New Beginnings (Kage, open)

[Kogoejini Douten]

Kogoejini sighed audibly as his right hand, the fingers each spread apart, moved to his forehead before moving backwards along his scalp, his fingers combing his hair back into place. Packing up the last of his papers, the elemental stood up from his work space and clocked out, ready to leave this place for the weekend. On his way to his car, Kogo smiled and nodded towards the students he came across in the hallways of the school where he now taught at. The whole seven minutes it took for him to get to his car, he kept an amiable smile on his face, not wanting to give anyone anything to complain about against him; at least, not while he was still on the school's grounds.

Finally at his 2010 Toyota Prius, a car which he bought two years ago, and one of the best cars he could've bought with his current salary and savings, Kogoejini quickly climbed into the car and started it's engine. As he pulled away from the school, he noticed that his tank was almost on empty. Yet another small blessing from the heavens, he thought with a flair of mildly irritated sarcasm. As he made his way towards the nearest gas station, Kogo turned on the radio in the car, tuning in to the last bits of a conversation about some old celebrities who seemed to have simply faded out of existence. The voice of the female host of the show suddenly spoke to her guest counterpart, asking a seemingly random question. "What do you think ever happened to that masked hero guy from a few years ago?"

"Do you mean that Buriza-do? Wasn't it found out that he was just a guy using tricks and special effects as a publicity stunt?" Came the reply from a male voice, probably some popular pretty-boy they got on the show as a guest speaker.

At this point, Kogo quickly switch the radio to the cd-player and began listening to what was currently in the cd slot, a copy of AC/DC's Let There Be Rock album. He found this to be a lot more relaxing than that talk show which brought back some memories he didn't need surfacing even more than they already had been today.

After filling his car with gas, the weary young man was finally able to make his way towards his intended destination. Stopping his car, he got out and reached into his backseat to pull out four long sticks of incense, and four bouquets of flowers that he had picked up en route. Now possessing the tools he needed for his latest excursion, the man walked into the place that had been on his mind all day, to the point where it had even distracted him during teaching, Misumai Cemetery. Making his way through the graves and tombstones, not seeing any other people within the cemetery, Kogo swiftly arrived at a semi-secluded spot with four gravestones close to each other, and his face grew very somber as he knelt before them.

He placed one stick on incense into an incense holder in each grave head, then lit them before setting down a bouquet of flowers before each gravestone as well. He then knelt before the four graves and spoke to them in turn with a voice filled with sadness and longing, beginning with the oldest of the graves, one with the name Douten Fumetsu. "Brother, I am sorry that you never got to live, but I have lived for the both of us. The grades of my class have been brought up by about forty percent since I visited last month. I'm sure that you wouldn't have been something as boring as a teacher, if you had the chance. I hope that you are happy being able to see mom and dad, and I hope that you will know me when I get the chance to meet you."

He then turned to the face his attention to the grave to the right of Fumetsu's, which had been the furthest to the left. This gravestone had the name Sato Akemi inscribed upon it, and was the most beautiful of the gravestones. "Mother, I miss you. Sometimes, it feels too hard to go on without you and dad, without Jirou. I am sorry that I have not been able to do anything great with my life and make you proud of your son. All I have done is fail whenever I tried to be something. However, I always have this conversation with you, and I am sure that you are tired of my complaining. Did you hear what I told brother? The scores of my class are raising. I even got complimented by the principal today on how well my students are doing in their studies." After a few more minutes of talking, Kogo ended his conversation with his mother's grave by saying, "I am sure that you would want me to speak with father a little now, so I shall go ahead and say goodbye."

Turning to the next gravestone to the right of his mother's, Kogo looked at the words carved upon it:

Douten Kenta

Father
Hero
Friend
A Noble Samurai

The elemental slammed his head to the ground as he prostrated himself before the grave, speaking out without lifting up his head. "Father!" he cried out, "This unworthy and shameful son pays his respects."

That was all he could manage to get out through his sense of guilt over how his father and his best friend, Souta Jirou, had died. After maintaining the same position for over five minutes in silence, Kogo stood up before facing the last gravestone, marking the grave of his friend Jirou. He gave a deep bow to the statue for fifteen seconds before turning around and making his way past his car, to a nearby park, where he sat down upon a bench.

As soon as he reached the bench, Kogo reached into the inner pockets of his suit and pulled out a package of cigarettes and a lighter, swiftly moving a cigarette into his mouth and lighting it. After putting the package and lighter back into his pocket, the elemental looked out at the sun that was slowly sinking towards the horizon, the tears that he had been holding back finally surfaced and began to flow down his face.

