SOLITAIRE || AIB || OC

Akira Mitsumi - Visa

The printer at the entrance to the building whirred to life as Akira and Cerise walked past it, printing out a slip of paper at an almost painfully slow pace. Cerise stopped walking, staring at it, but Akira kept walking. The adrenaline was slowly, and her hands were starting to throb badly. Surely, that was of more concern than what Cerise was staring at. She wasn’t even obliged to stick with him, so, really, he could stare at it all he wanted. She wasn’t curious. 

“Hey, Cerise, Whatcha starin’ at?” Akira asked, turning around to face him. Shit, she could've made it one more step out the door? She mentally cursed herself, before taking a step towards him, tilting her head, squinting to try and read the slip Cerise was holding. No dice, he was holding it at an incredibly awkward angle. “Cerise?” She prompted again. He looked at her with a sigh, his eyes lazily moving to look over at her. 
“If you must know,” He began, his voice back to an arrogant drawl as he gestured to the printer.  “It’s nonsense.”

Another slip, presumably for Akira, had begun printing out. She reached out to grab it, undried ink adding yet more stains to her hands. She looked down at the paper.

PLAYER - AKIRA MITSUMI
VISA DAYS REMAINING - 4

GAME ‘4♠’ CLEARED! 
 
PLAYER’S VISA HAS BEEN EXTENDED BY 4 DAYS.

4/07/2010 - 6:15PM.

Cerise was right. It was straight nonsense. She walked back towards the door, gesturing limply for Cerise to follow. She dropped the paper to the floor, moving her foot to step on it as Cerise caught up to her. Partially out of spite, for what she had just gone through, and, to cover the name emboldened at the top of the slip. 

The pair walked out of the building, Akira periodically speeding up, trying to urge Cerise to move faster. She wasn’t often in this part of Tokyo, but there had to be some sort of pharmacy open nearby. She’d even settle for a supermarket with bandages at this point, she figured. If there was nobody around, it was a surreal feeling. The world around them was deathly quiet, not at all aided by the fact that neither person was willing to talk to each other. It was ticking Akira off, but she didn’t really know anything about this man, except for the fact he had an obscenely long name.
“So, “ She began, looking over at him. Cerise glared back at her. She briefly considered sticking her tongue out at him, too, but figured it would be fruitless. They stared at each other in silence for a moment. Akira didn’t actually have a question to ask “What were you doing before everyone disappeared?”
“Business” Cerise replied blankly
“Business? You a business-guy, or somethin’?”
“A businessman, yes.” 
“Lame.”
“You - what?” Cerise squinted at her, turning to her. 
“I didn’t say nothin’” 

Cerise scoffed, folding his arms and turning away. He muttered something, though Akira couldn't really make it out, and she doubted he would repeat himself. She craned her neck around the area, looking for any sort of shop. Tucked away, she could spot the dim green sign of a pharmacy, She straightened up,  quickening her pace by a surprising amount.
“Hey! Over there!” She grinned, her voice echoing eerily in the silent streets. It better not be locked. She hoped and prayed to whatever deity was out there that it wasn’t locked. She wasn’t necessarily above smashing the window, in theory, but she’d had quite enough glass for a while.

Akira burst into the shop, hastily reading the shops, with all the grace of a scavenging animal. Cerise entered shortly behind her. He was so much calmer, it was almost shocking. If his hands were hurting, he certainly wasn’t letting on. Akira turned to Cerise, arms full of bandages and medical supplies.
“D’ya think we need to pay? S’not like anyone’s around to see…or miss the items.” Akira grinned, sitting down on the floor,  opening the plastic around the bandages. 
“I’ll just.. Leave some money. On the counter.” Cerise dithered, walking over to the counter, fishing out his wallet. “How much are you.. Pilfering?”
“Pilfering?”
“Stealing.”
“S’not stealing. You’re paying. And, uh, maybe just leave, like, ¥5,000?” 

Cerise nodded, Placing the given amount on the counter. Akira Winced, sloppily applying antiseptic to the wound. She looked over at Cerise. He’d probably have something to say if she started swearing. And she didn’t really want to deal with that. so , she bit her tongue, quickly bandaging the wound. The wound itself was probably far too deep for such rudimentary first aid, but, maybe if she bandaged it real tight, it would have the same effect as stitches? Cerise seemed to have the same idea, though, he seemed  a lot better at bandaging than she was. What an asshole.

