A short and sweet one-shot I decided to develop on from a draft I had saved on Word. Alcohol is a major subject and should not be abused, but eventually we're all going to try it some stage. Stay safe and follow Mato's naïve yet smart thinking on the situation (no really don't) as she confronts her Otherself on the subject of alcohol through an awkward encounter followed by an awkward conversation, a conversation that answers something she wishes to know, even though small.
Apologies for any minor grammar mistakes throughout this one-shot.
Enjoy! (And shoutout to all of you who know the song I have subtly included halfway through this one-shot, y'all are cool)
Disclaimer: All Characters belong to Huke.
Mato was a little confused what to think.
These were the facts she understood:
The Otherselves had come to this world, whatever was left of them.
They were accepted, for some reason, by everyone around them; people were not at all afraid of them, in fact, they welcomed them.
They started to develop emotions.
Some started to become eager to learn about the world.
Some wanted to join the Japanese Army.
Some simply stayed by their counterparts side.
Some wanted to go back.
Some sorted themselves into groups of personal likes…;
Sports
Literature
Boating
Exploring
Not giving a damn in general
Grunge music
Clothes
Cigarettes
All that good stuff.
And her own Otherself was one of these people. She had sorted herself into three of these groups, but was actually basically an 'all-in-one' group.
Mato was not the type of person to wear all black (not exactly EMO- all-black, just an "IDGAF" amount of black), smoke cigarettes, listen to grunge music, run wild around the streets at night. She wasn't even sure if they did that or not, but she could usually hear yells from her window from the kids downtown at two o' clock in the morning, and she lived a generous distance from the main town center, so they were pretty loud.
So here she was, walking with Yomi and soft faced Dead Master, Yuu (the real one) and a smiling Strength, a.k.a the Yuu she had known all her life, Kagari and a haughty Chariot, staring discretely across the road at the gang of kids in black taking turns to swig from a bottle containing a liquid Mato was sure wasn't water. They all had a set of headphones or earphones around their necks or over their ears. She also noticed that there were a few Otherselves in the group, one that she could recall was Black Matagi. She was quietly conversing with a human girl, a bottle hanging loosely in one hand and an Mp3 in the other.
Then her eyes landed on the girl she always tried to pick out whenever she felt brave enough to walk by the boisterous, intimidating group. She wore double soled, black lace up above the ankle boots, fishnet ripped stockings, shorts that were too short to be worn publicly (not that she would care though, for back in Otherworld, care for clothes was not needed then, so it apparently was not needed now in the real world.), a crop top with straps that crossed at the front and looped around her pale neck, though it showed quite a lot of cleavage (again, not that she would care), and a cropped black leather jacket that she did not bother to zip up, leaving her pale chest (even though rather flat) exposed to all the boys who had swooned over her the minute she had joined them. Her long raven hair was tied up into two careless, untidy, uneven ponytails, a bored look resting on her features as she half listened to the cocky boys around her, her bangs that desperately needed a trimming fanned over her blue eyes- No, her inhuman and cold, heartless blue gems.
This girl, was her Otherself.
Yomi poked at her arm, bringing her back to earth. "It's not nice to stare, Mato." she said with a kind smile. Mato nodded, glancing once more behind her before picking up her pace.
Only this time when she looked around, a chill ran down her spine as the icy blue eyes stared right back at her.
"Say, Yuu, what type of person do you think I am?"
The small brunette in question lowered the sports magazine she held loosely in her hands and glanced over the top of it, her brown eyes resting on her blue eyed friend across the room, whom was lying carelessly sprawled out on her bed. She was staring at the ceiling, her mouth twisted into a frown. Yuu tilted her head. "How do you mean?" she asked.
Mato turned her head to face the girl, her bangs flopping lazily across her eyes. "Like, what's my personality? How do I come across to you?".
"Annoying."
A pillow was thrown across the room, hitting the brunette smack in the face, her magazine jerking out her hands, a loud "Ooph!" escaping the girl's lips. After recovering, Yuu threw a look back at her attacker. "What was that for?" she growled. Her attacker scowled back at her. "I'm being serious Yuu. Like, honestly, just… I don't know, describe me."
