MENDOZA, daigo vidan

[daigo]

DAIGO VIDAN MENDOZA !
'will you swear on your life that no one will cry at my funeral?'

HEY THERE! SO, TELL US ABOUT YOU ... LET'S START OFF WITH THE BASICS. WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW?

"Whose wise idea was it to start off an interview with such an open-ended question? Can’t you just ask individual questions like a normal person and figure out all the details for yourself? I mean, it’d be much easier for you to bullet-point this shit than it would be to untangle a hairball of an answer. Seriously.

… Well, I guess if that’s what you’re into, I’ll go ahead and wing it. -clears his throat- Anyways, the name is Daigo. Daigo Vidan Mendoza, if you wanna be official about it. Yeah, yeah. I know what you’re thinkin’: s’not a “usual” name… but my parents were never the John and Jane Doe type, really. ‘Cause of that, there’s not many nicknames you can make out of it… not many good ones, at least. I mean, I’m cool with something like Dai, but try anything cutesy and we’ll have issues. Got that? -scowls a bit, only for it to ease away- … Lemme tell you something really interesting, though… -leans closer- You’re probably lookin’ at me and thinkin’ something along the lines of “Y’know, this guy looks like he’s twenty-eight years old or something…”, right? Well, I’ve got a secret for you. Ready? … Y’sure? … I’m actually… -whispers- … twenty-nine. Crazy, ain’t it?

-snorts and leans back- I’m not trying to pull your leg too hard. That’s actually a true fact. It doesn’t seem like a big deal now, but in a couple hundred years, people are going to wanna know what the hell is up with that. Want me to tell you why? Well, the truth is… I’m already dead. Yep. Deader than a doorknob. ‘Course, I don’t exactly look like I am, right? Well, that’s because I’m what they call a “guardian angel”, sent from the heavens to look after some poor unfortunate soul. -snorts- Don’t worry – even I find it hard to believe… I mean, what exactly makes me guardian material, right? Maybe one day I’ll find an answer to that, but I’m still fairly new to the job, so God only knows how long that’ll take. -shrugs-

Anyways, what else is there to say… Hm… -purses his lips- … Since I’m a guardian angel, you’re probably wondering if I’m aware of the whole war going on, aren’t you? It’s safe to say that I am, but as to where I stand… -pulls a fake wince as he thinks- … ehhhh. Honestly, I never really gave a damn before, and I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon. Will saying that get me kicked out of Heaven? Pfft. Let’s hope not. A few of the other angels are already stingy about me being pansexual as it is – and if they catch wind of this, it’s probably going to be fuel to their fire."

SO, A LITTLE BIRDY TOLD ME THAT YOU ARE GORGEOUS. DESCRIBE YOURSELF.

"… -raises a brow- Riiiight… Uh… Let’s see… From what I’ve heard, I kinda’ look like this one guy named Daisuke Ochida… whoever that may be. I guess it might be because of the face, because I do have some full-looking features, like my cheeks and lips… but even so, I don’t really see it. That aside, I also have black hair and dark brown eyes, but I guess you can see that for yourself. Both are pretty common features with my parents, though my eyes are more almond-shaped like my mother. I don’t really have straight hair like her, though: it’s layered pretty jaggedly, and if I don’t style it the way I like it, it kind of flips out all over the place. -chuckles-

Also… -looks down at his body- I’m kinda’… on the short side. -frowns- Like, five-foot-two short. And because of that, I’m pretty sure I only way ninety-eight pounds or something. At least, that’s what I remember when I was alive. I’m not sure if that technically counts anymore… but I digress. -looks back up- I’m not to be underestimated, though. I may look like some skinny little runt, but I have some muscle. Believe it or not, I was pretty athletic… at least, as athletic as I could be. -smiles wryly- But I’ll get more into that later. Anyways, uh… I have a tattoo on my left arm from when I was alive: a sugar skull surrounded by a few Japanese cherry blossoms. I never regretted getting it before, and I still don’t regret it now. I also have a scar from when I was alive. Nothing too big or gruesome-looking… It’s on the left side of my chest, and it’s only a couple of inches long. How’d I get it? … Well, you’ll figure that out sooner or later.

As far as personal style goes, I tend to mix things up a bit. Sometimes I like it casual. Sometimes I like it formal. Other times, I like a mix between the two. I have a thing for black-washed jeans and floral-print Oxfords, and I’ll even throw on a fedora and a scarf every now and then. I’ll never leave home without my white loafers, though, and definitely not without my favorite pair of aviator sunglasses. As for jewelry? I like a lot of rings, watches, and belts. You can never go wrong with a bit of silver."

