1
1915. Township of South Ayster - Federal Republic of Ayster.
After the death of her husband just two years prior the cold and hollow feeling of the house became too much for Himari, Izumi was a growing boy and needed a fatherly figure in the house.
She decided she must start dating again, For her and Izumi's sake. After a few dates that led to nowhere, she met a man named Rin. He was a mechanic who worked down the street. He was there for her when her car after it broke down in the snow. They went on a few dates together to some nice restaurants in the town centre, he had this charm about him that was like no other. She genuinely started to fall for him, but there was something off about him, something that just seemed wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
Rin would never stay for more than one night, Himari could never go to his house because something would always come up on the day, but she chalked it up to her just being anxious about being with a new person.
Then Rin's birthday came around, Himari decided to show up at his house to surprise him. With Izumi by her side they approach the house, opening the wooden gate being careful not to make a sound so they can surprise Rin, they walk through the garden and can't help but notice its beauty. The bushes were well kept, the beautiful bed of flowers lining the path as they approached the door. Izumi excitedly knocks, A tall blonde woman wearing a long silky robe that brushed the ground as she walked answered the door.
"Can I help you?" The women spoke confusedly as Izumi runs into the house to give Rin his present.
"Hello! I am here to see Rin; you must be his sister! It is lovely to meet you!"
"Sister? No honey... I am his wife"
Himari stands there in shock.
"W-Wife...?"
She looks down at the cake she is holding in her hands, the one she specifically baked for him.
"I- I am sorry, I..."
"Is everything okay dear?" His wife says with concern.
"I- No... It's... I..."
Rin approaches from behind the woman, his eyes widening as he notices Himari stood at the door and Izumi running around the living room
"Himari?! What're you doing here?"
Rin rushes towards the front door
"I told you to stop following me around you crazy woman! get your bastard son out of here!" Rin shouts while dragging Izumi out of the living room, his little feet running across the floor trying to keep up right.
"Rin who is this?"
"Some crazy bitch! I fixed her car and now she won't leave me alone!" Rin pushes Izumi towards Himari as he slams the door in her face.
Himari flinches and looks down at the cake and leans in for a light sniff. She looks at the house, the Springs sun glistening from the windows, the flowers that perfectly line the path, the neatly kept bushes and the trimmed grass. Not a single flaw, a perfect home. But the person inside, was not perfect, he was undeserving.
"Why must this man, have a perfect life, while I am left alone..." She looks at the cake, then over at Izumi, who is sat on the floor staring at his grazed knee crying silently to himself.
"Fuck you..." She whispers before smashing the cake towards the front door. The cake splattering everywhere and leaving icing in her hair.
"You think I am crazy?!" She looks around and notices the rocks that neatly circle the grass patch, she picks up the biggest rock she can find and launches it towards the window.
"Fucking cheating bitch!" she screams out as the window shatters on the ground.
She adjusts her jackets and picks up Izumi from the ground, rubbing his back as she heads back to her car.
"Mama..." Izumi sniffles, "Why was Mr. Rin so mean to us..."
"It will be okay dear" she says while opening the car door.
"Some people are mean, and we just have to accept that"
Izumi looks over at the house narrowing his eyes, the cake plastered all over the door, the broken window, the row of flowers leading from the neatly painted wooden fence to the front door.
"I will be nice when I am older"
"I know you will dear..." Himari lets out a small smile as tears stream down her face.
2
A few months go by, and Himari is stuck in the seemingly never-ending cycle of dating again, countless dates that lead to nowhere with men who aren't worth her time, as if it is a chore that she is forced to carry out every single night.
As she sits alone at the dimly lit bar, she looks around, seeing couples both young and old having fun, dancing, listening to the band play, not a single care in the world. She takes a sip of her whiskey and that's when it hits her.
"That's it!" She says with uncertain confidence "The next man I go on a date with, I will stay with, I don't care who it is! But my son needs a fatherly figure in the house!"
While she makes her way to the stage, she notices a new band appear. Their presence, their vibe, everything about them completely captivates Himari.
