A Brief Reprise (Sharaku)

The light thud of boots on concrete would sound off lightly in the now quiet San Malarus area. As Oki materialized on the rooftop of a nearby building green eyes would scanned the area. It had been gone for a while now, so it had no idea what it was going to come back too. It was aware that something big had gone off on the island the rally had been on and that the guy spearheading everything was probably up to no good. As much as it wanted the juicy details of that ordeal, it had opted to go back to the other worlds to find its old friend leaving whatever happened there to those already gathered; however, instead finding its friend had found something else entirely...

Green eyes would close as it ponder what was on the other side. What had happened over there to make it that way? Why a desert? Did the worlds come undone or had something else happened? And what of the folk there? So glum and laced with dread? Hmmm…again more questions than answers. Frustrating, but it looked like more digging had to be done if it wanted to accomplish what it had been sent out to do.

Reopening its green eyes, the being would push the thoughts away for now as it walked to the edge of the building and after careful scanning, made a leap off it. As it fell, the being would grasp onto a sturdy looking sign jutting out from a building as it swung itself slightly to lose some momentum and then letting go, it would land on the ground in a low crouch. Getting up from its crouch, it would shove its hands into its pockets and began to walk its mind not set on anything in particular in this area since the time it had been gone had allowed things to settle or for others to go after the juicy bits it was sure. Things were moving at such high speeds that Oki was kind of glad to come to a calm for a moment. It would give it a chance to clear its head and figure out where to go next.

So the being would keep moving for now, pausing every now and then to examine the destruction in the area. It would eventually come to the church that looked like it had gone through one hell of a ride. There were people inside trying to board the place up while not actually going outside. Heh. Guess the citizens were taking the whole staying inside thing seriously. Not that it could blame them. Being out here under an unpredictable sky was unnerving…but then again Oki was use to it by now.

Moving past the church, the being would continue to drift until it finally came to a rest at an empty shop that rested quite literally in the middle of the city. The place used to be a bustling bakery, but after what happened last time, it had shut down. Kind of sad considering the being could go for one of those delicious brownies they used to have right about now.

Hmph.

Oki would smile lightly to itself at the thought of food as it opted to sit down on the steps and rest for now. Well, at least its mind could wonder to more normal things still, so maybe it was not as far gone as it had first assumed. Stretching its legs out before it to ease the stiffness it would take off its hat and clip it to its belt before unzipping its jacket slightly to let in the cooler air of the area. After all that heat of the desert this felt great. Resting on its elbows for now it would close its eyes for a brief moment and just relax.

Mood:

Oki was enjoying the quiet of the usually bustling area. Sure, it was a bit unusual, but it was a nice lull nonetheless. Besides, while Oki had missed a huge chunk of what had happened, it understood from its earlier observations that something big had gone down here to cause the huge mess and from there assumed that perhaps this calm was the end result of this said thing. It remembered what the old man had said about something about to occur just before it left and when it had returned, it seemed the world indeed had begun to bend to a something.

A something that allowed strange creatures to roam this sides and caused water to turn into portal to unknown areas…a something that made this side similar to the other side. Why this was Oki had no true clue yet. It still needed to do some more investigating on the matter to find out just what was going on. It couldn’t be sure, but this time around the threat felt different. Sure, they had Angel on this side the last time, but for the most part the others stayed on the other side. The normal Azores had been a safe haven, but not anymore….

Green eyes would open slightly as it heard something moving along the streets. At first it thought said sound was some lose debris being blown in the wind, but upon listening closer it would take not that it was actually the sound of footsteps. Shaking itself fully awake, it would look around until its eyes landed on the source of the sound. It was…Sharaku. Staying where it was for a moment, it would let the other pass by taking note that the other seemed to be lost in thought or something for he hardly gave it glance.

Hesitating for a moment, Oki would debate upon an action before finally getting up and doing something it would probably regret later. Coming up behind the other, Oki would attempt to hug the other from behind. If successful, then Sharaku would find himself with a small set of arms wrapped around his waist as a small frame pressed into him from behind giving him a tight snug. Sure, there were lots of risk involved with this move and considering itself and he had started off on a rough ground, Oki would not have been surprised if the other reacted negatively to this. On the other hand, it couldn’t exactly stay mad at this guy for no reason…Besides it had been a really long time since Oki had seen this one.

If they hadn’t been interrupted before perhaps the being would’ve hugged him sooner. Alas that was the past. This was now. Successful or unsuccessful. Good or bad, the being wouldn’t resist its impulse to do this one thing for now as it spoke.

