Just another rainy Day {{OPEN!}}

[Aiko Kazuki]

.:|| Don't you dare look out your window ||:.
:: darling everything's on fire ::

The wind was cool through her fur, stroking through her thick coat with soothing fingers that dragged across her flesh. She didn't feel the cold, only knew it held some form of existence to the humans who so ignorantly went about their business. No one noticed her like this, and why should they? Just another stray dog running the streets. She was little more than a pale shadow slinking around corners and ducking past cars. Of course there was the occasional child who tugged their mother's arm, begging to pet the "doggie", and Ai was inclined to entertain their fantasies standing in place and simply watching the scene play before her with the familiarity of a song on repeat. The child would cry out when its request was denied, its mother pulling it away from strange animal who stared so frankly, almost as if envying the child, and the canine would sit in the sidewalk, watching forlornly as the young pup was tugged away by its dam.

No matter. She had business to attend.

And off she was again, taking back streets, darting away from the hustle and bustle of the city she soon left behind. Where was she going? It didn't matter, just away. Away, far away where anything could happen. Where she reinvent herself and create a new past, one that didn't haunt her dreams so cruelly. The female stopped on a rise just out of town and fell back on her haunches to look around her. There was nothing, only barren dark land that stretched away in monotone flatness. Like a heart monitor when that vital muscle simply..stops. This was her own world, her own haven. Here nothing mattered and she could sit and be nothing along with all the other emptiness that was smothering her. And always there was music here. A lilting, haunting melody that played endlessly across the unforgiving plane. She didn't know where it came from, or why it performed for her, only that it was ever present and struck its chords along her heart strings. Never had a more woeful song been spun, and she had no idea why she thought this, the information eluded her conscious thought in this place, and such answers to such problems were as such forgotten.

"Miss, would you like another cup?"

Aiko's eyes flew open at the intrusion upon her pensive state, the world shattering as reality appeared in all its bitter vibrance, stinging her eyes with its sudden harshness of florescent lighting and the abusive scent of too many different fragrances packed in too small of a space. The young woman scrambled for a response, an easy smile revealing a pearly row of teeth as she nodded her head. "Oh yes please." The singer purred, her soft voice carrying the childish innocence that she hid behind so skillfully. "I guess I need it if I'm going to start dozing off like that." She laughed awkwardly, all part of her ruse, and knocking a slender hand against the side of her head as if beating herself back into awareness. The elderly waitress smiled and offered a small chuckle at Ai's antics before she picked up the now empty mug and carried it away with her to be refilled.

Sitting alone in her booth, the backs of the benches rising up to hide her from easy view, the female sat in silent contemplation, mourning the loss of her refuge. That world had shattered, and as dark and gloomy as it had been, it was still better than the usual dreams that plagued her sleep and it's level of ignorance had provided a welcomed relief from the usual stress of her day. Of her life for that matter. How many years had it been since she had come to Tokyo? Four? Five? And still no word from- No. She couldn't think about that - about him - not in this public place. Doing so would be a mistake and not one that she could likely recover from.

"Here you go dear." The waitress had returned, setting down the mug in front of her with a swirled mountain of whipped cream resting on top of the steaming liquid.

"Oh! Thank you!" Ai grinned, falling back instinctively upon childish youth. A youth that had been ripped away from her too soon... If she faltered in this mask, however, the woman didn't seem to notice, giving a nod of her head before wandering off to help the next customer of her section.

Aiko fell into the background of her own little hide away, the booth sheltering her from a portion of the prying eyes around the cafe. There were still a few that glanced toward her every now and then, usually men who at least looked like they would have been around her age, but for the most part the silent young woman with her nose stuck in a book and a mug of cappuccino warming her hand went unnoticed. Which in truth was how she liked it. Interacting with others always required more attention and focus than she liked to dish out. At least toward people.

Thankfully people seemed content to let her be on that dreary afternoon, and slowly the young woman found herself receding into the timeless classic of Pride and Prejudice. The rest of the world drifted back, submerging her in her own little bubble of silence - a world of course aided in its seclusion by the donning of a pair of headphones and the volume cranking up with a swift sideways slight of her thumb across her phone screen. The musical talents of- hey! that was her own song... She slumped a bit in the booth, her boots kicked up to rest on the seat across from her, as she settled into her reclusive shell. Hiding away from the world in the most obvious of places.

