A Silent Stride Through a Broken City [Mai-chan]

After Sharaku had left her appartment, Mae gave Hiro and Aria an excusing look. "Sorry... I have to go... I need some... time for myself." She was never one to kick people out, unless they truly deserved it, which Hiro and Aria didn't. Right now, Mae needed some time to think, and with the barrier up, she could get that done while there were no demons running around on the streets, all thanks to Isla. She had to find Maria and check up on the kids back at the Orphanage... just to make sure they were okay. She closed the door behind her, before she started walking down the shabby staircase down to the bottom floor, where she left the apartment complex. Things certainly hadn't changed much since she had left the cathedral, but there was however, a notable lack of demons on the streets, which pretty much confirmed that Isla had sealed San Malarus off... So at least the kids were safe, if only for now. Maria was a different matter entirely, as she could very well be on another island, which would be really bad, given the current state of things.

As she walked through the now empty, broken streets, Mae's thoughts wandered about... everything from her feelings and encounter with Sharaku since last time, and the current situation she was in... She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she would probably not notice anyone, unless they approached her deliberately... or something.

Another boring day on this messed up island. She hasn't been doing anything but walk around the city, not really caring if anything happened to her. She would actually prefer if something happened at all. But, oh well, better not invite certain doom. A loud sigh escaped Yuniko's lips. Her hands in the pockets of her red hoodie, she kept walking through the streets, her head lowered, kicking an empty can. Every now and then, she looked around, trying to find something. Not that there was anything to be seen. Not even people walking around. Which is probably to be expected, given the situation. It didn't even make sense that she is walking around right now.

Her head still lowered, Yuniko didn't care where she was walking. Just straight ahead. She hadn't looked up for a while now, and suddenly she felt a weak force. It was weak, but because of her small size she immidiately fell to the ground. She took a glance up and saw a girl in front of her. "Ugh..." "Just what are you thinking, standing in my way?!" is what she wanted to say, but instead she said: "Sorry, didn't see you..." She rubbed the back of her head and tried to stand up. But when she lifted herself up with her left hand she slipped and almost fell on her side. She reacted quickly, though, and kept herself up with her right hand. "Not my day, today..." She complained.

Not really paying much attention to her surroundings, and not expecting to bump into someone anytime soon, found herself doing precisely that, which pulled her out of her thoughts rather forcefully. "Oh, don't worry about it..." Mae replied with a weak smile, offering a hand to help the girl back up on her feet. "I should've paid more attention myself, actually." So, in the end, both of them were to blame in a way. Not that it truly mattered much to the pinkette. "Yeah, no kidding..." Mae replied, letting her eyes drift over their surroundings before giving the girl in front of her a more analyzing look. She was shorter than Mae, which was unusual for her, given that she was already of a pretty short stature, only being 5'3" tall herself. Not that there was THAT big of a difference between the two ladies, but it was still a noteworthy one. If Mae had to guess, she was probably a student at the Academy here. Not that there was much that really told her otherwise, and considering how young she looked, Mae assumed that to indeed be the case. But, it was better to ask, just to be sure... "You're a student at Zela, Right...?" She asked the girl, with a slightly curious look. Sure, she had more pressing matters to think about at present, but she could use a small break from the doom and gloom with some small-talk, if nothing else... perhaps this girl could even help Mae finding Maria Russel...

Yuniko hesitantly reached out for the girl's hand and pulled herself up. "Thanks..." She straightened her skirt, sighing while doing so. She tried to smile but it didn't quite work out, so she went back to a neutral expression. "Yeah, I'm a student at Zela... Yuniko Nisakura." She put her hands back in her pockets and yawned. Usually she would try to come off as cheerful, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to be like that. "Not that it really matters." She took a step forward and looked the girl straight in the eyes. "Hey, why don't we hang out together? I'm so bored, but you look like you could show me around... or something." Her voice sounded a little monotonous. It was actually weird for Yuniko to show her true personality to a person she just met. But it happened quite often lately. Then again, why should she care? It's not like people will remember her when there are demons everywhere, anyway. She sighed again and waited for the girl's answer.

