Awakening - June 2, 2016 - Fukuoka Japan: Ranmaru Vizzini

Ranmaru wakes up the next morning feeling revived and refreshed. Almost like yesterday never happened. He goes about his daily morning routine and as he heads out the door, he sees the letter of resignation on the table. He sighs a moment before picking it up and putting in his travel satchel (it's not a murse dammit).

When he arrives at the office, he very solemnly and formally hands his supervisor the letter of resignation.

His supervisor looks very puzzled. "What brings this on, Vizzini-san?" Ikeda-san is even worse at pronouncing Vizzini than Akiko was. "You have been doing very well at this company and are in line for advancement."

"I'm sorry Ikeda-kacho, my reasons are private." He bows deeply and hands over his company id card. "I won't be needing any personal items at my desk. Feel free to dispose of them. I'm sorry" He bows deeply again and heads towards the door.

Ikeda sighs regretfully and shakes his head but he does not stop Ranmaru. Instead, he picks up a phone.
--
Outside, the Tenjin is busy. A nearby building is under construction, and foot traffic has slowed down even more to accommodate the safety zones. The sun's heat is intense, even for summer.
Ranmaru can feel someone watching him

He makes his way toward the train station and makes veiled attempts to catch a glimpse at who may be watching him by using the glassy reflections off the windows as he passes by. He also increases his pace slightly.

As Ranmaru walks, he senses something in the core of his bones, a throbbing at the back of his mind as at the construction site above him, something goes wrong.

Poor maintenance, it must have been, but the chain on one of the machines has rusted through. It breaks, sending the metal and concrete that it was carrying straight down toward Ranmaru's head.

At the speed that the metal is falling, Ranmaru should not have been able to get away. However, impossibly the nearer the deadly debris gets, the slower it seems to fall.

Even with that, it is fortunate that Ranmaru is as fast and agile as he is, because just as he makes it out of the way, the material slams into the ground.

Someone grabs Ranmaru's arm, Sasori-kaichou is standing next to him. "The one who has done this is still here. We must go, Vizzini-san. Now."

Still trying to process what just happened, Ranmaru allows Sasori to lead him.

While leading Ranmaru away from the debris, Sasori flips open a cell phone. "Ikeda-san, please have the car brought around."

The car meets them, Ikeda-kacho is driving. Sasori opens the door and urges Ranmaru inside.

Ranmaru says softly still in shock. "Who are you people? What have you gotten me into?"

He doesn't resist being led into the car. "Ikeda-kacho? What? What's going on?" he repeats again as gets into the car

"It is all right, Ranmaru-kohai." Sasori says, his voice gently amused. "Sit back and rest. All will be explained."

As the car makes its way, Ranmaru starts to become aware of a strange sensation. It can be compared to being outside on a dark night and seeing the tiny flickering lights of fireflies off in this distance. He isn't seeing those lights with his eyes, however, but with his mind. Two are near him: one, calm and steady, the other anxious and worried. Others are off into the distance. Ranmaru can't quite hear thoughts, or even emotions really, but he somehow knows that each of those lights are sentient living minds.

Ranmaru's eyes grow wide as he becomes aware of the lights and their meaning. "What have you done to me?! Stop the car! Let me out!" Ranmaru assumes that there must be something in the air, some kind of new opiate that's making him hallucinate the tiny lights.

Ikeda, alarmed, looks at Sasori through the rear view mirror. Sasori makes a single sign with his hands, and then turns to Ranmaru. "Be calm. We are doing nothing to you. You are doing this."

Sasori's voice is so calm, so certain, that it takes a moment for Ranmaru to notice that Sasori's lips aren't moving. That "voice" is entirely in his mind.

Ranmaru's eyes widen. No, he was mistaken. Sasori's lips are moving, or he's a ventriloquist. A ventriloquist that's it. This is all some twisted scheme to keep him from going to another company. He still maintained his network from Evol and can find a well paying job within a day with the number of certifications he had in linguistics. He closes his eyes to block out the fireflies but it seems they're getting brighter.

No, no it's time to check out. They must really be pumping some sort of opiate in the air or something. "Air... Air.. I need air. Please let me out." He says finally.

Ikeda looks to Sasori for guidance and Sasori nods. The car stops and the door opens.

"Take your time." Sasori seems more amused than anything else.

Ranmaru quickly exits the vehicle as soon as it stops and stands under the nearest lamppost. He takes several deep breaths, quite annoyed at himself for how close he came to hyperventilating. The fireflies don't show any sign of going away as he stands with his head leaning against the metal of the lamppost.

