Welcoming Committee (Closed)

[Kai Fujii]

Yep. This was the life, calm settings, small town, and temperature that are beyond Kai’s comprehension. Living down south more, he wasn’t use to the “freezing” temperatures of the north. To think, it hasn’t fully snowed yet. It was odd really, this was one of the few times he actually wore colorful clothing. And when he said colorful, he meant colorful. He was wearing bright yellow mittens, a thick bright green jacket, a bright red beanie and a pair of bright blue jeans. It may seem to natural to many, but to Kai he felt like a clown. He couldn’t be helped though. The very moment he got here he wasn’t dressed “winter” appropriate, so he basically ran into a store and bought what he believe to be warm clothing material. He could still the first wave of cold air piercing his body even now. The very thought of it gave shivers down his spine. Well no matter, Kai knew he had to adapt to this place. Besides the temporary hatred for the cold temperature, he liked this place. It was an improvement compared to the bustling noises or car’s honking and smog so thick that you could see a layer of yellow in the sky. This place was so; it was too hard to really fully describe. He took another sip of his coffee. He could tell some people were staring at him; wondering why in the world is a kid drinking coffee. Was he really that abnormally young looking? Heck, he was old enough to drink, in Canada so to speak.

He never really drank alcohol. May be because back in the states you had to be older then 18. But, now that he thought about it he doubt he would touch the stuff now if he were offered any. He could hear a few giggles in the back ground as he continued to sip some coffee. He slowly glanced behind him to see a few girls giggling and staring at his direct. Once could say he was paranoid, but he had a hunch about what they were giggling about. “Yes, get it out of your system,” he muttered as he continued sipping his coffee. He had a feeling they were talking about how he looked like a kid. Some times he wished he could just yell out “Yes, I’m abnormally young looking for my age, but here I have a legal photo ID with my age on it!” But, he wouldn’t have the guts to pull a stunt like that out of the blue. He was too conservative, for something like that. Although, he did kind of wish he had the guts to do so.

After 10 more minutes of sipping warm coffee, he pulled out his wallet and checked how much he had left. He gave another sigh as he took a glance at his close to empty wallet. He had more in his back account. But, he wasn’t sure if they operated in a place like this. There was only one solution to this problem, he needed to get himself a job. But, what can he do? He wasn’t really built for manual labor. Then again he wasn’t really built for any type of work in specific. It was then it hit him. This was a small town right? So he figured that there would most likely be at least one person in this place that would take him in as he will soon be a residence of this area anyway. If not a full job then part time? At this rate he would even take a temporary job just until he could find another more stable occupation.

Now just it’s just left to the one factor of him having enough guts to do so. Yes, asking for help. Something he dreaded but knew he would need to do sooner or later. Especially to a stranger, Kai wasn’t good with strangers to begin with either.

It was odd really, he had only been here for 2 hours and he was already attached to this place. Just then the waiter came by and asked if everything was fine. “Yes, very much.” She nodded and turned around. “Actually, Do you know if anyone is hiring around here by any chance?” She turned around quickly as if surprised by the question. “Sorry sir, I don’t know of anyone hiring. But, you should go ask the owners. I’m sure there will be someone hiring,” she replied. She was going to say more, but she was called away to take an order.

Kai had a feeling she was lying somewhat, especially towards the end. He figured she must have said that to make him feel better. Then again, he could just be over observing things.

[DesperateDark]

Reyes liked days like these; cool but still sunny with the early smell of fine snow. Call him crazy (which he was), but he did and liked to make the most of them. When he wanted to make the most out of a day, he would go out and play his music. It was his job to play music, and so far he was one of the only forms of live entertainment Noatak had. His arsenal included the tenor saxophone and the guitar, along with his gravikord that he played on occasion of it was a tough crowd.

His brown hair was tied back in it's usual, rabbit-tail puff of a ponytail. There were large streaks of red in it this time, signalling the arrival of the autumn season. His attire was made up of a brown turtleneck and jeans that were faded at the knees. Reyes' trusted guitar hung in it's case from the strap going across his chest and looping behind him. The Nine Muses Cafe was where he was headed today. He wanted to play some music, and the Nine Muses often welcomed him despite it not being Friday. Also, new people in town tended to gravitate towards the little cafe, and Reyes loved meeting new people.

