Turn Back The Pendulum: Bump in the night [Open topic]

The sky above the Shino Academy was slowly shifting from its clear blue to something else, as it was beginning to be covered by deep grey cumulus clouds. Wind moved at a speed that seemed to be magical, spiritual even. But even if that may have been the case, the students would have no insight to if that was the case, nor would the staff.

It would be as if that nature was simply expressing its pain and madness upon the location. A darkness was with it as if there was something haunting the air, something that wanted to plaque the dreams of all within its reach. There had been words that a great storm was brewing in the north and was making its way down to them. But not so much faster than expected.

Most of the students of the school had decided to evacuate, others leaving beforehand. The elect few that decided to decided to visit family after being under the bones and nose deep in material to learn to be a Shinigami. Tento, was one of the unfortunate few that did not. The school being the only real home he had since, well, he just found himself here not that long after finding himself in the soul society. With no one to call family or find a place to live, he only had the Shinigami that brought him to the school for thanks for providing him a shelter to keep the rain and storm out of his hair.

The young man stood in a room, sitting down as his head was turned to the left, looking at the window ping with the, for now, soft drip drops of the rain. A short distance outside there was the scurrying footsteps going down the path that would lead them to the outskirts of the school's walls and land. He could see various people with luggage on their back and in their hands moving as fast as they could, some even taking the chance to practice the HoHo step method that they had learned this year so far in the semester. A few sloppy steps were apparent but for the most part, people were moving fast and getting to where they wanted to go.

Further down tho, the road that they were on was like a trap. Branches from trees snapped and were hurled all across the road. Tento was parially happy he was inside and away from all that but on the other hand.

Sigh "I wish I had...a family here too".

That was something that Tento would never get accosted to, being alone in the after life. Sure, he had made a few friends in the months since he found himself here, training at Shino's academy. There were many people he could talk to, not close friends though, mostly acquaintances. None that he really had a connection with, say for a few people. But, for all Tento knew, they too were going somewhere else doing this break. Leaving him one of the few students to stay at on the Academy grounds.
























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The question of how many were among him was unknown to him. And so far the sight of people was here nor there. But at the minimum, Tento knew that no one that he was friends with, acquainted with, or even just knew, would be here. The many conversations he participated in and overheard over the days leading up to the vacation break period told him so. He was by himself, with strangers once again.

And that left the question to what he would do to spare his time and boredom. There were no homework or training tasks for them to do but being the ever hungry fighter and martial artist, he wanted to improve during this time. It was a continuation and hang over from his life of working out and the love of studying martial arts. Given that he would hopefully become a Shinigami, that link became present in his mind due to what the job would require from him.

Maybe he would re read some kido chapters his instructors gave the class, maybe look ahead a chapter or two. It would also be beneficial if he practiced the spells he knew while on break. Less he get sloppy with them from not doing any and fall behind in his performance.

As he sat in his chair with his legs under the desk, Tento shifted his arm, sliding his left arm out to his side, resting his elbow on the cool wood before lifting and positioning his hand, fist closed so his knuckles would be on his left cheek. Tento thought more. The concern of making sure he would get sufficient practice with his kido would be easy enough to handle. He could cast the spells and even hit targets. He would just have to clean up if he made a mess. He could focus on control, improving power as well, simply goals to always aim for.

However, the other aspects of a Shinigami would be a harder thing to work on during this likely time of isolation. He could not practice his hand to hand combat or his kendo. I mean....he could... but not to its fullest. He could smack, poke, and stab the wooden sword to a dummy, punch and kick it as well, but there would nothing to respond to and nothing to respond to him. His biggest training partner; Hanako. Was gone. So the biggest opponent for Tento to push himself against was gone. And none of his other friends or occasional sparring partners either.

So as an end result it was out of his hands and out of his control, at least with the resources he found himself with for now. So for just a little bit, Tento would have to make due with what he had. Maybe try to be creative to come up with a very or two to get some proper training in.

But for now that was something to not think about. For Tentó's body needed nourishment, his slightly growling stomach making that clear to him. With a simple sliding back of his chair, Tento was up and out of his seat. The blue and white of his Shino school uniform contrasted nicely with his dark brown skin. A shuffle of his feet was made as he slid across his room, picking up his training Sword that rested neatly in its holster before picking it up and wrapping it around his waist. Putting the hilt on his left. With the outreach of his left hand, he slid his door open, walked out, and closed it behind him.

He was outside of his room now, walking through the wooden hall way that made his section of the student dorm rooms. A cut off leading into more halls an integrated section of turns, curves, and straight paths that lead to different places at Shino Academy. Tento was heading his way to the cafretia to get something to eat. He had not done much, in fact, anything so far today. But his stomache was growling, letting him know that it was time to eat!

-----

Elsewhere there were bodies moving within Shino Academy at the same time Tento was.

A women walked through the hallways. Far ahead from Tento's location. She was outside though. in her never changing ways of study, besides the path of a Shinigami, unknown to most that knew her the lady had another goal. A minor goal. A hobby and joy of studying various flavors of wine for the sake of her own wine making, She had in her own mind some what of beginner to that part. This made her even more fascinated with studying the various different types. She did not look like one. A soft face, neck length black hair, a typical normal type of look.

She was another student that stayed on campus. But she was not traveling alone during this time. A man was with her, sharp face, brown hair. And it seemed that they were in the middle of a pretty interesting conversation. They were entering the cafetteria and soon found themselves places to sit. Continuing their talk and not getting their food yet. They were still talking to each other by the time that Tento entered the cafeteria.

Tento was not trying to listen in but they were speaking so loud in the empty area that his perceptive ears could easily hear them as he got in line, grabbed some utensils, and began to look at the food.

"I keep telling you,take a break from the shop, come outside and get some fresh air." The woman said talking to the calmed faced man, At least he did not have the face of a person who looked like he was forced to be here perhaps only just a little grumpy in general, It was his normal maybe?

But still in the end, her and the unknown male with her were bound to get hungry eventually. So there would be a short stop as the started to get something to eat as well. "It has been a long day already, I lost track of time. Hehe, so maybe we need to get something to eat," suggested in their casual walk and talk. What else there was to be seen in the conversation would be interesting in Tento's opinion.

Click.

Suddenly it felt as if the light had vanished. The sun fading away as a quell of shadows wrapped around the room. Giving the physical properties of the world a dark outline that remained in view of sight in some form, but feeling completely separated. Distorted.

A voice ranges out. Still and filled with a strange giddiness that was earier and stiff. It felt as if The voice was reaching into the minds of its targets even though it was true to the ears touch.

"Dear, My lovely Guests. Nameless toys who names truly don't matter~. I have, invited, you all to my little party in this empty school on this day. It shall be a time filled of history and stories. Let us play a little game. If you survive the whole night or find what is making the school so lively beyond normal. Well. You win!".

"What the heck!?", the man roared as he welled around in a volatile spin of confusion and instinct. A layer of nerve in him completely bewildered by the turn of events that put him in this situation. He was freaking just about to eat lunch man!!!

A stillness came over him though when the voice spoke. The cockiness and gall to try and treat them as...as..pawns. Tools for a dang game of a stranger. The nerve he wanted to yell and curse out in the middle of the voices speech, but the female friend of his have a pat on his back. A note to stop, for now.