.:|| The war outside our door keeps raging on ||:.
:: hold onto this lullaby ::
Even when the music's gone

[Fon]

The world around us. How can we be sure that it's real? Fon had once read a scientist's opinion on the matter. The man had stated that he knows we exist, because we are aware of ourselves. But how can we be sure that this isn't a dream. It's very much possible to be aware of yourself in a dream. Lucid dreaming is what it's called isn't it? There's something satisfying about lucid dreaming. In the confines of your mind, your dream is a real as anything felt in reality, yet you know it's not, and you can bend everything to your will. You can swim in an ocean of chocolate milk, dance on the moon, or in Fon's case, hold the person who meant the world to you once more. Just to be able to to feel them again and hear their voice echo those strong three words. Words Fon sometimes thought he'd never be able to believe in again. So in this way, Fon was obsessed with dreams. Everything was perfect in a dream. There was no pain unlike in reality. The real world around him was filled with uncertainty. Chaos. War. He hated being forced to live in such a place.

The only reason Fon woke up in the morning was to take care of his sister. But had she been taken away on that day too, there'd be nothing Fon sought more than death. Eternal sleep would bring about an eternal dream. It'd be an awakening from the nightmare that is real life. But this was not the case. The only thing he had left depended on him. He had always been there for Kouu, and continue to be there until the end. The pain Fon felt on a daily basis though was massive. He had developed a particular addiction to pain killers as well as anti-depressants. As a result he tended to not always be...right there...at times. He was very aloof. Nothing was serious. If he isn't napoing, he's day dreaming, which can be quite the sight at times. His eyes lose life as he simply stares in ome direction. There was one incident where he did this at a bar, and was punched by a man who believed him to be checking out the guy's girlfriend.

Fon didn't exactly lose that fight though.

As for where he is right now, Fon is sitting in a cafe. His thoughts have taken over again, and he couldn't see that an elderly had accidentally spilled his piping hot chocolate on her passing. He did however, feel the intense heat trickle onto his groin. Fon awoke from his day dreaming with a loud scream. He quickly cleaned himself off then looked around him, embarassed. Everyone was staring at him now. Fon shrunk back and called for the waitress, who saw what she had done and immediately began to apologize.

"Nope. Nope. Don't worry about it ma'am. Hot chocolate is supposed to wake you up. And I'm definitely awake now." Fon said with a bit of pain in his voice.
He accepted the waitresses offer for a free drink, then sat in his chair, avoiding the staring eyes.
"What a great way to start the day...ow..."

[Aiko Kazuki]

.:|| Just close your eyes, the sun is going down ||:.
:: you'll be alright ::

The young woman was lost in her own little daydream, a visionary reel playing through her mind as she devoured page after page. Her favorite book, the binding split and cracked with age, well worn creases through the spine, but it was always her go to book when she was bored and had nothing better to do. Now, her manager would say she should always be writing new songs, but in her mind she needed something inspire them didn't she? People wanted to hear songs about romance, why not write music to one of the best love stories ever written down?

Her foot shook from the other side of the booth, her toe jerking back and forth to the beat of the song drumming through her ears at that moment. It was when that song ended that the ruckus broke out, the man's yell yanking a sharp gasp from the soft rose of her lips. Following directly came a strangled yelp as her own hot drink spilled with sudden movement, some of the creamy beige liquid splattering across the pages of her book while a bit more fell onto the denim of her jeans. Dismay touched her dollish features, even with the little makeup she wore - a bit of blush, eyeliner to make her eyes pop, and mascara so her lashes wouldn't disappear in their paleness - her face could have been airbrushed her complexion was so fine; one of the few gifts her mother had been able to give her even after her untimely passing. However, the consternation she felt at the spilling of her drink wasn't due to the clearly noticeable wet splotch upon her right thigh, rather it was for the potential ruin it spelled for her favorite novel.

Stuffing her phone in the back pocket of her jeans, her purse forgotten where she has shoved it into the far corner of her booth, and her headphones pulled down to hang about her neck, the vocalist quickly slid out of her seat and rushed to the front bar, pulling out a handful of napkins from the nearest dispenser. She quickly fitted a napkin between each of the pages that had been touched by the hot liquid, closing the book and pressing it tight afterward so that most of the cappuccino might be quickly absorbed. A troubled sigh left her lips when she reopened the hard copy of the novel, chewing on her lower lip as she took a clearer look at the damage. 'Well.... At least the ink didn't smudge or something... It still looks readable.' The shifter thought to herself with no small amount of relief. Only after her book was seen to did Ai snatch a few more napkins, absently rubbing at the spill on her thigh as she returned to her booth, still completely absorbed with attending to her book. However, this was Aiko Kazuki, and she was never completely absorbed in anything, especially not cleaning cappuccino out of her jeans. So, when she passed by the man who had startled her into spilling her drink, she was able to flash him a smile. Something about the expression might have seemed teasing if he looked close enough, and nothing about the expression would reach her eyes. Those pale, crystalline orbs would retain the same haunted longing they always did, so sad and searching, always searching...

