This is a story of happiness…..
Monday, October 07
The sun was slowly making its descent into the ocean and then further beyond, a slight breeze accompanied the air, making it a rather lovely evening in Shizume city. Radiant shades of reds, oranges, pinks and yellows accompanied the fiery star's descent, reflecting effortlessly across the oceans waters. The bustling city was going about its daily routine for closing up shop and people scurried around trying to leave as soon as they could to go back to their families or whatever it was they went home to. Some people however, went home to an empty one bedroom apartment.
Some people….like me…
Awashima seri could not help but let this thought pass. A normally frigid woman, there were times when her softer side would push through the ever increasing cracks of her frozen heart. Standing at a streetlight waiting for the walk signal to illuminate, seri could not help but wish to share such a beautiful evening with a certain someone. Looking to her left she noticed a couple sitting across from one another while holding hands in the homey looking coffee shop she currently stood outside of and once again the warmth threatened to break through those cracks deep within.
That's enough seri…it would make no sense to get worked up over something so foolish.
A long and tiresome sigh escaped her parted lips and she continued on her journey home. Her left hand rose to massage the back of her neck.
"Yareh ,yareh…what a troublesome day" she thought as her leather clad feet took her further away from the heart of the city, the click-clack of her boots keeping her mind grounded and made her feel somewhat reassured. Chuckling softly to herself as she replayed the day's events, well mostly of a certain third in command's antics.
"baka…." She whispered, albeit endearingly. Much like the way and older sister would about her young and reckless brother.
"Will he ever see the truth that's practically staring him in the face?" She mused once more. The wind momentarily picked up, fluttering green and gold leaves all around leaving Seri in a brief moment of silence.
Followed by a sudden realization.
Maybe…just maybe…I should take my own ad-
"…eh? " Her epiphany was cut short when she saw a movement in the alleyway to the left up ahead. Standing up straight with her chin held high, she looked ever the polished and refined lieutenant of the infamous Sceptor 4. Her left hand sat poised on her sabre ready to defend herself if the need arose. Calmly she stepped forward….
A pair of azure blue eyes groggily blinked themselves open.
And immediately regretted doing so.
So bright…. The young woman thought to herself as she slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position, leaning her back against the brick wall of the alleyway. A soft grunt escaped dry lips as the pounding in her head caused her bloodshot eyes to close once more.
"…eh?'"
The voice brought mei out of her pained state to look up and out of the alley. A pair of thigh high leather boots was the first thing she saw. As her gaze shifted higher, she had to squint a little to keep the throbbing of her temples at bay and noticed how the voluptuous woman before her looked somewhat relieved and surprised.
"is everything alright?" said woman asked.
Mei turned her head away in response. Figuring that based on how the busty woman was dressed she must have been some kind of police officer .mei didn't want her to stick around for too long. Much to her dismay however, mei heard those annoying boots stride closer towards her and as a shadow fell across her body, she turned her head back around to look right into hard, bright blue eyes. Startled at the woman's closeness, mei tried to scoot further back into the alley's shadows, into it's safety. This seemed to confuse the woman for a moment.
"I wont hurt you…im just making sure you are alright" she tried, and when she got nothing she stated in her most professional voice "my name is awishima seri, lieutenant of scepter 4. Do you need medical assistance?"
Mei still kept quiet, wishing this bothersome woman would leave her alone when she noticed seri looking around the floor at all the empty bottles of booze strewn about. A slight frown creased the womans pretty features and mei felt herself get slightly more irritated with her. Clicking her tounge, mei decided to try and make this woman realize she was not wanted around.
" I don't want or need anything from you…."
Realizing that she was not getting anywhere, seri stood up and reaching into her bag she brought out her leftover lunch and held it out to the girl. Once again, a turn of the head was her only response. Taking a breath, seri bid her good luck and set the food down just an arms reach away.
"just so you know…. sceptor 4 is always a place you can come to if you are in need of some assistance" and with that she walked off.
