The Antique Shop and Shrine Guardian (Safi/Open)

Innocent as Oki seemed the old being was far from an idiot. Its mind did not work in the normal fashion and yet it still had the ability to learn and adapt according to what was before it. Take Mr. Sharaku for example. A playful gentleman type that seemed to have some quirks that suggested that maybe there was some bite underneath the calmness he gave off. He was an intriguing mix of contradictions that made the being only more curious to get to the center of the mystery and absorb what it could about its subject of interest, but like the man who showed amazing restraint over his own whims, Oki remained open and playful as his mind shuffled this and that around about the man. While there was still no trust to be had, Oki did enjoy the other, so in a way it could say it liked the other and would not mind more than one more future encounter with the man provide they could remain just playful towards each other rather than hostile.

See while some may have snapped or even reacted badly to the countering of questions with other questions which resulted in more questions, Oki would give the other a faint smile as cat-like eyes shimmered with amusement and a small bit of admiration for the fellow. It had been a very long time since it could trade words in such a way with another. Even the flat way the response was given did not seem to bother the being who observed the other carefully.

“It would depend on who you asked,” Oki said as it smirked thoroughly pleased. “Most would never come to that conclusion considering how wrapped up in creating problems and drama the human race is at times.”

Oki did not expand upon its words, choosing instead to leave them just the way they were. If the man before him liked a game of cat and mouse when it came to information, then Oki was the worst sort of predator to have. It was persistent and did not stop until it got what it wanted…or it unintentionally destroyed the very thing it hunted; however, considering this man was not a shadow nor was Oki forced to perform for another or risk pain, Oki resisted its natural desire to pounce and instead challenged itself to simply wait to see if it could develop things in a more normal fashion and in turn get some information naturally rather than through hunting.

The resistance is what kept the being in its chair and kept the smile upon its face, hiding many odd facts about the thing that called itself Oki. When Oki responded to the other’s comment about games, it took note of the smile and the silence, but instead of becoming confused or distressed about this the being would watch the other for a few moments with a light smirk before letting out a light snort as it folded its arms and looked up at the ceiling as it shook its head. The gesture would suggest it was disappointed with no response back, but at the same one would have to wonder exactly what the being thought as it looked up at the old ceiling with a small smirk of mischief there.

Perhaps the being had come to understand something of the man it was not expressing in words. Maybe the being was trying to formulate a witty comment to poke the other with. Or maybe, the being was thinking nothing at all and only mimic a behavior it had seen done before in response to such situations. It was hard to say….and to be frank Oki wasn’t given any hints to confirm or deny any assumptions made due to the actions it had performed.

In any case as the conversation and time moved on, Oki would eventually go into a rest state as it talked with the other that was somehow able to mellow it out by something that could not quite be explained. It was this same calmness that had settled upon the being that caused Oki’s eyes to drift towards the other in a lazy fashion as it raised its eyebrows at the words that were said.

“Magnificent?” the being responded back quietly as it tilted its head downward in a fashion that caused its bangs to cover its green eyes as it gave a small sheepish smile. “I suppose it would be magnificent, but like you say one has to help themselves; however, what if even that doesn’t work? What do you propose one does, hmm?” Oki would ask in a voice that suggested it was truly trying to figure out a different approach to things and make sales work. A quiet moment would pass between them and then…

“Hmp…” Oki would let the noise out lightly as it seemingly end its thought process about sales as it rested on the counter until it was startled by the other’s sudden mimicking of the resting position it had been in in response to something Oki had said earlier. In response, Oki was concerned about the other and what it had done wrong; however, as the other responded to its words, Oki relaxed only a little bit as it listened to the other try to explain or rather not explain the situation at hand. Oki frowned at this at first not sure what to think of an answer that was not an answer, but then deciding to let the confusion go and take the suggestion of just forgetting what it had saw, Oki would eventually resume its relaxed position and make its comment about similarities and differences between itself and the man before.

The response the other gave back amused Oki as it buried its head slightly in its arms so that only its eyes were visible from under the thick black bangs.

