A Night In The Streets

Naoki walked through the street, fast pace and looking straight ahead. Roads infront of him and rocks beneath him, he tripped over a small rock.
"Owowowoww.." He mumbled while pushing himself up. He rubbed his nose and cheeks, making sure nothing was broken. He looked down at his legs. "Oh no! And these where new! He said. His trousers where ripped at the knee and he sighed. Nothing ever good came out of taking walks with him. After brushing himself off, there was no one there. No one looking like they where having fun, no one hanging out chatting. He was alone again. As usual. "I wonder what Yuu is doing now. It's a shame, he said he couldn't meet up with me. Oh well!" He smiled and walked forward. There was a big rock infront of him and he stopped infront of it. "Wah! Must not trip over another one!" He noted to himself in his mind. He was always clumsy.. But always helpful. A cool breezed carressed his cheeks. "Ah. That feels nice! Better than being stuck in a stuffy old house.. But I shouldn't really say that. Aunty and Uncle have put a lot of work into caring for me." A tear rolled down his cheek. "Why did I have to be such a whimp? Why didn't I help them? Why did I have to be the only one to live?" More and more tears rolled down his cheek as he sat down on a nearby bench. Naoki had such a terrible past, and this time, there was no one there to comfort him as he remembered. He kept wiping his tears, but they just flowed back. "Damnit. Now I see why people call me girly. I cry too easily." He said to himself. He was always made fun of at Uni for being girly. Now was the time to stop crying incase someone saw him. But he couldn't. They just came back as soon as he wiped them away. He leaned back on the bench and looked up. There where no clouds in the sky, and it was beautiful.. Just beautiful..

Ayame whistled silently walking through empty streets. Of course, she was late, and clinic was closed already. Ah ... now I'll have to remember to visit it tomorrow ... she sighed closing eyes for a moment and enjoying silence of snowed streets. But ... there was ... this sound, that certainly shouldn't be there. Frowning and opening eyes she looked around. Someone was crying, she heard that clearly. Someone close by.
Her name itched annoyingly. Great ... unit? Don't tell me, I found next unit. Crying one. chewing on inside of her cheek she finally spoted person who was spoiling night silence with his weeping.

Boy sitting on the bench had hair and ears really light in street lamp light. Looking up, at sky, he was weeping tears from his face, but that wasn't helping, there were still new and new tears ... Ayame came behind him and leaning over bench, so that she looked in his eyes from above she smiled slightly.
"If you cry too much your tears will start to freeze to eyelashes. So shhh." she putted one finger on her mouth.

"Ah?" Naoki sniffed. "Uh. Hello there." He wiped his tears and stood up. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that. It happens a lot to me. I just start crying." Naoki chuckled. He looked around. "Agh. My arm hurts. My name. She must be another unit, then?" He looked at her, and she was pretty. Really cute. "Um. Err.. My name's Naoki Irie. Nao for short. Nice to meet you." He stuck out his hand from his long jumper to shake her hand. Smiling, he looked around without moving his head. Without the street lamps, the street would be completely dark.. But luckily they where there. The quiet sounds of the cars a few streets away, the noises of crickets in the bushes usually calmed him. His left arm just hurt too much. "She must be a strong unit." He thought to himself.

Ayame blinked and leaned head to the side. Who introduced themselves to stranger meet on street? Her eyes slided down to his hand it was so nucommon to shake hands ... anyway she catched his hand. Her fingers were icy cold, and his hand was slightly warmer. Holding it tightly she smiled content, and avoided introducing herself by asking next question.
"Crying a lot? Why?" her left hand touched slightly side of her leg where name was located, and then started to scratch it. It was ticklish, annoying. And since there weren't other people around ...
"Nao, you're fighter or sacrifice?" bold question as usual, most of people she asked this were first frozen with surprise. Still holding his hand her eyes wandered off him a little. Exhausting day ... she needed to stop thinking for a while and just enjoy white haired neko before her.

