harmonize_rpg | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Who: Baku and Ryuta
Where: Sugi Dorm, Room 512
When: Monday, April 17th, Evening
What: Baku's Arrival to Chikotu

Baku stares down at the tablet he was given only moments ago, shifting his weight slightly to accommodate the large pack with his personal possessions, not to mention the other large pack with his kendo equipment. Sugi Dorm, Room 512. The boy can't help but grimace slightly at the number. Of course, it would be on one of the highest floors. With a small amount of trepidation, he makes the climb up the numerous flights of stairs, eyes darting back and forth for a directory of some sort once he arrives at the fifth floor. 501-530 to the left, 531-560 to the right. After a few more moments of uneventful navigation, Baku finally arrives to Room 512. It was only then that he'd noticed that the halls were almost entirely quiet. Was it really past curfew already?

Slowly, so as not to disturb the potentially-occupied room, Baku slowly opened the door and eased it shut behind him. WHAM! The door rang out like a gunshot without any background noise to muffle it. Wincing with anticipation, Baku slowly eased his way into the room and prepared himself for whatever sort of roommate he might have been assigned. I really hope he's not as bad as the Network made it seem. This thought prompts a sheepish grin of anticipation of his roommate's demeanor.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

After a long day of work, school, and some club activities, Ryuta felt he needed to take a nice long shower to ease his mind. It was a good thing it wasn't occupied at the time, giving him plenty of privacy. Once he finished cleaning up, he came back to his room to change into his sleepwear. He promptly took off his glasses and began dressing himself in a plain white t-shirt and stripped pajama bottoms.

"Huh?" Ryuta looked toward the doorway, squinting a little to see what caused the abrupt noise. "Is someone there?" He fiddled around the room, clearly looking for something. After a deep sigh, he mumbled, "Perhaps I should invest in some contacts..."

On the desk in the corner is a pair of glasses resting beside the computer. Perhaps they belong to him?

After regarding Ryuta quizzically for a moment for his odd behavior, he spots the pair of glasses by the computer. I'm not even that far away. Regardless, Baku takes a quick moment to set his bags down by the desk before gingerly picking up the glasses and turning to Ryuta, offering them to him.

"I'm Ogata Baku, I've just been assigned to this room. Are you my new roommate?" Right out of the gate with the stupid questions. Way to go, dumbass. He chastised himself gently, but he didn't want to put his new roommate off. After all, Chitoku doesn't switch homerooms between grade levels, and he'd probably be seeing a lot of this guy.

Edited 2013-09-20 06:40 (UTC)

Ryuta turned toward the direction of the voice, barely seeing the outstretched hand offering his glasses. Picking them up from Baku's grip, he replied ,"Much appreciated." Taking a moment to put them back on, Ryuta examined Baku now that he could finally see him as more than a blur.

"I see. I suppose that would make us roommates, yes." Now that he mentions it, I do remember one of the faculty members mentioning a roommate. Luckily for him, Baku didn't show up earlier when he got out of the shower. While he was busy with his own thoughts, he realized he has yet to introduce himself yet. "How rude of me. I haven't introduced myself. I'm Tanemoto Ryuta. I look forward to our future together as roommates." He offered his hand for a handshake, as though to seal the deal for their arrangement.

"Yeah, it should be fun. Pleased to meet you, Tanemoto-san."

Baku flashes him a small smile and accepts the outstretched hand to offer it a firm, friendly shake. At least he's polite. Pretty good so far. Maybe he just has to come off as strict, what with running for student council president and all. Now wasn't the time to test that theory, as the teen's rumbling stomach reminded him. He'd been so busy with packing and preparation that he'd forgotten to eat! Not that his procrastination on the matter had helped at all; he is almost certain there is still something he forgot - but it wasn't the instant ramen cups.

Perhaps it was his sense of conversational flow, judging by how long he'd let the conversation hang in light of his recent thoughts. He methodically takes in his surroundings as he continues.

"The decorations are a little sparse. I'm guessing you haven't been here long either?"

"Likewise, Ogata." A small smile formed, acknowledging his new roommate. As he released his hand from Baku's grip, he heard the slight rumbling from his new roommate. He raised an eyebrow out of curiosity, but before he could think much of it, Baku continued the conversation.

"While it is true I haven't been here long, I honestly saw no need for decorations. I have what I need so anything else would be pointless," he said matter-of-factly. "But I won't bore you with the details. I take it that you are hungry?"

The teen smiles sheepishly and scratches the back of his head.

"Heh heh, well, a bit. I don't suppose you could point me to the hot water?"

Yeah, this wasn't so bad. Baku fishes a cup of instant ramen from one of his bags with this new impression swirling about his head. He certainly didn't seem very strict about the formality of a person's title along with their name, so maybe it's all an act. Or maybe the obsessive compulsion hasn't kicked in yet. Wow. Optimistic, Baku.