“We’d all be clones and boring if we were 100% the same and yet completely chaotic if we were 100% unique. Without common ground where would all the fun go?” Oki asked in a voice that was only slightly muffled by its arms.

Oki watched as the other raised an eyebrow before speaking, his manner laidback. To his response, Oki chuckled lightly.

“You are wise to be unconcerned with such things,” Oki said with a light smile not really bothered that the questions had not gone anywhere. After all, that one was just a game of avoidance was it not? And avoiding directly answer the man had done quite. The trait was odd making Oki wonder just how much this one truly cared about. Did this one not care for anything in the world and in turn could brush everything off? Or did this one perhaps care so much that to be open about it was dangerous?  Huh. Yet another mystery to be added to the ones piling onto his strange guest. Still being as it was, Oki did not press any further with the chat on problems or bother asking why the other acted the way he did. Oki did not wish to annoy the one it liked just yet, so for now it would behave.

When Oki made the light snort at the man’s silence when it came to ‘playing’, Oki had taken up its position that could be taken as offended as it looked up at the ceiling for a while before it felt eyes upon it. Barely turning its head, the being’s eyes would narrow as they turned and watched the other back from the corners. There was a moment of silence where each was in their own thoughts before Oki winked at the other with a slightly gentler smirk, a rare show of liking towards another. In any case, the action was brief before Oki was closing its eyes and stretching slightly as the other decided to look off in a different direction. There would plenty of time for more games later. Right now the subject could be dropped since something even better was perhaps developing here.

In time, the silence would end and speech regarding old things would resume. As it did, Oki listened to the other’s response to its question and tilted its head slightly allowing one eye to become revealed once more.  It was examining the man with amusement and mild surprise. Here it had pegged the other as uncaring in most regards and yet, he seemed to be trying to encourage Oki when it came to the shop. Still gazing at the other with one eye while the other remained hidden behind its hair, Oki’s lips would part and words would spill forth.

“I shall take the words into consideration, Mr. Sharaku,” Oki said as its eye narrowed with something similar to appreciation. Even if the words were not true and were just there for decoration, Oki still appreciated even the fake words of encouragement. It gave it a bit more hope for the future not of just the shop and the shrine, but for life in general.  It made things less grim knowing that there was a bit of kindness in the world even if it was faked. It made the world more…pleasant for a few moments. In any case, the words were pleasing enough despite whatever thoughts they caused to filter into the being’s head as it continued to watch the other calmly for a second.

When the other sighed into the silence that had fallen between them, Oki had taken to relaxing on the counter as it continued to chat with the other. Despite the conversation turning quiet oddly when the other did a near face plant into the counter, Oki eventually brushed the strange change off as it found that it hadn’t done anything to offend the other.

A bit relieved and comfortable once more, Oki spoke about common ground as it sunk into its arms while the other sat up somewhat and leaned his chin on one hand before responding back with a low chuckle.

To the other’s joke about vacations, Oki’s eyes narrowed with a hidden smile as an amused, “Hmph!” escaped its body as it continued to watch the other.  The fellow was quick witted, it would give him that, but the being wondered if the man actually considered what it was saying. While Oki never classified itself as bad, it did have…issues with the way the world worked and at times often wondered how it could unwind it into chaos or seal up it up into a completely calm state. How would those worlds look? How would the residents react? The experiments would indeed be fun, but Oki wondered if it had such power at its fingertips and could play with the world in such a fashion just for the sake of information, would this man continue to not care, or would he step forward to stop Oki? Or perhaps even join the fun? Would the puzzle matter if the other became a study too?

Oki closed its eyes in a slow blink as it let its mind play with that small path of amusement. While it was tempting to have the world at its fingertips to experiment with, Oki knew that was probably a farfetched dream and to pick Mr. Sharaku apart? Well, you couldn’t make friends if you broke them every time now could you?

No. No. Such dreams were best left alone lest one gave away how truly…unstable and inhuman a thing such as Oki could be. In any case, the thoughts and actions were brief before Oki was opening its eyes once more to focus on the man as he decided to elaborate on his earlier words.  As the words sunk in, Oki was quiet for a moment before responding.

