VYMGA

23:20 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> "...Pass the dip, would you?" The white-haired, milky-eyed girl's clear, soft voice called to her friend on the other end of the couch. Despite the relatively warm temperature of the small, cramped apartment, she was still under a heavy duvet,  the ethereal light of cinematic kung-fu fighting flickering off her pale skin.
23:24  * Kitahara_Yumeno sighed, sliding it over with a rather passive expression. Her hair was more grey than white. She had a lot to blame for that. Of course, this city was pretty crowded, so she'd gotten used to these typical little things... "How long are you going to watch that for? It's another re-run..."
23:28  * Kitahara_Yumeno took a seat on the floor nearby, rather calmly watching her...friend? Partner? It was hard to call her either, really. Or insultingly easy. "...Ever feel like we're both a bit out of sync, sometimes...?"
23:35 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> Her pale, slender hand reached out and delicately grabbed a chip, dipping it in the french onion dip and bringing it back up to her mouth to nibble on, pouting a bit. "...Th-there's a lot of... complexities in the way they fight... so there's always more things to see..."
23:35 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> "...What do you mean, out of sync...?"
23:37 < Kitahara_Yumeno> "...I wouldn't mind doing a little bit /more/ fighting. I just feel...really empty, sitting around here in this dump..." Maybe some of the training she received was getting to her head... "I'm so used to active duty, and I can't really handle a dry spell..." she muttered, looking disppointed.
23:38 < Kitahara_Yumeno> "There's just something about holding a weapon...about being in control. It really makes me feel alive..." Or maybe it was her abuse of heavy combat stims...\
23:42 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> "Y-Yumeno-san... uhm... you've really been playing video games too much..." The fragile girl shrank behind her duvet, only her pale, moon-like eyes showing. "Th-they say you can get way too immersed in some of those..."
23:45  * Kitahara_Yumeno shrugs a little... "S-sorry, I get pretty into...everything. It's just how I am. If something's addictive...it's pretty damn addictive. It keeps my mind off all the unpleasantness around me, I guess." She sighed... "Nothing's ever easy, Tsukiko-san."
23:48 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> "W-watching kung fu movies is easy... and hugging each other... and making instant ramen." She had almost completely retreated under the heavy, warm black comforter now, fingers lightly gripping the top. It made her small, wavering voice a bit muffled.
Kitahara_Yumeno chuckled, eventually curling up with her after calming down a little. She tended to have a few anger issues to sort out, at times, but overall, she was relatively easygoing. The oxymoron in that would be lost on most people, anyway. "...I wish there was a bit more room..."
00:03  * Kitahara_Yumeno had rather awkwardly tried to hug her from where she was trying to relax. As strange as it seemed it was, at least, some kind of affectionate gesture, she thought.
00:13 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> "Ah...!" The petit, slender girl squirmed and blushed slightly as her friend pressed against her soft, pajama-clad skin. They'd been left rather sloppily buttoned, meaning Yumeno was touching a bit more chest than expected. "Y-you're cold..." Nevertheless, her slender arms slid gently around Yumeno's waist and gave her a tiny, soft squeeze.
00:18 < Kitahara_Yumeno> "...Not always..." she muttered with a muffled giggle. "I'm pretty cold, now, if that's what you mean..." She squeezed back a little, happy that Tsukiko was there for her. "Even in the worst of times, it all goes back to cuddling under these ridiculous covers, eh...?"
00:19 < Kitahara_Yumeno> "...I guess you're right. Maybe I'm getting in way over my head with this. Taking it easy isn't so bad..." She slowly, finally relaxed herself enough. She felt bad she wasn't wearing a suit, though. She loved to be formal, even in places where it didn't make any sense.
00:26 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> "Th-they're not ridiculous." Her slim, soft hand moved up to rest on the back of Yumeno's neck, and she snuggled her soft face into it. She was like a fragile little doll. "D-did you pick up the medicine? It's probably time..."
00:34 < Kitahara_Yumeno> "...Well...I might've forgotten. I'm not sure..." She squirmed a little, almost as if it slipped her mind by complete accident... "Damnit! I knew something was wrong today...it was bugging me the whole time, and-...!"
00:35  * Kitahara_Yumeno tried to calm down a little, sighing... "L-Look, I'm sorry, but I must've been unfocused...wasn't paying attention..."
00:37 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> She looked frightened, shrinking away from the loud swearing. "I-It's okay, Yumeno-kun... th-there's still a syringe in the emergency kit... b-but... please remember to pick it up... t-tomorrow..."