"Of course." A small hint of pride gleamed out of the corner of his eye, satisfied that he pinpointed the cause of the rumbling.

He bend down beside his bed, reaching underneath. A moment of rustling and fishing pass by until he pulled out a black briefcase. Unlatching the front buckles, he opened the top to reveal a standard hot plate, a metal tea pot, and a small variety of teas, all of which appeared to be very well organized.

"I'm afraid you have to go down the hall for the water. There is a fountain beside the vending machines." As he says so, he pulls out the hot plate and plugs it in to the wall outlet. He then hands over the metal tea pot to Baku to carry the water. "And try to be quiet. The other students should be asleep by now." A quick glance to the door accompanied that statement, remembering the loud slam from earlier.

Edited 2013-09-20 15:37 (UTC)

Baku regards the briefcase with a bit of surprise. Man, this guy thought of everything. His thoughts are interrupted by the tea pot before him, which he accepts gently with a nod and a sheepish grin at the mention of the door.

"Thanks," and the quest for the water begins. He takes slightly longer than he probably should have, but he does return from his uneventful task successful, slowly easing the door closed behind him upon his re-entry.

Stuck. He tries it again, with a bit more force.

WHAM!

Again, Baku? Are you kidding me?!

Baku remains perfectly still a moment, a deer caught in the headlights, as he listens for stirring from any of the other rooms. Fortunately enough, the rooms are either empty or the occupants are sound sleepers, and Baku lets loose a gentle sigh of dismay. He approaches the desk where the hot plate lay and gently places the pot down upon it, adjusting it slightly so it sits perfectly in the center. With nothing more to do now than wait for the water to heat and the embarrassment of the slamming door still fresh in his mind, he shifts his weight to lean against the desk, stance relaxing somewhat in a feat of false confidence as he speaks up again in a quieter tone, given the time of day.

"So, how do you like Chitoku so far?"

Ryuta nodded as Baku took the tea pot and leaves the room in search of water. Once he exits the room, Ryuta glances at the clock beside his bed to see the time. Just before midnight, he noted.

Sitting back on his bed, Ryuta waited patiently for Baku's return. It's not that far off. Maybe he's lo-. Right as he was about to finish the thought, Baku returned with his prize. And slammed the door once more.

Ryuta looked at him quizzically as Baku froze in place. Is this some kind of comedy routine?

When Baku raised the question, Ryuta casually answered him back. "Rather well. It has some rather unique opportunities. And the accommodations are nothing to scoff at. The only downside I've seen so far is the lack of proper discipline amongst the student body. But I should have expected as much. Most of the students are from a prestigious family background. They're more used to things going their way."

It was then that the warning bells began to go off in the young man's head. With each passing sentence, with each drop and lift in the tone of Ryuta's voice, a little voice continued to pester Baku.

"... the accommodations are nothing to scoff at..."

Oh no.

" ... only downside I've seen so far is the lack of proper discipline..."

Please, no.

"... I should have expected as much..."

Did I stumble into some kind of rich-kid academy?

"Most of the students are from a prestigious family background."

Yep.

"Overinflated senses of entitlement," Baku begins his reply carefully, "typically comes with the rich kid mentality. I grew up in the city, so I really don't know much about that. But when you think about it, they haven't really known much else, right?" He looks to Ryuta for a nonverbal confirmation and continues on, "so you think a lot of them got in because of political favors, or actual merit?"

"I'm sure a few of them were brought in due to influence. Other's actually do the work, but still receive some 'assistance'. Some of the students are actually from a poorer demographic. They only made it in because their results were positive." Ryuta chuckled slightly, amused by his choice of words. Proving positive on both the test and for having the potential that is.

After adjusting his glasses, he continues. "The lack of discipline is actually one of the reasons I'm running for student council president. These students could very well be the leaders of the country one day. I don't know about you, but such an idea is quite scary in my opinion."

To this, Baku offers an indifferent shrug.

"It takes all kinds, right? I met a few people on my way here, and to be honest I'm not sure what kind of interest they would take in some of them. Myself included." He would add that last sentence after a moment of thought. "Logically, you'd think they selected us based on a common factor, but I can't even begin to understand what that is. I mean, I doubt the world is in dire need of kendōka. Hasn't been since the age of gunpowder." Hey, you remembered something from class. Gold star, Baku.

His attention is stolen by the copious amounts of steam rising from the pot; it must be ready! After switching the hot plate off, he carefully opens up one of the plastic cups containing the noodles and fishes out the assorted seasoning packets and such, setting it on the table before gingerly filling it with a portion of the hot water. He sets the teapot back onto the plate and regards Ryuta once more.

