Avalyne Sol
A Private1x1 rp between Dolly Sunshine & zPepe
A Private1x1 rp between Dolly Sunshine & zPepe
Avalyne Sol
Avalyne Sol
Avalyne Sol
"Okimasu! Okimasu! Okimasu! Oki-"
"Stop" came the simple command, putting an end to this morning's wakeup all. A custom alarm she had made for herself. Each morning selects one language to use for its morning call. At first, she quite liked it. Made her feel cultured, and certainly served it purpose of ruining her oh so important slumber. These days, it was getting a bit annoying, though still very effective. Japanese though, was a welcome surprise. The language had long served to interest the young twenty two year old, she had even learned a few words here and there. Part of it was general interest. Part, was an effort to connect with a life long friend. As least, she liked to consider them friends.
Kasumi Tokugawa. The girl who changed her life. The girl who made her into a freak and nearly drove her mental. At first she had tried to convince people, her friends, mother, her doctor, that she could see someone noone else could. Before long, they all began to worry for her mental state, as noone could see the mysterious Ms. Tokugawa. She had been too old to still have imaginary friends at the time she spoke out about it, so talks of a Japanese girl following her around New York were quickly dismissed. Had she not checked out perfectly on the mental health test, aside from her wild claims, she knew she would be in a nice padded white room right now, rather than ultra modern and vibrantly coloured apartment in Paris that she loved so deeply. It wasn't huge, but it had quality. Many years of teenage labor allowed her to pour her life savings into the move away from home, and acquiring the apartment. It hadn't been easy, far from it. Though as far as Alisha Martel was concerned, it had been worth it.
"Molly, shower on, warm" She called out to the home computer in a groggy state, yawning afterwards as she rubbed her tired eyes. Having spent the previous night working on her novel, an amateur hobby, she was rather exhausted. Despite the late night, it was Thursday morning now, and she had to get to work. Hobbling into the bathroom, the brunette soon stripped down out of her spotted pajamas, tossing them into a bin by the door. As per command, the shower was already running, beating softly against it's glass enclosure. Letting out another yawn, she stepped over to the mirror. Most of her life, she had thought herself to be ugly, uninteresting, and in no way attractive. Today, she felt only slightly better. She liked how her face had matured. Its thin structure, soft angles and generally rather youthful look. She could pass for a teenager still at times, often a bonus, though sometimes just a pain. Her body was thin. Borderline frail. She had never taken great care of herself, whether relating to sleep, eating habits or her mental state. Stress came easily to Alisha as well, and she had never been good at handling it alone, though was prone to bottling up her feelings. Her hair had been another source of anguish over the years. Falling down to her waist by now, the dark brown locks had always been in her way. Tangled, caught on furniture, stuck in a door. Simply, she hated it. However what she hated more, was the worry of how terrible she might look with it short. The worry had eaten away at her for years, Alisha being simply too scared to try anything new, fun, or drastic with her appearance. As such, her hair remained dreadfully long, straight, and boring. She was a pretty girl, all things considered, but never saw that for herself. She had never thought highly of herself as a person, nor as a looker.
Staring into the mirror a moment longer, the girl pulled her hair off her face, slicking it back a moment before gazing down to a necklace, the only thing remaining upon her nude figure. It was jeweled pendent, ruby she figured. It was encircled with silver, with a matching silver chain. While not cheap, it wasn't particularity valuable either. However Alisha would never take it off. Unlike her hair accessories, this one she could take into the shower, or swimming. And it seemed less weird to people to wear a necklace every day, rather than the same bow, ribbon or band. Really, it was just one option for Kasumi to use as a vessel, should she choose to. Whether she was in there now or not, Alisha really couldn't tell. Pushing off the counter, the girl made her way into the shower, beginning her morning routine.
Their relationship was complicated. And while each knew a great deal about the other, there were still so many mysteries. How Kasumi even existed, was one such mystery. It was one of many factors that had led her to working at Climax Labs here in Paris. She had been looking for research on something that might tell her how and why her astral friend was even here, and more importantly, whey she was the only one who could see her. At some point or another, her digging had gotten her noticed by those in charge of Climax, who wasted no time in recruiting her for the company. They were a group dedicated to human improvement. They believe that humanity held potential to do more, to be more. They gathered extraordinary and talented individuals from around the world, offering them a new life within their walls. A life that contained a mixture of classes, and work. Ten hour days, five days a week. Five hours classes, five hours working. It was a bit of an odd arrangement, but one that Alisha had accepted only seven months back. She wasn't really sure where it would take her, but for now she was content. In her class hours, she learned mathematics, language, writing, dance, and gymnastics. She was scheduled to take on fashion, modeling, politics and diplomacy as her new classes, in just a weeks time. During her work hours, she assisted the scientists in the labs. At times, she served as a guinnie pig for tests, a human sample. Other times, she served as their ground for reality, someone to discuss theories with and provide a layman's insight into complicated matters. She didn't quite get the point of it, but they claimed she was quite helpful. Regardless, it paid the bills, and she was furthering her education. For now at least, Alisha was dedicated to Climax.
After a solid ten minute shower, the young girl stepped out from the water, walking back over to the mirror. "Molly, stop shower" she called out before staring back at her reflection yet again, wrapping a fluffy white towel around herself as she did so. "I'm so damn... bland" Alisha groaned. It was time for another day. Another struggle.
zPepe
こんにちわ＝＝＝＝
"Okimasu! Okimasu! Okimasu! Oki-"
The familiar Japanese words could be heard in the distance as Kasumi Tokugawa sat alone in her sanctuary. She was quite the mystery, Ms. Tokugawa. A daughter of a rural farmer in Japan. She was uneducated and unskilled. She had no friends, but that didn't bother her. What she loved was the scenery that seemed like an endless panorama around her home. She'd always wanted to learn how to write, but could never get her hands on the resources she needed to start her education. Her home was far from books, and her family was the only source of human contact she ever had. What she knew, she knew through verbal teaching and experience. Most of her early life, she learned housework from her mother. Things like cooking, cleaning, textile work, and even medicine making. This went on until puberty, where she grew strong enough to help her father in the fields. She never did any heavy lifting, however, because her short stature made it hard. Standing at 5'3" Kasumi wasn't exactly the tallest farmworker. But that didn't stop her from doing things she could do, such as plant rice. Her teenage years were spent tending rice fields in the daytime while doing housework in the nighttime. But there's one thing about Kasumi that makes her unique from everyone else. She's dead.
It was a rather lax Friday on the farm. Kasumi and her father had worked extra hard the day before to make extra shipments of rice for the next available town for a festival. It was late afternoon when Kasumi heard the screams of her mother. She had been planting rice all day, but that didn't stop her energy from skyrocketing into a sprint toward home. Covered in splashes of mud and water, she burst through the front door, yelling "Okaasan!" It was at this moment that Kasumi feared for her life. Standing in their small farm home were three samurai military warriors, one of which was a Shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. The Tokugawa shogunate were the rulers of Japan during the Edo period, making Kasumi the lowest of the low in regards to social status. "That's her," said the Shogun in his native tongue as he pointed his finger. Kasumi's mother took this time to yell, "Run, Kasumi!" Kasumi may have been uneducated, but she wasn't stupid. Her heart was telling her to save her mother, but her brain was telling her to obey her mother's orders. Without much thinking, Kasumi instantly turned around and ran back outside. She turned the corner of the house in an attempt to take the path that lead to the mountains. As soon as she passed the next corner, however, she felt her feet catch on something under her. Kasumi tripped, falling face first on the ground. By instinct, Kasumi turned her head away and closed her eyes to prevent the dirt from flying into her eyes. Upon opening her eyes she saw her father, beheaded in a pool of his own blood. Before tears could even well up in her eyes, Kasumi felt a sharp pain in the center of her back. She lied there for moments that felt like hours until the screams of her mother abruptly stopped and the sound of the Shogun's voice came closer and closer. Before she knew it, she was held down as something came in. The next ten minutes or so were just minutes of endless pain. Pain felt from every inch of her body. Pain she couldn't tolerate any longer. Eventually the pain became numb and her sight became dark. There was no point in fighting anymore.
The next thing Kasumi knew, she was huddled in fetal position in what seemed to be an endless black void. The young Japanese girl slowly stood up and looked at her surroundings. Nothing. With no other option, she began walking forward. She had no idea where she was going or where she was for that matter. She just walked. After what felt like days of walking, she began to notice something. She wasn't tired. At this realization, a light appeared in front of her. After wandering for so long in darkness, it was only natural for her to run to the light. When she made it, she was thrown into a Japanese city. Confused, she began to investigate. "Sumimasen," she said to a passerby. The civilian walked right past her, not even looking in her direction. Still confused, but not defeated, she began to ask other people. To her surprise, they all ignored her as if she wasn't there. Maybe it was because she was poor? That had to be it. Kasumi managed to find a rich restaurant, a place where she was guaranteed to be thrown out if seen inside. She walked into the restaurant and yelled at the top of her lungs. Nothing. Utterly confused now, she began to walk up to people to try to shake their shoulders. When she reached for them, however, her hands went right through. Kasumi shrieked in shock and jumped back. She looked down at her hands and tried to touch other people, but her hands still phased through them all. The seventeen-year-old found herself in front of a window. She looked down at her body to find the rays of light shining through her like glass. It was then that she realized she was no longer alive. The people around her lived on while she remained a remnant of who she was. Why didn't she pass? She didn't know. There were so many unanswered questions, and she had no one to talk to about it.
The next two hundred years of Kasumi's existence was spent wandering and learning. She had all the spare time in the world. She spent a lot of her time learning. She started with learning how to read and write in her own native language, Japanese. From there, she traveled from country to country, spending as much time as she needed to learn the language, both written and spoken. She started with Asian countries and worked her way to the European countries. She hitched a ride on a cruise line that was traveling from North America. Having already learned English while wandering in the United Kingdom made the boat ride simply time to relax on her studies and just enjoy the ocean view. Although Kasumi could fly, there was a limit to how far she could travel. Her flight only lasted for about two hours before she would begin to descend against her will. It was simply easier to just catch a ride on the boat. Upon arriving in America, Kasumi took it upon herself to just sightsee. Book stores made for easy guidelines on the sights of the area. Although she couldn't touch the books, waiting for someone to open one wasn't hard. And there were plenty of covers exposed that could give her a general idea. It wasn't until nine years ago, however, that she found herself in New York. It wasn't until nine years ago that she met her only friend.
One day, while Kasumi was wandering aimlessly, enjoying the sites, she found her head start to hurt. "What the..." she said aloud to herself. As ghost, she shouldn't feel pain. She began to fly quickly in every direction that she could, and found that after a certain distance, her head began to hurt. Puzzled, Kasumi landed herself on the ground and tried to piece the mystery together. "I don't understand..." she said aloud, in English. "Don't understand what?" said a thirteen year old brunette girl. Kasumi froze. She did nothing but look down at the girl in front of her and said, "You...you can see me?". And from that point on, Kasumi has been attached to the American Alisha Martel. The two eventually learned that Kasumi was bound to Alisha. It was a mystery that neither of them could figure out, despite countless hours of research. They gradually accepted the fact that Kasumi was permanently bound to Alisha, the only person in the world who can see her. Over the years, the two grew to be close friends, best friends actually. There was no other option but to be friends. Alisha wasn't a cruel person, so there were no long-lasting conflicts, and Kasumi had never had a friend before. Plus, the two had no choice but to be friendly. The moment Kasumi went out of the "safe zone," both her and Alisha would be strained with headaches. As time went on, they also realized that Kasumi was able to disappear into items that belonged to Alisha, but only accessories. Trial and error over the years made the two settle for Alisha's necklace to be the main vessel for Kasumi. It was just easier that way.
Now, in present day, it was the year 2020 in Paris, France. Kasumi could hear Alisha's alarm clock. The Japanese automated voice was familiar, yet eerily annoying. Out of respect for Alisha's privacy, Kasumi never emerged from the brunette's necklace until after she showered. It wasn't until she heard her friend say 'I'm so damn bland' that she appeared. Kasumi emerged from the ruby necklace, appearing to sit on the bathroom counter in front of Alisha. "At least you age, okay? I'm stuck at seventeen." Kasumi looked at Alisha for a few silent moments before she finally outburst, "Okay so I'm technically 217, but you know what I mean." Kasumi laughed a bit to herself before she floated off the counter and grounded herself on the bathroom floor. She walked into Alisha's bedroom and jumped onto the bed. "So what's Orgasm having you test on this fine Thursday?" she called out from the room, making fun of the company's name like she's done for the past seven months.
