The Antique Shop and Shrine Guardian (Safi/Open)

The day started off normally enough. It woke up and did what it usually did in the morning to keep itself more or less presentable and fed before it was going through the old antique shop making sure everything was dusted and just right. Just like she always had it. When it was pleased with the inside work, it had gone out to sweep around the shrine…and that…that is when things went wrong.

The sweeping started out normal. Pick up the old broom that was in need of replacing and beginning the process of carefully sweeping the leaves from the old stones. A simple and basic task that was performed daily; however, as Oki was working its way around the offering alter of the shrine, cat-like eyes caught the shadow of something nearby. Naturally, Oki eyes shifted in the direction of the object to see what it was. Again, a natural function; however what wasn’t so natural was the reaction from Oki as it saw what that shadow was.

The thing made of black and brown spotted fur that had deep golden eyes. Whiskers. A tail….

As Oki took in the familiar form of a cat, its body tensed as the hair on its body stood on end and its face became paler than usual. Gripping the broom with a grip that caused the old wood to creak, Oki stood watching the sitting cat debating if it needed to run or kill it before it decided to –

Too late!!

Oki thought in a panic as the cat let out a meow and started to walk towards it. Forgetting the task of sweeping, Oki dropped the broom with a clatter and high tailed it for the nearest tree. With inhuman skill, the being climbed as high it could go before settling on a branch way up in the ancient tree. Its heart was racing and refused to stop as it looked down at the ground where unfortunately the cat now stood at the bottom looking up at it with those uncaring eyes.

Not liking the cat, but not exactly in the right state of mind to do anything about it, Oki settled on its branch and glared coldly at the cat that watched it….

Oki continued to watch the cat coldly wondering inwardly why it could not ever make up its mind when it came to the four legged creature. On one hand, some part of Oki understood the cat was just an animal and like all animals were neither good or evil, but thanks to its past Oki could see nothing good coming of a cat’s appearance. Every time it saw one as it rested or trembled in pain in that small cell, a scientist would come to do some other test or shortly after the cat started staring, then Oki would get sick. Even when it had escaped that hell hole that was once home, its perceptions of cats never changed.

The old lady that had owned the shop had tried to teach Oki differently and while nothing seemed to ever happen when the lady was around, whenever Oki was left alone with her cats, bad things seemed to happen. Things would break and accidents would occur. Oki never concluded that perhaps it was its own jittery nature around the cats that caused most of the chaos. No, it couldn’t have been itself. The cats…it had to be their fault. They were evil omens…right?

Hmmm… Oki thought as he pondered this strangeness between itself and cats as it watched the golden eyes below that stared up at it. This was illogical on all levels. If that cat wanted to get Oki, it could very well climb up there and get it; however, for whatever reason the cat decided to stare up and taunt Oki instead. This was something that only made the pondering being moody as it sat on the branch wishing it were a bit braver when it came to the feline family.

Oki wasn’t sure how long it sat there watching the cat and it to be honest it wasn’t exactly focusing on much outside of the cat, so when all of sudden a human figure came to rest beside the cat, Oki’s eyes narrowed slightly as it watched the dark haired stranger follow the cat’s view to where it was on the branch and then look back to the cat. Oki could sense confusion coming from the human who was an odd shade and had eyes that reminded it of a shadow. Oki wasn’t sure if this person was a good or bad thing, considering how calm the other was around the cat.

When the other spoke, Oki took in the words as its eyes shifted slightly from the cat to the one speaking. Remaining emotionless, the being study the other for a moment with its cat-like eyes before shrugging lightly at the question.

“It is always questionable if there is something going on when a creature such as that is about,” Oki said pointing at the cat with one gloved finger coldly. As it pointed at the cat who was looking up at the new arrival, the cat glanced back up at Oki, causing the being to tense a bit on the branch.

With a light yawn, the cat eventually looked away before it gently brushed against the new arrival and walked off. Staying tensed until the cat was gone, Oki let out a light breath of relief. The cat was gone. Good.

Feeling lighter already, Oki’s cold expression disappeared as it dropped from the branch it was on and tumbled with acrobatic grace through the branches until it finally settled upside down on the branch nearest to the man that was looking up at the tree at it. Not really seeming to notice that it was disrespectfully close to the other, Oki remained upside down as it gave the other a friendly smile.

