Oh, Gods...(Candira and Razgriz)

Candira

Candira

Singularity
Joined
Jan 9, 2009
It was a pretty average day for Katsumi. This morning, she'd risen before the sun, as per usual, and taken care of her shrine duties--mostly cleaning and restocking various items. Then, she'd taken care of her morning work-out, what many might consider a grueling routine. After a warm shower and a quick skin-care routine, she was dressed in her high school's uniform--a fairly standard affair. She wore a dark red pleated skirt, a white blouse, red neck tie, and a light grey blazer over everything. She wore dark thigh high stockings and black pumps as well, carrying a brown bag and a gym bag for her martial arts clubs.

As usual, the brunette had combed her hair into a long ponytail, her bangs swept over her left eye, some of her hair framing her face. Her eyes were a light golden brown--hazel some had claimed--though they were behind a pair of reading glasses. She ate her simple breakfast on the bus while she caught up on some reading from the night before.

Yes, everything was moving along as normal. It wasn't until the end of home room was nearing that anything had happened. The teacher returned from the office looking rather nervous and just a little disturbed. Katsumi sat up a little straighter and leaned forward, wondering what had happened to the kind teacher who'd acted more like an older brother at times than a professional.

"Excuse me class. Please be seated." The stragglers made their way back to their desks, curious as to what was going on. "We have a new student today...From Sweden. Please, introduce yourself," the young man said, gesturing to the student in the hall. What was all this about?
 
Yes, everything had been going fairly normally. Classes came and went, with some students talking about what to do after school and others stressing over upcoming exams. The sounds of locker doors clanging and squeaking from the aged hinges resonated between passing periods as the various pupils would change out their books for whatever class came next. And before long the halls had quieted down as homeroom period started.

And today would be no ordinary day indeed, for the school was about to get quite the shake up.

At the teacher's introduction, a rather intimidating individual walked across the threshold, hands in the pockets of his grey suit pants: Standing well over six and a half feet tall, this one was built like a mountain. The sport jacket of his grey suit seemed quite snug against his muscled physique, despite being a few sizes larger than what was standard issue. His platinum hair was swept back and reached just below his broad shoulders, the scruffy blonde beard adding to the appearance of a wildman. Striking cobalt hues peered out at the students, many of whom stared back in either great curiosity or mild fear, some even whispering to each how someone could reach such a size.

He stared out at the crowd for a few moments, a bemused grin on his face before he simply stated, his Nordic accent quite apparent, "Yo. I'm Njord Skallagrim." He then tugged at the collar of his undershirt, mumbling "This blasted thing is so restrictive. Do we really have to wear this?"

The teacher just sighed, "Yes, Njord, that is the case." Njord huffed, "Is this a school or a military academy?" The toothy grin then returned, a glint of interest appearing in his eyes "Actually, now that I think about it...I'm kind of hoping for the latter. This school has martial arts clubs, right?" The teacher replied with a cock of his head, "Yes, I suppose it does."

Njord's grin widened even further, "Excellent! I'll go check those out right now!" He then turned around and walked right back out of the classroom. "Njor...Mister Skallagrim, wait! Those are for after school!" the poor teacher cried out, following hurriedly behind the new - and very strange - student. Within moments, the two walked right back in, the teacher looking quite out of breath. "Now please, Njord...Take your seat next to Miss Sango, if you would." the instructor asked in an exasperated tone. "Alright, alright...No need to get all twisted in a knot." Njord replied with a slight chuckle, maneuvering his massive form to sit next to the brunette.
 
This had to be a joke. It was all she could do to restrain the single bark of laughter that wanted to escape her as the "student" entered the room. By no stretch of the imagination did he look like he belonged in a high school. That was a full grown man if ever she had seen one. Then again, even a lot of the full grown men she knew never reached that size in their dreams. My but he was a modern-day giant.

She could hear a few gulps near by from a cluster of boys and the rest of the students just stared, confused, worried, and now suddenly understanding of why the teacher had looked so disturbed before. Never had she seen someone quite so...hirsute. The uniform barely fit him, but from what she could tell of his body, there was hardly a scrap of unnecessary fat to be found. He was built beneath the suit--she could tell that much thanks to her training.

