Back in this place, for the first time. [Sharaku]

Last edited by Ri-tan on Wed Jun 03, 2015 9:54 am; edited 1 time in total

Now this was a place Rita wasn't expecting to come to any time soon. After hearing the news of the Malstu ruins' destruction, the silvernette decided to investigate, if you will... but, really, she wasn't too in the mood for it these days, so a little time at the caverns was a good alternative with the same feel. She was worried, you could say, worried about too much stuff to count. She had sent a text to a friend of hers a bit before, Sharaku Rikei, asking him to come here. Now, of course, the location was random, truly, but who else could she call? Sharaku continued being someone she trusted, someone who helped her and even saved her life; if there was someone she'd want to talk to right now, it'd be him. These worries weren't meant to be talked about with Lia, after all.

"It's almost night. These days go by so fast now. The hospital's still depressing as ever, it gives me the chills... I wish she could leave already." With a sigh, the silvernette muttered as she looked towards the beach and the ocean. Strangely enough, she was smiling, like this place relaxed her, almost. It was calm, at least, she had tried to catch a time when no-one was here.

"I wonder what will happen... Primordials, Angels, this is all too much. Will we be able to handle it...?" Rita avoided thinking about this stuff, normally. She had proven her strength before, and she'd do it again if necessary, but her mind wasn't as set as she'd like it to be. There was the problem with Angela as well, since the Primordials seemed to be targeting Angels... or at least that's what it sounded like when Ananke was so hostile towards the other person. Were they aligned with an Angel? Rita didn't really know... there was a lot on her mind, that was for sure.

Standing above the beach, on a sort of cliff, the silvernette just waited for a while. Sharaku always came when she called for him... he was supportive enough for that, so she wasn't worried this time. Maybe letting her worries be known to other people aside from Lia was a good thing... she didn't have to relieve them alone. Besides, she didn't want to burden the person she loved with them. Rita knew she'd have to be careful, though... what will Lia do now?

Well, wasn't this a surprise? Not that it was the first time, but Sharaku hadn't seen Rita in a while. One could only wonder what she had been doing during all that time. The last time they've seen each other was after she got knocked around by a Shadow at the Prison, if his memory served him right. He almost hoped this wouldn't be another fighting trip. He didn't really feel like doing that right now. He could use some break after the events happening lately. Even if the break proved to be only short. It wasn't like he even expected to find much if he did go. The Angels seemed to like evading. Or at least Sraosha seemed to back then.

At any rate, he was free enough, so there was no problem in going to meet up with her. She probably wanted something, yes? And it wasn't even that far. Well, closer than having to walk to another island.

Back in this place, for the first time. [Sharaku] RqbVW6R

Thankfully, she wasn't even hard to find, standing on a cliff and all. He wouldn't have wanted to spend half the evening searching for her. ''Hello. Is there anything you wanted, or am I here to look at the ocean? It wouldn't be the first time lately.'', he'd speak towards her, a little jokingly, as he walked up to her from behind.

The silvernette swung her head to look at the man, her eyes slightly wide. That was a bit surprising, but she smiled upon seeing him. "Hey, Sharaku. Nothing, really, I just wanted to talk, I guess, catch up. We can look at the ocean if you want, though. Maybe we should go take a dive? I'm not against some night swimming." Rita chuckled, turning herself around to look at Sharaku normally. Truly, she just wanted to hang out for a while, her message didn't even really specify much.

"How have things been going lately? I feel like a lot of stuff has happened. Did you hear about what happened at the circus a few days back?" Rita's tone sounded a bit off when considering her expression. She was smiling, albeit thinly, but her voice sounded more worried than anything. She was sure he had noticed by now, but her hair also had gotten noticeably shorter, since she cut it... well, the very same day as the circus incident.

Sharaku would smirk thinly as she turned to face him. ''No need to. I only said so because I ended up doing it recently when someone asked me outside. As for swimming...I wouldn't mind, but it might be a problem. Unless you're fine with doing it naked, because I am not interested in getting my clothes wet. It's not summer yet.'', he would stick his tongue out at her. Somehow, he didn't think she would agree to that readily. Well, he knew she wasn't interested in guys, but still. At any rate, he did mean it. It wasn't hot enough for it to be a good idea. Wet fabric wouldn't dry very fast, and he did not really want to stand around dripping water afterwards.

He would hum lightly, gazing at her thoughtfully when she spoke up next...Well. ''Could have been better, but I am alive, so I shouldn't be complaining, I suppose.'' As for the circus..he did hear things, yes, but nothing 100% solid yet. Only one person told him about that so far, and it was quite vague due to the individual not being experienced in the area. ''The circus?'', he would frown a little. ''I have heard something, yes. But nothing detailed so far. I know there was some sort of attack..and that the guy who did it was apparently powerful, but that's about it. I was busy with other things, so I haven't had much time to look into it yet.'', he would tilt his head at her curiously.

"Huh, really? Well, the view is nice, at least. And, uh... yeah, skinny dipping isn't for me... don't you wear underwear, though?" Rita'd snicker lightly. She was joking, sure, but if it came to it, those pieces of clothing weren't much different from swimsuits. Though, it wasn't all that important.

Rita nodded, closing her eyes for a bit. "At least that. I'm glad we're both okay." Truth be told, she was getting worried about people a lot lately, especially the ones she knew were Users. "It... was kinda like that yeah... Sharaku, do you remember Thesis?" Rita frowned for a moment and sighed. "I think it's best to share it, but I was there at the scene. A Primordial showed up, Thesis' brother. You heard right, he was strong..." The silvernette looked down at the ground, biting her lip. She still hadn't recovered completely from that fight, that was for sure. She was fine physically... even after other things, but she had taken quite a blow to her confidence thanks to Ananke.

"I don't really know what to say about it, actually. In that fight, a lot of things happened, too many people got involved... some people died, but not thanks to him." Rita would mutter something under her breath. That day... it had been a fateful one, that was for sure. She lost her hair, she lost the battle and now, she was afraid of losing her loved one. Rita needed to get stronger if she wanted to succeed. A lot stronger.

Eh? Sharaku would blink at her a few times, before snorting in amusement. ''Don't worry, I usually do. But that's still clothes. It would take time to dry, and it isn't especially sunny yet. I do not enjoy having to drip water from anywhere. But I think we're staying with just looking at the water, yes?'' He already knew the answer was yes, but poking was always fun. Rita's response was enough for him to guess she wasn't too interested in stripping afterall. But hey.

Tsk. ''There is no way I wouldn't remember her, that's for sure.'' If only because he had met her face to face before. Thesis was somewhat strange, if nothing else. ''Hm. I see. Well, I figured it was something along those lines..The Primordials do seem to like to come to this world lately. For whatever reason.'', he would furrow his brows, stepping closer to her. ''...a lot is happening these days indeed. Death is a real possibility for many people. It is sad to see it actually happen, however. But it is not always possible to prevent it.'', he would sigh lightly. ''But you yourself got out alive, yes? So that's a positive.'' One of the few.

Rita raised an eyebrow. "Usually? I'm almost afraid to question further. Though, I guess you're right, it is getting dark, after all." She'd shrug, amused. The silvernette certainly didn't expect to continue that specific conversation this long, even if it was still pretty short.

"Well, sure... everyone involved in the fight got out just fine, but that doesn't serve me much consolation..." Rita bit her lip, clearly a bit peeved at this subject, but she wanted to bring it up anyway. "That day, from out of nowhere, a shooter appeared. Some kind of maniac who was jealous that everyone but him was having fun, I'm sure. He... killed quite a few people. He even pointed his gun at me. Not like it'd have gotten through my weapon, but still, you can imagine how it feels..." Her teeth were grit, but Rita was still fine. Sharaku needed to know what happened, after all... or at least, her conjecture on it.

"I'm thinking Ananke was attracted to the shooting. If I was faster and saw it coming, I could have done something... I want to get stronger. A lot stronger." The silvernette clutched her fist, still biting her lip. "But you're right. I was able to escape, so that's a plus. I also managed to withstand the Primordial's attacks long enough for him to run away like a sissy, so I guess that's also good." Rita put on her smile again, still noticeably weak. She wasn't good at talking about her worries, but Sharaku was a good person. Especially after Lia went to the hospital, Rita... has been extremely stressed, to say the least.

Right. ''I'm being scary, hm? Good to know.'' Sharaku would state nonchalantly, fairly amused at her response. While he wouldn't be against it if there was a reason..he had been pretty much only joking this time around. Little things like those were always worth the reaction you could get.

''Consolation...?'', he would shake his head slightly. ''You shouldn't be too hard on yourself. It is already a feat to have the fighters survive against a Primordial. I've seen what Thesis is capable of, and while she did not attack back then...I know it wouldn't have been an easy fight, had she chosen to do so.'' This certainly wasn't the first, nor the last time people's lives were in danger. Sure, feeling happy about it was not the way to go, but beating yourself up for not being able to save everyone each time? They are still only humans, it is normal that they cannot do everything. Thinking about this almost made him want to laugh. It wasn't so long ago that Hyde told him of his fairytale ending where he would make sure no one would die. He would really love to see how the redhead planned to do that, seeing as this was already happening behind his back. ''Perhaps I can, perhaps not. I don't want to die right now, but I am not afraid of death either. I have no idea how much I'd actually feel if someone pointed a gun to my head. I'm too used to dancing with death by now.'' It was hard for him to say..but he could sort of imagine that it was not an enjoyable experience.

He would frown slightly as she kept speaking. ''As I said, it is not your fault. What is done, is done. You shouldn't let yourself feel extremely bad over not managing to be the hero of the day. We're only humans, and despite having powers, we can't always accomplish everything, mainly when it exceeds our limits at the time.'', he would look over at the water thoughfully. ''Besides, you shouldn't only focus on power and being strong in that manner. That is not always the answer. Sometimes, those that have strenght despite not asking for it, do better than those that continuously yearn for it. Don't try to get over your head too fast.'' Sure, they needed power to fight this off..but what was the point of wearing yourself down by chasing it in the first place? ''You're still alive to fight another day. I think that is good enough, considering the kind of enemy you faced.''

"Maybe. I said I was almost afraid, though." The silvernette stuck her own tongue out for emphasis. She was pretty much done with this little joke, but it did serve to lighten the mood a bit, she guessed.

"Well, I know you're right, but it still stings. Not being able to do anything against him, seeing my attacks barely dent him, it was an exercise in frustration. I'm glad all fighters came out alive, sure... but it was a low blow, what Ananke did..." Rita was hurt, to say the least. He even threatened Lia time and time again, while she could do nothing but throw herself at him, hoping that it'd do something. Unfortunately, not even Nero's strongest skill did something noticeable to the Primordial. "Heh, I guess you're right. When you're in this world, death's a common thing, huh? A gun, though... that's something. I'd have melted the bullet using my Soulbound, but it's still scary to think about." Rita looked at her hand as a small ember erupted from it, lighting the area around them as the sky slowly turned dark. She was proud of this ability, that was true, but perhaps there was something more she could do with it. It felt warm, though... like a heater. Not hot until you touch it... then it burns.

"Regardless of heroism or not, I still don't know how to feel... even Lia's father told me, I wasn't strong enough to protect everyone today. I know I don't have to do it alone... but hearing something like that from a man I trust hurts. A lot. I realize that I shouldn't push myself, but deep inside, I can't help but want to do it. I'm torn and don't know what I should do... I want to be stronger, but strength doesn't come from power alone, huh." Sharaku was right, really, Rita wanted too much too fast. Even before, she had heard that... she was only trying to help, but even then, she just made things more wrong. A ball and a chain, huh? "Sharaku, would you come to help me if I called you saying a Primordial was loose? I don't know how to feel. I'm glad I'm able to continue living, that I haven't lost my chance, but I feel mad that I couldn't do anything, even then. This has been bugging me, honestly, because... it was just hard. Seeing the person I love most get hurt, not being able to do anything to help her... seeing other innocent people almost get killed when they were just trying to help... it's eating at me. What if I can't do a good job? What if I'm not worthy of continuing on? What if... what if I really can't help anyone?" The silvernette forced her eyes shut, clutching her flame tightly next to her chest. It was cold out, but this fire kept her warm, kept her going. For however long she needed it, it'd be there... there was something else too, though. Something she needed to keep in mind as well...

Almost was enough for now. Sharaku would simply smirk back at her, saying no more this time. He didn't have any more witty comments that would fit left anyway.

''There's always a time where you're frustrated because you cannot do anything. It's a pain, I'll admit that. Perhaps you can remember it later when he gets his butt kicked, and congratulate yourself for getting better, if nothing else. There isn't much else to do. Life can be cruel when it chooses to be.'', he would say with a sigh. True, it was nothing pleasant to realize you were useless in a situation, and couldn't even stand up for yourself well enough, much less for others..but as long as you made it through, you could always try again, and perhaps prevail this time around. Time does wonders...when you have it, that is. He would huff under his breath. ''Common indeed. Then again, maybe I shouldn't be putting in my opinion. I have a bit more to worry about than just the usual supernatural problems the rest has, or so it seems. I probably look at death somewhat differently than most people here that are pretty much facing it for their first times with these incidents.'', he would blink at the flame few times. ''I think I still sort of prefer ice to that.'' Not that heat wasn't nice occassionaly.

He would smile a bit sadly. ''Realizing that you aren't strong enough and need to improve is a strenght on its own, as opposed to blindly believing you're the best. Besides, I wouldn't truly listen to people that don't have the experience. He told you you weren't strong enough to protect...but what would he have accomplished had it been him in your place? I think that sometimes people should self-reflect a bit before saying things about others. Still, you shouldn't take it too harshly, in my opinion. He's probably just overly worried, and doesn't understand how hard it is to battle in the first place. Not that I know the person you're speaking of though.'', he would be quiet for a moment before adding. ''At any rate, I think it's better to just do what's natural instead of pushing yourself. I'm sure you can get strong, as long as you keep going with the flow, so why force it, and stress yourself more than needed? I don't think you want early wrinkles and gray hair.'' Well, she already had white hair...so maybe that would not happen.

He would step forward, attempting to poke her in the forehead. ''If you were supposed to not be able to help anyone, then you wouldn't even have gained this power in the first place. That alone makes you eligible. You just need to hold your ground and don't give up after a failure. We all misstep sometimes, but we need to try again, do we not? If I started moping around the moment something went wrong for me...I would have been dead years ago, most likely. You just need to attempt to hold you head high, and you'll eventually succeed.'', he would smile lightly. ''But yes, I would help you. There isn't much else I can do by now but keep fighting. In a way, I never had a different option to start with. Either fight, or eventually die. Besides, I don't want to watch them kill everyone in sight either.'' Hm, it was almost funny...why did he always end up being Mr. Inspirational when he spoke with Rita...he almost felt like Hyde..just not not on crack yet. Heh...

"Hah, you're right. When I face him again, I'll make sure that it won't turn out the same way... he's mine." The silvernette balled her hand into a fist, crushing the flame inside and making it flare outside, stinging her slightly with a light burn, but nothing serious. "That's interesting. I've come to accept the idea that death comes to everyone, but, honestly, I think that people don't have to take it this way... sure, it's something we face, something that's going around in our lives a lot as Users, regardless of our experience, but I'm sure that it can be defied... I don't want to die... not until this is finished." Rita shook her head, letting the ember swirl around her arm before aiming it at a small patch of grass and firing it. It was still her soulbound weapon, so it'd be safe to let it burn as long as she concentrated on not having it grow too large. It was a heat source they could use, though, as the night was still cold, regardless of Summer now coming.

"It's still something to consider... Lia was roped into the mess, he was worried about her, so I don't blame him for saying those things... but in a way, he was right. Even my best efforts didn't prevent Lia from needing to go to the hospital, from keeping her safe. At least Nero protected her... and she helped me, fought with me." Rita wrapped her hand around the bracelet her loved one gave her previously, bringing it close to her chest. She valued this item greatly, to say the least, it was something she could never let go. "I'm fine with stress, now that I don't really have school to worry about. The lives of the people take first place, after all, and I'll keep going until I'm not needed anymore. I... will try not to push myself, though. As she said, I don't have to control everything, I don't have to do everything alone." Rita smiled sadly, kneeling down by her makeshift bonfire. Why was she given this power? Especially the strength she already had. She could tell, obviously, the difference in power between her and some other people... why, though? Did she deserve to be strong?

"Heh... you're too good at this stuff. I honestly don't know if I'm even right in what I do or not, if all my fighting is worth anything, if people will even appreciate it... though, I guess it doesn't matter. Keeping my chin up is really what I need to do, regardless of what comes my way, right?" Rita rubbed her forehead with a slightly tearful look, small beads of water appearing on the corners of her eyes. "I'm glad I have you to help me, Sharaku. I'm glad I can trust you. This is really hard for me to say, normally... but it's alright with you. We both need to keep doing our best, right? You're a strong person too, you'll be able to succeed, and you're my friend. I guess it was silly of me to ask if you'd help me, the answer was obvious." With a light chuckle, the silvernette wiped the still small tears off her eyes as she sat down on the cliff, looking at the ocean with a sidelong glance.

Back in this place, for the first time. [Sharaku] AQoMBEE

"Hey, why don't you sit down with me? Crazy stuff may be happening, like those ruins that were wrecked, even, but at least the view's still nice. Reminds me of home, when I was little... I love it." It was obvious that the scenery pleased her, and it seemed that it was quite pretty too, now that the moon was clearly up in the sky. Maybe the day didn't need to be all about sad stuff... they could take about happy things as well, things that aren't worries.

"What about you, Sharaku? What do you think of it?"

''Just be careful. You never know with these guys.'' Of course, someone would need to bring them down, but Sharaku doubted it would be very easy even for those that already knew what would they face, due to it being a second try for them. ''Isn't it going to burn you?'', he'd ask with a slightly raised eyebrow when she proceeded to squash the fire with her hand. ''Technically, yes...everything can be defied, death included, but the question probably is...at what cost?'' Avoiding death when it is literally staring you in the face is not an easy task, and it always takes a lot to make it go on its merry way without you. There's no way to know whether you'll always have what it takes to suceed. He would look at the now burning grass. ''I hope you won't burn me too. That wouldn't be pleasing.'', he'd comment, mostly as a joke, however.

''Well...you made effort. That is the most important part. I doubt many people here are strong enough to successfully face off with a God. Considering that, I think you've done rather well. The Primordials are no pushovers that anyone can take on easily. A lot of others may have died in your situation, had it been them.'' Well, she maybe had failed to be perfect, but against that kind of foe, what she did was respectable enough. He could count several people that would probably have ended stomped down in such a situation. He would chuckle faintly. ''Well, no one has to worry about the school now..unless they have an ample interest in sand diving or such. But yes, I think I second that. Doing things on your own may seem like more pleasant to do..but it is a huge risk with the level of danger we are facing right now. At times, I'd prefer to work alone, but I am not yet insane enough to think I can beat some sort of a monster God only by myself. If I knew I could...I wouldn't bother working with my not so organized ream as much as I do now.'', he would roll his eyes a little. Well, wouldn't it be easier if he didn't have to handle arguments with some people on the side as well? Definitely.

He would tilt his head. ''Am I? Most people take it as if I was lecturing them when I talk like this, so I usually don't bother. It's annoying to listen to people getting huffy about how I am not appreciating their efforts, apparently.'', he would shrug faintly. ''But yes, unless you want to die, which you said you don't, then the best bet is to keep going no matter what you face, even when it ends up as a failure once in a while.'' Giving in wasn't really an option in a fight when you wanted to end up as a winner eventually, was it? He would scratch at his cheek, not really sure how to take her sad look. Dealing with someone crying wasn't his best skill, to be honest. He would look to the side. ''Well, it's always better to ask than to assume incorrectly. Though...I don't mind helping people as long as they don't keep annoying me all the time.'', he would give her a thin smile.

''Well... ''

Back in this place, for the first time. [Sharaku] PxeE6eI

''Crazy perhaps. But at least it doesn't have anything to do with the current problem. So there's no need to really bother about that much.'', he would state as he sat down. People sure paid attention to news, eh? Well, you can't help that...''You mean the view? It's nice yes...though, I've seen the ocean so many times that it does get a little old by now...''

"Heh, true, the danger is obvious... but you'd be able to take him down, no problem. I had someone with me that told me what hurt him the most, you'd mess him up bad with little to no trouble." Rita smiled in her own way. She was actually right on this one. With Sharaku's Ice, Ananke would go down easily and without problem... probably. Unless the damn guy dodged it, she doubted that the Primordial would be able to withstand a full force Ice blast. She shook her head at Sharaku's worry, though. She had actually burned herself, but not to the point where she'd be incapacitated in the least. A fire strength had its pluses, especially when the fire was hers in the first place.

"Death is unavoidable at some point, with each little dodge costing more and more energy to make. That's my view of it, at least. After you can simply outrun death and keep surviving through ordeal after ordeal... then you simply wait for it to catch up. It's inevitable, everyone will die, but my guess is that you can postpone it until a set time... a time when you will die, no matter what you do. Unavoidable demise." Rita, despite her grim words, chuckled. Death wasn't a hunter unbeknownst to its prey, after all, anyone that accepted this power needed to realize the grim nature that came with it, the inevitable fact that death is something that will arrive somewhen... whenever it's needed. "I only burn people I don't like... and Shadows. Well, Shadows that threaten me or are in the way of progress." The silvernette shrugged, not terribly interested in that. She had an affinity for fire, but she wouldn't go around burning everything... she simply needed a bonfire, a heat and light source now that it was cold and dark. It was almost Summer, but the nights still had a cold chill to them, it seemed, especially next to the ocean.

"Maybe so. I guess I should be happy that I avoided any casualties from happening when I faced him. I did get him rather well with an attack, though it didn't seem to faze him that much. Though, he said my attacks were "badass", so maybe I should feel flattered?" Rita let out a light laugh. It was weird for her to note that, of all things, especially with the way Lia was beat up in that... but after she awoke, things were fine. Everyone survived, she was able to ward him off. "How about sand surfing? Have you ever seen Star Wars? Maybe it'd turn out like then... though, I guess the heat would be too much, the speeders would overheat... regardless of that, I think you're right, working alone is some times appealing, but it may not be the best option. Having friends is a blessing, I know that now... now that I have others to trust. For the longest time, I thought I shouldn't have to rely on anyone, I though that I'd get farther if I just got stronger than everyone else... but that's wrong, isn't it? It's selfish thinking." When Sharaku mentioned his own team, though, Rita fell silent for a moment. "Fixing relationships is hard. What's wrong with your team? I don't think I met them, but you seem like the type of person that's easy to work with... well, from my experience, at least, but I guess that's limited, at the most." The silvernette sighed. She certainly wanted to try and build her own team, and meeting the other two that were in the fight with Ananke would be helpful... they seemed reliable, one of them was even the servant of an Angel. What did that mean, though? Rita was curious, to say the least.

She tilted her head. "Lecturing? I don't think that. You sound wise and caring to me, I appreciate it. It shows that you care, and some people value that more than anyone else. I don't think you don't appreciate the efforts either. Just the fact that you're trying to help already shows that you want them to be even better than they already are." Rita could tell, Sharaku was a kind person, even if he some times spoke harshly. That was fine with her, though, people needed to be told bluntly about their mistakes most of the time. Maybe it was because the silvernette appreciated criticism more than most people. "You're right. Getting a stronger power is the first step towards that..." Like Naomi-nee had gotten... a second Persona. A stronger Persona. Nero was herself, and Rita loved her very much... but they both knew that the power in the Emperor wouldn't cut it forever, not unless Rita got stronger herself. "Hehe, you're a softy deep inside, aren't you? I never met anyone so understanding before, really... It seems like nothing gets to you, but you still try to help. That's a good trait to have." Rita nodded, smiling to herself while observing the fire and continuing to feed it using her own power. As long as she was still here and kept concentrated on it, it wouldn't extinguish, after all... this was her heart's fire, her First Flame.

"I guess not, but it's still crazy. Everything that's been happening is... first the thing with Ananke, the takeover of Zela, it's strange to see the Ruins destroyed. I heard on the internet that some people are saying all this is the end of the world... I feel sad for them. Everyone is probably scared shitless... At least they don't have to deal with this themselves." She sighed, obviously upset. The people were losing morale, that much was obvious... and nothing the Primordials did helped. Well, she did have an idea of what to do, but it was a gamble. Would it work? Would it be enough? "I used to see this view every day when I was little, with my brother... he told me our parents were buried on that cliff, so I usually sat down by their grave when I had the chance. I moved a lot, but we came back to our home town after a number of years, once we could. I guess I've just grown used to this sight. It did get a little old every now and then, though." Rita chuckled lightly. It was a sad story, but it made her happy. Still being able to share her experiences with her parents, even when they were gone... the thought of it made her happy, so that cliff made her happy in turn. It was an odd feeling to have, actually, but still, she understood where Sharaku came from... perspectives were different and opinions were subjective, after all, who was she to counter him?

Well now. ‘’Is that so? Well, that does make it easier indeed. On the other hand, they sometimes know how to be tricky. For all we know, he could have a way to counter his weak spot, just to mess with his enemies. He is a God after all.’’ Sharaku would smirk thinly. Yes, if what she was saying was true, then it did give an edge. As long as Ananke allowed it in the first place. As they say, always expect the unexpected. For all intents and purposes, maybe he knew how to wall dangerous attacks or anything along those lines. After all that has happened it wasn’t easy to take things for granted anymore. Still, he’d admit it was worth the attempt. It wasn’t as if he had to work for it in any way. He could use what he had as it was, and there was no reason for him not to. He wouldn’t comment further on the burn thing. If she thought she was fine, then he had no reason to.

Hm. ‘’Yes, it is true that we will all die one day. As for whether it is possible to dodge consciously, I don’t know. We have children dying, for example. That would imply they didn’t even have much chance to oppose death, unlike those that have lived for longer before falling. Maybe it depends on a person’s willpower? Then again, something like a gunshot would be deadly to anyone that doesn’t have powers. It may just come down to luck in the end.’’, he would shrug slightly. It didn’t seem that there was a lot of logic in this. There were many ways to die…and not all of them were really avoidable. If an insane friend decides to shoot you from behind, when you have no chance of knowing, how do you dodge that? You probably wouldn’t, unless you’re a psychic that can read people’s intentions ahead of time. Postponing it didn’t always work. ‘’I see. So, you wouldn’t burn a Shadow that was not in your way?’’, he’d ask, somewhat curiously. In a way, it was of interest to him. He did have a Shadow with him 24/7, did he not? It would be bad if someone wanted to roast him because of that. He already had enough troubles related to it.