Mei listened as the click-clack of heels faded away and her hand reached out to grab the food she left behind. It was cold and halfway eaten but it tasted like heaven after having nothing but booze in her system for two days. She suddenly stopped midway while eating as thoughts plagued her mind.
Look at yourself….ha,
What would your family say? What would Aika say?
Mei sighed and put the bento box down beside her. Looking back up at city life bustling about, her thoughts began to wander.
There was a time when she didn't live in alleyways, drink herself into abandon and smoke cigarette pack after cigarette pack.
There was a time when mei had a home with a lovely yard, friends… a family.
Then tragedy struck, changing mei's life for the worst, leaving her all alone in a city so foreign with no place to go, no way to communicate. She recalled the feeling of despair swallowing her whole, leaving the then 17 year old struggling just to breathe. Faces that she would never see again passed through her mind as she thought about their warmth, their smiles and kind hands.
She could feel them around her now…
Has it really already been a year?
Tears pricked the corners of mei's deep blues and she blinked them back furiously. She missed them with each breath that she took. With nothing but the locket her father gave her on her twelfth birthday, mei wished she had more ways of keeping their memories alive.
Only one good thing has come from this…Aika-san, I wonder what she's doing now. Reaching in to her jeans pocket, mei wondered about the women who worked at the childrens home that she lived at until she turned eighteen. Pulling out her favorite pack of cigarettes , mei lit one up and inhaled deeply.
Aika-san… im so glad you can't see me right now.
Mei could still remember her first night at the home….
*Flashback*
Long , tan fingers absentmindedly played with the ends of long ebony locks.
A young girl sat silently in the back of a police car. Hoping, praying that this was all just a dream, that her family would just walk around the corner she currently stared at through the window and explain that this was all was just a mistake, that the airplane never crashed, that everything would work out…
Her hopes were cut short when the back door swung open and the officer nodded his head at her to get out, he had given up on trying to speak to her since she could not understand any Japanese. She was able to speak a little English, however it was a bit broken.
After a moments hesitation, the girl stuck a bare foot out onto the wet pavement, followed by another. Rain immediately poured down onto her hair and face, it felt good, refreshing.
Peaceful.
Standing there outside the buildings gates, the girl looked up at the raining sky thinking this weather best expressed how she felt right now. She could feel the onset of numbness from the shock. The recent events replayed over and over in her mind and for minute the girl felt like she was watching this whole scenario from outside her body.
A woman suddenly emerged behind the gates as she fumbled with the lock as her other hand held up an umbrella to shield herself from the downpour. The girl could not properly make out this womans features because of the nights darkness but took note of how short and plump she was.
Just like mamma… she thought. Oh how she wished she could cry, but the tears would not come. She had yet to scream and cry out in despair since she awoke in a hospital the night before.
The woman conversed briefly with the policemen and after casting a glance my direction, nodded her head. He then turned to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. I didnt even feel it. Leaning in a bit he spoke to me with a heavy accent "Good luck". The rain dripped from his uniforms hat as he leaned back and with a sympathetic smile, turned and got back in the car. i watched the colors from the streetlights reflect off of the hood of his car as he drove off into the night.
'Once more, im alone tonight' thought the girl. The clearing of a throat brought the girl back to earth as she looked over to the woman now standing next to her holding the umbrella over them.
"Would you like to come inside?" came the question in English. Surprised a little at how well it was spoken, the girl then nodded her head in agreement.
"come now little one, lets get you into dry clothes" this womans voice held the warmth of a thousand flames and the girl couldn't not help but feel like she wanted to be nearer to it. Quietly, she followed the woman passed the gates and up the small set of wide stairs leading up to a traditional looking Japanese house. Casting one last look over her shoulder to the night sky, the girl said a silent prayer, hoping that somehow, someway, she would awake the next morning to her family.
Tugging the over sized jacket that the policeman had graciously given her, the girl stepped into to house and the aroma if jasmine flowers embraced her senses.
Unbeknownst to the girl, her whole world was to change once more when she awoke the next morning.
There was a cold wind blowing
Baby it's a violent world
I can hear the screams now.