But it came to her immediately that he looked like he belonged in some kind of ancient battle-field, not some mid-range high school. No wonder he was excited about the martial arts clubs. As she processed what was happening, she saw the muscled man come her way and realized that the seat next to her was open. Suddenly she was uncomfortably aware of how much younger she looked than he did. Instant bummer.

It wasn't as though he was an ugly person, but something was clearly not right about him. Namely that he was way older than the average high school student. Still, she was raised better than to stare, and class was about to start again, anyway. She sat up straight, nodded at the blonde man, and then prepared for the next subject to be taught.

She was the only one with this approach, however. The room was instantly alive with whispers of speculation, distrust, and all out distaste. Katsumi was the only one to completely ignore the new student and focus on what was coming next. Including their poor teacher.
 
Despite the whispers and talking behind his back - all of which, to their disinformation, Njord could hear quite clearly - he seemed to pay it no mind. No, he was more focused on how he was going to fit into the desk of wood and metal; thankfully, the chair wasn't actually affixed to the table, so he would be able to move it back if he needed to. But being at the exact center of the classroom...Well, the person sitting behind him would have quite the task of seeing anything the teacher had to write.

Speaking of which, the teacher had finally regained his composure. "Now, class, please settle down. I'm sure having a student from Sweden is very exciting. But now we must get into today's lesson and schedule." He then turned, still casting wayward glances at the newest student, to face the blackboard before starting the new discussion of how Japan recovered after the events of World War II.

At this, Njord's ears perked up at the mention of 'war'; however, it was mostly about how they managed to rebuild after the United States of America had dropped two thermonuclear bombs. That was about all that interested him before he just began tuning everything out, his eyes beginning to wander before they landed back on the woman to his left.

A slight grin appeared on his face; even with that uniform on, he could tell that the figure beneath was a perfect mixture of curvy and toned. He then turned and said, "Well, hello there. Might I ask your name, beautiful?"
 
Katsumi's notes were a thing of beauty. They were thorough, but not word-for-word. They were perfectly organized and they even had little pictures to help her remember certain concepts more easily. Yes, they were excellent notes. She seemed perfectly at ease in this setting, but she was very much alert to her surroundings. The man sitting next to her seemed interested, though he made no effort to take notes, nor did he seem to pay a great deal of attention after the first few minutes of the lecture.

She had noticed that his stature made sitting in his desk difficult, and guessed that the student who sat behind him would be asking their friends for notes fairly frequently unless they learned to take everything by ear. The brunette was also very much aware of the way the man sitting next to her was checking her out. His eyes raking over her felt so....uncomfortable to say the least. It was probably the sleaziest thing that had happened to her. A grown man was checking her out and she wasn't at all pleased by this development.

She frowned as he quite openly hit on her, despite the fact that it was disguised as a request for her name. She wasn't rude, but she certainly didn't want to interact with the man, so she finished the sentence she was writing and turned to cast her eyes at the man. Why was he really here?

"Sango, Katsumi," she answered politely, her face a blank slate. "Excuse me, I need to concentrate." And with that, she assumed the interaction was complete, she went back to taking notes, answering questions when she could, and asking them when she was confused. She was a good student, that was certain, but she was especially good today because it gave her something else to focus on.
 
"A lovely name" he replied, still grinning ear to ear; his smile never faltered, even as she brushed him off to resume taking notes. So polite, he thought. But oh so cold.

It was evident to him she didn't want to talk at the moment. Seemed his gut was right, she was the serious type, the ones who always seemed to have something permanently lodged in the back door. It reminded him eerily of someone he knew. A certain someone who would frown greatly upon what he was about to do next.

His cobalt hues glinting with mischievous intent, he leaned over the relatively small desk and started to write something down in the simple notebook he had brought with him. To others, it would seem like he was finally taking notes on the material at hand. However, a tearing sound was then heard as he ripped a page out and folded it in two. It was only when he went to hand it to the young lady beside him did it all start.

"Mister Skallagrim! Note passing in class? At this age?" the instructor was then heard saying sternly; at this, most of the students stopped and turned their attention towards the new student. They would find, however, that no blush of embarrassment - or any indication of guilt at being caught - crossed his features. "Well, I was trying to talk to her, but since she wanted to take notes on this topic, I figured the written communication would work better." he then replied directly, sitting up a little straighter.

