Once Again [Mae]

Subject: Re: Once Again [Mae] Mon Feb 22, 2016 6:44 pm

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." Mae said with a light chuckle. "Besides, If I'm gonna learn something, might as well make it proper, eh?" Indeed. Making sure she wasn't doing something waay to difficult to start with sounded like a much better idea than doing something potentially difficult like a cake. "Thank you~!" She accepted her new slice with a jolly smile as she stuck her spoon into the cake.

"Hrm... Maybe not, but you can always hope~!" Mae said, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "I'm sure it'll come to you soon enough." One shouldn't lose hope in things. She could encourage him a little bit, at the very least. What kind of friend wouldn't be supportive and nice? A Bad one, that's who. "Oh, don't worry about it- It's over and done with. It's not like we're on super-bad terms. We just need a bit more time to become regular friends again... hopefully." Mae bit her own lip lightly. Would their relationship ever return to a steady friendship at this point? Well, she was going to try. She owe him at least the benefit of the doubt. It wasn't like he was a bad guy. "It just wasn't meant to be... Oh well, I can at least try to mend my friendship with him... in due time." She would take a break from Charles for a while before approaching him again. Perhaps things would... change for the better soon enough. As his arm reached around her, she would lean in on him a little bit... not that she really was aware of doing so. She just... kind of did it on instinct...

Subject: Re: Once Again [Mae] Mon Feb 22, 2016 7:08 pm

He would hum lightly. Well, she was right, of course. It would be hardly done properly on such a short notice. Besides, he had offered out of the blue himself, simply because the matter came up. Going for it right away would most likely be a recipe for some sort of disaster. ''You're welcome.'' He really didn't mind. He had little he could do with the rest of the stuff anyway. He wasn't capable of stuffing himself with sweets too much afterall.

He would make a somewhat gruffy face for a brief moment. ''My epiphanies tend to happen a bit too late for them to matter anymore. But I suppose I can always hope.'' It was a thing. He was apt to often realize something once it was too late in some way. Why, he wouldn't know. Ah well, no use getting mopey over something that hasn't happened yet. He didn't pull something wrong just yet...hopefully. He would scratch his cheek lightly. ''Well, good luck with that then. Although, from what I'm seeing so far, it's not always easy to remain on very stable terms with people you used to date for at least a decent while. In most cases. A lot of people find it hard to let go of certain matters....'' And then it influences their current actions, making it all a mess. Then again, he didn't know Charles well enough to say. But being an android, it probably isn't easy for the guy to balance feelings properly.

''Mmf...'', he would remain mostly quiet after that, letting her do as she wished. Sometimes, less talking did a better job in the end. He wouldn't do anything when she leaned on him, not wanting to startle her in any way, until he knew it was okay. So he would keep sitting as he was, closing his eyes briefly, thinking. He didn't really mind a bit of silence in this case.

Subject: Re: Once Again [Mae] Mon Feb 22, 2016 7:52 pm

"Mhm!" Mae nodded with a smile. One really should never lose hope. "Is it really like that...? How do you know it's too late?" She asked curiously. Sometimes, there never was something like "Too late"... but in most instances, yes, indeed there was. Just figuring out when it was too late for something was quite tough at times. "It really isn't... But I'll try my best... If he doesn't want to, then so be it. I can't force myself on him..." As sad as that would be. She didn't really want to lose him as a friend too... He was a nice guy, after all. "Well... you start missing things that you value the moment they vanish from your life, no? We take it for granted they will be there with us our whole life, so it is understandable to a degree why some people have a hard time letting go..."

She remained silent, and actually made it a bit more comfortable where she was, as she came to the realization that she was indeed leaning on him. "What about you then...? How have you been since last time...?" She looked up at him from her position. Hopefully he had been doing better than she had...

Subject: Re: Once Again [Mae] Mon Feb 22, 2016 8:15 pm

How did he know...? Well, that varied. ''Either I come to that conclusion myself, or someone tells me so. It depends on the situation. But I can't say I excel at figuring things out on time...'' When it came to certain matters, at least. There were things he was fast at. Like fighting, and anything related to that. Then there were those that he failed at more than he would like to. Mostly related to people and such. ''Hopefully, it will work fine. Both of you live here in Azores, so you can't completely avoid each other in the end...'' That was an issue when you wanted to break it off with someone literally. There was always a chance you would somehow have to meet them again. Made it really awkward. ''Perhaps...although, I think I've stopped taking things for granted a good while ago...you can lose a lot very easily, when you don't pay attention to it for a while. That's life for you...'' Not that it still couldn't happen, but he was quite aware of the consequences by now.