“Would Mr. Sharaku like a chair and some tea? While I am sure it may not matter much, I am curious to how you think your words apply to you and I? Do we attract or repel?” Oki asked as it sat up slightly and tilted its head towards a chair in the corner behind the counter. It was inviting the other to stay if he wished even as outside the skies had begun to turn from light blue to the darker shades of blue signaling the approach of early afternoon; however, time was never an issue for Oki who could continue to chat well into the next day if allowed to…

Tough cookie, a whisper that was not quite its own thoughts said to the being who watched Sharaku wearing a light smirk that hid much of what it thought. Instead of dismissing the voice, Oki agreed inwardly with the whisper he had heard on many occasions. Much like the hidden eyes that watched the store and home, this voice too was something common to Oki’s world.

Sharaku was indeed a tough cookie so to speak, but at the same time to have such a challenging fellow before him, kept the data collector quite intrigued with the man. On one hand, the attitude was agitating. Most would get fed up with no direct answers, but not Oki. The more something avoided things, the harder the being tried to discover the truth, but for what reasons? Why bother to work so hard for data and opinions that would probably go to waste? What was the point?

Oki could not exactly answer that question fully, but it knew its constant search for data was currently the only reason it had continued to push through its alien-like life. Without that purpose, Oki often wondered where it would be; however, as his guest had said before, there was no use being concerned about something that was not worth the trouble in the end. Everything had a gain and while it was fun to chase headless chickens and golden gooses, in the end they were just fillers and side attractions leading up to the bigger and better events.

In any case, for the first time since the conversation started the man would not get a response back to his comment as Oki simply nodded as it watched the other with amusement. There was no reason to elaborate or even try to expand a subject that was ended, so content for now with what it had, Oki let the subject drop and began to play a game of silence with the man.

It was a fun little way to pass time for Oki watching as the other simply snorted at its attempt to poke and tease without words. The fellow was good at keeping his cool, but Oki wondered what would happen should it have gotten under his skin. Would this one have exploded or perhaps become annoyed? Would he have walked away?
The questions filtered in the being’s mind as it turned to the one that had snorted with a gaze that met the other’s evenly. This one stood his ground still. Nice. Very nice. It was not often to have visitors not head for the hills after spending a bit of time with Oki. It was impressive this one had stayed this long. Interesting. Interesting.

In time, the silent game would end as the subject of doing or not doing came back to the front. As Oki heard the other’s words, it nodded lightly as it folded its arms and closed its eyes.

“Aye. That is the truth,” it responded back equally as cryptic making it hard to tell if the being had simply stated the words to agree with the man or was perhaps thinking of something else as it reopened its eyes and smiled lightly in response to the other’s amused smile; however, nothing more was said upon the subject, signaling that perhaps this one too had no further point of going on. The information Oki had gathered on this man’s personality was satisfying enough at this point.

When the light joke was made and Oki responded back with an amused “ Hmph!” the man before it did not respond to the sound much, but then again Oki had come to expect this of the man. Just like it had come to expect the calmness of his way of speaking, so as the conversation rolled around to the offer to stay, Oki did not really expect the other to react in any other way than the way he did when responding to the odd question.

While the other refused the chair after looking to where it was, he did take Oki up on the offer of tea requesting mint tea.

“Mint hmm? I believe we do have that,” Oki said as it easily perked up and slid off the chair. It moved parallel to the counter heading for a small door that it would open to enter the other side of the shop/home; however, before entering the other side it would pause as its guest spoke.

Shaking its head, Oki would speak.

“Honestly it was a reflection question, friend,” Oki would begin as its voice lost all the upbeatness and formality it had before as it became slightly more serious and calmer as a hint of Oki’s true self came out. The being would shift its weight to the left and looked over its shoulder at the other as it grinned at the other with a hint of mischief as it looked the other up and down.

“You may be cute, charming, and entertaining, but I think we can both agree that this meeting is still too fresh to do anything except make hypotheses as to the true answer to my question. Perhaps at another point we can re-examine the subject, no?” Oki said as it chuckled lightly and shifted its weight to head into the gloom of the other side.