Placing his hands on his hips, the teacher then retorted, somewhat flustered by this individual's lack of shame, "Well then, I suppose it wouldn't be too much trouble if you shared with us. Would it?" Giving Katsumi a small wink, he just stood up and stated, "I could think of no higher honor." Walking towards the front of the class, he then turned and faced them, reopening the sheet of paper. On it was just his cell phone number and the words 'Call me'.

But where was the fun in just saying that?

He then recited what could possibly be one of the worst attempts at poetry anyone had ever heard. All off the top of his head.

"Oh Katsumi, you act so tough.
But you're really just a diamond in the rough.
Here's my number, it's my cell.
My ringtone is the wedding bell.
We can go for some sake wine.
And on the finest foods we'll dine.
Maybe one day you'll give me a call.
Then you'll see I'm more than just a Swedish muscled wall."

The class practically went mute, eyes turning to see Katsumi's reaction. It was so quiet one could hear a pin drop. The teacher just stared, dumbfounded that he ACTUALLY read that aloud. "That...That is so inappropriate. On the first day?! Go stand in the hall!" he finally shouted, to which Njord shrugged and opened, "Fine by me." As he walked outside, he crumpled the paper and tossed it casually into the wastebasket, muttering "Ya, two points." The sliding door then opened and subsequently slid shut, leaving the class to recover from...that.
 
She heard the compliment and thought she should probably thank him for it, but since he seemed to be writing after all this time, she thought better of it. But then, the ripping sound caught her attention and she looked up just as the teacher called him out on trying to pass notes. It was kind of lame and creepy, but that was really only because he looked so much older than he claimed to be.

Her stomach dropped as the teacher told him to read everything out loud. Somehow, she got the feeling that even if what was written on the letter was innocent, the man reading the note wasn't. What followed was possibly the most stupifying thing she'd ever seen.

A grown man was reciting a poem. About her. To her class. Because he wanted to date her? At some point, her jaw dropped in awe. When he finished, she closed her mouth, confused. She was a very pretty shade of red, but she didn't look at all happy.

What was his problem? He didn't even know her! Why was he embarrassing her like this? And...what? Just what? As the teacher commanded him to leave the room, she felt both relief and a mixture of anger and wanting to bury her head in something so she could disappear.

She got a few sympathetic looks from girls, a few snickers from boys, and a few bewildered expressions as if they were trying to ask her to explain.

"Mr. Otame...I...May I see the nurse? I don't feel so well."

The teacher sighed and seemed to consider that Katsumi wasn't one to abuse this type of thing. A friend offered to take notes for her while she rested and Katsumi nodded her thanks as she left the room herself, leaving through the opposite door at the back of the room. She looked over at the exchange student and shook her head. "I don't know what your problem is, but leave me out of your shenanigans, please."
 
Njord just stood with his back against the wall, arms crossed over his broad chest. The look on that girl's face was priceless; it was almost too easy. He really shouldn't have done that, in hindsight. But then, she needed to learn to lighten up a little. People were always so serious in this world; throw just a little bit of chaos in and their bubble pops.

He looked over to see Katsumi leaving through the other door, telling him to leave her out of his shenanigans. "What? A man can't write a sonnet about a lady who captured his heart? I am a foreigner, and believe me when I say we Swedes act with passion before sense. Call it a cultural flaw."

Giving a hearty chuckle, he then added "Besides, that wasn't directly targeted at you. Well, OK, that one was...But only because you made it so easy." He then turned to rest his right shoulder against the wall, facing her directly now, "But trust me when I say I have nothing against you. Nothing personally. We just met after all."
 
"A sonnet has fourteen lines and a very specific rhyme scheme depending upon the type," she said, throwing her knowledge of poetry in the face of his comeback. "That was no sonnet. And I can't have captured your heart. You don't even know me," she said, frowning. Still, she really wasn't feeling all that well. Maybe she ought to hurry and go. He had claimed to have nothing against her, but he had targeted her just the same. It was hard to take his teasing at surface value. "I was just trying to be a good student and take notes. I don't see how that means I was making it easy for you." Why did everything have to be a game to so many people?