“But days are good when questionable things vanish,” Oki said with a light chuckle before it became slightly serious as it observed the man before it from its hanging position. Long dark hair, a white shirt that revealed the strange skin underneath. An interesting look perhaps that of someone of the upper class in casual wear? Curious indeed, but more curious than that were the skin color and those shadow like eyes. Neither of those belonged to humans.

So why would a person have such eyes and complexion and what was said person doing around this old place?

Oki’s cat-like green eyes continued to scan the man before leveling with the man’s strange eyes once more. Being upside, Oki’s face was level with the otherwise tall man's face. Staying friendly Oki spoke again.

“You be a new face around this old place. What’s your name?”

(Alright thanks for letting me know. Also as a note, Oki does not have its hat on at the moment.)

Oki remained moody in the tree for as long as the cat was in the area. Oki watched the other below become confused at its answer to the question as it pointed down at the creature that caused it so much discomfort. Oki did not understand why the other was so calm around such a creature, but then again it really didn’t care at the moment. All Oki cared about was the fact that the cat was there making it confusing to tell if the new comer was a good or bad thing. Oki wanted to examine the other, but as long as that cat was there, there was no way it was coming down.

When the other’s moment of confusion passed, Oki saw the faint smile that crossed the lips of the other as he looked back up at it sitting in the tree. The smile and the silence did nothing to appease Oki’s mood as its pale lips curled into a light frown of displeasure. While Oki was not one to jump to conclusions often, it could not help but think that that faint smile was mocking its predicament…and that was something Oki did not like.  Whether or not the conclusion it had come to was right or not, Oki would watch the other and the cat coldly for a few more moments before finally the cat decided to leave.

As it left, Oki watched the exchange between the cat and the man taking note that the other had not reached down to pet it or pick it up. Hmmm...Maybe, this one wasn’t so bad after all. Maybe the earlier smile meant nothing and maybe the coming of the person below had chased away anything bad the cat might’ve been bringing with it. Lots of maybes, but no solid answers.

In any case, with the cat gone, the air around Oki lightened as it finally came down the tree in its own unique way as the other remained lost in some form of thought. However, at Oki’s approach, the other came back to reality with a look of surprise upon his face as Oki hung from the branch decidedly close to the other. Unlike some people, this one managed to hold his ground against Oki’s invasive nature and even managed to respond back to its words regarding questionable things disappearing. To the response, Oki small smile turned into a grin of pleasure. It seemed to appreciate the answer.

Not really phased by the surprise or how ruffled it had made the other, Oki remained where it was observing the other with curiosity as its green eyes flickered from the clothing, the skin, and back to those shadow like eyes. The silence and moment of observation seemed to calm the other down, so when Oki’s green eyes locked on the other, the man was watching it with a calm expression and wore a smile that put Oki at even more ease.

Deciding to give this one a chance despite how…er…unfavorable the situation had started, Oki spoke to the male asking for a name. The other was quiet for a bit, but then the lips parted and the other would respond.

Oki took in the name as its smile faded slightly as the other stepped back and gave Oki a light bow before asking the being for its name. Now, it was Oki’s turn to be silent for a moment as it observed this well behaved gentleman, trying to determine exactly what he was about. He was turning out to be a challenge to crack. Interesting.

After a second had passed, Oki’s eyes closed as it let itself drop from the branch and land cat-like on the hard stone below.

Not seeming to register the shock of the fall at all, Oki would stand up as it looked up at the other and gave a light bow back.

“The pleasure is mine. My name is Oki,” was the calm response as the strange being gave the other a light smirk. “Have you come to pay the spirits a visit or perhaps you are looking for something to buy?”

Oki asked as it fell into the usually business tones of dealing with a potential customer. As it spoke it walked forward brushing past the other gently as it moved towards the back entrance to the shop. It would pause half way to the door and tilt its head at the other watching him with a curious gaze. Such an intriguing fellow. Oki hoped he wasn’t planning to leave before it could observe him more.

Oki stayed where it was halfway to the door of the antique shop as it watched the other with a light smile taking in everything the taller male did with great detail. This one was sturdy and mostly unphased by its strangeness. Perhaps this was a sign that this one already knew what was strange was and so ignored it? Or maybe he just played it off well. Whatever the case was, Oki was impressed with the calmness of the fascinating man that had drifted its way. Curious to learn more about the man with the shadow eyes, Oki had hoped that the other would linger, but as always Oki was not one to hold things hostage no matter how much it wanted to know more about an object. While it was not trained in the ways of boundaries, it knew that pressure was the last thing to be used when seeking information. When a subject was unwilling, it had a tendency to fight back, but one that stayed of its own accord was easier to examine. Granted this did not mean Oki would gain everything it wanted to know, but in the end that did not matter. What mattered was the game and the pleasure the being got from discussions and observing new things.

Despite the amusing thoughts running in its head, Oki did not show any visible sign of what it was thinking as it remained calm in its spot waiting to see if the other would answer what was said or not. There was a moment of silence and then with a sigh the other began to move forward. As the other moved forward, Oki turned around and drifted into the shade of the antique store as it listened to the other speak.

“Ah, wandering can always be a good thing. There are many interesting things to find out here if one pays attention and no demons lurk around to trip you up,” Oki said as it stepped onto the old wooden floor of the shop and drifted into the super clean shop with all its knick-knacks and such lined up. As it moved further into the shop, Oki would pause and tilt its head slightly at the other as it listened to the next set of words.

“Well, there is plenty to look at around here. Make yourself at home,” Oki said as it settled on the stool behind the counter and rested its head in its hand as its green eyes swiveled to the other who had followed it in. To the other’s comment on spirits, Oki snorted lightly in amusement.

“The spirits are everywhere these days bring with them the good and bad. Perhaps another day you can bring them food or money,” Oki said nodding in the direction of the shrine they had just come from. “They appreciate that and may just reward you. Unless of course you do not trust in them,” Oki said with a light wink. When the other decided to lean against the wall instead of fully come in, Oki chuckled lightly to itself.

“Are you afraid I bite?” it asked playfully as it used its free hand to gesture for the guy to come in more. The beckoning that was used was not the normal way of beckoning. Instead, Oki’s hand was held out straight as it patted the air so that its palm remained facing down. The gesture was an old one that Oki had picked up from the previous owner, but also hinted that maybe Oki was not exactly a kid running a shop. Maybe it was something else under it all; however, it was hard to tell as the being watched the other with those eyes that seemed to laugh at the world in child-like amusement.

In a nutshell, Oki was still testing the waters with this stranger who had decided to stay and let it observe him for a while longer. Perhaps this would give Oki time to figure out the mysterious man before it.

As Oki spoke on the subject of wandering, it kept its back to the other, but it could hear the man behind him saying something about wishing, but not exactly understanding what the man was wishing for the being kept moving ahead as it kept its ears open for anything else that might be said along the way. However, it would appear that silence would choose to fill the empty space between them instead as they slipped into the coolness of the old shop.

Pausing only long enough to speak to the man, Oki would eventually drift behind the counter as it saw the other nod to its comment about making himself at home. The phrase was odd in all ways and honestly did not make sense to tell a stranger to do such things; however, habit and observation let Oki know over time that the phrase was normal enough to use and on occasions made others smile. Whatever was so special about such a simple set of words Oki did not know and quite frankly it didn’t bother itself to figure it out as it instead focused on the man before it.

As it spoke of spirits the other smiled lightly before speaking. To his words, Oki’s smile became a faint one as it closed its eyes. “Hmph. I suppose each man or woman to their own,” it said in gentle tones as it leaned its head back a bit and then opened one green eye as the smirk returned. “I’ll tell the spirits to not judge you to harshly,” Oki teased. It could understand not trusting in anything easily. After all trusting always seemed to get one into trouble, so playing cautious was always a good game plan. After all, just because Oki was friendly and teased did not mean it liked or trusted anything.

It simply tested the waters with different tactics, adjusting its ways to match the personality of the one it dealt with. The game would be no different for this man either.

As the other leaned against the wall, Oki’s playfulness didn’t fade as the smirk became a light smile and it beckoned the other over both with words and an old fashioned gesture. Whether the other understood the gesture or not, Oki’s smile would turn into a mischievous grin as the other spoke and came over to where Oki was.

“You should not tempt me like that lest I take you up on such a challenge,” Oki said as the other came near and finally settled close by. Not moving from its relaxed position, Oki titled its head upward and looked up at the other as he spoke. To his words, Oki chuckled lightly as it shook its head and shifted its weight on the stool, pushing the chair back so it balanced on two legs as it held onto the counter with gloved hands for balance and support.


“I take care of the shrine and this antique shop,” Oki said in tones that remained friendly and playful. “However, it is quite saddening that not many are interested in antiques these days,” Oki continued with a sigh as its smile faded. “It is rare to have a visitor come in to browse let alone attend to the spirits here, so I do what I can to keep the peace in this place,” Oki finished before gazing back up at the other.