00:39  * Kitahara_Yumeno stroked her hair a little, getting up to root around for the appropriate medicine. This was awfully stressful, but she tended to lose her cool and her focus at the worst times these days. "...A-alright. I'll make sure, next time! I promise..." She found the syringe rather easily, even in her shaking hands...
00:46 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> "A-and... don't forget to get more milk, too... it's on sale... I got a discount code..." She was rather responsible, for someone who never even left the apartment. "Please get the two percent this time... the whole milk was a little too much for me." She'd snuggled up under her blankets again, shivering slightly.
00:48  * Kitahara_Yumeno still held the syringe, unsure of what she'd do... "...Do you need any, right now, or should I wait until you're ready..."
00:49 < Kitahara_Yumeno> The poor thing...she never left the place often, and yet, she deserved attention more than she did. It was a responsibility of hers. Not totally forced or desired. A little of both.
00:49 < Kitahara_Yumeno> *than Yumeno did
00:54 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> "N-no... sorry." She moved the blanket down a little, revealing her pale neck with its little injection scars. It was a strange place to have to make injections, but then again, her disease was a strange one to have. Yumeno had done it enough times to be comfortable and efficient in it. Despite the scary location, the procedure wasn't hard once it was already known.
00:54 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> "I-it would probably be d-dangerous to wait any longer..."
00:57  * Kitahara_Yumeno trembled a little bit, being very careful to put the needle into her neck where she was instructed...countless drills and lessons made the process almost automatic, as she injected whatever mysterious medicine this was. She never was quite sure what it was supposed to do, but it kept her partner alive.
01:02 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> "Mmmnnn..." Her little hands pawed gently at the duvet, muscles relaxing, blushing, eyes falling half-lidded. She always went into this sort of trance state when it was time to give her medicine, and she never seemed to remember it afterward at all. "Aaaahhh..."
01:04 < Kitahara_Yumeno> "Oi, Tsukiko..." she muttered, dropping her forced politeness. "You alright? S'it working already....That's some quickly..."
01:05  * Kitahara_Yumeno shook her head... "Uh...j-just let me know when you're okay..."
01:05  * Kitahara_Yumeno thought 'Well, damn, I never was any good at playing doctor. Even for her...'
01:07 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> She slowly slumped forward, resting her cheek on the duvet, seeming quite relaxed and happy. "Mmmmmm... Yumeno..."
01:09  * Kitahara_Yumeno tilted her head a little, sighing in relief... "So...is it working again? Last week, when your meds gave out, I nearly scared myself to death..."
01:11 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> "Yumeno... ahhhh... you're so good. You're so good to me... you're so... you take care of me, and... you..." She trailed off, still dazed and trancelike, nuzzling the blanket gently.
01:21  * Kitahara_Yumeno shook her head again, sighing. She didn't quite know what that stuff did...but if it was anything good, she didn't buy what everyone said about it. Sure, it kept her friend alive. And yes, it probably cost a ton of money without their benefits...but it felt strange, to her...to be doing this every day, exactly the same.
01:23 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> She found words again. "...you're very pretty... and you're a very nice person..." She usually wasn't quite this talkative or sensible in her odd trance state, usually mumbling about something random. "...mmmm... I love you, Yumeno... please don't leave me..."
01:24  * Kitahara_Yumeno reached out to pat the addled girl on the head. She really was all Tsukiko had anymore...life was unfair to them both, and the only way it'd get any better...is if they both stayed alive long enough to reap the rewards.
01:25 < Kitahara_Yumeno> The troubled, somewhat irritable stim-addict muttered, with a small blush. "...Yeah, I know you do. I'm...not leaving. No matter how much of a stupid dump this place is. Even if we have to live on the street, I'll find a way."
01:26 < Kitahara_Yumeno> "...don't you worry..." she mumbled... "...l-love you...too..."
01:29 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> Tsukiko blinked slowly upon being patted, seeming to slowly slide back into consciousness. "...Wh-what... what was that, Yumeno-kun? A-aaa-aahhh..." She shivered suddenly, sitting back and pulling the duvet over herself. "C-cold..."
01:33 < Kitahara_Yumeno> "...I just gave you your medicine. You were out of it for a little while..." Yumeno gave her a small smile...then, unusually calm, kissed her pallid cheek. "I'm right here if you need me, okay...? Sorry for...acting so strangely back there..."
01:36 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> She blushed deeply, hiding her face. "A-aahhh... you mean... g-getting mad? It's okay... d-don't worry about it..." She was still shivering a little. "C-can I have... some hot chocolate...?" Looking up at Yumeno like a pale, sickly little kitten.
01:39  * Kitahara_Yumeno couldn't really deny that adorable face when she was looking like that. Even coming off her meds, Tsukiko couldn't possibly be ignored... "...Alright, I'll get us both some. Guess we can share, or something..."
01:41  * Kitahara_Yumeno searched around the apartment, feeling like her body was made of lead, her brain half-sleeping. She quickly found some sort of hot chocolate mix lying around in a cupboard. Surprised it was still good, she took her time with it...
01:43  * Kitahara_Yumeno eventually came back with a steaming cup of it for herself, and laid another one down on a table nearby, where her partner could reach... "Be careful...don't burn your dainty little fingers, or I'll never forgive you." She grinned, playfully.
01:46 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> Tsukiko smiled cheerfully and slowly reached out to wrap her little fingers softly around the mug's handle, tugging on it a bit... but her expression fell a little. "A-aahh... mmnnnhh... I-I'm... sorry... i-it's a little too heavy... I might drop it..." She seemed very ashamed.
01:49  * Kitahara_Yumeno quickly put down her own mug and carefully reached over to Tsukiko's cold-ish, thin hands, holding it steady to let her sip... "...I've got it. Don't strain yourself. The medicine should fully kick in...in a little bit, I think, by now."
01:55 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> She blushed with embarrassment, settling back weakly and allowing the mug to be raised to her lips, taking little sips. "...Th... th-thank you... Yumeno-kun... i-it's really good. I-I like the marshmallows..." Her voice was quiet and soft. Her whole life was quiet and soft.
01:56  * Kitahara_Yumeno gently led her to put the mug down a little when she was too weak to hold it up any longer, and periodically brought it back whenever she wanted another sip... "...I did my best, y'know. I'm...really glad you like it."
01:57 < Kitahara_Yumeno> "...It's my job to take care of you, so I /have/ to get everything right the first time..."
02:00 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> She deflated a little, ashamed. "It's... only your job because you made it your job... y-you... don't even get paid, or anything..." She leaned sadly back against the couch. "I can't even... give anything back. A-all I do is cost you money... and it's already hard to pay the rent... I can't even help..."
02:02  * Kitahara_Yumeno sighed deeply... "It's never easy to take care of you...but I don't consider it a burden, alright? I really...really care about you. I'm not about to let you go just because I spend three quarters of my pay on your medicine. That's why I'm trying to work harder..."
02:04 < Kitahara_Yumeno> "...If I can't keep up, I can't pay for it. And if I can't do that...you'll get worse. And...y-y'know, if things go downhill with you, I'd be about ready to give up on life..." -_-
02:04 < Kitahara_Yumeno> "If anything...you're my reason to live as much as I'm yours..."
02:05  * Kitahara_Yumeno smiled and kissed her forehead. She was trembling a little more again. Damn withdrawls... "That's a-all that matters..."
02:09 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> Tsukiko hesitated, blushing... before moving forward and wrapping her soft, pajama-clad arms very, very gently around Yumeno's midsection. Only her fingers were really poking out of the sleeves. She placed her cheek on Yumeno's chest, listening to her heartbeat.
02:10 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> "...Y-you... keep me alive... and... you're so good to me... y-you... give me a reason to live... and..." Her voice fell to a soft, embarrassed mumble. "...I-I love... you..."
02:13  * Kitahara_Yumeno nuzzled her gently. "I already figured that one, Tsukiko-chan...if I didn't love you, why would I take care of you for this long?" This would've surprised her more if she hadn't said it a bunch of times after coming off the controlled high or trance her medicine brought her. Anything to dull her pain of simply existing... "Being here and able to love you...that's all I want."
02:14 < Kitahara_Yumeno> "...I'm happy to keep you alive. I'm...n-not perfect...but you're my responsibility."
02:16 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> "Y-you're... perfect to me." She gave a microscopic little squeeze, pressing her face a little more into the somewhat rough girl's chest. "E-everything about you... all of your little complexities... and faults. Y-you're perfect. You're the... best person I've ever known..." Her voice was so, so soft and quiet. Like flower petals.
02:18 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> The apartment always had to be kept relatively muted, as even her hearing was unusually sensitive, and an overload of stimuli was not good for her health at all. There had been times where she was even worse than now, barely able to lift her head from the pillow. And so cold.