Eventually, they left the pharmacy, walking aimlessly again. Cerise looked down at her.
“What were you doing before everyone disappeared? Maybe we have something in common.”
“Because your answer was so informative. ‘Business’. You literally couldn't be any less vague. Fine, I was on a train.”
“A train?” Cerise chose to ignore her prior comments “ Wouldn’t you have crashed when the power stopped working?”
“No. We just..slowed down, i guess. Dead annoying, I had to walk all the way to the next station”
“I’m sure there have been worse grievances.”
“Like being called Cerise Anthony..something.”
“Cerise Antoine Louise Beau-Dionne Benifiel. Are you this hostile to everyone you meet, Miss Maizuru?”
The use of ‘miss’ rubbed Akira the wrong way. Even if it was used before her fake name.
“No. You just piss me off”
“Yet you still accompany me.”
“You’re following me.”
A beat passed
“I don’t particularly want to be alone.”
“Nah, I don't either. So, you are stuck with me, Cerise Antione Louise something-something.
“You’re childish”

Akira huffed, tapping her foot on the floor, as she turned the corner.

“Nobody here, and I’m starving. “ She muttered, keeping a steady pace. She was always just a few steps ahead of Cerise. She didn't really like the way he would glower at her.  It made her uncomfortable, and frankly, she didn’t care for it. She didn't want to ask Cerise to pay for something else. Personally, it felt stupid to leave money for nobody. It wasn’t like there would be anybody around to use it, except for her, when she got out of here. She probably should’ve swiped that ¥5,000 back when Cerise had turned his back. Being ¥5,000 richer would’ve been pretty sweet. She could’ve brought a new jacket. Akira’s eyes brightened as a thought occurred to her.

“Clothes shops!” She said brightly, yet refused to elaborate. CErise gave her a bemused look.
“Clothes shops? What about them?”
“Totally empty! There would be nobody in there. I could literally try on everything. No consequences! I could totally go for a new outfit. Look how bloodied my poor jacket is. And my heels.”
“And you would be paying?” Cerise raised an eyebrow at her. Akira shrugged. 
“Yeah.” She replied, waving him off dismissively. “So, you down? We might even find some food..” She mused, slowing pace to let Cerise catch up with her. 
“Tomorrow. I am exhausted”
“I am exhausted” She mocked, folding her arms. “Fine. I will look for a new outfit. You can take on the brunt, and find somewhere to sleep. Somewhere private, mind you. I am absolutely not having you perv on me.”
“A perv?! What on earth do you take me for?”
“A perv.”

A beat passed. They looked at eachother in silence.

“Meet me back here. In..2 hours.”
“Deal.”

They both parted, taking their separate ways. Akira, on her own, seemed particularly excited. She hadn't had the opportunity for a good shop in ages, and she basically had free reign over every shop in tokyo. Cerise, on the other hand, was just desperate for a place to rest his weary body.

Time ticked by fast, for Akira at least, She'd a whole new outfit, and a mighty charming one at that, or so she thought. Time had ticked by a little too fast, even, as she'd long surpassed the deadline she'd set Cerise. Back on the streets, She stood at the assigned meeting point, yet there was no sign of Cerise. It had to be near midnight, now, So..she couldn't really blame him. She'd find him tomorrow. She looked up at the sky, and then back at the shops around her. She'd find a place to sleep herself. 

Walking around, she saw a faint figure, crouched, dumping out their bag onto the street.
“Cerise?” She called, walking towards him. The figure turned to face her. Definitely not Cerise. His eyes were wild with panic, and his hand frantically gripped at a piece of paper. He shook it at her, eyes wide as wide as he stumbled towards her, gripping onto her shoulders.
“I thought I had more days..! You have to help me! I need– I can't die- I need to have one more day!” The man rambled, withdrawing his hands as he clasped them together in prayer, frenzied, stinging tears streaming down his face, Before he suddenly sobered, looking up at the sky.

And lasers rained down.