So when he entered the warm little cafe with the tan walls and white trims, ruffling the cold out of his hair, his eye was drawn to the brightly-coloured... Uh... Vaguely marshmallow-like thing sitting at one of the tables. Reyes stared for a few moments as whoever it was spoke to the waitress, asking a question of sorts most likely. He let the colourful marshmallow ask his or her questions, then as the waitress turned away, he waved her over and asked for a black coffee. Now that he thought about it, the whole cafe smelled strongly of coffee and soup. That was very nice indeed.

Reyes sat down at a table next to the newcomer and waved happily at him. It was certainly a he, as Reyes could tell now. Why he was wearing such colourful attire was beyond him, but it wasn't his particular business anyways. Then again, when did that stop him? He would wait for his coffee to come along, drink it, get up into the empty area in the corner and play his music with his fedora on the nearby table to collect change. This was how he made enough money to sustain himself, and it was decent.

"Hi, you new?" Reyes waved again at the colourful boy, his trademark smile never leaving his face.

[Kai Fujii]

Just as Kai thought tonight was just going to be yet another silent night in Kai’s life. But, this thought soon ended when he heard the words “Hi, you new?” from a stranger. It startled him from his deep thought. He was somewhat speechless for a few minutes. A person greet him? “Oh, H-hello. Yes, I’m new here,” he said still shocked that a stranger here would associate with him. The first thing he noticed about the stranger, besides that very odd and in some cases creepy smile was his guitar. Either that or he was using it as a backpack. It kind of made him wondered if this stranger could play the guitar.

He wished he could play an instrument along time ago. He remembered one time way back when, that he asked a relative to teach him how to play the guitar. In the end, it didn’t go so well since he wasn’t “like” the others. One thing about his family is that if your part of the family and can’t “change”, then you are pretty much shunned from them. He concluded that in the end, it wouldn’t have worked anyway. He didn’t have a talent for music like he wished to have. He continued to star at the case for a few more minutes before snapping back into reality. It was then that he realized he had made a mistake. He forgot to tell the stranger his name. It was rude to talk with a person if you didn’t know their name.

“So sorry, my name is Kai,” he said in an apologetic tone. His eyes seemed somewhat submissive as the conversation continued. It wasn’t that he was trying to be disrespectful, in fact it was quite opposite. It was how he always was when he was with his family or anyone of higher “statues” then him. But, knowing Kai’s self esteem, everyone is “higher” then him.

It took him some time to muster enough courage and confidence to ask “So do you play?” He felt a little dumb asking a question like that. Of course he played an instrument. Why else would he be walking around town with what seemed to be a guitar case strapped on his back?

What also made him somewhat more curious about the stranger was his cheeriness. These kinds of people were always a mystery to him. How could people be this way? Was it some kind of hidden secret that Kai was not informed about? In any case, he had a feeling he would soon see this person very often in this small community.

[Fulong|Clara]

Onji wasn't overly fond of little towns, and this one was no exception. She liked having places to go, things to do, a good club to drop in on when things were looking slow. There was none of that in Noatak. The mall was a joke, the pizza place looked at her funny when she wanted seafood on her pies, and the local grocery seemed to consider bananas the height of "new and exciting produce." Onji couldn't even remember the last time she'd even heard the phrase "new and exciting produce" used in a serious context.

She supposed some people might find the quiet atmosphere relaxing, but she'd never been one for reflection. In fact, she considered as she pushed open the door to the cafe and loosened her scarf, there were very few reasons why she should want to stay here at all. One of them was the fact that making life interesting by yourself in a small town was, in some respects, even more entertaining than finding something to do in a large city. The other was this place.

There was something about cafes that she'd always liked. They were quiet, but it was an intellectual sort of quiet, one that could be accompanied by a good book and a perfect coffee. And the Nine Muses did coffee right in a way she hadn't believed was possible until she'd arrived.