"ALLLLRIGHTTTT SOUTH AYSTER!!" The Frontman beckons down to the crowd as they cheer. "ARE YOU FUCKING READY!" The guitar and drums kick in, the music filling the space around her, flowing into her ears and through her body. Himari had never heard anything like this before, but she was in love with it. She makes her way to the front of the crowd to get a better feel for the music.
"Hey!" Says a friendly voice. Himari turns around and is met with a girl, much younger than her holding something in her hand
"Hey! What's up!" Himari asks the girl.
"This band is great! What's ya name!" she replies in a polite and energetic tone.
"Himari! And yours? You're so pretty!" Himari says while dancing to the song.
"Thank you! So are you! I'm Bunny!"
Bunny quickly looks around, discreetly opens the palm of her hand, revealing a baggie of a white powder.
"Do you want some?" Bunny asks enthusiastically
Himari had never taken anything like this before, in her 34 years of living. She looks at Bunny, who seems eager to share with her, and looks back at the baggie.
"I really shouldn't, I have a kid back at home."
She politely laughs and goes to turn around to continue watching the band perform.
"Oh C'mon!" Bunny playfully shouts as she places it in Himari's hand, "Loosen up it's just one night!"
Himari takes a long look at the baggie, feeling its corners between her fingers, the hard plastic seal along the top, and for a brief moment her mind wanders, she sees Izumi, he is at home, sleeping in his bed under his reptile bedsheets.
"Should I take this..." she thinks to herself "Will he be okay?"
Watching as Izumi breathes softly as the moonlight hits his bed, she can smell his hair, feel his hands.
"Just once...?" she thinks.
She looks at Bunny, eyes wide, a grin stretching from cheek to cheek like an eager child, waiting and wanting. Himari's eyes begin to wander around the hall, the couple feeling each other against the wall, bodies waving with the music's breeze. She can take this, enjoy the band then drink some water and go home before sunrise.
"Oh, why not! It's just one night!" Himari exclaims as if she had made this decision a hundred times over. She pours some of the powder out onto her fist and puts it close to her nose.
"Here we go..." she thinks to herself as the stares at the mound of mysterious joy. She takes one long sniff, making sure every piece of the mystery substance has vanished from the top of her fist. She looks up and everything is more vibrant, more fluorescent, the neon lights trailing her eyes as she sways like paint following a brush, the music completely capitulates her, flowing through her body ten times over, each note scratching every itch in her brain. The lead singer looks down at Himari, his hair elegantly flowing as he moves to the music. He looks down at Himari and points at her nodding his head with an approving smile he rips off his leather jacket and throws it in to the crowd. The silver studs shining in the light like a moving disco ball, causing the crowd to erupt in a cheer. For that brief moment, she felt at ease, everything she went through these past few years, gone. No worries, no sadness, she...for once was... happy? - A blanket of darkness covers Himari, paired with a fast and hard thud.
Himari slowly wakes up a few hours later, lay on an old dusty couch, her eyes unable to fully stay open for more than 3 seconds at a time, she looks around and finds she is alone in the room. She tries to get up but is too weak to push against her own bodily weight, frustrated, she lets the couch swallow her once more, its mouldy smell invading her nose. She tries to breathe through her mouth but is met with the harsh taste of old cigarettes as it implants itself on her tongue. She lays in defeat, briefly watching the dust float in the dim light from the mirrors across the room trying to force her eyes open.
"Where am I...?" she grumbles...
"Oh good. You're awake" says a deep voice from behind the door as it opens. Behind is a man, around the same age as Himari, long black hair, a hoop on his nose lightly glistens as he steps into the room, Light stubble shadowed his chin paired with a studded leather jacket, black painted nails and what looks to be tattoos coming from under his shirt onto his neck. He softly closes the door behind him and sits next to Himari passing her a water bottle. "The name's Bruce, and you are?"
"Himari..." she says still struggling to keep her eyes open just pressing the cold-water bottle to her cheek.
"I have never, seen anyone! K-hole like that before!" he chuckles while helping her sit up. "How're you feeling?"
Himari looks down at the bottle and hides her face in her hands
"It is so embarrassing! I am so sorry!" she awkwardly laughs with a groan "I've never done anything like that before..."
"Yeah, figures!" Bruce chuckles looking over at Himari "So... What's your story?"