"I hope it was worth it," she said, holding her stomach. "Excuse me. I'm not feeling well." She bowed her head politely, despite her consternation, and turned to leave.
 
Njord just smiled at her as she accosted him for his mislabel; it wasn't like poetry was his strong suit, so it was no surprise he called the wrong thing. "If you thought about it, you would understand" he replied calmly, not even bothering to acknowledge the fact that she was angry with him.

"More than you know...Darling" was the the last thing he said to her, putting extra emphasis on that last word, if only to add to the effect. As she turned to leave, he was content to let her go. He'd had his fun for now. But he felt something jab him in the ribs, as if in warning to try and make things right. He ignored it...Until it happened again.

Giving a sigh, he then walked up next to her and added, "You don't look so well. Let me escort you to the nurse's office, just to make sure you get there without dropping like a lead weight. We don't even have to speak."
 
He hadn't seemed terribly affected by her knowledge of poetry. That was fine. He didn't seem like the type to be affected by much outside of battle. Then, the image of a warrior flashed through her mind once more, and she was forced to admit that he was far more suited to something like war than she was. She was a talented martial artist, but she was not meant for something like war. Not truly, anyway. She was too calm, she felt. She was too...green would be the word. Most people her age would be....

And then she was forced to remember that the man who was now walking beside her was claiming to be her age as well. She felt a migraine coming on. He mentioned not having to speak, but she knew that would only make things more awkward and she would come out looking like the bad guy, despite having done nothing wrong.

"You needn't walk with me. I appreciate your concern, but I'm fairly certain I'll be alright." But as he came closer, that feeling of intense pressure caught her again, her stomach turning, her head getting lighter, her breath getting short. She'd never felt anything quite like it. Had she been thinking clearly she might have diagnosed it the first time she'd felt a stomach ache--but since her mind had been far from her training as a priestess, she was a bit lacking in sense.

The pressure forced her to her knees as she gasped for air and tried not to throw up all at the same time. The intense pressure was coming from a spirit of some sort, but she could no more think this than say it. Katsumi was suffering, that much was certain, but why was just as big a mystery as how it had crept up on her so suddenly.
 
"Now this is interesting" thought Njord, seeing her start to sway as he got close; he didn't really think much about it, not until she literally fell to her knees. "OK, now there's no room for debate..." he stated firmly, leaning down and placing one of her arms over his shoulder. "Come on, up with you." he then added, supporting most of her weight against him. What the hell is going on, he wondered; it was like his very presence was afflicting her. He just hoped this didn't make it worse.

Eventually they would reach the nurse's office on this floor; something Njord was thankful for, because he wasn't sure if Katsumi would stay conscious or not. He was no medical expert by any stretch of the imagination, but even he could see something was seriously wrong. When they got there, a sign on the door read "Back in 5 minutes" with the '5' being written in red Sharpie; he found the door to be unlocked.

Guiding Katsumi inside, he did not see the nurse. "Hello?! Nurse? This girl looks like she's about to give the floor a new coat of paint!" he then shouted, hearing nothing in response. He decided to lay her down on the nearest available bed; touching her forehead didn't seem to reveal much, but hopefully laying down should at least get her some relief. "Hope the nurse gets here soon; I don't know anything about this stuff." Njord muttered as he rolled up his jacket and shirt sleeve; on his wrist was what appeared to be a silvery charm bracelet, the only ornament on it being a broadsword.

One of the metal links appeared to have a crack in it. Miniscule, but it was there. This made Njord frown; that's not right, he thought.
 
She struggled to catch her breath as Njord knelt down by her. Katsumi had never been exposed to this much spiritual energy before, and it was clouding her brain. Any god who found himself in her presence--one who was particularly sensitive to the spiritual world--would need to subdue his presence considerably, or contain it somehow.

She felt sick as Njord practically carried her to the nurse's office. She could feel her legs moving, her feet skimming along the ground, but her head was in no place to enjoy the full effect of her movement. Disoriented, she wasn't sure where she was when they arrived at their destination.

He yelled for the nurse--his intentions pure--but the sound only made the ringing in her ears worse. Her eyes fluttered closed and she struggled to keep it together. She barely realized that he'd lay her down on a bed. Instead she curled up into a defensive ball, trying to shut out the world around her and whatever was making her feel this way.

"Please...Do you think you can find her?" she asked, tears forming in her eyes. "I really need help." The last sentence sounded like more of a whimper than a coherent thought. Her breathing was still heavy and she seemed to be sweating now. As nice of him as it had been to take her here, she really needed him to find someone who could help her now. She had taken a severe turn for the worse, and while sweetness had gotten her here, she was nearly certain that it wouldn't be the thing to save her now.
 
Njord frowned even more as she weakly asked for his help; he knew of a few places he could check, having been given a small tour of the school prior to his transfer here. Still, at least she was smart enough to ask him; had the roles been reversed, he would have just laughed off his pain and told her to take a hike. Jokingly, of course.

Still, just as he was about to really cause a ruckus to get attention, the nurse herself walked in: A woman wearing a white nurse uniform covered in a simple blue jacket, her brown hair made into a simple braid that rested over her left shoulder and her hazel eyes hidden behind a pair of fitting spectacles. She seemed to be carrying a cup of steaming tea or other liquid, but nearly dropped it when she saw Katsumi on the bed.

"It's about time you showed up!" Njord stated heatedly; ignoring this, the nurse switched her cup for the stethoscope at her desk and rushed over to check on her. Giving a sigh, the student left the room to put some distance between himself and her. He just stood outside, looking again at the charm bracelet on his wrist. He looked around, as if trying to see if anyone was watching, before placing a hand over the item and closing his eyes in concentration.

His brow furrowed quite hard for a few seconds before relaxing, his hand lifting to reveal the crack had disappeared. He then rolled down his shirt and jacket sleeve to cover the item once more. He figured Katsumi would be in good hands here, and so decided to go back to the classroom. Upon arrival, however, he would be greeted by Mr. Otame himself. "Oh great..." Njord muttered, the teacher stating "Well, well, have a nice walk, Mister Skallagrim? I hope so, because you'll be spending the day in homeroom cleaning by yourself!" Njord just sighed, "Fine. I'll do it."
 
The pain Katsumi felt lessened quite a bit after Njord fixed his bracelet, but if course she would have no idea why it was she was suddenly in less pain. As her heart rate dropped, the nurse sighed in relief and frowned. Just what had happened to this girl to make her so violently ill? Katsumi almost never came to the office for anything other than sports injuries.

Katsumi slowly caught her breath though she was still nauseous. She told the nurse about what had happened, trembling a bit, her body now covered in a light sheen of sweat. The nurse wasn't sure what had happened, but told Katsumi to stay in the office and rest for now. Perhaps it would be best for her to miss out on martial arts clubs today. Katsumi reluctantly agreed and slowly unfurled from the ball she had been in to lay flat on the bed. She closed her eyes when her head hit the pillow and didn't wake up until a few hours later. Her body, it seemed, was back to normal. That was a relief. School was over, but she knew she could get notes from her friends later.

The nurse gave Katsumi a check up before she left and told her to be careful and take it easy. Then, the young shrine maiden headed for her locker so she could go home.
 
While Katsumi was recovering, Njord was busy with other students cleaning the homeroom; despite what the teacher had said, it had become routine for students to stay behind and clean the classroom once it was done. And as Mr. Otame's History of Japan class had been the last class of the day for that homeroom, it meant that Njord was getting to help clean the mess from every class before that one. Of course, he would naturally find a way to make this tedious activity more enjoyable.

Despite some of the whispers and distrust, more than a few had found him interesting. Especially now that the teachers had gone home.

As Katsumi might walk past, she would see that Njord was already up to no good again. He had since divested himself of the suit jacket, tie and undershirt, leaving him in his pants and shoes. His torso was massive, as were his arms; each was thickly muscled, almost as if he were a professional bodybuilder. Up his left arm was nothing but a tattoo of flames, going from his wrist to his shoulder, and his right - where the charm bracelet was, had what appeared to be a single length of black chain going up the length as well. Certainly an odd combination of ink, one might observe.

"Well, ladies...Not bad, eh?" he then asked to the girls and guys that stayed behind to clean, flexing his arms and showing off his body. "Dude, put your shirt on!" one of the boys then exclaimed, disturbed by the man's lack of decency. "What? Intimidated already? I haven't even been here a full day!" Njord replied with a laugh. "No! You're not supposed to expose yourself at school! Toshiro's telling you this so you don't get expelled!" another chimed in, a third adding "Guys, come on. You're just feeding him; let him have his fun. If he wants to get in trouble, that's not our fault." Njord chuckled, "Now there's a man who has sense! Besides, it's not like I'm hurting anyone by doing this, am I?"
 
As Katsumi passed the room, she sighed softly. Her energy was gone, but it seemed like the clean up crew was very spirited today. Curious, she decided to see who was there. Maybe someone could lend her notes from the lecture. As she slid the door open, she was greeted with the sight of the half-naked man-child that was her new classmate. Well, she had been right in thinking that he had a warrior's physique. His body was powerful, and he was certainly not shy about it. It came to her quickly that he must be a frivolous minded show off. Why else would he display himself like that? A man his age ought to show more restraint...he couldn't possibly be who he said he was...could he?

"Katsumi! How are you feeling? I got worried when you didn't come back from the nurse," it was Yumi, an archery club member who spoke up. This seemed to get everyone's attention, so now all eyes were on her.

"I'm alright now, thank you. I'm not sure what was wrong, but it was pretty bad for awhile. I think I slept through the worst of it. No club for me today, though. Could you let the others know?"

"Of course! Oh, would you like to borrow my notes? I know how you hate to fall behind?"

"Really? That would be helpful. Thank you very much!"

"After you bailed me out last week? No problem. I'll go get them for you." With that, Yumi set aside her rag and hurried to go find her notes.

Katsumi turned her attention to the transfer student and nodded. He deserved thanks for getting her there, at least. "Njord, was it? Thank you for your help today. I'm sorry if I worried you a lot. If you hadn't been there..."

What would have happened? Well, she wasn't sure about that, but it can't have been good right? Maybe he wasn't so bad...but it would be nice if he would cover up. Yumi came back with her notes and Katsumi happily accepted them. She would bring them back tomorrow.

"Well, good bye everyone. I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled, collected her bags, a and then left. Maybe if she hurried she could catch the bus home. Otherwise she would have to walk, and she wasn't looking forward to that since her energy was running low. Whatever her body had been fighting off had taken a lot out of her.
 
Njord turned his attention to the door as Katsumi walked in, seeing him in the half-buff; he flashed her his pearly-whites, not bothered in the slightest that she was there. One might think he would display a modicum of shame, especially after what he had done to land him kicked out of class in the first place. Regardless, he just watched with mild interest as she caught up with her classmates, one of them giving her notes on today's lecture. So polite, he thought.

He raised his brows in mild surprise, however, when she turned and thanked him for his assistance. The goofy smile returned almost instantly, however, as he replied "No problem, my friend. Always happy to be of assistance." As she took her leave, the three boys then focused on the half-naked showoff. "What exactly did she mean by that, Njord?" asked Arata, holding his broom in front of him like a crutch. Njord shrugged and replied, "Oh, nothing...Just my good deed for the day." He then added with more than just a hint of pride, though whether he was honestly boasting or kidding was difficult for them to discern, "Getting to rescue a damsel in distress always puts a smile on my face." "Among other things" commented Iwao, returning to cleaning the windows of the homeroom; Njord just laughed, stating "It never hurts being in a good mood, does it?"

*Some time later*

Njord raced down the street, riding atop a crimson Triumph Rocket III Roadster. Its tailpipe bellowed loudly as he rode, the wind blowing his platinum locks back. A thick leather jacket covered his upper body, serving as some protection should he lose control and fall off; it just so happened that he caught sight of Katsumi heading towards the nearby bus stop. Located by a stoplight that was just about to turn red; the bus was already there, people starting to file onboard.

"Better hurry, Katsumi! Shake a tail feather and all that! Hahahaha!" Njord shouted gleefully over the sound of his engines; it seemed he would spare no opportunity to tease her. The light at that moment turned red, forcing Njord to slow down and stop just as few people got onboard; he would be curious to see if the bus driver would notice her and wait. Or stick to the strict schedule and take off; still, he felt he should help her out. Revving the engine quite loudly, it got the driver's attention; Njord then pointed a finger back towards Katsumi as if to say, "Wait for her".
 
Njord's shameless display was actually pretty much what she had expected. He wasn't so bad. At the very least he wasn't a total creep, though he did have that vibe. It was probably because he looked so much older than she did. A shudder ran through her as she thought of it again. Just what was going on with that? Was that really how people looked in Scandinavia?

Well, that didn't really matter much now, she thought, hurrying a little toward the bus stop. She was still very tired, but if she didn't have to go far, she might make it in time. It looked like her luck was running out, though. The bus was already at the stop and she was nearly half a block behind. People were already boarding. She started to run when she heard a familiar voice calling out to her. She stopped to see the exchange student in question.

What was he doing around here? She gave him a rather bland look and then started running again. As he gunned his engine, the bus driver looked back, but he thought Njord had been hurrying him along. And so just before Katsumi could reach the midway point of the bus, it was already closing its doors and pulling away from the curb.

"Damn it," she cursed under her breath, running a little faster, trying to get the man's attention. She failed. Epically. The bus was gone and she was winded by the end of the block. Of course she'd missed the bus. And that arrogant man had been there to witness it all. Now she'd have to walk home, and that did not bode well for her.

Sighing, she straightened up again and caught her breath, hand over her heart. Really, she shouldn't have strained herself so much. She could wait for another bus, but she'd be later than usual coming home. She could go back to the school and call someone, but she doubted anyone who could give her a ride would be home...

Which meant her only options were walking, or asking Njord. Which was the lesser of two evils, she wondered.
 
Njord frowned as the driver left the curb, and consequently the young vixen, behind; that was not his intention. "Guess you were a little too slow on the draw there, weren't you?" he then commented playfully, though out of earshot from her; while probably not wise to do such, it seemed there was never a thing as 'too much opportunity' to someone like this Scandinavian.

The light was still red, and he could see that she did not look so well. Seemed whatever happened to her took a lot from her body; in his mind, he could think of only one thing to do: Offer her a ride home. It was the least he could do, especially in the back of his mind he knew very well why she was so afflicted.

"Oi, Katsumi! I got room for one more if you're interested!" he then shouted at her; reaching behind him, he pulled out a shining red helmet that seemed like nothing more than a bowl with a strap on it. A far cry from the more protective and likely more comfortable models on the market. This earned him several glances from passerby, most of them disapproving; of course, no one knew that he was a student. Only that he looked FAR too old to be offering a ride to a much younger-looking woman.

Njord paid them no mind, and only grinned as he waited for her response.
 
Katsumi sighed, well aware that people were watching and most likely getting the wrong idea. Still, if she accepted his help, it meant she would be safe and able to rest. He might have distracted and mocked her, but he had also helped her when she really needed it. She wasn't sure what he was up to, but she doubted he would hurt her. The longer she hesitated, the more people stared, so she swallowed her pride and said, "If you don't mind, could you give me a ride home?"

She walked with a purpose stopping just short of the bike. "Sorry to bother you like this...again." Man, today was just not her day, was it? Still, maybe she was being too harsh with Njord. He seemed harmless enough, even if he was a goofy guy who'd picked on her. It wasn't his fault she was so serious and he...wasn't. Still, would it kill him to tone it down a little? Seriously, guy, read the room.

She took the helmet he offered and got on the bike behind him as quickly as she could to avoid further embarassment, but she moved with the grace of an experienced rider and fit on the bike as though it were her own. It didn't look anywhere near as awkward as she thought, though passersby were sure to judge things poorly. She leaned against him, arms around his waist and tried her hardest to make it look like no big deal.
 
Njord chuckled as she hesitated in accepting his offer; she was so uptight with how people perceived things. It wasn't like he was taking her to a love hotel or anything...At least, not yet. No, he wouldn't do that; he might be boisterous, but he wasn't a complete pervert.