I'M SURE YOUR PERSONALITY IS SOMETHING ELSE COMPLETELY. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF, WE WANT TO KNOW YOU BETTER!

”“Something else completely,” huh? Heh. Ain’t that something. -leans back- I’m pretty sure you can gather a lot just by listening to me talk. I’m not exactly one to keep things to myself, y’know. I can be pretty straightforward about some things… Actually, I can be straightforward about a lot of things. Why beat around the bush all the time, right? You’re only wasting your breath if you keep pulling excuses out of your ass. Of course, if the time is right for me to shut my mouth, I’ll keep it shut… despite the fact that I won’t exactly like it. I think that’s something that keeps me separated from any other highly-opinionated jerk on the sidewalk, and that’s something I consider to be a personal strength. I also care a lot about other people, believe it or not. If someone happens to be in a bit of a tight spot, I’d be more than happy to lend a hand. … ‘Course, if you manage to piss me off, things won’t be that easy for you. I tend to get annoyed or angry pretty quickly, and it takes quite a lot of sucking up to do to get me to cool down. -snorts-

Is there anything I like? Let’s see… uh… I like dogs? -laughs- I like animals in general, really, but I’m a huge dog person. I hate the smell of wet dog, though. Talk about nasty. -chuckles- I also like to smoke, actually. Believe it or not, I used to smoke like a chimney, even though it was terrible for my already shitty health. I still do it though, even if it defeats the purpose considering that I’m… y’know, dead. Old habits are hard to kick, I guess. Uhhh… I like going to see performances, especially plays. That was something I grew up around, considering that my mother is a huge theatre fanatic. I also like music – doesn’t matter what kind, so long as it moves me in a way no one else can. I’m not exactly musically talented myself, but let me tell you one thing: I can play a mean harmonica. Now, uh… not only that, but ever since I earned my wings, I’ve become a fan of flying. There’s something so relaxing about it… like you’re soaring away from all your troubles for just one brief moment. … That sounds cheesy as hell, doesn’t it? -snickers- Sue me.

As far as what I don’t like… well, I’ll try to keep the list as short as I can. For one thing, I really can’t stand people who whine all the damn time, especially if it’s over something so petty. For some reason or another, some people just can’t learn to suck it up and deal with it. Sure, life can be a bitch, but be thankful that you can live for as long as you can… Not everyone is that fortunate. I also can’t stand when people are too passive for their own good. Never let anyone or anything push you around. Stand up for yourself; don’t just lie down and take it! Don’t compromise, and don’t give in. -huffs- … You know what else I don’t like? What’s considered to be “beautiful”. I really can't understand – let alone tolerate – society's view of "beautiful" things. We are all meant to be who we were made to be; don't you dare ruin us with your talk of "perfect skin" or "perfect hair." Even "perfect personalities" are a load of cock-and-bull. -rolls his eyes and scoffs- I also can’t understand why people feel the need to yell, even when they’re sitting right beside you. THEY ALWAYS FEEL THE NEED TO YELL LIKE THEY’RE IN A RICOLA ADVERTISEMENT WHEN YOU’RE REALLY JUST TRYING TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE WEATHER. SERIOUSLY, JUST-- … Oh, sorry. Too loud?

-coughs- Now, uh… aside from smoking, I also have this really bad tendency to swear like a sailor. I know, I know. Angels shouldn’t be dropping so many f-bombs all over the place, but sometimes, there just aren’t enough words in the dictionary to accurately express how you feel, y’know? And for some reason, profanity does. -shrugs- Not only that, but I guess I have what they call a “permanent scowl”. Unless I smile or something, I always look pissed as hell, even when I’m not. ‘Course, in a world like this, who can blame me?

-shifts in his seat- Is there anything else I need to cover? … Ah, right… To be honest, I’m… kind of afraid of medical institutes, especially hospitals. Hell, even the doctor’s office gives me the chills. It was something I had to deal with a lot as a human, ‘cause – believe it or not – I used to be really sick. Like, really sick. Fortunately, I won’t have to go there myself, but should my charge ever have to go… -shudders- … Speaking of my charge, it would really scare the life out of me if I ever had to lose them – figuratively and literally. Not only does the thought of never existing again terrify me, but the thought of seeing their dying face… really makes me uneasy, y’know? All I want to do is protect them and make sure they live as long and as healthy of a life as possible. That’s not much to ask, is it?"

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR HISTORY ... I'M SURE IT WILL BE INTRUIGING!

"… Seriously? -rubs the back of his neck- Well, I’m sure it’ll be far from what you consider “intriguing”, but hey: I already made it this far in the interview, right? I might as well wrap it up and be done with it.

Now then, I was welcomed to the world with much difficulty in the middle of spring – the twenty-fifth of April, if you wanna be exact. What was so difficult about my birth? Well, if I told you that I nearly died before my life actually began, then I suppose you would say that my birth was pretty difficult after all. See, I ended up being born premature, despite the doctors saying that we were perfectly healthy babies when my mother still carried us around. No, you didn’t hear me wrong. I said “we”, not “I”. I said “us”, not “me”. If the pregnancy had gone according to plan, then my older twin sister would have had the chance to live alongside me. I’m not exactly sure what kind of relationship we would have had, but even if she spent every single day of my life beating my ass, I would taken that over… this. -closes his eyes- You can’t help but wonder about these things, you know? If they really do happen for a reason or not… yet part of me wants to believe that. It really does.

-opens his eyes- Negativity aside, both of my parents were thankful to have me, even though they still grieve over my lost sister. It was just the three of us, and it stayed that way. We lived a fairly humble life as a middle-class family in Honolulu, Hawaii. My father, Julian, helped run a local restaurant with one of his colleagues, while my mother, Naomi, played the role of caretaker. Both of them doted on me quite a bit, but when it was time for me to grow up, they knew how to whip me into shape. They were both a little strict, yet they were gentle, and they were at least lenient enough to allow me to follow my own ambitions – just so long as I never let anything hold me back.

Even so, I was kind of a quiet child – shy, even, despite the fact that I was curious about everything (which often led to me getting into things I shouldn’t have). By the time I was enrolled in the local school, I made very few friends. Any questions I had were directed straight to my teachers, not my peers. Maybe it was because I didn’t know how to approach people my own age at the time… or maybe I simply didn’t want to. I guess that’s why I’ve been told that I acted much older than I really was. -chuckles weakly-

‘Course… around that time, something bad happened. -pauses for a moment, then sighs softly- It happened on a Monday morning, actually, when I was getting up to go to school. Just as I was taking a quick shower, I started feeling… really off – and I was feeling really off really fast. It started with a bit of dizziness, then it felt as if my heart was skipping several beats at a time. After that, there was this feeling of someone sticking their hand in my chest and squeezing as hard as they could, and then… I ended up collapsing right there. -closes his eyes- I ended up waking up in a hospital, feeling absolutely shitty and – like every other little kid in this kind of situation – wanting nothing more in the world than to just go home. However, even after the doctors had saved my life, they kept me for a longer time to run tests on my health. I was, after all, considered to be healthy for a long time, so something as serious as a cardiac arrest was not only unusual for my age, but for my overall condition. My parents stayed by my side the entire time… and in retrospect, I feel terrible for them. They were worried so sick, and at the time, I didn’t understand why.

Then, the results came in:

I was diagnosed with Brugada Syndrome.

-chews on the inside of his cheek- … Needless to say, my parents became a lot more wary of me, and their behavior changed to a point where they became overprotective. Despite all of that, they raised me with the intention of living as normal of a life as possible. It was a little late by then, however. Knowing that you could drop dead at any given second without so much as a warning… It really messes with a person’s mind – especially when you’re a kid. By the time I was an adolescent, I felt as if I was already an adult. My childhood was short-lived, and because of that, I had a harder time connecting with my fellow peers. When I was in high school, I couldn’t stand being around people relatively close to my age. Whenever lunch came around, I would make sure I sat by myself, even if I had to lock myself in the bathroom. If there was an after-school event or an extracurricular activity, I would avoid it at all costs. If there was a group project, I wouldn’t allow anyone else to work on it but myself. I only came to school for the sake of education, and that was it. And pretty soon, everyone else came to terms with that. They pegged me as someone who was “too strange to be around”, and soon, I was listed as an outcast.

And for some strange reason, I was fine with that.

-straightens up in his chair- By the time I was ready to fly the nest, I left without much hesitation. I ended up moving here to Manuka when I was about… mm… twenty? Even with an associate’s degree in science, I ended up working for years and years at some old pub. I spent a year or so serving food, then I went to making drinks behind the bar. A fun job, really. For some reason I enjoyed the stories of the salty old drunks and the challenges given to me by handfuls of persnickety, pretentious pricks. And the supernaturals? I was totally oblivious to them. I would have never guessed that there were any in this place, even after spending eight years of my human life here.