Himari lowers her hands and looks over at Bruce, 'What's your story' just keeps replaying over and over like a never ending loop, the tears slowly fill her eyes, as she remembers everything that she had been through, and instead of being at home, looking after her child, she is in some back alley bar drinking her sorrows away.
"My story..." she says with a faint whisper "I..." The tears flood her face, unable to let out a sound she just looks at Bruce mouthing the words "I don't know" over and over again.
Bruce holds Himari close to him, slowly stroking the back of her head.
"It's okay Himari, let it out"
Himari's cries get louder with each breath. Every emotion she had ever felt, every memory she held, comes crashing through, she collapses into Bruce, falling like a broken Dam.
"I am such a failure" she cries "I- I have a kid... Izu, He is at home" each sob getting louder, she shakenly lifts up the water bottle and tries to take a drink, unable to screw off the cap, Bruce takes the bottle from her and holds it to her lips.
"How old is your kid?"
"He...He is only 5"
Bruce quickly stands up and grabs his keys from the side table
"Let's go." He says with authority "You should be with your boy, not here in some shitty club"
Himari nods with submission, she slowly steps up from the couch making her way to the door. The mouldy smell dissipating as she moves further away from the couch.
Bruce opens the door leading to a long dim hallway and they walk through, drunk couples making out, the lights flickering with each step they make towards the main room. Himari looks down and notices an older man curled up in a puddle of his own vomit, she steps over his body, and a shiver runs down her spine.
"Why did I come here" She thinks to herself. as they make their way through the main room. Everybody watches as Himari and Bruce as they inch towards the neon green exit sign, Himari anxiously looks around trying to keep her head down. She folds her arms and tries to keep close to him. Bruce turns around and holds Himari's hand
"It will be okay" he mouths to her as they walk through the crowd, all eyes locked onto them like magnets, mumbles from the crowd as they leave the venue.
"That's the woman from earlier..."
"Must've all been a show just to sleep with the singer"
"I heard she has a kid at home- disgusting mom..."
"I feel sorry for the kid..."
Himari's face slowly fills with tears as these people who know nothing about her life, make assumptions based on not even one interaction. she silently cries to herself as Bruce opens the car door for her. She slowly steps in, sinking into the black leather seat. A false silence filled the car as he shut the door, the rhythmic thumping of the bass now muffled as it bounced off the window, only for it to flood back into the car once more as Bruce steps in on the driver's side, the chair squeaking as he sits. He watches Himari, just staring up at the ceiling felt as the tears gently wander down her delicate cheeks, carrying the weight of all her life's misfortune in every drop.
"I'm such a failure" she cries... "Please Mau... Please save me..."
"Mau can't save you for this one Himari... Be there for your boy."
"I can't do this alone" she looks at Bruce with wet, bloodshot eyes, her hands trembling as the gravity of her life comes crashing down. "He deserves better than this..."
Bruce looks Himari up and down in the cars dim light, her hair frizzed and knotted fallen in defeat around her weary face, her glassy eyes filled with tears searching for any sign of hope, her nose wet and runny with crusted ketamine in the corner of her nostril, her white collared blouse, stained from the drink she had spilt with the top button undone.
Her delicate hands on her knees silently shaking with the faded rim of where a wedding ring once sat neatly upon her small fingers.
"Then... let me help you?" Bruce asks while holding Himari's hand.
Bruce starts the car and they make their way back to Himari's house.
Himari watches out the window as the car slows moves through the crowds. The neon lights illuminate the sky in a collage of different colours. As they pass each bar, the hard bass notes slam against her chest with each beat, though its sound muffled from inside the car. The swarms of partygoers filling the streets, groups laughing, shouting, arguing. She lets out a hard breath and looks at her feet before looking out the side window again awkwardly, watching as the river of people slowly step aside as the car moves through. Himari then notices Bunny stumbling in her platform boots and falling into the lamppost causing the crowd to laugh.
"These lights hurt my eyes" she softly announces while staring out the side window.
"Then stop staring at them?" Bruce chuckles.