"I'd be happy to take you home, Katsumi-san" was Njord's answer; even though she was trying to not make it look like a big deal, the way she had her arms wrapped around his midsection. Even if it was innocent...Didn't mean he couldn't exploit the chance. "Careful with the goods, darling! Save it for the love motel!" he then shouted right as the light turned green; he gunned the motor and took off at a ridiculous speed, laughing hysterically. Providing a conclusive answer to her unspoken question.

Through twists and turns, it seemed he never turned down the accelerator. "You're going to have to tell me how to get to your house, Katsumi! Otherwise we might be like this for a while! Not that I mind! Hahahahaha!" he shouted over the roar of the engine. He would follow her directions until they arrived, the motorcycle rolling to a gentle stop right in front of her place. "Nice house!" he commented honestly; it was a fairly good-looking home, to say the least. Much better than where he was staying.
 
And just when she was starting to think he was an ok guy. If she wasn't so wiped out she would have given him the bear hug of a lifetime. In the mean time, she wondered if there was something she had done wrong in a previous life. She hid her face and reluctantly give the behemoth directions to her house.

When they arrived she slid off the bike and removed the helmet thrusting it into his hands. His compliment was just about the only thing that kept her from yelling at him. She shook a little from anger and from sheer weakness. Getting some food in her stomach would need to be first priority.

"Thank you for the ride," she managed not to grit her teeth as she said it. Personal growth! "I have some chores to do at the shrine, so please excuse me. I'll see you tomorrow." She bowed again, her long ponytail falling over her shoulder, and then turned to head inside the gate of her parents newly redone two story home. She needed to change and eat before she even thought about making the trek up the hill to the shrine her family took care of.

Well, to be more accurate, the shrine she and her mother took care of. Her father was a lawyer, so he took care of their home, mostly. When he was home, he took care of fixing things and maintenance work. He helped clean, too. It was thanks to him that they had such a nice home now.
 
"No problem! Not like it's every day I get to rescue a beautiful woman twice!" Njord laughed; firing the engine to life he took off once more, the tires peeling out on the asphalt as he took off before Katsumi's family could see who he really was.

Though her father certainly bore witness to the strange sight; he was just pulling up in his light blue Subaru Levorg right as the blond-haired man burned out on his motorcyle. It was a decent car, and thanks to his position as a lawyer, this was one way he was able to treat himself a little.

He pulled into the driveway and quickly got out to witness the stranger speeding down their street; being a man of average height, he wore a clean-pressed charcoal suit and tie, his black business shining with an almost unbelievable sheen. A thin beard graced his chin and black-rimmed spectacles nicely framed his hazel hues, the dark brown hair neatly combed and parted to make a respectable man with a very well-paying career.

"Evening, Katsumi-chan." said her father, Otoya. He noticed that something was...off about her. Placing a hand gently to her forehead, he continued "You seem a little pale. Was school alright? Who was that person?"
 
Katsumi gave him a bit of a bland stare as he took off. He had a point, and she was grateful, but she also wanted to punch him in the face. Was that bad? She just couldn't tell what to feel about him yet. Deep, deep down he seemed like a good person, but it was still too early to tell. Sighing, she watched him ride away just as her father pulled in. This could be bad. But it seemed that her father hadn't really gotten a good look at Njord because he wasn't screaming. Grateful for small miracles, she smiled as her father greeted her and put his hand on her head.

Instantly comforted, she returned his greeting, and tried to figure out how to answer his questions without causing him to worry too much. Best to leave out the more worrisome details, she thought. "School was okay. I just got a little sick--that's all. The nurse thinks it must have been a bug or an allergic reaction, but I'm okay. Just tired. My body really fought hard. Don't worry, though, I got the notes that I missed from Yumi." She tried to hurry through it, but his last question actually had some merit.

"That person was a new exchange student. He gave me a ride because I missed the bus after school." She left out all other details. "I wouldn't normally, but I feel pretty tired from whatever was in my system earlier." She took her father's hand in hers and smiled. "I'm sure I just need some rest, that's all. But first I have chores and homework to do."

Yes, responsible and dependable made up Katsumi's middle name. She was nothing if not efficient. Her father was a good man, but he had enough to worry about as it was, and if he was concerned about her health instead of the stranger who'd given his daughter a ride home on a motorcycle, then that was all the better.
 
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