Visiting the Falls (Open to 2)

Sentinel would be escorting Maria to the Analu Falls, she had done well in school, and her grades were good. Sadly, the circus was not performing that much that day, more like Maria's idol wasn't performing. The young girl still wore that green hair bead she was given from Curoe, apparently it made her somewhat popular at her school. Which was good that Maria was reaching out and making tons of friends since that made her quite happy, and Sentinel was more than patient enough to allow her to have friends and have them over, granted certain rooms were off limits.

That being said she was certainly enjoying the nature walk as she bounced around taking note of all the pretty flowers that caught her eye, and looking at the animals that hung around this part. She bounced from side to side eventually she picked a white flower for him, and a pink one for her that she placed beside her hair. "Now then, the falls should be right behind this brush here..." Sentinel would say as he pushed the brush aside revealing a beautiful fall that pooled down into a small lagoon. Maria's eyes went wide as she stood in awe. "Well come on now Maria, let's get a closer look!" He would say and the young girl would nod as she ran closer to where the falls ended and looked inside the water. Sentinel followed her happy to see she was so happy about all this.

Lunapa could be so confusing. Sharaku was having a hard time understanding how some people could live there permanently. So much green everywhere. He supposed it was a good place for a trip when you needed to clean your mind, or as a sightseeing spot, but that was pretty much it. Of course, there probably were people that enjoyed the wildreness, or this place would be empty all the time. Ha, that would be pretty sad though. Nature had its quirks after all, but Sharaku was pretty sure he wouldn't hang around places like these often. He even looked out of place here. Not bringing his hat and suit jacket did not help either, but he'd go to hell and back before putting on sportswear or any of the like. Too much unlike him.

Maybe he was just weird anyway. Not that he even met anyone so far. Maybe he was wrong and this place didn't have many people around afterall. Gah, now he was only confusing himself. Better go and find something to do around here before he starts thinking about rainbows. Thankfully, there was a waterfall nearby, even though he didn't think it would help matters, it was a fair try. His thoughs were stopped quickly when he saw a young girl near the water. Hm? So someone was here afterall? He wasn't going to say anything yet, as to not scare the girl with his sudden appearance, since she was focused with gazing into the water. Until he noticed a familiar figure approaching. 'You don't say...' Out of all people, this was someone he would expect the least. ''Did you come here for sightseeing?'', he would ask, a bit surprised to see the man here. ''Nice to meet you here, by the way.'', he would add after a moment, as it'd be rude to not give a greeting. God forbid he'd forget to do that unless there was a reason to omit it.

Sentinel would look around when someone asked if he came here for sightseeing, was someone else here too? His eyes eventually settled on Sharaku, and he would wave at his comrade and friend. To answer his question, the android would nod, "Yes, I told Maria as a reward for doing well in school that I would take her here since we missed the circus today. Well we didn't miss the circus, Curoe wasn't performing, and she is practically Maria's idol so I suggested we come here instead." Maria would look at Sharaku a bit confused, she didn't know who he was, but Senty did? The android, seeing her confusion, would help introduce his friend. "Maria this is my friend Sharaku that I was telling you about. Sharaku, this is Maria, she is under my care until she grows old enough to take care of herself."

"Well any friend of Senty is a friend of mine! Nice to meet you Sharaku!" The young would say with a bright smile and waving enthusiastically. "Why are you here? Are you here to look at some of the flowers?" The young girl would ask, being young that would be one of the few reasons she would be here. The android just smiled a bit, "I doubt it, but I too am curious, why are you here Sharaku?" He didn't seem like the outdoorsy type, therefore why was he all the way in Lunapa? Sharaku seemed more like a person who enjoyed tea and sitting outside a cafe instead of being in the middle of a forest.

Sharaku would blink a little when Sentinel explained his reasons to be there. Well, he didn't know who Cuore was, but he  gathered that she was probably famous at that circus. "I see. So you picked an alternative then. Not a bad choice I'd say." The waterfall was rather nice to look at, and the girl, Maria, seemed to be enjoying herself. He would smile pleasantly and nod when Sentinel introduced him to the young girl. It was slightly surprising though. He wouldn't expect the man to be a caretaker. However, he did appear to be a responsible type, so guess it worked. "Hello there young lady. It's nice to meet you." She was a rather cute girl.