The familiar Japanese words could be heard in the distance as Kasumi Tokugawa sat alone in her sanctuary. She was quite the mystery, Ms. Tokugawa. A daughter of a rural farmer in Japan. She was uneducated and unskilled. She had no friends, but that didn't bother her. What she loved was the scenery that seemed like an endless panorama around her home. She'd always wanted to learn how to write, but could never get her hands on the resources she needed to start her education. Her home was far from books, and her family was the only source of human contact she ever had. What she knew, she knew through verbal teaching and experience. Most of her early life, she learned housework from her mother. Things like cooking, cleaning, textile work, and even medicine making. This went on until puberty, where she grew strong enough to help her father in the fields. She never did any heavy lifting, however, because her short stature made it hard. Standing at 5'3" Kasumi wasn't exactly the tallest farmworker. But that didn't stop her from doing things she could do, such as plant rice. Her teenage years were spent tending rice fields in the daytime while doing housework in the nighttime. But there's one thing about Kasumi that makes her unique from everyone else. She's dead.
It was a rather lax Friday on the farm. Kasumi and her father had worked extra hard the day before to make extra shipments of rice for the next available town for a festival. It was late afternoon when Kasumi heard the screams of her mother. She had been planting rice all day, but that didn't stop her energy from skyrocketing into a sprint toward home. Covered in splashes of mud and water, she burst through the front door, yelling "Okaasan!" It was at this moment that Kasumi feared for her life. Standing in their small farm home were three samurai military warriors, one of which was a Shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. The Tokugawa shogunate were the rulers of Japan during the Edo period, making Kasumi the lowest of the low in regards to social status. "That's her," said the Shogun in his native tongue as he pointed his finger. Kasumi's mother took this time to yell, "Run, Kasumi!" Kasumi may have been uneducated, but she wasn't stupid. Her heart was telling her to save her mother, but her brain was telling her to obey her mother's orders. Without much thinking, Kasumi instantly turned around and ran back outside. She turned the corner of the house in an attempt to take the path that lead to the mountains. As soon as she passed the next corner, however, she felt her feet catch on something under her. Kasumi tripped, falling face first on the ground. By instinct, Kasumi turned her head away and closed her eyes to prevent the dirt from flying into her eyes. Upon opening her eyes she saw her father, beheaded in a pool of his own blood. Before tears could even well up in her eyes, Kasumi felt a sharp pain in the center of her back. She lied there for moments that felt like hours until the screams of her mother abruptly stopped and the sound of the Shogun's voice came closer and closer. Before she knew it, she was held down as something came in. The next ten minutes or so were just minutes of endless pain. Pain felt from every inch of her body. Pain she couldn't tolerate any longer. Eventually the pain became numb and her sight became dark. There was no point in fighting anymore.
The next thing Kasumi knew, she was huddled in fetal position in what seemed to be an endless black void. The young Japanese girl slowly stood up and looked at her surroundings. Nothing. With no other option, she began walking forward. She had no idea where she was going or where she was for that matter. She just walked. After what felt like days of walking, she began to notice something. She wasn't tired. At this realization, a light appeared in front of her. After wandering for so long in darkness, it was only natural for her to run to the light. When she made it, she was thrown into a Japanese city. Confused, she began to investigate. "Sumimasen," she said to a passerby. The civilian walked right past her, not even looking in her direction. Still confused, but not defeated, she began to ask other people. To her surprise, they all ignored her as if she wasn't there. Maybe it was because she was poor? That had to be it. Kasumi managed to find a rich restaurant, a place where she was guaranteed to be thrown out if seen inside. She walked into the restaurant and yelled at the top of her lungs. Nothing. Utterly confused now, she began to walk up to people to try to shake their shoulders. When she reached for them, however, her hands went right through. Kasumi shrieked in shock and jumped back. She looked down at her hands and tried to touch other people, but her hands still phased through them all. The seventeen-year-old found herself in front of a window. She looked down at her body to find the rays of light shining through her like glass. It was then that she realized she was no longer alive. The people around her lived on while she remained a remnant of who she was. Why didn't she pass? She didn't know. There were so many unanswered questions, and she had no one to talk to about it.
The next two hundred years of Kasumi's existence was spent wandering and learning. She had all the spare time in the world. She spent a lot of her time learning. She started with learning how to read and write in her own native language, Japanese. From there, she traveled from country to country, spending as much time as she needed to learn the language, both written and spoken. She started with Asian countries and worked her way to the European countries. She hitched a ride on a cruise line that was traveling from North America. Having already learned English while wandering in the United Kingdom made the boat ride simply time to relax on her studies and just enjoy the ocean view. Although Kasumi could fly, there was a limit to how far she could travel. Her flight only lasted for about two hours before she would begin to descend against her will. It was simply easier to just catch a ride on the boat. Upon arriving in America, Kasumi took it upon herself to just sightsee. Book stores made for easy guidelines on the sights of the area. Although she couldn't touch the books, waiting for someone to open one wasn't hard. And there were plenty of covers exposed that could give her a general idea. It wasn't until nine years ago, however, that she found herself in New York. It wasn't until nine years ago that she met her only friend.
One day, while Kasumi was wandering aimlessly, enjoying the sites, she found her head start to hurt. "What the..." she said aloud to herself. As ghost, she shouldn't feel pain. She began to fly quickly in every direction that she could, and found that after a certain distance, her head began to hurt. Puzzled, Kasumi landed herself on the ground and tried to piece the mystery together. "I don't understand..." she said aloud, in English. "Don't understand what?" said a thirteen year old brunette girl. Kasumi froze. She did nothing but look down at the girl in front of her and said, "You...you can see me?". And from that point on, Kasumi has been attached to the American Alisha Martel. The two eventually learned that Kasumi was bound to Alisha. It was a mystery that neither of them could figure out, despite countless hours of research. They gradually accepted the fact that Kasumi was permanently bound to Alisha, the only person in the world who can see her. Over the years, the two grew to be close friends, best friends actually. There was no other option but to be friends. Alisha wasn't a cruel person, so there were no long-lasting conflicts, and Kasumi had never had a friend before. Plus, the two had no choice but to be friendly. The moment Kasumi went out of the "safe zone," both her and Alisha would be strained with headaches. As time went on, they also realized that Kasumi was able to disappear into items that belonged to Alisha, but only accessories. Trial and error over the years made the two settle for Alisha's necklace to be the main vessel for Kasumi. It was just easier that way.
Now, in present day, it was the year 2020 in Paris, France. Kasumi could hear Alisha's alarm clock. The Japanese automated voice was familiar, yet eerily annoying. Out of respect for Alisha's privacy, Kasumi never emerged from the brunette's necklace until after she showered. It wasn't until she heard her friend say 'I'm so damn bland' that she appeared. Kasumi emerged from the ruby necklace, appearing to sit on the bathroom counter in front of Alisha. "At least you age, okay? I'm stuck at seventeen." Kasumi looked at Alisha for a few silent moments before she finally outburst, "Okay so I'm technically 217, but you know what I mean." Kasumi laughed a bit to herself before she floated off the counter and grounded herself on the bathroom floor. She walked into Alisha's bedroom and jumped onto the bed. "So what's Orgasm having you test on this fine Thursday?" she called out from the room, making fun of the company's name like she's done for the past seven months.
＝＝＝＝さようなら
Avalyne Sol
Living with a ghost tied to you, it wasn't the easiest thing in the world. She had gotten over the phase of thinking she might actually be crazy, and moved away from those who still thought so. Though that didn't mean she had moved on from the pain of it all. Ever since meeting Kasumi, her life had changed. In some ways for worse, in others for better. It hadn't been the easiest thing to figure out, but over time the two friends had sorted out privacy issues. In her late teen years, she had been quite concerned with Kasumi popping out when she was nude or showering. While the respect for her privacy had continued all these years, these days Alisha didn't mind terribly much. After all, Kasumi knew her, and her body better than anyone. There was nothing to hide, and nothing to be embarrassed about. Not with her at least. Whether it was her body or her feelings, Kasumi was the one person she felt she could bare it all to.
"Oh, so you do think I'm bland then? Thanks alot" She groaned, rolling her eyes at the ghost, taking a moment longer to look at herself while Kasumi went back to the bedroom. "Hey, I Wish I Was still seventeen. It was a shitty time at school, sure, but at least I didn't have to be an adult" She sighed, pulling back her hair once more. More and more recently, she had been reevaluating her appearance, trying to decide if she wanted change, trying to see if she had hope of being attractive. Trying to decide if it even mattered. Though fussing over it so much, she just felt bad. Kasumi was stuck the same. Seemingly forever. It just wasn't fair to be so afraid of change, while your best friend can't change. Really, the differences between their existences had been a great source of despair for Alisha, ever since they had first met. Kasumi had no choice over her existence. She had traveled the world, but was now bound to an idiot like herself. It wasn't fair, not in any way. Had she been able to release Kasumi, Alisha would have. In reality, her hope with Climax was to find some way of helping her ghostly friend. She wanted to make her real, physical again. Heck, she'd even settle for sharing her body with her. This was the one dream she had never shared with the girl. It was outlandish to think it possible, but one day, she hoped it could happen.
She had accepted by now that they were bound together, through thick and thin. However, getting older each day it made her wonder just how their friendship would hold. Life as an adult got, well, different. Up until now, Alisha had never been in a relationship. The times she'd been hit on, she'd been oblivious to it and missed her chance. She'd never been asked out, and never had the courage to ask anyone else out either. For most of her life, she didn't much care. Alisha didn't want to date, didn't want love. She handled felt like she needed it. But lately, along with her growing desire to change, she'd been longing for love. Though with Kasumi around, how how intimate could she even get? While she knew the girl would respect her privacy, the thought of her being around during sex, or even just private moments with a loved one, it was weird. There was no better word for the thoughts, than weird. Still, it was a problem for another time. It wasn't like she had any hopes or chances at love, not now least. As far as she knew.
Walking back out into her room, the young adult ripped off her towel, chucking it at Kasumi, only to have it pass through. "Language, young lady!" She teased, smiling shortly before shaking her head. Even if she appeared to be seventeen, Kasumi was ancient. At times, she couldn't figure out whether to treat her like a teenager, or a granny. It had been so much easier to just see her as a big sister, until she herself had turned seventeen. The now naked woman made her way over to her beside, snatching the towel and wrapping it around herself again. The attempt at an attack had been more instinct than anything, the resulting nudity unplanned.
"Orgasm, will be having me do some kind of all day test. I don't really know what that means though, they were pretty vague about it. All they said is that its going to be very important, and some big names in the company will be there" She shrugged, opening up her closet. "I can't say I'm looking forward to it, but its taking the place of Thursday dance class, so that's a bonus" She shrugged. Alisha had always been a bit of a tomboy, the type that enjoyed sports a great deal. Despite her mother's wishes, she had refused to take up dancing as a child. Yet, much to her dismay, she had been put into a dance class at Climax. They assured her that she was meant to be a dancer, that it suited her. Over the seven months, she had become rather exceptional as a dancer too. She had a real gift for it, though didn't like it one bit. Any excuse to get out of the class for a day was a miracle that she would not pass up.
It turned out, that most tasks that the company put her on, or gave her classes for, she was quite gifted at. It was of course why they had chosen her. She had the potential for being a Prime Human, as they liked to call them. Exceptional people from around the world with talents greater than their peers. Often, its one specific area. Whether its rocket science or photography, dance or painting, there was someone good at it within the company. Though calling them 'Good', would be an insult to their skill. Alisha wasn't on their level, certainly not, though remained a person of great interest to those in charge. She couldn't yet compete with any of their experts in a given field, but she took to every task well, and above the standards of a normal human. It made her the perfect test subject.
"Hey, pick my outfit for the day, will you?" Alisha asked, turning on her heel to face her companion, face full of hope. This however, was a rare request coming from Alisha. Despite her upcoming classes in the next few weeks, Alisha was a fashion failure. She had no sense of style, no clue what clothing suited her, and was quite content to wear jeans and a baggy t-shirt every day, should she be allowed to. However over the last couple years, she had expanded her wardrobe considerably. Dresses, skirts, all kinds of shirts and accessories. She had plenty of variety, though very rarely wore anything beyond her standard T and jeans even still. There had been rare occasions that she had asked Kasumi to dress her, figuratively, though it had only been on special occasions. Graduation, job interviews, times like that. She didn't trust herself to make a good impression or to look good. With over two hundred years of life experience, or perhaps just afterlife experience, Alisha was content to accept the japanese girl's fashion advise.
The brunette looked back to her closet. "Anything you want. Seriously. Any type of clothing, any colour, any outfit. Pick what you think would be best on me. As long as you're not screwing with me with some mismatched nightmare, I'll wear it' she explained, voice ever so shaky to betray her nervousness. Making such a request for a big step for er, and she didn't even know if Kasumi would want to help. In the past she had practically begged her for help on those few special days, but this was different. This was new.
