Do you...

♦Mei Misaki roleplayer affiliated with Città Alveare, housed in apartment S-4. Indie friendly. ♦

[kishou-san]

Arima tried to read his text messages. However, he realized that the letters on the screen were too tiny for his old man eyes to make out. It was fortunate then he recognized the picture he had chosen in his contacts list, a picture of a cat wearing an eyepatch to represent Mei. This was fine then, he would just call her to ascertain her location. Arima was not necessarily good with electronics either, in fact he had a terrible habit of breaking them, but at the same time he could apply logic to solve a situation. 

He simply tapped Mei’s icon to call her. 

“Hello, Mei. This is Arima. You were trying to text me, but I don’t know how to read your text messages. You should try calling me instead.”

Before Mei could even answer him, he hung up the phone. Yes, this had solved all of their problems. 

[deathlycolor-blog]

She would look down at her phone in slight confusion as an incoming call popped up, but she didn’t even have the time to answer it before it disappeared. She tapped on his name, several times, calling and hanging up with each tap. She tilted her head slightly, trying to figure out the confusing device. 

Mei didn’t even want to have this phone, let alone use it. But it seemed to follow her, no matter how many times she threw it out, so she, reluctantly, decided that perhaps it could prove to be useful to her. Especially in times like these, needing to get in contact with someone and not knowing where they are...However, the device in her hands didn’t seem to want to cooperate. With one more tap, she unknowingly sent out a successful call without hanging up--yet. Now all that was left was for Arima to successfully pick up...

[deathlycolor-blog]

This is why she did not like electronics. Although being able to contact someone whenever she needed them, in itself, didn’t sound like a bad thing...Not only was it creepy to be connected at all times, but she had absolutely no idea how to work the thing! It seemed to be a relatively new model, as well. Although frustration ran rampant in her thoughts, her face remained somewhat blank as she stared down at the phone, attempting to make a call. Maybe she’d figured something out?

To: Arima Kishou.

From: Mei Misaki.

call

call

call

...Or maybe not? Oops. She had accidentally texted him instead of calling...Not that she had realized it.

[kishou-san]

Arima who always wore formal dress blended in. People’s eyes glazed over him, and slowly the crowd drifted away from him leaving him behind. He fit in perfectly, yet at the same time was utterly unremarkable and had no desire to stand out. Not that he seemed to mind though, as Arima was oblivious to the atmosphere around him anyway. He had not come here for his own purpose though, but rather to chaperone others so he picked up a cup and tried to look casual. Even though what he wanted most right now was to find a corner to hide in so he could read, he thought it would be best to appear like he was having fun to encourage Mei to try to socialize in the party. He would do the same for Haise as well when he saw him. 

There was the issue of finding Mei though, his eyes strained at the blurred crowd in front of him and Mei was ever so quiet. Arima was still observant though, and he had an instinct like a mother cat hearing the mewling of its infants. Or perhaps a father in that case. With his quiet footsteps, he eventually found her, and as usual appeared behind her.

“Do you want some punch?” He spoke out of nowhere, offering the cup to her. He did not know, how exactly one made small talk in this situation but he could make an attempt. “How is the ball so far? Have you talked with anybody yet? Any boys?” Arima’s usually dull features seemed to sharpen for a second, like a predator revealing its teeth protectively a the mention of boys.

[deathlycolor-blog]

Mei felt herself startle a bit as her gaze snapped to the man offering her a drink. As usual, Arima had little to no presence and was able to sneak up behind her without so much as the sound of footsteps. The general noise of people speaking and light music playing might have contributed to that, though. She accepted the drink, nodding just barely.

“It’s very beautiful here.” She noted, the lights glittering and swaying around ever so slightly in the gentle breeze. She had never been to a ball before....But she could tell that this was an exceptional scene. The mood was set perfectly, and all of the citizens seemed to be peaceful, even if only for one night.

She noted his slight change in tone as the word ‘boys’ escaped his mouth. Truthfully, aside from Arima, she hadn’t really talked to many boys in this city-- if any at all. But then again, she wasn’t exactly a social butterfly in general.

Taking a sip from her cup, she shook her head in response. “I haven’t.” She said, looking off to the side, cup still hovering by her lips. “...Should I?” She held the cup in place, as if hiding behind it, A gentle flush was brought to her face as she spoke her words.

[deathlycolor-blog]

@goldenram

She had ended up coming after all, but...Even after being in this city for over a month, she had yet to really make any friends. Everyone at the ball seemed to be laughing and enjoying their time together. Couples and friends alike, they danced and partook in the activities of the night. It was quite a rare sight for this city-- at least from what she’s seen --and it was a pleasant one at that. Even someone sitting on the sidelines alone would be brought to a smile. Even someone like Mei who didn’t often bother with being expressive.