'Hmmm..' Sharaku would pause a bit when both of them asked why was he here. Good question. How to answer though. "Honestly? I was getting bored of the crowded streets. I do admit nature is not something I'm too keen on, but a trip outside once in a while doesn't hurt. Besides it isn't healthy to just sit around." Afterall he was used to moving around. He did find it a bit unsettling if he had to laze around for too long. So, guess a little trip was justified enough. That said he would turn to Maria and crouch down to her level -sometimes his heigth could be a nuisance, why did he have to be almost 2 meters tall-. "But, I have no actual plans, so I can help you pick flowers if you want.", he would smile with a friendly tone. He had to admit he sort of liked kids, even though he did not particularly have plans to have his own in the future.

"Yes well the other option was also on Penecia, but I figured that Maria would enjoy and nature walk and thus far it has been rather successful. She has enjoyed seeing all the animals and plants Lunapa has to offer." The android would explain, their alternatives were a bit slim since Maria loved the wonderland that is Penecia. She enjoyed the circus and all the lights and pretty things that could be found on that island. The good news is that Sharaku seemed to adapt well to Maria's presence and treat her with kindness, while it wasn't a major concern the android had, it was nice to lay it to rest.

When the Forgotten mentioned how he was bored of crowded streets Maria would look up at him,"But there are so many people to meet and so many nice things to see! The city lights can be so pretty in the right light!" The young girl would say with some excitement, evidently she was somewhat easily excited and happy. When he offered to help her pick flowers, she smiled brightly, "Thank you! I appreciate the help! I'll take any flower you find, I like all the colors flowers come in!" The android smiled softly at her comment before she skipped off to a patch of bright yellow flowers. The android would move closer to Sharaku, "Thank you, I appreciate your help, I want to introduce her to most of the group, she needs more friends. I am perhaps overly concerned with her social development, but perhaps I am being paranoid."

It was slightly amusing how Penecia seemed to be the most popular place, and here Sharaku was actually bored of it for once. But, in general it made sense. Most of the Azores' attractions were located there. It was probably just the fact that he lived there, and seeing it all day long can get repetitive. ''That's great. It's good to have a change of pace once in a while. Not that Penecia is any bad.'', he would nod thoughfully, at Sentinel's admission that he decided to come here in the end, instead of picking an alternative entertainment on the same island as the circus.

Maria was obviously enthusiastic about the big city, and he would laugh a little as she ranted about pretty lights. ''Yes, that's true. It's pretty indeed. I suppose it just gets too much sometimes when you spend every day there.'' Really, there were times it was too headache inducing to even stick out your head from your apartment. Not to mention, that place was quite expensive. However, that didn't seem to drive back the amounts of people looking for entertainment. There were moments when he felt like it wasn't the best idea to live on that island, if only for the scarce amount of peaceful days in the area. ''Of course.'', he would smile lightly when Maria announced she liked all flowers, but Sentinel spoke up before he could do anything else, and so he turned to face him. ''You're welcome. It's no problem, I rather enjoy youngsters. Brings nice memories.'' Well, not really nice in his case, but it was pleasant to see that someone was enjoying themselves in their young years. ''I believe it's fine to be concerned. After all, you care for her, right? But, maybe you should try to look for someone her age if you want her to have more friends. It might be better for her that way. Although, I'm pretty sure Hyde and Naomi would make her good company.'' Those two were a bit more childish than them after all. He was pretty sure Maria would enjoy Hyde's remarkably funny rants at least. ''If you don't mind me asking, how old is she?'', he would inquire on the side. It probably didn't matter much, he was simply curious about that.

Speaking of which, he needed to go look for those flowers, but that could probably wait a bit if Sentinel wanted to converse more. Maria seemed capable of entertaining herself on her own for a moment. However, he would go if she wanted to play.

Sharaku said it was fine to be concerned, but he should invest some time in finding kids Maria's age for her to hang out with. That was true, she would develop better with people her age, but she had said she made many friends at school. Though he also added that Naomi and Hyde would be excellent friends for her. That was true, Maria and Naomi seemed to really connect, though he wasn't sure he wanted to expose her to Hyde just yet. The android would smile a bit as Maria went about her business skipping and picking flowers, "Yes, I suppose you're right, I'm not sure how she would react to Hyde's rants. She may even enjoy them since he uses his imagination for such things. She has always liked stories. Hopefully she doesn't pick up that bad habit, since that is what it appears to be for Hyde." The android would say, when Sharaku asked about Maria's age, he would smile a bit.

"She's twelve years old, it's been a long journey, but I've enjoyed every moment of it. Those who know my nature may think I'm playing at being human, but when I'm with her, I really feel human. It's an odd feeling, but it feels nice to say the very least." The android would say his smile growing a bit bigger. As Maria was distracted, Sentinel would go ahead and ask a rather simple question about their teammates, "Tell me where did you meet Naomi and Hyde? They seemed to know you from somewhere before "that" happened." The android would ask, albeit a little curious of how they all met one another. The young girl was collecting a patch of pink flowers, the android watched. Wondering what it was like to go through childhood, since he was created without one. It was odd to be thrown into a world knowing things, when you've never seen them before. Oh well he had gotten this far, and Maria was happy and healthy. He thought he had done a pretty good job thus far.

''Indeed, Hyde is quite the talkative one. However, I doubt that kind of habit would be easy to pick up. I don't think everyone would be able to pull that off like he does. It's his speciality, so to say.'' Sentinel may be worried about Hyde passing his rantings onto Maria, but even though she did seem like a lively child, Sharaku doubted she'd catch on too much. Hyde was...just Hyde. Copying him would be really hard to do in that regard. ''That's understandable. Sometimes, what matters more is, whether we actually feel human, not if we really are. Humanity can be rather fickle. There are real humans that act less humane than someone like you for example. Categorization can be so dull. So, if it makes you happy to spend time with her, you shouldn't pay heed to what other people say.'', he would say in a lighthearted tone, as he ran his hand through his hair thoughtfully. Really, sometimes things weren't as clear as they might seem. Certain someone seemed rather amused at his little speech though. ''......'' He would ignore the snickering Shadow however, for he was in no mood to address that particular thing. He knew well what the source of amusement was there after all.

When Sentinel asked how he met Hyde and Naomi, Sharaku would give a light smile. ''Very well. Hyde, I met quite a while ago in the Theme Park in Penecia. We ended up sitting on in the same place, and being the talkative young man he is, well, I suppose you can guess. And as karma had it, I managed to bump into him several more times before that incident happened.'' Which was quite the luck. Whether good or bad. He was still not sure if their compatibility was good enough. Hyde was a lot like the match you'd use to light a fire, anywhere and anytime. ''Naomi, I met only once before, in a museum in San Malarus. We chose the same time to talk to the guide worker there.'', he would finish off after a moment. ''You've known her ahead of time as well, didn't you? The two of you were together before the incident.'', he would half state, half ask afterwards. He was a little interested, but it was up to the man whether he would tell or not. He did not ask a direct question.

Sentinel would nod in agreement about ranting seeming to be Hyde's specialty, "That and being a human garbage disposal, he seems to eat....a lot. Then again I suppose it would be more than normal considering his age. Puberty.....shouldn't his face be covered in acne if he is going through puberty?" The android would ask, mostly himself. That seemed to be a common trend with how all young adult males are displayed, not to mention the fact there were a lot of books that had remedies for it and the self-confidence issues that go along with it. Then again he didn't study such issues extensively. However, when Sharaku spoke about being human and how some humans acted less than humane the android would nod. Yes, he had first hand experience with that......but he couldn't tell his companion....not yet. To know that he was speaking to the creation that killed Maria's father?

Then they began to discuss how they met the others, it was rather ironic that Sharaku met Hyde at Penecia, since that is where the android met Naomi. Then he met Hyde on San Malarus during the incident, he met those two on the opposite island Shrakau met them on. Then Sharaku asked where he met Naomi at this, the android would smile softly recalling the show he went to. "Well, I met Naomi on Penecia as well, it was the same place where Maria got that green bead in her hair. That bead belongs to Cuore, who is a star act at the circus, needless to say she is more than proud of it. It was part of the reason she wanted to go back to Penecia to show Cuore she still wore it. Then as you know I met Hyde during that incident. It is a little ironic or strange that I met our companions on the island opposite of what you met them on." Seeing of how they were on the topic of people, Sentinel would ask another rather simple question, "Tell me Sharaku, do you have a role-model? From what I've read, most humans do, so I assume you do to. Who is it? If you have one, that is."

Sharaku would laugh a little when Sentinel compared Hyde to a human garbage disposal. That was quite a funny image. But, yes he had to agree with that in a way. Hyde really did eat a lot. Compared to the redhead, it was as if he didn't eat at all, really. ''Well, not everyone gets those. He may just be lucky.'', he would comment when the man wondered about puberty and its effects. Honestly, Hyde was luck with many things lately, maybe it liked him for some unimaginable reason. Though, Sharaku couldn't phantom why the hell would it go for Hyde in the first place. Luck liked hyperactive people? If that were the case, he'd laugh a lot. It was simply too ironic to imagine.