"Hair too. Tell me what I should do with it today. Any style, any accessory. Just tell me how to actually do it" she requested, careful to add the last part. Alisha was quite useless when it came to her hair. Even managing to detangle it was a struggle for her. She rarely did anything more than a ponytail with the overgrown mess. Even braids were a rarity.
zPepe
こんにちわ＝＝＝＝
When Kasumi and Alisha first realized just how bound they were to each other, they set some important rules. Despite all the rules being for Alisha, they were necessary. When Kasumi met Alisha, Alisha was thirteen, a very influential age for any human. It was the age of identity, the age where one's weaknesses truly surface. Kasumi, at the time, was 206 years old. And although Kasumi didn't exactly have an interactive adolescence, it didn't take many years wandering Earth to understand what a normal adolescence was, much less 206 years. She knew there were unwritten rules about Jr. High and High School. Despite most of Kasumi's ghost life being spent in Asia and Europe, she spent enough time in America to learn about the social pyramid. She also took it upon herself to learn that about every country as well. Asian social norms are much different than American, she made that very clear to herself, especially when interacting with Alisha. But as time went on, the two became so close that there was no point in hiding anything anymore. And even if private matters were revealed, physical or not, who is Kasumi going to tell? Alisha is the only person who can see her, so a secret with Kasumi is as secret as a secret with yourself. Thus, all of Alisha's secrets weren't secrets anymore. Kasumi has seen Alisha naked, she has seen her at her worst and at her best. Of course, as her friend she tries her best to consult her, but words can only go so far. After all, Kasumi hasn't physically touched anything in 217 years.
Hearing Alisha's remarks about her body had always bothered Kasumi. She's voiced her opinions before, but what can you do against a teenage girl? Even in her early adulthood, Alisha was still the unconfident girl that she knew. Yes, there were some changes along the way, but the core feelings of no self worth and shame is still very much there. Time and time again, Kasumi will always fight with her friend on her appearance, and today is no different. [******** what people think about beauty, bland is the new cute in my book," she said to her friend with a smirk on her face. The ghost then heard Alisha's words on aging. There are times like these where Kasumi can't help but think about what her life would've been like. She figured that she would inherit the farm and eventually die on it. Human interaction seemed like a fun concept, but the truth was that Kasumi didn't crave it like others did. She didn't mind being alone. Perhaps that's why she didn't mind being a ghost for the first 206 years of her wandering. After meeting Alisha, however, she can think of nothing but being noticed. Being invisible is only fun after a while. Being noticed by someone gives her happiness she could never properly describe. It hurts Kasumi when Alisha doesn't talk to her. After being attached to her for so long(though not long in comparison to how long she's been wandering), it's like a daily fix that she can never shake. Plus she liked Alisha's company. If Kasumi had been alive, she had no doubt that they would still be friends even if they weren't attached. The only think Kasumi dreaded was the future. There was no changing the fact that Alisha was still a living human. Time only moves forward, Alisha will only get older, and Kasumi will be left to wander. Eternally alone. Those are times she dreads, but for now she cherishes the friendship she has. She cherishes her only friend Alisha Martel, completely.
Kasumi was happy that Alisha was living her life though. She only wished that she could live it with her. She wished to experience all the things she's been a witness to in the past 217 years. Love was the biggest thing she longed for. When she was alive, Kasumi didn't mind being alone. But after watching countless romances and everything of the variation, she wanted to experience with someone. Every time she thought about it, she instantly shook the thought off. What was the point in thinking about love when no one but your best friend knows you exist? Of course there are same sex couples in the world, but Kasumi and Alisha were physically impossible. Kasumi loved Alisha, this much is very true, but it's not the love she thinks about when she imagines that one boy and girl she saw in a hotel room one night in Belgium. Of course, now that Alisha is growing up, there will without a doubt be a situation that surfaces. Kasumi wonders to herself how she would even handle it on her end. She would give Alisha her privacy, of course. The difference between the Belgian couple and Alisha was that Alisha can actually see Kasumi. Now, the ghost would obviously disappear into one of Alisha's vessels, but those vessels can only go as far as Alisha's earshot range. It would still be an uncomfortable situation for Kasumi. The passed Japanese girl may be a ghost, and she may disappear into Alisha's vessels, but she can still hear the sounds outside of the vessels. Bottom line, Alisha's intimate times won't be private to Kasumi. But that was something to be discussed when the time came. For now, Kasumi simply did what she did best for Alisha, be her friend.
Kasumi simply smiled at Alisha as she threw the towel at her. The ghost didn't move, letting the towel pass through her as Alisha playfully scolded her. Tokugawa replied, "Hey, English is my most recently learned language, okay? I'd like to think of it as...practice." Kasumi was unfazed by her friend's naked body. She'd seen it many times before, noticing how much she's grown from a growing girl to a full grown woman. Kasumi always remembered the first time she saw Alisha naked. The girl was so embarrassed, barely an A-cup and still subconscious of her own body. It took a while, but Martel finally gave in to the nudity. Alisha was in her twenties now, and by definition she was done growing. She's reaching her peak health in her lifetime and the condition of her body was not afraid of showing it.
A laugh couldn't help but escape from Kasumi's lips at the sound of Alisha calling her own job 'orgasm.' After hearing what her day was like, however, Kasumi's laugh turned into a groan. "Ughhh when are you going to tell them to stop making you their guinea pig, Ali? They even told you that they would lessen your tests after working for them for half a year. It's seven months now! They're ******** using you and they're hardly getting anywhere with the results," complained the ghost. If there was anyone that knew Alisha, it was Kasumi. After all, she had no choice but to. The 217 year old couldn't help but prod into problems within Alisha's life. As her friend, she wanted to support her, but a part of her hated seeing her friend's talent going to waste. She saw it as time wasted. Time spent conducting tests on her could've been spent researching something else. It was acceptable at first because it was a brand new concept, but more than half a year later with unsubstantial results was just irritating. If Kasumi was alive, there's no telling how much she'd complain to Climax.
Kasumi's irritation was suddenly flipped when she heard Alisha's request. "No ******** way?!" she said excitedly. This was a rare sight. Kasumi's didn't spend her years wandering only studying languages. Fashion changed just about as fast as technology did, and Kasumi had no intention of being left behind. As a ghost, Kasumi can willingly change what she looks like. Things she can't change are: skin color, height, weight, eye color, and hair. Clothes and hairstyle she could change, it was just the biological parts that she died with is what stays. As the fashion evolved, so did hers. Despite being invisible to everyone, Kasumi liked to keep in style with the fashion of every country she visited. Though, she had to admit, she would always default to Japan's style. She just preferred to keep in touch with her roots. In her current ghostly state, she wore a typical Japanese school girl outfit. Brown, sailor style, with a red ribbon. Her socks were long and black while she wore black shoes. On days where Alisha would spend time outside, she would change, but for the most part the brown Japanese school uniform is what she wore.
Alisha was so adamant about dressing herself that Kasumi had almost given up on asking her to help. She listened intently to Alisha's instructions with eyes as happy as a flower in the sun and a smile as wide as her face. After her instructions were finished, she made no objections. It was best to just jump right into dressing her friend before she could change her mind and back out. Alisha was much taller than Kasumi, making her envious. She would envy the height, but not as much as she envied the beauty. Alisha's body was practically model material is Kasumi's eyes. As a Japanese native, tall and skinny are much more beautiful features than short and stout. Kasumi wasted no time. She jumped off the bed and entered a floating state as she hovered over Alisha's shoulder. "So bear with me okay, this is going to be an older look, but it's so cute," she said cheerfully. "You're gonna wear those black boots, your dark blue jeans, that really wavy, but suuuuuper soft white v-neck you never wear, and then you're gonna put that camo jacket on, but make sure you roll up your sleeves to your elbow. It's literally what every millennial girl wore back in 2015. Oh, but if you don't like the camo, then just wear that red and navy blue flannel you have." Kasumi was beaming with happiness. It was't everyday that she got to dress up her best friend. In reality, every outfit that Alisha has worn that was picked out by Kasumi, was an outfit that Kasumi herself wanted to wear. It was one thing to change her clothes via her ghost powers, but it was an entirely different thing to actually wear them. "Oh," said the ghost, suddenly remembering something, "for your hair, you can literally do anything you want! That look goes great with a loose and messy bun, but you can just wear your hair down and it'll look equally cute." Kasumi flew over to the dresser that had all of Alisha's accessories on it. She pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrow in thought as she hummed to herself. "Just wear your ruby necklace, and then if you tie your hair up, you're gonna wear the gold bar earrings. And for your wrists, you're literally just going to wear your hair ties on one of them," she said as she turned around to face Alisha. With a smile, Kasumi flew toward her friend and grounded herself in front of her. "And that, my darling, is how you make 'bland' look 'cute,'" she said with a wink.
Hearing Alisha's remarks about her body had always bothered Kasumi. She's voiced her opinions before, but what can you do against a teenage girl? Even in her early adulthood, Alisha was still the unconfident girl that she knew. Yes, there were some changes along the way, but the core feelings of no self worth and shame is still very much there. Time and time again, Kasumi will always fight with her friend on her appearance, and today is no different. [******** what people think about beauty, bland is the new cute in my book," she said to her friend with a smirk on her face. The ghost then heard Alisha's words on aging. There are times like these where Kasumi can't help but think about what her life would've been like. She figured that she would inherit the farm and eventually die on it. Human interaction seemed like a fun concept, but the truth was that Kasumi didn't crave it like others did. She didn't mind being alone. Perhaps that's why she didn't mind being a ghost for the first 206 years of her wandering. After meeting Alisha, however, she can think of nothing but being noticed. Being invisible is only fun after a while. Being noticed by someone gives her happiness she could never properly describe. It hurts Kasumi when Alisha doesn't talk to her. After being attached to her for so long(though not long in comparison to how long she's been wandering), it's like a daily fix that she can never shake. Plus she liked Alisha's company. If Kasumi had been alive, she had no doubt that they would still be friends even if they weren't attached. The only think Kasumi dreaded was the future. There was no changing the fact that Alisha was still a living human. Time only moves forward, Alisha will only get older, and Kasumi will be left to wander. Eternally alone. Those are times she dreads, but for now she cherishes the friendship she has. She cherishes her only friend Alisha Martel, completely.
Kasumi was happy that Alisha was living her life though. She only wished that she could live it with her. She wished to experience all the things she's been a witness to in the past 217 years. Love was the biggest thing she longed for. When she was alive, Kasumi didn't mind being alone. But after watching countless romances and everything of the variation, she wanted to experience with someone. Every time she thought about it, she instantly shook the thought off. What was the point in thinking about love when no one but your best friend knows you exist? Of course there are same sex couples in the world, but Kasumi and Alisha were physically impossible. Kasumi loved Alisha, this much is very true, but it's not the love she thinks about when she imagines that one boy and girl she saw in a hotel room one night in Belgium. Of course, now that Alisha is growing up, there will without a doubt be a situation that surfaces. Kasumi wonders to herself how she would even handle it on her end. She would give Alisha her privacy, of course. The difference between the Belgian couple and Alisha was that Alisha can actually see Kasumi. Now, the ghost would obviously disappear into one of Alisha's vessels, but those vessels can only go as far as Alisha's earshot range. It would still be an uncomfortable situation for Kasumi. The passed Japanese girl may be a ghost, and she may disappear into Alisha's vessels, but she can still hear the sounds outside of the vessels. Bottom line, Alisha's intimate times won't be private to Kasumi. But that was something to be discussed when the time came. For now, Kasumi simply did what she did best for Alisha, be her friend.
Kasumi simply smiled at Alisha as she threw the towel at her. The ghost didn't move, letting the towel pass through her as Alisha playfully scolded her. Tokugawa replied, "Hey, English is my most recently learned language, okay? I'd like to think of it as...practice." Kasumi was unfazed by her friend's naked body. She'd seen it many times before, noticing how much she's grown from a growing girl to a full grown woman. Kasumi always remembered the first time she saw Alisha naked. The girl was so embarrassed, barely an A-cup and still subconscious of her own body. It took a while, but Martel finally gave in to the nudity. Alisha was in her twenties now, and by definition she was done growing. She's reaching her peak health in her lifetime and the condition of her body was not afraid of showing it.
A laugh couldn't help but escape from Kasumi's lips at the sound of Alisha calling her own job 'orgasm.' After hearing what her day was like, however, Kasumi's laugh turned into a groan. "Ughhh when are you going to tell them to stop making you their guinea pig, Ali? They even told you that they would lessen your tests after working for them for half a year. It's seven months now! They're ******** using you and they're hardly getting anywhere with the results," complained the ghost. If there was anyone that knew Alisha, it was Kasumi. After all, she had no choice but to. The 217 year old couldn't help but prod into problems within Alisha's life. As her friend, she wanted to support her, but a part of her hated seeing her friend's talent going to waste. She saw it as time wasted. Time spent conducting tests on her could've been spent researching something else. It was acceptable at first because it was a brand new concept, but more than half a year later with unsubstantial results was just irritating. If Kasumi was alive, there's no telling how much she'd complain to Climax.