Naoki coughed. "To answer your first question, I had a bit of a bad past and every time I remember bits of it, I burst out crying. I dunno why. And people call me girly because they have no idea why I'm crying." He took a deep breath, "To answer your second question, I am the Lifeless sacrifice, still looking for my fighter." He winked, and then smiled more. "And how about you? Your name and unit?" He could tell she wanted to skip the name subject because they where strangers, but they would probably have met another time if not now someplace or another. Naoki took his hand away and put his hands in his pockets. "Cold. Such cold hands." He thought. He looked at her straight face with his face going straight. He blinked, and then looked around again to see if anyone was there. "Also, would you like to sit down?" Naoki pointed his hand towards the bench, offering her the seat.

"Girly ..." she extended arm and rubbed his cheek, drying last tears from it. "That is bothering you. Pay no mind, it's obvious they call you girly if you start to cry out of blue." unintentionally rude, Ayame spotted Isa on the other side of the street. She was shaking head. Hm, right, maybe I shouldn't say that ... oh, well, I already did. Isa shruged arms and start to wander from one street lamp to another. Ayame decided to ignore her and turned eyes at Nao again.
"Lifeless? Like in, 'dead'?" she clapsed her hands and giggle. Zombie, zombie~ it made her giggle louder
Plopping on bench she stretched arms above head. Sitting all night in cafe, snowman, then Ritsu, all in this damn cold. Her body was becoming stiff form lack of sleep, and there was also Tsu waiting at home ... but little more. She didn't want to go home yet.
"Ayame. You know, you shouldn't ask woman about her age, weight and unit." she could easily said it, but it wasn't neccessary. Not that it would change anything, him knowing her true name, but giving up on any information about herself ... she was never doing it easily.


(yes, you probably know, but Isa is hallucination. Don't mind her.)

"Oh, I do ignore them. It's just annoying. I only really have one friend, Yuuki." He smiled. "And I thought it was only age you weren't supposed to ask. But, sorry for being rude." Naoki was confused about why she was giggling, but just went along with it. "And yeah, pretty much dead." He shrugged. He didn't know how or why he was lifeless, or dead, because he was still moving and everything, still going through life, living and learning. Like everyone else. "Dunno why though. It's something I'd like to find out for myself." He shrugged and looked over to the lamposts. "What was she looking at?" He thought. He sat down next to her and smiled. He looked up and all the stars where shining brightly. "There's mum, dad and sis up there. I'm glad they're watching over me." He added to his last thought. He yawned and looked at his watch. It was pretty late. Oh well.

He looked at Ayame wondering many thoughts. None of them would be said out loud. Infact, he didn't even know what he was thinking about, let alone saying them. He sighed. "Ah. Well. At least I'm still moving about and everthing." He said. He was optimistic about most things, though sometimes pessimistic about others.


(Okay)

"So polite~ It's really cute." stretching leg and kicking pile of snow before her Ayame looked up at Isa, now running from one street lamp to another. She's right, it's cold. she looked at her red from cold fingers and rubbed them agaings as cold cheeks. Yes, yes, I'll end up having cold ... and this jacket isn't too warm ... jacket she got from that girl fighter she had meet in park was too tigh, and Ayame couldn't zip it up.
"So, dead, but living." her smile widened. "Like zombie~" her eyes turned at him with sudden light. Right. People are warm. as soon as she though that she moved closer to him. Indeed, it was warmer. "Nice, you're so warm." don't noticing anything strange in sticking so close to stranger Ayame silently whistled random tune.

"Heh. Thank you~ Y'know, you're really pretty." He said, trying to compliment her back. Naoki took off his jacket and put it on Ayame. He blushed. "Ah. I'm not doing this in any wierd way. You just looked cold.. and everything.." Naoki blushed even more. He coughed and looked straight forward. "Yeah. Like a zombie, I suppose." He chuckled after saying it. It sounded wierd saying "zombie" for some reason. "Also, I'm not that polite. Or cute. He mumbled. He stretched and then put his hands together in his lap. "Make sure you don't get a cold.." He said. Naoki hates colds but likes winter. It was wierd, but it was just him...

"See? Really polite. And being polite is cute, so you're both polite and cute." she showed teeth in bright smile wraping herself in his jacket. Now, that was better. Leaning slightly on his shoulder Ayame made herself comfortable on bench.
"Don't worry, don't worry, they say idiot's don't get cold, so I suppose I'll be okay~" she laughed and looked up. "Hey, you know where is the Pole Star?" her eyes wandered on sky. There was already few thick, snow clouds on the sky, so stars weren't visible at all, and town wasn't good place to watch stars anyway ... but she was staring, as if she could really see them.

"Ah." Nao blushed more because he wasn't really used to girls being this close to him. "No. I don't. Is it a constallation?" He asked. Naoki wasn't too good with stars or anything, but he wanted to be a doctor when he finished Uni, so it didn't really matter to him. He wanted to be a doctor to help people like his family needed help when they where---.

He smiled and then looked around, trying to find a clear place where there where no clouds. It looked like it was about to start to rain. He patted his bag to make sure his umbrella was in there, and luckily, it was. "I hope there's no thunder.." He thought. Thunder was one of his biggest fears. He hated it. At least there was someone with him at this time, because usually there was no one home so when there was thunder, he would just hide under the table or something.

"It's single star, pointing north. Only star that through all night don't change place where it lies ..." she was never really studing or learning anything. Remembering things which interested her, and boring ones burning deep in mind, so they were here if she needed them. "I can't spot it. Never." Ayame yawned leaning head at the back of bench. If not this damn cold she would just hide somewhere in park and tried to sleep. She just felt this time her insomnia would gave up for a while.
"Anyway, why are you even here? Going somewhere or going back from somewhere?" 90% of people she had meet seemed like they always know where they are going, opposite from her. She was going out without plan and then ending somewhere where her legs took her.

Naoki nodded. "Not at all. Just out for a wonder, going wherever the roads led and so, I ended up here.. Tripping over a rock. My home is probably in the direction" Naoki pointed to the left, though he still had no idea. "How about you? Any place you where going?" He yawned a little, covering his mouth. It was late and there was probably nowhere except night clubs open, but there might have been other places. The noises of the night where calming, as if nothing was going to hurt him or annoy him. The night was preferable to day to him. "And also, I usually come out for walks at night. It's soothing for some reason. But my friend sometimes comes with me." He rubbed his hands together to warm them up. He heard a rustle in the bushes and looked forward. "Oh. Just a cat." Naoki thought as a cat came wondering out. It looked like a stray. "Poor thing.." He added.

"Tripping over rock?" most likely, over his own legs. Ayame stifled laughter imagining this scene. She shouldn't laugh from poor neko landing on his face, but ... corners of her mouth twitched. "Countless posibilities, most likely wherever my legs would lead me." she patted lips with one finger. "I think I needed to go back home, but since I don't really wanna I ended wandering around." add that you're wandering for two days. she though. Her fingers tappen anxious tone on bench.
Nodding head silently she agreeded wit him. Night walks were the best. Though there were also most dangerous, especially in those parts of town she loved during night the most; park, back alleys ..."Yuuki?" he menioned name of his friend earlier, so he was probably one going out for walks with Nao.
Her attention turned to the cat at the opposite side of road. Messed fur and wild expression were just screaming 'stray'. Cat hissed like snake and rushed along strees, quickly dissapearing at the corner. Ayame turned head to Nao.
"Are you piting him?"

"Yuuki is my only friend. My best friend." Naoki grinned. Yuuki really was a special friend to him. "And the cat? No. I'm sure he'll find somewhere to live soon. Someone will find him and take him back to thier place. They always do.." He smiled. "So, how long have you been wondering around for?" He asked. He could tell when people lied.. It was obvious. They don't look you in the eyes, they always fiddle with something. Or they where hiding something. "You look like you haven't been home in a couple of days." He added. Her hair was a bit messy and her clothes looked too small and dirty. It was obvious she hadn't been home.

Naoki watched the cat turn the corner down the other end of the street. "Find a home soon, lost cat." He thought. He turned to face Ayame, smiling. She looked like his old friend from when he was 10. But it wasn't her. He would have remembered her if it was.

"With that appearance?" Ayame laughed out loud. "You think people are kind enough to take care of something that look like that?" she rubbed red eye with one hand, making it even more red. "People ... they are good to you if you're cute enough for it. Hissing, violent, ugly beast like that ... all they could have for him is kick. But he doesn't care. Being free is what he likes. Living only for himself, don't needing to bend down to people ..." cat was comming back. Running like crazy, ears flat on head, he jumped and landed on Ayame laps with horrible hiss, biting her hand. "Let me introduce Enma." Ayame pushed cat from her laps, but he jumped again. "We are living together." Enma looked at other human and let out almost dog's growl.
"And being home? It's only place where I leave my belongings. Going there don't hold any meaning if I don't need anything from there." Enma bited her again and lied down, looking at other human suspiciously.

"I see. Well, if you ever want a place to sleep, you could always come to my place. My aunt and uncle wouldn't mind. They're away half the time anyway, so I pretty much live there by myself." Naoki smiled. He liked helping people. Thats why he wanted to become a doctor, to help people and not have to make people mourn over peoples' deaths like he did. Naoki looked at the cat. "Ah. So she's your cat then?" He smiled and put his hand out to stroke her, scared it would bite her. He put his fingers forward then back a little and repeated that a couple of times. "Will she bite me if I try to stroke her?" He asked, worried. He had not really liked cats, but he should have gotten used to them by now.

"I'll visit you for sure~ Where do you live?" it was already second person she just meet offering her visiting his home. All good. The more place to hide in the better. Debt collectors could be really scary, and hiding in places they didn't know about was only way for her.
"Enma ... I dunno in what he lately wallowed. Anyway, if he bites it means he likes you. If he doesn't like you, he attacks throat and eyes." after all he was wild cat. Most wild from all stray cats she had meet so far, and most violent one. "But ... mine cat? Nope. I don't own him. We are only living in same apartment." she shaked head "People never own cat's. Usually cat's own humans or just live with them under same roof." she was observing cats all her life. Selfish creatures would never allow to be owned.

"Here's a map. I keep it with me incase I get lost." There was a mark where his house was as he handed her the map. "Agh. I'm sorry, I got his gender mixed up." He patted the cat and smiled. "If Enma was cleaned a little and brushed up he wouldn't look so bad. It's just he hasn't been washed for a while, that's all. And cats owning humans? That would be a bit wierd, though." Naoki chuckled at the thought of a cat giving a human some food in a dish on the floor. Pretty funny. Hoping he wouldn't hurt him, Naoki carried on stroking the cat. He was pretty much used to them by now, though a little bit allergic aswell as scared of them. "I'm so girly." He thought. He thought being scared of cats and thunder was a bit too girly, but he couldn't help it. I suppose it was just how he was born.

Naoki got a pack of gum out his bag and took one out and put it into his mouth then held the packet to Ayame. "Want some gum?" He asked. It was really the only food he had on him because he had just been on a trip to another city for a while doing some doctory-uni stuff. It was a fun trip, kind of like a vacations because Yuuki was with him aswell.

