A day out (Sharaku)

She would roll her eyes in jest, “At least I’m more understandable than Hyde. I would be insulted if I wasn’t.” She would like to believe she was better than some person that had a completely incomprehensible mind. She would smile when he said he couldn’t take offense to her words. It was strange how this entire conversation was playing out. She would hum and sigh a little as she thought of what to say to him about his dilemma, “That sounds hard. Trying to be you or trying to be something; it sounds like neither of them works out in the end. Well, I can’t say I know what it’s like, completely, but it sounds like this is something you will have to choose yourself. So, the question is, what do you plan to do?” It seemed he was in a lose-lose situation. Whatever he was going to try to do, it would have to be up to him, “First though, you should probably figure out what you want. If you don’t mind them getting close to you, or maybe you even want to be close with them, it’s going to force you into a situation you aren’t used to and may not be entirely ready for. On the other hand, if you want to keep things as they are, you won’t have to change at all, but you may lose them forever.” She would tell him, “Of course, this is all just speculation and hypothetical. Although, the way you talk about it, it sounds like you may already be emotionally invested in your relationship. Maybe you know it, or maybe you don’t, but it sounds like you care.” If he didn’t, it would bother him enough to talk about it. He especially wouldn’t say it made him feel bad.

She would give an amused shrug, “I guess you could think of it that way. Everything has its plus sides along with its bad ones. Still, just being able to tell what people are thinking and how they’re feeling doesn’t mean I always know what to say. I can still only interpret their words and actions through my narrow lens of understanding. After that, I have to figure out what to say to them. That’s why I’m a paranoid mess half the time. It’s hard to know what to say when you can only understand someone well after knowing them for a while.” If she was meeting someone for the first time, she would have no idea what to say to not start a fight.

She couldn’t help but laugh when Sharaku did, “Some people have skulls that are pretty thick. Let me guess, the speech went like this…” She would clear her throat and try to deepen it to sound like Hyde, but in an obviously over-the-top manner, “How can you say we should just give up? Are you telling me we should just lie down and leave this world to ruin? I could never do that, and neither should you. We have to fight until the bitter end. We have to make sure that this world is safe. I need you and everyone to stand by my side so we can fix everything.” She even made it dramatic to emphasize how it probably went, “Am I right? By the way, I got most of that speech from an old TV show. Like I said, he monologues a lot, and usually it sounds something straight out of fiction.” She would smile again. She was actually having a lot of fun right now, “Flargp muflim aseltop.” She would randomly say and shrug, “If you don’t know what I just said, you are definitely not speaking gibberish. That means, it must be the other person, not you.” She would have to correct something else, “Well, I mean rational in that you’re not being controlled by your emotions and impulses. It’s nice. Not saying you can’t be depending on the situation, but you at least know when one is called for instead of the other.” Not that she was all that good at it either. She would just give him a half-mocking look when he mentioned being guilty over games, “The only time I really feel guilty is when I cheat and still manage to lose at poker. Oh wait, that isn’t guilt. That’s humiliation.” She would make a callback to their last exchange. It was still funny to her. She didn’t know if it would be to him.

She would almost burst into uproarious laughter when he said that, “In that case, I officially declare that to be the new standard. I’m surprised it isn’t worldwide idiom by now.” She would shake her head. Even for her, that was a bit too far. Still, it didn’t change that fact that she was amused by him suddenly saying that, “Have to admit, I never thought you’d make that kind of joke. You have a pretty good sense of humor, if I do say so myself.” He made her laugh, at least. Considering when they first met, she never thought they’d be having conversations like this.

She was almost surprised when Sharaku sounded nervous about not knowing. She hadn’t expected to get that kind of reaction out of him at all. Now she was a little nervous about answering him, “Well, I suppose it could mean a few things. It could me they are someone you want to be close to and are frustrated at the way your dynamic works. Perhaps you feel close to them already and feel like you’re in a bind because you think acting one way or the other may break that bond. Or, maybe it’s both. Maybe you have a relationship with them you don’t want to mess up, but at the same time you want to be closer to them. I can only guess what’s going on, since I don’t know what kind of things you really feel around them. I think you need to figure that out for yourself.” Though, she could guess it was a special kind of relationship. Maybe he was in love, or he was considering that person to be the first he wanted to be close to. He would need to discover that for himself. She could sympathize with him though. This must have been pretty confusing for him.