Kasumi's irritation was suddenly flipped when she heard Alisha's request. "No ******** way?!" she said excitedly. This was a rare sight. Kasumi's didn't spend her years wandering only studying languages. Fashion changed just about as fast as technology did, and Kasumi had no intention of being left behind. As a ghost, Kasumi can willingly change what she looks like. Things she can't change are: skin color, height, weight, eye color, and hair. Clothes and hairstyle she could change, it was just the biological parts that she died with is what stays. As the fashion evolved, so did hers. Despite being invisible to everyone, Kasumi liked to keep in style with the fashion of every country she visited. Though, she had to admit, she would always default to Japan's style. She just preferred to keep in touch with her roots. In her current ghostly state, she wore a typical Japanese school girl outfit. Brown, sailor style, with a red ribbon. Her socks were long and black while she wore black shoes. On days where Alisha would spend time outside, she would change, but for the most part the brown Japanese school uniform is what she wore.
Alisha was so adamant about dressing herself that Kasumi had almost given up on asking her to help. She listened intently to Alisha's instructions with eyes as happy as a flower in the sun and a smile as wide as her face. After her instructions were finished, she made no objections. It was best to just jump right into dressing her friend before she could change her mind and back out. Alisha was much taller than Kasumi, making her envious. She would envy the height, but not as much as she envied the beauty. Alisha's body was practically model material is Kasumi's eyes. As a Japanese native, tall and skinny are much more beautiful features than short and stout. Kasumi wasted no time. She jumped off the bed and entered a floating state as she hovered over Alisha's shoulder. "So bear with me okay, this is going to be an older look, but it's so cute," she said cheerfully. "You're gonna wear those black boots, your dark blue jeans, that really wavy, but suuuuuper soft white v-neck you never wear, and then you're gonna put that camo jacket on, but make sure you roll up your sleeves to your elbow. It's literally what every millennial girl wore back in 2015. Oh, but if you don't like the camo, then just wear that red and navy blue flannel you have." Kasumi was beaming with happiness. It was't everyday that she got to dress up her best friend. In reality, every outfit that Alisha has worn that was picked out by Kasumi, was an outfit that Kasumi herself wanted to wear. It was one thing to change her clothes via her ghost powers, but it was an entirely different thing to actually wear them. "Oh," said the ghost, suddenly remembering something, "for your hair, you can literally do anything you want! That look goes great with a loose and messy bun, but you can just wear your hair down and it'll look equally cute." Kasumi flew over to the dresser that had all of Alisha's accessories on it. She pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrow in thought as she hummed to herself. "Just wear your ruby necklace, and then if you tie your hair up, you're gonna wear the gold bar earrings. And for your wrists, you're literally just going to wear your hair ties on one of them," she said as she turned around to face Alisha. With a smile, Kasumi flew toward her friend and grounded herself in front of her. "And that, my darling, is how you make 'bland' look 'cute,'" she said with a wink.
＝＝＝＝さようなら
Avalyne Sol
Alisha had chosen to ignore Kasumi's guinea pig comments. Deep down, a part of her agreed with her completely. The company had promised less tests, but she was only being put through more. Most seemed so pointless too. Basic little tests that she saw no real value to, no end goal. While Kasumi certainly knew Alisha better than anyone, the scientists at Climax knew nearly as much now. Physically, they knew more, but emotionally less. As much as she was willing to trust them with her body and their tests, Alisha was not willing to pour her soul out to them. They were corporate people. They had their goals, and she didn't believe they cared on a personal level, despite their insistence that they did. Kasumi cared, and Kasumi alone she would confide in. At least, it seemed like she cared. With two hundred and seventeen years of living, it was quite possibly she was just an extraordinarily good actor. Though Alisha never really considered that as being the truth.
She knew they were using her, but she couldn't just tell them to stop. It was her job, a job she needed. Were they to throw her out, she'd lose the classes too. While each day was long and hard, Alisha couldn't bring herself to give up such a situation. Not yet at least. The biggest downside to it all wasn't even the testing. Instead, it was how much time it all took up. These last seven months, she had no social life what so ever. It wasn't like she was a social butterfly beforehand, but now it was literally nothing. Wake up, go to Climax, go home. She spoke to Kasumi every day, but had no friends that were solid. It certainly made any hopes at a love life minimal.
"Alright alright, lets see what you torture me with" Alisha groaned, turning her head to watch her friend float around to pick out her outfit. At times, she wished she could shrink down from her current five foot nine, and just be the same size as Kasumi again. It felt so much easier. Being taller, growing older, she just felt like she was moving above her friend, away from her. It was silly of course, but Alisha didn't much like it. Even if they seemed bound to eachother permanently, Alisha didn't mind. Infact, as much as she wanted to make Kasumi real again, Alisha was desperate to remain bound to her. She had dreamt many terrifying nightmares over the years, where Kasumi simply didn't exist. The idea of a ghost, her ghost, fading away all of a sudden? The thoughts alone were a thing of true horror.
Once Kasumi had finished detailing out her look for the day, Alisha merely nodded, dropping the towel around her as she began to fish out each article of clothing she had listed out. "I am not cute, nor can I be made to look cute, and you know it, ghost girl" She muttered, dumping the collection of clothes onto her bed before pacing over to the dresser, picking out various hair ties and the gold bar earrings. "I can do a loose bun though. A messy bun is the only kind of bun I can do. Lucky me" she smiled softly, opening up another drawer of the dresser to take out underwear, before quickly slipping it on. She was pleased to be skinny, never having had to work all that hard to get that way. Naturally she just didn't put on weight all to easily. Though lately she had been trying to hide just how slim she was getting. She had always been frail. Weak in body, and easy to break or bruise. A friendly tackle in gym during junior high had broken her arm. A slip down the stairs in highschool broke her leg. Her friends had always joked she was made of porcelain. She certainly had the skin colour to match. But these days, a lack of eating had left her nearly anorexic in appearance. As open as she was with Kasumi about literally everything, she didn't want to worry the girl.
Quickly enough, Alisha changed into her outfit for the day. Jeans first, the previously unused v-neck, jacket, and boots to follow. The girl paused a moment before rolling up her sleeves, as instructed. "You know, I don't get the point to this. Why wear sleeves if you're just going to roll them away? Seriously, I don't get fashion" She sighed, sitting down now to lace up the boots. "Fashion trends are just silly" she grumbled further, now working to brush out her mass of still damp hair, not bothering to take enough time to properly take out the many tangles before throwing it up into a rather large, messy bun. Alisha finished off by putting in the earrings, then walking over to her room's full length mirror.
"I suppose I can't say It doesn't look good..." She spoke softly, turning this way and that to look over her appearance for the day. While entirely up for accessories, though confused by the four hairbands she now wore around her wrist, Alisha was always without makeup. She didn't much like the stuff, though had never really learned how to use it. "I feel good, Kasumi. Like... Like I'm put together for once" she mused, continuing to move about by the mirror. "One point for Kasumi, you can make an outfit even I like" she teased before pulling a stool over to the mirror, sitting down and leaning in. "What... do you think about my hair?" She then asked, poking and prodding at the piled up hair. "Honestly. If you could cut it any way you pleased, what would you do?" she questioned, now looking back to the faded girl. "I've been considering getting rid of it. Like... completely gone. Forever" She explained, pausing a brief moment. "It wouldn't be in the way anymore, you know?" She went on.
In part, worries of how practical to deal with her hair was, were the main concern. Though both her hair, and her clothing, there were other motives behind it. Kasumi could change her clothes, and her hairstyle. Seemingly effortlessly, as far as Alisha could tell. Though she was still stuck the same. A short seventeen year old, with the same length of hair. And even if she did change her clothes, it ultimately mattered little. The weather didn't' affect her. Nor did heat or cold. There was also noone to even notice her attire, save for Alisha who wasn't fashion forward enough to truly and properly appreciate it. It all wasn't fair. One of many things about her best friend's circumstance that wasn't fair. Alisha had been thinking, keeping this thought to herself. A rarity. What if she could change for Kasumi? What if she could be and look like how Kasumi wanted? Sure, being of mixed French and German decent made the white girl different than a short Japanese girl, but she could still wear clothes Kasumi wanted, style and cut her hair as Kasumi wanted. She could try things for her. It may not be real, but wasn't it the next best thing? Still, it was a topic for another time.
"Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, why don't you wear something new today? If I'm doing it, you could too. Why not something French inspired?" She requested, curious if Kasumi wanted to at all. For a girl so well versed in different cultures, Alisha could and did learn alot about the world from her. seeing the cute teen in outfits from around the world was a small guilty pleasure of hers as well that could assist in such learning.
She still had a little over an hour to get out to work. The commute was short, and Alisha liked to force herself to get up early. One benefit to a ghost friend, was an extra alarm clock if she did manage to sleep in too far. Still though, she made an effort to be up early enough to be in control of her day, and her mornings. As often as the headstrong girl would rush through life, mornings she had learned to take her time with in recent years.
zPepe
こんにちわ＝＝＝＝
Kasumi, still grounded to the bedroom floor, walked back to Alisha's bed as she watched the girl get changed. Times like these where Kasumi wished she could physically touch things. The invisibility she didn't mind too much, it was physical touch that she missed. She missed have all of her senses other than sight and hearing, but out of smell, taste, and touch, it was touch that she missed most. The feeling of water enveloping her body when she bathed, the softness of clothing, even the feeling of mud in her fingernails when she used to work on her family's rice fields. In her years of wandering, there were many things she wished she could touch. After her friendship with Alisha grew, she longed to simply touch her, and not in any sexual way. No, she simply wanted to run her hand along her skin. She wanted to feel innocence and a deeper connection if she ever had the chance. The last form of human contact Kasumi had was a traumatizing one. For the first ten or so years after her death, she hated humans and everything about them. It wasn't until she began to miss someone talking to her that she began to miss human touch. Of course the only people she came in physical contact with were her parents, but that didn't take away how warming and comforting a hug felt. How loved she felt when her mother would kiss her on the forehead Kasumi could care less about sex. After all the only sex she had killed her in the end. It was the smaller things that she longed for. The smaller things made her feel grateful to be alive, an experience that was taken away from her.
The 217 year old could only watch with happiness as she saw Alisha dress according to her instructions. She laughed at her comment and replied, "That's totally not true. Remember graduation? I made you wear that red dress with those black heels and everyone noticed you!" As an eternal witness to Alisha's life, Kasumi was there for everything she went through in high school. The anxiety, the stress from college apps, and of course all the times the poor girl broke a bone in her body, which was much more frequent than the normal teenager, even one who was on the football team. Every time Alisha broke her bones, Kasumi would just playfully joke and scold her. Alisha was into sports, but her body couldn't keep up with her brain. Times like these made Kasumi grateful to be a ghost. As much as she missed physical touch, she didn't miss the physical pain. The amount she felt before her death was enough to scar her to never want to be hurt again. On one end of the spectrum, she wanted to physically touch things, on the other end, she wanted to protect herself. What the ghost wanted to do at times like those, however, was take care of her friend. It hurt to see her friend hurt. She wanted to care for her, but all she could do was encourage her and wish her a quick recovery. The worst thing about being a ghost was being useless, which is a common emotion the Japanese girl felt. She tried not to show it to Alisha though. The twenty-two year old was unconfident enough, it wouldn't help if she was too. She had to be confident for Alisha. It not only motivated her, but it kept her positive, on days like this where she needed the extra boost. Had Kasumi not existed, Alisha would dress the same way and never try new things.
As Kasumi sat idly on Alisha's bed, she listened to the girl as she rolled up her sleeves while sharing her complaints about fashion. The ghost simply rolled her purple eyes. "Fashion isn't supposed to always make sense. I mean, have you seen those poster models on the billboard holograms? They were things like trashbags and call it fashion, like the ******** is that? You look way better than those seven foot girls," she complained back at the girl. When Alisha was completely dressed, Kasumi couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. She was jealous of Alisha's body, and she hoped after looking at herself in the mirror, Alisha could see why. "Of course it looks good, it was thought up by me. You're talking to a 217 year old ghost here, I didn't just study languages, you know," she said, playfully cocky. She floated off the bed and hovered over Alisha's shoulder as she stood in front of the mirror. "C'mon Ali, I know you. If there's anyone in the world that knows you best, it's me. I'm not gonna make you wear a silly outfit just for my amusement, there are plenty of other things that I can laugh about, like the next time you break a bone," she said laughing. She continued, "But seriously, I know you. Jeans and a shirt can be cute with the right touches." The ghost had heard Alisha's complaints about her hair many times before. The Japanese girl didn't see anything wrong with her hair, in fact she liked it best long. Even though the girl had never cut her hair before, it was just personal preference for Kasumi. After all, her Asian influences were the strongest of all when it came to beauty. "アリシャちゃんはとてもかわいいです," she said in her native language before translating in English, "Alisha is very cute." She then added, "I like your hair long, and so do you. If it bothers you so much then just cut it, but I think you look prettier with it long. It goes well with your tall body and your skinny features."
