Lunchtime Learning Curve [Takumi & Tomoyo]
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Post by Yukimotou Takumi on May 27, 2012 9:43:22 GMT -6
Date: Thursday 15th May Time: 12:30PM --- --- --- --- Lunchtime…
One word in his mind was still more than had left his mouth for most of the day. Yet again Takumi had spent his time in the music room rather than in lesson. But now he was taking a break – one which was well deserved in his eyes. Of course, he was away from everybody as per usual. There were never many people who spent their time in the courtyard to eat. There was that girl - Nagisa Furukawa – whom had been in his class the previous year. But she was often spending time elsewhere, or keeping to herself.
Now that he was sat down, Takumi began to think about his year so far; It had certainly been very different this year without Masao and Jun in class. Of course, this time last year his father was still around too.
Takumi unwrapped the mochi that his grandmother had made him and popped some into his mouth. Tastes like dad’s…as always. I guess dad and grandpa had the same recipe…I guess grandma must’ve learned it over the years too…
It was a strange realisation to have all of a sudden, since he’d been having this for lunch for nearly a year. But the events of this last few days had seemingly had a small impact on his mind, at least to some small degree. He looked down at his food and sighed, before taking another mouthful. First that girl in the music room, then the fortune-telling booth the day after; everything that had happened was the opposite of what he had normally done for the year before that. A part of him felt new. But then a part of him felt old, restricted, and cold as ever. It was a rather unusual dilemma, even for him.
Another sigh. Takumi wrapped his food up again, and placed it into his bag cautiously – the last thing he needed was a mess in his bag – before looking up at the sky through the branches above his head; branches that were covered in shades of green and pink.
The courtyard itself was rather tranquil today. Most of the people in the courtyard seemed to be relaxing in the sun rather than rushing about like they had been the previous week, and even despite the large number of students out and about, there was not exactly a loud atmosphere about.
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Sakagami Tomoyo
Retired Staff
Student Council President
In-Character Posts: 121
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Post by Sakagami Tomoyo on Jun 9, 2012 22:02:50 GMT -6
Sakagami Tomoyo ______________________________________________________
There were days when it seemed like time itself was frozen and she was the only moving soul in the world. Today was such a day, and amidst the lazy, lethargic mood hanging in the air on a mid-spring day with summer temperatures, Tomoyo was busy as usual.
Now that Founder’s Festival had come on gone, the sakura trees, along with the rest of their normal duties, claimed the attention of the council. There were always papers that needed signing, people to meet with, clubs to check in on, and when she had downtime, there were friends she need not neglect. Life was hardly different for the rest of the student council members; it was just that Tomoyo, being the president, held the bulk of the responsibilities.
The quiet murmur of lunchtime chatter, the soft twittering of birds, and the light rustling of leaves in the breeze was, in an oddly simple way, a fleeting moment of zen for Sakagami Tomoyo. As long as the weather permitted, the courtyard was the fastest way and most pleasant way to get from one side of the school complex to the other.
She walked with a purpose but still took care to indulge in the slow stillness of the day. Her gaze wandered in the immediate path of her vision, only for her to catch sight of one particular student whom she didn’t know the name of.
He was hardly the kind of person one would pick out in a crowd; in fact, he was quite the opposite. He sat alone with an unassuming appearance, with his back slumped forward and his figure frail, and although he looked like the person who could walk across a stage without being noticed, those same features of his were ironically recognizable.
In her rounds through the school, she would often hear the strumming of a guitar in an otherwise quiet hallway, with the music originating from a single room. The boy’s figure, as fragile as it was, had been printed into her memory.
Her pace slowed as she drew near him.
“You’re not playing your guitar today?”
[/color] The words slipped out of her mouth almost of their own free will. Why had she decided to talk to him in the first place? Was it because he looked so pitiful sitting alone by himself, or was it mere curiosity for meeting the senior boy who spent so much of his time in the music room during class hours? [/blockquote][/size]
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Post by Yukimotou Takumi on Jul 12, 2012 12:29:21 GMT -6
The day was fantastic. The sun was shining brightly, probably further causing the students to simply laze about in their lunchtime. It didn’t matter how bright and hot it was though. Takumi couldn’t feel much of it. He could see the light, and could feel the heat, but he was still a long wait from the end of the tunnel yet.
“You’re not playing your guitar today?”
Back to reality. The voice was female once again and, despite him not having his guitar on his person, this girl knew exactly what he did with his time. What was it this week? He’d spent a whole year alone trying to get his head together, and now suddenly he was being approached almost daily, by girls no less.
Maybe I’ve still got it afterall….wait what?
Finally shutting his mind up for a moment, Takumi’s eyes averted from the blinding collage of blue, pink and green, and instead fell to silver and grey; this girl was a second year, it was clear from the red insignia on her left breast. Her silver hair framed her face with her fringe almost hovering around her grey eyes, allowing room for her to see clearly. All in all, she was rather unique in her appearance.
After he’d taken in the sight of the girl before him, Takumi began to register the question that she’d asked: “You’re not playing your guitar today?”
Takumi shook his head. “Not that it concerns you, but no, not today.” His reply held its cold, almost lifeless tone almost as a signature to his words. He knew this girl had obviously spoken to him for another reason though; everyone commented on his guitar, but there was always an ulterior motive for speaking with him. Instead of ending it there, he decided to cut in and speak again. Afterall, the sooner she’d gotten her words out of the way, the better. ”So what do you want? If it’s a private show then you’re out of luck.”
That Kazue girl was a one-off…
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Sakagami Tomoyo
Retired Staff
Student Council President
In-Character Posts: 121
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Post by Sakagami Tomoyo on Aug 9, 2012 19:47:59 GMT -6
Sakagami Tomoyo ______________________________________________________
The young man stirred as if he were being awoken from a dream. His steely eyes watched her with no sense of recognition; unusual considering who the girl in front of him was.
"Not that it concerns you,"
[/color] he shook his head at the council president, his long brown hair swaying slightly, "but no, not today."[/color] She blinked, unfazed by his curt words. "So what do you want? If it’s a private show then you’re out of luck."[/color] While most other people would be put off the male’s dismissive and cold manner, Tomoyo had encountered enough of his type to not be ruffled by it. "No, I’ve heard you play enough during class hours,"[/color] she said with a shake of her head. The girl wouldn't hesitate to admit she didn’t know a thing about music, but that didn’t mean she was blind to skill. The mysterious guitarist certainly knew how to play. There was no doubt about it. She stared at him, her eyebrows slightly furrowed as she recalled recent memories of his music resonating quietly through the halls of the old school building. The vivid blue patch on his uniform stood starkly against its white background. He was a senior… and yet, he was skipping class to play guitar. And then she wondered why he hadn’t yet been reprimanded by teachers. Why she hadn’t questioned him about it before. And she remembered her initial wonderment at seeing him in there, playing his guitar by his lonesome, only to turn away as if he weren’t there, for she had needed to return to class promptly after finishing the quick errand her teacher trusted her with. And it happened two other times. She’d walked past him, her gaze drawn to his lonely figure in the room as she walked past, and she remembered only thinking to herself, "He’s here again." But now he was here and the thought dawned on her that she should intervene. "Speaking of which,"[/color] she said, a hand on her hip, "you’re a senior."[/color] While most seniors devoted copious amounts of time studying for entrance exams (she could think of only two exceptions off the top of her head), here was one who seemed happy to spend that time playing guitar. Was he intending to trade his future for music? "Don't you think you should be attending your classes more diligently?"[/color] [/size][/blockquote]
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Post by Yukimotou Takumi on Aug 22, 2012 8:12:39 GMT -6
"No, I’ve heard you play enough during class hours."
It hadn’t worked. This girl clearly wasn’t leaving as easily as he’d hoped. Not only that, she was now giving him an authoritative look; her hand was now on her hip, and she appeared to be looking down at his seated figure. It wasn’t patronising, nor was it intimidating. It was defiance. She had something to say, and she was going to say it whether Takumi liked it or not.
”Speaking of which, you’re a senior.”
Observant. I wonder what else she knows. Even in his mind, this comment was drowning in sarcasm. He almost chuckled to himself as he imagined how it would sound if it left his lips in the same tone as he thought it. He was forced to hold the chuckle in however when the girl spoke again.
"Don't you think you should be attending your classes more diligently?"
Was she, an underclassman, really going to try ADVISING him? She couldn’t be serious could she? But then again, that look in her eye gave Takumi the answer to that question. Of course, he had a few questions of his own.
”What’s the point of starting a race if you have no idea where the finish line is?”
His reply was in a surprisingly warm tone, something he hadn’t meant.