She ordered a double ristretto, paid, and leaned back against the counter to wait, taking quick stock of the patrons. Was it her, or did this place have a completely disproportionate amount of Asians? In that vein, why was there multicolored marshmallow talking to some guy who looked like a J-pop singer on the run? Curiouser and curiouser.

Well, whoever they were, they'd probably been in town longer than she had. Maybe they wouldn't mind filling in a mildly confused neutral like Yueying Huang. At the very least, they were probably better sources of information than that Sharpe woman. Word on the street always was. Accepting her ristretto with a smile, she headed toward the two, indicating the seat next to Mr. J-pop.

"Hey," she said amiably. "This seat taken?"

[DesperateDark]

When Reyes got no answer from the boy, he cocked his head to one side curiously. He was greeted rather timidly by the stranger, and he was indeed new to Noatak. His eyes wandered over to the hardcase that housed his beloved instrument. It was a hand made guitar, old but fine tuned. Reyes had gotten it off a man who made custom guitars for quite a hefty amount when he was travelling in Germany, having gotten his other guitar stolen in France. It was white with gradient black to the center and small white designs along the sides. It was only a few moments later did he realize they were both staring at his guitar case as if it were a newly discovered animal, which made him giggle happily.

“So sorry, my name is Kai,” The timid stranger's eyes were downcast as he spoke, which tempted Reyes to stick his face under him and tell him to cheer up. But even after a brief encounter, he knew he would remember this Kai person. Usually there were very few Asians in Noatak, but as of recent there seemed to be some sort of invasion. Maybe it might've been somebody inviting all of them in so there could be a little Asia in Canada, but alas.

"I'm Reyes!" He nodded happily a few times, still smiling. "Satoshi Reyes Ando." His coffee came then, and he thanked the waitress before taking a sip. It was bitter and he stared at the deep brown brew before taking another sip. Reyes was always reminded of Aras when he drank coffee; the man smelled of the stuff constantly. That's when Kai asked if he played the guitar, and he couldn't help but giggle again. "Of course I play! I play here any chance I get, since it's where most of my money comes from."

And then somebody sat beside him. Reyes looked up to see yet another Asian had taken a seat next to him with a ristretto. "Go ahead." The seat wasn't taken, so he decided it would be alright for her to sit down. The more the merrier, as one would say. "Are you new to Noatak too? I haven't seen you before."

[Kai Fujii]

Now that he thought about it there was an alarming rate of Asians in this area. It was Canada of all places, one of the last places he would expect to find them. But, he couldn’t argue, he was after all Asian as well. He took a quick glance at the lady. He didn’t socialize with many people of the opposite gender much ever since the little “incident” in New York. Maybe because he was ready to talk to them again? Who knows. He then looked at the self proclaimed musician. The idea made him a little upset inside. Not because he hated musicians or anything. It was more because he was secretly jealous of him. To top it off, this Reyes character seemed awfully cheer. It made him wonder if he was like this every day or just temporarily today. In the end it didn’t really matter which was the scenario, he was also jealous of this quality, a quality that he currently won’t or may never have.

“Ummm, yes I’m new here?” he said as if unsure. He didn’t know whether that was good or a bad thing. He was afraid that in saying so, there will be trouble. Maybe he was just being paranoid? Well, He wasn’t sure of that either. With too new people in this equation all of a sudden his mind was getting confused. “S-so, Do you know if there is a place that can hire me? I’m running low on cash,” he said. It was a half lie, considering he had money, but he also felt like to start a new life he would need to start from scratch. That meant no past saving. Yet again, he felt embarrassed to ask such a question. Especially to someone he met a few minutes ago.

The more time has passed by the more questions he thought of asking. But of course he couldn’t ask such questions. He felt a little bit vulnerable, being the new guy. But, he could be wrong. They could be new to the place also. However, he knew the chances of this was highly unlikely.

[Fulong|Clara]

Onji plopped into the indicated seat and set her coffee down, flipping her scarf back over one shoulder. "Sort of new, yeah. I moved in a couple of months ago." She scrunched up her face slightly as she eyed him before she snapped her fingers and nodded decisively. "I've seen you playing around here before, haven't I? You're pretty damn good."