Upon hearing Alisha's request, Kasumi politely replied, "Nah. I want you to pay attention to how good you look today. If I change you'll just be looking at me. Another day, and I will. Maybe you could even pick my clothes." As much as Kasumi liked to dress herself up, there were days like this where she wanted Alisha to appreciate herself. Kasumi had all of eternity to dress how she wanted. And on special days, she'll let Alisha decide her outfit, but not today. Today was for Alisha. After all, it's not everyday that Kasumi was allowed to choose her outfit of the day. Part of Kasumi also didn't want to change out of her current clothes. She knows countless outfits that would suit her body type, but she preferred her Asian roots over everything else. It suited her the most and she felt close to home wearing the clothes of her culture. She only wished that she could change her hair. It'd been a while since Kasumi had visited modern Japan, but trips to bookstores and watching news stations gave her a good idea. It seemed to be the social norm to dye one's hair in Japan. If she could, Ms. Tokugawa would dye her hair in a heartbeat. She'd change her hair color every day if she could. She'd change a lot of things.
Kasumi looked over her shoulder at the clock that only moments ago sounded a familiar alarm. "As early as usual," she said, referring to Alisha's daily schedule. Kasumi didn't require sleep as a ghost. Even if she could sleep, she wouldn't. Being tethered to Alisha came with a certain protectiveness over her. At nights when Alisha would sleep, she would materialize out of the necklace and just watch the people pass on the streets below through the apartment window. No danger had ever come up during the night so far, but that didn't mean it was unheard of. The ghost hoped it would never happen because she couldn't physically do anything about it. Sure, she could wake Alisha up by yelling at her, but what if it was too late already? It was one of the days that Kasumi could only hope would never come true. Kasumi had a lot of those days. All of them having to do with things happening to Alisha.
Suddenly, and idea popped into the ghost's mind. "Why don't we go out for breakfast? At that nice cafe down the street. They serve really fast and you look too cute to let the outfit go to waste sitting in a test chamber," suggested Kasumi. On typical mornings, Alisha would stay inside, sticking true to her shy and unconfident personality. But on days like this, days where she felt good, Kasumi would suggest something. A scenic route walk to work, a breakfast in a cafe(Paris had a lot of those), even just sitting in a park and enjoying the atmosphere of the city. It was something to do before work and it was always a relaxing activity. No matter the activity, Kasumi just wanted to spend as much time as she could with Alisha before she was forced to do pointless tests.
The 217 year old could only watch with happiness as she saw Alisha dress according to her instructions. She laughed at her comment and replied, "That's totally not true. Remember graduation? I made you wear that red dress with those black heels and everyone noticed you!" As an eternal witness to Alisha's life, Kasumi was there for everything she went through in high school. The anxiety, the stress from college apps, and of course all the times the poor girl broke a bone in her body, which was much more frequent than the normal teenager, even one who was on the football team. Every time Alisha broke her bones, Kasumi would just playfully joke and scold her. Alisha was into sports, but her body couldn't keep up with her brain. Times like these made Kasumi grateful to be a ghost. As much as she missed physical touch, she didn't miss the physical pain. The amount she felt before her death was enough to scar her to never want to be hurt again. On one end of the spectrum, she wanted to physically touch things, on the other end, she wanted to protect herself. What the ghost wanted to do at times like those, however, was take care of her friend. It hurt to see her friend hurt. She wanted to care for her, but all she could do was encourage her and wish her a quick recovery. The worst thing about being a ghost was being useless, which is a common emotion the Japanese girl felt. She tried not to show it to Alisha though. The twenty-two year old was unconfident enough, it wouldn't help if she was too. She had to be confident for Alisha. It not only motivated her, but it kept her positive, on days like this where she needed the extra boost. Had Kasumi not existed, Alisha would dress the same way and never try new things.
As Kasumi sat idly on Alisha's bed, she listened to the girl as she rolled up her sleeves while sharing her complaints about fashion. The ghost simply rolled her purple eyes. "Fashion isn't supposed to always make sense. I mean, have you seen those poster models on the billboard holograms? They were things like trashbags and call it fashion, like the ******** is that? You look way better than those seven foot girls," she complained back at the girl. When Alisha was completely dressed, Kasumi couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. She was jealous of Alisha's body, and she hoped after looking at herself in the mirror, Alisha could see why. "Of course it looks good, it was thought up by me. You're talking to a 217 year old ghost here, I didn't just study languages, you know," she said, playfully cocky. She floated off the bed and hovered over Alisha's shoulder as she stood in front of the mirror. "C'mon Ali, I know you. If there's anyone in the world that knows you best, it's me. I'm not gonna make you wear a silly outfit just for my amusement, there are plenty of other things that I can laugh about, like the next time you break a bone," she said laughing. She continued, "But seriously, I know you. Jeans and a shirt can be cute with the right touches." The ghost had heard Alisha's complaints about her hair many times before. The Japanese girl didn't see anything wrong with her hair, in fact she liked it best long. Even though the girl had never cut her hair before, it was just personal preference for Kasumi. After all, her Asian influences were the strongest of all when it came to beauty. "アリシャちゃんはとてもかわいいです," she said in her native language before translating in English, "Alisha is very cute." She then added, "I like your hair long, and so do you. If it bothers you so much then just cut it, but I think you look prettier with it long. It goes well with your tall body and your skinny features."
Upon hearing Alisha's request, Kasumi politely replied, "Nah. I want you to pay attention to how good you look today. If I change you'll just be looking at me. Another day, and I will. Maybe you could even pick my clothes." As much as Kasumi liked to dress herself up, there were days like this where she wanted Alisha to appreciate herself. Kasumi had all of eternity to dress how she wanted. And on special days, she'll let Alisha decide her outfit, but not today. Today was for Alisha. After all, it's not everyday that Kasumi was allowed to choose her outfit of the day. Part of Kasumi also didn't want to change out of her current clothes. She knows countless outfits that would suit her body type, but she preferred her Asian roots over everything else. It suited her the most and she felt close to home wearing the clothes of her culture. She only wished that she could change her hair. It'd been a while since Kasumi had visited modern Japan, but trips to bookstores and watching news stations gave her a good idea. It seemed to be the social norm to dye one's hair in Japan. If she could, Ms. Tokugawa would dye her hair in a heartbeat. She'd change her hair color every day if she could. She'd change a lot of things.
Kasumi looked over her shoulder at the clock that only moments ago sounded a familiar alarm. "As early as usual," she said, referring to Alisha's daily schedule. Kasumi didn't require sleep as a ghost. Even if she could sleep, she wouldn't. Being tethered to Alisha came with a certain protectiveness over her. At nights when Alisha would sleep, she would materialize out of the necklace and just watch the people pass on the streets below through the apartment window. No danger had ever come up during the night so far, but that didn't mean it was unheard of. The ghost hoped it would never happen because she couldn't physically do anything about it. Sure, she could wake Alisha up by yelling at her, but what if it was too late already? It was one of the days that Kasumi could only hope would never come true. Kasumi had a lot of those days. All of them having to do with things happening to Alisha.
Suddenly, and idea popped into the ghost's mind. "Why don't we go out for breakfast? At that nice cafe down the street. They serve really fast and you look too cute to let the outfit go to waste sitting in a test chamber," suggested Kasumi. On typical mornings, Alisha would stay inside, sticking true to her shy and unconfident personality. But on days like this, days where she felt good, Kasumi would suggest something. A scenic route walk to work, a breakfast in a cafe(Paris had a lot of those), even just sitting in a park and enjoying the atmosphere of the city. It was something to do before work and it was always a relaxing activity. No matter the activity, Kasumi just wanted to spend as much time as she could with Alisha before she was forced to do pointless tests.
＝＝＝＝さようなら
Avalyne Sol
Graduation. What a night that had been! Alisha had wanted to stay home and avoid the whole thing. She hadn't seen the point of it. Getting all dolled up to dance and party with her classmates. Most of them she couldn't even stand talking to. What few friends she did have, she absolutely did not want them to see her in a dress. The very thought of it had been far too embarrassing. She'd even gone as far a to tell Kasumi that she'd rather die than dress up all fancy. Somehow, someway, Kasumi had convinced her to go through with it though. She'd put her into the rest dress, black heels, and even had her hair put up into some kind of fancy, almost bridal hairdo. In short, it had been the night of her life. Everyone had looked at her, those who had never even noticed her before, wanted to say hello. Girls whom she thought stuck up and cruel, wanted to be her friend. She had a blast, and even danced with three boys. It had been an excellent night, and Alisha had even said 'I want this to last forever'.
Kasumi was so insistent on the fact that she did look good today. Almost enough for Alisha to believe it. As much as she doubted herself, just hearing Kasumi talk, she wanted to believe her. She was honest, wise, and an old granny. She knew what she was talking about. For now at least, she was content with her friend's judgement on her new attire. Even she thought it suited her well, and that was fine. Even if Kasumi was being nicer about it than reality, there was some truth at very least this time. It was moments like this, that she looked back at her life, and wondered how different things would have been, if she had just listened to the ghost more. What if she had trusted her friends Claire and Mandy when they said she could, and should, be a model? Where would she be now? Who would she be now? Thinking back through the past, it was a depressing thing, but often interesting for Alisha. The past was so fixed, yet so important. Each moment defined the future in more ways than one. The butterfly effect itself was a fascinating topic that she had actually been studying at Climax. Perhaps a pointless study, but an interesting one none the less.
When Kasumi continued on, giving her input on hair, Alisha couldn't help but just shake her head. "Alisha is not very cute. But fine. If you like it long, I like it long. It does bother me a hell of a lot, but I'll live" She consented. If she thought long hair suited her best, not that either of them had ever seen it short, then Alisha would believe her. Though, were she not to say so, Alisha was starting to think she might just cut it. She was a strange person in many ways. She was afraid of change, content to stay with the familiar, whether it was clothes, hair, or food even. She didn't take chances, and never tried new things. Yet, when she had an idea in her head, she was headstrong, and stubborn as an ox. On rare occasions, that could be on a topic of great change. Were Kasumi not here, such a dreadful thought, would she be content to chop it all off?
"Fine. Today is me. Though I highly suggest you don't let me pick your clothes. Might be tempted to make you a hologram model with a trashbag dress" She teased, getting up from the stool. "Sad thing is you would be cute enough to pull it off" She smiled, watching her dear friend close. Oh what she wouldn't give to trade places with her, to let Kasumi live again. Even for a day. Life wasn't fair.
When she suggested the idea for the rest of their early morning, Alisha was a bit caught off guard. It wasn't a usual thing to do, but when has Kasumi's suggestions on places to go ever failed them? "Sure, why not. Fleur's Cafe, right? That will work" she said in agreement, walking over to her dresser to put on her wristkey. A black wristband device, new in the past eight or so years. It served as a universal key for its wearers, able to open any door or lock that was comparable and registered to the user. It served as ID, a watch, and various other features as well. It was not universally adopted just yet, but was becoming a must-have in this day and age. Sliding it onto her wrist, she waved the ghost to follow after her. "Kay, com'on Sumi. Lets get going then. And lets also be clear, I am not too cute to sit inside a test chamber" She grumbled, walking to the front door of her apartment. "Molly. Lights off, electricity low, door locked after me" She commanded before opening up the front door, and heading out.
Alisha made a move to pull the ruby necklace from under her shirt, frowning as she came to the realization that with today's v-neck, it was already quite visible, along with a hint of her modest sized chest. Whenever she went out, she was sure to keep the necklace out and accessible. Not to show it off, as pretty as it was, but to help with communication. Kasumi and herself had developed a set of signals. She couldn't very well just talk to 'herself' in public, so if she wanted to reply to Kasumi, or tell her to do something, she had a few signals that could be played off as just body movement. Noone would suspect a thing. Clutching at the necklace, or playing with it, each had specific meanings. Though this did lead to the big reason that she didn't like going out to eat. Really, the reason she didn't like going out into public at all. She couldn't talk to her damn best friend. She had people think she was crazy enough to need medical help in the past, she couldn't risk it again. Signs and signals would have to do. But really, all Alisha wanted was to have breakfast with Kasumi at a cafe, together. Talking, laughing, having a good time together rather than faking being alone.