“What about you, Mr. Sharaku? What does a gentleman such as yourself do outside of wandering?” it asked watching the other with a mixture of curiosity and amusement in its eyes. It had been a long while since Oki had something this much fun catch its attention. It was going to enjoy this if things remained good between them.

Oki continued to watch Sharaku with one eye for a while longer. It watched the man’s expression change and listened to the man’s words. While a smile remained on Oki’s lips, for the briefest of seconds its eye became devoid of emotion as it said softly,  "Mmm. A shared trait with us.”

The mutter was so soft that unless one was paying close attention the words could be easily missed; however, the moment was brief and before one knew it the light was returning to Oki’s eyes as it spoke in a clearer tone.

“I believe they would make an exception for a gentleman like you,” Oki said as its eyes narrowed with delight. Spirits. Oki did believe in them, but not to the same degree that someone of religious background believed in them. It knew there were good and bad things in the world. Knew there were unexplained things in the world; however, instead of believing some ghost was behind the unknown, Oki secretly blamed all the bad things on the shadows of its past. Those strange creatures it was forced to fight. While it had not encountered one since escaping, Oki had always wondered if they still lurked about. The being couldn’t quiet explain it, but sometimes it felt as if something hidden was always watching it and waiting for something.

Some days the hidden thing was a comfort, but on other days it made the being highly uncomfortable forcing it to sleep outside near the shrine where it felt safest rather than inside with all the old items and that creepy doll in the upstairs room. Maybe Oki had been living alone for too long and made up its own spirits to keep from being lonely. Maybe it was simply paranoid. Oki wasn’t sure, but with a guest before it this was not exactly the time to try to examine such an odd part of its life.  

Shaking its head mentally to clear it, Oki came out of its thoughts just in time to hear the other speak of biting and throw out a challenge of his own. In response, Oki had thrown out a playful challenge of its own and in turn the other was quick and threw a jest right back.

To this, Oki chuckled as it looked at the other with an appreciative glance.

“Worried? Maybe or maybe not. It depends on how much you truly wish to play,” Oki responded back in light tones showing it wasn’t truly serious about the idea. It was just enjoying the play and actually having someone who could play back. It was…nice having another around after so long and the fact that the other had yet to do anything wrong made the day that much better. Still as enjoyable as this was, Oki kept the details of the conversation in mind. Kept the shadow like eyes, the strange skin, and the odd words stored in the back of its head. While Oki was not sure if any of what it was gathering connected, it had to wonder if maybe the other was like itself. A thing created and forgotten. Or was this perhaps a coincidence and the connections were not there at all? Hmmm..it was an odd idea to toy with, but for now the idea was stored for a later time.

In any case, Oki would shift its weight on the stool before leaning it back and answering the man’s question about what it did. As it responded honestly to the question, Oki would pause in its stretching as it glanced up as the other leaned against the counter. As the man spoke and tapped his finger on the counter, Oki eyes would drift from the sound the action made back to the man as it titled its head with a light nod as it glanced at the other with serious eyes.

“The new doesn’t appreciate the old as they zoom by trying to catch up with light with all their fancier things. I never quite understood why the fancier things were so highly appreciated. They aren’t very deep in their stories and their value seems to go down rather than up. Maybe my mind comes from a different time frame,” Oki said as it shook its head once more. After a brief pause, Oki asked the other what he did in life and in return the other looked at Oki before answering.

As Oki listened, it would settle the stool back on the ground with a light thunk  before leaning forward and folding its arms on top of the countertop. It would rest its head on the soft fabrics of its sleeves as it looked up at the other that was literally a few inches away once more.

Oki remained calm despite the closeness assuming the calmer man wouldn’t care since the last time it entered his personal space, he had not freaked out or backed away until necessary. Quite comfortable where it was, Oki was took in the words that were said.

“Mmm. I wonder what is truly worth anything anymore these days,” Oki responded back in calm tones devoid of the earlier playfulness as it rested on the counter. The being had seemed to become rather comfortable with its guest and seemed to allow itself to appear off guard; however, to believe such a relaxed attitude would be dangerous.

While Oki had seem to come down from its energy high from earlier and appeared to be resting, the being was fully alert and even more aware of what the other did than before. The change in behavior was a subtle tactic that the being sometime used to relaxed others around it…and sometimes when others became relaxed, they became loose lipped and drop information unintentionally; however, this tactic only worked on the normal, so Oki’s calculations told it the tactic probably would not work here.

This gentleman, despite his behavior, was quite the puzzle. He was hard to pick apart and pin-point. This one was an expert at hiding what he did not want to get out and did a rather impressive job of acting his part of just a wandering gent. Perhaps if Oki were just an average being, the man’s behavior would’ve seemed normal; however, not being so normal, Oki had picked out the cracks here in there in the man’s seemingly flawless acting skills and it had to wonder as it gazed thoughtfully at the other just how much of this gentleman act was really him. A curious man indeed; however, Oki knew better than to pry to get direct answers.

He did not know or trust the man enough to play that game. After all, to get to a truth such as the one Oki wanted to learn about, it would in turn have to trade something of equal value…and to be quite frank, the being was not ready to backtrack to that hell for information quite yet.

In any case, as a moment of silent passed between the pair and Oki studied the other quietly keeping its thoughts hidden from view, Oki blinked in a sleepily fashion as it processed the question being posed.

“Bored?” it repeated as it sat up a little and scratched its head with a slight frown as it pondered how to answer that. No one had ever asked Oki such a question, so to be honest it didn’t have a ready answer for it.

Did Oki get bored? Or was the feeling perhaps something else?

“Hmmm…to be frank, I’ve never really sat down to consider if I was bored or not. I do like visitors, but at the same time, I never found it odd to be alone either,” Oki said with a light shrug. “I kind of just wander and explore the area if I find myself getting restless. You’d be surprise how many things you can discover by such performing such a task.”

The answer was simple and more or less honest. It really did just that. Oki had been alone for a long time now. The original owner was long gone. When it felt bored, it wandered around the expansive shop and house exploring the place and discovering hidden rooms that had much to wonder about in them. Even now after exploring the place multiple times Oki always discovered something new and interesting. On top of this, the shrine and its surrounding area also had much to explore and figure out. So even if Oki didn’t wander far from its home often, it was never truly bored. And as for being alone…well there were the hidden watchers in the house; however, considering his guest wasn’t into spirits, Oki deduced leaving that part out was wise.

Oki had barely noticed the other’s reaction to its mutter about similar traits the man shared with itself. It was rare to find someone that considered themselves damned or cursed, whether or not the reasons for saying such a thing about one self was the same as why Oki classified itself as a cursed being even without cats to add onto the bad luck. As the being zoned out for a second, it would see the narrowing of those golden eyes, but not completely register the look as its mind sunk into the darkness of the past for a second. However, before it could go too far down that dark path and potentially shut itself down mentally by accident, Oki remembered its guest and so focusing on the tall man before it once more life came back to the creature.

As it spoke on spirits making an exception for Sharaku, Oki took in how he reacted to the comment and found itself narrowing its eyes with amusement. “You’ll follow along just like that? Then perhaps I am mistaken then? Is Mr. Sharaku a wolf that pretends to be nice or I am just lucky today?” the being asked truly curious about the man and his way of acting. Regardless of how direct the question was, Oki was not exactly expecting an answer back. After all, one had the right to refuse to give information and from there Oki could draw where the lines rested between itself and another. Yes, the being loved information and on normal days there was really no limit on what it could and would do to satisfy its deep curiosity; however, it had learned over the years that the living and thinking were a lot more complicated than the inanimate. It had to be more patient and learn to work on social skills than be completely up front with things all the time. Social skills… it was a practice that was challenging, but necessary to keep itself from sticking too far out.

In any case, when the conversation came back to “playing” again, Oki watched as the other gave it a smirk that completely erased the smile from its face as the being tilted its head one way, blinked, and then tilted its head the other way, the odd wobble trait a sign of the being seriously analyzing thing before it to determine whether or not it should truly play or not as it listened to the words. Oki was silent for a moment as it gazed at the other emotionlessly for a moment, its eyes remaining locked on the other’s.

“Oki is always up for a game or two. Just let us know when you wish to play and we shall see what we can do,” Oki said as its demeanor and way of speaking shifted from normal to the odd fashion it used when it used to be a prisoner and had to react to all the tests the scientist did to it. While Oki’s expression remained free of emotions and its tones flat, there did not seem to be any sign that Oki was going to actually act upon its words. Still the sudden change while brief was indeed real. Oki would indeed “play” if the other wanted to do so and maybe if the being was a bit more…damaged upstairs then perhaps it would’ve really done something, but luckily for Sharaku Oki was more or less stable, so right after the words were said and a silence long enough to make the normal nervous had passed between them, Oki’s smile returned as it shook its head lightly amused at this play.

There was another brief pause before the subject was turning to what Oki did and old items. As the other responded, Oki listened to the words being spoken as it nodded lightly. “Perhaps it does remind them of the old too much, but don’t you think it’s kind of sad or odd to abandon the past just for something fancier or new even if you prefer neither?” Oki asked as it seemingly began to calm down as it watched the other move his fingers across the old counter. There was something a bit soothing about the motion that caused the being to relax and eventually settle its arms upon the counter and then rest its head against the arms, once again close to the other.

There was no meaning to the action. Oki simply did what it did. As long as the other wasn’t reacting horribly to the space invasion, Oki would continue to end up uncomfortably close to the other. Did this mean that Oki would sit on him or even hug or attack the other in some loving fashion? No. Oki did not do that unless another did such a thing to it first. It more or less mimicked behavior according to who it was around. The space invasion thing was simply an odd trait of Oki’s not intending to harm or frighten anyone. It was pretty much up to the other party to set boundaries on Oki and if not then they’d simply have to deal with the closeness. Sharaku didn’t seem to mind too much. Sure, he twitched and made a questioning sound when his space was invaded; however, the man stayed where he was, so Oki once more believed it safe to stay where it was as it spoke in response to the sound.

In response, the other made a light movement that caused Oki to look up at him with a sleepy gaze as it took in the answer. “Perhaps that answer rests within the one beholding what it is being analyzed for value or maybe the world simply does not care anymore to do such a task,” Oki would say still remaining calm and surprisingly serious as the cat like eyes drifted from the man and to the left where they would rest on an old doll in a pink kimono somewhat pointed in their direction.

Oki would stare at it for a moment, the sensation of being watched once more feeling it as it watched the doll blankly for a second. Heh. It was right when it thought its relaxed attitude would not make the other slip up in behavior. A professional at keeping secrets this one was indeed. Oki would like to unearth some of those secrets and find out if there was truly a shared trait between them; however, to do that would probably require more time to be spent with this strange fellow. Oki would enjoy such a thing; however, only time would tell if the other would want the same. Who knew? Maybe Oki could really make a friend over time. It would certainly be a nice change up from the usual isolation it lived in.

Oki remained calm for a few seconds longer watching the doll that seemed to watch it back until other asked if the being ever got bored. Hearing the question, Oki snapped back to reality and blinked as it sat up a bit to answer the question. In response, the other asked another series of questions.

“Company is much sweeter, but too much can become a bit…” it paused as it looked up at the ceiling for a moment searching for the right before it looked back at Sharaku. “Crushing,” Oki said as it lifted its left hand up and balled the gloved hand into a fist to emphasis the point. “However, some preferred to be crushed, but why is beyond my knowledge. As for me, I prefer a little bit of company here and there, but alone is not always bad either,” Oki said with a small smile before it tilted its head at the other. “What about you? Do you enjoy company? Or do you think that being alone is the best course in life?”

Oki would ask the question as it laid its head back down and looked up at the other, always curious to know more without being rude. It was strange, but it was something about the man that made Oki feel as if it was in somewhat familiar territory even if the person before it was a stranger. Perhaps the eyes reminded of its past. Perhaps the mystery of the puzzle before it kept it calm. There were many unknown things to Oki, but the being was willing to be patient to line the pieces up and see what secrets there were to be discovered.

Oki’s amused smile at the situation didn’t falter even when the other had retorted in a rather interesting fashion to its question about simply following along. Ah, so there it was. A hint of something else underneath the gentleman act. While Oki understood there were all sorts of people in the world, in this particular situation with so many assumptions and mysteries in the air, small slip up in acts could indeed be more revealing than one wished them to be. Just like the wording and action the man just gave. It suggested that perhaps there was a less…refine side to the man before Oki. Seeing the glimpse of something that maybe should not be pried into, Oki was tempted to see exactly what the man was, but the being was wise enough to know a line when it saw one. Keeping the curiosity and desire for more information mostly locked away behind the smile, Oki continued to play nice.

