October would be a good month to guess about, huh? It's always something else.

That being said! A wonder if actually trying to develop my abilities would do any good here. I mean, I've been here long enough and I think I've gotten a little better, but I... I bet I could be really good if I try! I'm not sure how predictable the City could even be, but it could be useful, right?

So... Are there any more psychics here? Real ones. If I'm gonna question or try it, I might as well ask someone else who's gonna know.

And of course..! If anybody would like to guess anything about October, or wish anything, go ahead. I'll keep score.

I think I'm starting to not feel so good. I'd consider getting something better to eat, but... This is just too awesome, and all I gotta do is move some stuff around.

Maybe I oughta consider manual labor for a living, if I ain't gonna get to finish school here. Just... Maybe I won't accept payments in ice-cream.

I'm pretty sure I'm getting cold from the inside-out.

Figuratively, of course. Totally worth it.

Most of the time, I don't pay attention. I remember talking earlier about getting too settled or something, so maybe the calendar's just proof. I forgot how long it's been until I checked, just today, 'cause I realized this is about the time of year I got here.

Two years and a month ago.

Kurama's been here longer, though. I know a lot of people have been here longer. I guess I only got a problem 'cause I ain't got shit done in two years. I haven't seen my sister or my dad... I've seen Urameshi a couple of times, but never more than a few days. Yukina-san left left last at the beginning of last year...

Man. Tell me I'm not the only guy who's this freakin' sentimental.

I guess that guessing about the earthquake was kinda' right. At least it wasn't another case of letting a monster out or something. The mountain's pretty nice. It's a good change of scenery.

It's been quiet for me for a while. It's stupid to think that a place like this is actually calming down, right? Or... Maybe I'm desensitized or something. It's been a long, freakin' time.

... It's snowed on the mountaintops. I'm sure the elevation isn't enough for that.

You know, thinking about it... A lot of things in the City happen more than once. In fact, some things happen a lot. Curse-wise, I mean.

Still, I've only been able to actually pin down what's coming a couple of times, and even then... It's pretty vague. I mean, there's really no way to tell. If there is, I ain't going to be the one who sits down and writes the freakin' equation.

But I will try this. Just for kicks.

The August Guessing Game!

Go ahead and cast your best guesses about August's weird happenings here! Anybody who's right can have a blue ribbon or something.

Kurama.

What did you do?

Make them shut up, already. They'll listen to you, right?



P.S. Everybody blame Kurama.

No.

No. Shoo. Go away.

Look... I'm just going to leave your food right here, and-- No. Stop following me. Stop.

Why are you so persistent today?! Shoo!

Hey! Heeey. Get off! Get-- [And this is something like a 'whump!' as Kuwabara falls over.] ... Great. You happy now?

[[ooc: It's his cat. Poor kitty. :|]]

Of course the summer solstice turns into a snow-day here. Not that I'll complain about it. I guess weather's kind of a trivial thing to worry about. Snow's pretty for weather, anyway. The only downside is the runny noses you get when you change the temperature like that.

My old man didn't drop by either, so the weekend was pretty uneventful. Right now, there are only two points of business to be concerned with: the fact that all of our teacups have happy, glittery messages on them and the fact that Hiei's gone. At least, I think Hiei's gone. I can't get a hold on him or anything, but I guess it could just be his "don't come find me because I Hiei and you won't be able to anyway" thing.

Either way, I don't know if it's something to even acknowledge completely. I haven't had to look in the Hall for a while, but I guess that's a good way to check, but what's the difference anyway?

Geeeez. Couldn't you all at least, you know, be careful about what you broadcast? Way too forward... Like a bunch of trashy school-girls.

You could try to maintain a more refined kinda' air, you know, a traditional and... Clean kinda' beauty. That ends up being pretty unique, I think, and really--

Oh. No. No, no. Stopping.

Fuck my life.

So many people with causes today, huh? And nice speeches to go with them... It's not like it's a classroom presentation or anything.

You've all got it all wrong, anyway~ The greatest thing worth fighting for--!

Go on. Guess.

I cleared out the kitchen cabinets this morning, but forgot about the bookshelves. Great.

All in all, though, the damage could definitely be worse. With the City, though... You kind of have to wonder about the driving force behind this kind of thing, right? And I ain't asking for a geology lesson, I know how earthquakes normally happen, but here? You can't help but think there's a bigger meaning behind the whole thing, I guess.

Maybe we should all take bets on what the meaning is. Or on what's going to happen next.

[The scene is a little misplaced, maybe, the steady foreground of a rural bus-stop set against a lucid background. Kuwabara himself is a solid figure among the occasional figment. For the moment, it's snowing, a show of his own sentimentality. He thinks though, for some reason, that he can feel or smell a rain coming.

He's waiting. He knows that much. While he settles in, he bums a cigarette from a passing phantom because he knows he misses that smell. There's an odd, maybe ominous rumbling as he lights it, but it's not enough to worry about for the moment.

He passes and finally stops to sit on a bench.]

C'mon. Let's go already. Whatever it is I need to see...


[[ooc: Anybody can feel free to hop in, and if you'd like his dreams to read/predict anything about your character, just say the word~]]

( But I'll go down in a blaze of glory, and I'll meet you with my head held high... )

[[ooc; Too many Manga pages behind the cut, again. This time, Kurama's tagging along, so... Dual-post get!]]

( In a small, brightly lit area, two bodies are sprawled out on the floor, one beaten and one run through. The former is the one who gets up again, sitting up with a groan, hand pressed to his head and blinking spots from his eyes. A laugh, and he's approached by another boy. )

[[ooc; Cut for manga pages and apologies for the super-awkward wording in this translation.]]

This is totally weird. Weirder than usual, I mean... Not like I haven't had an out-of-body experience before, but this is retarded. No offense.

I'm not used to the whole plant thing, either. Or the hair.

If we're not back to normal in time... I don't know how Kurama even functions like this.

But! Haha~! Look at me. I'm Kurama, and I'm soooo~ smart and leafy!

Good impression, right?

... I'm just kidding.

[There's a sudden and harsh intake of air, and then some very wet-sounding coughing. After a weak gurgle, the sound of heavy movement ('thump') indicates Kuwabara's movement. His breath is harsh, but recovering. He spits, curses, mumbles.]

What? Is this..?

I'm supposed to be... I can't feel anything right now. Shit. This can't be what it's like.

I just want to know how it ended.

[[ooc; Fake!death was real!death. Kuwabara's in ur City, maybe a little delirious and bleedin' on ur stuff.]]

... What's going on? Dizzying. This is just like... Oh. Shi--

AAAHHHHHHHOHDAMNIT!!

[THUD!]

Fuckin'... Shishiwaka- God damn it. Ow.

[[ooc; In short, Kuwabara versus Shishiwakamaru was fail. Big time. Consider him having fallen painfully from the sky, and feel free to encounter.]]

I guess this is what I get for dozing off on the train. Skipped the countryside all together and headed into another City, didn't I?

Of course I don't have a phone signal here.

Well, damn. I wonder what kind of visit this could possibly be. How temporary? How permanent?

I don't want to bother anyone, really, especially given that I don't know when I am, but... Kurama? Hiei?

Well. Anyone?

[[ooc: Aged up 'gain. I think it's fun, yaddayadda. To his knowledge, he fell asleep on his train ride home and ended up back in the City, which he remembers as if it's the past. Have at 'im~ ]]

[There's a muffled clicking as a communication device in a coat pocket is turned on. After a moment, conversation begins to tune in.]

--Still don't think it's too much to worry about. Same old shit, right? ... Hey. How d'you feel about take-out? That smells good.

As long as it isn't pizza, and you always say you don't think it's too much to worry about unless the world is near ending.

Well, when you've been around for the world nearly ending, shit starts to look trivi-- Hey! Hey, what was that?!

Something trivial.

You cheeky--! That's not what--! ... Go give it back, would ya?

Calm down. He won't notice its absence.

You can't just take stuff from people, you know.

Sometimes I wonder if you've paid attention these last few years. Reinforcement from a few thousand demons should have made the point clear.

[There's a pause in the conversation, and Kuwabara's short sigh is barely audible. Shortly afterward, though, is a very noticeable yelp and a muffled landing sound as the coat's wearer falls into a snow drift. An attempt to shove Kurama into the pile has failed miserably.

And Kurama's best reaction is to laugh quietly.]

Sh-shut up! What're you smirking at?! [And he chucks a snowball at the offending demon. Take that.]

Looking around, it seems like there's a lot going on. It kinda' feels weird to think that, though, 'cause I haven't been doing anything different at all. There's nothing more here than there was last month or most any other month.*

Anyway. I gotta' say, I'm really confused. There was something that I was supposed to do, but I think I flaked on it and now... I don't remember it at all. It's pretty nagging. I also can't help but think there's something wrong with the date. Or... Something wrong with me thinking that it's wrong.

Pfft. Like I'm so freakin' perceptive.

There's a note on the counter that suggests I get a hair-cut. I probably need one, anyway.

*Excluding months in which zombies/aliens/Godzillas seem to love this place.**

**Yeah, it's a foot-note. Clever, huh?