Post by Shiki on Aug 20, 2012 12:41:22 GMT -5
Takes place one month after Sora's disappearance.
The day had been a slow one. Inside the small shop on Main Street was mostly empty. A few customers browsed the wide selection of books, music, and movies. Unusual quiet settled in the atmosphere, everything different without the chiming of the bell above the door every few minutes. It had stayed calm, and sent the staff starting in surprise if it did, even though they heard it every day. Staff itself had dwindled down all day, with barely anyone left as late afternoon rolled in. Most people had taken advantage of the slow business and left when they were given the option. Shiki, however, was not one of those people.
She’d been there from the start of her shift in the morning, denying the opportunity to leave. All day she’d watched her co-workers come and go, not wanting to follow them. She wanted to work, she wanted to have something to do…she wanted a distraction. More than anything else, that was what she hoped for coming in for her job. A focus other than the going-crazy Network, other than what could happen if they were discovered, and something else…
Shiki shook her head as her mind began to wander again. No, she had to focus on her job. Even if that meant sitting at the register, bored. She leaned forwards, arm on the counter, head resting in it. Her body relaxed, her gaze flittered over the store, and her mind went right back to what she was trying to avoid, the one topic that made her feel too much at once. Shiki sprang up, her back straightening. No. She was working. She could not think about that!
Her hands went to her head and she tightened the ponytail that was high on her head, and then jumped off the stool she had been seated on. Grabbing a clipboard from under the counter she went to a random section and began to take inventory, ending up in the movie department. Eyes traveling over everything, her mind found something else to take a hold of. Movie titles and numbers went through her head as her hand moved across the clipboard, the pen making a soft noise as it drew ink on the paper.
As she scribbled down the necessary information her eyes fell on to one of the DVDs, a motorcycle as it’s illustration on the case. Shiki stopped writing, the pen poised on the last stroke. The hold her mind had slipped away and another topic took its place…
She cursed and slammed the clipboard down on an empty space on a table. Why did she have such a hard time blocking this out? No more than a small sigh voiced a complaint and she crossed her arms, turning away from the movie that had caused distraction. She tried to regain composure, to find something else to think about. A tap on the shoulder made her turn to see her boss standing there. But rather than looking annoyed she smiled, “Head on home, Shiki. I’m closing up early.”
“Really? I could help-“ Shiki started but her boss shook her head, “No, you’ve been here long enough. Go on, follow your co-workers’ lead.”
Reluctantly she nodded and went to the back. After taking care of a few things she headed to the front, shaking her hair out of its position on her head and placing her hat in its rightful spot. Then she exited the shop, the chime of the bell signaling the opening and closing of the door. She merged with the crowd and checked her phone. No messages, which meant she could go straight home.
She walked, eyes straight ahead, forcing all other thoughts to go away and finding little things to distract herself with. Noises on the street, birds flying overhead, someone coming in the opposite direction she was going passing by. However right after she took notice of that her vision blurred and bended, colors overlapping each other and objects and people becoming distorted.
Just as quickly as it happened everything brightened until she had to blink and she was back in reality. She’d stopped walking, and stood on the sidewalk, confused and realizing that she’d caught her breath and now let it out. A hand went to her head and she stared at the ground, eyes narrowed. What…?
And then she felt it, a tug of her mind and emotions. Like a whisper, something beckoned her to another. Shiki dropped the hand from her head and whipped around, searching for something even though she had no idea what it was to begin with. It was like a magnetic attraction, her eyes found what she believed was the answer and stayed there. The person who had walked by her before, a guy she now realized. He leaned against a lamppost, glanced her way when he noticed her staring.
Shiki spoke first, “What?” Her voice held both suspicion and a little annoyance, the emotion front and foremost on her mind.
“You’re the one that’s staring at me. You tell me what.” He smirked and Shiki couldn’t help but notice familiar details. The dark and silver of his hair, the way he looked at her as if she was amusing, how his black eyes shone…
Except that didn’t feel right. No, underneath that they were gold. She knew that, was so sure of herself, and a puzzle piece clicked together, the feeling of familiarity turned to memories like the opening of a gate. But they were foggy and took a minute for her to recount certain things, including his name. When she did remember it she asked wide eyed, “…Damon?”
Damon smiled, “It’s been a while, kid.”
Even though she was still trying to remember whatever it was she felt she was forgetting her unconscious reaction was to tense and put up mental walls. At the same time she went through with what she knew. He worked for her uncle, his second in command. She’d seen him every once in a while, right? Yes, a long time ago. Damon, seeing her hesitation, chuckled, “Forget about me?”
“Yeah, actually.”
He feigned hurt then shrugged, “Figured. I wasn’t that important. Only saved you on many occasions.”
And that, she remembered, was why she found him annoying. He was always one to point things out. “What are you doing here? Oh wait, that’s a stupid question considering you’re my uncle’s lapdog.”
“Harsh. Sounds like someone’s quick to judge.” Damon observed her a moment before saying, “I’ve been away, Sin called me here a few months ago.”
“And you just suddenly decide to show up now?”
“What, I can’t drop by and say hello?” He grinned as Shiki narrowed her eyes at him, “No.”
She sighed, “Spill it, what did Sin tell you to do this time?” He glanced away, boredom in his voice, “Nothing. He’s keeping quiet at the moment.”
She rolled her eyes, “Sure he is. Cause this is just the worst time to pull something.” It was mumbled to herself but Damon heard and looked at her sideways, “Well I wouldn’t lie, it’s kind of
perfect considering Ghost Rider is missing.”
Shiki finally looked away from him, “Yeah…so you think he will?”
“Possibly. I don’t know.” He turned his head back to her with his eyebrows raised, “Did you just sound hopeful about that?”
Shiki quickly looked back to him and shook her head, “No! It just seems like a better option then-just forget it.” Damon shrugged, “Okay.”
Something was bugging her, she could tell she was still forgetting an important memory, like the feeling when you forget what you’re going to say. It was right there, she could almost remember but at the same time it didn’t want to resurface. Damon straightened from the lamppost and walked towards her, “So since you are obviously now mute, I’ll be going.” He didn’t make it more than two feet past her when it clicked in her brain. Shock ran through her and before she knew what she was doing she said, “You let me go.”
He stopped and looked over his shoulder, “Huh?”
“The last night. You let me go.” Shiki didn’t elaborate any more than that, as if willing him to remember as well. She turned around to face him, he remained in his position. At first his expression was blank, but then a small smile appeared, “Maybe, kid. Maybe.”
Rather than asking why she told him, “I’m not a kid anymore.
Stop calling me that.” He countered, “I’m a lot older than you. You’re still a kid to me.”
“Ugh,” Shiki said, “Three years and you’re still annoying.”
Damon laughed, “You’ve changed, kid.” He turned away and began to walk with the crowd, calling over his shoulder, “See you around.”
And Shiki stared after him until he was gone and whispered, “Probably more often than I’d like to.”
Finally got around to doing this. Hope you liked it.
The day had been a slow one. Inside the small shop on Main Street was mostly empty. A few customers browsed the wide selection of books, music, and movies. Unusual quiet settled in the atmosphere, everything different without the chiming of the bell above the door every few minutes. It had stayed calm, and sent the staff starting in surprise if it did, even though they heard it every day. Staff itself had dwindled down all day, with barely anyone left as late afternoon rolled in. Most people had taken advantage of the slow business and left when they were given the option. Shiki, however, was not one of those people.
She’d been there from the start of her shift in the morning, denying the opportunity to leave. All day she’d watched her co-workers come and go, not wanting to follow them. She wanted to work, she wanted to have something to do…she wanted a distraction. More than anything else, that was what she hoped for coming in for her job. A focus other than the going-crazy Network, other than what could happen if they were discovered, and something else…
Shiki shook her head as her mind began to wander again. No, she had to focus on her job. Even if that meant sitting at the register, bored. She leaned forwards, arm on the counter, head resting in it. Her body relaxed, her gaze flittered over the store, and her mind went right back to what she was trying to avoid, the one topic that made her feel too much at once. Shiki sprang up, her back straightening. No. She was working. She could not think about that!
Her hands went to her head and she tightened the ponytail that was high on her head, and then jumped off the stool she had been seated on. Grabbing a clipboard from under the counter she went to a random section and began to take inventory, ending up in the movie department. Eyes traveling over everything, her mind found something else to take a hold of. Movie titles and numbers went through her head as her hand moved across the clipboard, the pen making a soft noise as it drew ink on the paper.
As she scribbled down the necessary information her eyes fell on to one of the DVDs, a motorcycle as it’s illustration on the case. Shiki stopped writing, the pen poised on the last stroke. The hold her mind had slipped away and another topic took its place…
She cursed and slammed the clipboard down on an empty space on a table. Why did she have such a hard time blocking this out? No more than a small sigh voiced a complaint and she crossed her arms, turning away from the movie that had caused distraction. She tried to regain composure, to find something else to think about. A tap on the shoulder made her turn to see her boss standing there. But rather than looking annoyed she smiled, “Head on home, Shiki. I’m closing up early.”
“Really? I could help-“ Shiki started but her boss shook her head, “No, you’ve been here long enough. Go on, follow your co-workers’ lead.”