“Problem?” Oki began before letting out a soft chuckle. “There are only problems if you create them,” Oki said as it tilted its head at the other innocently. “So you tell me, Mr. Sharaku, what you think the answers to your questions should be?” Oki finished, the hint of sarcasm underneath its friendly tones simply an adjustment to the behavior that had been displayed to it. Oki was not being rude. It was simply keeping the ground as leveled as it could be between itself and the strange man. How good or bad the situation turned out all depended on the players on the stage really. While Oki was not offended by anything, it had to wonder how the other was truly processing this. Was this conversation becoming hostile? Or were they still on more or less good terms? Oki was not sure and perhaps it was the uncertainty that caused Oki to slip up in its own act when the subject came back to playing.

Unintentionally slipping into its analyzing state of mind, it had responded back to the other in the same fashion it used to respond back to the scientists’ challenges to it in the past. The slip up confused the other before it and as Oki saw the other’s confused expression, it at first didn’t react, but then upon hearing the man’s words, Oki shook itself mentally back into reality as it nodded at the other.

“I look forward to that day then. It will be much fun,” Oki said seeming truly delighted at such an idea. As the conversation settled back to old things and Oki began to calm down, it would listen to the responses the man gave back to the comments and questions it had thrown out.

As the other spoke about ‘old things’, Oki considered the words that were said before it reached up to scratch its head as frowned in thought at the words as it considered the different point of view on things.

“Hmm…I can’t argue too much with that. Past avoidance is sometimes…the more pleasant path in life. Still, it would help sales if more were interested in the old and bought these items just because,” Oki said with a light shake of its head pausing only briefly to choose its words carefully. The past…Some sought to cling to it while others sought to erase it completely. Oki wondered what category this man before it fell into when it came to the past. What category did itself fall into? It was an interesting consideration, but at the same time not one Oki could pick apart openly at this stage in the game. Maybe that talk could happen if there was a later between it and the man, but for now the mysteries would remain between them.

In any case, after Oki had calmed to the point where it was resting its head on the counter as it fell into a neutral state, it would answer the question that the man had asked in regards to value. After all, unlike a normal person, Oki was trained to analyze things and then give feedback when asked a question in regard to what it had been asked to analyze. While this time around it had not been asked to analyze anything, the being still reacted as it was conditioned to do so even if the question was not meant to be answered literally. No one had trained it on rhetorical questions or situations unfortunately.

So when it answered as it gazed at the doll, the reaction the other had to the words…actually startled the being. Shifting its eyes from the doll to the man, Oki would sit up a bit concerned at the position the other was suddenly in. Was he hurt? Or perhaps sick? What was going on and why did the sudden calmness from the man end? Had Oki said something wrong?

For a second, Oki was in a small panic as its brain tried to come up with the most logical solution to the problem that the being did not understand…a sign that its isolation had its consequences. Oki, while sociable enough when approached, did not know the socially correct responses to situations and sometimes what was normal to do by others was downright baffling to itself. This situation was no different.

Oki was on the edge of asking the other if he was okay when it heard the other speak in a muffled voice in response to the words. To this, Oki frowned a bit concerned not fully understanding what was being said, but getting the feeling perhaps its words had been wrong.

“I was not trying to an impose anything upon you, Mr. Sharaku. I was simply sharing a thought. I apologize if this has somehow upset you. Are you going to be okay?” Oki would speak in gentle tones as it watched the other clearly puzzled and uncertain what to do. It really hadn’t expected its words to do such a thing to a person. Was what it said really that bad?

There was an awkward pause as Oki watched the other for a moment and then letting the conversation about company relax it slightly and change its thinking gears to something else, Oki responded to the question keeping an eye on the other for any more bad reactions that would signal maybe Oki was putting itself at odds with someone it truly did not wish to be at odds with. Honestly, despite all the slip ups Oki was enjoying its time with its odd guest. It would certainly be sad if what fun that had been had was crushed by its bad habit of simply doing what it did best…collecting information and giving it back. Hmmm...

Oki would eventually relax once more as it laid its head back down upon its arms and looked at the other that was now eye level with it. Oki would listen to the man’s responses and observe the actions before it gave the other a small smile as it kept its head rested upon its arms.

“You are similar and yet very different from myself. I am glad I am not alone in some aspects of life,” Oki would say gently to the other. The similarities…they were comforting in a world that always seemed bizarre to Oki in many ways. Often times it felt a bit left out, so even if the man before it was simply speaking false words, it was still nice to think that maybe they indeed shared common ground somewhere underneath the secrets and mysteries that kept them on their own personal isles in the mental landscape for now.