So quiet marshmallow kid was new, too. Judging by the way Mr. J-pop--Reyes, apparently--sounded, he'd been here for at least a while. Bingo. Source of potential information. It didn't particularly matter if he had a talisman; all she really wanted was a lowdown on the situation, and sometimes civilian viewpoints could be more useful than one might expect. Beggars couldn't be choosers, and she and An-qi needed to bag another Innocent soon if they wanted to pay the rent. And speaking of money--

"You could always check the mall," she said in response to the kid's question. "I think the music store was hiring last week. They probably still are, if that's your sort of thing."

A pause as she sipped her ristretto before she remembered her manners. "Name's Yueying, by the way," she said, setting the cup back down. "Nice to meet you both."

[DesperateDark]

"I've seen you playing around here before, haven't I? You're pretty damn good." The woman said with a decisive nod and a snap of her fingers. Reyes had to smile at her compliment, even though he really hadn't ever seen her around before. Maybe she was one of those people who sat in the back and never came up to shake his hand, or maybe she listened while he played at the gardens. Either or, he guessed that it was possible he had never seen her but she had heard his music.

"Nice to meet you, Yueying," He nodded once again at the woman. Then he turned to Kai and beamed. Kai reminded him of somebody he knew a long time ago, whether it be the meek, timid demeanour or how he spoke. He rather liked that, and found himself getting attached to the boy already. "You can try the mall like Yueying said, but you have to be quick." Reyes didn't add the fact that a lot of teenagers were looking for jobs in such a small town and the chances of actually getting the jobs were slim.

"Do you have a place to stay, Kai?" Maybe the boy did, but Reyes was pretty much running a full-fledged orphanage right now and one more wouldn't hurt. Metaphorically running an orphanage, of course, but he still had a lot of people living both permanently and temporarily at his house. Ignore the front yard, back yard and shark in the roof for a moment, and he had a rather nice place. "And why are you dressed in so much colour?"

Reyes leaned back a bit, hands still around his mug of coffee. The weather was becoming a bit chill, but it was nothing that wearing a turtleneck wouldn't make better. The warmth of the cafe helped quite a lot as well. He also began to scroll through his list of songs that he might want to play today and fiddled with the coaster under his mug, Really, he did anything to keep his hands busy.

[Kai Fujii]

“The mall huh?” he replied to the ladies answer. He hasn’t really checked the mall just yet. Truth be told, he didn’t really know where the mall was to begin with. He knew he needed to keep a side note of this. Sure it wasn’t the most interesting job, but beggars can’t be choosier in this situation. But, when she spoke of the store being a music store, it raised his eyebrows ever so slightly. “Oh, I do enjoy listening to music. My name is Kai by the way,” he said recalling that he didn’t introduce himself to her just yet. He still felt a bit uneasy around her. He didn’t know why, but something felt odd about her. Beyond the normal levels of paranoia he has for those of the opposing gender. Then again he was getting a small vibe from this area. He hadn’t really noticed it until he met Yueying. It felt like he was in the middle of something “more” then just a small town, yet isn’t part of it at he same time. He decided to keep a mental note of this and continued the conversation.

“No, I just arrived around 2 hours ago I believe. So I haven’t really found a place to stay yet.” He hadn’t really thought about were to stay just yet. It kind of made him feel a bit silly going to a place and not knowing where to stay. But, then again he figured there was bound to be at least one inn in this place. It would logically be kind of ridiculous of it didn’t. He had a feeling that he would ask Kai to stay at his place for the time being. Why else would he ask such a question. And whether to go was a debated subject in his mind.

Then came the question. The one question he knew was coming and dreaded it to be asked. Why was he dressed like a rainbow marshmallow. He immediately blushed after hearing the full question. It wasn’t a bright red, but it was enough to make it noticeable. How was he going to put it? After a while of thinking of what to say he finally found his starting point. “Y-you see. I was born in California, southern part to be more specific, so the whether was never anything like this. I wasn’t prepared for temperatures like this so I had to find the warmest clothing I could find. It just ended up being bright multiple colors.”

Just the thought of the expensive clothing made him more worried about getting a job. “Do you guys by any chance know where the mall is?” Yet, again he felt embarrassed asking such a question. He was getting the feeling that he seemed dumber with every question he asked.

