[h3][color=steelblue]Kaito Mori[/color] and [color=RosyBrown]Haru Tsuyumi[/color][/h3][b][Tokyo's 3rd Ward, Minato - Strangelove's Coffee Balcony][/b] Idle tapping rang out from underneath the small glass table, a somewhat short teenaged looking boy flicking his thumb rapidly back and forth across the sleek display of the smart phone in his hands. A brown cardboard cup with steam rising from it's ajar lid sitting on the top of the glass a few inches away from him. A low yawn escaped the black haired young man's wide mouth as he tilted his head over the backrest to let his glasses slide back up his nose. The squeak of a sliding glass door distracting him and making his head turn to the right, hair flopping into his mouth and making his speech slightly muffled. [color=steelblue]"There's teh man of the howr. How'd theaf firft day go?"[/color] A stifled chuckle escaped the apron wearing young man that stood awkwardly in the doorway, a leather backpack slung around his shoulder rustling slightly as he stepped towards the empty seat opposite of the hooded man and dropped his bag down next to it. [color=rosybrown]"Hey Kaito...It was uh...It was ok. I think I already screwed up royally though."[/color] Spitting the random strands of hair out of his mouth, Kaito sat up straight and casually pushed the steaming coffee cup towards his friend, before crossing his arms and smiling. [color=steelblue]"Nah. You couldn't of messed up that bad Haru. You're being too hard on yourself again. What did you do? Drop a tray?"[/color] Grasping the offered coffee and taking a small sip, the messy haired server shook his head. [color=rosybrown]"Thanks. And no, I didn't drop a tray, I sort of...accidentally tripped my manager into the condiment table because I spilt some water on the floor."[/color] As he said this, the dark eyed young man took another sip and glanced into space, a guilty frown on his face. Tilting his head slightly, Kaito pointed a finger. [color=steelblue]"But was he hurt that bad? It's not like you crippled the guy."[/color] Shaking his head lightly again, Haru met his friend's brown gaze. [color=rosybrown]"Well, no. He was ok. Or at least, he made it out that he was ok. Everyone was laughing at him, even the customers, and when he turned around to confront to me, I thought I was gonna get yelled at and fired on the spot, but he actually started laughing along with them. It was really confusing; he acted like he wasn't even mad at me."[/color] A light smirk played across Kaito's pale face as he tucked his phone into his sweater's front pocket. [color=steelblue]"It sounds like you got a boss with a sense of humour."[/color] His left brow raised up as he went on. [color=steelblue]"Did he talk to you about it after or anything like that?"[/color] Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, the server spoke quietly as his eyes drifted down to his beverage. [color=rosybrown]"Uh...No. No he just told me to be more careful and left me alone for the rest of the day."[/color] The longer haired man's hands went up in the air as he laughed. [color=steelblue]"Then c'mon, stop worrying about it! You're fine. People get that new guys mess up sometimes, so your job's safe. Chill."[/color] The tight grip that Haru held on his cup began to soften a bit as his face turned back up to Kaito's to shoot a tiny grin. [color=rosybrown]"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks Kaito I...I've kinda been bored lately. I'm surprised you actually showed, usually no one comes to visit the me here because well...you know. It freaks everyone out. I've been having a hard time adjusting to living so close to their home turf myself. I see them on almost every other street. But, I guess it's better than living in any of the Quarantined Wards..."[/color] Brushing a hand through his bangs, the spectacled teen pushed his fist into his palm. [color=steelblue]"Are you kidding? I wouldn't let a Special Class Dove stop me from coming to visit you. And if one of them tried to? They'd be in for one hell of a dance."[/color] Haru's face had brightened up significantly since he had sat down. Taking another sip of the coffee in his hand, he stood up and gestured out to the quiet side street in front of the shop. [color=rosybrown]"I wouldn't doubt it. So uh...Did you want to come see my new place? It's not that far from here, and it's actually pretty quie....."[/color] Stretching his arms out above his head and closing his eyes, the blue hooded young man groaned. [color=steelblue]"'Quiet'? I'm surprised you even found a place like that around here. Usually they're-Huh? Haru?"[/color] Kaito's slightly blurred gaze refocused on his friend now standing unevenly across from him. The hairs on Haru's arms standing up straight as his eyes widened, and he stood stiff as a board. A look of concern washed over as he pushed his chair back and stood up to outstretch his hand. [color=steelblue]"Haru, you alright man? Talk to me. What's wrong?"[/color] Checking over his shoulder, the spectacled teen's eyes scanned the street below. [color=steelblue][i]Did he see something down there? A Dove maybe?[/i][/color] Kaito's confusion was soon answered by a choked yell crawling out of his friend's throat. Haru's arms flew to grip his chest as he stumbled around the porch, falling back over the chair he'd just stood up from and hitting the wood floor with a hard [i]smack.[/i] [color=steelblue]"HARU!"[/color] Vaulting over the coffee table with unusual speed, the panicked young man got down on knees next to the fallen server. Whose eyes had started to glaze over as he stared off into space, breaths coming out ragged and weak as he continued to grip his dirty white shirt. Kaito wasted no time in batting away his friend's hands and pressing his palm to Haru's chest in attempts to compress. [color=steelblue]"No no no! Don't do this! Haru man, come on! Get up!"[/color] The shouting and commotion from the open air porch was beginning to attract attention. The bystanders on the street below erupting into a confused panic. [color=green]"Is something going on? I heard screaming up on the balcony..."[/color] [color=yellow]"There was definitely shouting! Someone call an ambulance! Check on them!"[/color] [color=orange]"Hold on up there! We're coming up and getting help!"[/color] The rapid sounds of hurried footsteps crowding into the coffee shop's main floor simply faded into the white noise ringing around in Kaito's mind. Sweat pouring down his face as he grit his teeth and kept up his impromptu CPR, keeping his gaze locked with Haru's bloodshot, empty stare. [color=steelblue]"DAMN IT HARU! COME ON! PLEASE! [i]HARU! WAKE UP![/i]"[/color] [hr] [i]One week later...[/i] [hr] [b][Tokyo's 20th Ward, Nerima - Akinokirinsō Ave][/b] [color=silver]"...In other news, Shi no te is quickly losing it's hold on the 2nd Ward. Patients seeking treatment in hospital for the deadly virus are making steady recovers from the brink of death in the care of the talented nurses and doctors brought in from Kyoto, and of course, the effective use of vaccination done by many public businesses in the Ward. One hospital has also made a personal thank you to the CCG Investigators that defended the Ward while..."[/color] A large plasma TV behind an electronic shop's glass display blared the morning news out from a set of large speakers set up on both of it's sides. A few people in the flood of foot traffic slowing down slightly to turn their heads towards the footage of two suited men with briefcases shaking the hands of a white coated woman, before simply moving on and being carried by the flow of bodies. Many of the well dressed worker's in the crowd wearing thin paper masks over their mouths and noses, with a few tissues sticking out of their pockets. [color=steelblue][i]They keep saying everything's getting better....That the flu's going to be nothing but history by the end of summer....But are they really telling the truth? Ghouls are still dying by the hundreds....humans are still dying by the thousands....I wouldn't call that 'recovery' at all. Not by a long shot.[/i][/color] Across the street on the patio of a cafe, a blue hooded man barely even looking over the rim of the of his cardboard cup as he took a sip. Soon crumpling the empty drink cup and tossing it over his shoulder and into a nearby trash bin stacked up to overflowing with the things. His chair swaying heavily as he pushed back to put his worn sneakers up on the table and go back to staring down at the small tablet in his hands. The screen displaying an article involving the current rate of Ghoul crime, and the slow climb of incidents since the start of the virus pandemic. [color=steelblue][i]I still don't know shit...No one does. And if I don't figure something out soon, someone's gonna pull another dumb stunt that'll make everything harder. I love big cities. I really do.[/i][/color]