Looks like her guess was right... not only that, but she got a name of her too. "Heh, Nice to meet you, Yuniko-chan. The Name's Mae Iharu." The pink-haired woman replied, trying her best not to sound down or anything, even though she wasn't in the best state of mind. "I guess not, huh..." Well, given the state of things, the school was probably closed off or something... speaking of which, why wasn't Yuniko with her parents...? You'd think at a time like this, you'd stay close to family, and such... "Hm?" Mae raised an eyebrow, giving Yuniko a scanning look. Such an odd request at a time like this... Well, not like she had much else to do. "Well... I guess so... But what about your parents? Why aren't you with them?" As the adult, and caretaker of young kids, she felt a little bit worried about a girl walking around unprotected at a time like this... Sure, the barrier was up and kept everyone safe, but who knows how long it would last before the demons found a way to break through. "I... Guess? I was actually looking for a friend of mine who went missing not too long ago... I guess you could tag along, if you'd like. Maybe we can get you home too... it's not safe out right now." Mae could most certainly defend herself, but she assumed Yuniko couldn't... and it wasn't like Mae was coldhearted enough to just leave the young teen to her own devices in a time like this. What if she got hurt?

Yuniko gave the other girl a slight shrug. "Mae-san, huh? Got it." She walked around Mae, looking at her from every side, but still keeping her neutral expression. After a full turn she she stops, but still looking at the other girl. Then, there came a question she was definitely not ready for. A question about her parents. Yuniko's face dropped slightly. In her pocket, she made a fist. "My parents...? Why would I care about them? It's not like they ever cared for me. ...They aren't here anyway." She shakes her head and turns around. She hadn't thought about her parents in a long time, and she certainly wasn't ready to do so now. After a short silence, she began to speak again, still having her back turned to Mae. "I will definitely tag along. But don't think you can just leave me where you see fit. I'll be gone before you know it, anyway." Again, everything she said had a monotonous tone. At this point, Yuniko already gave up acting as if she was someone else. She showed Mae her true personality. Which could either mean she wanted to stick around, or she gave up on everything. "Well then, which way?" She said as she turned around again, eyeing the girl.

A timid smile made it's way across the girl's face at the honorific Yuniko used... -San... She wasn't used to that. Then again, most of her friends here weren't japanese, and those who were either used -chan or -tan, if at all. That's what happens when you live outside of japan for two years. It was rather flattering, if nothing else. At the mention of Yuniko's parents, and the girl's response to that, Mae's expression turned somewhat more concerned... what had happened here...? She would give the girl some space regarding the subject for now however, as she didn't feel like it was the right time nor place, to pry... "Ah. So you live at the dorms then... I see." Now her wandering around made more sense... The dorms must be closed down just like they were two years ago after all that sand had flooded the entire facility, and school grounds. "Oh, don't worry about that, Yuniko-chan. I won't leave your side for a good long while." She gave the girl a comforting smile. "Someone's gotta look out for you, right?" Mae placed a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Cheer up a bit, would you? Things won't get any better with that attitude." Her voice was rather calm, yet somewhat teasing in a way. Perhaps it was just an attempt from Mae's side to have the girl ease up a bit. The situation was rather dire, after all. "This way." Mae pointed out the way to the orphanage with her right hand. "It's not that long of a walk." But it was long enough for the two to at least hold a decently normal conversation on the way.

Yuniko shrugged again. But this one was more for herself than for Mae. She had no reason to, but she was actually opening up to a person she only just met. The other girl probably couldn't tell, but Yuniko sure felt it. She smirked. "I did live there for a few weeks. Before all this happened." Yuniko tried to look away from Mae. But that only made the surprise bigger when she felt something on her shoulder. She looked up, right into Mae's eyes. She wanted to take a step back, but for some reason, it just didn't work. She was too perplexed. It's been a long time since anyone tried to comfort her. Her shock was clearly visible on her face. And Mae's words only made it worse for Yuniko. After a short while, she finally spoke again. "Uh, I can look out for myself, thank you. ...I'm only coming with you because I'm bored." She said with a neutral expression again. She didn't know what came over her just now, but whatever it was, it shouldn't happen again. Yuniko shook her head and then started slowly walking in the direction Mae pointed to. "Let's go then." She had no plans on staying where she was brought to, but it couldn't hurt to check the place out.

