It was later on in the afternoon we decided to check in a room. We still needed to head to our usual spot since it was considered safer there. I guess you can say even if I can summon bird shikigami, it was best to keep Hanami's 'little birdies' watching over us. By day I gain more knowledge and gifts that can lead to fame and fortune but I wouldn't say that it was a good thing. With money being a way to survive, it becomes problematic. Less money will lead you closer to the monsters outside; More money will attract the monsters within the wall. Another problematic paradox I rather not get into. However it was just the usual suspects this time, being me, Mr. Williams, Tyrell, and Rebecca. But I still wasn't relaxed. The reason being...I was still wearing the cat ears "Do I still need to wear this?" I asked.
"It's punishment for the telekinesis from the Belief Center. I made a chart for your punishments." Rebecca told me.
"So which offence is he at?" Tyrell asked.
"Wear cat ears till midnight. After that it's eating cat food." Rebecca answered.
I felt that these problems kept on stacking even higher once I kept on violating them. "I'm know I'm gonna regret asking this but...what's the last punishment on the board?" I asked. "Bare leopard underwear with a cat butt plug." Rebecca told me without restraint.
Hearing that made the hairs around my body stand. Mr. Williams was able read my mood and stepped in. "Come on Rebecca, if you scare the guy like that he won't be able to get any sleep." he told her. "What are you talking about? The chart's right here." Rebecca replied as she was holding a clipboard. Mr. Williams then gets his reading glasses to take a good look at it. "Fifth punishment is being coated with...catnip perfume?!" He exclaims, "Why go so far?!"
"Well...from experience I'd say even if he's cool and collective, he becomes brash and obsessive when he finds something that he's interested in." Rebecca answered.
"Don't talk of me as if I'm some otaku shut-in." I butted in.
"It's true, you know. You and your uncle would go out in serious sword fights just to perfect your craft." Rebecca told me.
"Yeah...come to think of it...when I used to take you at the range you ended up doing quick reloads with your 1911. Heck you even did that trick spin thing with it too." Mr. Williams agreed.
"I'd guess that was kinda the same with calligraphy… one time you were obsessed for a month about kanji. We'd even had to sell them online just to make up on rent." Tyrell added.
Even if it was a hard pill to swallow, they were kinda right on this. When it came to recalling memories of my past lives, each one was a perfectionist of their craft. However, even if I'm obsessed with these skills...I never comes to terms how I was able to get into them. But I guess that was part of the discussion that should be discussed. I then sat up, thinking why I was so obsessed in the first place. "I guess you guys were right...maybe I should call quits for now." I told them. All three of them started to look at me confused. "See what I mean? Just get some rest." Rebecca told me.
I started to sleep and wander in my mind. But as I wander at my sleep, I wandered back to the white room. No one was there again. Furukizu was at the corner of my bed, sleeping. But he soon wakes up as his gaze is directed towards me. I could feel my body heavy. My expression changed into fear as I could feel my body was turning pale. I couldn't move. It was there he puts a plain white mask on me.
It was there when the mask was forcefully put on me, colors in the mask started to become into shapes. All I could do was stare the memories I got from that flashback for being with Tsukuyomi. Honestly my family wasn't a regular one to begin with. My family belonged to the Kamigawa Clan. The Kamigawa Clan had a lineage of many descendants reborn from past reincarnations of the past. My family wasn't an exception. My father, Hajime, happened to be the reincarnation of Nobunaga Oda. He was the most outspoken in the family and lived to be at the top. He was definitely eccentric, much like his counterpart. My dad's profession was a history professor and a curator at many museums. Eventually he moved to the United States and became a professor. He didn't do it something such as 'pursuing the American dream' or 'living a better life'. It was just really because he was bored so he wanted to do something exciting.
My mother was his secretary at Japan and she supported his wishes. But that's actually when she was when a relationship kindled and they ended up getting hitched. But that's where I was born. I was born in Seattle and later on my dad started to notice a few weird things when it came to me. It started to begin with when I was little when I started talking Japanese. At first he thought I was copying him but soon noticed that I was able to write advanced kanji. This lit his interest even more. He gave me a yukata for Halloween and left me to be. After a few minutes he saw me put it on without any dents or trouble. Soon he started to talk to me in Japanese more often and introduced me to more uncommon Japanese stuff. He even took me to kenjutsu at ten. I managed to get a lot rewards at a young age and become top of my class.
Once I graduated middle school, me and my dad moved to Japan. At the first few months I was told to train with my uncle. Surprisingly he was using the same style I was. It made me feel as if most of what I had done was actually calculated by the start. Since that day I was under my uncle and he taught me all I knew about kenjutsu and all about how to recall past lives. I was a late bloomer in the family but I at least I knew where I was going with this.