She would shrug in understanding, “Yeah. I’ve been able to do it for a while now, so I guess I forget what it’s like to go in completely blind. All I can think is that I must have been even more lost back then.” Not that she had cared that long ago. If anything, she would have used her ability to make people cry and beg for her mercy. That wasn’t now, “How about we just agree that interacting with other people is harder than it needs to be.” She could agree to that. She often found she was having trouble just understanding others, “Unless you can read minds, you don’t stand a chance of knowing a person completely.” So you would always be paranoid about talking to others unless you were psychic. Still, knowing everything a person was thinking would be boring.

She would smile when he laughed at her impersonation of Hyde, “Well, I guess we may find a way to save the world. I mean, it seems like that may be what’s being thrust upon us, but I don’t think we can guarantee a happy ending for everyone. It’s only natural that there will be those that have a different desire than others. Someone will end up unhappy. That’s a fairy tale too, in a way. After all, original fairy tales were pretty dark.” Instances of chopped of limbs and death; they were nightmare fuel in its purest form. She forgot what her point was, but she would give Sharaku a blank stare when he tried to repeat her gibberish, “Now you’re just being pedantic.” In other words, he was being a smartass. Not that it still wasn’t funny. She just wanted to point it out.

She raised an inquisitive eyebrow at his words, “This sounds like something I both want to see, yet probably don’t. The desire to know is a strong one, but I won’t pry.” Who would have even thunk it. Sharaku could have moments where his emotions took over. She wondered when that happened. It would probably have to be a special moment. She would look shocked when he stuck out his tongue, “Excuse me, but I know what she does in her free time. Karma has no right to judge.” As if it were a real person and not some abstract human creation. Still, she thought the joke was funny.

She would shrug a little, “If you think it’s better to stay silent, I suppose that’s your call. I think you’re funny though. Then again, my sense of humor is pretty bad, as you’ve seen.” Not that he wasn’t funny. She was pretty sure his was just a certain type of humor that most people wouldn’t appreciate. She, on the other hand, found humor like that to be some of the most amusing, especially when it was rare, “Then again, a good joke is best when used sparingly, so maybe it’s better you don’t make jokes all the time. Not that I’d mind if you did.” She could tell he didn’t understand what she was getting at. Honestly, she wasn’t sure even she knew. It was a broad and nebulous topic that she wasn’t aware of how to answer, “I think it should feel different, but every person is different. I think for some people it just happens and others feel it very strongly. It all depends on who you are. Sorry I can’t be of more help.” She wished she was better at understanding people, and conveying what she knew. Still, there were some things that weren’t so simple. This seemed like one of those times and she wasn’t sure what to tell him to make it clear.

She laughed again, “As long as you could turn it off, being a mind reader sounds like fun. On the other hand, if I had to know what they were thinking at all given moments, I think I would go crazy. Sometimes I’m glad I don’t know what people are thinking.” She was sure some people had questionable thoughts, and she didn’t want to know what they were, “Still, it would come in handy. That, or a table of contents and a brochure on their basic habits and thought patterns. I’m sure either would be more helpful than going in blind.” She was suddenly wondering if she could open a business based on the premise. She was sure there were many people that wanted it. If only it were that simple. She sighed at the thought, “Too bad about that. I figured thinking someone wasn’t a mind reader was the default.” She could only imagine him with something like that stamped on his forehead.

She had to admit, they were agree quite a bit on this issue. She wondered how long that would last, “So, you know about the angels too? Well, I figured you probably would. Don’t know why, I just did.” She really was the last to find out. Oh well. She knew now, and that’s what mattered, “I won’t ask what side you’re on, because I’m not even sure I know all of them. I know there are the Angels and Thesis, but there is also the route of choosing neither. That means there are at least three different sides, all with a grudge against the other. Plus, we know there are multiple Angels. What if they all have their own goals too? That would make this more complicated.” That was just an observation. She wasn’t sure how right she was, “That just means, there will be many losing sides and one winner. The supernatural part doesn’t help with that either.” She would stare at him and blink a few times while she tried to think of what he just said. She had her own response, “Iway oday otnay eakspay Ortuguesepay, ankthay ouyay.” She would reply, not knowing if he understood either, “At least I know you’re speaking a real language and not some random syllables to confuse everyone around you.” She stuck out her tongue, and wait for his rebuttal.

She would almost feel embarrassed when he said he got along best with her. She wasn’t sure how to take that. It was a little strange, considering she could swear he didn’t hang out with her the most. Then again, it sounded like Sharaku was stuck in a rut with Hyde and Kurosawa, “Well, you can’t be much worse than punching someone in the face… twice.” He knew about the first time, but he wasn’t there for the second. She would huff when he mentioned Karma being her friend, “I don’t think you want to meet her. She’s nice when she wants to be, but when you get her even a little mad she turns pretty vindictive.” And wasn’t that karma is a nutshell.