"Student council president, huh? I've, uhh... heard that they don't do a whole lot, but you don't strike me as the kind of guy who does things halfway."

"You've got a talent for deduction, Ogata. But you may be over thinking it a little." Ryuta barely managed to contain a chuckle. Ogata was spot on actually. Though he couldn't very well tell him that, considering the circumstances.

Ryuta grinned, pleased by Baku's comment. "I will take that as a compliment. And while some have used the position rather casually, I hope to actually do something with the authority."

"I take it you are in the kendo club? What a pleasant coincidence." Motioning over a duffle bag beside his bed, he continued his statement. "I am also a member."

Baku's head bobs in a gentle nod at the question before his eyes follow Ryuta's gesture to the bag by the bed.

"Wow, that is a coincidence," he begins off-handedly with another nod, "my father's been teaching me since I was a little boy, so it's been with me almost my entire life. I swear it's the reason they brought me here." No doubt that he was bragging, judging by the proud grin he displays from ear to ear, but he lets the topic go after he's had his quick victory.

"We'll be seeing a lot of each other, then, I suppose." A low whistle follows that statement before he nods again. "I picked music club for my cultural club, but I'm certainly not descended from a long line of violinists or anything." His gaze shifts back to Ryuta for a long while before he suddenly snaps his fingers and nods reassuringly - probably to himself.

"I've got it. Drama club?"

A sudden wave of shock spread across Ryuta's face, jolting him a little from the surprise. He chuckled slightly as he informed his roommate of the situation before them. "Even more of a coincidence. I play violin for the music club as well. It seems your earlier statement rings true. We should be seeing quite a lot of each other from now on." He nods to himself to confirm the situation. "I look forward to the year ahead of us."

An awkward smile crosses Baku's face as a spark of surprise crosses through his mind simultaneously. Is this guy for real?

"Are you for real?"

Whoops, guess that one slipped out. Baku quickly composes himself and offers his new roommate another firm nod, "I mean, yeah... wow, sorry, that's just a little more of a coincidence than I expected."

Alright, so I've got to make nice with this guy. He's a little rigid, but he seems alright, and he's pretty sharp to boot. Better than rooming with some dumb-ass who can't respect personal property. The smile he offers becomes a bit more genuine at this mental resolution. Ryuta's not insufferable, that's for certain, but he'll still take some time getting used to.

"For sure. Let's show them our merit, huh?" Baku says this with a confident grin before turning to his now-fully-cooked instant ramen, taking a few bites to test the consistency before he lays into the cup in earnest.

Hmm. Very interesting. At first, Ryuta thought very little of Baku. Just another student he needed to look after. So far though, he seems to be a fairly peculiar person. Perhaps he should indulge his new roommate and see where this path takes them.

"Indeed. And since you are so earnest, we can start improving our merit tomorrow. First off, we will wake up at 5am for morning exercise. I imagine 20 laps around the school will do nicely. After we shower up, we will then study until classes start. So about 2-3 hours. And for breakfast, we can enjoy a delectable meal as we brush up on the school handbook." Ryuta smiled as he carefully planned out their daily activities. It may prove rather useful to have a partner for these kinds of events.

Baku nods emphatically as he hurriedly feeds the ramen into his mouth from the cup; probably better to finish it all now and get to sleep early if he wants to start that early. As Ryuta recites his list of activities, it initially sounds like he is issuing a challenge. Ha! Just make sure you can keep up! That's what he wanted to say, but the mouth full of ramen prevented him from doing so.

But then the list got longer.

Study for hours?

Does he think I can't do it? And what's with him and that handbook?

Is this guy serious? I think I've looked at one of those once at my old school. How much could there possibly be to look over?

Don't let him phase you. It's a test like everything else. You can do things on your own terms later.

And it's not like you don't need to study. You missed the first two weeks of school, dumbass.

Alright, let's do this.

"Alright, let's do this," he speaks his last thoughts after the last of the ramen has disappeared into his stomach, "should probably turn in soon, in that case; we won't do ourselves any good if we're a couple of zombies shuffling around the school and flipping pages with dead brains." He tosses his cup away into the trash and looks back to his roommate, inclining his head gently, "Thanks for helping me with the water, Ryuta-san." He sets to dragging his things over to the unclaimed bed. I can unpack tomorrow.

"Of course. Good night, Ogata."

A little surprising. Ryuta half-expected Baku to back down from his invitation to join his morning routine. Perhaps I've misjudged him. He does seem to be the dedicated type. However, he wasn't upset about it in the least. Now he has someone to help push himself forward.

There was a half-mumbled reply, followed by the clicking of a phone and the rustling of the bedsheets by his bags. Seems Baku was able to fall asleep already; he sure was quick to it. Then again, moving to Chitoku wasn't all he had done today, and a full stomach does tend to put one to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day, for sure.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only