"You're the one who screamed yea?" Her voice was melodious even when she was merely speaking, the rhythm and cadences lilting with each syllable; there was a strange dialect that hugged the undertones tightly, a slight American accent still lingering in her speech though she had lived in Omoi for almost five years now. The delicate creature straightened to speak with him correctly, though when she stood it didn't do much of a difference to increase her height. Even for a girl, Aiko was painfully short, and especially for an American as a father. She had certainly gotten most of her mother's looks, from the sensual curves of her slender body, the length of her legs, but there was a bit of her father there too. She had his eyes, and the same snowy blonde that had coated his own mane though hers was considerably longer. "Startled me." She gave a soft laugh, absently rubbing at her leg again.

Ai would continue on to her booth then, ready to slip back in her own little world where only the music playing in her ears and the words printed on the page in front of her would exist. But if he replied, if he called her back... Then who's to say she wouldn't just stick around and have a nice little conversation with him?

.:|| No one can hurt you now ||:.
:: come morning light, you and i'll be ::
safe and sound

[Fon]

Fon wasn't the only one who tended to suffer from his absent mindedness. A couple days ago he had forgotten his little sister was handicapped and rushed up a flight of stairs, thinking she'd be right behind him like the old days. Poor Kouu had to frantically look for an elevator to catch her idiot brother. Fon needed to be more aware of his surroundings for her sake. He knew it wasn't healthy to be constantly day dreaming but it was so much fun. Until he ended up burning his crotch with hot chocolate. That wasn't so fun.

Fon glanced around. The eyes around the restaurant had finally stopped looking at him. They were now looking at someone else. Fon leaned over to see for himself, and saw once again, someone paying the price for his day dreaming. His loud scream had caused the girl to spill her own drink. When this happened, she visibly became very distraught. At first Fon thought it was because she had ruined her clothes. The opposite gender tended to get upset over those things. But upon closer examination he could see that she was in fact upset about her book. It was called "Pride and Prejudice". When she had assured herself of the book's safety, she waltzed over in his direction.

"You're the one who screamed yea?" she asked him. It was quite the spectacular sound, her voice. Fon caught himself in a daze upon hearing her words. It was so...soothing. Being a musician with trained ears, he picked up every sound around him. This wonderful voice that spoke indicated that she may be able to sing like a god. Well, goddess. But Fon snapped himself out of the oncoming day dream. She was here to complain. His scream had ruined her book. Now he was sure to get an earful. As he prepared himself, he was proven wrong.

"Startled me." she said with a laugh. Fon stared blankly, lost for words. Well...he said something...but it just kind of babbled out. Like the sounds people make when trying to communicate with babies or dogs or something else that's cute. He got a hold of himself as he saw her start back towards her table, and gently caught her arm.
"Sorry for startling you. Please let me buy you another drink to replace the one that my very unmanly screaming caused you to spill. It'll be less awkward as well, with all these people staring at us..."
He didn't know why but he really wanted to chat with this girl. The other customers' stares and spilled drinks didn't actually concern him in the least. Perhaps his loneliness was getting to him again.

[Aiko Kazuki]

.:|| I'm a ghost of a girl ||:.
:: that I want to be most ::

His touch was like an electric shock, the jolt running through that delicate figure as if he had yanked her violently. But no, the touch itself was gentle, kind; the touch of one seeking a friend and her flinch has been unprovoked. Though just for a moment - one small, painful moment - she had imagined a stronger hand around her arm, a hand that had carried as much brutality with it as it had once carried love.

Ai's eyes were wide and questioning like a frightened doe's when her head whipped back around to face the man, and she assumed a smile at his question as she knew was acceptable. Besides, as he had so blatantly stated, they had a bit of an audience. Along with her smile her book was tucked to her chest, her arm bent over it as if to protect it from any further potential harm. The arm that he had laid claim to, however, would remain in his grip as long as he wished so long as he didn't give her cause to pull away. After all, the bubbly and innocent Aiko Kazuki had a reputation to uphold no matter how much she would rather to simply forget this entire incident and return home.

"Well that really isn't necessary..." Aiko began, her voice soft - thoughtful - before slipping into a more cheerful tune, a carefully practiced blush spreading oh so naturally across her cheeks; providing the illusion of a shy girl being asked to entertain a handsome man. "But I would hate to make anyone feel awkward." Joking now, stringing him along with her masks. "Would you like to sit in my booth? Or are you glued to that chair?" She quirked a brow, the arch of that expression giving her a coy appearance, coupled with the small smirk that then cinched one corner of her mouth upward just a smidge, it was easy to see the note of seduction that constantly hummed in the undertones of her natural rhythms. A note her stage managers always chose to accentuate during her performances.