Before too long, they were down the elevator, and out into the street. "Time to show off your outfit" she whispered briefly, for now being far enough away from people to be heard.
zPepe
こんにちわ＝＝＝＝
Kasumi remembered Alisha's graduation perfectly. It was one of the few days of Alisha's high school life that she spent truly filled with joy and confidence. It took some pushing and encouragement, what with the dress and heels and everything, but once that barrier was passed Alisha turned into the happiest person. It was also one of the first times Kasumi's encouragement had actually worked. Typically, Alisha would just be too scared to try something out of her comfort zone and just stick to what she knew. Had it not been for Kasumi encouraging the graduate the night before, Alisha would've worn slacks and a blouse. They weren't bad articles of clothing, but they weren't for a graduation, they were more for an interview. Once Alisha started to gain more confidence in her new look(after more than a few of her peers noticing her for the first time), Kasumi took it upon herself to leave the girl alone for the night. There would be times that Kasumi would leave the ruby necklace she called home, but quickly and quietly and only while Alisha was dancing. That way, the girl couldn't see her materialize. Alisha was having too much fun at the graduation party to even think about Kasumi, which was fine on the ghost's end. Ms. Tokugawa wanted Ms. Martel to have as much fun as possible. Only a couple times of the night did Kasumi leave the necklace and watch over her friend truly break out of her shy shell, having endless fun with her friends. It was one of Alisha's happiest days, and Kasumi would never forget it. It wasn't everyday that Alisha had confidence in herself.
Upon hearing her trashbag joke used against her, Kasumi couldn't help but laugh. She had no reply though. She couldn't come back to that one, so she simply said, "Damn, you got me there..Kasumi 1, Alisha 1." The amount of times a day that Kasumi wished to be alive was around the number of one hundred. About a hundred times a day, she would look at the world around her, look at her only friend Alisha, and think to herself, Man...if I were I alive right now, I'd... Despite this, Kasumi would rather remain a ghost if it meant Alisha living. The ghost had already felt what death does to a person, she didn't want Alisha to go through the pain she felt. Of course, the day of death would fall onto Alisha's lap eventually, but Kasumi hoped that it would be old age that makes her friend pass. What happened to her on that farm, what those men did to her, she wouldn't wish it on her worst enemy. It was an experience that she wanted to be unique to her, because everything else in comparison to her cause of death seemed better. Times like this made the 217 year old wonder what it would be like to switch places with her friend. What if she was the one living in 2050 with an American ghost eternally tethered to her? She didn't know what she would do, but she does know one thing: If Kasumi was given the choice, she'd remain dead in order for Alisha to live. Life was a wonderful experience, Kasumi has seen countless lives throughout her wandering. She knew better than anyone exactly what kind of happiness one's life could bring. Kasumi just wanted that for Alisha.
"Yeah the one with the crepes that look like roses," said the ghost, practically drooling at the picture she painted in her mind. Alisha and Kasumi had eaten at Fleur's Cafe before. Out of everything that was wonderful about that particular cafe, from the friendly staff to the smell of their rich roast coffee, the way the food was prepared was enough to just go to the cafe. Their food alone was so beautiful, Kasumi would sometimes ask Alisha to not eat it just so she could stare at it for a while longer. With her senses of touch, taste, and smell gone, Kasumi relied on her sight and ears to compensate for the loss. When it came to food, Kasumi would spend time examining every aspect of the dish, right down to the bottom of the plate. If she had to choose one of her lost senses to return, however, she would still choose her sense of touch. She missed the taste of food, but her longing for love through physical contact always overpowered everything else. She may not be able to taste the food, but at least she could feel it being chewed in her mouth and eventually running down her throat.
Kasumi snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Alisha call her name. Headaches weren't her favorite things, so she instantly whirled herself back into the ruby necklace that Alisha wore everyday. She then spoke from within the necklace, [******** that! I dressed you up today, you should show that s**t off." It wasn't long before the two were finally out the door and onto the street. Hearing Alisha's words put a smile on Kasumi's face. Although her friend couldn't see it because she was in the necklace, Kasumi was smiling wider than the horizon. "Damn right, Ali," she said confidently. It made Kasumi happy to see Alisha happy. It made her even more happy as she noticed more and more people turning to look at her outfit. It wasn't everyday that someone wore an older look. Modern society tended to stick with modern fashion as best as it could. But once in a blue moon, when there's a change in style in someone, that someone gets an extra look or two. The Japanese girl just hoped that the added head turns and stares made Alisha feel confident, not uncomfortable. After all, the girl was uncomfortable quite easily.
It didn't take long for Alisha to make it to Fleur's Cafe. The cafe was just down the street of Alisha's apartment, making it the perfect place to have breakfast before heading to work. The hostess was able to immediately seat Alisha due to the fact that it appeared she was alone. At the start of their conversation, however, Kasumi immediately appeared from out of the necklace and said to Alisha, "No, ask for a seat outside! The day is too beautiful to waste a breakfast inside."
"Why not seat her outside, Francine? said a deeper voice to the right. Kasumi turned her head to see where the voice was coming from, and found herself looking at a rather young, blonde waiter. "Ohhh....Ohohohohoooohh..." Kasumi chimed as she gave Alisha the raised eyebrow and smirk look. It wasn't everyday that someone paid attention to Alisha. It was a harsh thing to say, but it was true. Ms. Martel was never one to spark one's attention enough to pay her any mind. It seemed her new outfit for the day had paid off. Kasumi didn't know who the blond waiter boy was, but what she did know was that he was tall, well-built, and had the most inviting green eyes. The hostess thought for a moment, but found no harm in the suggestion of her coworker. Inside, the cafe wasn't completely empty, but almost half the seats outside were unoccupied. "Right this way then, Miss," she said politely as she lead the way to an empty table near the outside of the available tables. Right as they arrived at the table, the same waiter boy set a menu down in front of Alisha. "Must be my lucky day. A beautiful day and a beautiful girl," said the blond, rather shyly. The waiter chuckled slightly to himself, cursing himself in his mind for being so awkward. "Sorry...I..." he said, trailing off in his shyness. He then suddenly reached his hand out at Alisha. "I'm Lyle," he said, awaiting a handshake.
Kasumi, still materialized out of the necklace, couldn't contain herself in situations like this. Well, not unless Alisha blatantly asked her to. "Oh my god. Ali! Ali this is totally happening right now! Do you see his eyes?! Oh my god, Ali! Don't just sit there! Say something!!" Kasumi yelled frantically. One of the perks about being a ghost, Kasumi could say anything she wanted in public. Of course, Alisha had to watch herself, careful not to reply to thin air, which is what everyone else saw. Kasumi couldn't remember the last time Alisha was in a situation similar to this. Because Alisha didn't go out much, it was hard to have human interactions such as these. And a boy of all things! A part of Kasumi was on alert for Lyle to turn into a creeper, but she was also as encouraging as always. She knew how much Alisha thought about relationships. The girl didn't have any in high school, making today's events much more interesting.
Upon hearing her trashbag joke used against her, Kasumi couldn't help but laugh. She had no reply though. She couldn't come back to that one, so she simply said, "Damn, you got me there..Kasumi 1, Alisha 1." The amount of times a day that Kasumi wished to be alive was around the number of one hundred. About a hundred times a day, she would look at the world around her, look at her only friend Alisha, and think to herself, Man...if I were I alive right now, I'd... Despite this, Kasumi would rather remain a ghost if it meant Alisha living. The ghost had already felt what death does to a person, she didn't want Alisha to go through the pain she felt. Of course, the day of death would fall onto Alisha's lap eventually, but Kasumi hoped that it would be old age that makes her friend pass. What happened to her on that farm, what those men did to her, she wouldn't wish it on her worst enemy. It was an experience that she wanted to be unique to her, because everything else in comparison to her cause of death seemed better. Times like this made the 217 year old wonder what it would be like to switch places with her friend. What if she was the one living in 2050 with an American ghost eternally tethered to her? She didn't know what she would do, but she does know one thing: If Kasumi was given the choice, she'd remain dead in order for Alisha to live. Life was a wonderful experience, Kasumi has seen countless lives throughout her wandering. She knew better than anyone exactly what kind of happiness one's life could bring. Kasumi just wanted that for Alisha.
"Yeah the one with the crepes that look like roses," said the ghost, practically drooling at the picture she painted in her mind. Alisha and Kasumi had eaten at Fleur's Cafe before. Out of everything that was wonderful about that particular cafe, from the friendly staff to the smell of their rich roast coffee, the way the food was prepared was enough to just go to the cafe. Their food alone was so beautiful, Kasumi would sometimes ask Alisha to not eat it just so she could stare at it for a while longer. With her senses of touch, taste, and smell gone, Kasumi relied on her sight and ears to compensate for the loss. When it came to food, Kasumi would spend time examining every aspect of the dish, right down to the bottom of the plate. If she had to choose one of her lost senses to return, however, she would still choose her sense of touch. She missed the taste of food, but her longing for love through physical contact always overpowered everything else. She may not be able to taste the food, but at least she could feel it being chewed in her mouth and eventually running down her throat.
Kasumi snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Alisha call her name. Headaches weren't her favorite things, so she instantly whirled herself back into the ruby necklace that Alisha wore everyday. She then spoke from within the necklace, [******** that! I dressed you up today, you should show that s**t off." It wasn't long before the two were finally out the door and onto the street. Hearing Alisha's words put a smile on Kasumi's face. Although her friend couldn't see it because she was in the necklace, Kasumi was smiling wider than the horizon. "Damn right, Ali," she said confidently. It made Kasumi happy to see Alisha happy. It made her even more happy as she noticed more and more people turning to look at her outfit. It wasn't everyday that someone wore an older look. Modern society tended to stick with modern fashion as best as it could. But once in a blue moon, when there's a change in style in someone, that someone gets an extra look or two. The Japanese girl just hoped that the added head turns and stares made Alisha feel confident, not uncomfortable. After all, the girl was uncomfortable quite easily.
It didn't take long for Alisha to make it to Fleur's Cafe. The cafe was just down the street of Alisha's apartment, making it the perfect place to have breakfast before heading to work. The hostess was able to immediately seat Alisha due to the fact that it appeared she was alone. At the start of their conversation, however, Kasumi immediately appeared from out of the necklace and said to Alisha, "No, ask for a seat outside! The day is too beautiful to waste a breakfast inside."
"Why not seat her outside, Francine? said a deeper voice to the right. Kasumi turned her head to see where the voice was coming from, and found herself looking at a rather young, blonde waiter. "Ohhh....Ohohohohoooohh..." Kasumi chimed as she gave Alisha the raised eyebrow and smirk look. It wasn't everyday that someone paid attention to Alisha. It was a harsh thing to say, but it was true. Ms. Martel was never one to spark one's attention enough to pay her any mind. It seemed her new outfit for the day had paid off. Kasumi didn't know who the blond waiter boy was, but what she did know was that he was tall, well-built, and had the most inviting green eyes. The hostess thought for a moment, but found no harm in the suggestion of her coworker. Inside, the cafe wasn't completely empty, but almost half the seats outside were unoccupied. "Right this way then, Miss," she said politely as she lead the way to an empty table near the outside of the available tables. Right as they arrived at the table, the same waiter boy set a menu down in front of Alisha. "Must be my lucky day. A beautiful day and a beautiful girl," said the blond, rather shyly. The waiter chuckled slightly to himself, cursing himself in his mind for being so awkward. "Sorry...I..." he said, trailing off in his shyness. He then suddenly reached his hand out at Alisha. "I'm Lyle," he said, awaiting a handshake.
Kasumi, still materialized out of the necklace, couldn't contain herself in situations like this. Well, not unless Alisha blatantly asked her to. "Oh my god. Ali! Ali this is totally happening right now! Do you see his eyes?! Oh my god, Ali! Don't just sit there! Say something!!" Kasumi yelled frantically. One of the perks about being a ghost, Kasumi could say anything she wanted in public. Of course, Alisha had to watch herself, careful not to reply to thin air, which is what everyone else saw. Kasumi couldn't remember the last time Alisha was in a situation similar to this. Because Alisha didn't go out much, it was hard to have human interactions such as these. And a boy of all things! A part of Kasumi was on alert for Lyle to turn into a creeper, but she was also as encouraging as always. She knew how much Alisha thought about relationships. The girl didn't have any in high school, making today's events much more interesting.
＝＝＝＝さようなら
Avalyne Sol
Once arriving at Fleurs, Alisha had been nervous enough. She may not be as observant as Kasumi, but she did see a few people give her stares. What worried her, was her lack of ability to read their faces at a glance. Did she look weird? Was dressing like someone from thirty five years ago too strange? Was she ugly? There were countless possible reasons swirling inside her head. Not one of them, was the possibility that she was attractive. Over the years, she had began to rely upon the ghost for assistance in social situations. What to say, what they were saying, where they were looking, and why they were looking. Having a ghost to scout things out, someone with centuries of experience reading faces, it was great. The benefit was enormous. While she had no intention of using Kasumi like a tool, there were perks to an 'imaginary' friend.