He would listen as the android told his own meet up story. Hm, he could see Naomi going to a circus. Her personality suggested she'd enjoy a play like that. ''I see, this Cuore must be really good then. Maybe that's why so many people flock around the circus whenever I go past it.'' Well, mostly. It was Penecia, so it was crowded everywhere you looked. ''Yes, it is rather amusing I'd say.'', he would pull a light smile when Sentinel commented on the way they met the two. He hadn't even noticed until the man pointed it out. It was an interesting observation however. When he was asked about role models, he would pause, giving a blank stare for a moment, before closing his eyes with a sigh.


How was he to answer that? ''I...Well, how would I put it...'' This was kinda hard to explain. ''I can't say I really have a role model. Maybe in the past, but right now I'd say no. I suppose I'm not your average human.'', he would finally say, giving a lighthearted laugh at the end, even though he didn't feel too amused by that. Really, he didn't have much reason to look up to someone at this point, not after the life he'd lived so far. It was moreso pointless for him. Or maybe he just couldn't associate anything pleasant with doing so.

It had been a long day for Veronica. More and more children coming into the office, complaining of unease and hearing strange noises. One or two, she might have assumed it was just the stress of starting the school year. But it was dozens, new students every day that were almost afraid of something intangible. Ms. Yakimov found herself wishing she had taken a psychology course, as she found herself somewhat helpless to assist them, as there was no obvious physical issue, aside from the stress causing minor things like headaches or upset stomachs... which she could treat. At some point, she figured it was some kind of cold or virus spreading through the student body, but she found nothing she tried would actually relieve the symptoms.

Needless to say, this was beginning to weigh heavily on her own mind, so today she decided to try and get out to clear her head. The lack of control of the situation was getting to her, and she needed a bit of fresh air and natural beauty to bring her back down to earth, so to speak. She had heard about the lovely falls, and the sound and sight of running water had been one of the few things that had consistently relaxed the russian woman.

Today, she wasn't expecting company, but was surprised to see a little girl picking flowers. She looked around with a bit of worry, seeing no guardian directly nearby. Assuming that they couldn't be too far, she decided the girl's cheer was infectious enough to approach. She kneels down as she draws near. "Hello little one. Flowers to cheer someone up? Is nice day to do so." Her accent was obvious, as was her shaky grasp of english grammar. But she gave the warmest smile she could muster so as to not scare the child.

"I suppose he could be lucky, he does certainly seem to be luckiest out of all of us." The android would offer in response, though he also thought he read somewhere that it had something to do with oil content on the person's face. If the person didn't take care of basic hygiene then they would get acne, which if not properly treated could turn into scars. It was interesting that the human body wasn't fully capable of repairing all damage...then again he wasn't fully human. He could repair physical damage with relative ease as long as it was his body....other things would take more time. The android would nod when Sharaku made the comment about Cuore, "Yes, she is quite good, she even allows people in the audience participate in the show." He would add, but when the subject turned to role models his friend seemed to sigh. As though he was admitting a fault or didn't know how to answer that. The darker skinned man would inform him that in the past he had one, but now he didn't. How curious, what would cause such a shift.

"Well as you said categorization is rather dull, and being average would categorize you, would it not? Not to mention, if there is something I've learned about humans, its the differences that truly define you. You may not be average, but you are still human. Humanity is one of the most adaptable creatures on this planet, regardless of the path the individual chooses. I doubt there is anything wrong with having a role model, I was just curious if you had one based on what I rea-" The android would trail off as he saw a woman kneeling down near Maria speaking with her. This rang alarm bells as this was not a woman that Sentinel had spoken with or analyzed. He didn't know if she could potentially harm Maria, and he could not simply take the chance of letting his creator's words be right.

The young girl picking flowers would suddenly be distracted by a woman speaking to her with a warm smile as she looked towards the woman with somewhat of a funny accent. Maria knew it was an accent as she had learned that people had them from the places they were from. Sentinel had told her not to talk to strangers without him, but he was a short distance away so it should be alright? The hyperactive girl pondered this only for a moment, before smiling back at the Russian woman with childish innocence. "Hi! No, I'm picking them because they're so pretty! I don't know anyone that is sad today, if they are I usually give them a hug! Hugs make everything better! Oh, you should meet Senty! He says I'm not allowed to talk to strangers, but if he meets you then it is all okay!" As the young girl turned to call to Senty's attention, the android would be heading over. He was slightly concerned about Maria's trust, she would have to remind her of his rules once more....but she always seemed to have a good sense about people. "Hello, my name is Alphonse, or "Senty" as Maria prefers to call me. If you don't mind me asking, who are you?" His eyes appraised the woman in front of him, was she a pedophile that was trying to lure Maria away? It was possible, evidently the woman didn't see him or Sharaku, she might have thought Maria is easy prey. His position was no mistake either, he positioned himself to the side of Maria and the woman, but he was close enough that he could easily step between the two if he had to.