She giggled and seemed to have a look in her eyes saying she knew first hand, “Love makes many a person irrational. It’s all a matter of how your brain and heart work together.” She was a maiden in love, so she would know best. Though, for her love was more irrational than anything else in the world. She doubted Sharaku would have the same opinion as her on the matter, “But, I guess you may not think of love as irrational. Maybe for you it is natural and just takes more time. Or maybe it’s a rational thing, but it’s so rational that you can’t tell when it’s happening.” She would suggest then continue, “I think it’s something else though. I think it’s more like the expectations become irrational. The other person wants more of you, because they want to know that they’re your only person, and acts of devotion let them know that you still want them. Doesn’t make some of the actions and requests and less ridiculous though.” She would wander off on a tangent of her ideas, not sure how much it helped him. She didn’t know everything, and she made that clear.

She would stop to think for a moment, “Well, they just have to be sure not to think of anything too questionable.” She would say, “Besides, if they expect you to be a mind reader, shouldn’t they know better? If they don’t want you to learn all their dirty little secrets, they shouldn’t expect you to flip the on switch.” She would have a look on her face that was simultaneously laughing at and questioning the entire human race. Her face turned serious again when the topic about the Angels continued, “I have to agree with you once again. I can’t say I’m on anybody’s side at the moment. Well, sort of. I am on my side, which is the side I like.” So, her end goals were based solely on her own opinion, “Although avoiding fights would be nice. Still, I have a bad feeling it won’t be so simple. We’ve already seen how far both sides are willing to go in order to get what they want.” It was sad. Bystanders were getting hurt and people were afraid, “If only there was some way to do this without all the violence, but I guess not.” She wished there was though.

She would rub the back of her head, “Yeah. I shouldn’t have assumed you knew Pig Latin, but I wanted to sound like I spoke more than English too.” She didn’t speak a second language, as she had never gotten the hang of any of the others. It was a little annoying, “What did you say, anyway? It sounded pretty. Then again, that’s a language that sounds like signing, doesn’t it?” Of course that would make it sound pretty by default. She was just a little jealous that he picked up three different ones, “I suppose, but at least you can learn if it isn’t made up. Unless you want to make up a language and teach it to people. I hear someone actually did that somewhere in America. It’s so weird.” And yet, it was a complex and fully functional language.

She shrugged, “My violence is all for the betterment of someone. If I do it, you know I’m really mad. If I don’t, you can assume I’m just mildly upset. I think it’s a pretty good system… Until you find out that nothing has been learned. Then I tend to get angry and try the same method again.” She would stop to think. Trying the same thing and expecting a different result. She really was insane, “At least you don’t get into fights freely. I can tell you from personal experience that most people stop listening to you after the first time your fist meets their cheek.” Number one example: Hyde, “Well, sometimes it works, but not often.” She would playfully roll her eyes when he said he and Karma would get along, “Remind me never to introduce you two. Ten years in the future, I don’t want a call that there are little Karma-babies running around. I have a hard enough time with one of them.” She was obviously joking.

She stretched out her arms behind her, “Well then, don’t let them control you. Like I said, it’s different for every person. Some people are irrational, but others can still keep their calm.” She put her arms back down, “You know, sometimes it doesn’t even take grand things. Even little things can do a lot to calm an irrational person’s desire to know you love them back. Like, remembering their favorite color, or flower, or knowing what movie they wanted to see. Just small stuff like that. It lets them know you listen and care about them. Maybe that’s the type of relationship your good at.” She would comment on the topic, “But it’s not my place to judge. I’m just stating a possibility. If that’s the conclusion that you’ve come to though, I suppose that’s the final answer.” She didn’t know what else to tell him.

She would lean her head on her hand, “I haven’t met any of them either. I don’t really know what any of them want either, other than Angel telling us to find the others, I guess. I don’t really understand it, myself.” Maybe she would never understand so long as she didn’t go straight to the source herself. She didn’t want to do that, “Oh well, attempting the impossible is a test in futility. Plus, if they want us to oppose each other, I’m sure there are those who would be more than willing to do it.” She was concerned, since it seemed like everyone would start taking sides soon.

She would have a look of confusion on her face when he translated the sentence, “Is that a normal sentence in Portuguese, or something? I get why you said it was random. It almost sounds like a tongue twister.” Almost in that it was a few ‘s’es short of actually being one, “Well, no matter what you would have said, I wouldn’t have understood. That’s the downside of not being able to speak a language.” She rolled back and forth on her feet, “That may be true, but it still sounds like one of those ones that make it seem like you’re singing. I think it’s pretty.” When he mentioned she sould try to learn it, she would shake her head, “No thank you. I mean, I would love to know a second language, but I’ve never really been able to pick any of them up. I’ve tried for a long time, but none of them have ever stuck.” To her dismay. She really wished she knew more than English, but she just never picked anything else up. Maybe her brain just wasn’t set up to function in more than one language.

