#munakuroh

The Oceanic Dome; it was meant to be a new habitat for humans, a place where they could watch the vast undersea world move around them, all from the safety and comfort of the enclosed dome.

At first, only those who could afford to buy their way in were allowed to inhabit the Dome. The goal was to bring those rich enough so they would later sponsor the creation of more Oceanic Domes in the future.

But now, they had opened up a lottery. 100 lucky winners, no more, no less, would be sent to the Oceanic Dome, and Kuroh had been selected.

There was nothing left for him on land. His master, Ichigen, had passed away rather suddenly, and Kuroh couldn’t think of a better reason to hide away under the ocean, living in a beautiful new place. Ichigen had taught him many things—fate often led people in strange directions, and when offered an amazing chance for an adventure, he should take it.

And this really had been an amazing offer, one only 100 people were getting to take.The Vessel was enormous—long windows lined the side, meant for the passengers’ viewing pleasure. Fish swam by, dolphins, whales, most completely ignoring the presence of the large Vessel next to them, but a few dolphins flipped by the window, as though they were putting on a show.

Kuroh’s deep cerulean eyes lit up, shimmering against the glass as he stared at the scene in front of him. The ocean was impossible to see through, the deep blue color as endless as he had expected. It was thrilling, and terrifying. He was sure Ichigen would’ve been proud.

“Marvelous to look at, isn’t it?” A deep voice spoke next to him. The tone was smooth, and proper, but had a slight lilt to it, as though he had already solved the mystery of the vast blue water in front of them.

Kuroh turned to glance at the owner of the voice, and was surprised by the man beside him. He was tall, with deep blue hair, small pieces of which framed his thin face. He had metal framed glasses which sat upon his nose perfectly. His suit was a deep blue, though slightly brighter than his hair, and his jacket was long, wrapping around his waist as the bottom flowed out around his hips. He was incredibly handsome, beautiful, was perhaps a better word to use. His violet eyes were stunning against the shimmering blue ocean outside of the window.

“Yes, I would say it is,” Kuroh spoke back.

“The ocean is full of so many mysteries we do not understand, and this Dome is one step forward. Hopefully we can come to understand more,” he said. His lips curled upwards into a smile, and his eyes were now closed, though he turned his head in Kuroh’s direction. The man really was stunningly beautiful.

“Do you…work for the Dome research team?” Kuroh asked. The way the man spoke, it seemed as though he were involved in someway, though it was a mystery as to why this man had chosen to speak to him.

He chuckled, his deep voice vibrating in his chest. “No, no. Nothing like that, I was selected,” he paused, “as were you, I presume?”

Kuroh nodded. “Yes, one of the 100. My late master always told me I should take any chances to experience new things, so I chose to try.”

“Oya? Late master?” The man asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Ah, the man I studied with,” Kuroh explained. “I studied the historical arts, mostly swordplay.” He wasn’t sure why he was speaking about these things to this mysterious stranger. There was a small part of him that felt uneasy around the man.

“How fascinating,” he hummed. “A swordsman.”

“Most don’t realize they still exist,” Kuroh sighed. “A forgotten art, you could say.” There was a sadness in his voice, as he recalled the many days and nights he’d spent meditating, learning, studying.

“It is unfortunate,” the man said. Interesting, the way he spoke, it seemed as though he was completely aware of the dying art. “I’m Munakata Reisi,” the man said, nodding his head once more at Kuroh.

“Yatogami Kuroh,” he said.

“It’s nice to meet you. I hope you do not mind me imposing on your time. I saw you standing by the window and I couldn’t help but speak to you. You interested me,” Munakata said.

Turning back towards the window, Kuroh let out a sigh, a small smile on his lips. “I don’t know why.” This man was peculiar, to say the least.

Stepping forward, Munakata pressed his hand to the window and slowly spread his fingers out. “The way you looked out the window, I thought perhaps you felt similar about the ocean. I thought we could share a connection of sorts,” Munakata chuckled. “What do you plan to do once we arrive at the Oceanic Dome?” he asked.

Kuroh shrugged, returning his gaze to the window. “I wasn’t quite sure. Start over, I suppose,” he said. “And yourself?” 



“I see,” Munakata nodded. “I thought I could expand my knowledge of the world. This is a completely new venture for humanity, different from land, different from space, yet it is still vast and unknown. It’s terrifying, yet hopeful, though we don’t know what’s in store for us.”

“Are you sure you’re not a researcher?” Kuroh asked.

Munakata laughed again, this time reaching into the pocket of his pants, pulling out a small case. Popping it open, he handed Kuroh a business card. “I’m to be the new head of security,” he explained. “And based on what you’ve told me, I’d love to make you part of my team.”

“Hah?” Kuroh muttered. Head of security, it seemed fitting for the man somehow, especially since he was so poised, calm and collected.

“As I said, there are many things we do not know. We don’t know how people will react to this environment over a long period of time, there are many variables, but this is the future,” he gestured back to the window as a school of fish swam by.

Leaning forward, Munakata placed his thumb on Kuroh’s chin, and tilted his head up, their eyes close. Kuroh felt his cheeks flush and he wondered if Munakata knew anything about personal space; the action had been shocking to say the least. “I need someone like you in my squad, Yatogami Kuroh. Calm, collected, trained,” he said softly, staring into Kuroh’s eyes. Up close, the man’s violet eyes seemed intelligent and dangerous, as though he knew exactly how to get everything he wanted.

Stepping back, he handed his card to Kuroh, who stayed silent. “I think we could get along, quite well,” Munakata said, smiling once again. “Once you’re settled, feel free to contact me. I wish you luck in this new frontier, though I do hope to see you again.”

“Alright,” Kuroh said quietly, his throat dry.

As he walked away, Kuroh’s heart continued to throb, and he ran his finger over the corner of the card. Head of security. He really hadn’t decided what to do yet, but it would be nice to be able to put his training to use in the Dome. Kuroh could tell living in the Dome was going to be a life changing experience, whether he chose to contact Munakata or not.