oh, I don't know about that, Ren thought dryly as Jo declined her mom's offer. The woman had a giant's height (to Ren's eyes, at least) and was deadly scary with a spatula; all it took was a single look at her to determine that, yes, she probably could take care of herself.

"Well, if you say so," said her mother, unknowingly echoing Ren's own response from earlier. "Come by some time, Narashi-kun. You seem like you'd be a wonderful influence on this daughter of mine."

To that, Ren said nothing. She was well-versed in ignoring her mother and did just that as she glanced back at Jo, who started his 'I need to politely extract myself from this situation' speech. It was a good one by her standards, and she took care to try and remember some of it for the next time she wanted to get out of a potential mess. Then he mentioned something about a class at the academy - and killing? It was on killing? - and Ren nodded automatically.

"Right, see you then," she said, half-weakly, as he waved and left.

"...A lecture on killing?" her mom piped up. "There's no way you'll go to that. Oh, and look at that, he's sticking to the main road. What a smart, nice boy."

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