Sinking Halfway to the Bottom 2

What an interesting human, Serafall mused, her heels skipping against the rough sidewalk beneath her. It had been a while since she had been able to hold a conversation without her persona bleeding through, mostly due to it being what the person wanted or expected of her. Such was the act of keeping appearances in the political landscape of the supernatural world.

It wasn't that she needed to hold up said appearances, the power she held and her standing amongst her kind was enough to prove her worth. However, it was always a neat bonus when her adversaries thought her little more than a girl in over her head; it never failed to surprise her the number of people who held that notion, all fools.

Still, it had been a while since she last let her guard down, especially in the presence of others. Even her sister hadn't ever seen this side of her, always seeing the invincible and cute Magical Girl Levia-tan.

Melvin, was it? The youth had his merits, and he certainly knew his way around making drinks… Perhaps she should see him again when possible, it wasn't like another one of those milkshakes would hurt her figure either way.

Yes, they wouldn't, they really wouldn't, she internally repeated, a vibrant cerulean circle appearing beneath her feet, as she teleported away. Alas, it wouldn't be for a while, as there was no rest for the wicked.

{---}​

Light flickered as shadows contorted, a confuddled look overcoming the avian with a human skull for a head. Its nonexistent eyes veered left and right, scanning its area as to what it could possibly be, finding only snow and concrete as its company. A feeling of unease rattling its old and famished bones.

There was a faint presence somewhere, the bird-like creature knew that as fact. However, it could not see it, nor could it be sensed. Pangs of weariness struck the monster like a whip as it retreated back on its cold feet.

Did something else want his prey?, the Itsumade thought, a trio of green balls manifesting behind it. No, it was too early into winter for that…Unless-, it continued before being cut off, electricity sparking along the spine of its feathers.... Magi-

As though God were offended by its existence, thunder boomed as a blitzing bolt of yellow struck it from the sky, knocking it back with deep singes scarring its body and wings. Smoke poured from all around, covering the monster in an impenetrable veil from all sides. Popping one of the balls from its back, the bird flapped its wings, using the gust of wind to push away the fog and reveal its adversary, the one who wanted to steal what it had rightfully hunted.

"Come on, master, a little game like this would never hurt anybody." A child-like voice whined, the body that the monster had laid claim to… now standing up, its severed arm seemingly reattached and now reinforced by steel. This didn't look too good.

Step by step, it gradually picked up its pace, quietly moving through the wind and snow without a sound. It needed to get out of there as soon as possible. It could find food anywhere else, but this… had it stayed for longer its life would practically be forfeited.

The bird looked towards its signed wings, wincing at the sight of its now burnt flesh. Flying would be annoying for a while, but it could life another day, another day where it could recuperate the damages that it had recei-

Like a giant fly trap, it was zapped in mid-air, tumbling towards the ground as its muscles seized function, overridden by its sudden exposure to high amounts of voltage. It all happened so quickly, not a moment spared to react. Popping the other two balls down on its feet, its fall was cushioned ever so slightly, still impacting with a dry thud.

"Nu-uh-uh! Not so fast, mister, we can't get so impatient now, can we?" The same voice chastised it in the distance, growing closer and closer by the second. Fear gripped at its heart with the intensity of a vice, violently palpitating to get as much blood flowing as possible.

Desperation laden in its actions, each motion sloppy, done with a single instinct pushing it forward. It needed to survive, and at this point, no cost was too high, especially with that thing following him around. The bird had to think smarter if it wanted to get out of the situation, a plan formulating in its head.

Hopping on a single foot, the bird tore a hole through a nearby door and hid itself behind the hinges, hanging on by the loosest of threads, a single claw latched on. And there, it waited, patiently, knowing the time to strike would come eventually. After all, life was a two way street, and the avian only wanted to go one way on the road.