With her eyes gently shut, only for a moment...With a drink in her hand, she moved forward, softly bumping into someone who had been trying to cross in front of her. It wasn’t much of a collision, they barely touched, in fact. But the swaying that resulted was enough to splash some of her drink out-- onto both of them. She had only closed her eyes for a moment, but it seemed that was enough to cause a problem. 

The man was rather tall. With quite long hair. He didn’t seem to be making a hostile face. ....She should say something.

“My apologies. I.... wasn’t paying attention.” So she apologized. That wouldn’t get the stains off of their nice outfits, though.

[deathlycolor-blog]

mangekyouillusionist

Mei has worn heels before. Of course she has. But she’s never worn stilettos, and these were pretty tall stilettos. Not only did they hurt her feet insanely, but they were near impossible to walk in. Entering the scene, she must have looked like a newborn calf trying to walk for the first time. She thought she was getting the hang of it, though. She hadn’t tripped in a good... minute or so.

Then again, she had been standing still, hadn’t she? The illusion of it getting easier was shattered as she took a step forward, prompting a sudden snap! noise accompanied by a broken heel. Taken by surprise, Mei completely lost her balance, tumbling forward into.... Someone’s arms?

It appeared that she had been caught by someone before hitting the ground. Relieved, although slightly embarrassed, she looked upwards to the person she had practically landed on, hair draping over her own face. One might notice her slightly reddened cheeks if observed closely.

“...Sorry, about that.” She uttered politely, although not particularly shy.

[deathlycolor-blog]

@kishou-san

Mei had honestly never done this before. Sure, she’s dressed up before...When she was little. She was a teenage girl and she had her fashions. But she had never worn such a flashy dress. Heels, even. She considered leaving off her eye patch, but she didn’t want to stand out too much...Although wearing it might cause her to stand out in a different way. She had never been to a ball before, or danced at all, really... But as Arima was the one who had suggested she go, she decided to trust him. He’s never done her wrong, after all.

Though, maybe she had gone a bit too far...She’d never walked in such high heels and she was tripping every 5 steps, although she had managed to catch herself each time. She was supposed to meet Arima at the ball, and she supposed that she would stand out with all of the stumbling she was doing. Arima, however, like her usual self... Was one to blend into crowds. 

Rather than being focused on how beautiful the scene was, or being self conscious about how she looked, she looked around with a tinge of worry on her face. She looked like a kitten searching for it’s mom, or in this case, dad.

[deathlycolor-blog]

Who would like to dance with this quiet little? This is a starter call for the midsummer ball, no cap and varying lengths!!

[deathlycolor-blog]

Nobody → Citizen

It seems that she’s been in this city for a month, and has been rewarded with... a cellphone. She’s less than amused, and proceeds to toss the phone on the ground as she walks away from it.

[deathlycolor-blog]

She stayed quiet. There was nothing she could do, and it haunted her. She had been a complete nuisance, this entire time. In the end, it was always someone coming to her rescue with these types of things. Silence filled the air around her as citizens, including herself, stared in shock at the events currently unfolding. But underneath that silence, was a terrified young girl.

[yilingmeowmeow]

I’ve been waiting for Nazuna to come home my whole life, so I’m gonna be here for the rest of the night!: nito nito niii

[narcissismknight-blog]

     ❝ ♚ ❞ : To most people, doing absolutely nothing while others were suffering was harsh. It was the wrong thing to do, and there’s a guilt that looms over you for it. Not for Arashi. Arashi has lived a cushy life ever since she was born. Things were easy for her, and if they weren’t, she’d just ignore it. Eventually someone else will clean up the mess, right? In a situation like this, this was even more of a prominent lifestyle. Especially when her own life could be at risk. Now is no time to play hero.

      “I’ll make you a cup of tea, alright? Sit down and relax, okay? Ah–” Oh, her clothes are filthy. That’s quite grotesque, isn’t it? “Scratch that, do not sit down on my couch, let me get you some spare clothes. Perhaps I should get dressed myself. Being in a towel while company is here is rude, right?” She removed herself from the couch and made her way over to a dresser, sliding open one of the draws and rummaging through it. You better believe she spent most of her money on clothes when she got here. Pulling out a big, long pajama t-shirt, she dug a bit more to find a pair of PJ shorts to go with it. She wasn’t going to give her any of her good clothes– and why not have a slumber party while they’re at it? “I’m assuming you’re staying the night, darling? It’s best you don’t go out there alone,” she said with a toss of the clothes in Mei’s direction. She’d pull out a cute set of silk pajamas for herself before closing the drawer and gesturing to the bathroom. “You can get changed in there. Unless you’re a brave one and want to do it in the middle of the living room, ufufu.”