Reluctantly she nodded and went to the back. After taking care of a few things she headed to the front, shaking her hair out of its position on her head and placing her hat in its rightful spot. Then she exited the shop, the chime of the bell signaling the opening and closing of the door. She merged with the crowd and checked her phone. No messages, which meant she could go straight home.
She walked, eyes straight ahead, forcing all other thoughts to go away and finding little things to distract herself with. Noises on the street, birds flying overhead, someone coming in the opposite direction she was going passing by. However right after she took notice of that her vision blurred and bended, colors overlapping each other and objects and people becoming distorted.
Just as quickly as it happened everything brightened until she had to blink and she was back in reality. She’d stopped walking, and stood on the sidewalk, confused and realizing that she’d caught her breath and now let it out. A hand went to her head and she stared at the ground, eyes narrowed. What…?
And then she felt it, a tug of her mind and emotions. Like a whisper, something beckoned her to another. Shiki dropped the hand from her head and whipped around, searching for something even though she had no idea what it was to begin with. It was like a magnetic attraction, her eyes found what she believed was the answer and stayed there. The person who had walked by her before, a guy she now realized. He leaned against a lamppost, glanced her way when he noticed her staring.
Shiki spoke first, “What?” Her voice held both suspicion and a little annoyance, the emotion front and foremost on her mind.
“You’re the one that’s staring at me. You tell me what.” He smirked and Shiki couldn’t help but notice familiar details. The dark and silver of his hair, the way he looked at her as if she was amusing, how his black eyes shone…
Except that didn’t feel right. No, underneath that they were gold. She knew that, was so sure of herself, and a puzzle piece clicked together, the feeling of familiarity turned to memories like the opening of a gate. But they were foggy and took a minute for her to recount certain things, including his name. When she did remember it she asked wide eyed, “…Damon?”
Damon smiled, “It’s been a while, kid.”
Even though she was still trying to remember whatever it was she felt she was forgetting her unconscious reaction was to tense and put up mental walls. At the same time she went through with what she knew. He worked for her uncle, his second in command. She’d seen him every once in a while, right? Yes, a long time ago. Damon, seeing her hesitation, chuckled, “Forget about me?”
“Yeah, actually.”
He feigned hurt then shrugged, “Figured. I wasn’t that important. Only saved you on many occasions.”
And that, she remembered, was why she found him annoying. He was always one to point things out. “What are you doing here? Oh wait, that’s a stupid question considering you’re my uncle’s lapdog.”
“Harsh. Sounds like someone’s quick to judge.” Damon observed her a moment before saying, “I’ve been away, Sin called me here a few months ago.”
“And you just suddenly decide to show up now?”
“What, I can’t drop by and say hello?” He grinned as Shiki narrowed her eyes at him, “No.”
She sighed, “Spill it, what did Sin tell you to do this time?” He glanced away, boredom in his voice, “Nothing. He’s keeping quiet at the moment.”
She rolled her eyes, “Sure he is. Cause this is just the worst time to pull something.” It was mumbled to herself but Damon heard and looked at her sideways, “Well I wouldn’t lie, it’s kind of
perfect considering Ghost Rider is missing.”
Shiki finally looked away from him, “Yeah…so you think he will?”
“Possibly. I don’t know.” He turned his head back to her with his eyebrows raised, “Did you just sound hopeful about that?”
Shiki quickly looked back to him and shook her head, “No! It just seems like a better option then-just forget it.” Damon shrugged, “Okay.”
Something was bugging her, she could tell she was still forgetting an important memory, like the feeling when you forget what you’re going to say. It was right there, she could almost remember but at the same time it didn’t want to resurface. Damon straightened from the lamppost and walked towards her, “So since you are obviously now mute, I’ll be going.” He didn’t make it more than two feet past her when it clicked in her brain. Shock ran through her and before she knew what she was doing she said, “You let me go.”
He stopped and looked over his shoulder, “Huh?”
“The last night. You let me go.” Shiki didn’t elaborate any more than that, as if willing him to remember as well. She turned around to face him, he remained in his position. At first his expression was blank, but then a small smile appeared, “Maybe, kid. Maybe.”
Rather than asking why she told him, “I’m not a kid anymore.
Stop calling me that.” He countered, “I’m a lot older than you. You’re still a kid to me.”
“Ugh,” Shiki said, “Three years and you’re still annoying.”
Damon laughed, “You’ve changed, kid.” He turned away and began to walk with the crowd, calling over his shoulder, “See you around.”
And Shiki stared after him until he was gone and whispered, “Probably more often than I’d like to.”
Finally got around to doing this. Hope you liked it.