He takes one more deep breath and calmly heads back to the car. He doesn't say another word. Ranmaru decides to shut himself off and be lead around. Until he feels his life is in direct danger, he'll play the roll of an obedient and see where this rabbit hole takes him.

Sasori looks up from his phone as Ranmaru enters. He nods, closing the device (Ranmaru can see a glimpse of Angry Birds) and smiles at Ranmaru.

"It can be overwhelming at first. Do you have any questions?"

Ranmaru remains quiet. He looks out the window distantly.

It takes very little time for the car to reach its destination: Shofukuji Temple, the first zen Buddhist temple in Japan. There are many visitors on the grounds at this time of day.

The car comes to a stop and Sasori emerges. "Come, Vizzini-san. We have things to discuss."

Ranmaru exits the vehicle. He remains silent. Inwardly he keeps repeating, "There are no fireflies"

Sasori looks at him like he's an idiot. "Of course they exist. You are sensing the minds of humanity. You must learn to accept that and to use it."

Ranmaru stops and stares at Sasori. He says nothing but rolls his eyes while thinking "Great he can read minds too. Wonderful."

Sasori smirks but doesn't say anything. He leads the way to the temple. Normally visitors are not allowed inside, but that restriction clearly does not apply to Sasori Kouga.

An aged monk waits inside, "Hello, Kouga. Is this our new Sidai?"

"If he chooses. Hello, master. It is good to see you again. Master, this is Ranmaru Vizzini. Vizzini-san, this is Master Gentle Wind, he has come a long way to meet with you."

Ranmaru bows politely then looks confused back and forth between the two. "Sidai? Excuse me honorable Gentle Wind-priest, Sasori-kaichou brought me here with little explanation."

"A building nearly fell on me today, and Sasori-kaichou claims it was caused by someone. But, to my knowledge I have no enemies that would do such a thing."

When he speaks this, he but can't help but think back to the day that his father died. He was there at the construction site that day too, when his father pushed him out of the way of the falling beam. These were all just tragic accidents that was all.

The priest looks at Sasori, who merely raises an eyebrow. "I did not want to influence his opinions."

"Of course you didn't." The priest says dryly. Sasori's face might color, just a bit.

"I am afraid that I cannot relieve the burden of ignorance regarding your incident. I know nothing about that. What I can do is explain what has been happening to you, as a result."

Ranmaru looks at Sasori with slight hesitation before turning back to the priest. His world is turning sideways, and he believes now may be the time for answers. "Please." He bows deeply.

"Do not fret about Kouga, he is well meaning but heavy handed. It comes from his unsavory influences."

That gets a look of irritation from the man in question.

"If you don't want to be considered half-Technocrat, Kouga, you need to stop letting haste overwhelm good sense."

The priest leads Ranmaru to a small room. He settles himself onto the tatami mat and begins to speak about the ways of magic and the Akashic Brotherhood.

Ranmaru listens to the priest's story calmly. "So, the dreams I've been having are from a previous incarnation. And.." he turns to Sasori "you think I'm the reincarnation of Mori Ranmaru, a previous member of the Akashic Brotherhood."

"There are other possible explanations." Sasori says mildly. "This one however seems most likely at this time."

The priest rolls his eyes. "Thank you, Kouga." He turns back to Ranmaru. "I understand that this is very difficult to believe. Each member of the Akashiyana has sat where you sit: facing a truth that should not, could not, be possible. It is this truth that binds us together."

He smiles at Ranmaru. "Do not think this means that you have to become some sort of monk. Temple life is not for everyone. It is important for a Brother to learn to discipline his body and mind, but once found, that discipline will be carried with you to wherever your life leads."

Ranmaru ponders a moment. He turns to Sasori and asks. "You said that the falling debris wasn't an accident. Why? And who were they after?"

Ranmaru feels that depending on Sasori's answer, he'll either try his chances in the world alone; or see what these monks can teach him.

Sasori considers the question, drumming his fingers against his leg. "Since you were the only person in the path of the debris, I imagine that you were the target, Vizzini-san. As to the purpose, at this point I do not know."

"Did you observe anything, Kouga?" The priest asks.

"It was clearly a deliberate attack, magical, entropic in nature."

"I see." He turns to Ranmaru. "I can assure you that we will find the answers that you seek."