[Fulong|Clara]

"Nice to meet you, Kai." He didn't seem a bad kid, really, just nervous. Onji could understand that. New people in small towns usually were. "If you need a place to stay and don't object to sleeping on a sofa, I could probably fit you up for a day or two until you find something more permanent." It didn't seem unreasonable; neither she nor An-qi were on assignment at the moment, and making friends in Noatak was good.

Aside from the fact that it would throw off suspicion, anyway. There was a funny idea going around in this town that Hunters weren't supposed to have friends or normal lives. As if she was going to play up that stereotype. Dark, abandoned castles didn't have central heating and eating babies got old after a while.

And then Mr. J-pop went and brought up the kid's outfit. Which wasn't terribly tactful of him, considering Kai's face was rapidly headed toward the colour of his beanie. Onji grinned.

"I knew some people from SoCal in college. They just about froze to death anytime the temperature went under forty. At least you're prepared. And there's nothing wrong with multiple colours," she added matter-of-factly. "Keeps things cheerful and keeps you warm. The best kind of clothes, yeah? And don't look so embarrassed, I'd be kind of weirded out if you knew where everything was after being in town for just two hours. The mall isn't all that far from here. I'd draw a map but my sense of direction sucks."

[DesperateDark]

“No, I just arrived around 2 hours ago I believe. So I haven’t really found a place to stay yet.”

Reyes thought this a little curious. Hadn’t Kai planned anything ahead when he walked into town? No job and no place to stay. By the looks of it, the boy would be staying here a little longer then temporary as well. Then the woman offered for him to crash on her couch for a few days, and he thought that was nice. People in smaller communities always seemed to be nicer then the ones in big cities.

But when Kai answered the question about his clothing choices, he blushed a bright red and shrunk back a little in his coat. Reyes, however, grinned at the boy. He was becoming so freaking adorable and he just wanted to give him a big hug. Actually, he gave in, leaned over and gave Kai a big hug. Anybody who knew Reyes would’ve seen this coming. “Like Yueying said, colours are nice and better if it keeps you warm.”

“As for the mall,” A pause as Reyes tried to orient himself within the small café. “It’s a bit north of here, if I’m not mistaken. You have to pass Uncle Sam’s first.” He was pretty sure of the direction, as he had been living in Noatak for a few years now. But he was still worried about the kid getting a place to stay before getting a job. “Winter’s coming, you really need to find a place to stay.”

[Kai Fujii]

“A place to stay?” he repeated. Should he stay with Yueying? Would it be too rude? What if something bad happens when he stayed there? All these questions were multiplying in his mind. He wanted to get the full gauge of what’s he getting into. Sure he was careless when coming here. But, that was because he was in the process of starting something new. Now he wanted to make sure his life style from here on out was with one with no regrets, which he knew would be hard to do, and a “safe” life style. It took him a while to make up his mind. “Y-y-wait, let me think about it,” he said. At this point he felt like he was being rude towards Yueying. He didn’t mean too but he had a feeling that she felt that way. Keep in mind that Kai always had a tendency for believing that everyone has a negative view on him.

He felt a bit more reassured that he didn’t look “too” horrid. Either that or she was just saying a white lie just to make him feel better. Either way it was working. He didn’t feel as insecure as before. The conversation was pretty casual so far in Kai’s eyes. But, that thought soon ended when he received a hug. He pretty much jumped off his seat a few inches. Never had he received a hug in 4 or 5 years. He had lost count and to top it off it was from a guy he barely met. Back at home guys didn’t give hugs to other guys that they just met. He yelped in surprised.

But, after a few seconds his body finally cooled down. He returns down to his seat. A hug was still a pretty foreign concept to him. His family never hugged him much. Especially since he was the only one in the whole family that hadn’t received his talisman yet.

He then heard the actually directions to the mall and kept a mental note of it. He had the feeling he would need to ask again where the mall was, but he could at least try to remember where it is. Also, when Kai heard the response to it being winter soon. Yes, he knew about winter was coming soon. If he thought it was cold now, what would winter by like? He needed a place to stay whether he liked it or not. He took a deep breathe and then said “Yueying, can I stay with you temporarily?” Yet again he felt odd asking a lady for a place to stay. But, he figured it couldn’t be helped.