With a sigh, Yuu fixed her sitting position, crossing her legs under herself and resting her cheek in the palm of her hand. She was quiet for a few seconds, her mouth twisted into a pouty frown. "Okay well, you're nice, you're kind, friendly, easy to get along with- unless you're Kagari that is. You're very chatty- actually scratch that, you won't shut up."
She ducked another pillow targeted at her head, resuming her cross legged position a moment after and ignoring the scowl directed at her from across the room.
"You're kindhearted, with this crazy desire to constantly help people. Which is great, really great actually, until you sometimes…", Yuu's brown eyes rolled to the side, eyelids lowered, one brow dipping into a frown, "..get hurt." She looked back at the blue eyed girl staring intensely at her from across the room, one dark brow raised, the other dipped into a frown, her scowl lifting from her features and being replaced by a thoughtful one.
Yuu's chocolaty gaze drifted around the room, a chuckle sounding from her. "You're the most untidy person I've ever met." she sniggered, gesturing with one hand across the sweet wrapper, sock strewn, sport magazine covered floor. "You don't pay attention in class, you never read the push or pull signs on doors, you're a complete ditz at times, you can't wake up early in the mornings, your hair is always tied up unevenly, like it is now."
Consciously, the bluenette raised a hand to pat her pigtails.
"You can't drink fizzy drinks because you become THE basketball of a heated match; you bounce all over the place and look high as shit, you have the worst diet of curry and frigging 'Chewit Sweets'," a glance to the sweet wrapper strewn floor confirmed her statement, "you can't tell your right from your left, apparently the Pacific Ocean was in space.." she shook her head at the statement the blue eyed girl had once stupidly and naively said to her, "..though you were high as shit that day."
Mato had no more pillows to throw at her friend in annoyance, so she settled for a used sock. It soared uselessly through the air. Scowling, Mato sat up in a cross legged position, arms folded across her chest, a frown twisted across her features.
"Gee, thanks for the roasting Yuu.." she mumbled, her eyelids lowered and her blue eyes dark. Her brunette friend smiled.
"You didn't let me finish." she said. Mato's gaze lifted back up to her friend. "What, roasting me?" she huffed. Yuu's smile softened. "No, I haven't told you the best parts about you."
She stood up and walked over to her friend, sitting carefully down on the messy bed. She smiled sheepishly and wrung her hands in embarrassment. "Despite your stupidity at times, you're without doubt and it'll never change, the best friend I could have ever asked for. Ever since I.. came back.. you've been there for me since day one. Even when I was a bit of a bitch to you at the start, you never gave up on me, and I'm so grateful for that. You're so caring, so helpful, so full of refreshing good vibes and energy. You're.." She paused,searching for the right word, "..pure. You're pure."
Mato blinked, and looked down, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck. "Heheh.. well I…um.. thanks, Yuu. Thanks a lot" she said, a sheepish chuckle sounding from her a moment later.
Yuu stood up, walking forward a few steps before dipping down to pick up her magazine. Straightening back up she twisted her torso to face the girl. "I mean it, Mato. All of it." she said before flopping unceremoniously down onto the small cushioned armchair she had previously been stationed at. She was about to resume her reading, on an interesting article about a scandal in drug and doping use in sport, when she glanced up again. "Why'd you ask anyway?" she asked, her chocolate eyes questioning.
Mato flopped down onto her back again, staring at the ceiling once more. "Just wondered."she replied dismissively.
Yuu blinked. "Bit of an odd thing to wonder out of the blue..." she mused.
There was silence between them, a silence that could've possibly been peaceful, relaxing. But no. It was in that silence that Yuu realised her grave mistake. Her eyes widened in horror.
"No.."
Mato slowly turned her head, an evil, mischievous grin stretched across her lips. "I'm blue.." she started,
"Don't. Oh my God don't do it"
"..Daba-dee"
"Don't!"
"..Daba-die"
"Stop. Mato, stop!"
"..Daba-dee daba-die -"
"MATOOO!"
The neighborhood hummed with the sound of distance cars and drowsy insects in the late evening air. The sky was purple and roasted, a tiny distant dot of burnt copper marking where the remains of the setting sun was. On the quiet streets tinted a cool rosy lilac from the darkening sky, the odd car cruised by, a lone walker with her furry companion squeezed in her daily exercise in what was left of the day, a small group of kids giggled and boasted as they passing a beaten up football between them. It was a typical Friday evening, with either everyone out in town for a wild night out, or everyone camped out inside their homes, accompanied with a bottle of wine standing dutifully alongside a loyal bowl of popcorn on a glass coffee table and a series of a soap to binge-watch ready on standby on the T.V. There was no in between.