”I don’t attend class because I see no point. Why you’ve gotten involved is beyond me.” This time, his tone returned to its usual chilling drone. ”Is it a habit of yours, that you interfere in the lives of people you don’t know, or even know the name of?” he continued, as he got to his feet and placed his hand on his bag. He’d had enough already.
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Sakagami Tomoyo
Retired Staff
Student Council President
In-Character Posts: 121
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Post by Sakagami Tomoyo on Nov 17, 2012 17:54:14 GMT -6
His answer… caught her off guard.
“What’s the point of starting a race if you have no idea where the finish line is?”
Although his complicated response left her speechless, her sympathetic eyes stubbornly remained on the young man’s lanky frame. His sharp words only glanced off her like daggers against steel. In trying to push her away, he gave her the vague inkling that maybe, just maybe… he was trying to reach out for help.
What was she supposed to say in a situation like this? ”We can never see the finish line unless we start?”
Perhaps it was best that those words had remained only in her thoughts. She had a feeling they wouldn’t reach him in the first place.
Rustle, rustle.
He stood up coldly, ready to turn and walk away. A strange sense of déjà vu whispered in her ear, but as expected, she couldn't remember any particular situation to which she could place the feeling.
Maybe she was imagining it. Maybe he didn’t want any help. And maybe he was right. This wasn’t any of her business and it was simply a bad habit of hers to poke her nose in places she didn’t belong. But, could she really just let him walk away? His words repeated in her mind.
A race with no seeable finish line.
He was someone who had lost his way; that was the impression he left on her.
What would happen if she stopped him? Was it even possible to stop him? If she called out to him, would he only ignore her? There was no point in trying, she told herself. Like he had said, she didn’t even know him, and a few days from now, she would forget this meeting. There was a better question that needed to be asked. Why did she even care about this young man whom she had just met?
Without thinking, she spoke again, her voice devoid of the pestering vigor it had before.
“Why do you play music?”
[/color] [/size][/blockquote]
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Post by Yukimotou Takumi on Nov 19, 2012 7:57:27 GMT -6
”Why do you play music?”
These few words stopped Takumi dead in his tracks. No-one had asked him this question in a long time – or at least not since the days he would actually go into his lessons – and so for a moment he wasn’t quite sure on how to answer. In fact, for that moment he had no answer for that at all.
He began to consider what it was that had kept music in his life for so long, and what had kept it there throughout the time following his father’s death. It took only a few seconds for him to find the answer. He placed his bag gently back down onto the table and turned to face this silver-haired girl.
”Music is a constant. Even if you’re not musically talented, music is always around you. It influences your actions, your moods, right down to the clothes you wear…but…playing music is a release. It’s a way of interaction, and of expression that could never be put into words, or perhaps are too difficult to do so. I play music…because I don’t know how else to live…”
His tone was considerably warmer than his previous words to the underclasswoman. For the first time in a while, Takumi was genuinely speaking from his heart. He wasn’t sure why he was opening up to this girl, but it felt oddly…relieving? That was the feeling that was closest to how he felt right now. Relieved.
As the final words left his mouth, Takumi’s crystal-like eyes slowly came upwards to meet her sapphire-blue ones. It was the first time he’d attempted to look anyone in the eye for a long time. ”…what’s your name? And why are you taking such an interest?”
Unlike his previous questions towards her, these were questions of genuine curiosity. Maybe it was the events of the past week or so. Maybe the lack of sleep from the past year was finally catching up to him. Maybe he was becoming ill from the amount of attention he had been getting recently. Whatever the reason, this girl interested him as much as he seemed to interest her. She’d questioned the one thing that had kept him going, and rightly so. But why? And what was it about that one question that had struck him somewhere deeper in his heart than he'd dare consider to even look at, let alone explore? One thing was for certain; whoever this girl was, she'd definitely struck a chord somewhere.
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Sakagami Tomoyo
Retired Staff
Student Council President
In-Character Posts: 121
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Post by Sakagami Tomoyo on Jan 26, 2013 18:24:56 GMT -6
And then... he stopped.
Clunk. He placed his bag on the table and turned to face her. Tomoyo was dumbfounded. Her words had more of an effect than she thought they would.
"Music is a constant," the young man said, not making eye contact. "Even if you're not musically talented, music is always around you. It influences your actions, your moods, right down to the close you wear... but... playing music is a release. It's a way of interaction, and of expression that could never be put into words; or perhaps are too difficult to do so. I play music... because I don't know how else to live."