[Fulong|Clara]

Onji had only just met Reyes and was not therefore granted the advantage of knowing him particularly well, so it stood to reason that her eyebrows went upward considerably as he gave the kid a hug. She edged, surreptitiously, away from him. He was probably a nice guy, what with the hugs and all, but she didn't consider herself a particularly huggy sort of person. With luck, she wouldn't do anything adorable enough to warrant one.

She was a little surprised when Kai actually agreed to make use of her living room, despite the fact that she'd been the one to make the offer. She'd have to let An-qi know; it would probably be best if they didn't take on any new assignments for the time being. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, aside from the lack of income, as it strengthened their covers in the meantime.

Dismissing those thoughts, she grinned at Kai, expressing her approval with a distinct lack of physical contact. "You can indeed," she said, digging into her pocket for a scrap of paper. "I'll give you my address now; if you've got any luggage that needs moving, I'll let my roommate know and we'll pick it up for you. It isn't hard to find an apartment here; most of the landlords are pretty willing to let you off the hook until you've landed a solid job."

[DesperateDark]

When Reyes gave the kid a hug, he must've jumped at least three feet into the air and made a movement that felt as if he wanted to back off. Kai must've been startled by the free hug, and Reyes only grinned wider before he released him. He patted him on the head once or twice, meaning no harm, before settling back in his seat.

As Kai and Yueyang discussed him staying at her place for the time being, Reyes' mind wandered to the similarities between the new boy to somebody he knew from a while ago. He no longer had contacts with Caleb, but Kai certainly reminded him. He even, more or less, resembled him. It might've been a bad thing, but he didn't know for the time being. They both had the same meek, timid attitude and innocent air about them. But, of course, Kai knew how to speak English while Caleb could only stumble around the words and look upset when he pronounced words wrong and people laughed.

And, as Reyes rolled, he got completely sidetracked from the current situation. He pulled his guitar from it's hardcase and dusted off the face with a slight smile. Oh yes, the familiar memories and songs played on this old hunk of wire and wood. He plucked at a few strings, played a few notes, and it was all pretty okay. "Yeh, most landlords around here are pretty nice about payments. And if you're in desperate need for money, try doing odd jobs like I do." A pause as he put a string into tune. "A lot of older folk around here need things done. That's how I used to make money before I began busking."

[Kai Fujii]

Kai took the piece of paper that contained Yueyang’s address. He skimmed over it for a few minutes before placing it in his pocket. “I don’t have many items. I traveled light,” he responded pointing at a small suitcase to the right of his leg. Truth is he didn’t own much. His parents owned most of the stuff he used back home. But, he didn’t feel like getting into details on that right now. He didn’t feel like being a storyteller right now.

The hug Reyes gave him did catch him off guard. Followed by the tap on the head. The tap on the head made him feel like a little kid, that or a puppy. Neither was something Kai really wanted to be. But, he supposed that it was his fault. When he heard Reyes talk about the older folks of this place, it made him somewhat nervous mostly because he most, if not all, of the older folks back at home didn’t like him all that much. But, these older folks back home were his relatives, so he figured, or hoped in this matter, that they were different, not all grouchy, spiteful, and so on.

“Thank you guy so much for you help,” he said. He was truly thankful for there help, even though he still felt embarrassed from it. It was then his body felt weak. His sickness was getting the best of him. “E-excuse me I’ll be right back,” he said as he go up and made his way to the restroom. Walked towards the restroom as if he was totally fine, but was he reached inside the shockingly well-kept restroom he nearly keeled over. If their wall wasn’t there to support him he would have fallen face first into the floor. His breathing became harder and his vision was beginning to dissipate. “Get a hold of yourself,” muttered Kai to himself. After 10 minutes the “attack” on his body ended.

He got up to stand on both his legs almost losing his balance one and made hi way to the sink. Luckly, no one was in the bathroom. The last thing he wanted was for people in the small community to know about his “condition”.