02:22  * Kitahara_Yumeno planted another gentle kiss on her, this time, on her neck. "...Someday, Tsukiko-chan...someday, I'll find a way to make you healthy again. I won't just be perfect for you, but I'll bring you a bloody miracle if I have to..." The poor girl was always so empty, but she made such a sickly thing into a whole. Together, they were inseperable...and she gently clasped her hand. Very, very, gently...
02:29 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> Tsukiko squeezed back, very, very gently. So gently, in fact, that it was almost as if... yes, her breathing had become soft and rhythmic. She had fallen right to sleep pressed softly against Yumeno's chest. Her constitution was so poor that she barely had any energy. She tended to sleep at irregular times, scattered throughout the day. Added up, it meant that she spent most of her time gently sleeping.
02:31 < Kitahara_Yumeno> Of course, Yumeno gently wrapped her arms around the girl trying very hard not to wake such a fragile little thing while she rested... "...Sleep well..." she muttered, before nuzzling closer to her. Just watching her, of course...
02:35 < Kitahara_Yumeno> Slowly but surely, the much stronger girl fell asleep, letting herself drift off, gently clinging to this...fragile little thing. Yumeno wanted to be her miracle...her saving grace and her heroine. She left her wordly troubles behind her...and dreamed of some distant, better day...
02:41 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> Because of Tsukiko's irregularity, Yumeno only got four or five hours of merciful sleep before her phone started vibrating to wake her up for work. The sun wasn't even up yet.
02:44  * Kitahara_Yumeno crawled away from her pale girl's embrace, only to pull out her phone. With the raspy tone of the recently awakened, combined with her strung-out feeling of fatigue she roused herself a little more decisively to check whether anyone had called her, otherwise. She'd have to make herself presentable, of course, all in due time.
02:45 < Kitahara_Yumeno> Going through her routine that was so heavily embedded in her mind, Yumeno was remarkably efficient. Even if she needed stims to work extra hours, that was more than worth it...
02:47  * Kitahara_Yumeno pulled out a tiny syringe of her one and rather roughly jammed it into her wrist, pushing it down...then throwing it out once she was done.
02:47 < Kitahara_Yumeno> *own
02:47  * Kitahara_Yumeno sighed deeply, things coming back into focus. At least that would keep her sane for a while longer...
02:52 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> Tsukiko just slid gently off of Yumeno when she moved, Her soft face laid there on the couch. She was so very peaceful, so very soft... and so very, very fragile. With a girl for whom even a sharp knock on the head could be potentially fatal, it was a miracle she was still alive. Yumeno was her only lifeline, her guardian and her only companion.
02:54  * Kitahara_Yumeno grew up working in various factories along this sprawling cityscape. Once she'd scraped up enough money, she landed herself a horribly depressing low-level office job. It was mainly managing a bunch of stupid numbers on some five year old terminal that didn't work half the time. At least working for some soulless megacorp in the big city was better than slaving in a dank factory. But not by much.
02:55 < Kitahara_Yumeno> There were thousands of other workers doing roughly the same job. Probably better. She didn't even care what it was, at this point...as long as it paid. As long as it paid for her to live a bit longer with Tsukiko, she'd do anything...
03:00 < Kitahara_Yumeno> As usual, she left her crowded little apartment building - the place was like a freaking can of sardines after a while - and tried to catch the next train over the poor districts, across, and downtown just enough, right on the edge of city limits. Yumeno, doing what she did, couldn't and wouldn't pay for any kind of car. She often remembered things, when passing over the slums...
03:01 < Kitahara_Yumeno> Probably hearkened back to her past living in those places. She, of course, earned her way out...and, unlike the rest, didn't sneer at everyone who hadn't been successful. By the time the train caught up with the downtown station, she hurried to her workplace. A moment too late, and she'd probably get chewed out...
03:03 < Kitahara_Yumeno> With nothing in her body except for an alertness drug and a mug of last night's hot chocolate, Yumeno headed in, seating herself infront of this pointless terminal. Almost on autopilot, she began...
03:08 < Kitahara_Yumeno> Hours later, once she was worn down, and the stimulants wore off, she finally decided that now'd be the best time to head home. By the time she got back, it'd be time to give Tsukiko another shot...then probably curl up with her and a nice movie or something...just to remind her that life wasn't as bad as how either of them lived it...
03:11 <@Yamamoto_Tsukiko> Right about then, just in time to prevent tragedy, was when Yumeno's phone vibrated with a text. From Tsukiko. It read: "dont forget milk and medicne"