Steeling its nerves for what was to come, it aimed a blast of wind directly at the whole it had made, hearing the echoes of the tiny woman searching for it. Slowly, it stalked ever-closer, tinges of fear penetrating through its reinforced will, faltering slightly. Thoughts of failure struck whilst the iron was hot, ideas of another one of those monsters coming after it.

More of them? A pair of voices, more than one!? No, no, no, it internally chanted, with much distress in its thoughts. What else was it supposed to feel? Relieved that it would have a quick death? Not after that fiasco.

The specter had learned many things over the course of its long and hungry life in the human world. One of them was that if you allowed something the opportunity for escape, they were either inexperienced… or a proficient hunter. The Itsumade made little effort to test which it got. Another one of those bolts, and it would be a goner for sure.

A dim glow shone against the floor, as the loud crumpling of snow finally came to a halt. This was it… the beast's breath halted, freezing in its nonexistent throat for what felt like an eternity. Slowly, but surely, the monster felt its life slip away with each passing second. Just enter already-

Its thoughts were cut short, leaving without a trace. As the door flew open, kicked from its hinges, and slammed into its small and lithe frame, a sickening crunch booming down into a nearby staircase. "Whoops…" Was all the starved spirit heard, the last flashes of life dying right before its eyes.

{---}​

There, splattered against bland gray concrete, was something that could neither be called human nor animal… Then again, could he really say that when there was a damn pixie floating right there next to him?

"It isn't that bad, master~." The diminutive woman tried to reassure him, but her words were of no avail, Melvin's eyes still drawn to the corpse. "He would have continued attacking us if we hadn't fought back."

A click rung from his lips, the now blooded boy's features contorting to that of a grimace. "I know, I know damn it." He shouted in frustration, fingers frantically combing at his blonde hair, pulling at several strands, but not plucking them. "Just when…. Fucking shit!"

Like a snap shot, his fist slammed into the wall, knuckles stained crimson as he wound up another hit. Just when life started to get better. Just when things finally started to brighten up!, He internally fumed, fanning the fires of his rage. Why can't I just live happily? Is that too much to ask?

Teeth grit against one another, his sight still drawn to the body on the floor, a single twitch kick starting it all. His foot met with the monster's very human skull, caving it in. Then a second time, then a third. If this was all a dream, then releasing some of his anger wouldn't matter at all, none of this would matter.

His cheek stained with blood, a large majority of his pants dyed a deep red. Frankly, Melvin would have gone for one more, however, a dainty set of fingers wrapped around his head, a soothing sensation bringing him back to reality. Right, he remembered, I need to get back home.

Wordlessly, he stepped away from the scene, walking down the stairs and out of the building, a red trail following him with every step. Though that might have been the case, not a single person paid any mind, not like there were people in the first place. The boy shoved his hands into his pockets, deflating out a tired sigh. Today had been a long day, perhaps he just needed some rest? Yes, a good night's rest would fix everything.

Opening the door to the small apartment they lived in, he was greeted by an overbearing silence. Mom shouldn't get here until midnight. Best to get everything fixed while she's gone, Melvin thought, picking up a hamper from the floor.

A sock. A pair of panties. A massage gun. A lightsaber. Rubber candies, some dude's wallet, along with his underwear. Must suck to be him, he inwardly chuckled, throwing it, along with the others, into the bin and placing it near the laundry machine.

The house was now clean, and yet, it still felt so dirty. Or maybe… it wasn't. Pain shot through Melvin's eye as a guttural wail bellowed from deep within his core. What-… What the fuck's happening!? In moments, his body dropped with a thud, vision dimming by the second, as though he was forcefully being dragged to sleep.

Try as he might, nothing would keep him up just a little bit longer, as he had already used that energy earlier. Blooming seedlings of doubt rooted themselves in his heart, breaking free of their seeds, and sprouting into a magnificent tree, one of silent seething.

{---}

​

With a toasted peanut butter sandwich in one hand and his bags in the other, Melvin hurriedly left the house, saying goodbye to his mother, as though none of the previous day's events had occurred. Not that he wanted to remember. The day, expectedly, went on without anything deviating from its set path.

Same cars on the street, same people walking along the sidewalk, and same gossip running up and down rumor mill. Exhaling a smooth breath of air, his figure tiredly deflated. It was all a dream, he sighed with much exasperation, the sweet release of relieving so much stress at once rolling his eyes to the back of their sockets.

"Tired day?" An arm slung around his shoulder without warning, the momentum of the action dragging the boy along for the ride. "Because it really looks like you need twenty cups of coffee to survive today."

"Not particularly," Melvin spoke in English, lying by the skin of his teeth. "Why would you want to know though? Didn't think you were ever the type to pry, James." To that, his friend merely reeled his head back, letting out a few good laughs.

"Well, when was it ever wrong to be concerned over a friend?" His heart skipped a beat, the sun glowing just a bit brighter. "Especially when you work so damn hard, it isn't difficult to bring worry over your situation, wouldn't you agree?"

"I suppose so…" Melvin muttered, his eyes drifting off into the ground. "Alright, guess the cat's going to be out of the bag then." He cleared his throat, a lump forming where it hadn't before, tying rough knots. "I've been interested in this gir-"

"She hot?" The sudden question brought a smile to the artist's face, simply nodding to the quarry.

"Yes, she's very easy on the eyes. That answer your question?" There was a long pause as they rounded the corner, their school entering sight. "Goo-"

"You got any pics? Her number?"

"No." He flatly denied his friend, his left eye twitching with annoyance. "I'm sorry, but wouldn't it be weird to ask someone for their number while you're ringing them up? Just think about it for a sec, yeah? Sound awfully stupid of you."

Scratching his cheek, James let out an awkward chuckle, the volume of his voice dimming by the second. "You know, I hate it when you're right." He embarrassingly muttered, hiding himself within the collar of the school's jacket. "But, in the end, it's also my fault for making it too easy for you… Think I should change the way I speak?'

"And miss out on my easy punching bag? No way!" Melvin protested with a grin on his face. "Who else am I going to talk to, huh? A filthy foreigner like me? I'd have better luck trying to go for that woman as opposed to anyone else in the class."

"Fair. But, you should probably fix that. Won't get more friends with that kind of attitude…" His friend paused, matching Melvin's grin with his. "Or a girlfriend for that matter."

In an instant, he ran off, having spotted the school in sight. That bastard, the artist inwardly scowled, adjusting the bag resting on his shoulders as he entered through the school gate. He still had quite a bit of time before the first subject would start, and seeing as he had come a bit earlier than usual, he decided to go inside.

Walking through the halls, he heard the echoes of laughter and people talking in the distance, emotion gradually bleeding away from his face. Another day in school, he inwardly mused, pursing his lips. Talking to others had always been a challenge for Melvin, more so when he moved to Japan. Then again, nobody said learning a whole new language was going to be easy, especially in such a short amount of time.

His eyes drifted off to the ceiling, a hand touching at one of the tiles that made up its surface. It was one of the reasons he decided to work as a barista of all things, besides the salary, that was. To no longer remain a stranger.

A low hum broke the silence surrounding him, shoving his hand into his pockets as an uneven breath left his grasp. Today was going to be different though, he just knew it. And after that dream last night? He could certainly use a distraction to take his mind off the disturbing, and very vivid images.

It's all just a dream, Melvin chanted to himself, his mind wafting over with much clarity. Yes, all just a dream… but where does the dream start and end? For a moment, he could feel his entire body shake, breath hitching without warning. It couldn't be, right?

The question would be left unanswered as he entered his classroom, eyes distant, shining with a glassy texture. However, he almost felt restless, his question searing itself into his mind, never once letting itself go. "I think the stress is finally getting to me." He chuckled aloud, much to the plight of those around him.

Or perhaps they had simply regarded his antics as Melvin being Melvin, however, that likely wouldn't be the case, their looks said as much. Hiding behind the thin veneer of nervousness, he dryly coughed into his hand twice before pulling out a notebook from his bag, setting both down on his desk.

Right, he needed to cool his head, take his mind off the world and escape from its confines… a task easier said than done in all honesty. Plucking a pencil from its case, his eyes shut, fingers briskly moving without motive nor direction.

He let himself run free, without a care as to what he wanted to do, one stroke at a time. Smooth, sharp, and sometimes rough, the boy dealt with the many textures drawing using a pen and paper had brought. Soft, with the gentleness one would expect for a child, Melvin entered his own little world, his hand gliding upward, as he finished his piece.

It was a drawing of an angel, whose body was split between two halves. He had taken designs from two separate demons and melded them together. Though, for such quick thinking and artistry, he almost doubted what he had seen himself. A drawing laid where a blank slate had in the past, now gone in little more than thirty minutes.

A man possessed, that's what he was. Someone whose muse guided them along its whims, ignoring all else. Or perhaps it had something to do with the dream? For something so vivid, it ought to jot something in his head, that was something he could agree on.

"Got - - name for it?" A feminine voice penetrated through the barrier Melvin had cast around himself, shattering it as though it were glass. "Looks well made, how long 'id take to draw it? Because I heard some people take days and their quality's only a third of it."

Peering up from his distraction, sight now locked with this… person. "I just started making it." He answered as quickly as possible, etching a few more details into the page. "Detached myself from caring about the quality…" the boy paused, rethinking his words. "I haven't cared about quality."

Was it good?, he asked himself, unsure of the answer, and unwilling to hear it. It was good after all, someone had outright said it. However, was it really though? Could it just be a mere icebreaker to talk to him? The lonely sad sack in the middle of the classroom, sitting by his lonesome, without a care, where others readily conversed with one anoth-

"Bjorn, right?" She asked, to which he nodded. "Have you ever thought, what's stopping you from making friends?" The query felt as though he'd been blasted by a shotgun, breaking down his seemingly impenetrable anti-social wall. "Nothing against you, it's more of a general question."

Blunt, like the front end of a hammer. However, he supposed it was much preferable to the dilly-dallying of others. "I think I have." He answered to the best of his ability, stumbling somewhat in his words. "It could be because my parents never taught me, the new environment, or maybe even the people. What about you? What's your case?"

It took her a second to process the information, likely because of the disjointedness of his speech. "Hmmm. For me, I just don't find many people interesting." She started, pacing around his chair until she flanked his right. "Person- - I think it's hard to find people - - note. There's always something - -, you get me?"

No matter if she tried to clarify, the language barrier between them was as rough as sandpaper, threatening to cut through the other side if one were to say the wrong word. Melvin leaned back on his seat, trying to fill in the gaps with his limited knowledge.

"I can see where you're coming from." He replied, his mind brute forcing through the conversation. "Though, I can't say the same for myself." Her brows furrowed immediately, eyes lowering towards the drawing. "What you're looking at is merely the surface. To limit yourself is the same as saying you can only see your reflection in a pond, when there could very well be animals of all shapes and sizes just underneath the waters."

Try as he might, the majority of what he said would lose its meaning due to his limited vocabulary. Still, it seemed that the girl took some of it to heart, even if very little. "In some ways, you're right." The signs of a smile formed on her face as her posture eased.

"Well then, why don't we continue this conversation some other time then? The teacher should be entering the class any minute now, and I wouldn't want to inconvenience you." Melvin suggested, to which the girl agreed.

"Yeah, I guess it is." She replied, her tone somewhat disappointed. "See you next time then."

"Ah! Before you go, I know it's quite rude of me to say this after having said all that, but could I get your name?" Her hand rose, stifling a laughter that bubbled from the little artist's actions, much to his chagrin.

"Kuzuryu, Kuzuryu Misato." She answered, her purple eyes meeting with his. "And don't forget it."