However I think I was forgetting something... It was hard to tell. But a memory lapse a little. Red? What could it mean? It was nothing at the time. I couldn't make it out. What can it be?
Yet fast forward to now and learn to find out that I had five past lives. The only ones with memories intact were of Chiron and Hijikata with the rest as enigmas. Kenshin was close to none as I didn't know his whole story. But with a dystopia that can only come out of fairy tales and legend...I'm not really that sure on which direction this story can go.
More shady memories came, incomprehensible in my eyes. I could see all my past lives talking to me at different points in time. It was a blur to me. But the visions revert into a bloody It was only there the mask shatters as a saw a glimpse of something quite horrible. That was the sight of my father, full of holes and bleeding to death.
Shivers were going down my spine. I was terrified. Fear kept on pulsing through my veins. Furukizu then kneels at the floor to pick the shards of the mask. "You know...the more you act like this, the more it's going to harder for you later on." He says, "But then again, you were the one who ran away first."
My mind was back at the real world and it was crippling with panic. A tidal wave of emotions were crashing in my psyche. Soon my friends come to notice my expression. "Rin...are you doing alright?" Rebecca asked. I couldn't hear a thing as I was in a state of despair. But the moment she tapped me at the shoulder I gave out a blood-curdling scream. It was inhuman. So loud that the windows are starting to crack. But a few seconds later I lost consciousness as I was out of breath. A bit louder and maybe I would have woken up the entire neighborhood.
Fast forward a few hours later I woke up again. This time being night. My head was still a mess and I was slowly reverting from demon to human. I guess that meant I lost it pretty good. My mind felt like a thunderstorm as I felt electricity pulsing through my skull. It was there I found myself restrained again but this time in chains. I looked in front of me to find most of my crew hiding behind a table. It was placed on its side as a makeshift fort. "Why am I binded in chains?" I asked them, confused. "You went wild and started to flail when you were passed out...you get a lot of night terrors." Gram replied.
"Maybe for now you should just take it easy. And I mean real easy." Tyrell suggested.
Those were some hard words to follow. Even if the guy means well, the terms in which I at were difficult to lose through. Rebecca decided to get lunch while the rest kept watch. Despite this was done for my own protection it felt like I was a prisoner. But despite what was going on I knew the circumstances of my situation. As Rebecca said, I was the ultimate 'get rich quick' scheme. That and the night terrors I've been getting. And with just a day of rest left, it was better to do nothing rather than to be caught up with something. Rebecca arrived with a giant roast griffin leg and bread the size of a whole chicken. It was enough for the five of us at the moment. I was let go of my bills to be able to eat. Slowly I enjoyed my meal little by little. For all I know it might be a long time till I would be able to enjoy this again. But I soon stop eating as my group made a bland look over their faces. Rebecca then slips a cat ear headband on my head. Their eyes were piercing through my soul as they kept looking at me like that. "You guys are right. Rin does look like a cat every once in awhile." Mr. Williams blurted out loud.
"Especially when he eats." Tyrell added.
"Alright! We get the joke! Quit looking at me like I'm some comical gag." I mouthed them off with red cheeks.
"If only I got my camera with me." Rebecca whined.
"Then take my last powerbank already!" I told her.
A knock can be heard from the door. Rebecca stands up and leans at the wall near the door. "What's the password?" She asked from the other side. "Neko for laifu!" Somebody shouted from the other side.
"I told you to change that!" I exclaimed.
"It's a catchy one and easy to remember." The voice from the other side of the door.
To my surprise it turned out to be Sakuya at the other side of the door. She scratched her head, already tired. It looks like she'd been tuckered out by work. She even brought coffee along the way here to keep up with whatever was going on. "So I was wondering why we didn't just take this at my office? The guild is just across the street." She told Rebecca. "Well that was my suggestion, Rin needed to rest. Plus I wanted to spare him the embarrassment with this penalty game." Mr. Williams said.
"Penalty game? What penalty game?" She asked barely awake.
Sakuya then turns towards my line of sight. It was only there her eyes were wide open and spits her coffee. It was awkward for her to see me like this. It looks like my boss was wide awake. "So this is the penalty game you were talking about. What is it for?" Sakuya asked. "We've been preventing Rin from using magic. He's been using too much for them so we made this up to stop him." Rebecca told Sakuya. Sakuya then takes the list of punishments. "Punishment #6...put on string bikini with cat ears and cat paws." Sakuya tried to read with a straight face. But the woman started to crack up seeing both me and the list paired up together. "I knew you were stubborn back at your time as Hijikata but looks like you were at punishment four." She said.