Still, despite their usual tag team approach to social meetings, Alisha didn't want her help right now. She was far too worried that the truth might hurt. It was always that possibility, that chance of things going wrong that ruined her potential. No matter what the odds were, Alisha held her fear deep within. Fear of failure. Fear of exclusion. Fear of the unknown. What the eyes of those around her saw in her, that much she feared. It was for this reason, that Alisha didn't mind sitting in a room for tests all day. In a room where noone could judge her. Noone but those whos jobs it was, to judge her.
She had to stop herself from rolling her eyes as Kasumi appeared. She was so desperate that she be outside and visible to all, rather than inside where it was safe. Was she that desperate for her outfit picking abilities to be noticed? It had to be that. Regardless, Alisha was ready to indulge her wishes, before a voice did it for them. Being so used to hiding beneath baggy, boyish and 'safe' clothing, little Ms. Martel was new enough to such a situation that it seemed normal enough, until her flying friend chimed in. Then, she knew what was happening. "Thank you" She said to the hostess, before following after her, giving her necklace a little flick with her finger. One of the dynamic duo's many signals. This one, meaning 'shush you'. It usually followed after an embarrassing incident.
Making her way to the table, Alisha barely had time to sit down, before the blonde guy returned. His statement however, caught her off guard. Way off guard. Alisha's eyes lit up with emotion, her jaw dropped a tad, and a evident blush rose upon her cheeks. It was much the same as her initial reaction to compliments at graduation all those years ago. She had been so out of her element, that her usual personality just melted away. That night, her friend Claire had come to the recuse, pulling her along so that she wouldn't just stand there like a dumbfounded statue. Really, in a lot of ways Claire had been like Kasumi. She was a short Chinese girl, very fashion forward. While she had tried plenty of times to get Alisha in a dress, and to go to grad in one, it was still Kasumi who had been more convincing and influential. Though, Claire was happy to believe it was mostly her doing. Here however, Alisha had noone physical to push her in the right direction. Just a hyperactive ghost yelling at her, that she wanted to punch in the arm. Sometimes, she felt Kasumi has too much fun in public.
Alisha remained still, staring blankly at Lyle and his outstretched hand. With her focus split between her yelling friend, and the admittedly handsome guy awaiting a reaction, Alisha was a mess. As oblivious as Alisha usually was to compliments and flirting, Lyle was right to the point. There was little room to misunderstand, and Kasumi's reaction solidified it. Still though, this was new for her, and Alisha would rather disappear like Kasumi, than face it. After a good awkward moment, she finally spoke. "Sorry... I uh. Thank you, I guess" the brunette extended her hand to his, completing the handshake at least. It took a great deal of self control not to immediately reply with 'I'm not beautiful' as she would have if it were her best friend saying it. But here, she had to watch herself. Not everyone would take such a counter well in a conversation, especially not a stranger.
"Alisha" she finally said, now letting her hand go."Uh... My name. Alisha Martel. Pleased to meet you Lyle" She managed to force out. Nearly a full sentence without screwing up basic human interaction. Nearly. Alisha then allowed her hand to reach up to the necklace, making the casual motion to tug the ruby taught, and move it back and forth. One more of their agreed upon signs, one that was easily seen by others as a nervous habit or absent minded act. This one, meant 'Help'.
Each day she had social interactions, sure. But they were all different. It was with her teachers, who were more or less private tutors, or the scientists. Occasionally administration. In all cases, they were coworkers or superiors. Rarely were there ever real conversations. Real human to human talks. None of them she felt she could trust with her life, none she could trust with her feelings. They weren't people to chat with, and certainly not to flirt with. Even had Lyle not opened up with a cheesy, but all to effective pick up line, Alisha still would have been a bit at a loss. However, this was something about her, that all of Climax's tests had uncovered. As impressive as Alisha could be in many different areas, she was a social mess. It was the main reason for her next set of classes. Fashion, modeling, diplomacy, politics. All disciplines were very unlike Alisha. Yet all of them required, and in fact demanded confidence. Some of them needed social skills to be strong. A mind quick on her feet and ready to retaliate to any verbal situation. To remain poised and calm through any situation, no matter how important, no matter how frightening, and no matter how many people had eyes on you. These classes were hand picked for a reason. Alisha was, to put it simply, an asset. One they had spent a great deal of time and money on. They wanted to perfect her. They wanted to 'fix' her.
Out here however, she was alone, without their 'guidance', but without their control. Out here, she had met Lyle. Kasumi hadn't needed money and research to push Alisha in the right direction.
zPepe
こんにちわ＝＝＝＝
After yelling about this thing and that, Kasumi waited eagerly for Alisha's reply. The ghost knew this would be an awkward situation, but she didn't know it was going to be that awkward. The Japanese girl didn't say anything though, because scolding her friend for her replies would just make her even more uncomfortable. She would always remember the time where someone fake-complimented Alisha, Alisha had an awkward reply, and Kasumi scolded her for it. It was probably one of Alisha's worst days, and Kasumi's as well. After Kasumi had basically humiliated her friend, Alisha didn't talk to her for the rest of the day. Going from spending every moment of every day talking to her friend to not speaking at all and just hiding in the necklace all day was one of the loneliest times of Kasumi's afterlife. Over the years of being attached to Alisha, Kasumi learned quickly that her friend's emotions were very sensitive. That was the first and last time Kasumi had scolded Alisha about how she reacted to compliments. She didn't want to be alone again. She didn't want Alisha to be mad at her. Alisha was her only friend, she was the only one that could be.
Lyle's green eyes lit up at the sound of Alisha's name. His lips slowly pulled to an innocent smile and he gave her hand a firm grip before letting go. "Pleasure's all mine, Ms. Martel," he said rather smoothly. Lyle stood there for a second, awkward and silent. It took him a couple seconds to realize that he was sitting there, staring at the girl. He suddenly straightened up as a small blush appeared on his pale, white cheeks. "I'll uh...get you started on water and I'll be back to take your order. The special today is the house crepe," he said with another small smile before leaving. The moment Lyle was out of sight of Alisha, he headed straight for the kitchen and leaned against the wall next to the door. "Oh my god, what was that," he cursed to himself regarding his performance. You got this. You got this.. the boy thought as he let out a long sigh. After taking a minute to gather himself, Lyle walked back into the restaurant to wait on his other tables.
Kasumi waited for Lyle to leave before she blurted out, "OH MY GOD, ALISHA." It was rare for the ghost to use her friend's full first name. She had called her by 'Alisha' for the first year or two of their friendship, but anything farther than that became a nickname. She mostly called her 'Ali' but today was a special day. A day with flirtation made it a full name kind of day. "He's adorable, you're adorable, you are adorable together, you should casually exchange wristkey info, just sayin," said the ghost, excited and happy. Kasumi went further, "You see, this is why you should go out more. ******** being bland, you're cute today, and it got you the attention of a cute boy. And did I mention his eyes?!" The ghost knew that the girl couldn't respond verbally, but she kept going on about Lyle anyway. Kasumi liked to see the good in everyone. After being a ghost through the two world wars of the Earth so far, she preferred the positive over the negative. It was one of her traits that she picked up in the afterlife. Her death made her initially a very bitter ghost, but watching relationships throughout countries and years made her love humankind once again. Of course, there were still those dark aspects of humans, but she tried not to focus on that. Even if Lyle was an average guy with not-so-astounding features, Kasumi would've still encouraged Alisha because his personality is what made him cute to Kasumi.
The 217 year old cleared her throat and dropped the frantic friend phase. It was time to give Alisha some much needed advice, as clearly stated by the signal she gave on her necklace. "Look, here's what you gotta do.." she began as she grounded herself in the chair in front of her friend. Tokugawa looked at Alisha's eyes with her own purple ones and gave her a comforting style. "He's really nice, that much is obvious, but he seems just as shy as you are about this. Just make small talk, like how much you like the food or something or maybe how a beautiful day like this is wasted because you have to go to work. And then! And then, he'll have no choice but to respond. I'm calling it right now, he's going to slip you a note because he's too shy to talk to you. You guys are practically the same person, just with...you know..different junk." Kasumi was serious up until her last sentence, but how would she be Kasumi if she didn't make jokes all the time? The ghost went on, "Normally I'd say be more confident, but I don't think that's going to work this time. Just be you, and you'll do fine. And remember his name is Lyle." Kasumi looked over her shoulder to check for the waiter, and found her timing was perfect. "Okay, he's coming back with your water. Order the crepe, and just make small talk. You got this, Ali," she said before giving her friend a smile and a thumbs up. Kasumi then disappeared into the ruby necklace. Alisha needed to do this on her own without her ghost friend hovering over her shoulder. It wasn't completely out of the loop though, because Kasumi could hear and see from inside the necklace. She could hear just about everything that Alisha could, but could only see out of the necklace on parts that weren't covered. So, the part of the ruby that lied against Alisha's check was usually dark because of the close contact with her skin, but the front of the ruby was as clear as if she was out of the necklace. It was convenient on multiple occasions.
After waiting on his other tables, Lyle walked back outside to wait on Alisha. His previously full tray of drinks and food was now empty, save for a glass of water. He walked up to Alisha's table and set the water down in front of her. "What can I get for you today, Ms. Martel? he said politely.
Lyle's green eyes lit up at the sound of Alisha's name. His lips slowly pulled to an innocent smile and he gave her hand a firm grip before letting go. "Pleasure's all mine, Ms. Martel," he said rather smoothly. Lyle stood there for a second, awkward and silent. It took him a couple seconds to realize that he was sitting there, staring at the girl. He suddenly straightened up as a small blush appeared on his pale, white cheeks. "I'll uh...get you started on water and I'll be back to take your order. The special today is the house crepe," he said with another small smile before leaving. The moment Lyle was out of sight of Alisha, he headed straight for the kitchen and leaned against the wall next to the door. "Oh my god, what was that," he cursed to himself regarding his performance. You got this. You got this.. the boy thought as he let out a long sigh. After taking a minute to gather himself, Lyle walked back into the restaurant to wait on his other tables.
Kasumi waited for Lyle to leave before she blurted out, "OH MY GOD, ALISHA." It was rare for the ghost to use her friend's full first name. She had called her by 'Alisha' for the first year or two of their friendship, but anything farther than that became a nickname. She mostly called her 'Ali' but today was a special day. A day with flirtation made it a full name kind of day. "He's adorable, you're adorable, you are adorable together, you should casually exchange wristkey info, just sayin," said the ghost, excited and happy. Kasumi went further, "You see, this is why you should go out more. ******** being bland, you're cute today, and it got you the attention of a cute boy. And did I mention his eyes?!" The ghost knew that the girl couldn't respond verbally, but she kept going on about Lyle anyway. Kasumi liked to see the good in everyone. After being a ghost through the two world wars of the Earth so far, she preferred the positive over the negative. It was one of her traits that she picked up in the afterlife. Her death made her initially a very bitter ghost, but watching relationships throughout countries and years made her love humankind once again. Of course, there were still those dark aspects of humans, but she tried not to focus on that. Even if Lyle was an average guy with not-so-astounding features, Kasumi would've still encouraged Alisha because his personality is what made him cute to Kasumi.
The 217 year old cleared her throat and dropped the frantic friend phase. It was time to give Alisha some much needed advice, as clearly stated by the signal she gave on her necklace. "Look, here's what you gotta do.." she began as she grounded herself in the chair in front of her friend. Tokugawa looked at Alisha's eyes with her own purple ones and gave her a comforting style. "He's really nice, that much is obvious, but he seems just as shy as you are about this. Just make small talk, like how much you like the food or something or maybe how a beautiful day like this is wasted because you have to go to work. And then! And then, he'll have no choice but to respond. I'm calling it right now, he's going to slip you a note because he's too shy to talk to you. You guys are practically the same person, just with...you know..different junk." Kasumi was serious up until her last sentence, but how would she be Kasumi if she didn't make jokes all the time? The ghost went on, "Normally I'd say be more confident, but I don't think that's going to work this time. Just be you, and you'll do fine. And remember his name is Lyle." Kasumi looked over her shoulder to check for the waiter, and found her timing was perfect. "Okay, he's coming back with your water. Order the crepe, and just make small talk. You got this, Ali," she said before giving her friend a smile and a thumbs up. Kasumi then disappeared into the ruby necklace. Alisha needed to do this on her own without her ghost friend hovering over her shoulder. It wasn't completely out of the loop though, because Kasumi could hear and see from inside the necklace. She could hear just about everything that Alisha could, but could only see out of the necklace on parts that weren't covered. So, the part of the ruby that lied against Alisha's check was usually dark because of the close contact with her skin, but the front of the ruby was as clear as if she was out of the necklace. It was convenient on multiple occasions.