[deathlycolor-blog]

Mei caught the pajamas that were tossed at her, giving a slightly shocked expression at the sudden gesture. She nodded slightly, “Thank you.” Her expression softening slightly, and maaaaybe, if you looked close enough, she was attempting to smile? 

Her cheeks flushed a bit at the thought of changing in front of the other girl, so she made her way over to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. It was quite a cramped room, much different from her own bathroom. There seemed to be just enough room to fit everything that was in there, but nothing more. She noted the several bottles of shampoo and conditioner laying around, along with various cosmetics. She was careful not to knock anything over, but that was kinda hard in such an enclosed space.

She pulled her shirt over her head, getting stuck in the process and without realizing, backed into a whole rack full of various toiletries, knocking the rack clean off the wall, along with all it held. Wincing as it made a loud bang when it hit the ground, she was finally able to get the shirt off, but she stared at the now broken rack. She wasn’t that rough, was she? Was this place just really badly put together?

[kishou-san]

“I have led a shameful life,” Arima began. The book itself opened with a prologue that he read through quickly about the main character observing himself in a photo and how unnerving he must have looked as he pretended to be human. Arima did not start intoning in his voice though until the he read that line from the first chapter. His voice shook with a raw emotion that from the blank look on his face, he did not seem capable of. 

“For me, when I was a child, the hardest time of all was dinner-time. Why do people have to eat? It’s because people will die if they doon’t eat it. And because they’ll die if they don’t eat, people work in order to get food. So that means, the reason everybody works is because we ‘don’t want to die?’ And so I started to worry. As if my concept of happiness totally ran counter to the sense of happiness to the rest of the world.”

As Arima read, he had come to relax himself. He sat down now near Mei, instead of standing as  he normally did. His legs were crossed and he held the book aloft against his knee. “There si bacteria at the bathhouse that can make you lose your eyesight. The grips on the railway are crawling with mites. In undercooked pork, there are eggs of tapeworms, liver flukes and such, lurking along with all other sorts of goodies. This is all a scientific and statistical reality. When walking barefoot, if you get pieces of broken glass  in your foot, itwill run about on the inside of your body, and thrust through your eye blinding you. In other words I, have no udnerstanding of people. Even when facing my family, it’s as if I have no idea whats going on in the back of their minds, and all I can think about is fear.”

His words began to blend together. No Longer Human was the story of Yozo, who lived in constant anxiety that he did not belong with others, and began at firs to clown to cover up for this, but when he reached his adult life, he found he could not  keep up with society at all and fell into tragedy after tragedy. Until the end, he was placed in a mental asylum, and ‘disappeared’ as Mei might put it, because he no longer had anyone at all to attach himself to. When Arima finished, he folded the book quietly. It was short, even for a novel. 

“What did you think? Be detailed, I want to hear your thoughts,” He asked tentatively, only asking for details because he wanted to check if Mei had calmed down enough to form cohesive sentences. 

[deathlycolor-blog]

Mei quietly listened to the reading of the book. She had always enjoyed being read to as a child, it was an easy way to just think of nothing and wind down after a long day. Days always seemed longer as a child, huh? She wondered if that was just her. She rested her chin on her hands as he sat down next to her and continued to read. Not particularly focused or looking at anything, she stared. It was like this was any old normal day, she thought, as the thoughts of danger fade to the back of her mind. Still there, but only if you looked hard.

Mei thought about the contents of the book. Being cast away like that was a familiar theme for the girl. When you’re alone, you can often feel like you’ve lost yourself. Like you’re crazy, even. Maybe you could even go crazy. Tragedy can take a completely normal and sane person, destroy everything they’ve lived for, and make them into a hollow shell of who they once were. Mei could understand that.

After the death of her sister, she felt that she didn’t fit in anywhere. She was only a doll to her mother, and none of her classmates would (could?) even acknowledge her existence, in fear of starting the calamity. Maybe if she hadn’t met that person, she would have gone crazy, too.

She broke off from her thoughts, and looked up at Arima, placing one of her hands over the cover of the book. “It would have been good if he’d found someone like him.” Quite the obvious statement, but one she felt she needed to make. She opened her mouth to add onto her sentence, when her eyes darted to the door as she heard it.

Bang, bang!

The bookshelf covering the door seemed to tremble as someone attempted to get inside.

[kishou-san]

Mei was being quiet. Normally Arima would prefer such a thing, but he found himself missing her small voice in this situation. He saw her limb point up still despite her quietness. Yes, that was fine he responded in his own silence. 

He noticed a crowd starting to gather in between here and the book store though. His eyes flickered back to Mei for a second, already looking tired enough. Arima might have sighed if he were not focusing all his thoughts on strategy right now, he was the last type person to advocate for more physical contact then possible. Yet suddenly, he had picked Mei’s form up from the back of the knees and balanced the front of her body against his shoulder as if she were a small child he was holding. 

Arima rushed forward then, his strength great enough that her literal dead weight now not an impediment on his one armed fighting or his speed forward. He fought one handed, but this time did not want to linger to fight at all. His strikes became more aimed to creating an opening around him that he could quickly leave through. One last push and he was through, and he slammed the doors shut behind him with his back. 

He kicked a chair out, and put  Mei down like he was holding a sack full of kittens. He stood quietly for a moment, not affected by the situation at all but unsure of what to say towards somebody who was. He moved away instead, like he was retreating. First to push a book shelf in front of the door, and then to start looking through the contents of another one. He pulled out a few and piled them in front of Mei, No Longer Human, Great Gatsby, Dance Dance Dance he just picked the classics he already knew. “I think there’s a good quote to describe this,” He said pulling out Slaughterhouse Five. 

“All this happened, more or less,” He read, rather anticlimactically from the book before putting it down and finally relaxing his shoulders. “I can keep reading aloud if you want, books are supposedly calming.”

[deathlycolor-blog]

“Hnn--” She let out a small noise in surprise as she was hoisted above Arima’s shoulders, and he rushed them through the crowds. She clutched his arm that was holding her, and shut her eyes tightly as he fought through the crowd and to their destination. She was sat down gently, and she looked up at him, as if she were a kitten. She quietly watched his actions as he barricaded them inside, and then went to browse a book shelf. Tilting her head slightly, she wondered what he was doing.

Then he laid out quite a few books in front of her, likely to comfort her in this tense situation. On the outside, one would take one look at Arima and assume him to be heartless and uncaring. Even speaking to him, someone would likely come to that conclusion. He didn’t tend to show much emotion on his face, or in his voice, or at all, really-- but he was quite the thoughtful person, Mei concluded.

Being the observant girl she is, she noticed all of his small gestures and thoughts. Well, he seemed to do the same for her, though. Most people thought of her as creepy, or emotionless. But the truth was, although neither of them were outwardly expressive, they were full of thoughts and feelings... right? People who didn’t speak much tended to think, more than any extroverted person could even begin to speak.

Quietly, she took a look at the books in front of her, with a thoughtful look on her face. She’d never heard of any of them, but she pointed to one. ‘No longer human’, and glanced back up at Arima. “I’d like to hear that one.” She said, Arima effectively having pushed her worry about the havoc going on in the city to the back of her mind.

[narcissismknight-blog]

    ❝ ♚ ❞ : Well, her guest doesn’t really seem to be in the spirit at all! It’s a mood killer, for sure. A dramatic sigh was let out as she leaned back on the couch, her head lolling back to look at the ceiling. “You seem tense, darling. Perhaps you could use some tea.” She only just met this girl, for all she knows she could be planning to kill her this very moment, but that’s no reason not to show hospitality.

     Aw, party is over. Jutting out her bottom lip, she flung her body back up, taking the towel out of her hair, blonde hair still damp and messy. Her intentions of not acknowledging what was going on seemed to not work here. “Are they, now? Terrible, truly, but I fear there’s nothing I can do about that. Don’t you think that if you keep your mind otherwise occupied, time seems to pass quicker? It’ll be over eventually. For now, I cannot bother myself with it. Unless I have a death wish.”

[deathlycolor-blog]

With all the experience Mei had with death, and people dying around her... It never got easier to deal with, did it? She sighed, leaning more of her weight against the door. Arashi’s words were rather true. Two people like them, with no magic ability or fighting skills could hardly do anything about all the violence. It’s not like those people would stop killing all of Citta’s citizens if they went out there and asked real nicely.

The smart move was to hole up in this place, and hope nobody found them. Right? If anything, they would just be two senseless deaths if they stepped foot out there. She filled her head with excuses as to why they hid instead of taking action. She simply nodded in response to Arashi, although her eyes seemed to be empty. Her gaze fell, searching for something to replace the thoughts of all the murder going on out there. It was then that she noticed the numerous blood spatters all over her outfit. She furrowed her brows, mouth opening slightly. 

She looked up at Arashi, mouth still open, as if she were about to ask her something. No words came out, she didn’t want to be any more of a burden than she already was. But as it was obvious that the blood on her clothes was not her own, she felt disturbed to keep wearing them.

[hardcorebreakbeats-deactivated2]

Oh crap. It was that girl who she had bumped into before- Mei. She didn’t think that she would be hiding back here, let alone being dragged away by her to hide behind a dumpster. She nodded whilst the other gave her instructions, hoping to anything and everything that no one would notice the two.

“It’s nice to see you again and all, but what are you doing back here?!” she hissed, trying to keep her voice down as much as she could. 

[deathlycolor-blog]

Her brows furrowed slightly, although it’s not like anyone could see it through all of the hair hanging in her face. One could consider this a frown, although not much movement was seen on her face. “I was running...” She said, looking around once more to be sure nobody was near them. “I was running from someone who tried to kill me.” She said, watching as people ran by the opening to the alley. “I lost them, and ran in here. There’s too many of them out there to leave.” She explained why she had basically set up camp in a dirty, nasty, alley. Next to a dumpster, no less.

She had no reason to ask Vivi the same, it was obvious that they were in the same situation.

[kishou-san]

Another living being was clinging to him. For a pitiful god of death it made no sense at all. He even blinked for a second, taken aback. It was his first facial expression for the day and an inconvenient time to have it. He paused, with no real reason to explain himself. 

“….Ah, that’s a good idea,” Was all he said in response when he was urged to leave, breaking out of his pause once again not due to his own will but following the will of another. 

In an instant he pulled Mei closer, and to the member of the mob that had run up behind her, and put his opposite arm around her so he could deflect the man’s blow. The man knocked down again, Arima looked around him scanning the crowd for an opening to pass through. He looked down to her once he had found one and nodded, it was a signal that they were about to run. As for his arm, for the sake of convenience it would probably be best if she stuck close to him. 

“Don’t let go, and don’t worry I’ll protect you. My name’s Mr. Hero, apparently,” He said very drily, a moment before he launched into a run. The world blurred to Arima, as he relied on sound now to navigate and feel, the pressure of someone still holding onto his arm to know that she was still there. After running for what seemed like forever, they broke through into open air and Arima turned around a corner for some shelter, leaning against the wall as he did. 

“……any idea where we should go from here?” He asked in the brief respite, like he wasn’t the adult in the situation.

[deathlycolor-blog]

Mei held on tight as Arima ran her through the crowd, her eyes closed tight in fear of whatever lie ahead. She opened her eyes at his question. She looked around while breathing heavily, While observing her surroundings for a possible shelter for them to hide out, something caught her eye. A book store.

The very book store that these two happened to meet in. It seemed like a perfect place. They could barricade the few windows with tables and chairs, and there were computers in there that they could possibly use to call help; if the internet was working. The books could also keep them busy if this went on for long. 

It also wasn’t too big, but it had an upstairs. It seemed to only have an entrance and an exit, which the two of them could easily guard. Whether it had food or not, was a different story, but Mei hadn’t been thinking that far ahead, she just knew that they needed to be in a quiet, safe place to think about what to do next.

With no words, she extended her arm and pointed in the direction of the store. She was sure he would know where she was pointing, even without her saying anything at all. Not that she even had the breath to say anything if needed, though.

[narcissismknight-blog]

     ❝ ♚ ❞ : With a quiet click of her tongue, she moved out of the way to let the girl inside, making sure to quickly close the door and lock it up nice and tight. “I’m sorry this place is a dump, they aren’t giving me much to work with. If I had some more money, I could turn this place into a hut fit for a queen!” She gestured the reoccurring face further into the hut, towards the couch, sitting herself down on it before placing her tea on the table in front of it.

       “Now, now. Is there something you need to speak about? Or are you just paying Nee-chan a visit? I’ll admit, I haven’t had any visitors since I’ve gotten here, but who wants to visit such a… gross little hut? Either way, I’m happy you’re here, ufufu!” Still not recognizing what was going on outside at all. Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

[deathlycolor-blog]

A few moments of silence passed, Mei slightly off put by Arashi’s attitude. Her breathing slowed down, as she walked over to the windows to close any curtains. She locked the door, and lean against it with her back; unaware of how ominous her actions may have seemed. She then turned her attention back over to Arashi, who seemed to be gushing about having company over. Her expression darkened. Not in annoyance, or anger, but she had to break Arashi’s little bubble of happiness.

“People... are dying out there,” She commented, back still against the door. Truth be told, she was a bit worried that if she left the door, something would burst through it with the intent to kill them both.