‘’Badass you say?’’, he would chuckle faintly. ‘’Well, maybe you should. As long as he wasn’t saying it only to rile you up. Though, I think you are stronger than many people I know, so perhaps he was honest when he said so.’’ What do you know? Badass could technically even be a mockery, depending on the intention it has been said with. Would a dangerous God give an actual compliment? That, he had really no idea. He would blink at her. ‘’I don’t really have an idea what are you talking about anyway. I don’t particularly keep up with fantasy movies or the like.’’, he would shrug. Sand this, sand that. Didn’t really matter what would one try to do with it in the end, just that it was there. ‘’…it can be selfish, yes. But it probably does depend on the reasons behind it. I myself usually prefer to handle things on my own, but not because I think relying on others is the wrong way to go. I had bad experiences with trusting people with my back in the past, and I suppose it shows occasionally. ‘’ Was that bad? Maybe. Still, he was willing to try, when he got along with someone well. In turn, when he didn’t sit well with someone, trust wasn’t easy to come by from his side.

He would snort. ‘’As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t say I am that easy to work with. Perhaps with people that I click with well enough. But when I happen to clash with someone’s ideas too much, then bad times ensue. Usually.’’, he would shake his head a bit. ‘’As for my team…teamwork in general. And you do actually know two of them. That’s half already. I believe you do know Naomi and Hyde, yes? It’s honestly like a puzzle put together incorrectly. Naomi pretty much hates Hyde for what he’s caused in San Malarus. I am on not so good terms with him as well, due to the fact that he almost always doesn’t listen to what I’m saying, and keeps repeating things I do not enjoy, even when it is obvious that I’d rather he stop. Along with the fact that he is too idealistic and all over the place for me to handle. Then there are the two you don’t know. One, as far as I know, is not ever truly interested in the whole incident. He’s in the team mainly because Hyde dragged him along. The other is so busy making detailed analyses of every situation, that he fails to notice that a good deal of us barely get along. We sure are an amazing team. Sarcastically speaking, in my opinion.’’ Well, weren’t they? ‘’To be honest, if I didn’t know it is a stupid idea to go off on my own and try to face all this without some back up, I probably wouldn’t work with at least half of them. The only one I’m getting along with smoothly enough on the terms of teamwork is Naomi. Which is quite little. I’d like to think that the only reason we are a group is that we happened to get stuck together by being there when the whole mess began. Since we have the most knowledge most of the time, we keep working together…but that’s probably the extent of it by now.’’ Would something change if they all went their own way? That was something up in the air as of now. But what was the point of a team that only held together by a straw? It only seemed to be getting worse with time, which made it doubtful that they would bounce back before it went to hell completely.

Pff. He would huff. ‘’Then maybe I have the luck of being around people that do not value my way of caring. More often than not, they think I’m being a jerk and dismissing them, if nothing else. Or it’s just that people don’t like getting a blunt opinion to their face, because it is not always only positive. And I don’t feel like bothering to be nice anymore when they start assuming that right away…what for?’’ If they thought he was against them, then he might as well be for real. There was little point it trying when the opposite part kept taking it the wrong way. It usually just led to an argument, but he rarely cared anymore. Want to get upset by half of what is said? Feel free, but don’t expect that he will go easy on you. ‘’It may be.’’ If everyone could actually get a stronger power, that is. He didn’t know the actual mechanics behind this. He would blink. Where did that come from? ‘’..If you think so.’’ Ehm, he didn’t really have an immediate argument against that. He did get affected by things…just, usually different ones that most people, for some reason.

He would shrug. ‘’Well, blame people who run their own agendas even while an apocalypse is happening for stuff like the Ruins. But yes, it is bad. Both for us, and the normal people.’’ But what can you do? Deities obviously don’t care much that they are causing a huge mess among people with their supernatural games. ‘’So you’re alone then, hm? So many people lose their parents nowadays. The world sure is a nice play to live in..’’, he would sigh, looking towards the ocean. ‘’I do like the view still..but I’ve never been too fond of big amounts of water. I used to complain about it when I was younger, seeing as I was born in a place that had water almost everywhere around.’’ Well, it hadn’t been that bad, not really. But it’s easier to get bored of something when you have it every day, or at least very often.

"Putting up defenses is a nice strategy, but he didn't do anything like that and we had someone who used Ice as well, so who can say what he can do? Then again, he was still... sleepy." Rita shuddered, thinking that Ananke wasn't fully awakened even with that power... but still, she wasn't quite done either. She still needed to keep going further, after all. Sharaku could do it, though, the Primordial didn't seem to have very many long-range moves, at the very least, aside from a few specific ones... but those were special.