"Ah... they closed down, I guess... Well... do you have a place to stay?" Mae asked with some concern. "This might not be over for a while..." Perhaps the orphanage had some room for one more...? It was worth a shot. She couldn't let Yuniko sleep on the streets... she'd feel quite bad over that.

The shocked expression on Yuniko's face that surfaced when Mae laid a hand on the girl's shoulder confused Mae for a second... why was she shocked...? Was she not used to this? Well, given how she had reacted when Mae asked the girl about her parents... She guessed those two weren't exactly the nicest couple on the planet... especially not towards their kid, which made Mae pity the poor girl... Having parents that never loved you was... probably rougher than not having any blood relatives at all. Yuniko kept staying strong, however, as made evident by her next couple of words. "Heh... Alright, if you say so." Mae said with a slightly amused smile. Perhaps she would warm up to Mae eventually. That would take a bit of time though. But as they say, Rome wasn't built in a day. Things like these took time.

Mae started leading the way to the orphanage, walking carefully over the messed up streets. The asphalt was cracked and small chunks of it had been scattered all over the place. San Malarus had certainly seen better days. But even with all this destruction, Mae was confident that the island would bounce back to it's former glory once the catastrophe was over... speaking of which... "So... do you have any hobbies? Or something?" She asked Yuniko in an attempt to make some small talk. It wasn't the best way to do so, but she really couldn't think of anything better at the time...

Closely following behind Mae, after she took the lead, Yuniko stayed silent for a good while. She listened to the noise their shoes made when stepping on the ground. The sounds echoed slightly, since the streets were so empty. But even then, it felt like total silence. However, it was eventually broken by a question. "Hobbies...?" After repeating that word, she went quiet again. Why would someone care about hobbies right now? Yet, she decided it would be best to answer, after all. "I had hobbies once. ...I never cared about them. Everything got so boring after doing it multiple times. So... No hobbies, I guess. Besides aimlessly walking through the streets." Yuniko was about to ask Mae, why she wanted to know about her hobbies at a time like this. Though she felt that would be rude, and Mae tried to be nice so far. So she just let it slip. Nevertheless, she went quiet once again, still following closely behind Mae through the broken street. There were some questions, Yuniko wanted to ask, but she couldn't bring herself to actually ask them. Maybe she would decide to do so later. She wasn't quite sure about that yet.

"Ah... I see..." Mae replied, giving the girl a look. No hobbies? None whatsoever? She did remind Mae of Sharaku a bit actually. Sure, they had their distinct differences, but she could recognize a bit of Sharaku Rikei in Yuniko. "I know it might seem a bit strange of a thing to ask in a situation like this." Mae scratched the back of her head with a sheepish grin, kicking away a small piece of rubble out of her way. And then another, more pressing concern of hers arose as the two got closer and closer to the Orphanage. "Say, Yuniko... Since the dorms are closed down... do you have a place to stay?" She would ask, casting a glance over her shoulder at the girl behind her as she spoke. "Any friends or anyone else you can share living-space with until this crisis has blown over...?" Mae hoped that the girl indeed had someplace to stay. Judging by her comments on her parents prior, it was probably safe to assume that Yuniko didn't want anything to do with them at present... Perhaps if the situation was dire enough, then maybe... but... she shouldn't have to go through so much emotional stress just to have a place to eat and sleep. There was a vacant room at the orphanage she could use. Oliver, the previous inhabitant of that room had been adopted a couple of days before the incident, and no new kids had come in since... perhaps this was as good of a time as any to fill that space. Besides, Mae couldn't just let this girl be all alone in times like these, and the orphanage was just the right place.

