Chapter Text
“Storyteller, can you tell me the story of how you grew to your true potential?” came a timid voice of a young boy from beyond the dark abyss.
“I have heard lots of stories from your world, some that end in tragedies and some where the heroes win it all. The world seems to be a cruel place, making some heroes lose it all. And yet others have their happily ever after. It’s unfair. How is it decided who wins and loses?
“So I wish to hear it from you, my storyteller, what you experience. From that I will decide once and for all if this world is cruel or kind. I realize this is a lot to put on you, but do not worry, you only need to tell me what you experienced on your journey.
“Oh, well I guess this is a bit too early to ask this of you. After all, your journey has not begun as of yet.
“Well, storyteller of mine, time to live your story. I look forward to hearing all about it soon, when we first meet. But now it is time for you to wake up.”
April 9
On the late night train from Nagoya, Chiyo Uyeda startled awake when it was announced the Shinkansen was arriving in Kyoto. She was not one to sleep on trains, but she had spent the morning frantically packing everything up. Her parents made a last minute decision that they were sending their child to live with her grandfather in Kyoto for the year as they went galavanting around the world.
It really was just her luck that the first year that they didn’t plan to move since she was four years old that her father won the lottery. And instead of making the smart decision and spending the money on things like her high school education or a permanent home, her parents decide to travel the entire world leaving her in Japan.
To be honest, she couldn’t exactly blame them. Traveling is quite fun. Though she will forever hold it against them that she had to remain in Japan and for the tenth year in a row she is once again the transfer student.
Grabbing her bag that was heavy but too light to reasonably be all her belongings, Chiyo left the train in search of her grandfather. It wasn’t exactly an easy task considering she had never met the man and only had a photo that was 17 years old. It had been taken right before her father and grandfather had stopped talking a year before she was born.
She didn’t have to search long, as Shoji Uyeda was standing off to the side of the platform looking like he had many places better to be than picking up his only grandchild.
He was in his early sixties and had gray hair and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. Not a very large beard by any means, he was not giving off Santa Claus vibes but Chiyo thought his beard would instead be classified as a goatee. He seemed kind, but moving around so often she knew not to judge anyone by their appearance.
“‘Bout time you got in. Any longer and I would have left you to find the place on your own,” he said, his voice gravelly in the way a long time smoker’s is.
“Yes, my train was slightly delayed leaving from Nagoya. It’s nice to meet you,” Chiyo responded politely, not knowing how her grandfather would react.
“Well, the night’s not getting any younger and neither am I.”
Shoji then turned sharply and headed presumably towards his car.
Well then, Chiyo thought. He certainly doesn’t give off kind elderly man vibes. He’s definitely gruff.
Not wanting to get lost in a new city on her own, she quickly followed behind her grandfather.
“How long have you lived in Kyoto?” she asked, knowing that at the very least she would have to be on friendly terms with the man as she was living with him for the next year.
He scoffed at her.
“Been livin’ here since your father was five. Nice city to live in and has good schools while still having a lot to do. Haven’t gone a lot of places besides here in the last two decades, so sorry to disappoint little miss wonderlust. Know you must be unused to staying in one place so long.”
Ah, it seems he must think she is like her parents. Hating to tie herself down to one place for long and horribly irresponsible with money. Fair, but also he couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Oh wow, you’ve been here a long time. It seems nice from what I’ve seen so far which has really only been what the Shinkansen passed on the way to the station. Seems like a place I won’t mind living in, especially if I would be able to live in one place longer than a year.
“Though I said that about Nagoya after we first moved there last year, which my parents promised we would live there for longer than a year. Yet here I am a year later in Kyoto and they’re who knows where. Not Japan, that’s for sure. And spending all the money we could be spending on something like, oh I don’t know, a house in Nagoya like they promised!”
Chiyo definitely did not mean to get that irritated when speaking about the recent betrayal, but it seemed to do something good at least since Shoji looked at her. Really looked at her.
“Huh,” he thought aloud. “Guess you're not like your parents. Settling in one place doesn’t seem to be for them, but you’d want that.”
Chiyo shrugged, even though she knew he wouldn’t see it as she tossed her bag into the back seat of Soji’s car before getting in the passenger’s seat.
“So, this school of mine, Hirosake Academy, how is it? Dad didn’t mention it beyond the name,” Chiyo said, buckling her seatbelt.
“Ha! Of course he wouldn’t have anything to say about that school. He was too dumb to get accepted into the school. It’s not the most prestigious school in the area, but definitely a good one.
“Speaking of school, you're supposed to go there in the morning to pick up your handbook and other things. It’s pretty easy to get there, a few stops away on the Kurasuma line. I’ll take you there in the morning,” Shoji said.
Chiyo hummed in agreement, suddenly feeling very tired. It had been a long few days for her and it was pretty late. She could take a nap in the car as Shoji drove to where she would be staying with him in the Nishijin neighborhood.
She drifted off to sleep once again.
She was being shaken. There was a voice, but it was distant. Chiyo didn’t care what it said. She was sleeping.
“I swear to god, Chiyo, wake up, I’m not carrying you! I’m too old for that and I don’t wanna broken back!”
Ah, that was her grandfather’s voice. Why would he need to carry her?
Oh, that’s right. They must have arrived at the house.
“Sorry, sorry,” she said through a yawn. “I’m awake now.”
Shoji was already holding her bag and she took it from her as he led her into the house.
It was a cute house. A classic looking Japanese home, but wasn’t too big. It probably had three bedrooms. But since her father was an only child and Shoji lived alone for over twenty years, it was plenty of space.
Stepping into the house Chiyo could clearly see a good size kitchen and a living space where she assumed a kotatsu would be in the cooler months. It was pretty spacious, especially considering she was used to living in apartments.
“My bedroom’s the only one down here,” Shoji said gesturing towards the closed door to the left of the living space. “Bathroom down here is in the hall before you get to the kitchen. Your room is upstairs. First one to the right from the top of the stairs. Bathroom is the room at the end of the hall. The room used to be your father’s but feel free to decorate it however you want.”
Chiyo nodded and headed from the stairs to the right of the door they just walked in.
The upstairs was rather simple as well. There was one other room up here and upon inspection Chiyo assumed the one across the hall from her was a guest bedroom.
Upon entering what was her room, she stopped. Oh boy, did this room look like it belonged to a high school boy nearly twenty years ago. She definitely needed to redecorate and get rid of these horrible skateboarding posters. Though, it seems like she now has a retro gaming console, which is always a plus.
She would redecorate starting tomorrow with naturally getting rid of those posters first thing. Beyond that, it was a rather plain room. The only other thing besides the game console was a few games that went with it. It was furnished very basically with only a desk, a large bookshelf, and a bed. It was the sort of room she always wanted, which was sad considering how sparse it was.
It was too late for her to stay up any longer if she even wanted a chance of not being tired at school this week. Deciding that was enough for the night, Chiyo changed clothes, set an alarm for the morning, and went to sleep.
April 10
Hirosake Academy seemed fine. The staff seemed nice enough, though she didn’t know who would be her homeroom teacher yet.
To be honest, her morning was like every other time she had to go to her new school early since she was a transfer. God, she really hoped she could somehow get her grandfather to let her stay one more year so she for once wouldn’t have to be the transfer student.
Shoji seemed to be a bit kinder when it wasn’t obscenely late at night as well. He offered to take her to downtown Kyoto to look at some shops for some decorations for her room. Using the trains, of course to help get her used to the system.
“I still don’t get why they did it,” Shoji said. “Who in their right minds decides to up and move every year? Especially when they’ve got a kid?”
Chiyo was looking at some photographic prints in the shop they were currently in.
“I asked my parents that once when I was like 11,” Chiyo said, comparing a print of Mt. Fuji and a print of cherry blossoms. “My dad said it was because he never traveled as a kid. He never got to see Japan and wanted to make sure I did. Sure, I like traveling, but always moving is annoying. Especially when you have to get a new uniform every year. And when your parents don’t think to set some money aside for when you would need to purchase things for your new school, so you have to quietly do it yourself. They really don’t understand how to budget, which is why I’m not surprised they left Japan and are just going wherever they want, not even concerned if they have enough money to make it back to Japan.”
Chiyo thought the cherry blossoms looked better with the photos of the ocean she had already chosen.
“Part of me is worried about them because they are my parents and I’ve always been the responsible one among us. But the other part of me just doesn’t care because maybe they’ll finally learn the importance of not spending all their money at once.”
Shoji seemed to agree with her opinions.
“It seems he really hasn’t changed too much, your father. He always was asking his mother and I for extra money because he kept spending all his money at the arcade.”
Chiyo laughed.
“Yeah that totally sounds like him. I think I’m good here. A few prints for the walls and this adorable stuffed fox. He’s too cute to ignore,” she said, hugging the stuffed animal to her chest.
“Alright, well we better head back then. It’s rather late and you do have school tomorrow. You don’t want to be late on your first day, especially as a transfer student.”
April 11, early morning
Chiyo opened her eyes. She was clearly not in her room anymore, as last she was pretty sure the ceiling was not blue when she went to sleep. Sitting up on what she discovered was a couch, she looked around.
She was in a library of sorts, one that was very, very blue. All around her were bookshelves, filled with books. The shelves were also very tall, reaching all the way towards the towering ceiling.
The only other thing of note was a desk in front of the couch she woke up on. Next to the desk stood a boy, probably around twelve, with white hair and gold eyes. And at the desk sat a man. A man with an extremely long nose.
“Welcome, to the Velvet Room,” said long-nose. “My name is Igor.
“The Velvet Room is a place that exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. Only those that are bound by a contact may enter.”
“A contract? I never signed anything about some contract that allowed me to be kidnapped in my sleep and taken to a weird blue room!” Chiya exclaimed, not having any of this cryptic nonsense. It was her sleep that they interrupted after all.
Long-nose, oh he said his name was Igor, Chiyo thought, chuckled.
“It has been a long time since we have had a guest as spirited as you. You may not have signed a contract yet, but you will,” Igor said.
“Ah,” Igor continued, “I have forgotten to introduce my assistant. This is Alphonse.”
“Hello, as my master has said, I am Alphonse. It will be my job to assist you on your journey,” said Alphonse. His voice sounded awfully familiar to Chiyo. Almost just like-
“Wait a minute! I’ve heard your voice before! Earlier this evening or yesterday depending on what time it is. You mentioned something about looking forward to hearing my story and judging if the world was cruel or not!” Chiyo exclaimed, pointing at the boy.
He seemed startled by her sudden outburst.
“I do not know what you speak of, storyteller. Though I do look forward to seeing your story. Though it is not my job to judge your world,” Alphonse responded despite his obvious shyness.
“Ah,” Igor said, interrupting the conversation before Chiyo could respond. “It seems we are out of time. We shall discuss our services in more detail upon our next meeting. Until then.”
“Wait, no I’m not done yet! You still haven’t answered my questions about kidnapping me!”
Chiyo shot up in her bed.
“What the heck was that dream?” she wondered aloud.
Glancing around she noticed the sun hadn’t risen yet. Deciding she still had some time before she needed to be up for school, she layed back down and fell asleep.
She could think about the strange dream later on.