“Konnichwa Shaku. It…has been a while hasn’t it? Oki's missed you,” the being would say its voice calm, yet gentle. Sure they weren’t the best of friends by any means and they didn’t exactly stay on the same ground all the time; however, Oki still held trust for the guy and it was always a pleasure dealing with Sharaku in the past…so hopefully that hadn’t changed. Still it would simply have to see.

In any case, its attitude would remain relaxed and open. A complete 180 from the first encounter.

Oki felt the other tense and in turn had braced itself to get the snot clobbered out of it. It was a risky move what it had done and considering it did know this man well enough to not do this under normal circumstances, the being had been having a hell of a time with reality up until it had that encounter with the old man. Now that it had some sense knocked back into and had something it needed to do, it took the second chance Fate had dealt when it came to this particular guy.

It took the chance and hugged the other, the solid warmth of the body cementing the fact that this situation was real. Sharaku was here and this time perhaps they could have a proper reunion…if it didn’t start with Oki being flat on its back that is. Even if the being had been hit, it wouldn’t have held a grudge against the guy. After all, he had a valid reason to do something like, but thankfully no pain came. Just a growl and scolding.

Oki would grip would tighten slightly on the other as it flinched a bit at the words much like a child getting into trouble. “Yeah…we know, but we could not help it. We were just so happy to see you again,” the being said as it finally let go of the man and slipped around him so it was standing before him. As usual it was in his space bubble; however, to look up at the guy properly, the being had a take a few steps back to avoid neck strain. Yes, Sharaku was tall, but had he been that tall before? Curious. Huh.

Anyway, the being would give him a light grin when he greeted it, but then hearing the other words the grin would become a sheepish one.

“Neh…Oki wasn’t a lot of things back then,” the creature would begin before leveling its eyes with the other as it became more serious. “To be honest, escape was something we sought. We had been carrying around a lot of junk we didn’t want to face. Emotions and things of that nature. When we saw you agitated like that we honestly didn’t know what to do. The negativity was too much and that old man offered the one thing we could trust at the moment - information. So without thinking on it, we took the offer not truly considering what we were leaving behind,” Oki said, its tone honest as it gave the other the truth of the matter.

“We think maybe…we were hoping to lost somewhere, so we wouldn’t have to face reality, but the man did not lie when he said he could give us some clarity again and with that clarity a lot of things fell back into place quite quickly,” Oki would pause and fold its arms. “If we couldn’t back, Oki would’ve been sad, but at the same time we would’ve taken the fall since we kind of jumped in without really looking.” Yeah. It was in a bad spot back there so its actions hadn’t been the wisest or smartest. Luckily though, things had turned out alright.

To the last question the being would let out a light sigh as it bowed its head.

“Mmm. That is a hard question to answer,” it would begin before looking up at the other once more, its expression serious. “What do you want to know?”

Mood::

“Hehe. Maybe, but we couldn’t think of a better way than that,” Oki said as it rubbed the back of its head with a grin. Its mind was clearly still not in-tune with the norm. If it had been in touch with the norm it never would’ve done that, but what was done was done. Outside of scolding nothing bad had happened. So this was okay for the moment...right? At least it knew from words alone to at least announce itself next time. Heh lesson learned. Anyway….

The grin would fade as the being looked away from the other and rubbed its arm uncomfortably.

“Pretty much,” it said as it looked down at the ground not exactly proud of that fact. In the beginning, it had pretty much given up on everything and it really didn’t care if the world went to hell in a hand basket. When it was offered an escape, it took it without thinking of the consequences, but then something had happened that had changed its mind about the whole world being destroyed thing…

Green eyes would drift back up to Sharaku as it shook its head with a light smile on its face.

“No my choice was not any better, but it was a daring choice,” the being would fold its arms as a contemplative look crossed its face. “Can’t say too much on his thought process 'cause honestly we don't know; however, maybe he was waiting for someone to simply jump rather than hesitate and analyze it. At least that is what we think,” Oki would say with a light nod. Honestly, it was a mystery how the old man choose his targets, but at the same time Oki wasn’t about to question it too much. For now at least it would give him its trust.

“Mmm,” Oki would let out the light sound as it looked up at the other for a moment contemplating something before letting out a sigh as it lets arms drop to its side once more.

“Honestly, it is a mouthful to explain it all, but we’ll try. While we can’t say anything about this minister lady or this guy in charge of the rally, we do know that big get togethers do not end well around here. The last event we went to ended with a god coming at us, so we highly doubt whatever that guy is planning will end well either. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprise if said rally will only add to whatever is happening here. As for this whole sealing thing, we can’t say we approve or disapprove this, but then again much like yourself we aren’t planning to poke at the surface…” Oki would pause before narrowing its eyes at the other as it considered him for moment. When it spoke again its tone were more serious than before. “We trusted once before with information, so we’ll do it again,” the being would shift in its spot as it settled its weight on its left leg as its word choice shifted.