Except, there was a girl, who had no real desire to go out on a wild night every Friday night, a night that every time her friends pleaded to her and promised her to be a good one, with a "Jack" or "Josh will be there" thrown into the series of pleas she received every time. No, she definitely didn't want to go… Well maybe. But mostly not.
But, she was usually too restless to stay inside as well, and so spent her evenings walking around her neighborhood, a loyal path mapped out in her mind, all the while letting her thoughts wander.
Mato pulled the hood of her favourite hoodie over her head, shoving her hands into it's pockets. She had planned on going to her favourite spot on the tallest hill of the neighborhood, a watch-point the overlooked the busy town in the distance and gave her a view of the towering mountains even further off. Already she was half way there and the sight of the start of the long, exhausting, winding steps to the top were in her sights.
Mato's mind was troubled.
She always thought she was a nice, friendly pleasant girl, and she knew she was. Getting hurt in the past because of her kindness proved so. She was energetic, eager, willing, approachable. Everyone said so. And silently in her head, she agreed, pleased to be a likable person.
Blue eyes trailed the ground, dark with thoughts. Her trusty navy converse kicked a stone in her eyes looked up to see the start of the concrete steps to the watch-point in front of her.
A sigh escaped her lips.
She started up the steps, continuing her pondering. She frowned as a girl, tied to her by the soul, entered her thoughts, the main reason for her deep pondering.
How was she anything like her? How was her Otherself anything like her?
OK, yes, she had the dark hair, pale skin, flattish chest, an almost gaunt appearance in the face, pigtails, messy uncontrollable bangs, blue eyes (minus the inhuman gear pattern), low dark brows. Basically, yes, she looked like and exact COPY of her, just with a paler, gaunter complexion, and much longer hair. If you took them away, then two of Mato existed, and the only way to tell a difference between them would be by attitude and personality.
That was when Mato's thoughts became muddled and confused.
It was their attitude, their whole entire personalities, that made Mato wonder how they were alike. Obviously you had to completely ignore their identical physical features, but when you did that, then they were nothing alike;
Mato was friendly, she was cold.
Mato was bubbly and loud,she was quiet and reserved.
Mato was chatty, she was almost mute, barely audible when she did speak.
Mato was kind, she was appeared to be heartless.
Mato stared at all in wonder, she gazed with boredom.
Mato liked to eat curry, she ate next to nothing.
Mato preferred still bottled water, she preferred cheap vodka (apparently).
Mato liked pop music, she liked fast paced alternative and Dubstep.
Mato's go to outfit on a nice day was a light tee and shorts, her's were close cut black crop tops and publicly unacceptable black hotpants, finished with fishnet stockings.
Mato tried her best to stay out of trouble, she simply didn't care if she did or not.
Mato preferred to stay in known territory where she knew no one would suddenly ambush her for the fun of it, she liked to roam, her chilling presence making no one dare to mess with her.
Mato preferred to stare at the stars during the night from her excellently positioned window, she observed them whilst roaming the streets.
Mato preferred to keep her lungs nicotine-free, she expertly vaped clouds from pale unsmiling lips.
Yeah, they were nothing alike.
But weren't Yuu and Strength, Yomi and Dead Master, Kagari and Chariot, all alike in appearance and personality?
What made her and her Otherself different?
Mato was three steps away from the top now. Her lungs were heaving, and her legs ached. But she knew her effort would be rewarded y the amazing viewpoint at the top. She heaved herself up the last concrete step, gasping. She had to double over with her hands on her knees to steady her breathing, taking controlled but deeps mouthfuls of air. When she felt she wasn't about to collapse and her breathing was under control, she straightened up.
Mato had been met in the face with many things; A basketball during a sleepy mid morning practice, a pillow during a pillow fight, the dusty ground when she failed a slam-dunk move, water splashed rudely onto her face when she wouldn't wake up in the mornings, a bee that she swatted away with a shriek on a hot day, her table at school when she gave up listening in history and collapsed onto it, the wet lips of a shy boy who had a crush on her missing her mouth terribly during an attempt to kiss her (she had been startled at his attempt and ducked to the side, his lips landing on her cheek instead), many punches during only RARE hot headed fights she got into to (not to mention the ones she received during her "time in Otherworld"), and many other things.