‘Course, by the time that my pacemaker gave out last February, I figured that out pretty quickly.

See, no one knows what to expect when they die. All we are fed during our time on Earth are speculations and expectations, most of it offered by the hands of different religions. I never was the religious type, but I often thought of what would happen when I finally passed away. Would I be reincarnated into someone else? Would I be an animal, or would I be a human once again? What actually happened honestly took me by surprise: after meeting my death with the sound of my blood draining through my ears, I ended up opening my eyes to see the large pearly gates open before me. Honestly, I thought it was a mistake that I was there – and sometimes, I wonder if it still is a mistake. My death wasn’t valiant in the slightest… so why did I end up in Heaven, of all places? Why did he give me this duty of being a guardian of the living? Could it be God’s strange way of giving me a second chance at life…?

Even now, I wish I knew the answer.

… What’s with that look? What are you, disappointed? -squints- I told you my life was nothing “intriguing”. It’s your own damn fault for expecting some sort of fairytale or Shakespearean tragedy! People these days… Sheesh!"

AH, AND WHO IS THIS AMAZING MASTERMIND BEHIND THE LIKES OF YOU?

"Hello there, everyone! This is Dali! As of now, I am eighteen years old, and I am a returning member who, once again, rediscovered the site through Louis (we’re still a package deal, after all)! I still live in Eastern Standard Time, and since I’m starting fresh on here, I have no other characters. For the time being, I’ll be sticking with Daigo until the ever-so-fearsome “Character-Making Syndrome” strikes. xD As for a random fact, uhhh… I’ve actually had Daigo for at least a year already! This is actually the first time I’m using him as a guardian angel, though… He was originally a grim reaper. >>;"

Someone was here already.

At least, that was the conclusion Fuzen had drawn once he had set foot into his dormitory. Perhaps he should have expected this, given the amount of time he had spent away from this accursed hellhole. After all, he had missed the first several days of classes just for being in the custody of his older brother, Goryo (something that he will have to pass off as a "late vacation" towards administration). However, the particular sensation of having his once solitary hideaway being breached without his knowledge… was not something that had settled well in his stomach. And to even think about how this inbred son of a bitch had about a week in his disposal to comb through all of his belongings made Fuzen feel invaded.

Invaded… and highly threatened.

With his book bag lowering near the foot of his own bed, he crept towards his… "roommate's" side of the dormitory, moving without a sound as if the other boy would turn and bust through the door at any given moment. Much to his fortune, however, it seemed that he was completely and utterly alone, so perhaps this would be the best time to assess the unsettling changes that slipped below his radar during his absence. "I wonder… who exactly I'm up against this time," he mused to himself, his gaze glossing over the area. He could see piles of clothing – dirty, most likely – dominating one corner of the room, and his nose immediately wrinkled in disgust. So he was dealing with a pig. Lovely.

"Filthy little… hm?"

Fuzen's expression changed at once, however, once he took notice of the whitewashed wall before him. Rather than the usual seedy poster or two he predicted to appear, Polaroids greeted him in masses upon masses – some appearing to be taken from an insect's point of view, while other panels captured entire sceneries."A photographer… and a traveler. Interesting…" he thought to himself, his head slowly tilting to the side before his gaze lowered once more. Steadily, he reached out and let his hand ghost above the untidy bed that stood in his way, fingertips gracing over the tousled sheets and moving upwards until they reached just below his pillow.

Then, as if the stranger had been lying there all along, Fuzen's hand had transformed into a rigid arch, pointed fingernails digging into the invisible flesh he could only picture in his mind. He could only imagine the look on this stranger's face once he had realized what kind of person Fuzen was underneath the complacent facade he had fashioned with every passing day. What would those eyes look like when they were filled with fear? How would those ambiguous features mold and shape with the betrayal that left his heart feeling raw? Oh, how he ached to find the answer…


"… Soon, but not now," he finally spoke aloud, almost as if he had to scold himself for trying to strangle his inexistent roommate. His hand had gone lax, then retreated to his side before he ultimately forced himself to pull away from that side of the room altogether, making his way towards the joined closet. From there, he began digging through the hanging curtains of fabric to find something to lounge around in, shaking off the fact that he was imagining the untimely death of his poor little "roommate". As much as he wanted to continue, if he had lingered any longer… his lurid imagination would certainly get the best of him.

And so, he would have to bide his time… and wait.

[JURATE]