After waiting on his other tables, Lyle walked back outside to wait on Alisha. His previously full tray of drinks and food was now empty, save for a glass of water. He walked up to Alisha's table and set the water down in front of her. "What can I get for you today, Ms. Martel? he said politely.
＝＝＝＝さようなら
Avalyne Sol
It was hard at times, being sensitive to a ghost's feelings. She couldn't touch her, sometimes she couldn't see her. Kasumi wasn't here to be hurt directly by other people. Alisha knew she was the only one who could hurt her, and it terrified her. They were stuck together for good it seemed. If she ruined their freindship, they couldn't just part ways. If she said the wrong thing, they would have to live with it. Despite how close they were, Alisha still felt like they were walking on pins and needles at all times. Time and time again, she worried that she would mess everything up, just by telling her to shut up, or to give her privacy. These days she was quite content to share every aspect of her life with Kasumi, though the worries did remain.
"Thank you, sir" Alisha said shortly, not trusting herself to say anything more, and be able to avoid a stutter. The way Lyle had said 'Ms. Martel', it was something new. It was something magical. Whatever the reason was, it had hit her hard. Very hard. Simply put, she loved it. However Alisha's daydream was broken as Kasumi's cries broke the illusions, causing her to cringe slightly. The use of her full name told her everything she needed to know. Kasumi was into it.
Alisha gave the ruby pendent another flick out of annoyance. She couldn't voice her denials to either of them being 'adorable'. Cursed ghost, abusing her position to say such things. Alisha flicked it again at the mention of cute, her blush only growing more intense as Kasumi prattled on. Unlike her tethered companion, Alisha didn't really see the 'cute' in Lyle. He was good looking, sure, but she held no immediate attraction. From both his and Kasumi's words, she was clued in enough to know Lyle felt otherwise. It was seeing and known that, which impacted Alisha so much. Her own 'love' had not yet kindled. Still, there was hope here. And it was clear that Kasumi wasn't going to let her just run away.
The brunette sat still, listening intently to Kasumi's advice, tapping her feet twice here and there to indicate that she understood, and accepted the instructions. She wasn't as confident as her in terms of Lyle slipping her a note, but it was clear he was shy. Just, not as shy as she herself was. Could two shy people really... hit it off? Wasn't that destined for failure? Claire and Mandy had always said, she had to find herself a confident, assertive man. Someone who would take her in his arms, walk away with her, and not take no for an answer. Lyle certainly wasn't that man. But did it matter?
Like Kasumi said, she had to just be herself. She wasn't convinced that they were the same, but she was in too deep emotionally to just back out now. Plus, Kasumi seemed so excited, Alisha didn't want to just let her down and flake out. She had to live her life for the two of them, not just herself. Though it did raise a strange concern. If, and it was a big if, She and Lyle hooked up, would Lyle also be Kasumi's boyfriend, not just her own? A discussion for later, perhaps.
With one final double tap of her foot, Alisha had agreed to Kasumi's plan, and put her faith in her optimism. With that, Lyle returned. The girl allowed herself to give off a wide, pleasant smile as the glass of water was put down. A smile so rare, Lyle was one of the very few people in the world to have even seen it. Whether she looked like a goof or not, a smile was a smile. "Well, for starters you could get me out of work today, so I don't waste a nice day cooped up inside" She suggested, followed by a genuine, and surprisingly not forced giggle. Though, her amusement was directed at Kasumi's nagging, more than her conversation with Lyle. But he didn't need to know that. "I guess, for a nice day like this I'd like the house crepe please? Its always delicious, and I can always tease my friend that I got to have one without her. An added bonus" she smirked lightly.
He had said it again though. Ms. Martel. She loved it, craved it even in a way that she just didn't understand. All her life, she had been Alisha or Ali. Being 'Martel' never meant much. Infact, she was happy to put her family name behind her as of late. However, here and now she loved to hear it. Perhaps it was the maturity of it wall, being a 'miss'. Perhaps being considered a woman, formally, was what she longed for.
zPepe
こんにちわ＝＝＝＝
The thought of Alisha having a boyfriend was a far concept. Kasumi knew right away that Alisha had little confidence in herself. That lack of confidence was what eventually lead the girl to be single for her whole life. It was a harsh truth, but a truth nonetheless. Alisha didn't know how to act around men, that much was always clear. Kasumi would encourage her, but there was only so much she could say. It all came down to how Alisha handled each situation. Had Kasumi been able to speak to everyone else and not just Alisha, a lot of their times together would have gone completely different. But days like these, where people would notice Alisha for what Kasumi saw her as, these were the days where Kasumi was glad she couldn't be seen. Kasumi wanted Alisha to grow herself. Of course, she would be there for her when she needed help, but she wanted Alisha to break out of her shell and take on challenges all on her own. It was something that she'd always wanted for Alisha ever since she met the shy girl when she was only thirteen years old. Her friend has come so far, but Kasumi knew she could go so much further.
The concept of love had been a rollercoaster for Kasumi. When she was alive, she was taught by her mother that there were many forms of love. The love between a parent and their child, the love between a man and a woman, even the love between a man and his job. Her whole life, she was content with the love from her parents. A boyfriend was never on her mind of priorities. The landscape that surrounded her family's farm was the only love she had that wasn't directed toward her parents. She didn't need a man to hold her, she only needed the wind to run through her hair. Compliments on her physicality didn't compare to the beauty of a sunset on a day that had nothing but clear skies. She had never been exposed a man's love, only a man's horror. From her point of view, love from a man wasn't something to be valued. Even throughout her traveling in the afterlife, Kasumi never saw the appeal from a man. Could it be that the cause of her death was what caused this? Perhaps. But what was wrong with that? The girl lived the horrors of man, and that was enough for her. If the possibility of a boyfriend for herself ever presented itself to her, she would decline in a heartbeat. In her years of traveling, however, she did witness same sex couples and every other variation of the concept. It made her rethink about her opinion of men, but she was still adamant in declining a romantic relationship with them, at least for herself anyways.
Kasumi couldn't say what would happen if Alisha had ever gotten a boyfriend, because the fact of the matter was that it had never happened before. Every new experience Alisha had, was a new experience for her and Kasumi to have together. Being attached to Alisha meant experiencing new things with her. Normally, Kasumi would have advice on how to handle new situations, such as the one with Lyle. But Kasumi had about as much experience with having a boyfriend as Alisha did: zero. Of course, she witnessed relationships across countries and years, but looking from the outside in was a much more different than it happening to her, or to the person she was eternally bound to for that matter. She'd imagine that, if Alisha were to get a boyfriend, that there would be a lot more privacy involved. Kasumi may be attached to her friend, but she could still give her privacy. Kasumi wouldn't want to be involved with Lyle, that would be something exclusively for Alisha. After all it would be Alisha's boyfriend, not Kasumi's. The ghost had no interest anyway. Her only interest since meeting Alisha was making her happy. That's all she really wanted. If she could do that for the rest of Alisha's life, she could be eternally happy herself.
Lyle pulled out his notepad and pen, putting the end of the pen to the paper as he awaited Alisha's orders. As he looked at her, he couldn't stop staring at her smile. It was as radiant as the sun and as inviting as a warm summer day. Her smile alone made him give her his own, wide smile. Upon hearing her comment about work, he couldn't help but relate. "I know what you mean. I'm working two shifts today cause someone called in sick. I guess we'll both be stuck inside huh?" he said, slightly chuckling, matching the girl's giggle. As she stated her order, Lyle hastily wrote it down on his notepad. He laughed at her comment about her friend and gave her another smile, this time smaller. "One house crepe," he said as he closed his notepad and tucked it and the pen away in his apron, "for a one Ms. Martel." Lyle turned to leave, but stopped as he noticed Alisha's necklace.
The blond casually pointed to the necklace to address it. He said, "Hey, is that a ruby?" His voice was a little more excited than usual. "I love rubies. They're my mom's birthstone. They're gorgeous aren't they?" he said, his nervousness coming back. "It fits you really well," he said finally before departing back into the restaurant where his other tables were waiting.
As soon as Lyle was out of sight, Kasumi emerged from the necklace. She grounded herself on the chair across from Alisha again, but this time she didn't have a smile on her face. Her face was more of a 'are-you-kidding-me' kind of face. "Okay ******** you, I love the crepes here," she said, obviously joking. She then said, "I'll get you back for that one, human," before returning into the necklace.
A couple of minutes was all it took for Lyle to return to Alisha's table with her order. "One house crepe," he said as he took the plate off his tray and set it down on the table. He then took the menu in front of Alisha and replaced it with the plate with the crepe. "I had the chef put extra ingredients for you," he said in a whisper with a smile. As he picked up the menu and tucked it under his arm he said, "Is there anything else I can get for you?
The concept of love had been a rollercoaster for Kasumi. When she was alive, she was taught by her mother that there were many forms of love. The love between a parent and their child, the love between a man and a woman, even the love between a man and his job. Her whole life, she was content with the love from her parents. A boyfriend was never on her mind of priorities. The landscape that surrounded her family's farm was the only love she had that wasn't directed toward her parents. She didn't need a man to hold her, she only needed the wind to run through her hair. Compliments on her physicality didn't compare to the beauty of a sunset on a day that had nothing but clear skies. She had never been exposed a man's love, only a man's horror. From her point of view, love from a man wasn't something to be valued. Even throughout her traveling in the afterlife, Kasumi never saw the appeal from a man. Could it be that the cause of her death was what caused this? Perhaps. But what was wrong with that? The girl lived the horrors of man, and that was enough for her. If the possibility of a boyfriend for herself ever presented itself to her, she would decline in a heartbeat. In her years of traveling, however, she did witness same sex couples and every other variation of the concept. It made her rethink about her opinion of men, but she was still adamant in declining a romantic relationship with them, at least for herself anyways.
Kasumi couldn't say what would happen if Alisha had ever gotten a boyfriend, because the fact of the matter was that it had never happened before. Every new experience Alisha had, was a new experience for her and Kasumi to have together. Being attached to Alisha meant experiencing new things with her. Normally, Kasumi would have advice on how to handle new situations, such as the one with Lyle. But Kasumi had about as much experience with having a boyfriend as Alisha did: zero. Of course, she witnessed relationships across countries and years, but looking from the outside in was a much more different than it happening to her, or to the person she was eternally bound to for that matter. She'd imagine that, if Alisha were to get a boyfriend, that there would be a lot more privacy involved. Kasumi may be attached to her friend, but she could still give her privacy. Kasumi wouldn't want to be involved with Lyle, that would be something exclusively for Alisha. After all it would be Alisha's boyfriend, not Kasumi's. The ghost had no interest anyway. Her only interest since meeting Alisha was making her happy. That's all she really wanted. If she could do that for the rest of Alisha's life, she could be eternally happy herself.
Lyle pulled out his notepad and pen, putting the end of the pen to the paper as he awaited Alisha's orders. As he looked at her, he couldn't stop staring at her smile. It was as radiant as the sun and as inviting as a warm summer day. Her smile alone made him give her his own, wide smile. Upon hearing her comment about work, he couldn't help but relate. "I know what you mean. I'm working two shifts today cause someone called in sick. I guess we'll both be stuck inside huh?" he said, slightly chuckling, matching the girl's giggle. As she stated her order, Lyle hastily wrote it down on his notepad. He laughed at her comment about her friend and gave her another smile, this time smaller. "One house crepe," he said as he closed his notepad and tucked it and the pen away in his apron, "for a one Ms. Martel." Lyle turned to leave, but stopped as he noticed Alisha's necklace.
The blond casually pointed to the necklace to address it. He said, "Hey, is that a ruby?" His voice was a little more excited than usual. "I love rubies. They're my mom's birthstone. They're gorgeous aren't they?" he said, his nervousness coming back. "It fits you really well," he said finally before departing back into the restaurant where his other tables were waiting.
As soon as Lyle was out of sight, Kasumi emerged from the necklace. She grounded herself on the chair across from Alisha again, but this time she didn't have a smile on her face. Her face was more of a 'are-you-kidding-me' kind of face. "Okay ******** you, I love the crepes here," she said, obviously joking. She then said, "I'll get you back for that one, human," before returning into the necklace.
A couple of minutes was all it took for Lyle to return to Alisha's table with her order. "One house crepe," he said as he took the plate off his tray and set it down on the table. He then took the menu in front of Alisha and replaced it with the plate with the crepe. "I had the chef put extra ingredients for you," he said in a whisper with a smile. As he picked up the menu and tucked it under his arm he said, "Is there anything else I can get for you?
＝＝＝＝さようなら