Ranmaru had actually meant, which him they were targeting; but decided to remain silent. Based on Sasori's response he probably didn't have the answer. At least not yet. He decides to join the brotherhood but has one final question. "Since when did you realize that I may be Mori Ranmaru-incarnate?" he looks directly at Sasori.

By now he realized that Sasori's appointment to kaichou of the Fukuoka office was a not so thinly guised excuse to bring him to the brotherhood.

Gentle Wind answers the question: "There are those in our Order devoted to studying the movement of incarnations. We try to find our brothers when they return to us."

Sasori nods. "We had an idea of where you were. When Ikeda-san was able to confirm, I came to Fukuoka." He pauses, then smirks. "You need not worry about Takeda-kaichou. He will return from his vacation no worse for wear."

"Ikeda-kacho?" Ranmaru asked. "How would he have...Did he read my mind too, when?" suddenly feeling somehow violated. Ranmaru resists the urge to lash out in anger. He pushes it back down and quells it with the promise to release it later; on something he'd have a chance of destroying with impunity.

Sasori looks at him, chidingly. "You are hardly the only person in the world with a strong and painful tie to a previous incarnation, Vizzini-san. Ikeda knows the signs and out of duty both to his brotherhood and to someone who needed help, he reported the issue."

Sasori's rebuke only makes Ranmaru angrier. He's not used to having his emotions belittled, despite the fact that deep down he knew Sasori's comment was justified. "Excuse me." Ranmaru bows respectively, knowing that if he doesn't leave this instant, he's probably going to do something he'll regret. He gets up shakily and attempts to leave.

"Kouga." Gentle Wind says harshly. "That was unkind." He looks beseechingly at Ranmaru. "Please don't leave. Kouga is defensive of our brothers. Your confusion is understandable. If you would like, I could ask Ikeda Takeru to come here himself to answer your questions."

Ranmaru bows politely to Gentle Wind. "I'm sorry honorable priest, that won't be necessary." He very purposefully doesn't look at Sasori or even attempt to think about him. "I need a bit more time to absorb what's happening to me." he bows deeply. "I most humbly thank you for your time." and he turns to leave again.

Part of him realizes that he's being overly melodramatic. But Sasori's presence just seemed to epitomize everything he hated and feared from the second dream. The dream that apparently belonged to another him, a previous Ranmaru.

Gentle Wind looks to Sasori, who is in turn watches Ranmaru. Out of the corner of his eye, Ranmaru can see Sasori sign something to Gentle Wind. His fingers move swiftly, in configurations that do not match Japanese sign language.

Gentle Wind sighs with disapproval, but then signs something back. Sasori's lips tighten, and he nods.

Neither make a move to stop Ranmaru. They just continue to speak in that strange sign language.

Ranmaru tries to leave but the linguist in him has to know what's being said. While his feet are still moving toward the door slowly his mind is racing trying to understand what's being said.

He can't tell what's being said. What he can tell is that this language bears no resemblance to any modern sign language that he's ever read about. Judging from what the Priest told him about the Akashics, it's possible that this is a sign language that predates modern Japanese.

Ranmaru blinks and continues on his way. The distraction cooling his anger, but leaving him feeling extremely imbalanced. He heads back to the public area with the intent of catching a cab to the nearest train station home.

He won't have any trouble finding one. As he goes, he'll see Ikeda still standing by Sasori's car. Ikeda gives him a wave, but doesn't seem inclined to stop him.

Ranmaru goes home and does the most vigorous workout that his body will withstand. By the time he's finished, several hours have passed and he crashes onto his bed not bothering with a shower or to remove the covers first. He drifts into an exhausted sleep.

Ranmaru finds himself in Honno-ji. Nothing is burning. The air carries a faint scent of incense.

He's kneeling at a low table, sharing tea with Akechi Mitsuhide. "We've never had this conversation." Akechi says. "I regret that."

He smiles wryly at Ranmaru. "If there is any consolation, I only lasted thirteen days after Oda... Killed by a peasant. How appropriate."

Ranmaru doesn't take the time to analyze why seeing this man before him makes him so angry and lashes out at the other man with a vengeful cry. The grabs at the tanto that should be at his belt and strikes.

Akechi doesn't try to fight Ranmaru off. The tanto sinks through cloth into flesh. Akechi doubles over, gasping for breath. Then slumps over, life leaving his eyes.

Ranmaru is all alone in the temple now, except for a corpse of an old enemy who will not be answering any questions tonight.

Ranmaru wakes up.