The air falls quiet as the car strolls out the Entertainment quarter; the ocean of people reduced to the odd drunken wanderers. The once synthetically lit sky falls dark as they enter what remains of the High Street. The faded sign of a furniture store plastered with large red Foreclosure signs on the window; The fallen roof tiles from the old cafe. They pass the old Convenience store, its shelves becoming emptier by the day. Himari places her hand on the window and lets out a deep sigh.
"It really is becoming a night life town huh..." She says with a sigh
Bruce looks over at Himari, her eyes hollow, her soft hand sliding off the window onto her lap.
"It seems that way, people only come here for the bars it seems, you can blame the coalition government for that"
"Are you from this district?" Himari softly asks
"No, I don't live in the Aysteria District. The band comes here for shows since, you know the night life here is fuckin' wild! I live in the Minerva District, Township of Vesta, A lot of people from this town have been moving over there recently."
"Vesta..." She replies with an uncomfortable tone.
"Oh, don't tell me you buy into that South Ayster versus Vesta rivalry!"
"No, it's just- I've never met someone who lived in Vesta"
"Well, we are all Aysterian at the end of the day" Bruce says as he smiles.
"I suppose we are..." Himari's voice falling shy "I see you got your jacket back."
Bruce lets out a hearty laugh. As he turns the corner onto the residential estate.
"This ol' thing? I got hundreds of 'em. I basically give one away every show!"
As they drive through the countless rows of terrace houses the sky begins to brighten, the grass swaying in the gentle breeze, the Garbage truck making its rounds down the streets, she rolls her window down to hear the birds starting to chirp and go about their morning routine.
"Which street was it again" Bruce asks.
"7 Beach Lane..." Himari softly announces while taking in the early cold morning breeze, letting it hit her face. She rubs her eyes and takes a deep breath of fresh air.
Bruce turns onto her street and rolls to a slow stop outside her house. The fence left open with its rusty hinges on display, the front yard wooden bench slowly rotting away from years of neglect between the ever-growing jungle of uncut grass.
"You don't have to come in" Himari's voice small "I am fine from here..." she opens the car door and steps out.
Bruce quickly opens the door and moves towards Himari grabbing her hand,
"I don't want to leave you alone" Bruce says "I want to help you"
"Alright." Himari says with a small hopeful breath.
They approach the front door, taking in the Springs early morning breeze, listening to the love birds sing their songs.
Himari slowly pushes the door open, the house is dark and quiet, Bruce and Himari enter the living room, the Aysterian flag barely noticeable from the shadows. Bruce looks around and notices the photo of the family.
"So, you were married?" Bruce asks with suspicion
"He passed away in 1912... during the war." Himari's eyes begin to swell.
"Oh, I am sorry to hear... Where was he stationed?" Bruce asks with concern.
"Industrialis" Himari opens the drawer and hands Bruce a worn and tatted piece of uniform. "That was his shirt... The one he wore when he was blown to shreds..."
Bruce examines the piece, feeling the shirt in his hands, the loose threads, the bloodstains around the tears. He examines the shirt more, briefly he looks at the Rank slide, still barely intact, the withered embroidery of a star, above the star a silver crown. His eyes adjust, slowly moving over to the embroidered nameplate.
"Lt. Col. Kosuke Miyato"
His eyes widen as he reads the name tag once more, looking up at Himari, seeing her sitting there just staring at the silhouette of the Aysterian flag in the dark, gently waving in the breeze from the slightly ajar window.
"It was him..." Bruce hands the torn jacket back to Himari. "I was in there with him, different division..." his voice softening. "I heard the mine go off...I saw it..." Bruce lets out a long and breathy sigh. "I'm sorry... He was a great guy...Incredibly brave"
Himari's expression softens, the tears slowly clear from her eyes and she lets out a soft, gentle smile as the mouths the words 'Thank You'
Himari and Bruce sat in the living room for the rest of the early morning; talking, sharing stories about the war, Bruce shared some of the songs they used to sing in the trenches to scare off the Mountainians and lower their morale. They joked and laughed until sunrise. Izumi had just woken up and came down the stairs.
"Mama!" Izumi excitedly exclaims.
"Izu!" Himari's eyes brighten as Izumi jumps into her arms.
Bruce watches, letting out a light little smile.