Weakness:

"Is good to see beauty in world around you. People grow old. Forget it's there, though it in front of them always. Don't forget it, little one." Veronica nods to herself as if confirming her own wisdom. Or what she thinks is wisdom, anyhow. In truth, the Russian woman got along well with young children. Finding their energy refreshing to watch. And in some way untainted by the world. Conversely, she really didn't care as much for teenagers, who knew enough to complain, but eager to forget to be gracious. "Ah. Strangers, he is right. Not everyone nice. I am Veronica though. We are strangers no more, yes?" She smiles again, rather enjoying the girl's company already. She found her worries of the day already slipping from her mind.

She was a little caught off guard by Sentinel's approach. She had assumed the guardian was nearby, and his question was not too unreasonable Sheepishly, she realized suddenly talking to the girl was a little odd looking. She stands up to her full height and faces him, "Not at all. Apologies for being curious. I deal all day with children saying they feel weak or uneasy. Was nice to see healthy child enjoying nature. I am Veronica Yakimov. Nurse at Zela academy." She pauses for a moment, registering just how quickly he had approached and raises her hands in a placating gesture "I mean girl no harm, if that is worry. You good guardian to worry." The brunette's eyes look over him, passively wondering what exactly his relation to the girl was. The child hadn't referred to him as 'father' so she assumed he was not family.

((OoC: Lately, I've been wondering why so many people keep rearranging post orders >.> Technically it should have been my turn after Senty xP Oh well.))

''Yes, for unknown reasons...'' Sharaku would comment amusedly, when Sentinel agreed that Hyde was indeed the luckiest of them all. He still couldn't come up with aplausible reason as to why, but with Hyde, reasons were a hard thing in general. When the man confirmed that Cuore was a very good performer, he would nod, not really having anything more to say on the subject. He couldn't say he was too much of a fan when it came to plays such as those. Not that they weren't a fun pasttime activity, but it was far from what he would pick if there were choices.

He would listen to the android practically throwing his own words back at him, with a slight change in context, giving an almost sheepish smile. Well, it was true, that he couldn't deny. Humanity was everything except consistent in its ways. He would have said something to the little speech, but Sentinel seemed to get distracted before he even finished his talk. 'What...' Sharaku would blink a few times, before following the man's gaze. Ah, another person has showed up? For a moment, he would just look on as Sentinel walked over to the woman that had been talking to Maria, before he gave a nonchalant shrug and followed after. He made it over there just as the woman was apologizing, and introducing herself as a nurse. And she had a foreign name. Interesting, as well as her slightly woozy grammar. Well, learning foreign languages wasn't easy. He himself took a while to get his english up to par. ''Something going on?'', he would ask, mostly towards Sentinel, before catching himself and turning to the woman. ''Well, hello Miss, it's a pleasure meeting you.'', he would say politely, offering a small bow. Sheesh, what was it with him and almost forgetting his manners lately? He didn't know who she was, but it felt appropriate to give at least some introduction. ''I am Sharaku Rikei, a friend of Alphonse's.'', he would add in a friendly tone. Well, at least she would know what she was on about. With that, he would watch the scene curiously, his golden eyes glancing over he happenings, slightly wondering what was she doing here.

The young girl nodded as Veronica imparted his wisdom, "Why would I forget? There are so many fun things and friends to meet in this world! I love everything about it! However, I think people of all ages need to have more fun! After all fun is one of the few sources of energy that the body runs on! ....Though Senty disagrees, he says its mainly calories, but I think fun sounds so much better!" When the woman introduced herself as Veronica, Maria would be smiling happily offering the older woman a handshake with a bright smile, "I'm Maria Farren nice to meet you Veronica!" She would say with a bright smile on her face.

When the woman faced Sentinel, she would apologize that made the android feel a bit better her name was Veronica Yakimov, she was a nurse at Zela Academy, who saw children all day long. Well that was comforting the school would not allow someone with a record to be a nurse, nor would the students let the nurse get away with anything that felt was wrong. The android would relax a bit, and when Veronica explained she meant no harm he would nod his head. The android knew people who meant no harm, but their actions said otherwise. Though that was not something he would openly discuss, when Sharaku would ask if anything was going on, the android would shake his head. "No, Maria is just making a new friend. Though I am curious what brought you here Veronica?" The android would ask not because he was concerned, but simply curious. The young girl would hand Veronica a light pink flower, "She can pick flowers with us!"