She rolled her eyes at him, “I wouldn’t say I’m better than you. I’m just predictable. In fact, I would say you probably beat me, since you don’t resort to violence often. It’s not really a good method, and I know that. It’s just that old habits die hard.” And some people had really punchable faces. She couldn’t help herself, “I would not recommend trying it out. Once you do it, people think you’re a ball of violent tendencies waiting to explode. Even if you’re the calmest person in the world, they will always be cautious around you.” She also knew that first hand. Well, she wasn’t calm, but people did always seem more careful with her after she showed her violent side. It wasn’t like it was common (anymore), either. It was just something that happened. Probably a method of self preservation. She would smile and give a slight bow, “You’re welcome.” She would mockingly throw back at him. She wasn’t saying he’d be a bad father, just that Karma didn’t need to have babies. One Karma was bad enough, “And what do you mean Godmother?” She didn’t know what to make of that statement, “I don’t think you should trust me around young, squishy, impressionable things. I would probably find a way to mess them up for the rest of their lives. I mean, how do you even handle them?” She wasn’t very good with young kids. Once they hit seven, they were manageable, but not any earlier. Based on what he said, she would ask an odd question, “Do you want to be a dad or something?” This conversation was headed that way, so she would come out and ask, “Well, you seem liked you’d be a good one, regardless.” He seemed that way, but she didn’t know if the little things wouldn’t drive him crazy.

“Well, if you don’t know, you could ask.” It was a simple thing to do, “Or, maybe they give it away subtly. You never know. Then again, maybe that just isn’t your thing. Everyone really is different.” When he said no one could probably guess his favorite color on the first try, she would take a stab, “Is it white?” She didn’t know if she was right or not, and she highly doubted it, “Of course, I guess you don’t need to answer that, but I had to try. Curiosity and all.” She was too catlike for her own good sometimes. Still, it was fun to do.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips, “That would be unfortunate. If everyone is fighting against each other, then nothing will be accomplished besides bloodshed and injury.” Or death, “I have to acknowledge that our team really isn’t that stable. We’re really only holding together because we have a shared goal. If we lose that goal, we really will fall apart.” That was a depressing thought. Where would those without a side even fall? Would they be everyone’s enemy, or would they be forced to join a side? That was something she never wished to find an answer to, “Yeah, I noticed that it was a lot of similar words. I almost thought you were trying to fool me. Just for that, I should give you a sentence that has the same word over and over, but I’m much to nice for that.” She shrugged and smirked. She knew a few that would make his head spin, but she already got him back with the Pig Latin. That was enough cruelty for one day for a non-native speaker.

She rolled her thumbs over one another, “I tried to learn Spanish. I guess I was good with sentence structure, but I could never really get the vocabulary. There were so many words and I had trouble keeping them all straight.” Except for the ones that were vaguely English. Those she picked up right away. And all the words for animals, for some reason. She just picked them up without having to think about it, but that was as far as she could ever get, “The way you say it makes it sound like you can never have a way to be angry without someone getting hurt. No matter if it’s with our words or our actions, it seems getting angry will always just cause others to be afraid.” That thought almost made her cringe. If that was true, it meant that every person rejected anger, so no one could be angry if they didn’t want to hurt someone else. Anger was sometimes unavoidable though. Naomi wasn’t sure what to think anymore, but she did know one thing; thinking about this made her head hurt.

She would give him a cocky smirk, “You know there’s such a thing as adoption, right?” Was he really that forgetful? She was sure that he had to know about that option. She rolled her eyes, “You’re so kind.” She would say sarcastically and stick her tongue out at him, “Remind me to thank you but giving them fours cans of energy drink and a full bag of candy before I give them back to you.” It would be a lesson in trusting Naomi with young children. She would make sure they went back to him with the most extreme sugar-high that anyone could ever fathom. Even she was having trouble imagining it. It would be the ultimate revenge though. She gave him a smile that said she would follow through with it if he stuck her with babysitting duty, “And you can’t say I didn’t warn you, because I am right now.” She’d point out. She was not going to be held responsible for his poor skill in choosing a babysitter. She checked the time on her phone quickly. There was still time left in the day, and she had other things they needed to see. Food to try, games to play, rides to over analyze and then scream their heads off on. This day was going to be fun.

{EXIT/END}

The following stat increases by 4:

Naomi:

Sharaku: