View source for 2026-05-10: Post-Meet Meeting

*'''Log: Post-Meet Meeting'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Hyousuke Suzuki]], [[Aoi Igarashi]]
*'''Where:''' Seven Sisters High School
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-05-10
*'''IC Date:''' Tue Nov 06 2012
*'''Summary''': ''During a martial arts meet at Seven Sisters, Hyousuke and Aoi chance upon each other and spare some time to chat. Hyousuke knows more about Aoi's interests than he lets on, but he does spare the time to warn her not to go near Aoba Park - he's certain there's more than just rumours plaguing that place.''

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 (|============== Seven Sisters High School - Classroom Building ==============|)
 -=============================================== Sumaru City''Rengedai Ward ====-
 A prestigious school at the heart of Sumaru City, Seven Sisters High School is  
 known for three things: its despicable Principal Hanya, who was recently        
 brutally murdered; its caring teachers, who are generally eager to help their   
 students out; and the fact that if you can get a hold of the emblem sewn on the 
 breast of the school's uniform, it will protect you from the Joker Curse. So the
 rumors say, anyway.                                                             
                                                                                 
 The building itself breaks up its students along three stories, with first years
 on the first, second years on the second, and so on. The foyer is populated with
 school lockers where students can store their things and trade their shoes for  
 school slippers in the morning and vice versa after classes. A smaller fourth   
 floor leads to the clocktower. A live-in janitor and his wife take care of the  
 grounds, from the school itself to the athletic fields to the statue and strange
 monolith in back to the clocktower itself. Out back, there are bike racks for   
 students who ride to school--including on motorcycles. Classes are robust and   
 stimulating, and there are plenty of clubs for afterschool activities.          
                                                                                 
 Its uniform consists of a black jacket and slacks for the boys, and a black     
 sailor collar and skirt for the girls. The black is striped once in white on the
 collar and on the slacks''skirt. Boys wear a tie, and girls, a neck ribbon. First
 years are marked by this tie or ribbon being green; second years, red; and third
 years, blue.                                                                    
                                                                                 
 BGM: Seven Sisters Academy - https:''''www.youtube.com''watch?v=pS619evEUPI        
 (|============================================================================|)
<poem> </poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Aoi Igarashi has posed.
<poem>
It's a kendo meet! At least that's the part Aoi had been aware of. Which has lead to one of her many excuses for being out late. Notably, she's in full kit. Sitting on the sidelines, having finished her last match wit her padding still on. Drinking water early on. 
 
 Eventually, the matches all end and she gets to her feet. Stretching out some sore muscles and getting herself situated. 
 
 Her bokken is hefted briefly, then she sets it back down for now and begins to make her way to the side. She's not quite leaving yet, but she is making her way somewhere quieter. Preferably without a bunch of things happening so she can orient herself and get her thoughts in order. 
 
 At least it's been enjoyable enough tonight! She seems rather pleased with herself.
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
The day had been a rather productive one, and not simply because he had actually managed to stay awake and attentive through every class that he was in - even English, if one could believe it. Mutou-sensei, in some hare-brained scheme to get the the rest of the schools in the greater Sumaru area to see that Kasu students could actually behave for once instead of run around like wild animals and pick fights with whoever looked at them funny, had arranged martial arts meets with various other clubs throughout the city. As it happened, the one that had just concluded was at Sevens, and Hyousuke thought it had gone quite well.

Everyone had - for the most part - behaved themselves, the sparring had been educational, and he had no doubt that Mutou-sensei had swapped many a story and opinion with his counterpart at Sevens. It had to come to an end at some point, however, and Hyousuke walked out with his shoulders rolling to work out an ache, and a bottle to his lips to stay hydrated. He wasn't in any particular rush, given his leisurely gait, and the fact that he glanced slowly around at his surroundings as he made his way towards the exit.

One of those glances caught him a glimpse of a rather familiar figure, and he raised his hand in greeting as he walked past.
"Oh hey, it's you again. You find anything good back there?"
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Aoi Igarashi has posed.
<poem>
Aoi is leaning this way and that, book procured in hand from whereever she had managed to stash it. Working her fingers, she straightens up, arms straight in the air, then tenses when she spots the guy. She's still wearing glasses, but she has her hair pulled back for convenience, so he's probably getting a pretty good look at her face as opposed to last time. 
 
 She looks up at him, then asks, with a half step back, "This place haunted too?" She points, "I can't leave this one though." 
 
 She tilts her head, "You here for the competition?" Sounding a bit less abrasive. She's at school, she does have to behave a little bit. There's already enough rumors about her and other problems. 
 
 "Back at that factory? No. It was a dead end. Whoever's saying it's haunted is probably full of it, or they weren't including enough details for the thing to manifest or something." she makes a dismissive, annoyed gesture. "I assume your fight club there went well?"
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
On the one hand, it was a little disappointing to hear that the search would have to go on - the foe had proved a most elusive one. On the other hand, he doubted she would have been able to put up a fight against it, unless she was possessed of a power similar to Ichika or Tsubasa's. In that light, perhaps it was best that the beast hadn't shown up to hunt for prey. Whatever his feelings were on the matter, he shrugged a little at her gesture - then took on an annoyed one of his own when she referred to the meet as a 'fight club.'

"Didn't even know there was a competition - I'm just here for the meet. Went pretty well too." He said, nodding a little and trying to fix the annoyance that crept into his features. "You guys know your stuff. Got some nice gear here as well." He didn't seem jealous there, so much as he did a touch envious. All of it was a little clearer to see than it might have been in the factory, given the difference in lighting. The deep scar that had been carved from brow to cheek, the glint of keen and green eyes, the way the sharp shape of his head contrasted against his rounded - almost friendly-looking - features... The light bared all for her.

"Shame about this place not being haunted though. Would've made for a hell of a story." He added with a shrug, completely omitting the existence of the Dark Hour. "So how about you? You in a competition, or was it just practice today?"
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Aoi Igarashi has posed.
<poem>
Aoi shakes her head at that look, looking confused herself. "This meet's not the fight club." Seeming genuinely confused. "The one you were bouncing for." She mimics walking with her fingers, "When I bumped into you last time." She clearly had decided he'd been protecting some kind of student brawl. 
 
 Holding her arms up, she slaps her left glove, then right in order before adjusting them and wiggling her fingers. "I had to save up for mine." She admits with a flat tone. "Had to prove I wanted it or something." 
 
 Crossing her arms over the practice armor, she gives the guy a curious look. He himself, more visible now. "Knife? Bottle?" She's guessing. Probably a bit rudely. She seems like the sort that lets curiosity get the better of her though. 
 
 "There is the mysterious deaths and some other things running around here, but nothing haunted yet. Or nothing I've confirmed." 
 
 "Sparring. Girl's team." She holds her hand up, "For Kendo. I don't do the other stuff too much." Maybe a bit of judo, but she's tiny so.
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Something finally clicked in Hyousuke's brain when Aoi seemed confused about his own reaction. It wasn't immediate - the hamster wheel turned in his brain, creaking slowly behind his eyes to the point where one might have been able to hear it if they pressed their ear to his skull. But when it did finish squeaking along, a lightbulb flickered to life, and he had to make an active effort to keep from making an expression to match.
"That? I was just looking for something. Heard a rumour from a friend of a friend." Not strictly true, but not strictly false either. Not that she needed to know about any of that.

He looked down at her gloves, nodded a little, but took a moment to respond.
"Meant the training equipment Sevens has. It's a hell of a lot better than what we've got in Kasu." He hoped he didn't need to expound upon that point. Kasu had a reputation, its classes had a reputation, its students had a reputation - it was a little embarrassing to admit the state that some of the clubs were in, and those were ones that actively tried to keep themselves maintained. "Nice gloves though. Saving up looks like it was worth it."

He would know. Not about kendo gloves specifically, but a pugilist had to know a thing or two about good gloves.

His expression soured a little when he realised she had been speaking about the scar, and it took him every ounce of effort he could spare to bite his tongue. Much as he wished to tell her it was none of her damn business, he wasn't at Kasu, and he didn't have to put on a threat display like some startled animal. Even so, the muscles on his jaw tightened, and there was a moment or two's worth of silence between them.
"It's a long story." Hyousuke responded sharply. In other words, a not-so-subtle way of saying it was none of her damn business.

He had intended to ask about the kendo - to make polite conversation, perhaps make a new friend over a shared love of martial arts. But something else caught his attention, and from the way his eyes blinked and sharpened like a hound catching a scent, it was immediately obvious that it had.
"Mysterious deaths? What do you mean?" He paused, then elaborated. "...I only moved her a while ago. Still getting used to the place."
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Aoi Igarashi has posed.
<poem>
Aoi's got her arms crossed again, resting on one heel, her other foot lightly back. She watches that contemplative look on his face for a moment. Curious. She'd swear smoke would pour from his ears before too long, but that is mostly just a bit of a joke she avoids voicing. 
 
 "Right." 
 
 Working her fingers a few times, "You only have to get tagged in the knuckles or fingers once or twice before you decide it's worth the price." She admits. "Didn't break it that time at least." Luckily. Who wants a broken finger? 
 
 That look gets her to put both hands up in the air, palms out. "Fine. Fine." She mutters. Not pushing it any right now. Not her fault he looks like he's a brawler. 
 
 She probably could have kept her mouth shut though. She does turn her head away, keeping him at the edge of her vision mostly for now though. 
 
 "It's not really that mysterious." She mutters, "It was high profile. Some serial killer or something." She doesn't want to go into the fact she's been following the case. The normal side of it, perse.
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
"Oh. Them."
Hyousuke only spoke two words, but the weight lent to them was immense. The note of realisation in the first, lilting downwards as the image of a man burnt to cinders and shot dead flared up in his mind's eye. The subtle pause between each word, stretching out for aeons when it really only lasted for a heartbeat. The way his tone darkened as the second left his lips, rolling through the air like a blackened thundercloud. Perhaps he knew more than he let on. Perhaps there was a history there. There remained any number of possibilities... none of which he chose to give voice to.

"I'm familiar. Heard the rumours going around a while ago." Hyousuke seemed to calm down a little, suppressing the worst of whatever had plagued him, but there was no use denying what had transpired. He'd made his feelings on the matter clear - and he made his desire to move past it clear when he moved swiftly on to her gloves again. "But yeah. Good to hear you've got some decent gear. Mutou-sensei'd probably kick our asses if he caught us using stuff that'd break or get us hurt - probably make you run laps until getting getting punched in the face without a good gumshield in would seem like nothing."
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Aoi Igarashi has posed.
<poem>
Aoi taps her foot lightly on the ground. Nodding at the comment. "That's the one." It's probably a bit easier to talk, when you had to deal with it first hand on a few levels. She doesn't specify more than the obvious "Student here' thing though. 
 
 She at the very least, avoids trying to bring that topic up again for now though. Either topic. 
 
 "I wouldn't doubt it." She admits flatly. "It was all over the news. Had to hear all about it constantly." She pulls a face, frowning, "Had to find a new place to eat lunch." 
 
 That probably sounds more callous than intended. 
 
 "I don't.. think we'd get hit for it. I just needed to make sure I didn't. You know." she holds her fingers up briefly. Though now, she turns, looking behind her. Pulling her bag around to fish out some bottled water. She had intended to escape to a quiet place and drink, but there's no escaping, right? 
 
 He isn't being as threatening as last time at least! Mostly. She's still not quite looking at him now though.

</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke recognised that the remark was, perhaps, a little callous. That didn't stop him from smirking a little at it, if only to try and ease whatever tension the memory of the Joker Killer still left in him. It worked enough that he could pretend that he was just another bystander for the whole thing, at the very least, and he even followed it up with one of his own.
"Hope you weren't planning on eating any lunches at Aoba Park. Last I heard, it's getting pretty crowded there." A little distasteful of a remark, but everyone coped in different ways.

He stood, looking down at her, his gaze a little quizzical. A thought occurred to him as she rummaged through her bag - where had she been looking? He wasn't entirely sure, having not made a habit of looking deep into her eyes or analysing her every expression, but he couldn't quite tell if she'd been looking clearly at him in the same way others might.
"So how is your practice going?" He asked, tilting his head a little. "Are you doing alright?"

He wasn't entirely sure the last question was just about her kendo.
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Aoi Igarashi has posed.
<poem>
Rolling her shoulders, she looks to the guy briefly, "I wasn't. I just like to come outside during lunch to read." Which is, she spends most of her lunches alone. Away from people. "Got a bit hard for a while. And it's creepy eating around where it happened." She gestures. She doesn't specify how 'close' too close was either. 
 
 "What's happening at the park?" She asks, sounding genuinely curious. "Not... that I intended to?" 
 
 She's not looking at him now! She's pointedly looking away. It's probably not the reason he's thinking either. Probably. "Turning, she focuses on the water. Though she does answer, "Fine. Yeah." while continuing, "It's been going alright. I do well enough at least. Just not that many in my category. Not as many as I'd like at least." Which is an admission of sorts. There are other girls in Kendo! She's just short. And knows most of them well enough by now that it's sparring, not challenging. 
 
 She thinks.
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke arched his brow a little, and blinked in mild surprise.
"You don't know about Aoba Park?" He asked, not bothering to hide his expression. It wasn't as though it was a particularly strong or severe one, after all. "There's a crowd of people there, all praying and chanting about death and sin. Something about a dragon coming to end the world or something." Hyousuke then paused a moment, remembered something, an *then* took a little more severe a tone. "Don't get close to them. You do, they'll drag you in and make you one of them somehow. Don't ask."

He didn't know how, and wasn't sure he could have shared it with her if he did.

He nodded as she mentioned there not being as many in her category as she'd like. It was a slow and thoughtful thing, silent and understanding.
"I think that's why Mutou-sensei's dragging us all around the city, and dragging everyone to Kasu. Wants to make sure we don't get too comfortable sparring with each other." He looked like he had more to say - a wry comment on his teacher or his peers, perhaps - but a glance at his phone put an end to that. "Shoot, is it that late already? I gotta head out soon."
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Aoi Igarashi has posed.
<poem>
Aoi raises an eyebrow and says, "Why would I go anywhere near a cult?" Clearly she draws a line between the occult and weird cult things. Similar words, but not quite the same! 
 
 That out of the way, she does cross her arms, "Might have heard my dad talking about it." The whole time she's still looking off to the side. "I didn't hear about the dragon, but it's all just-" She waves her hand, "Fake right?" 
 
 "They're a cult, I'm familiar with the idea.' 
 
 "You learn each other's tricks and weaknesses, you exploit them and it helps, but you also want to try and get a wider range of options." She holds her hands out, "You only find your gaps when you're pushed right?" Then her hands drop to her side. "It is." She nods, gesturing, "I probably have to rejoin the team anyway."
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
"A cult. Right." Hyousuke was content to leave it at that. She was staying away, and that was enough for him to be satisfied. Not that he could have told her what was going on anyway, even if she was supernaturally-inclined - everything surrounding that mass of people was a mystery to him, save for the gut feeling that something *huge* was behind it all. With the knowledge that she wouldn't do anything stupid - like he planned to - in the back of his head, Hyousuke shifted the strap of his bag on his shoulder, and began to step away.

"Right. And it's only when you get those limits pushed that you can break 'em." He agreed, before turning to head out. With one last glance, he offered her a wave, a nod, and a few parting words. "I'll see you around!"
</poem>

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