Another question. This girl was apparently extremely concerned about Yuniko. Which would be nothing weird usually, but at a time like this, it really wasn't normal. Then again, it also wasn't quite normal that Yuniko trusted Mae so easily. So that would probably make up for it or something. "...I sleep where I want. It's actually pretty easy to find a nice abandoned room here and there in the city. Also, sleeping on the streets is no problem either. ...Not like it's my first time, after all." This answer would probably only make the other girl more concerned, but Yuniko tried to be honest here. No point in lying anyway. "...And... I won't just hide until all this is over. I actually find this kinda... exciting. I survived until now, so I'm sure I can survive a little longer." Just when she stopped speaking, she would have wanted to slap herself. Why did she say that? This is probably going to make everything worse. She sighed loudly and then let her head sink, kicking a random stone to the side. For a moment, she thought about running away, but what would be the point of that? So, she just kept following Mae, mabye a little slower than before.

"..." Mae was at a loss for words. Perhaps it was just her having spent too much time with the kids at the orphanage, or some such, but... the thought of Yuniko, or any girl or boy of her age sleeping on the streets... It just wasn't right. Perhaps she was a bit too much of a softie, but in times like these, one really shouldn't be alone. Especially not when you lacked the capacity to defend yourself against the demons that had invaded. And the fact that no-one, not even the girl's parents, was looking out for the girl angered Mae. Some parents... yeesh. "Yuniko..." The woman stopped dead in her tracks... "...In times like these... you really shouldn't be alone. It's dangerous... I know, you've survived this long, but... that's no garantuee that it'll continue that way. Sleeping on the streets isn't good for you, and it's certainly not a place for a young woman like yourself to be sleeping." She looked at the young teen with a worried look. And the concern was genuine. Mae had always been a bit too kind for her own good, and always looking out for others before herself, and Yuniko was no different... And now, given that she had the power to protect her, she saw it as her duty to keep her safe from harm until they reached the Orphanage...

Yuniko looked down, her hair covering her eyes slightly. She couldn't handle someone talking like that to her. Who does this girl think she is? It wasn't like she didn't know how dangerous it is. Fortunately, Yuniko was good at keeping calm, yet some of that anger must have been visible. She also didn't notice that Mae had stopped and walked right into her. When she felt the impact, she stopped, her face still toward the ground. "What do you know...? You're not my mother... I can do what I want... Anyway, why were you walking around alone, huh? Isn't it just as dangerous for you as it is for me? Or are you hiding something...?" Her voice only slightly changed when she said all that. She knew it wasn't nice to ask these questions, but it all just poured out of her. It did feel kinda relieveing, getting rid of some frustration. But it was unlike her showing such an emotion. She was angry and emberassed, that's why she just kept staring at the same spot on the ground, her eyes hidden under her hair, and standing right next to Mae. Yuniko actually hoped, she didn't go too far. She stood there, not moving.

It would seem Yuniko hadn't noticed that Mae stopped walking temporarily, for the girl had bumped straight into Mae's back. "...You're right... I don't know you at all... But that doesn't stop me from being a good person, and looking out for someone who's in quite a bad situation..." She knelt down right in front of the girl, taking a look at her face. "I work at an orphanage daily, and I meet young girls and boys of your age there every day, in the same spot you're in now... I guess... I just want everyone to be safe." She saw that as her duty, being a survivor from the events two years ago... Being one of the very select few people that could fight against the threat, she didn't want anyone else really getting involved if she could help it... Sure, having more hands on deck was nice, but the burden you carried with these powers were bigger than any burden anyone should have to carry... "I... have ways of protecting myself." Mae held out the palm of her hand for Yuniko to see, as a small, bright, cerulean flame lit up, hovering about an inch above Mae's palm... A strange sight to behold for sure, and it might scare the girl off, but... she asked If Mae was hiding something... and that she did... This was all that she was willing to show however...

Skill Used: