Rumi and Ai sat in the tea room. Rumi was drinking tea straight from the pot, and Ai sat and contemplated.
Upon noting her friend sitting quietly, Rumi set the teapot down and stared.
"Achan..."
Ai looked up at her friend. "Hm?"
"What are you thinking about?"
Ai's eyelids lowered. "Nothing, just..." She sighed and met Rumi's gaze dead on. "Rumi, why are we here?"
Rumi smiled and gave her friend a 'well, duh' stare. "Simple. We're here in the tea room to drink tea and enjoy each other's company."
Ai sighed violently. "No, I mean why were we born?"
"Oh, because our parents had se--"
"NO! Bloody hell, Rumi...I mean why are we on this earth? What's the point of existence?"
"...Oh." Rumi cupped her chin and cocked her head. She thought...and thought...and thought. Suddenly she lit up.
"Achan!"
"Yes?"
"I don't know why we're here." The younger girl stood up, brushed off her skirt, and picked up the teapot. "But I do know that I want some more tea!" She skipped off toward the kitchen, leaving Ai with a disbelieving, bewildered look on her face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Over the years, the two girls met in the tea room time and time again. Each time, Rumi would sip her tea from the pot and Ai would be buried in a book. Each time, Ai would ask Rumi the same question, and Rumi would always have the same answer.
One day, as Rumi was plopping sugar cubes into her pot of Earl Grey, and as Ai was thumbing through a thick philosophy book, something occured to Rumi.
"Achan."
Ai looked up from her book. "Yes?"
"It's been ten years since you first asked me the question about life."
The older girl nodded. "And you've always had the same answer."
"Well, if it's been ten years and I still don't know the answer..."
"Then you probably never will."
"And I've decided something, Achan. I don't care."
Ai looked at Rumi with a bewildered look. "Why not?"
"Because...if having the answer means you have to spend all your time reading books, and not ever having any fun...then I don't want to know the answer."
Ai nodded. "I see."
That was the last time they discussed the answer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just for those who are wondering...
Ai represents a studious nature, and Rumi represents a carefree nature.
I couldn't remember exactly why I was in the chapel, all I managed to garner was that it was a funeral, and it was very sad, as funerals are wont to be. I was seated in the front row--was it someone I knew that had died?--trying to listen to the minister, but confusion was bubbling up inside of me. Where was I? Why was I here? Who had died?
Suddenly, I felt the arms of the person sitting to the left of me wrap around me and pulled me close. I peered up and saw a man, maybe in his early twenties, with dark hair and dark eyes.
"I'm so sorry," he murmured, wrapping his arms around me tighter. He was exquisitely warm and--though he appeared very thin--soft.
Like a heated pillow, I thought. I allowed myself to move closer to him and to return his embrace.
I couldn't explain why, but something about his embrace made me feel like it was alright to expose the fact that I was, indeed, sad at this funeral. I couldn't hold it in anymore and I let myself cry on him. He didn't care. He simply let me and stroked my back. He whispered something to me, something possibly in a different language. However, I could tell what he meant. I lifted my head up off of his chest and noticed that he had a small smile playing on his lips. He leaned forward and...
Rumi awoke with a start. She immediately realized it had only been a dream and started sobbing hysterically.
"Mrs. Rhinebeck," she hiccuped. "Mrs. Rhinebeck!"
Her warden rushed in. She noticed that the fourteen-year-old was crying. "Oh, Rumi, did you have the dream again? You poor dear."
"It wasn't a dream," Rumi protested. "It wasn't!"
"Of course," Mrs. Rhinebeck said sympathetically. "Charles, Rumi needs her straitjacket again," she called.
"No!" Rumi screamed while she was being carted away. "It wasn't a dream! He was here this time! Mrs. Rhinebeck, help! Put me down! Someone help me, please!"
Becky, a new nurse at Shady Skies Mental Hospital, looked at Mrs. Rhinebeck with concern. "Is Rumi...going to be alright?"
The older woman sighed. "Unfortunately, no. Her family died, and ever since, she's been having that dream. Scares the poor girl so badly she wakes up every night sobbing. Can't imagine why, though. Sounds like a terribly pleasant dream."
One day, my incredibly annoying best friend Ryume showed up at my house with her iPod and a maniacal grin on her face.
"Ryume...what are you doing?" I was panicking. She had already subjected me to the horror that was Caramelldansen, what if this one was just as bad?
"Just listen, Akihiko! It's the best song EVER!" She handed me an earbud and I, being the ever-faithful yes-man I am, plugged it in.
Servant of Evil? Oh brother...
"Ry. What the hell is she saying?"
"Ssh. It's the story of an evil princess and her twin brother, who's her servant and dies to save her from rioting townspeople. It's the sequel song to Daughter of Evil. And it's a boy singing."
I didn't understand what the song was saying...but I basically got the message. Man, was that guy dedicated to save his sister.
I guess, in a way, Ryume is the Daughter of Evil. She's bossy, tough, and a little bit psycho. I can think of a few of my friends who don't like her, exactly for those reasons. And if it was legal to shoot people, Ryume would be dead.
But if Ryume's the Daughter, then I'm the Servant. She's my best friend, so it's natural that I want to stick by her. I tell my friends to fork off when they start laying into her, and if I had to, I'd gladly take a bullet for her.
"...kihiko? Akihiko, wake up, you space cadet!" She snapped her black fingernails in my face. "What is up with you?" she demanded.
I just smiled. "I get what that guy means."
She looked at me funny and shook her head. "God, Akihiko, you are so weird."
I grinned at her. Just call me the Servant of Evil.
Song: Len Kagamine--Servant of Evil
List 10 characters.
1. Viola
2. Lotus
3. Olimea
4. Sugami
5. Ryoko
6. Haven
7. Saier
8. Goku
9. Far
10. Prynne
[1] Out of all ten characters listed, which one is the most intelligent? Who is the dumbest?
Smartest...hard to say. They're all equally smart, except Goku. Sometime's he's so blinded by his emotions that he often makes really dumb mistakes. So, for smartest...dang. Guess it's a tie between Ryoko and Olimea.
[2] What is the worst crime (9) has ever committed?
Far?! Committing a crime?! HA!! Don't make me laugh.
[3] (1) and (4) must fix a dinner together. How do they cooperate in the kitchen? What kind of food do they fix, if any at all?
They did pretty well, actually.
Viola: I made Caneton a l'Orange (roast duck with orange marinade), a crusty baguette, and baked Alaska for dessert.
Sugami: I just stood around and looked cool. :D
[4] What channel (Disney, Discovery, National Geographic, et cetera) does (5) watch the most?
Ryoko: I don't watch much TV.
[5] (7) and (3) are walking down a street at night when they hear (2) cry for help. What does (2) need help with, and will (7) and/or (3) help him?
Lotus: SAIER!!! OLIMEA!!! HELP ME!
Saier: *floats over all ghosty-ish* What's wrong?!
Olimea: *rides over in Yuzuki* Yes, what?!
Lotus: I need a tissue. Like, bad.
Saier/Olimea: -_-'
[6] Does (8) keep a clean room?
Goku: Yes, it's very clean, and my picture of Mello never leaves my bedside table. ^///^
[7] (5) and (10) run a country together – what state is the country in, and how is it run?
Ryoko and Prynne? Geez, they're both so bossy, they'd either get assassinated or put the entire population in prison!
[8] (6) may have possibly come into contact with a deadly disease, so he’s being quarantined. They’re allowed to bring something along with them – a book or video game - to keep them entertained. What would (6) bring?
Haven: Saier! He's already dead, so I can't get him sick!
[9] (8) is kidnapped by (2) and forced to play a game of Scrabble or die – and if (8) loses, (2) will kill him. Who is likely to win the game of Scrabble, and if (8) loses, how does (2) kill him?
Goku: Lotus, you like Scrabble?!
Lotus: Yes, I know a few big words. Prepare to be vanquished, you insolent cur!
Goku wins.
Lotus: THE HELL?!
[10] What is (4)’s favorite time of day?
He likes daytime.
[11] (10), (9), and (3) get snowed in while at a cabin in the mountains. They have one twin bed, two blankets, a few bottles of water, and a little bit of beef jerky. Who gets what? Who suffers the most while they wait out the storm?
Prynne and Far share the bed (Lovers. Aww) and take one blanket, Olimea takes the other blanket. They split the water and the jerky.
[12] If (7) could steal anything – an object, a talent, or trait – from (6), what would it be?
Saier: I wanna liiiiiive...T^T
[13] Of all the characters, who has the best hygiene?
Ryoko, narcissism really does stuff for one's hygiene!
[14] (1), (4), and (10) are all staying the night in a haunted house. Who would be scared? Would any of them be skeptical? How does each of them sleep?
Viola: Puh-leeze. Ghosts don't exist.
Sugami: *chatting with ghosts* Vi, they think you're a ho.
Prynne: *asleep*
[15] What would be the worst possible job (1) could work?
Office temp.
Viola: *shooting at ceiling and listening to screams* I hate this job...
[16] (6), (8), and (9) must compete in a talent show. What do they do for their talent, and who would win?
Haven threw knives, Goku balanced plates, and Far didn't go on because she had stage fright.
None of them won, some dude with a flamethrower did.
[17] What is (2)’s biggest pet peeve?
Lotus: Every time Kuro-chan and I hang out, he brings his frick-frackin' girlfriend...stupid Olimea!
[18] If (5) won the lottery for 25 million dollars, what would he do with the money?
Ryoko: Put it away for Elle to go to college.
[19] What was (10)’s favorite toy growing up?
Prynne: My sweet little cousin, Matt, who was so meek and passive that he never objected to playing dress-up!
[20] (1) tags three characters belonging to other people to do this meme…! WHO ARE THEY?
Viola: Uh, whoever wants to do this?? I don't care.
Aside from the rummaging and strings of loud, obscene cursing coming out of Viola's room, it was a normal day for Mello and Matt--the redhead playing his video games, and the blonde eating chocolate.
Or at least it WAS a normal day, until Viola burst out of her room, fury flashing in her normally calm hazel eyes.
"MATT! MELLO! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU TWO DO WITH MY DVD?!"
Matt paused his game and Mello stopped licking his chocolate bar to look at their flatmate. Matt whimpered in fear and hid behind his older friend, whose eyes were widened in panic.
"DVD? What DV--WHAT THE--YOU PSYCHO BITCH! PUT MATT DOWN!!!"
The tall girl had picked up the (by contrast) much shorter redhead and had him by the neck of his stripy T-shirt. "Tell me where my DVD is," she snarled, "or else."
Mello glared at her scornfully. "Or else what?"
"What did you teach me in the mafia, Mello?! Or have you forgotten already?!"
Oh, crap, Mello thought, her bipolar disorder rears its ugly head again. She tightened her grip on Matt's collar and pulled her jackknife out of her pocket. She pressed its blade against Matt's neck. Matt squirmed in her grasp.
"P-please, Vi," he whimpered. "L-let me go and I'll help you find your D-DVD."
"OK! OK! We'll help you find your DVD!" Mello lifted himself off the couch. "Now, what DVD is it?"
Viola put Matt down and grinned sheepishly. "Um...'Boys Gone Wild Starring Raito Yagami and L Lawliet'." She blushed bright pink. "Raito-kun gave it to me as a present."
Mello's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious."
"I'm afraid I am."
Well, Matt thought, that certainly explains why she's been so hot and bothered lately.
