Aeijsu-The End of the World

[Yukiko]

Cypress smiled as they took a seat and a waiter walked up to them, a pad in his hand and a pen between his lips as he fumbled through the pockets in his apron for something. Actually, Cypress was one of the few people who knew he was a guy; with his long hair and feminine face most peopel assumed he was a girl.

"Hey, Ace, this is Keiko," she said as an introduction, though her mind was still elsewhere, as another Element, Ace might be able to feel what it was she was feeling. Or really, as another element that fed off of the darkness inside people's hearts... "Keiko, this is Ace, we've known each other since we were kids. Um...I think I'll just grab a coffee. You know how I like it," she added with a wink.

Ace returned the girl's grin and pushed a strand of his long hair out of his eyes as he inspected his friend's companion. Within only an instant he had found everything about her that he felt he needed, "Alright, alright. Oh, and where have you been? I haven't seen you in ages, do you have any idea how much I've been worrying, with everything that's been going on lately?"

He heard an old couple at the table behind him talking amongst themselves about the way he and Cypress looked. "They make such a couple, don't they? That girl must really like him, though, worrying about him." Everyone always assumed he and Cypress were a couple, the only thing was that they thought he was the girl and Cypress was the guy. What a nuisance.

"Anything I can get you?" Ace asked, turning his attention to girl that his friend had brought in with her.


Keiko's attention turned to the man standing in front of them..Her emotions turned back to happiness from sadness..She smiled.."Hello..Nice to meet you..",she "tipped" her head ever so slightly..

She turned her attention to the old folks..She heard them talking and sort of got a little jealous..'What do they think I am? Their kid?!',she thought..Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the old couple..

Keiko turned to Cypress then back to Ace.."hmmmmm..",she thought once again..She almost began laughing at how stupid she must look right now.."I'll just have water..",Keiko said..She didn't want to impose,plus she was hungry but not super hungry,and water was free so,heh.."Thanks..",she said..

--

ffwd

Marian sat beside a middle-aged woman lying still in her bed. A young boy stood by her side and another bed lay on the other side of the room, this one holding a middle-aged man. "Don't worry...I think I've found a way to bring the light back to your eyes." They were her parents and the little boy, her youngest brother, and a disease ran through her family. An illness that was making them all go blind. She needed that crystal, the one that the girl from the bar wore around her neck, she needed to get it no matter what.

[Lollie]

Aiko was walking down the street when she suddenly felt herself falling forwards towards the ground. She then felt someone grabbing her and lifting her feet off the ground. Aiko was then looking up at the face of a guy around eighteen with misty grey eyes and long, dark blue hair. "You okay?" the guy asked her. "Um...yeah...thank you" Aiko replied. The guy placed Aiko back on the ground. "Anytime" he said with a smile. "I'am Ross by the way" he added and gave his hand out for Aiko to shake. "I'am Aiko" Aiko replied and took his hand. Ross then noticed that the girl had a pink crystal hanging around her right wrist.

[Yukiko]

"Ignore those idiots," Ace said, his instinct for negative human emotions picking up on Keiko's feelings. He was sure Cypress felt it, too, after all, the elements they watched over were very similar. "They're regulars here who still don't have the sense to realize that I'm a guy..."

Cypress tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear and glared up at the boy with her dark, crimson red eyes. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" she asked coolly. She watched as he apologized with mock sincerity and gave an exaggerated bow before walking away.

As soon as her longtime friend was gone, Cypress turned her attention to Keiko, the glare rooted on her face instantly dissipated. "I'm sorry about that. Those people are idiots and they shouldn't have said anything at all. If it bothers you, I could always go over there and make them shut up," she added jokingly. She wouldn't really...well, maybe she would, if it was Keiko who asked.

But what kinds of thoughts were these that were running through her head? She wanted to shake them out, but thought that it would have looked too obvious that she was troubled and she didn't want Keiko to notice. Especially since asking if the other Element was alright was really just an act, she could sense that the other girl wasn't. She was the Element of Desolation, after all.

Ace walked back, balancing a tray in his one hand, to where his long-time friend and her companion were seated. He placed a glass of water in front of Keiko, a cup of tea and a small piece of strawberry shortcake in front of Cypress, and pulled up a seat for himself. "So, how did you guys meet?" he asked curiously,

"Don't you have other customers to wait on, 'Mom'?" Cypress asked, violently stabbing a strawberry with her fork.

Ace shrugged, "Probably. One of the others can take care of it, and besides...I'm curious."

Keiko turned to Cypress when Ace was gone.."There's no need to deal with them..",she smiled reassuringly..

Keiko turned to Ace when he sat down at the table..Keiko chuckled slightly at Cypress.."We just bumped into each other..",She said simply,it was true to an extent..No need to relive that whole experience in the park,and besides it would be on the news within the day..She placed her hand on her lap,while her hurt one sat tightly wrapped in a cloth..

She looked to Cypress as if waiting for her to confirm her reply to Ace..She smiled..

---
Maeko walked out of the bar leaving behind the dumbfounded customers as they looked at the two guys on the floor,unconcious,the ones that bothered Maeko earlier with the chair..She began walking down the street to an unknown destination..