However, now since this never happened to her, she had no way to prepare herself. She had no way to prepare herself for the icy stare of her raven haired Otherself to meet her own.
Her counterpart stood at the railings of the watch-point Mato so loved to observe from, elbows resting on the metal bars and one knee bent in a relaxed pose, a gentle breeze caressing her messy dark pigtails. Adorning her lithe form, was an over-sized though fitted black hoodie, a tiny pair of black shorts visible only because she was bent over, knee high stockings and a pair of thick soled boots. Her hands for once were gloveless.
What Mato found most surprising but unbelievably scary was the girl's expression; it was nearly blank, save for one raised dark brow and the other one dipped in mild curiosity and surprise. Mato was used to seeing her either damn right bored, or an angered and irritated frown twisted into her features. Seeing the muscles relaxed in her pretty unsmiling face was something Mato never expected to see before.
They stood there in silence, the human girl frozen with shock and mind racing at what to do, the inhuman girl observing with mild curiosity from underneath dark lashes.
Mato hadn't spoken to her Other since she arrived in the real world. Usually, when each Other did arrive in the world, they arrived beside their human host, and what happened after that was up to them. However, Mato's had not, and when she did eventually meet her after a month of her arrival, it was indirectly, it was from a distance; she had already settled and mingled with a group of idiots (in Mato's opinion), and was seemingly fairly comfortable with her new companions and had only noticed her after a while. And, she didn't bother to approach Mato, a fact that soured Mato when she pondered over it.
So here she was, wondering what to do, what to say.
Should she turn around and walk back the way she came, ignoring her like she felt the girl did so easily to her?
Or.. should she approach her, start up a friendly conversation?
Or just stand there and do nothing at all?
Or…
…She ran out of options..
Just when she decided to walk away, to retreat, the observing inhuman girl spoke up, so quietly that her small voice was almost carried away in the breeze.
"Hello".
Just a simple word, a word that sent Mato into a frenzy.
Mato swallowed, looking behind her and in front of her again like a confused idiot, comically raising a thumb to point at her chest. "H-hello me?" she stuttered.
She was answered with a simple nod.
Mato gulped. "Um.. hi.." she managed to say after a moment.
Silence.
Mato weighed out her options. She could just walk away now, pretend nothing happened.
But, didn't the girl greet her first?
Did that mean she wanted to talk, or at least wouldn't mind talking?
…or st least could tolerate her presence?
As the panicked blue eyed teen pondered naively over her thoughts, the inhuman girl straightened up. She re-positioned her hands on the railing, her pale fingers wrapped around the cool metal, her weight spread evenly out in her two legs. Her icy gear patterned eyes that had so far never left Mato's blinked, before flicking to railing beside her, and back up again, seemingly musing over something. A moment passed.
"Want to talk?"
Mato was known for her dramatic double takes, and had anyone else been there, then this one now would have been her best; comically wide blue eyes, slack jaw, slumped shoulders, twitching muscles, loss of voice, or at least left with very poor speech;
"T-t-t-t-t-talk?" she blurted out disbelievingly.
"...Yes.."
Mato's mind was in shock. She wanted to talk? Like as in, have a conversation? Like normal people? Like… whatttttt?
Deciding that this may probably be the only opportunity to actually talk to her Otherself, Mato's shock weakened legs started moving towards the inhuman girl, whilst mumbling, "Sure..".
Upon reaching the railing (and standing a safe distance from the quiet Other), Mato decided to try and calm herself by observing the magnificent view the watch-point had to offer, and with relief she found that it did; the lilac sky casted a warm glow across the distant mountains, pink cherry blossoms dotted the landscaped, tiny glowing yellow dots bunched together from cars in the distance gave off a soft dim glow. Mato smiled. The sight never failed to amaze her.
Stealing a sneaky glance at the ever so slightly taller girl to her left, she found the inhuman girl's stance was relaxed, her eyelids lowered and the glow of the town's lights reflecting off her unique blue orbs. Her elbows where leaning against the railing again, one knee bent in a relaxed pose, her weight resting in her other leg-
Mato's gaze jerked back to the girl's hands. How she managed to overlook this, she didn't know.
