[b][i]""[/i][/b] Kiiro Sayuri was not the kind for waking with a groan, rolling out of bed-- or really sleep at all for that matter. His vivid, constant dreams and nightmares made him feel like he never truly lost his consciousness to the bliss of sleep. He was well used to the constant four or five-hour nights of sleep by now. He usually just stayed in bed after he woke in the dark of the morning, eyes closed, trying to gain some semblance of torpor before the inevitable-- [b][i]""[/i][/b] The speaker blared again, all the motel rooms were fitted with them, although intuition told Kiiro that his Uncle Ozo, proprietor of the Sayuri motel and gas stop, probably only made use of the one connected to his room. He soundlessly opened his eyes and got up. The room-- [i]his[/i] room, was sparsely decorated, Ozo figured the room could be used again once he moved out, and didn't want any permanent damage to the room, plain beige walls with taped on posters and a single dresser with a TV, the gaming systems he had, his uncle made him earn. Same went for the laptop on the desk, everything that didn't come with the room itself, Kiiro had needed to work to get. [b][i]""[/i][/b] Yep, this was every morning, or at least most of them. Kiiro pressed the red reply button next to the speaker beside his bed, "You do realize I got school today, right Ozo?" Kiiro couldn't help but yawn, the mere though of returning to classes exhausting him. Ozo took a minute before he gave a reply, [b][i]""[/i][/b] he muttered something that sounded like [i]'the breaks always go by so fast...'[/i] and paused to think, the dead air from the other end of the speaker filled the room. In the moment's reprieve, Kiiro took a moment to examine himself in the mirror. His pajamas were wrinkled, sleep filled his eyes, and dark bags hung under them, his hair curled from the abuse of rolling around in the bed, he smelled distinctly of dog. [i]"I should probably take a shower"[/i] was all he could think before his uncle's voice once again filled the room with a loud sigh, [b][i]""[/i][/b] With another lazy press of the button, Kiiro simply replied, "Alright." --- The revving of the engine could probably heard for miles around the old gray truck, startling any students trying to get a few extra minutes of sleep before the new year. A few cups of coffee and a morning cigarette were all Kiiro needed to wake up, for all of Ozo's flaws (of which there were plenty), he was at least amiable to Kiiro's smoking habit. In fact, he was the one Kiiro went to whenever he needed more. It was one of the very few things the two had in common. Kiiro took a drag and blew out a plume into the passing countryside, the buildings and homes, the shrine. He couldn't help but feel a little anxious as they got closer, Ozo apparently took note of this anxiety. "So, 'nother year, new faces, new classes, huh? Ya nervous?" Kiiro filled his lungs with smoke before replying, "Yeah, I guess so." He threw the expended cigarette out of the window. "Well just..." Having extended talks with his nephew was not in Ozo's skill set, they both knew this, but Ozo continued on. "Ya know, have yer fun, but git good marks, Universities like that---" "I know, Uncle." Ozo had a cocky grin as he continued, "--An' uh, well do yer clubs and yer vo-lun-teerin', but just remember, just because you ain't working full-time don't mean I can't pull you for part-time--" "I know, Uncle Ozo." His tone becoming distinctly melancholy. Ozo still continued, "--ya gotta pay yer dues--" "Uncle! I know!" The outburst surprised them both. Kiiro was someone who just-- [i]went[/i] with things. The pair sat in silence, Kiiro began thinking about fate. He felt as if Ozo had selected his future for him, like he had no choice. He'd go to school, work, go to university, work, become a business executive, work and when Ozo died he'd inherit the motel and work there, presumably until he stole the life of another one of his own nephews and continue the cycle. The thought's scared him, they made him sad and angry, and he [i]fucking[/i] hated Bozo-- he felt so goddamned powerless. He was brought out of his mind by a cough from Ozo, apparently wanting to start another line of conversation. "So... uh... ya gonna git a girl this year?" Despite himself, this drew a smirk to Kiiro's face. He didn't hate Bozo, he thought differently from Kiiro, but he was a good guy, and family. It was questions like this, the bluntness of the guy, that he loved. He just resented feeling so... trapped, those were thoughts for later, though. The question was interesting! Kiiro hadn't given it much thought, but it certainly sounded appealing-- the fact that he'd be just as comfortable "giting" a boy just as well as girl was an issue for an entire other time. "Uh... yeah, I think I might try, Ozo." "I dunno where ya find the time tah do half tha shit you do, kiddo." --- "--treat your teachers with respect and enjoy your new year." The principle finished her very apathetic sounding speech, and Kiiro, along with the rest of the student body, was herded to homeroom. His class, 1-G, wasn't too far from the auditorium, this, and the fact that he checked the bulletin board [i]before[/i] the assembly started, meant he was one of the first people to arrive. This gave him a wide assortment of seats to choose from, all the "prime real estate" hadn't been claimed yet. Feeling bold, Kiiro moved over to the second row, just one seat away from the window, and took a seat next to a blue-haired girl. He heard her mutter something about archery before, in rapid succession two people shouted variations of "HELLO CLASSMATE." Well that was quite an icebreaker! Taking that lead, he leaned over to the girl doodling, "Uh... hello classmate?" Kiiro, such a smooth criminal.