Day 35: Main Street

[mrmewmaker]

Shiki was a little disappointed. When she heard the words 'field trip', she had expected the town to be a whole lot bigger. How could you even go shopping properly in a town like this? There needed to be a whole lot more stores, she decided. Two department stores, boutiques, and a record store, at least

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[kanpekinasenshi]

Seiya almost laughed when she heard Shiki start talking about Shibuya. Not just from similar worlds... sounded like Shiki was a fashionable young woman, at that. "Hey, I'm from Tokyo, too! Well, a Tokyo, anyway. Azabu district." Though the truth was that Roppongi's nightlife suited Seiya the best--the dancing and the foreign flare was more up her alley, especially since she was a foreigner herself in her own way--recently they'd all been spending their time right in Azabu-Juuban, at the center of the phage incidents and also...

... also where Sailor Moon lived, not to mention most of her friends, as it had turned out. This time the cheer from easy conversation with a cute girl wasn't quite enough to stop the reminder that something was wrong, that Usagi was missing. Something was wrong before you ever came here--Odango had no idea who you were. Even if it were another Usagi, the idea of any version of her being erased, or destroyed, while Seiya wasted her time wandering around aimlessly at night...

"We're a long way from that now, aren't we?" Back to shopping, districts and subdistricts of Tokyo, nightlife. If she had to slap herself in the face to keep herself from brooding until she at least had the chance to talk to Ami again and find out what had happened, she would. "I miss going clubbing, there's nothing like letting your hair down to just dance. Well, so to speak." In her case, letting her hair loose meant a heck of a lot of hair to round up again later. "Maybe this place at least has a music store, or something like that."

[mrmewmaker]

"You can say that again! I love to dance. I'm not all that great at it most of the time, but I have a friend that is. She never could take no for an answer when I'd suggest sitting a song out." Shiki didn't let on, but she was relieved that her new friend hadn't commented on her moment of giving into emo urges.

Shiki's parents didn't really approve of going out clubbing, but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. That had been the rationale Eri had used if Shiki ever needed convincing to go out. The name itself was a reminder - she hadn't actually asked Joshua how he'd known that. She decided not to let that worry get to her.

"I think trying to find a music store sounds pretty fun."

[kanpekinasenshi]

"The only important thing in dancing is relaxing, letting the music take over! As long as you do that, nothing else matters," Seiya philosophized. It didn't hurt that, as it had turned out, Usagi was a pretty awkward dancer herself. Not everybody was meant to be a professional. "Well, as long as you don't injure anybody you're dancing with, that is."

Clubbing was a lot easier without parental figures, unless Seiya counted Yaten and Taiki. They thought it was immature, but it wasn't as though they didn't have their own little coping methods. Whatever kept them all moving, and didn't slow them down. She wondered idly if they'd find any of the Three Lights' singles in a music store here, and knew even before she wondered that the answer had to be 'no.'

"What kind of music do you like to listen to, Shiki-san? I'll take anything that has a good beat on it, really." Seiya put her hands behind her head as she walked, no longer quite as self-conscious of the 'fluffy kitty' shirt she'd been burdened with. Her ponytail swung behind her steps evenly. "It isn't looking good so far. I don't see why they need a spa, the poor people who live here must already be pretty relaxed from boredom if it's all like this." That wasn't really fair, but it was a pretty tiny excuse for a town. "I think I see a sign ahead that says electronics. Well, people have to have something to play on their electronics around here, right?"

[mrmewmaker]

Shiki laughed. "I may not be a great dancer, but I can't say I've ever hurt someone doing it."

She had to grin at that last statement. Oh, it was true that she liked pretty much everything, but she had to admit bias - she had a happy fangirl crush on a certain lead singer/guitarist. "Oh, I like pretty much anything - though I have to admit, I really like Def March. 777's so - gah, the way he sings and the cool outfits he wears! So cool..."

She was so lost in her momentary reverie that she didn't really hear the question right the first time. "Huh, why would - oh. Yeah. That makes sense!"

[kanpekinasenshi]

"So you already have a start as a dancer--you're ahead of some people, at least." Seiya grinned back at her, pleased. Though it was a little disappointing to hear her answer about music, someone Seiya had never heard of, a girl's reaction to a favorite pop idol wasn't exactly unfamiliar and seeing it directed at someone else was kind of fun in an odd way.

"Sounds like a pretty cool guy. We don't have that group where I'm from. It's too bad, I'd like to hear it. I'm guessing we won't find either of our favorites around town, though. I don't guess you've ever heard of the Three Lights? They have a really handsome guy as a lead singer, too."

She paused, glancing in at the electronics shop just to confirm it wasn't advertising anything she was interested in, then down the street some more. "I think I see a movie rental place. I'm getting the feeling we're not going to finish our quest for music with success, Shiki-san."

[mrmewmaker]

She smiled. "Awesome!" That band name, though - again, it sounded a little familiar, like she knew she should have heard of it, but she couldn't really place it. Shiki shook her head. "I'm afraid I haven't, though they sound like they'd be pretty cool. What do they sound like?"

"Aww, man. This town is so - what kind of place doesn't have a decent music store? I have half a mind to - to - well, I don't know what I'll do." It was positively criminal to let them go somewhere that didn't even have a decent selection of - well, anything. Not clothes, not music - were there even any other people her age that lived here? She'd seen several other teenagers, but she recognized their faces from the institute.

"I don't think these people know how to have fun. Do you?"

[kanpekinasenshi]

"Well, their most popular song's kind of a love ballad, but the other stuff has more of a beat behind it, sort of pop-techno." Seiya honestly didn't have too many delusions about the Three Lights. They were all talented enough as musicians and most of their 'extra' time was spent training that, but their music was generated specifically to spread as far as possible, not always what Seiya'd listen to on purpose at home. Which home?

Leaning against a brick wall, to glance around along with Shiki, Seiya had to agree. "Yeah, it feels like the fun is just drained from this place." There'd been a bookstore, sure, but even Taiki did things other than read. "I guess there are the parks, at least. I'm still not sure I'd stay sane if I lived here long, though." She smiled and winked. "Or they'd get annoyed with me and kick me out, one or the other."

She was starting to get a little hungry. Covering her mouth with a yawn, Seiya glanced back in the direction they'd come from. "I'm going to go get myself a hamburger, I think. One fast food restaurant in a whole town! I guess at this size, they don't need competition."

[mrmewmaker]

"Okay. It was good meeting you!" Shiki waved goodbye.

As she did, she felt her stomach growl. Oh, dear, she hadn't really eaten breakfast, had she?

Right. Lunch it was.

[kanpekinasenshi]

"Nice meeting you too, Shiki-san! Sometime we'll have to get together and talk about music again." Seiya winked and waved, then headed back down the direction she'd come from. She wasn't in any huge hurry to get there, but there was no telling if there might be a line or not, and she was hungry enough that she didn't want to wait too long.

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