"Are you drinking?" she blurted out, without thinking.
From the inhuman girl's hand dangled loosely a brown bottle, "Orchard Thieves" printed across it's cylindrical surface. The inhuman girl's eyes lazily looked down at her hand before looking back to the smaller girl beside her, one dark brown raised.
"Yes", came the simple reply.
Mato scrunched up her nose, finding her nervousness fading to annoyance.
"Why?" she asked, perplexed
"..Tastes good.."
Mato blinked. "Tastes good?"
"Yes.."
Mato recalled the one and only time she had tasted alcohol; she had been at a formal gathering with her mother, and everyone had been tipsy on drink. Curiously, she had tried a liquid that looked like water, recalling it to be vodka, and took a deep swig. One moment later it was spewing out her mouth like a fountain, her throat was raw and nose was burning. Needless to say, she didn't like it. At all.
"I find that hard to believe.." she muttered, frowning.
The Other girl turned slightly to her, her slender fingers flexing around the bottle, eyes guardedly curious.
"Why?" came a blunt reply.
"I tried it once and I spat it back out. Tasted like…like.. petrol or something awful.." she answered the girl, "and I keep wondering why people would possibly drink it." She paused for a moment, thinking out her words.
"I've decided it's because they think it's 'Cool'" she concluded with air quotes.
"Cool?"
Mato nodded, turning her shoulder so she could face the inhuman girl more. "Yeah", she confirmed, "People go around chugging it back like it's water, and then end up stumbling around the place like zombies- stupid zombies, thinking that they're so cool because they're drunk. I'd love to tell them it's so not, but I'd probably get a bottle smashed into my face." She glanced up at the observing girl, watching her reaction. When the girl said and did nothing, apart from her dark brow dipping further into a confused frown, Mato dared to say, "Your people are like that…"
A short silence followed.
"...My people?"
"Yeah, those guys you hang around with."
The Other's gaze drooped, lashes fanning out onto her cheeks. Her fingers drummed on the neck of the bottle. "… they're not stupid.." she said lowly after a few seconds.
Mato blinked, a frown twisting its way on her own features. "Explain their actions then. Cause from what I've seen, they seem like pretty sad and silly people."
She held her breath after she finished her last sentence, realising that she basically insulted the people her Otherself seemed fond of. She braced herself, preparing for the worst.
".. they're not reckless. They're not silly. They don't take alcohol to be cool. They said so themselves one day. It relaxes them. From their troubles or worries." the Other tilted her head, dark bangs falling over he eyes. "It helps them think, or even just relax, and forget any troubles on their minds from back at home. It frees them. It frees them to roam, to take control of their thoughts."
Her chilling orbs drifted back to Mato's own tame blue ones, now icy. "They don't drink to be 'cool'. That's absurd."
A silence grew between them, Mato taken back with her Otherself's response, and found her words sinking in, She could understand what she said, even though it was just a little. It relaxed her to know that the people the inhuman girl hung around with weren't completely wild, and well, stupid.
Mato must have taken something in the curry she had for dinner that evening, a daring pill or something, because she dared to ask as politely and quietly as she could, "Then.. why do you take alcohol?"
Another silence stretched between them, nothing but the sound of the cars in the town further in the distance humming in the air. She bit her lip, cursing herself for being to nosy, and was about to apologize, when the quiet voice beside her spoke.
"It numbs me."
Mato's head jerked to the side, eyes wide. "…Huh?" was all she could manage.
The Other girl shifted her stance, raising the bottle to her eye level. "From the pain I carry.", before taking a swig from it.
It took a few moments for these words to sink into Mato's naive mind. And when they did, she looked down, ashamed. "Oh…I'm sorry…" she mumbled.
Of course. She forgot. Even while she was in this world, while they were both in the same world, Black Rock Shooter still had to carry out her purpose; carry Mato's pain. It had never crossed Mato's mind, the young girl presuming that the girl was free of her duty of protecting her.
Mato stared at her hands, tapping her index fingers nervously together. "..does it hurt?" she asked timidly.
The pale girl looked at her through her lashes.
