Boom? [Mae]

"17 eh? I guess that could be a bit of a problem if the age difference is that much... It doesn't really count much when you're both adults... But what do I know? How do you feel about it?" After all, both parts needed to be equally invested for a relationship to prosper. "Yeah, we're not exactly what you'd call experts on this kind of stuff... Although, Mae has a bit more experience with it." Mae's cheeks reddened a bit. "You really think so? I've had just about as much luck as you have when it comes to boys. Ehehe..." Sure, Mae had been in one relationship before she met Charles... kind of. But that one died pretty quickly as the guy thought of Mae as a shortcut to get famous. When the pinkette heard about that, she quickly dumped him afterwards. He had it coming, honestly. "Well, I do recall you had something with Takenaka back in 8th grade..." Yep... that one. "Would you really qualify that as something though? He was a prick, honestly. I can't believe I actually liked him. Hmph." Mae huffed lightly before taking another sip of her drink.

"Aww... That's actually a bit depressing... Is there a reason why you move around so much?" Ayane asked, with a troubled look on her face. "I've been a bit curious about that as well... If you do leave Azores soon, please don't forget about little Mae, okay?" Mae asked, beaming brightly at Sharaku. "Japanese is quite difficult... Especially the writing. We have three different alphabets for crying out loud. Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. Then there's Romanji, but that's rarely used..." Mae nodded. "Romanji does make it a bit easier to understand the language. At least the written one. As for the vocal part, that's the hardest part to nail down." Growing up with it was quite easy, but learning it when you're not from Japan to begin with sounded like a real hassle...

"Well, you could work as a translator for various politicals and stuff. They earn quite a hefty amount of money, and to top it off, they travel around a bunch. Just an idea." Mae shrugged lightly. Translation demands quite a bit from the translator, as they need to be fluent at more than just one language, and actively translate what's being said on one end, and then translate that to another language. Whoever could do that efficiently had Mae's respect. Translating one foreign language into another on the fly is tough, no matter how you slice it.

"Hehe, yeah. After I moved to Miyazaki, my eyes opened. I saw tokyo for what it really was after that, a polluted, noisy and busy city. Not the best place to grow up in... but at least I didn't have to grow up on the streets, fortunately. Looking back now, I could've been way worse off as a child." Sure, the mystery of her real parents lingered in the back of her mind... One day, she would find them. But first, she had a world to save... Her parents could wait.

"Thanks, Sharaku..." She would try her best to smile warmly back at him, but she failed somewhat. No matter how hard she tried, her eyes were still lacking that spark they usually carried... She had to do something about it... Maybe Sharaku could help her get her act together. She couldn't sit here and mope all day. "Yeah. I'm a little bit sad to see her leave, but... I know that it's for the best." She gazed at Ayane, now dancing with a blonde guy.

Dance Music ~:

"You know what?" Mae huffed lightly, turning her gaze back to Sharaku. "I'm gonna go dance. I need to do something to get this stuff out of my mind. Care to join me, Rikei-san?" That's what she needed right now. Sharaku didn't have to accept her invitation of course. And what harm could there be in a simple dance?

"Is it just me... Or do we get into these philosophical topics often?" Mae chuckled lightly before continuing. "I would say it's up to the individual... I'm nineteen yes... Do I consider myself an adult? Kinda... If you would've asked me if I considered myself one a couple of months ago... I probably would've said no. But these last couple of months have changed me. At least... That's what I feel. I might be wrong about that though." Another sip of her drink followed that statement. "Oh. So it's not mutual. Is this guy nice though?" Mae asked with a curious undertone that she wasn't able to hide. "I wouldn't mind it terribly." Ayane shrugged. She was very open with this kind of stuff... Unlike Mae. Although... It would come off as rather strange to say that she was, in fact, dating a robot. The looks people would give her if they knew... Oh dear.

"Okay. I understand." Mae would probably never learn the real mysteries behind the man in front of her. But she was getting to know him slightly better every time they met. "Fair enough." Mae smiled at Sharaku. "I'll probably stick around here even after my studies are finished... Unless I get a lead on my parents being elsewhere." Hopefully she'd find her parents over here in Azores. Then she wouldn't need to move again. Getting all of her stuff here to begin with was enough of a hassle to not wish to do it again anytime soon. "Well, he does have a point. Kanji is a pain sometimes, but you can't exactly get by very well without it in Japan either. A necessary evil, if you will." Ayane sighed deeply.

Sharaku as a translator... He certainly could dress the part. "You'd look great in a suit and tie, just sayin'" Ayane said, winking playfully at Sharaku. "Yeah... Fortunately for me, I did get adopted. Kinaku cares about me like I was of her own flesh and blood. Like a Real daughter. Did you know that she's in Azores right now? She's holding a tour across the islands. I'm worried that something might go wrong... I can't exactly shoo her away either... She's working, technically, and as Much as I don't want her getting in trouble, I can't make her leave either..." Quite the situation... Hopefully these events would blow over soon. She had to do something about it. Before it was too late... unless, of course, it already was too late.

Mae smiled thinly at Sharaku. "I'm sure we can think of something. But, it's your call. If you want to take a chance, or not. Either way, I'm fine." That last part wasn't true... She wouldn't be 'fine'. Not that quickly anyway.

"Maybe you're just a philosphical person?" Mae would say with a chuckle. "Hehe, thanks. I try." A wide smile made it's way across the pinkette's face as she looked at Sharaku. "Everyone has a child inside. It's just a matter of using it properly. Sometimes, that child-like curiousity and imagination can be of great help. As odd as it may sound." Ayane looked at Mae with a raised eyebrow, as she took a sip of her drink before speaking. "You think so?" the two looked at eachother for a second before Mae answered. "Hehe. I dare say you're a perfect example of that." Mae chuckled lightly as Ayane's eyebrow started to twitch. "D-Did you just call me a kid?" Of course that wasn't Mae's intention. Why would she think that? "Well, you said it. Not me. Haha."

"Oh? Well, as long as you two get along as friends, things should turn out okay." Of course, with someone like that you'd have to tread carefully... People could be really cruel when their hearts are broken... "I-I guess? I dunno? Is it good?" Ayane said jokingly, wrapping her hair around her left finger absentmindedly. "Of course it's a good thing! Don't sell yourself short, Aya-chan!"

"Huh... That's interesting. I'm looking for my past, while you try to avoid it... I'm not saying that what you're doing is wrong. You have your reasons for doing what you do. And I accept that." Mae smiled sheepishly. That really sounded corny... Like a quote from a terrbile B-movie drama or something. "Well... I'm just happy I can speak english well. Without it, this whole trip here would've been an absolute nightmare, ehehehe..." She was one of those fortunate few who had an easy time learning new languages. Maybe she was just good with talking and singing in general? Well, whatever it was, Mae was grateful for it.

Ayane giggled at Sharaku. "What? You don't like looking handsome?" She would poke at him with a wide grin on her face. She was enjoying this. "Well, she's right, though. Girls like guys who dress nicely. At least, it's a good first impression, if nothing else." The mischevious grin plastered on Ayane's face faded slowly but surely as time passed, before she left the duo in favor of dancing on the dancefloor.

"I don't really have much of a choice, do I? And yes, it is nice... Having her around. But I'm still worried something might happen to her." She would of course try her best to protect Kinaku from harm. That was the least she could do for her considering everything she had done for Mae's life... "So that's a yes?" Mae brightened up, looking at Sharaku. "Don't worry, We'll figure something out. I just want to have some fun. You should too." Well, the height difference was going to be a bit of an obstacle, she would work around it rather than letting it be a hinderance. Now was a time to have fun. Let go of all the worries bottled up within and just... dance. Once out on the dance floor, Mae held out her hand. "You ready?" She would ask with a light smile on her face. About time things went better for her...

"Awww... Really? What a bummer. It's only 4 years!" Just as expected, Ayane began complaining a bit, mostly for fun though, which is why Mae chuckled at the scene. "Well, if we squabble about it, we really are kids at that point." To be fair, they were both at that awkward age where they were considered to be adults, yet... at the same time, they still felt like teens. "It really doesn't bother me all that much, honestly. But I can be a bit childish at times..." Yep... Mae could definetely improve on her behaviour a bit when it came to confrontations... But all in due time.

"Oh Gee... Overly clingy, eh?" Ayane was the first one to come to mind. After what she had done the day she had met Blaez for the first time, that girl could do anything with no shame whatsoever. Okay... Maybe not ANYTHING, but there was a good chunk of things she could (and probably would) do to get someone's attention. Poor girl. "Well, I do like having an open-minded outlook on things... It's the person that matters, not their gender. At least, that's what I believe." Said the girl who goes Gaga over guys wherever she went. But Ayane did have a point, and she wasn't lying about it either. Any relationship of the romantic kind would work for her. Ayane just wanted someone to love, that someone to love her back... "Yeah. It's a good way to see things." The pinkette wasn't as open-minded about it, but she accepted homosexual relationships, no problem. After all, she was dating an android. That, if anything, stood out.

"You haven't seen your parents in over 11 years? Aww..." That was something both Mae and Ayane could relate to. Not that Ayane's parents were any pleasant... Well, at least not the father. As for Mae's actual parents... "Well... I wonder how they are doing now? Do you think they miss you?" Mae asked carefully... For once, Mae felt like she somewhat understood where Sharaku was coming from... Sure, their paths were completely opposite regarding their families, but they did have a few things in common.

"Well, I guess... But still, I much prefer how it is now over that." Ayane nodded in agreement, giggling. "Yeah... School would've been a tough ordeal though." Studying in a foreign language that you didn't know very well would've caused problems... Mae really was fortunate in that regard. "Oh, nononono! I didn't mean it like that!" Ayane said, somewhat panicked. "I guess... I only wear this dress on special occasions anyway. I completely understand." Not her nicest dress, but it was still pretty fancy for what it was. "Every once in a while won't hurt you though. But eh, it's your choice in the end, not mine." Mae chuckled lightheartedly, finishing her drink before putting the glass back on the counter carefully.

"Yeah. I'll do my best to keep her safe." Mae looked at her own distorted reflection on the glass. "I owe her so much. It's the least I could do to repay her..." After all, Kinaku had basically given her a new life. A second chance. A new home... A family. Without her... where would Mae be now? "Well, I hope you have nothing against a little tango?" She said in a chipper tone. "If not, then just follow my lead."

"Yeah. Where's the fun in being serious all the time?" Mae chuckled lightly. Sure, she could be serious when the time called for it, but for the most part, she liked to have a mix of the two mentalities. Taking the best of both, so to speak. "I still have problems dealing with people poking fun at my height... I'm trying to get better at dealing with it, but... it's not going so well... ehehe..." The girl scratched the back of her head, smiling sheepishly. "Luckily it doesn't happen very often." Sure, it did happen still, but not nearly to the same extent as back where she came from. Gotta stay positive about things!

"I can imagine. We all have our quirks and mannerisms." Whoever this person was seemed very attached to Sharaku. Hopefully he wouldn't get the wrong message about this stuff if he somehow found out that Mae was talking with him at a club at this time of night. Jealousy was toxic in every sense of the word when it came to romance... "In today's day and age, it's becoming somewhat commonplace." Ayane said casually, leaning her arm on the counter. "Indeed." All those people just had to deal with it. If they had a problem with homosexuals and the like, then they should keep that to themselves. No need to rain on someone's parade because of something like that.

"Yep. Life has it's ups and downs. Some are just less fortunate than others. Something which my caretaker back at the orpahange used to tell me when I was sad was "There's nothing bad that doesn't bring something good with it." So far, that statement has been true... For me anyway." Mae shrugged lightly, looking at Sharaku. "You are at least surrounded by a bunch of friends and people who obviously cares about you. We can be that family, if you want us to be." It did sound quite strange when she put it like that, but it was true. Without her friends, Mae would most certainly not have made it to Azores... Ayane's unwavering support for her decision kept the pinkette going, even when things looked rough... A good example of this was just a couple of hours prior to the present that Ayane managed to drag Mae somewhat out of a deep depression. She would most likely fall back down there again once she got home, but Mae knew that showing weakness now would only serve to void Ayane's efforts. She couldn't bring herself to do that.

"Why would they think that?" Ayane asked somewhat curiously, but with enough tact for Sharaku to instantly know that she would not pursue this subject if he decided to not answer her. That was something Mae had to applaud her for. Normally, she wasn't very good at detecting this kind of stuff, but today was different.

"Hehe, that's true." Ayane smiled brightly. She wasn't much of a school person, and the less time she spent in school, the better she felt. But Mae knew that Ayane still took her studies somewhat seriously. "That would've been an absolute nightmare to study under those conditions." The pinkette said with a slight shiver. That was something she was grateful for not experiencing when she got here. "Oh? Did people think you were some kind of buissness-man or something?" Mae asked with a raised eyebrow. She could see how someone would make that assumption, and if she was in the same situation, Mae would probably find that rather annoying after a while.

"Yeah, no kidding." The Malstu incident had been close enough. Ayane had almost died back there. Her exchangee's parents worked there, selling souveniers and whatnot, and Ayane had been there for a short visit when the volcano erupted. Luckily she made it out alive... Some unfortunate tourists were not so lucky however. Mae smiled warmly at Sharaku. "Thank you, Sharaku." She said in a soft tone before moving a bit closer, and took the first dance-steps. Yes... This was exactly what she needed. Mae spotted Ayane a small distance away from them. The pigtailed girl gave Mae a quick wink and a thumbs-up, with a bright smile on her face before mouthing a 'Good going, girl' to Mae. After that little exchange was over, Ayane resumed her dance with the blonde guy, Mae staring blankly for a second, only to realise her cheeks was reddening somewhat...

"Heh... I guess I'm just overreacting a bit." Mae really had to get better about that part... but luckily, she hadn't found herself in situations like those for quite a while now. Maybe people here were just nicer? Or was there some un-written rule about that? Regardless, it was an issue she would have to work on herself. "Hehe, yeah. Being tall does have it's advantages though. You can reach higher than I can without any support. Like grabbing a glass on a shelf that's mounted way up high on a wall or something." Sure, there were advantages of being short as well.

"Well... All I can do is wish you two the best of luck finding a solution." Mae said with a thin smile. Romances rarely ever ended peacefully, but you could always hope. And who knows, they might be able to resolve their issues, and still remain on good terms with eachother. "You and me both, Mae." Ayane nodded in confirmation. "Best of luck, Sharaku-san." Suffixes and everything. Yep, Ayane was definetely much more comfortable around Sharaku now, much to Mae's relief. "Well, at least the situation is improving. It would be way worse if it actually got worse over time." Over these last couple of years, things have changed so quickly on that front for the better. "It shows that people are willing to change. That's a step in the right direction, at least." More like a leap in the right direction, but whatever.

"Well, yes. But at least it's something?" Mae chuckled lightly. "I mean, if it hadn't been for my tram being late on the day I got here, I wouldn't have met you, now would I?" Mae said with a big smile. Sure, it was a rather tame example, but hopefully Sharaku got the point. "Well, Mae's a good friend to have, let me tell you." The pinkette scratched her neck somewhat awkwardly while Ayane spoke. "I just care about my friends... that's all." Mae said timidly. She was just being modest. No need to be bragging about it. Besides, being a good friend wasn't something to brag about. Anyone had the capacity to do great things as a friend, if they put some effort into it.

Ah... So they didn't part willingly... Mae was a bit intrigued as to what happened... but with Ayane around, maybe that was a topic better off left alone for now. Perhaps another time when they were alone she would ask about it... If he was willing to answer her was a different matter entirely of course. No need to do anything rash. "Once you get over that hurdle, it's pretty easy afterwards. It's just a matter of getting over said hurdle..." At least it was only temporary. Had it been something permanent, that was a different matter entirely... "I don't think there's anyone who finds it enjoyable having people making assumptions on who and what you are... But it's just something we all have to deal with." Or avoid it, in Sharaku's case. Regardless, Ayane made her point.

"Well, sure you are. It might seem like a small gesture, but as I am right now... It really does mean a lot to me, Sharaku." Mae smiled gently at him, as the two slowly started dancing. "O-Oh...! I-It's nothing, really..." Mae smiled at Sharaku awkwardly, still somewhat flushed. Sure, Ayane had teased her a bit, but perhaps her friend was onto something...? Who knows... Well, Ayane did, obviously. Mae's thoughts were scrambled. At least the dancing was going smoothly, despite the remarkable difference in height. Today perhaps wasn't such a bad day after all? Being at a loss as to how she would deal with the whole Charles Situation was still lingering in the back of her mind. Dancing with Sharaku, however, eased her worries for the future. Maybe... just maybe everything would turn out okay in the end... Just not the way she had planned...

"I guess so... Both sides really have their inconveniences." Mae smiled at Sharaku. None of the two extremes were really more desirable than the other. Perhaps being average was the best? Tall enough to reach things in hard to reach places without being so tall that you bumped your head everytime you wanted to walk through a door. That was the ideal. Both of them missed that sweetspot though. So all they could do was just make the best of what they had.

"Oh? There's someone else on your mind?" Ayane asked curiously, looking at Sharaku with a pleading look on her face that screamed "Please, tell me, Sharaku-san! I need to know" all over it. She could be persuasive when she really wanted to. However, if Sharaku would fall for that was a different matter entirely. He had struck Mae as a very difficult guy to charm... But that might just be her mind playing tricks on her.

"Very true. Although some people don't like Change..." Like Jack for instance. He joined Angel in order to keep society the way it was. Mae, on the other hand... Had yet to make her decision whether to join an angel or not... For all tends and purposes, she might not even join one at all... She didn't want to fight Jack and the others should she pick another angel that fit her dreams more...

"I suppose so. But still, I'm glad we met back then." Little did she know it back then, but these people that she would meet on this island changed her life to a very large degree... For better or worse. Sharaku was no exception. Had it not been for him, she probably never would've watched that Broadcast. And if that hadn't happened, she would never have gotten kidnapped either. Not saying it was Sharaku's fault. How could she pin this on him? No way. That would be childish and unfair, quite frankly. He was a friend of hers now, damn it. She shouldn't go blaming him for something that arguably brought more good things with it than bad for her. Had it not been for her powers... she might not even have gotten as close to some of her friends as she was now.

"I... Guess..." Mae squirmed a bit in her seat. "Hehe, that's just like you, Mae. Turning timid and modest as soon as someone gives you praise... Sheesh. Modesty is good and all, but come on, don't sell yourself short, hun." The pigtailed girl placed her right hand on Mae's shoulder. "I suppose I am a bit too modest at times... eh...eheh..." She said nervously. Mae had never really gotten used to this kind of stuff... And she probably never would. Modesty was just a part of who she was... And that would not change anytime soon.

"Mhm. I have a distinct hatred for Math. We just agree to disagree on all fronts." Yep. Ayane and Math did not get along very well at all. Mae was somewhat decent at it, but Ayane was... deplorable at it. At least the more advanced mathematics they were doing now. Or at least... should be doing had it not been for the sand. Oh joy. "So... what do you prefer to wear then?" Mae would poke at him with an amused tone. For Mae, anything worked. She had both the figure and mentality to wear pretty much anything and still feel comfortable in it, both physically and mentally... Except maybe swim-suits... At least not publically anyway. That stuff got embarrasing fast. Not that she had much to show off either... Not for a girl her age anyway. Geez...

"I-I Am?!" Mae said somewhat panicked, her cheeks flaring up even more. She could feel it this time. // Am I actually blushing? What do I do now?! // Mae thought to herself. Could she possibly have... No... Well, it wasn't completely out of the question... But she should keep these feelings hidden for a while... Hopefully it was just in the heat of the moment. If it turned out to be more than that... Why did things have to become so complicated? And right after what happened earlier too. Mae had a decision to make later on once she confronted Charles... Would she be able to make that decision though? Her confused state of mind certainly didn't help the situation in the slightest. On the contrary, it made things worse... // Oh Geez... What should I do? // Carry on with the dance of course. That was the first step. She couldn't just leave him hanging.

"Hehe, yeah. But at least we're not the only ones. So there's that." Besides, didn't they already have enough things to make them both stand out enough from a crowd? Mae's odd hair color and Sharaku's Ash-gray skin. It was a bit peculiar now that she thought about it. Yeah, her hair color was kind of natural, just a little bleached to be a bit more cream-pink than normal. She did notice people shooting weirded out glances at Sharaku every now and again. Gray skin wasn't exactly commonplace, whereas Mae's hair color could've easily been mistaken for colored hair... But regardless, Mae held nothing against Sharaku for what he looked like. After all, he didn't choose to look like he did.

"Ah... I see..." Ayane sighed somewhat dissapointedly. Mae honestly had no idea what she expected to hear from him. But then again, Ayane didn't know what he was really doing on the island, so it was sort of justified... "Eh... I'm not sure what you expected to get out of that, but okay." Mae shrugged casually. "When things change too much in a very short amount of time people will start complaining yes... Change should be something that works gradually, rather than have it all happen in one fell swoop. Plans and expectations fall apart then, not to mention people won't have any time to adjust..." Hence why Mae was a little iffy on the whole angel deal... But then again, maybe not all the angels wanted to change humanity. She had seen that in Angela... Was she the right one for her? Maybe. At present, she just knew to little to make a choice... If she even should make one at all in the first place.

"It's true though! Hehe." Mae giggled happily with a bright smile on her face. That day... felt like it was a very long time ago... Yet time had zoomed by faster than ever before. "I've almost lived here in Azores for six months now... Where did the time go?" She sighed deeply, leaning her back against the counter. "Hehe. I guess you're right." Ayane chuckled in an amused tone, looking at Mae. "Yeah... I'm glad I'm not some kind of Stuck-up jerk. That would've been dreadful." Indeed it would've been. Luckily, Mae was pretty good when it comes to making friends... A blessing, if you asked Mae about it. "I just want everyone to be happy and smile." Hence why she had started singing in the first place. Well, that wasn't the entire reason behind her choice of hobby, but it was one of the biggest reasons. "Pfft. I can't imagine you being outright mean to anyone." Well, that's very true. Mae disliked conflict to a very large degree, and would go to pretty good lengths to prevent spats between friends from occurring...

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." Ayane puffed up her cheeks somewhat as she crossed her arms. "Oh, come on, Ayane. We're here to have fun, you know." Mae grinned at her friend. "Oh yeah, right. Fun." Her voice was somewhat absentminded, as she slid off her chair. "A dress, huh? Well... That could be arranged sometime. I'm sure you would look good in one, too!" Mae giggled mischeviously along with Ayane. That would be fun to see. Sharaku in a dress... Never thought she would actually hear the words "Sharaku" and "Dress" in the same sentence, but lo and behold. "We're just messing around, Sharaku-san. We're not actually considering dressing you up like that... Unless you want us to, teehee~."

Mae's face lit up like the red taillight on a car. She was positive that one could feel the heat escaping from her cheeks a good distance away from where she was. "E-E-Ehm... T-T-T-Thanks..." She managed to stutter out eventually. // Oh geez... Don't say anything awkward, nothing awkward... Just focus on the dance, Mae. J-Just focus on the dance... // Her heart was beating rapidly by now... She was getting really nervous, and it was showing, clearly. Mae had never been this flustered in front of Sharaku before... So why now? "J-Just... keep... calm..." Mae took a deep breath, trying to collect her scrambled thoughts and cool down her nerves. Slowly but surely, it was working. Amazingly enough, however, she had not made a single mistake when it came to the dance-moves what so ever. Which was impressive, considering her state of mind was... less than stellar for something like this.