Waiting for his reply, the young woman would rock slowly from her heels to her toes, an attentive smile ever present upon her youthful visage. From her headphones a new song would play, another of her own. "Stripped to the waist. We fall into the river..." The haunting sound of her voice sang softly from the earmuffs, perhaps he would hear, perhaps he wouldn't, but the shifter had to wonder if it was narcissistic to listen to two of her own songs within an hour of each other. "Oh!" She would exclaim a moment later, her face brightening as she flashed him a brilliant smile. "I'm Aiko by the way, it's nice to meet you." The smile slipped into that same pucker of a teasing smirk. "Yanno, considering." Ai laughed softly before waiting to hear his name if he hadn't said it already.

.:|| I'm the shell of a girl ||:.
:: that I used to know well... ::

[Fon]

Fon's confidence rose with each word she spoke. It was very soothing. It was as if she was singing to him. Like he was listening to a very well written song. Yet so familiar. He smiled and let go of her arm, as he could see that his touch had shocked her. Although he couldn't deny it was cute how she blushed, he couldn't help but feel there was something unnatural about it. She wasn't the only one who had been reading English novels here. Fon had picked up a knack for observation from his endless reading of the famous detective novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Though no where near as talented as the legendary detective, he did catch on to the methods. He'd already noticed a couple things and decided to try and see if he could impress her with seemingly psychic abilities.

"Let's just sit here. It would be rude of me to make a lady have to walk more than she has to. Besides, I've already cleaned up my spill. You only cleaned up your book." he said as he pointed to her table, which still had some spots from her spilled drink. "We'll just let the waitress clean it. It's what they're paid to do." Being a waiter himself, he didn't care much about appealing to other people with the same job. Besides, he was lazy. He didn't want to get up.

As she introduced herself, he raised his arm and held out his hand, motioning for her to shake it. "Nice to meet you Aiko. My friends call me Fon. It's supposedly Chinese for "wind". His real name was actually Kuromi. But even he had been calling himself Fon since the days in the T.A.P.T. Even though he was a completely different person from what he was then, the name just stuck.
As the waitress finished cleaning Aiko's table, she came around and Fon ordered two more drinks, one for him and for her. Then he turned back to Aiko and smirked.

""So tell me Aiko. When did you move here from America? And when can I expect to see a new ablum released?" Fon said blatantly yet quietly so as no one could hear him. He wanted to surprise her but he didn't want to reveal to the entire place that she was a popular singer. That would be just plain rude.

[Aiko Kazuki]

.:|| Dancing slowly in an empty room ||:.
:: can the lonely take the place of you ::

"Let's just sit here. It would be rude of me to make a lady have to walk more than she has to..." Ai blinked, glancing to her bag, before smiling and giving a small noise of agreement as she nodded her head. "Sure." She replied easily, conscious of keeping up her masks - masks that had been practiced since she stepped foot into Tokyo. Masks that had kept her alive, had kept the pain from consuming her entirely, since that bloody night.

"Fon.." Ai tasted the name, a thoughtful expression coming to her face again as she shook his hand and sat down in the chair across from him. "That's a nice name. I'm assuming it has some sort of personal significance since it's only a name you go by with friends?" A statement perhaps strictly speaking, but she worded it as a question and with a voice as gentle and with a voice as unpretentious as hers it would be hard to say she was being blunt with her words. Merely an innocent question from a just as innocent looking young girl.

The waitress returned soon after that, heading to them after cleaning up Ai's mess at her table. The shifter kept a wary, but subtle level of focus upon her purse still stuffed in the corner of her booth, making sure the small bag was still there to assure herself of its safety. The handbag itself was meaningless to the woman, simply a bit of dyed leather, however it would be a pain having to go through the process of canceling then reordering credit and debit cards on top of buying a new driver's license. The mere thought of it made her head spin and her legs ache from all the walking she would doubtless have to take care of.

"So tell me Aiko. When did you move here from America? And when can I expect to see a new ablum released?" Aiko blinked initially at the abrupt question, taking a moment to feign her registration. The wheels in her head had begun spinning immediately when the query fell from Fon's lips, and the vocalist was forced to wonder exactly how much he knew about her and if that information could spell potential harm for her or her reputation as a singer. The occupation itself - much like the shoulder bag - meant little to nothing to the shifter female, but it would be frustrating working her way back into some sort of spot light if she was already ruined in the music industry. "Recovering" from her fake extended comprehension, Ai laughed softly and gave a small shrug, gently laying her book on the table and resting a protective hand over the precious tome.