He would sigh lightly when she turned the question on him. ''Ironically enough, pretty much the same as you. Except for the fact that I don't have enough luck for things to be at least on decent terms. Seeing as someone is determined to be hateful towards me, because a few things screwed up for them and they can't accept anything positive nowadays, apparently. Thus, I'm the bad guy and a jerk no matter what I try to say.'', he would open his eyes, his expression moreso passive at the moment. ''Nevermind that though. Talking about old dates is a pain, I guess.'' Wasn't it?

Subject: Re: Once Again [Mae] Mon Feb 22, 2016 8:51 pm

"We all have our flaws. We just have to work with them the best we can..." Mae gave him a comforting smile, listening carefully to what he said. "Heh, yeah... Thanks. I'm not sure how well it will pan out in the end, but thanks for the confidence." Having his support in this matter meant more to her than perhaps he realised. Aside from Ayane, Sharaku was the only person Mae felt comfortable sharing almost anything with. He was always trying to understand, and make her feel better about herself and her place in life. Perhaps that's why she had grown such a liking to him in the first place? "That's... very true, sadly..." The loss of close friends and such hurt like nothing else... and as much as one perhaps didn't want to let go, it was always the better option in the long run. You couldn't grieve forever. You had to eventually move on in life, trying to fill the hole that the lost one left behind with something, or someone else...

"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that..." Mae looked at him worriedly. "...Wanna talk about it...?" She asked eventually, somewhat hesitant. She didn't really want to cause him discomfort by talking about something like this... but she was a bit worried, considering the subject. Ex-es could be rough sometimes.

Subject: Re: Once Again [Mae] Mon Feb 22, 2016 9:15 pm

''Sometimes I do wish it was easier though...'' Or at least brought about less problems. Of course, he knew that the only way was to face it all, but not having to sounded nice, if only as a dream. Life could easily turn from the good to the bad, couldn't it? And even though it worked the other way around as well, it seemed to somehow be more obvious when it went bad. Maybe because it was easier to spot...? He wouldn't know. But more often than not, you see people complaining, instead of talking about how everything is great. ''Well, only you yourself can make your own life. So do your best, and see how that goes.'' It didn't have to go well, but...at least in such a case, you know you gave it your all, if nothing else. ''We have to make do with what we have at a given time...'' Life could be fickle. You never know what can happen to you, or anyone else around you.

Surprisingly, he seemed to be rather calm about the whole matter. Albeit a bit sad. Yet, he wasn't going to make himself really miserable over it. It...just wasn't worth it. ''Mm...I think it's no use. It won't get any better no matter how much I think or talk about it...and I guess I don't really get pleasure from talking bad about someone else behind their back. Unless it's valid enough, or important. Some matters are better put to rest.'', he would huff lightly. ''Talking about these only puts one in a bad mood. I'd rather think of something happy, if I had the choice. I think that does more good in the end....'' It's not like storytime would change anything. And he wasn't even mad or something, so he didn't need to let off steam. There's no use in purposefuly pondering over the negative parts of life. That will hardly make you happy...right?

Subject: Re: Once Again [Mae] Tue Feb 23, 2016 6:25 am

"Heh, don't we all?" Mae said with a light chuckle. Indeed, if only it was easier to deal with one's own issues... but then they wouldn't be issues to begin with, now would they? "I guess the harder it is to overcome, the better it feels once it's done, no? You'd come out a much better, stronger person than before." She shrugged lightly. "It's all I can do, no? You can't exactly do more than your best." A thin smile made it's way across her face. And his latter statement, she agreed on. Life didn't last forever, and it was unpredictable. So, really, one should try to use the limited amount of time you have to make it a life worth being proud of.

"Mhm. You're right." Mae nodded. It was better to stop moping around, and actually focus on something good. Speaking of positive things... There was something she... had been meaning to ask since they last split off... but she didn't have the time to do so due to being in a rush for work that morning. That morning, she had woken up tightly embraced by Sharaku. She had of course woken up earlier than him, and even if she had the time back then to ask, she didn't necessarily have the courage. "Sharaku... Yesterday morning... what was that about?" She asked, sort of shyly. Had he really embraced her the entire night back then...?

Subject: Re: Once Again [Mae] Tue Feb 23, 2016 8:24 am

Hmm. Maybe. Depends on the case. ''Stronger, probably. Some things may not make you feel good even after you get done with them, though...But complaining gets you nowhere either way.'' Some situations are just eh. It matters little in the end, even when you solve them. It happens that at times the result is not what you would like, thus you don't actually feel good about what you've done ''Yes, but it's nice to say it anyway.'' Aside from the fact that some people may not view your best for what it is. That's a completely different matter, however. You can't do more than you're capable of afterall, even when someone isn't liking it.

''Good....'', he would really rather not discuss that for now, so he was glad she chose not to press it. Of course, was she really adamant about it, he probably would have told her something, but he wasn't eager for it. And he suspected it would only make her more worried, had he told her exactly what was up. It wasn't that important to him anyhow. For there was basically nothing he could do about it. He would blink. Yesterday morning...what? Ah wait, she meant after that night. What exactly though...? He didn't really want to go ahead and assume, but her question was kind of vague...He would give her a sideways glance. ''What exactly do you mean...?'' At the very least, he figured it was going to be awkward based on her tone. But he did not want to answer before he knew the exact issue...because saying something foolish would not help him here. A lot of things happen in the morning, you know?

Subject: Re: Once Again [Mae] Tue Feb 23, 2016 8:35 am

"It really doesn't, no." If all you did was complain, nothing would really get done to solve the issues... and complaining in general wasn't a good thing. Sure, it could be justified most of the time, but that didn't necessarily make it something worthwhile. Solving issues to complaints on the other hand did make a difference.

"Well... Umm..." Now how to put this to make it seem not super awkward... There probably wasn't really a way around that, but hey, she could always try. "Y-Yesterday morning... when I woke up... you were hugging me..." Of course, Mae didn't know that he had been soundly asleep back then, as he had woken up just a couple of moments afterwards. "N-Now don't get me wrong... I l-liked it but... Why did you...?"

Subject: Re: Once Again [Mae] Tue Feb 23, 2016 9:03 am

Oh, that. Yes...he remembered that happening. He chose to not think about it much though, and it wasn't like she had brought it up before. It was probably safer to not bring it up when it didn't seem to be an issue. But perhaps it was, seeing as she was asking about it now. ''I was, yes.'', he would run a hand through his hair, debating on how to put this properly. Thankfully for him, he was aware as to why did it happen...in retrospect at least. He hadn't really considered it that night, before they went to sleep. There were other things on his mind, and he had been decently tired as well, so it didn't occur to him. Plus, he had never shared a bed with someone before, so it just didn't click ahead of time.

''I didn't...exactly do that on purpose. You could say it's a habit...I can't really control what I do when I sleep, though...so, that happens. I didn't really know I was doing that until I woke up, which was a little bit after you....'' And so it goes. He would give her a somewhat inquiring look. ''So...why do you ask? You didn't seem to have minded, seeing as you haven't woken up sooner or anything.'' Knowing himself, it was likely that it wasn't just a matter of the morning itself. Albeit there was no proof when both of them had been asleep. He only knew as much as he could assume based on how he tended to wake up most of the time, but that was that.

Subject: Re: Once Again [Mae] Tue Feb 23, 2016 9:21 am

Mae listened as he spoke about his sleeping habits... So, he had done that involountarily, eh? That made sense, in a way. The two had been lying rather close to eachother at the time. Did he do that often...? "I was... just curious, is all." She replied eventually, with a sheepish smile on her face. A slight suspicion of something arose within the young woman... did he... like her...? Perhaps... Even if it was unconsciously, he had hugged her regardless. "Do you have a problem with it...? Hugging me like that?" She sure hoped not. Mae liked to think she was at least decently huggable. Well, if he did have a problem with it, that was understandable. Involountarily hugging someone like Mae in the situation they were in... yeeeaaaah... Which brought another question to her attention. "Sharaku..."

"...What do you think of me...?"

Subject: Re: Once Again [Mae] Tue Feb 23, 2016 10:08 am

Ahm...? Why would he have a problem..? Was it a problem, he probably would have said so already, or done something about it before she even asked herself. At least, that was his philosophy when it came to this. Problems are something you usually deal with, not sit on. Alas, he didn't really mind this. Yes, it was awkward in its own way, but aside from that, he had no real issue. ''No, not really. If I had a problem, I think I would have said so already. It was unplanned...I'll admit that, but I don't mind it too much. If you don't have a problem, I don't either.'' It was as simple as that. As long as they were both cool with it, he wouldn't consider it to be any sort of issue worth pondering over excessively.

Um...what brought that on? That was a random jump from hugs to...what was this even? He was mildly confused as to why was she suddenly asking him that. What did he think...? The usual things? Frankly, he didn't really have a sound answer right now. For some people, he would know what to say quite easily...but that wasn't a rule. It was easier when he had a reason to state something concrete about a person, but that wasn't so clear here. He couldn't go on based on what he thought two years ago, because that wasn't really relevant anymore. And making a statement based on the short time before and today was...well, a puzzle of sorts. He liked to be at least decently certain of himself before blurting out something like that. Afterall, opinions about one's person could say a lot. ''I...You're asking a rather hard question. I haven't spent a lot of time with you just yet, and what was two years ago is past already...'' What was he supposed to say, really?? He would give her a somewhat puzzled look, failing to come up with something that would make actual sense right now. ''I mean...I don't think anything bad of you, but I don't know what should I say...'' He didn't want to assume things too fast, and he was uncertain as to what she wanted to hear to begin with. It's tricky when someone asks you that...

Subject: Re: Once Again [Mae] Tue Feb 23, 2016 10:56 am

Well, that was nice to hear. As awkward as it had been finding herself in his arms back then, it wasn't really bad either... In a way, wasn't that what she wanted? Maybe? She thought of this for a while, wrestling with her own feelings for a bit. She liked him. Specifically, she liked the Sharaku she had seen over these last couple of days more than before. He had changed over the course of those two years in a way that she very much approved of. He was more open, and willing to let her into his life, in a way. But... she didn't want to tell him that. If anything, she wanted him to reach out to her this time around. That way, he wouldn't be scared off or some such, or think odd things... it would be more natural. "Phew..." She couldn't help but give off a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't a one-sided acceptance of what had happened. "So... do you like that? Cuddling and the like?" Mae asked him with a slightly nervous giggle, as she poked his cheek. She was more comfortable talking about things like this now that he had stated he had been okay with the whole incident that morning.

"Oh... I'm sorry." Mae looked down on her lap. "I shouldn't have asked..." Now she felt a bit guilty for putting him on the spot like that. "It wasn't fair of me to ask such a question already... I should give you some more time." At least he didn't think anything bad of her, so that was a plus, at least.

Subject: Re: Once Again [Mae] Tue Feb 23, 2016 11:13 am

Okay....? There was something about this sudden interest. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable with it in general, but he doubted she was asking all that stuff just because. It's an odd topic to pick for small talk, really. Not unless you're aiming for something. Normally, people don't discuss this stuff. He wouldn't think so. ''It's...okay?'', he would answer after a moment of consideration, raising an eyebrow slightly. ''Is there any reason why are you showing sudden interest in those matters? Or is it just me finding this unusual?'' Because he kind of did. For several reasons. Or maybe it was also the fact that he normally didn't speak about those kinds of stuff with people...like, at all.

''...?'' That wasn't it. ''You don't have to apologize...'' It's not like it was her fault, although it may be a bit strange to ask that so early after they've met with a two year break behind them, ''It's...not that I don't really know how to answer, I guess. I'm just not good at putting things in words, when it comes to matters like these.'' He disliked possibly saying something too off. He would spend more time thinking than talking, really. ''Is the answer really important for you...?''

Subject: Re: Once Again [Mae] Tue Feb 23, 2016 11:41 am

"W-Well..." Now she had done it... Welp, now she had to get out of this little hole she had dug for herself. "I guess it's a bit unusual, huh..." She began, thinking a bit on how to respond. Why did she speak before thinking? It was stupid and silly... "I guess you just left the impression on me that you did..." Well, let's hope that the cat didn't get trapped by one of those hugs... that could end badly, for she doubted that Kage enjoyed human hugs as much as someone like say Mae did. Then again, Sharaku's sleep would probably have been cut short if that ever happened. Distressed cats tended to use their claws and make a lot of noise...

"I see..." Well, she would give him more time with that regardless. She didn't want to rush him at all. "It is... but I can wait, don't worry. I'd rather have a well thoughtout answer than something haphazardly strung together." Indeed... she could wait. Give this stuff the time it needed. After all, rushing things in the past had made things go badly for her. So now that she knew it was too soon... She'd be more patient from now on.