"You're a strange girl, Mato. In this world, serving you, I do not feel.. searing pain, but mostly all your hurt and muddled emotions, all minor injuries inflicted upon you."the Other's blue eyes looked to her host. "An example would be from yesterday; I am presuming you must have fallen."
"Why?"
"Because my knee suddenly split open."
Mato winced. "Ah sorry about that.."A frown worked it's way into her features.
"But, my knee just had a tiny cut on it, it barely bled. How come it had such a bad effect on you?"
"I took the brunt of your fall, you only felt the sting. I do not mind though; it is my purpose to take your pain." The girl looked back at the half full bottle in her hand.
"I just like to tame the muddled pain and feelings, even just a little bit. Since I can't fight it like I know how to, because your world's laws don't allow it." her gaze looked back to her slightly smaller host.
Mato nodded. "I understand." And she did.
Silence developed again, and the pair watched as the sky's heavy lilac colour transitioned from a deep purple to a dark navy. The sound of a bottle tipping broke the stillness in the air. At first Mato ignored it, but after each passing minute and each swig within that minute, Mato turned her attention to the bottle in the inhuman girl's pale hand.
So her first attempt at drinking alcohol had been bad. So what? And it was raw vodka after all, not exactly a smart choice. Apparently, this stuff her Otherself casually chugged back tasted good. The daring pill she must've taken in her curry that evening kicked in again.
"Can I try it?" she asked before she could stop herself. She bit her lip in embarrassment as the Other girl's gaze lazily flicked over to her.
"Try what?"
"Umm…" Mato hesitated, stealing another glance back at the brown bottle. Did she dare to try?
"...Can I try the stuff you're drinking?" she asked, bracing herself for the annoyance to radiated off the inhuman girl at her naive questioning. Maybe she looked at her as a child, even though they were the same age, the difference that seemed to make one older than the other was maturity in the mind and physical build, as well as spirit. Maybe she would sneer at her and down the rest of the half full bottle in one go, wave it in her face before throwing it away (or maybe smash it into her face) and then saunter away, their civil conversation and catch-up forgotten.
Before Mato's panicked pondering could escalate further, the bottle was held out to her, pale fingers holding it loosely.
"Here." was all the inhuman girl said.
Her blue eyes blinking in confusion, she reached out a shaky hand, unable to believe the Other girl was willingly handing the drink to her. When it was in her grasp she stared at it uncertainly, though feeling a bit giddy at doing something she was so often thought by her mother was wrong. But only if she was abusing alcohol was it then considered wrong. And she wasn't doing that; she was merely only trying it out. One sip wasn't going to kill her.
Mato looked back up at her Otherself, finding her gear patterned orbs watching her expectantly. Sighing uncertainly, Mato raised the bottle to her lips, the smell of something bitter and sweet reaching her nose, and after another moment of hesitation, she tipped the bottle back.
The taste of sweet apple, yeast and tolerable bitterness greeted her tongue. She removed the bottle from her lips, but stood with her head slightly tipped back, relishing the taste, before experimentally swallowing. A few moments passed, and Mato didn't utter a word. Concern began to grow on the Other girl, and she stepped forward to aid the human girl with uncertainty, until Mato lowered her head, a small smile on her face.
"It's good!" she exclaimed, handing the bottle back.
"I told you so."
"Yeah I suppose."
The pair stood together, watching as the sun turned from navy to a deep inky blue, Mato still savoring the taste of the alcohol. Yes okay it tasted fine. And she was still OK; she hadn't toppled over with a sudden illness. It hadn't killed her. It was good.
Really good actually.
She stole another glace at the bottle back in the possession of the Other girl.
She wanted more.
"Umm…" she started slowly turning to the quiet girl, feeling like the most annoying person ever. "May I.. umm.." she trailed off thinking of how to ask her again without sounding like a pestering idiot. "May I have-"
Mato stopped when the girl suddenly stepped away from the railing. She stooped down slightly and silently placed the half-drank bottle on the ground, before straightening up again. She then raised her gloveless pale hands and pulled at the collar of her hoodie, reaching one hand inside and fumbling at something for a moment. Perplexed, Mato watched, wondering with she was at, until the Other girl pulled on something, and a moment later, the said object appeared out the collar of her hoodie.
A bottle of unopened Orchard Thieves.