“You are welcome to come in if you like, Sharaku,” Oki’s voice drifted from the gloom of the door it left open. “Just don’t mind the slight mess if you do come in. I've been reorganizing a bit,” Oki would continue its voice further off than before.

After a while a strange silence would fill the antique shop as Oki moved further into its home and through another passage it left open to find the tea. The only thing that broke the silence was the tick-tock of an old clock on the wall and the occasional sound of people passing by the shop outside.

While the silence should’ve emphasized isolation, there was something off about the place as a whole…It was almost like the shop was in a way alive and watching everything being done, but surely that was imagination right?
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Note: Sharaku has permission to enter Oki's home if he likes.

Silence and company were a delicate combination that only a few in the world seem to enjoy. While some were fine with minor chat or too much chat, being around someone that was quiet could drive those that craved sounds and thought that speech was the best way to interact with another quite insane. However, silence was something that Oki was used to. It thrived in silence most of its life learning to pick out the secrets the silence had to give and to simply exist with nothingness rather than sound. Oki had many years of this sort of practice and perhaps its patience and ability to still enjoy another in silence showed just how old the being was. It was not every day a person of 15 years of age would do something like this. If they did that typically meant they were very serious about life or had been brought up in such a way that they were either timid or so disciplined they could not be broken or swayed to talk more than necessary. In any case, the silence would linger as Oki watched the other before it for a while before its eyes turned to the shop door as some kids ran by laughing while an adult yelled at them to behave.

The distraction would last only for a second before Oki was turning its attention back to the other to agree with the words that were being spoken. There was a light hum from the man before the being that told it the other was listening, but much like itself, the man did not see it fit to try and continue on a subject that had ended. When the conversation came to tea and Oki became active once more as it slid off the chair, its attitude would shift from the upbeat and formal one it had used as the other answered its question. While the answer amused Oki to no end, it could no longer pretend it was dealing with just an ordinary person that had blurted an answer out. No, this one was good at avoiding answering questions when he wanted to. An agitating game to some, but for Oki this was just fine. It preferred to be surprise and leave things unexplained. After all, it was the puzzles that kept it searching for more information, kept it hunting for all the pieces. If everything was handed to it right away, the being would’ve been very disappointed with the world and probably would’ve become bored quite fast. And then what would it have done with itself?

A curious wandering for another time perhaps, but for the time being Oki pushed the thought aside as it stayed focused on its guest as it relaxed and let its more honest self be revealed. While Oki did not seem to notice the first reaction to its words, a laugh is hard to miss. As the other first snorted and then began to laugh at what had been said, Oki paused long enough to glance over at the other as it smirked highly amused at the reaction such open words could cause. While there was no feeling attached to the words, Oki would be lying if it had said there was no truth in the words. Its guest was exactly as it had said he was, but whether the words were taken with a grain of salt or not was up to the other; however, outside of the laughing, it seemed that the other took the words…well enough.

Perhaps Oki randomness and sudden change in mood was too much for the other and laughing was the only way to keep himself breaking? It was an interesting reaction nonetheless, but one that Oki would only examine for a moment before it was ducking into the small door way and heading further into its home in search of the mint tea. It gave the other permission to follow if he wanted and much to the being’s delight, the male did follow. As it was going through the low and dusty passage way he could hear the other speaking and hear his footsteps follow.

To his words, Oki let out a small laugh of amusement.

“Oh is that so? I’d like to learn in time what you have learned from such study then,” Oki said leaving the other to interpret the words as he wanted. Oki honestly didn’t care what the other did as long as he wasn’t a threat to itself or its property. The very fact it had allowed the stranger to enter its home was not a matter of trust, but rather a matter of manners. It would certainly be rude for Oki to have just left its guest without making the offer. Most would’ve avoided the offer, but this man was rather confident and bold. Once more a nice change up from the norm.

In any case, the path Oki would take would lead down a hall that turned a corner before ending in another door that was left open for the other by Oki. Through this door, the area would widen and open up once more giving one room to stand correctly once more. However, a quick look around would show that the area was not exactly inside. The ground was made of well-worn stones and to the left multiple well taken care of small shrines rested lit slight by old stone lanterns. The air here was cooler than outside as the ancient structure seemed to lean in on all sides to block the light with its curving roofs that mimicked ancient orient tradition much like the rest of the space did.

Outside of this, the area was silent, devoid of Oki’s presence, and seemed to be doorless. The tick of the clock was no longer able to be heard now that the man was in further inside of the ancient and deceivingly large structure. Near the graves was a statute of a dragon and on the stone structure sat a fox that watched the area. When Sharaku entered, the fox turned its dark brown eyes to the man and observe him for a moment, then hopping off the statute, the fox began to walk around the graves disappearing around the bend. A few seconds later it would come back, peeking its head from the around the corner as it looked at Sharaku as if it wanted him to follow it.

Whether the man did so or not, the fox would eventually go back around the graves revealing that a second door that had been left opened was here. The fox would slip into the gloom of the second area and if Sharaku followed he would find himself standing in the entrance way of a very disorganized traditional oriental house. Things were scattered here and there or pushed to the side to make a pathway for the one who lived here. Despite the mess, the house did smell clean and from somewhere a voice spoke to Sharaku.

“I see you are braver than some. Most would’ve fled from us by now,” Oki’s voice said from somewhere in the house. Maybe it came from ahead where the sound of someone working with an item of liquid could be heard?

“We are glad you decided to stay,” Oki’s voice would continue from right behind the man. The being had apparently come from a side room that led deeper into the house, but how it was that when clearly its voice had come from somewhere else a second ago? Perhaps it was the layout of the house that caused this strange effect, maybe it was something else.

In any case, Oki didn’t seem to be phased by the strangeness that was ordinary to it as the being leaned against the frame of the door, quite relaxed in its own territory.

“You are in luck. We do have mint tea, but it will be a while before the water is ready. Would like something to eat while you wait?” Oki said its manners remaining in place despite its now relaxed state of speaking.

Oki would keep leading the way through the gloom, keeping an ear open for whatever responses its guest might make. When the other responded to its comment about sharing what he learned from the examination, Oki would not say anything as it simply glanced over its shoulder and gave the other a light smirk as its eyes narrowed under its dark bangs. Just as expected. The man remained casual and distance, making him hard to read and making it hard to determine if he was trustworthy or not. He kept himself a mystery, but Oki did not mind this. After all, this meeting was a simple way of testing the waters, no? If anything, by the end of this Oki may have a face it recognized more so than others, but as far as friendships and that sort of thing went, it would have to say that was a ways off.

Sure, the being remained open enough, but much like the male that followed it, the being did not reveal much of self to the other. A slight change in attitude here and there may make one assume that it was about to simply give everything away; however the old being was much wiser than that. It knew better than to simply give everything to a stranger, especially to one as fascinating as this one. Still, despite the way each kept their own secrets, this did not stop Oki from extending its hospitality to its guest that seemed to have a sense of humor that made him fun enough to be around.

In any case, Oki would remain quiet as it continued on its path disappearing down passageways only it knew and effectively losing its guest for the moment as it went into the kitchen; however, Oki was not worried. If the man had followed it this far, then Oki was quite certain the other would be able to find his way into the house. After all, there were other guides outside of itself in the place and if one was curious enough they would get the messages the silent guides had to offer.

Heh. And what do you know? The man was indeed curious enough to understand. As Oki set the water to boil, it would speak out to its guest as the fox from earlier waltzed into the kitchen and sat down upon her pillow. As Oki spoke it heard the other's voice drift from the entrance way.

A light chuckle would be the response to the first set of words as Oki worked for a bit more in the kitchen and then began to wander about the passage ways until it finally arrived at the door behind the other and spoke. When it had spoken and the other turned, Oki could sense a change in the air suggesting that maybe the surprise was not something the other appreciated; however, confirming such a thing was a challenge to do since its guest did not say or do anything to confirm or deny the point.

When he refused food, Oki remained neutral as it watched the other with its smile still in place as it observed the other, locking an even gaze upon him for a moment; however, before it could say anything more the tea kettle began to whistle. Calmly Oki pushed itself from the door frame and headed back towards the small kitchen. As it did this it spoke, deciding that it would be wiser to let its guest know exactly where it was than surprise him again.

“You are a very curious being, Sharaku. Very curious,” Oki would begin. “I wonder why your type are so hard to find these days.”

Oki’s voice drifted easily from the direction of the kitchen as it
began working on making the tea requested.

“Would like anything special added to your tea? Sugar, milk, etc.?”

It would ask as it sat a mint tea bag in one cup and a regular black tea in another cup and poured water over each to let them begin to steep. Placing the kettle back on the cooling stove. It would stay in the kitchen listening for anything the other said, keeping its back to the door as its eyes wandered over the cabinets in the kitchen that held various things in them. As looked at the scuff mark on one it reminded itself to get some paint to its growing list of things to get to fully fix the house.

To the tsk and the words spoken, Oki grinned slightly to itself as it stayed in the kitchen waiting patiently for the tea to steep. It would seem that the other had been ruffled once again by simple words, but then again...With someone like his guest, perhaps the words were more biting than Oki first thought. After all, the man’s looks and eyes spoke of a different story did they not?

Mhmm..Perhaps, but then again, Oki was not one to cut corners either. It said what it thought and then watched the reactions and listened to the words that flowed from the receivers, gathering information while pretending to react appropriately to whatever occurred. In the end, the actions it did meant nothing to the being itself. What mattered was that it had the information it wanted and while its guest was indeed a tricky puzzle. It was these little slip ups that the being savored for they always gave a bit more about its strange guest away.

Regardless with how pleased it was, when the being responded back there would be no trace of the amusement there.

“Ah so biting,” Oki’s voice would carry through the house its sarcasm matching the sarcasm it sensed from the man. Then changing its tone, it would ask “Have we perhaps misspoken again?” This time the voice had a hint of concern in it.

In any case, the being would give the other time to answer before it would ask its question regarding the tea. After saying the words, it waited for a command from its guest, quite surprised that its guest had remained in the entrance way rather than follow it to the kitchen. Was this one actually trusting it not to do anything harmful to the tea? Or was this one simply in the business of taking risk? It was a strange thing its guest did and yet at the same time the simple act had won points in Oki’s book. Quite pleased with what had occurred Oki decided to make the best cup of tea it could if the other ever gave it command as to what to do with the tea.

Oki remained quiet and still in the kitchen until it heard the other’s voice once more. Tilting its head lightly, it closed its eyes as a light smile spread across its lips. How amusing. This one was indeed taking a risk both by action and words, but lucky for him Oki was not feeling threatened by the other male and so deciding to keep the tea simple it would use the smallest amount of sugar in the mint tea to give the flavor a boost, but not enough to ruin the natural taste of the tea.

When it had finished prepping both cups of tea, it would drift back to the entrance way just as Sharaku was asking his question. To the question, Oki smiled as it moved forward stopping just outside of the other’s personal space bubble as it held both cups equally balanced in its hand.

“It does not matter, if I know you are not. What matters is what you do and how you act in the moment. If you present yourself as a threat, then a threat you shall be treated as. If you present yourself as a thief, then you shall be treated as thief; however,” Oki paused and took a step into the other's space bubble still keeping a small space between them that would make those not use to such behavior uncomfortable; however, for Oki this distance was actually respectful in its mind.

“You have been nothing, but civil and we like civil beings even if it is an act. As a result, it is only natural to ask others if they wish to have drink or food, if they seemed to be staying longer. Just as it is natural to invite another in if you are going to be leaving them for a long period of time to do something. Manners, we believe it is called by most; however, we see it as fair chances. The risks involved are always different, but you can get no where without contending with such bumps along the way,” Oki said and then holding out the cup of mint tea to the other, its eyes would narrow as the smile remained on its face.

“Besides, it is not like you are the most normal of guest. Why follow and trust us to make your tea if you were not planning to stay? What has caught your fancy, hmm?”

The question was a curious one from the being who watched the other carefully with its cat like eyes. It truly was curious as to why the other had followed and decided to linger. What was this one after hmm?

In response to its remark it made back when the man had given the being a sarcastic response, Oki found itself smirking quietly as the other did the same sort of explaining he had done when he had nearly face planted into the counter earlier. Heh. Curious human. What was really flowing through that head of his? Was it anger, agitation, confusion? Oki would’ve loved to know, but luckily for its guest the being had fallen in love with him because he was a puzzle and not because it saw him as a thing to dissect and pick apart manually. The intrigue and amusement this one caused Oki was refreshing after being alone so long. Perhaps it was an appreciation for this distraction that caused the being to like the man enough not to break him right off the bat as if he were a shadow or something else to examine up close. Mmmm..Yes. Living subjects were the best type weren’t they? At least there was the challenge of getting to know the living if the energy of life still flowed through the being. Dead things while fun did not have lasting appeal, even if they were a treasure trove of information. Yes. Yes. Much better to keep the subject alive when possible.

Despite Oki’s thought about its guest, the being had no intention to act impulsively. Perhaps it was its time spent with a human that was not trying to harm it that had calmed its urge to pounce and examine that kept the conditioning that it had went through from clicking fully in place once more. Sure, the thoughts were there, but not so much the will to obey the thoughts that wanted to dig deeper into things in less than human ways. Besides it was not quite comfortable or trusting of its guest enough to play the more rough sort of games at this stage.

In any case, Oki would push the thoughts aside as it heard the other respond to how he wanted the tea made. Pleased with the answer and with a task to focus on, Oki would come alive once more as it made the tea before returning to the entrance way with the hot drinks.

When the other had questioned Oki’s behavior, it had given him a simple answer that barely gave a hint of how Oki worked. It was true, the explanation was straight forward and taken at surface value perhaps it was a naïve way of thinking. After all, the world was not that simple. Everything was complex and contradicting. Odd faces hidden behind masks that did not ever match what was underneath. Oki knew this truth, but much like the man before it, it only gave out a little about itself if anything at all.

Sharaku was a vague man making it very hard to confirm or disprove anything it had gathered so far about him. Sure, Oki spoke words out and responded to things in ways that it more or less felt was appropriate to what was going on as it continued to observe its guest, trying to learn the man’s ways without being given any clear rules on what was right or wrong in the situation. Sharaku did not seem to care about such things and was neutral on other things, so the being had to play by ear to not get on this one’s bad side. Fun, but with restraints of course. No need to start unnecessary fires.

While it was true Oki didn’t have any malicious intent towards its guest, the simple fact remained that it was an information gatherer and while its ways were sometimes looked over by others, it highly doubted this vague fellow missed a beat. It was a guess, but as Oki stepped into the space bubble of the man once more and got the intent look rather than any words or actions that would suggest it had done something wrong, the being locked its eyes on the other’s golden ones,

At the other’s smile and acceptance of the tea, Oki gave the other a lopsided smile that soon turned into a grin as it heard the rest of the words.

“Well, I am glad to know that Sharaku is prepared should anything happen,” it said as its eyes narrowed with mischief before a slight change in look came as the smile soften. It was a small sign of appreciation for someone who it found on equal terms with itself; however, being that this one was so vague Oki wondered if the other would receive this well or not. Or if like other things he would brush it off. Hmmm…Perhaps it didn’t really matter considering they were still strangers. Oh well.

After the words were said, Oki would pause and take a sip of the hot tea hardly noticing any pain since most of its body had been exposed to things much worse and did not completely register pain until it was at a higher level than a small burn. As it was taking a second sip, it blinked and looked up at Sharaku’s comment.

“Most find excuses to stay, but I suppose I can let you slid with not having one today,” Oki said as it smiled up at the other. “To be honest you really don’t need one. I just like your presence,” Oki told the other honestly enough. Stranger or not the company was indeed nice. However, like it always did it let its words linger and watched to see the other’s reaction to things.