[Kage Jaeger]

Kage came to the graveyard occasionally, and as of yet he honestly could not tell anybody why. Perhaps it was simply because he felt some sort of kinship for the dead, having nobody to connect with personally outside of his clan. Perhaps he thought that maybe his original father and mother where buried here, and he was here to pay respect to his ancestors despite not knowing who's name could possibly be engraved upon the tombstone. No, Kage doubted that his parents, whoever they be, happened to be in this very graveyard. Besides, Kage doubted very much that his ancestors where looking out for him at all, for if he had he would not be in the situation he was in. Where not the ancestors suppose to look out for you, help guide you along the proper paths and lead you to honor? Well that was not what had become of himself, not in the least bit so he highly doubted that there where any "ancestors" out there watching out for him and protecting him. He had been trained and knew that the only way to be safe was to take care of yourself, and leave almost everything and everyone behind you.

Except, then there was Seraphina. He did not what to leave her behind, and wanted to go forward with her. He blinked, reaching up and the cold hearted killer, the living shadow that was his name sake found something wet sliding down his cheek. Reaching up, he brushed it away and looked at his tear streaked hand. He had not cried in years, so why was he crying now. His eyes instantly dried, anger burning them away. He was NOT some child, to suddenly be crying after so many years especially over some WOMAN! Except, his heart softened instantly and he could not maintain his anger towards Seraphina. Seraphina was not simply SOME woman, she was the most amazing beautiful woman he had ever meet in his life. Kage sighed, and shook his head. He needed to get going, but was not quite ready to leave yet.

His eyes drifted over the graveyard, when he noticed a man lying prostrate upon the ground before a small grouping of grave stones. Kage looked away, respecting the man's prayers to whatever ancestors he was praying towards. He however looked back several seconds later, and there the man still lay upon the ground. An intriguingly long supplication, Kage thought to himself though nothing unusual. He had heard and seen of people coming spend an entire day upon their knees before the gravestones of their ancestors praying for guidance and help. Kage simply could not understand that. Did they not realize that they made their own fates? That ancestors, whether real or not, obviously did not care if one had to kneel or lay upon their faces for hours and hours at time? Real ancestors, or ones who cared would not except somebody to give up their entire day, to kneel before they praying for things only to occasionally give it. That was not how "love" worked, was it? Kage simply could not buy that.

Movement caught his attention, and he noticed the other man had finally gotten up and moved away. His eyes followed the male as he moved from the graveyard over to a park where he sat upon a bench for a moment before pulling out a pack of cigarettes. Kage frowned, watching the male as he light up and sighed. So much for respect and honor, he thought to himself. He slowly pushed away from the tree he had been leaning upon, half hidden in the shadows and moved across the excellently kept graveyard. He moved between the tombstones, making certain to not step upon anybody’s plot just in case he incurred the wrath of their spirit. He wound his way along, looking for better or for worse nothing more than another visitor preparing to leave after visiting some tombstone or another, although that was not entirely the case. Moving towards the park, he finally reached it and moved over beside the other male. Without asking, he sat upon the same bench but well at the other side respecting the other man’s distance and privacy.

Finally Kage spoke up, his voice coming out slow and thoughtful. “As I am sure you know, smoking like that is bad for your health. Causes all sorts of rather unpleasant things, such as cancers and emphysema and what not to boot while on top of that causing the people around you those same problems and even more, so the doctors say. I wonder what the ancestors and spirits would say, causing that sort of damage to yourself and others around you, and I also wonder what could drive a person to wish to commit a slowly drawn out suicide upon their own lives in such a manner.”

[Kogoejini Douten]

Kogoejini looked up, upon realizing that someone had decided to join him on the bench. His eyes and cheeks were still wet, yet he did nothing to try to wipe his face before looking at this stranger who deigned to break his solitude. After taking in the male's appearance, Kogo's gaze drifted to the front of himself, staring out at the park.

Shortly after, the man who had decided to join him spoke up. “As I am sure you know, smoking like that is bad for your health. Causes all sorts of rather unpleasant things, such as cancers and emphysema and what not to boot while on top of that causing the people around you those same problems and even more, so the doctors say." Kogo frowned upon hearing this, but said nothing yet, as the man continued to speak. "I wonder what the ancestors and spirits would say, causing that sort of damage to yourself and others around you, and I also wonder what could drive a person to wish to commit a slowly drawn out suicide upon their own lives in such a manner.”