"That's why I said there's a set time for someone to die. A time where dodging Death is so complicated, so unbelievably hard, it's impossible. I think that's why children victims are so... sad. Fate didn't give them a chance to do anything, they weren't even sensitized towards the concept of Death, how would they know how to avoid it?" It was... sad, really, to think about, but it was also food for the brain. Something as abstract as death was hard to describe, but it'd be understood eventually, with patience. Rita's idea of death was her own idealized one, so perhaps it wouldn't make much sense to others. "As long as they don't attack me, they don't bother me, so why would I?" Not like she had something against Shadows in particular, they were just... dangerous. If they kept to the side, fair enough for them, they could go along on their way, but attacking her was out of the question. It was a silly idea, though.

"I dunno, he said it right before leaving, no idea whether he was serious or not. But hey, if he was, better for me, right? Means I'm strong enough to impress a God." The silvernette snickered slightly, before shaking her head. She was joking, obviously. "Well, it's fine... I trust you, Sharaku, I honestly do, and I hope you can at least find people that are available to help you on this case. Having friends is quite a thing, though. It does show... kinda, but I choose to not take that personally. After all, each person's experiences are their own, right?" She wouldn't pry too much into that case if Sharaku didn't want to develop on it. Digging too deep into sensitive issues is never beneficial if it's basically forced. That was obvious, though.

Heh. "You work well enough with me, at least. Does that mean we get along better than most people? I like to think so, actually, it's always refreshing to have someone to bring along and work with." Rita smirked lightly, but listened as Sharaku spoke of his team, looking out to the ocean still. "Sounds like you guys need training, honestly, and to be more honest with each other. Does everyone think you all should be a team? Working together simply because of knowledge sounds wrong to me, especially when three out of five people are busy arguing between themselves while the other two are passive. That's my opinion, anyway. And, uh... Naomi-nee told me about the Hyde thing already. That's something... I'm curious, honestly, but I feel like I should leave it alone." The silvernette shrugged. She did listen to Sharaku completely and chose to speak only at the end, but some things weren't her place to comment on. People's personalities were an entirely different business... after all, Sharaku knew them better than her. She did frown at some aspects, though, like his description of Hyde... she could already tell what Sharaku meant, even with the limited meetings she had with the Wild Card. That made her sad.

"Luck's a jerk, I guess. Most people don't actually like knowing their flaws because they're too busy admiring their good parts. What people need to know is how to better themselves, and stop being stubborn... even as stubborn as I am some times, I know how to listen to reason, harsh wording or not. As long as the person doesn't scream their mouth off at me, that is." Yeah... one thing Rita didn't take kindly to was people abusing their power to make sure they were seen as right. As soon as someone raised their voice to her, she flipped, pretty much. Like, if they wanted to note something wrong, why not have a civil conversation instead? The world would be much better like that. She chose to dismiss the power thing this time, only nodding at Sharaku's comment. The next part, though, made her chuckle. "Guess a tease doesn't work. That's fine, just getting a bit of a reaction is fine too." Sharaku probably couldn't tell, but he did give off quite an impression with that statement. After a while, Rita could tell when he was taken off guard, slightly... after all, he did try to offer development to most things, no? Well, possibly. It was a hard case to crack.

"Those are the worst kind of people, honestly... instead of trying to help or at least staying put, they just add to the shitstorm. Then a mess is caused, people panic, everything falls back down when we try to rebuild it." Rita sighed, a bit torn. It wasn't like she could blame anyone for being scared, but the people who were scaring everyone just... pissed her off. Sure, she didn't know the story behind the ruins' destruction, but that didn't truly matter, did it? "Alone? Well, kinda. I have my brother, and my sister-in-law too... though, I lost my parents a long time ago. Gonna be 17 years since then soon enough, actually." Aside from those two people... there weren't many others she could call friends from back in Japan. Maybe one or two girls from her class back when she lived in Osaka, but not many more. "Ah, that's understandable, then. I guess reinforcement in different manners is what shapes our perception of things... in a way, I feel calmer here, because I feel like I'm back with my parents. I guess it'd be the opposite for you, right? You didn't like it that much, so now it brings you back unpleasant thoughts... that's my guess, though, I can't read your mind, after all." The concept sounded nice, at least... having her parents back here with her, being in a peaceful town with them... in a way, she only came here because of all that. Who knows where her life went should other things have happened? Would Rita still end up in the Azores Region? Would she even still be Rita? This was complicated.

» A hopeless place [Sharaku]
» Another Place to Rest [Sharaku]
» The one decisive time [Sharaku]
» This is the time to get stronger! [Sharaku/Rita]
» Part-Time Work (Sharaku)