9 Kayano and Sky

"Where are we going." I ask.

"It's a surprise. So put this on." He says and pulls out a blindfold.

"Oh I really don't think so." I say, but he goes ahead and ties it anyway.

"Don't be a downer." He says once he finishes.

"Where are we going! I demand to know!" I yell.

"Just be patient." He says. "And can you not yell, it makes me look suspicious."

"Whatever." I say under my breath and continue to walk. I really see no purpose in the blindfolds, but as always I don't complain. When we get to the location, it suddenly becomes really cold, like there's a draft or something. Then, I hear some inaudible whispers. Some terrible music begins to play and I thought about complaining about it, but changed my mind. However, the music got louder so I couldn't resist.

"This music sucks." I say flatly and Sky laughs.

His laugh is quite enchanting. Is this the first time I'm hearing it? Sky sits me down somewhere and then there's more whispering and then I think he leaves and I almost took of the blindfold, but figured I'd already gotten this far. It gets warmer and it starts to smell amazing.

"Okay." He says and begins to untie the blindfold.

When the blindfold comes off I'm sitting at a table with lots a fancy food that I've never seen before and we're inside of a beautiful restaurant that's even more fancy.

"Surprise." He says smiling.

"Why?" Is all I say, but it sounds more like I'm disgusted.

"I thought that since tomorrow we'll be spending long periods of time together sleeping, murdering, and hunting Chaos…" He says. "That maybe we should get to know each other a little better."

"Don't you think this is a little over the top?" I ask.

"No not really." He says.

"This is kind of expensive."

"Don't worry about it." He says sitting across from me. "So where did you grow up?"

"Earth." I say being funny.

"Ha ha." He says.

"I lived in Japan with my mother until I was three and until I was eighteen I lived on a ship."

"So where is your mother?"

"Oh...she's been missing for the past thirteen years." He looks like he regrets asking.

"Oh, sorry."

"It's ok.

"Any siblings? Probably not."

"Yup, I'm an only child. Well at least as far as I know." That makes him laugh.

"So I know about your parents, I'm gonna go ahead and say you're an only child too, and also that you were born and raised here so…"

"You're right."

"So what do you do all day? Train?" I ask making fun of him.

"Yes actually." He says with a smile. Everything about his mouth is so interesting. His laugh, his smile, and his teeth are so white.

"I can imagine." I say.

A man comes over dressed in a suit, I look at Sky and he smiles again. Is that all he knows how to do?

"How may I serve this lovely couple today?" the waiter asks.

"Wait we're-" I start to say, but Sky cuts me off.

"No we're good for the time being thank you."

"Good day." the waiter says and walks away.

"Really?" I say. "Why didn't you let me talk?"

"Typically people who come here are together, he's just assuming and I don't feel like breaking it to him."

"Right. Um, any other questions?"

"Uh...biggest fear?" He says after thinking about it for a minute.

"That's easy. Bombs." I say and he looks kind of surprised.

"Isn't everyone?

"Yeah, but my fear of bombs is more of a phobia, due to a traumatic experience." I explain. "Seeing a bomb would paralyze me and having one go off would drive me crazy."

"Explain." He says sounding truly interested.

"Well, long story short, when I was three and Nova found me it was in the middle of a mass bombing, my mother disappeared and everyone else was killed. Ever since then bombs have been...a nightmare."

"How did you find out you were that afraid of them?"

"Nova ran a test and set it in a war zone. The bombs started going off it was terrible. I don't know what was going on outside the simulation, but inside I was going mental. I pressed my back up against the nearest wall and started screaming, pulling my hair, and the whole time images of the day of the bombing were zooming through my head. When the finally turned off the sim I just sat there staring into nothing. Nova tried to shake me out of it and when she finally did my fighting skills were ...off...by a lot. I couldn't concentrate or focus. It was like my whole life was thrown left."

"That sounds terrible." He says sincerely.

"Yeah I couldn't even fire my pistol correctly." I say shaking my head. "It was pathetic. I was a laughing stock."

"Don't blame yourself."

"Oh I don't. I blame The Light." I say and the face he makes shows that he's really caught by surprise. "I know. I shouldn't blame her, but I do. The Light knew all those things were going to happen and did nothing to prevent it."

"You're not supposed to interfere with prophecies."

I roll my eyes and stuff my mouth with mashed potatoes.

"Would you say that if you were me and it was your mom and or dad?"

"Good point."

I laugh.

"What?" He says.

"It's nothing." I say eating more mashed potatoes, but they go pretty fast.

"Is it that good?"

I look up a little surprised. "I haven't eaten real food in years."

"Right." He says. "I forget sometimes."

"Are you gonna eat that?" I say pointing at his crab legs with my fork.

"I think you need it more than me so…" He says pushing his plate toward me.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask stuffing myself with crab meat.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." He says smiling.

"You're really pushing it." I say.

"Sorry. My bad."

After I finish eating we just leave. Without paying. And I don't question it. Sky walks me to my room. House? Apartment? Temporary suite? Tonight was fun and I'd tell him that, but the real fun starts tomorrow morning. Chaos, we're on our way.