She turned to her human counterpart, holding out her arm with the bottle hanging dangerously loosely in her pale hand. "Here" she said, watching Mato's face twist amusingly into an expression of bafflement.
Mato didn't know what to be more shocked about; the fact that the girl managed to pull a whole bottle out of her jumper that was entirely concealed from view, or the fact that she was WILLINGLY handing her an ENTIRE bottle of the stuff.
These facts didn't stop her from shakily reaching out a hand and accepting the bottle.
"Um.. thanks.." she said shyly, "..but you don't have to give me the whole bottle…"
"Take it."
Mato blinked. "Are.. are you sure?" she pressed, her bafflement continuing to betray her voice.
"Yes."
Mato turned back to her prize in her hand, unsure how just ten minutes ago she despised the stuff, and now she was asking for it. But, she had been weird and uptight about the whole thing anyway, and at the back of her mind she guessed that her laid back Other thought so as well. Now she realised that the stuff was only a drink that after one too many, which was like five bottle of the stuff, would it actually do her harm. For now, this one bottle would only at the most make her feel more relaxed. It was OK.
"Fuck it.." she murmured under her breath and prized the lid off the bottle. She hesitated less this time before taking a swig from the bottle, sweet apple and bitterness greeting her tongue once more.
She was aware of an intense gaze resting on her, and mid swig of a second gulp of the alcohol she turned to her Other, finding that the pale girl's features ere still blank, but had softened even more, and her eyes were guardedly amused. Mato swallowed a bitter-sweet gulp. "Umm.. everything okay?" she asked uncertainly, noticing the inhuman girl's cool orbs warming up with with further guarded amusement. She nodded before turning back to the remains of the sunset, the street lights of the town that had recently turned on reflecting off her unique orbs.
"You're a funny girl, Mato." she said, before taking a swig from her own bottle.
Mato snorted sarcastically into the rim of her bottle, the sound echoing inside it. "That I've heard a lot and I can definitely agree on.", before taking another swig from the bottle, and during that swig she was sure she hard a tiny airy chuckle come from the girl beside her.
Silence developed again, a warm atmosphere developing between the silent pair. It was unusual. Mato was a girl who couldn't sit/stand still for more than a minute, couldn't stand silences and hated awkward tensions. But here she was, standing in silence in what should've been an awkward silence, but she she didn't find it to be so, more relaxing than anything.
Maybe it was just the alcohol making her feel this way.
She also never liked to break rules, but never really questioned them in the first place to do so either. She had always been told that alcohol was bad, and never questioned it. But here she was, drinking it and relishing it without a care.
But was she worried?
After pausing for a moment and considering this, she shook her head and took another swig from the bottle, deciding that no she didn't.
Two minutes passed between the identical pair, and it finally occurred that they had something in common.
Mato looked down at the bottle, the Orchard Thieves stamp stamped cross the widest part of it gleaming up at her.
They both like Orchard Thieves.
Or anything that was bitter-sweet.
Or anything that was apple.
Mato smiled and moved her gaze to the Other girl at her side, who was staring contently at the lit up town in the distance, the street lights and faded orange glow of the sky reflecting off her inhuman gear patterned eyes, her eyelids lowered in contentment and lashes casting small shadows over her pale cheekbones. Her stance was once again relaxed, with her elbows clothed in the long sleeves of her black hoodie resting on the metal railing of the watch point, her nearly empty bottle dangling between two pale fingers, leg bent and favored while all her tiny weight rested in her other leg. Her long messy pigtails danced softly in the gentle mild breeze of the evening-soon-to-be-night, her wild bangs (much like her own, Mato noticed) that were in a desperate of a trimming hung choppily over her eyebrows. Her facial features were completely relaxed, and Mato couldn't but wonder if the powerful inhuamn girl was only like this with her.
Mato took in a deep breath of the night air. "Hey.." she started watching the gear patterned eyes she often looked at with awe trail lazily over to her with guarded curiosity. A manicured brow was raised in question. Mato continued.
"Can we do this more often? Like, make it a regular thing?" she asked before biting her lip and holding her breath, waiting for the Other girl's response.
Black Rock Shooter turned to her with a wide, soft and pretty smile, one that reached her eyes, her pigtails dancing around her shoulder.
"Yes" she said. "Lets."
The sound of two bottles clanking together in "Cheers" echoed in the the night air.