"Ancestors and spirits have passed on, and a few of them smoked, themselves. Tobacco is not something new to this world." Kogoejini said, before turning once again to the man who seemed to want to speak about Kogo's bad habits after choosing to sit beside him. "If people do not want to catch secondhand smoke, then they can choose to stay away from smokers, in public. I chose to sit here, by myself, away from people, and smoke, you chose to sit beside me. Please do not criticize my actions if you willingly subject yourself to them." Sitting silent for a few seconds, Kogo turned away from the male once again, flicking his cigarette to the ground and stepping it out while muttering softly to himself, "There are many things which can drive a person to such a point."

The young teacher wasn't sure if this man would speak up again, but he was pretty sure that he probably wouldn't want for the man to do so.

[Kage Jaeger]

Kage sat silently, staring off at the tombstones arranged in their neat lines before themselves. He did not move, but the had the look of one lost in deep thoughts that ensnared the mind like a fly in a spider's web. He finally stirred ever so slightly, all for nothing more then a slight, simple nodding of his forehead.

"I apologize," he said finally towards the other man. "I simply saw such passion in the way you prayed to the ancestors, and thought that perhaps another voice would be of use. I did not mean to criticize you personally, but instead offer a sort of outer voice. The ancestors did not know that such things where bad for them, and those who did did not have the chemicals with in that we have now a days. I simply meant, perhaps your ancestors would wish you to be more productive, instead of wasting your life and money smoking those. I apologize for being blunt, and I will leave you alone now with your thoughts."

With that the male actually did finish speaking, and turned partially away to look out past the grave stones. His face as stoic, hard and cold looking as if he was thinking of something unpleasant. Brow furrowed, he leaned forwards and placed his elbows upon his knees then rested his chin upon his raised and cupped hands.

[Kogoejini Douten]

Kogoejini held back an exasperated sigh when he heard the other man begin to speak; however, it soon died out once Kogo realized that the man was starting off with an apology.

"I simply saw such passion in the way you prayed to the ancestors, and thought that perhaps another voice would be of use. I did not mean to criticize you personally, but instead offer a sort of outer voice. The ancestors did not know that such things where bad for them, and those who did did not have the chemicals with in that we have now a days. I simply meant, perhaps your ancestors would wish you to be more productive, instead of wasting your life and money smoking those. I apologize for being blunt, and I will leave you alone now with your thoughts."

The elemental looked towards the man sitting to his side and took a moment to really look him over. He watched as the man, who seemed to be roughly around his age, lean forward and place his elbows upon his knees, proceeding to then rest his chin upon the raised and cupped hands. The young man's face seemed to be contemplative and, maybe it was just Kogo overthinking things, but it seemed as though the other male might even be holding a bit of sorrow or pain in his own heart.

Kogoejini let out a sigh as he spoke out to the man, "I do thank you for your concern, however, I have nothing which I am looking forward to. Anyway, you seem to be hiding something in your own heart, if it is not too rude of me to say so. Do you have anywhere you need to be? Or would you mind joining me to stop by a noodle place?"

Thinking over what the man had said about another voice possibly being of use, Kogo had decided that it was possible that he might need that; and that, if the other man should need some sort of advice or help, he should at least try to offer what he could.

[Kage Jaeger]

     Kage waved a hand dismissively at the world at large, swirling his hand and smiling. "I have no prior engagements that would prevent myself from having some noodles in your company, good sir." He knew of the noodle shop the man was speaking about, or least thought he knew what shop he spoke of. He however would wait and simply walk along side the other male to make sure they where indeed thinking of the same place. A gentle brush of his hands upon his pants cleaned his hands of the slightly sand feeling left upon the by the bench they had been sitting upon, and he fell in to step beside the other male as they began to move in the direction of the shop.

     The other male had asked a legitimate question, and Kage felt the urge to answer him truthfully. Alas, he would not (and could not) reveal all of his past and history, nor would he reveal his present history. However some of it could be spoke about truthfully, and pondered over by himself and any other he decided upon speaking to with it. Perhaps now was that time to speak about such things in other company besides his own Clan who only provided half answers and truths to him when it suited their own needs and wishes. He was not sure why, but he was coming to distrust them as much as he distrusted their rivals.

     "I hide nothing in my heart, good sir. However, what troubles me is that I have no ancestors to pray to. No, I contradict myself with those words. I suppose a better response would be that I do not know any ancestors whom I should ever pray to, or of any gods or goddesses whom would ever answer me if I did pray. Which god or goddess, or what ancestors would listen and/or respond to a orphaned child such as myself with no knowledge of their past or heritage?"