"Mmm~" she looked at map making sure to remember location of his house and gave it back to him. It was other part of town than Zain apartment and Tsu home, so she smiled happily, already treating his place as her next hide-out.
"It's okay, with all this fur you don't really see his family jewells to tell that he's male."
Ayame fingers tapped anxious tone on bench again. "Can you imagine him being brushed or washed? With cat's it's not 'human is feeding me'. It's 'Human! Give me mine food!' and not 'can I sleep with you' but 'you can sleep with me'." her fingers run through red hair messing them even more.
"Sure I want." chewing-gum, one of human kind greatest inventions. Imidiatelly after putting it in mouth she blow up baloon out of it. When it popped, leaving half of gum on her nose, Enma started his terror attack.
Jump onto Nao laps and hissing horribly, he was trying to scare other human. Figuring out that his terror will be more effective from closer distance, he moved on Nao laps, and putting forefeet on his chest looked him into eyes. Hissing boy into face from that distance, almost saying "One move and your nose will be mine dinner."

"He's very protective, isn't he?" Naoki chuckled after he jumped onto him. He stroked the cat again then set him down to the floor. "And yeah, that's true. It's as if they own your house. Pretty amusing, though annoying." He said. He laughed as the gum went all over her face then gave her a tissue. He was always prepared for anything. A very prepared guy. He brushed his shirt of all the cat hairs that had come off Enma. "But I do prefer dogs to cats. Dogs are more friendly and playful." He grinned and chewed his gum some more.

She started already to pick up gum from her nose with fingers before he gave her tissue. Catching it with sticky fingers, Ayame blow up next baloon, and it again popped, landing on her nose.
Enma was starled. Turning back to human that dared to put him on the ground when he didn't want to, he gave dog like browl and jumped onto Nao laps again. But this time he didn't stop here. With next jump he landed heavily on nao chest, using claws to maintain balance, and then somegow jumped onto his head, again don't hestitating with using claws.
"Enma, wredny kretynie! Leć do domu!" but Enma was already far away, running like demon, with his wild hiss. "See, he scratched you. Over there." weeping little of blood from his jaw with tissue she just used to weep her sticky finger, she shaked head.
"They are too ... slave-like. Kinda like fighters ... I obey my master. I'll do everything you ask for ..." she frowned.

"Kind of like a fighter, you're right. I mean, the fighter pretty much has to do what the sacrifice tells them, so it's as if they're slaves. It's wierd, but it's who we are. I'm still looking for my fighter, and I don't think I'll find them any time soon, though. It's a long road ahead.." Naoki said. He wiped some blood from his face and glared at the cat. That's why he hated them. They where always so violent. Also, what does 'wredny kretynie! Leć do domu!' mean?" He asked. Naoki knew it was another language, obviously, so that's why he didn't know what it meant. He crossed his legs on the wooden bench and was still facing Ayame. He smiled, then chuckled. "Stupid cats." He thought.

"In most unexpected place probably." corner of her mouth twitched. After all she still disliked units. Being bond to some stranger ... Forced to have relationship with someone she just saw. "Being bonded by feelings stronger and deeper than love, hm?" she mumbled and snorted. Kicking unpleasant though from her head she leaned head to the side.
" 'Mean idiot! Go home!' was what it mean. After all cursing in polish is neater~ Enma is just an asshole, pay no mind to him. Actually, I'm surprised that he missed your lips. He usually takes them as target, when he jumps onto person head." and all his dirty tricks Enma first used on her.
Chewing gum lazily her eyes were blank, staring into space, as if her mind wandered to lalaland.

"I see.." He mumbled listening to her words. "Well, you'd get used to the preson. You'd have to. Also, both of you would probably have a lot in common, really. You just don't know until you've actually met them and spoke to them.." Naoki said. He wasn't usually this close to a person he had just met, they'd been talking for what, an hour now? And he was hardly nervous at all. "I wonder why.." He thought. It seemed like he was already used to her. But, at least he had made a new friend! He grinned at his thoughts and chewed his gum again. He kept starting and stopping. Naoki leaned back and stretched his arms. For some reason, he was warm although it was cold outside. "It's just life, I suppose. I mean, you and me have only just met and we've been talking for a while now, and we've seemed to become friends. That could happen with your partner." He said cheerfully, trying to lighten her mood about meeting someone who's supposed to be your partner who you don't even know.