"So I'm found out am I?" The shy creature said with a rueful smile, apology cast in the immersive play of her many expressions - expressions that never quite seemed to alter the haunted longing that as ever hung heavy in her pale, crystalline eyes, something about her gaze searching, always searching. "Well.. To answer your questions accordingly..." She thought for a moment, chewing on her lower lip, then continued with that same picture-perfect smile. "I moved here when I was fifteen soooo.... Five years come March. And as for my next album," Her expression turned coy and playful. "I'm not usually one to spoil the surprise, but I'm currently in the middle of recording the songs of the next album and all the editing should be completed in a month or so." She gave him a quick wink, crossing her legs at the knee beneath the table before leaning forward to prop her head up on a hand, the corresponding elbow resting on the table.

Her smile was impeccable, the perfect mixture of bashful humor with innocent pleasure upon being noticed and recognized. A more flawless mask one couldn't want for, unfortunately it was just that, a mask. His question had stung. Left America... She hadn't left per say. She had run - from her brother, from the ghost of her father, from those who tried to put her name in a book and jab needles under her skin to take her blood for some sort of testing. She had tried to escape it all and it had all followed her. Especially those ghosts, both her father and her once beloved brother reduced to nothing more than a few wrinkled photos and a loaded bank account. At the end of the day, the paper couldn't stave off her nightmares no matter how much ink they were gorged with. No... She hadn't left America, America had chased her away with its bitter memories and broken homes. With so much pain, looking at her room, at her father's room, at her brother's room, any of it... It had all just become to excruciating to bear. But this didn't show on her face, oh no, because she was the innocent, bubbly Aiko Kazuki. And she had expectations to uphold and a reputation to maintain...

.:|| I sing myself a quiet lullaby ||:.
:: let you go and let the lonely in ::
To take my heart again...

[Fon]

Her feigned surprise and comprehension had fooled Fon, and he was quite content with himself. Still, something about her seemed...out of the ordinary. He couldn't place his finger on it. It just felt to him that she shouldn't be this way. He looked over her. Deep blue eyes that made him imagine swimming in an endless ocean. A seductive pair of lips that had definitely made many men crazy. Her body was slender and trim, the kind guys especially like. What was it about her that Fon couldn't understand? He continued to study her while he laughed gently. The waitress brought back their drinks and he sipped from his new fresh hot chocolate.

"I was barely listening to them when they told me why they nicknamed me Fon. Said something along the lines of I'm 'as fast and agile as the wind' and that I'm 'everywhere and know everything'. It's flattering but I wouldn't mind being called by my actual name sometime by someone either than my little sister. My actual name is Kuromi Nari. I'm a waiter and musician for a local bar, though I specialize mostly in jazz and classical sounds." he stated. He should probably explain to her that he wasn't some crazy fan boy stalker by knowing she was famous.

"You have a lingering hint of an American accent. People could easily brush it off and let it go unnoticed, but you're reading of Jane Austen's classic novel convinces me otherwise. The fact that you could fluently understand English is indication that it has not been very long since you've used it, and by your accent I can only assume it's your native tongue. Then your strikingly beautiful voice shows me you have the capability to sing, whether you knew it or not, and I came to the conclusion that you must be a well known singer after hearing your headphones. I'd sadly and regrettably have no clue who you are if it weren't for this, but now I plan to change that. It's a very nice sound. What's the name of the song?" he asked as he took a sip from the chocolate.

[Aiko Kazuki]

.:|| Too afraid to go inside for the pain ||:.
:: of one more loveless night ::

Aiko listened attentively to his words, giving the impression that she hung to each syllable that fell from his lips, but the whole time her mind was reeling with one simple statement. "... I'm 'everywhere and know everything'..." Everywhere.. Everything.... She couldn't help but feel threatened by this somehow, as if he had meant it as a warning. Exactly where was he, and what information did he know... Was it information about her? He had certainly shown a considerable amount of knowledge labeling her as a singer right off the bat. And her accent..not many people caught that anymore. To put it bluntly she was on edge, and in darkness lurking at the back of her mind a wary beast's eye flung open.

"Kuromi... I like that..the way it flows. A good name." The young woman complimented with another of her bright smiles, always keeping up the mask. She couldn't fail that, too much was at stake. Her mind, truly a master at multitasking, wasted no time in evaluating the rest of his sentence. He spoke of his family easily, a sister but no mention of parents. She thought that was odd, surely his parents would call him by his first name if his sister did - deduction: lives on his own, parents are either deceased or out of the picture. Kuromi openness about his sister also gave Ai the impression that he trusted her, or at least didn't think of her as capable of killing him with a simple snap of her teeth. In the back of her mind, the tigress purred at the thought. The girl shied away from it, sickened by the thought of killing another; only one man would die by her hand, and those who tried to stop her along the way of course. But even in that unyielding verdict...there were doubts... 'Focus...' She returned to analysis. His speaking on his talents as a musician led her mind down two separate roads. One: he was advertising himself and trying to make it big through her somehow, an endeavor that would be wildly unsuccessful. Or two: he was trying to nose out his probable level of success and was seeking her opinion in a nonchalant manner. 'Or you're being too analytical and he was just trying to tell you a little about himself...' She thought with some irritation toward herself.

Kuromi then continued to explain how he had known so much about her, completely rendering Aiko's assessment and most probably reason completely incorrect. She gave the appropriate blush when he commented on her voice, offering a shy giggle and thus completing the acceptable response to go with her assumed persona. So tiring, acting so girlish and delicate. All at once the shifter wondered if she had been wrong in choosing such a character for her public self. Bubbly, innocent Aiko Kazuki might not be enough to reel in her brother... But then again, she couldn't think of herself as brooding all the time or contemplating another's death constantly either. The sound of a sigh echoed through her thoughts, unnecessarily resolving to continue with the facade she had already set in motion. "While I must start by saying you flatter me with your kind words, I do thank you for the compliments you pay me." Her voice was soft, shy, the blush still present as a soft tint of rose brushed across the gentle fawn coloring of her cheeks. "And you are very clever to have picked up on so much with so little. The song is called Anything Can Happen. It's one of my own actually..." She made a soft noise of accomplishment, something between a hum and a chuckle, before donning a simple unassuming smile.

A slender hand reached out to her drink, carefully picking it up as a soft breath laid across the frothy surface, her upper lip tentatively making contact as she took a sip of the steaming beverage. "I do thank you for the drink as well, I don't often get the chance to simply... have a drink with many people..." A thoughtful look came to her face then, a mind that would give the impression of a wandering mind. While her mind did wander then, the expression itself was merely for show, her thoughts were never so obtrusive as to command her full attention. Nothing could command her full attention after all....

.:|| But the loneliness will stay with me ||:.
:: and hold me til I fall asleep... ::

[Fon]

She seemed to like the compliments, but for a moment seemed to be thinking of something else. Was she trying to make deductions of her own? It didn't take much to understand Fon. He was a lazy, clumsy, hopeless romantic. He often made large philosophical statements in normal conversation. Not many people enjoy that. He couldn't help it though. He didn't enjoy writing down his thoughts because he felt no one would ever take the time to read it. So his thoughts just came out when he talked. He was a very uncensored person. Always saying what he's thinking. Only problem was, he was thinking of many things at the moment. Why did he feel a sense of familiarity with her? Was it because he had possibly heard one of her songs before? What time did Kouu get out of school today? Did she make sure her phone was charged? Would she like the lunch he made for her? Why was this chocolate bland? Did it need more cream or milk or chocolate?

His nickname Fon came from two different aspects. The first part was his speed. His former co-workers at the T.A.P.T were always surprised to see such a lazy, unmotivated person move so fast. The other aspect was his mind. Although he always seemed to be in completely different universe, he never missed a single thing anyone had said during meetings. That combined with his insight was enough to make everyone around him watch their backs, because they never knew when he was watching them.

As Fon remembered his days in the T.A.P.T, he suddenly stumbled upon a memory. The memory that had been bugging him ever since he met this woman. He remembered he had been training to join the T.A.P.T, being sent to different nations such as Britain and America to fully comprehend the oragnization, when he was walking past a couple of his mentors enlisting some shapeshifters. There was a brother with his sister, and Fon thought of himself and Kouu. Kouu was crippled because of these monsters. The older brother glanced at Fon as he passed, and Fon met his eyes with hatred and menace. The memory ends as he heard their names stated. Alexander Grant and Aiko Mai Kazuki. Orphans. Heirs to the massive Grant fortune.

Fon's train of thought finally ended. He was back in the present now. "It's a small world huh...perhaps it's destiny...or maybe it really all just is a dream." he mumbled to himself. He understood now. She was a shapeshifter. The beings were naturals at wearing masks. But now the question he asked himself was, was she actually this bubby and light-hearted? Or was she hiding her true face and emotions? But never the less, he was satisfied in fixing his bugging sensation. It wasn't his buisness, and he'd respect that. He sighed and looked outside the window.
"Don't worry about it. It's the least I can do for you for keeping me company. Anything Can Happen huh? That's a fitting title for a rainy and lonely day. I have a couple hours before I pick up my sister Kouu. It's funny to think she's at the age where she could walk home by herself if only..."
Fon trailed off, and sighed again as he poured some cream into his hot chocolate and sipped from it again.

[Aiko Kazuki]

.:|| Broken pieces of a ||:.
:: barely breathing story ::

A small world.... Interesting that he should say that because in her mind the world was much too large. For her entire life her world had consisted of the large yard and sprawling house her father had raised her in. Her brother, the ghost of her mother, and the brief intervals she was able to spend with her beloved father. The dog she had had as a child. Watching movies and going dress shopping on the weekends. Looking back on what her world had been it seemed small and insignificant compared to what she had then. Sitting in that coffee shop, allowing a stranger to buy her a drink and chatting about music, when she had enough money to buy the shop, the people; hell, the town if she wanted it. Her father had left her an empire, and she had left it in the shadows only scraping off the top when she had need of it. But she had always had the wealth, but the singing... The shows and the performances, the gaudy costumes that her stage managers dressed her in as if she were no more than a china doll. Perhaps they forgot her humanity somewhere between the makeup and the shimmering hair. The beast snarled softly in the back of her mind and she was forced to remember just how little of her was human. But humanity wasn't what she had been thinking about, no, it was the world. How large it had become for her, so many doors and none of them lead where she wanted to go. None of them would open to her brother.

How many times had she searched for him through the T.A.P.T. databases? How many times had she resolved herself to realize that they had only his name and general info, because of course the second they had caught him he had changed. So many different names, so many different personas, and they were all his to use and abuse as he wished. When it came to hiding in plain sight there was no better man for it than her brother. It was why she had to wait for him to come to her, only able to guess under which name he would finally appear.

"An interesting concept, reality as a dream... But I have to disagree with you, for if this was a dream I am sorry to say I would not be sitting in this cafe and I would not be speaking with you. If this were a dream..." She blinked as if stopping herself before saying something she hadn't realized she was about say. A cool smile split her lips and she shook her head in an apologetic manner. "If this were a dream.. Anything could happen.." A strange thing for someone to say perhaps, but it matched with the sudden pensive look that touched her gaze then. Some sort of archaic longing lingering the pale reflection of those crystalline sapphires. Yes, anything could happen. Her father could come back to life, her brother could return to the doting sibling he had once been. They could be a family again... But her dreams were nightmares, horrible places of darkness and pain where fire licked at her flesh or her brother broke her bones without mercy. And if there was no pain or agony then there was the bitter despair of nothingness, a barren wasteland where she was alone with all of her foggy memories and a deep, ravenous hurt that had no way to be explained. Her dreams were no sanctuary, only the heartrending memory of her reality.

"Don't worry about it. It's the least I can do for you for keeping me company..."

Ai's focus was jerked away from her thoughts, her body having been on a sort of 'cruise control' until he had reestablished his claim on her attention. Or at least some of it. Her mask hadn't slipped an inch during her little lapse into the recesses of her mind, and it was relatively easy to pick up where she had left off. "...I have a couple hours before I pick up my sister..." The shifter felt that familiar stab of pain she felt every time she heard someone speaking of a family member, especially a sibling. She remembered vividly when her brother had been the one to pick her up and drop her off at school, always smiling, always happy.... But then Mother died... And everything changed... Very abruptly the young woman distanced herself from her own thoughts, sending iron walls up around every memory that might take away from the moment she was in. She had to live, because surviving would kill her. "Do you not trust the boys to leave her alone?" Aiko teased, easily feigning the outgoing creature she played on stage. "I'm sure if she's anything like you they simply won't be able to ignore her." A small laugh slipped from her lips, a noise like bells chiming softly, if only she could sound the merriment and mean it...

.:|| Where there once was love, now there's ||:.
:: only me and the lonely... ::

[Fon]

Fon laughed to himself as she stated her opinions about reality not being a dream. "That's true I guess. If this were a dream, why would you be wanting to spend it with a boring klutz like me? But I guess the same goes for me. I used to hate non-humans. Thought they were all the same with the same intentions. But it's funny how similar we all are. We all wear masks, hiding the pain we've experienced, trying to escape being alone. They say humans are social beings, and can't survive living alone for a long time. I wonder how it is for shapeshifters, vampires, demons...while they sit all around me trying to be human, do they experience the same loneliness and pain that I do?" Fon said while his eyes looked at every person in the restaurant. Many of them were listed.

So Fon's eyes met back so her when she made her question about her sister. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a picture of her. She had short black hair, a cute innocent face, with eyes full of happiness. She wore decent clothes, and like Aiko predicted, would have been the target of many young boys.
"I guess so. She's a sweet kid. Always nagging at me though. It's sometimes as if she's the one taking care of me. Only reason she can't do it herself is because she can't walk." Fon laughed a little more.

He was very open. There was no need to hide a bunch of facts about himself. He felt it was easier to make friends if they knew more about him. So Fon didn't let up. It wasn't like there was a specific rule about what you should talk about. "I used to work in the T.A.P.T. It was a well paying job for me and her. And if I never joined it I'd still probably be a racist bigot who can't make awesome observations about people. Now I seem to be liking supernatural beings more and more. Even though vampires tend to bite." he said as he rolled up his sleeve, revealing small insignificant scars from various creatures who had attacked him.

[Aiko Kazuki]

.:|| Seems that I have been held ||:.
:: in some dreaming state ::

Something about his words stung, not her pride or her ego, but against her heart his statement struck sorely. "... while they sit all around me trying to be human, do they experience the same loneliness and pain that I do?" Trying to be human... So there it was, another distinction. Another wall she would never be able to break down. And there was that familiar twinge, the hollowness settling like lead in her gut, weighing her down. "They do..." The words were out before she realized it and sirens sprang in her mind. "I'm sure they do." She forced a blush and a smile, quickly covering the cracks that had appeared in her mask.

The topic of his sister was a welcome change and Aiko focused on the picture he showed her, giving him no room to question her comment. "She can't- Oh... I'm sorry." Her voice settled in a murmur, politely turning her face away as if she had looked upon something sacred. Something she wasn't sure if she was supposed to see. That girl.. his sister, she had looked so happy, so full of life. But how long would that brightness last? How long would it take until the light drained out of her eyes and she would become familiar with this same hollow pit? Now she had her brother, and his love sustained her and kept her happy, but she couldn't walk and she would never live a normal life, a the life that was full. How long would it take for her to realize this and begin to break? 'Brother.... Why did you go away... I could have been like her. I could have been happy... Why did you break us...?' She sought the answer desperately for her silent question, but her brother was millions of miles away at least and he could not hear her thoughts anyway. The question went unanswered, her loneliness deepened and she took a drink of the chocolate warming her hands to try and fill the emptiness that was gnawing away at her from the inside out.

""I used to work in the T.A.P.T. It was a well paying job for me and her..." Fon continued about himself, an easy talker who filled silence with unnecessary words. But for now Ai didn't mind the sound of his voice, it gave her something to think about, something that could distract her and keep her thoughts from running away. Keep them within the fence, within safety. 'Brother-' No. No brother. Brother was gone. The vocalist smiled at him, offering a small laugh. "Perhaps you're not moving fast enough Mr. Swift Wind." She teased slipping a shy note into her voice as she stabilized her mask. The innocent and bubbly Aiko Kazuki could let nothing slip onto her face. Would let nothing slip onto her face. The pain was in her eyes though, clear and visible beneath the longing. And the searching, always searching...

.:|| A tourist in the waking world ||:.
:: never quite awake ::

[Fon]

He felt like his words struck a chord. If only for a second. He could have chosen to press into it, but as he thought before, it was none of his buiness if she didn't want to talk about it. However, he didn't appreciate talking to a fake persona. He'd much rather talk to a wall. He could have one hell of a conversation with a wall. How are you Mr. Wall? Did you get a new paint job? It's looking really nice. Oh don't look now but the wall across the room is giving you the look. You should talk to her, I know it's been hard for you since Mrs. Wall was taken down a couple months ago. But I belive in you.

Fon found himself laughing at his thoughts and quickly muffled himself with his hands. He controlled himself and brought himself back to paying attention to the world around him. He caught her last sentence, teasing him about his speed. "You'd be careful not to challenge me like that. I used to be a feared lister back in the day. Not even transforming into a cheetah could stop me!" Fon said jokingly. He was obviously exaggerating.

As Fon finished his joke, he took a last sip of his drink, finishing it. Once finished he placed his hand on his cheek and looked outside. It was raining. The rain was always soothing. Always comforting. The girl he found himself in the company of had made him feel less lonely at first, but now that he had realized her entire persona was a fraud, he felt more lonely than he was to begin with. What was the point of having this conversation? It was like a pointless dream. He shrugged and looked back at her.

"Perhaps you should try being fast too Aiko. Tell me about yourself. Dreams...music...favorite books....even the most trivial things can become interesting points of conversation. It helps people relate to each other. We have the same eyes you know. They know pain. People ought to be able to understand one another when they've felt similar amounts of pain..."

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