"I didn't agree to this, by the way." I told her.
"Yet you're putting up with it? Honestly Hijikata you gotta quit being soft to girls. It's no secret that women and children have a soft spot for you when at Bakumatsu." Sakuya said.
"I just hate hitting girls. Give me a break." I mouthed off.
"Even by the profession you wanted to pursue tells it. If I were honest here I never took you to become a guidance counselor." Sakuya commented.
"Even if I had my past lives were that of bloodshed, it's not like my life should be the same." I gave an excuse.
"True, yet here we are still trapped back at our old habits." Sakuya answered.
Sakuya then sits next to the window, with eye bags and gazes from the view of the window. She looked stressed but there was a bit of relief from her pace. "Something wrong?" I asked. "Nothing, it's just that the guilds and the council managed to get rid of that bill after two days. I shouldn't have gotten into politics." She moaned.
"So on what position do the guilds play in the government?" Mr. Williams asked.
"All guildmasters are actually part of the guild association. The guild association is in charge of circulating and approving bills recommended by other guilds and the government. Since the guild association plays a good role in making sure the jobs being offered are official, the association also plays a role in making sure to proofread laws based on security and economics." Sakuya said.
"So in other words...the guild association is a group of contractors that work hand and hand with the government to ensure order. Right?" Mr. Williams asked.
"Yes. But we are more of an external opinion that can be considered." Sakuya added.
"External opinion meaning..?" Rebecca asked.
"As people with experience. In other words, consultants." Sakuya told her.
"Hearing this is news is us. So what do you guys discuss in the council?" Tyrell asked.
"Merchant, magic, and craftsman guilds talk about economy, magic related stuff, and pricing. While adventurer, hunting, and the rest of the guilds talk about the issues outside and inside the city. Sometimes it's thrilling while other times it's a pain in the ass." Sakuya explained.
"So I'm guessing that issue at the Cornerstone was already dealt with, hasn't it?" Mr. Williams asked.
"Yeah and out of overall decision, the bill is to be turned down. Some of the UTU supporters are still sour about it." Sakuya answered.
"They do realize that the head Shinto god placed a blessing there, right?" I asked.
"That's the problem. UTU doesn't believe in gods. Most of them are atheist." Sakuya answered, pissed.
All of us started looking at Sakuya rather surprised. That on its own is enough to give some controversy. "What do you mean that they don't believe in the gods? Isn't all this magic and talk about blessings enough proof. Rin's practically living proof that gods exist." Rebecca blurted out.
"Well...they demand proof on an existence of a god. Apparently there is some weird controversy circling around saying that the capital is using religion as a way to control the masses and the offerings are used to rip off people." Sakuya told us.
"Why would they make up such a thing?" I asked.
"It's no surprise." Mr. Williams says, "Many people doubt religion nowadays with the figures behind it."
"What are you talking about, old man?" Rebecca asked.
"I hate to even talk about it, even now. But before the HAP, people wouldn't think 'gods' as part of the equation." Mr. Williams said.
"So what do you mean by that?" Sakuya asked.
"There was an issue with a certain catholic church with priest taking advantage of their religious power to mess up some kids really good. Heck we even remember Westboro Baptist Church and their picket signs." Mr. Williams says, "Even at before, history during the middle ages say that the bibles were only available for the rich and it was used to control the masses. Only when the printing press came that the people started to doubt the monarchy all together. Because of those incidents nowadays people kinda doubt the model when it came to religion."
"So with the ones who preach religion doing those things...people end up doubting religion altogether?" I asked.
"You can say the same thing with the situation here but it's in a more simpler light." He told us.
"How simple?" I asked him.
"If I were to say this without offending anybody...How can you prove something that exists before you if you alone are the one that has only seen it?" Mr. Williams put out.
The question alone is something worth to talk about. In fact I wouldn't know how to answer it either. "Rin, you are in the psychology community, right? If a man were to tell you that he is pregnant with the child of Satan and it is about to come out any minute with a flat belly, What would you think?" He asked me.
"Even without the psych degree I'd say he would need proper treatment. In other words a mental case for further analysis. Some would even suggest the person to be schizophrenic." I replied.
"Exactly. People would think of you as mentally insane. Much like now if we were to use a god as an excuse for certain feelings and actions, most people would think of us as crazy." Mr. Williams says, "Richard has Ebisu, Sakuya has the Norns, and Rin has Tsukuyomi. If we were still back at Earth and you would tell me things about this, I would take you as insane."