She scuffed at the ground with her shoe and observed the senior's countenance with a sort of sympathetic, intrigued interest flickering in her eyes. Although she couldn't relate to his passion for music, she felt as if she understood his latter sentiment. Doing something because you didn't know how else to live was a way to fill the void of a dissatisfying, cold life. For Tomoyo, fighting had been her destructive distraction. It allowed her to run away from the real problems in her family life instead of facing them as her brother had done.
However, it was different for this young man in front of her. From what she could tell, music gave meaning to his life. It wasn't just a distraction for him. It was his talent.
His eyes met hers.
"What's your name?" he asked. His voice had a dry, unused quality to it. "Any why are you taking such an interest?"
"My name?" [/color] She blinked. Her mind was still fixated on his previous words, and his sudden question nearly made her forget everything she wanted to say. "Sakagami Tomoyo, of class 2-B. And..." she paused, considering how to continue. Why was she taking such an interest? It was a good question. "... I guess I was just curious,"[/color] she answered with a small shrug of her shoulders. "Everyone has different motivations for what they do, so I figured, 'why not ask?' After listening to you, I think it's amazing that music can give someone so much meaning in life."[/color] A regretful smile crept onto her face. "It'd be nice if we could just say, 'forget about school! I'll do what I'm passionate about, and everything will turn out okay!' ... But no, that's not how the system works.[/color] She frowned and waved her hands in front of her in an apologetic gesture. "Sorry, I'm not trying to lecture you this time. Maybe I'm complaining only for myself, but I think you'll agree with me," she said. "Society has its expectations. If a person is willing to accept the consequences for his actions, then by all means, he should forget about the detours, the hills, and go straight for the finish line." A light, tired sigh slipped from her lips and her gaze drifted up toward the impressive school building. "But, sometimes the troubles and obstacles are all a means to the end. They're not enjoyable, but sometimes they're necessary. Do you follow what I'm saying?"[/color] [/size][/blockquote]
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Post by Yukimotou Takumi on Aug 4, 2013 5:38:33 GMT -6
Takumi stood and listened to the younger student, curious as to what she had to say to him. ”My name? Sakagami Tomoyo of class 2-B. And…” For a moment she appeared to be hesitant. Takumi was concerned as to whether or not she really had a reason to talk to him. But soon enough she spoke again, setting his mind momentarily at ease. ”I guess I was just curious. Everyone has different motivations for what they do, so I figured ‘why not ask’?” Huh…so she was just being nosey. But nonetheless she’d made him think about something he’d not thought about in a long time. She’d caught his attention in the same way he’d seemingly caught hers; completely by accident and through sheer curiosity.
”After listening to you, I think it’s amazing how music can give someone so much meaning in life.” Another thing he hadn’t really considered until today was just how much music had really stuck with him even through his darkest time. He was about to speak again when he stopped, realising that Sakagami was still talking to him, now with a small smile on her face. ” "It'd be nice if we could just say, 'forget about school! I'll do what I'm passionate about, and everything will turn out okay!' ... But no, that's not how the system works.
Takumi was prepared to counter that, but was cut off when the silver-haired girl waved her hands in an apologetic manner, apologising as she did so. This Tomoyo girl was intriguing that was for sure. She seemed to be unsure of exactly what to say, knowing what she wanted to say to him but not wanting to insult him. ” "Society has its expectations. If a person is willing to accept the consequences for his actions, then by all means, he should forget about the detours, the hills, and go straight for the finish line."
”Society expects a lot from everyone around. It frowns upon those who think or act outside of the way the society works…but the most innovative of people are those who break from the mould and do what they feel is necessary to achieve. Sometimes the consequences are worth living with because they are rarely a permanent fixture in a person’s lifetime.” And there it was. Something he’d learned some time ago that had stuck with him. He chuckled lightly, smiling for the first time in what felt like forever.
"But, sometimes the troubles and obstacles are all a means to the end. They're not enjoyable, but sometimes they're necessary. Do you follow what I'm saying?"
”Yes…yes I follow.” After a few seconds his smile left his face. He grabbed his bag and looked over at the younger student. He had a lot to think about that was for sure. He looked up at the sky for a few moments, feeling the sun’s rays. He then turned and began walking back to the music room, waving his hand briefly at Tomoyo. “Thank you Sakagami…but I need to be alone for now.
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