Middle of all Nights
Author: Rakusa
25 September 2009
Sum: Battles Nightly, sparing daily, sleep fitful, days lonely... this was the life I had to look forward to. I didn't complain, in many ways I enjoyed it.
AN: So.... I've decided this is Mamo POV, mostly... and I am disregarding his dreams of the princess. I know they were there to help keep him from becoming a total bastard and feeling love for at least someone and having the knowledge that someone loved him during those rough years. But I also think that allowed him to become such a ball-less sack of shit. (I know... my rating just went up to M.... sigh, fine... I'll watch my language.) Anyways, that dream isn't so relevant to this story, and it would just get in the way. Irregardless... the story
I
The latest female I took out was tall, chesty and a red head. She told me her profession was modeling, but she couldn't have been more than eighteen years old. Already older than I was, but, it hadn't mattered to me, I was working there part time myself since I was sixteen and most girls started at twelve. However the drone of chatter about how moving in certain ways was better to capture good pictures, I caught myself yawning.
My aspirations had never been to model, it had just been something I fell into when a friend asked a favor of me. Needless to say, that friendship hadn't lasted long, but it had pointed me in the direction I was currently in, making extra money on the side to support my lifestyle. It was not an industry with any sustainability and in a few short years this girl would have to scramble to find a new way through life, and I doubted it would bring in any kind of money she was used to, or if she was even hire-able out in the real world.
The yawn hadn't been just from the creature in front of me, She wouldn't have even gotten that reaction out of me, no, it had a lot more to do with the lack of sleep I had been getting in way too long of a time. The last time my nights had been plagued like this, I was a very young child. Then I had lost my parents in a car wreak. I was told that I couldn't possibly remember it that way, that the nightmares had come after, and being so young, I was just confused. I had learned then, that outside opinion did not matter, I knew what I had seen and when it had occurred. I was on my own, in so many ways.
I paid for our meal before desert, she would not eat it, and seeing as how she had pushed aside the salad she had ordered for a main course, I felt trapped in this entanglement of suppose tos. I was supposed to take the girl out to dinner, she was supposed to only order a light salad, and then complain about her weight. I pushed out the sigh of frustration from my brain, there were certain reactions I couldn't control in my body very well, and even those I tried, but I could control every emotion on my face, every nonverbal and every sound I made. I was impeccable in my control, and for that, everyone liked the charming facade I plastered on for them.
Then after I was supposed to pay for her meal, we were supposed to go back to my place, to be properly repaid. I was tired of the jig, tired of the circular pattern, all I ever was to them was another claim to say they had the handsome dark haired model in a sea of blonds. I was not interested anymore, and as we walked out to the cabs, I guided her in and shut the door firmly in her face, giving the cabby extra money to drive her straight home, no matter where it was and not to deviate from it or come to my place.
I then turned in the opposite direction to get my own cab, but something inspired me to take a walk instead. I had not been down to this part of the city often, as there were only a few nice restaurants, and then the rest was akin to suburbia with only a few nice jewelry stores. As I had no intention to given anyone the impression there was more to our one night stands, I steered clear of jewelry, flowers and candy. Not that the last would have been well received by anyone in my circuit anyways. I had been told though that this suburbia was charming in the layout and ecological additions once you got away from the main drag.
I had a very good friend, one of the only friends, in fact, the only one I considered close, working not to far away, on a secondary street. I had always intended to see him in his environment, but I shuddered to think of what I would find. He said there were a lot of kids running around, and it was a lot of fun. I imagined snot-nosed, watery-eyed, little faces with the stickiness that came from ice cream and their own saliva, all chasing after me with paint on their hands. At the same time being barded by a whole clashing of high-pitched keens from not only them but the jiggles of the machines and beeping.
Yet, I was oddly intrigued. He seemed to genuinely like it, and his personality was such, it was hard to ignore or even be mean to. Both of which I would have gladly shoved back at him for his generosity several years ago, but perhaps it had been a bad day when I was feeling too lonely to pass up the opportunity, or perhaps, it had just been his kindness and pushiness that I eventually included him into my life. Regardless, no matter how annoying he got, he was one friend I did not push away and walk from to never see again.
I had an odd feeling, as feelings go, that I felt guilty over being a poor friend and not seeing his work place, especially when he'd spent so much time at mine. I easily pushed aside this emotion, for it was easy to push aside any slivers of feelings that somehow made it past my iron control, so easy in fact, I almost overlooked having it in the first place.
As I got deeper into the suburb, I realized the streets were lined with trees that twinkled in the dusk and potted plants of all sorts of colors. It really was a nice street, almost fetching. It was not hard to find the building his family had owned for several generations, it practically glowed from the mundane buildings near it, each with their own character, but hard to compete with the actually glowing lights that outlined the words 'Crown Arcade'. It was almost amusing that there was an actual golden crown shape behind it.
As I entered, the sliding doors had a slogan on it, that I read only briefly before being let into the slightly cooler atmosphere inside than out. 'Games fit for Kings and Queens and their court, try to stay one step ahead'. It was an odd slogan, but in some twisted way, it almost made sense, it was after all a place for playing games, as the larger sign stated, an arcade had multiple games. But the idea that the royalties had something to do with it, was interesting, as usually it was complex and often times someone was backstabbing or murdering another. I frowned at the thought, but then again, it was Motoki and his thoughts had probably not gone past the fact that it was related to the idea of a crown, so played it up. Still I wondered at the idea of a court trying to stay a step ahead of each other, and as I looked around the surprisingly large space, I realized that I had actually been mistaken. The games within were various forms, some were dancing, and you literally had to try and beat your opponent by staying one step ahead and others where you had to outsmart your enemy as you battled on the screen. They had thought it out, because everything within, even the games that were clearly from periods unrelated, had some type of décor that could tie back to the original idea. It was all tasteful, without being overblown, but at the same time looked luxurious but easy to maintain.
A blond man sweeping up a mess off to the side looked up to greet his newest customer and his eyes brightened and danced in recognition. "Mamoru!" He greeted, coming forward, the mess forgotten at the moment to greet me. I was engulfed in a hug, again, not something I took kindly to, not even from him, and the glare I leveled at him had him chuckling, but not apologizing as he went back to finish cleaning.
As he was putting the items away, I was aware of not hearing as many overpowering noises as I expected, there was a gentle hum in the background where the machines were powered and a tinkling noise that was in fact the games being played themselves, but they were pushed back, to allow the front to house the majority of the seating for the other portion of the arcade, the food. There were people gathering about, milling over their days or homework assignments due for the future. In fact, the only noise out of the ordinary was a soft string of non-cussing cursing. I glanced idly at the culprit to see a blond girl jabbing at the machine in her enthusiasm and then a soft wail as the character she was playing died fitfully in a dramatic, and ultimately unlikely death. As if a monster would really eat a girl wearing a short sailor uniform in orange?
Why would that girl even be out there instead of at home, cuddled up in her bed, pretending that the evils of the world did not exist outside her very window. Besides, what could such a uniformed young child do against any creature that imagined out of children's nightmares? I rolled my eyes at the preposterous thought and turned to the newly arrived Motoki who leaned against the counter to talk to me. His waitresses took care of all but the bar, which was currently blissfully empty besides my presence, and so I had his undivided attention.
He leaned forward, excitement in his eyes. "What do I owe this unexpected surprise to?"
"I was in the neighborhood." I responded, not giving him anything to go off of it, but he always found a way to do just that.
He chuckled. "Why Mamoru-kun, I'm delighted by your obvious preference to my company than whatever gorgeous creature you had hanging off your arm this week."
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Again there was no inflection to tell him he was right or wrong, or even if I was confused.
Motoki just shrugged his shoulders but the grin on his face meant he knew. "Whatever, I'm glad you finally decided to come visit me though. Even if it hurt your lady friend's feelings."
It was my turn to brush off the comment and I looked to our surroundings. "It's not what I expected when you said 'kids'." In fact most of them were my age, maybe a few years younger like the girl in the corner, some were actually several years older.
Motoki's lips twitched up at the mention of his previous words. "Ah, well, a hazard I guess of hanging around some of the people here, one of the girls that are regulars is Australia, and she calls everyone kids, even her peers. It's rubbed off, I'm afraid."
"Had you not put the fear of death into my mind, I might have been here sooner."
"Sorry Mamoru, I had no idea you were afraid of little tykes." Motoki's eyes were bemused as he returned the gaze from his arcade, a proud look, back to me. "Then again, I am highly suspicious of your own words, you be afraid of anything?"
I laughed with him, for he was correct, he had no doubt seen long ago, I didn't even laugh with just anyone, and again I wondered what made him so special to be included in a very short list of people I felt remotely comfortable to be around for any length of time, and not just what I wanted out of them? Perhaps it was because Motoki never wanted anything from me other than my friendship and I had never wanted anything he could give me either, because the only thing he could give me that I didn't already have, was his friendship, which he had already permanently pressed onto my skin like a brand that would not fade.
I frowned at the idea that anyone could make me do something I didn't want to do, but then again, Motoki never could. I chose his friendship that he so valiantly offered me, not even asking for answers in return to questions he no doubt had. Ones I had never really explained to him either, but he was wise enough to discern some of the truths I hid from the world, and did not feel sympathetic for me, the operative word there, was pathetic which was what my past was and I didn't need anyone's pity for events that could not be changed.
There was a sound like a great thud behind me and I winced at the noise before I slowly turned to see what had transpired. The girl from earlier slipped on the wet floor in her haste, despite the sign and was slowly getting up, and brushing herself off. She did not look up towards me, so I had no idea what her face looked like, much less what color her eyes were, but I guessed they must be blue, as she was blond, and probably a very milky blue at that. "Are you all right?" Motoki called out, and I was surprised to hear humor in his tone along with the concern, he had never seemed anything than one hundred percent involved with his emotions when it came to worrying about another. Hearing the laughter he held back as well as the affection, was not something one would put past Motoki in a hundred years.
She waved off his concern as she took off again, not even answering his question or stopping for a chat. But Motoki was not disappointed, and he turned back to me with a grin, the amusement full-fledge. "Resident entertainer." He explained at my slightly puzzled look, trying to understand what was going on around me. "She'll be fine, she always is."
I nodded and when he started chuckling, I glanced up again from the coffee cup that had magically appeared in front of me. "What?" I asked looking at him almost bored.
"You almost seemed concerned there for a moment when she fell. If I didn't know any better, I would say you have some feelings underneath that stoic exterior." He winked at me to tell me he knew that was exactly the truth, but I tuned him out and tested his coffee, finding it, to my liking as one of the better cups of brew I'd ever had.
"Motoki, my friend, you've just made yourself a regular customer." I held up the cup in salutation before taking another sip.
Motoki's only response was to clasp his hand on my shoulder before taking care of a customer who had appeared at the bar down the ways, trying to politely avoid eavesdropping on the conversation that was obviously between two friends. My own lips had an uncomfortable sensation as if to twitch, but I put a stop to the unexpected and strange reaction, and flattened them out again.