"So the reason why UTU acts like this is because of belief of a multitude of different things?" Rebecca asked, unsure.
"Yes, isn't that right? Miss Tachibana?" Mr. Williams asked my guildmaster.
"Afraid so. But it is this belief of lies being pushed to the capital is the very cause that the council is still at odds with the situation here. Even the Guild association itself is at odds on its on in trusting on its own." Sakuya answered.
"At odds? I thought Cletus was accepting of gods." Rebecca thought.
"That really isn't really entirely true. The adventure guilds accept this factor but not so much of the other guilds." Sakuya told Rebecca.
"By other guilds do you mean the Craftsman, and merchant guilds?" Tyrell asked.
"Indeed, have you encountered this, Mr. Powers?" Sakuya asked.
"'Fraid so…not all the guilds in my area don't really get along as much. It's actually split whether or not to rely on runners on supplies or even teaming up with them." Tyrell answered.
"Really? Has it been an issue asking for the help of runners?" I asked.
"For some reason they think they should be more focused in the issues in the walls rather than out." Tyrell told us.
"If we don't head out then who the hell is supposed to get the nonrenewable materials for the stuff they make and need?" I asked.
"Yeah... about that...it looks like they're against hunting as well." Tyrell added.
"Is it a vegan thing?" Rebecca groaned, rolling her eyes.
"Not really it's mostly stuff UTU says. They think it's stupid to send people to their deaths. Plus they think killing animals for personal gain is also stupid. Then there was that other thing such as materials should be divided equally within the guild." Tyrell told us.
"Aside from the vegan thing…how about the people who get their own stuff outside?" I asked.
"The UTU members want whatever was salvaged be shared amongst the guild." Tyrell replied.
"But you did all the work getting those supplies. The only thing the guild owed are the facilities and the tools you barrow." Mr. Williams commented.
"That's what I said and many others agreed to me. I also told them that I risked my own life to get those materials and for someone to get those without doing the work or giving any compensation is unfair." Tyrell put out.
"You do have a point there. That would just mean that you did most of the work while they take without effort." Rebecca said.
"Yeah…but it went downhill when one of the members of the UTU crew tried to steal my sander." Tyrell replied.
Rebecca then slams hand on the table and leans back at her seat with her arms crossed. "Fucking Christ! I just lost my appetite!" She ranted. Mr. Williams grabs her on the shoulder. "Easy Becca. Don't let them affect you." The man comforted her. Rebecca then calms down a little and sits properly. "Why the sudden outburst, Miss Smith?" Sakuya asked.
"When I went out to buy some food, I found one of my guildmates bandaged up. Turns out some idiots at UTU were trying to steal some of the magi-tech power cells my seniors managed to find last week." Rebecca told us.
"Did the UTU guys managed to get it?" I asked her.
"No. The guild managed to get all that were responsible but with a couple of my buddies injured. All of a sudden they kept on ranting their stupid mantra. It pisses me off just thinking about it." Rebecca ranted.
"So...do they not know the reason why we head out in the first place? We chose to get out there, you know." I asked.
"At this point it's hard to tell. It's starting to feel familiar for some reason." Tyrell replied.
"If this gets worse then maybe they might end up stealing things other than magic related stuff." Mr. Williams implied.
"That's right! Our funds and savings are usually kept in our guilds." Tyrell realized.
"Indeed. Guilds can act as banks whenever items and resources are to be kept for safekeeping. It would be a problem if your gear would be stolen by somebody." Sakuya implied.
I then lean back at my bed. It looks like things have been getting even more risky by the day. For sure Hanami doesn't have a problem but the others might have even other things to think about. If something happens to either of us then we might need to stay outside the walls till the heat clears. But the main worry is our gear. Most of the stuff we had at the apartment was kept at Hanami. However personal items and tools that we might need are kept close to us. Mr. Williams has military gear, bullets, and a full auto assault rifle with him. Rebecca has prepper and survival gear, along with her bombs. Then Tyrell has his tools and car batteries that can help him with difficult jobs. As for me it was paper for my charms, survival gear, magic books and the various weapons that have been mastered by the use of my past lives. Heck, the daito I am using isn't my only katana set. My best weapons are just hiding in Hanami. We would be in a lot of trouble if we were to lose any of these.
"Maybe we should discuss this at the meeting later tonight in the Hanami Guild Building." I purpose, "With the things going along I suggest we need to do further planning. And I don't want anything to leak. With all the things going on and all the risk we need to take, I think it is best to not to it at paper thin walls."