“Two years ago, I was bound to an angel and now once again I am bound to something. A group to be precise. This group’s function is to keep balance in the world and that old man you met is our boss. According to him, there is a traitor amongst the group that has caused this chaos and seeks to undo the balance of the worlds. As you can see whoever this traitor is, is doing quite the number on said balance. Thus the new creatures and the strange portals, but wait it gets even better,” the being paused to take a breathe. “I went to the other side hoping to find someone I once knew there however, the alternate worlds we’re use to are quite different. I am not sure how, but the place I ended up in looked like Alt Zela’s desert had devoured everything. On top of that some form of strife is in the area if that glum group I saw back there is any indicator. Not sure what exactly is going on there, but my mission is to get the worlds back in order and find the traitor in the group…perhaps if I can at least stop the traitor some of this madness will die down,” the being would look up at Sharaku. “In a nutshell we have a huge, huge mess on our hands. On that goes beyond just the islands and their mirror sides…and while I probably have no right to ask this considering how I’ve treated you before…Sharaku will be willing assist me with this task?”

Phew.

Oki would shut up to give the man time to absorb it all as it watched him carefully. It had given him quite a bit of information out of trust, but it wondered could he keep that information well hidden or would he betray it in the end? Well time would tell, wouldn’t it?

Oki would meet the words with a light frown its grin disappearing almost instantly as it watched the other's reaction and heard his words. It would give him a light frown, but it wouldn’t do anything to challenge the message given. Clearly, he and Oki were on different levels of understanding when it came to the logic behind its actions, so why get into a mess that would never be settled? It was kind of relieved the guy left that alone.

The being’s mood would further shift as it gave the other an unreadable gaze.

“And yet it is that sort of dismissal that dooms us all. Sure their goals are shallow, but in the end humans are quite a dangerous beast and fear is the best way to motivate the weak to do something quite disasterous….” The creature would say in calm tones not exactly agreeing with what Sharaku’s words. Yes, the conflicts seemed pointless when bigger things were a foot, but on the other hand what is the best way to hide a grand plan? Right under the nose of others using whatever other problems the world had to either propel actions forward or to distract people so badly they missed the clue that was sitting right in front of them. Some times what appeared to be reaches for fame was something much more sinister underneath. It was a disagreement point for sure, but Oki wouldn’t be the one to propel it into an argument. No. Disagreement aside, it would accept they were not on the same page with things. When had they ever been on the same page with anything to be honest.

To the next set of words, Oki would remain unusually quiet as it took everything in, the expression on its face becoming more and more unreadable by the second. It was almost as if it was sealing off something as it watched Sharaku for a moment.

“I don’t expect you to jump without looking and I can’t say I can guarantee you a way out even if you did take a plunge. I don’t have all the answers to your questions..and to be honest I don’t think I ever will; however, I do know this: the only way to get anything done is to act. I cannot prepare you for this because much like you I am just as lost. As for who the teammates are I can tell you the description of at least three. The other nine members I am not sure of, for I have not encountered them yet; however, I can find them by sensing them. As for how you can do that…well. Only investigation and action can solve that.” The being would huff as it closed its eyes. “As for your other two points…you make some serious assumptions with your words,” Oki would look back at him. “I gave you the information to fill you in because I thought you were one of the few I could actually trust on this side; however, listening to you now I wonder just what you will do with what all I have said...” the creature would trail off as it looked upward at the sky for a moment as it ponder a few options. Then as if shifting the subject the creature would look back at him. “Just how stupid do you find me, Sharaku?” the creature would ask its words calm and its gaze neutral. Unlike the past where it tried to dodge around problem areas to keep the peace, this time around its patience for such things was down to zero.

Sure, they could argue all day long, but how the hell was that going to solve things? While it was frustrating as hell with the situation, it sought understanding. Just what was going on in Sharaku’s mind to make him so resistant to action?

"And to answer your question. No. He seems fine with reaching out to others if it gets the job done...."

Mood::

“An agitatingly true fact, but honestly what did you expect out of humans in these situations?” Oki would ask its tone calm enough despite the subject. Humans always added onto the problem with their fears and ambitions in tough situations. That was a given. Just as it was a given that there was always going to be that one block head that was going to add onto the chaos and yes it would cause more problems; however, complaining about it or pointing out this flaw wasn’t going to help matters either. Sure, the being understood that Sharaku was far from pleased with the situation, but his words almost made it seem he had some high expectation of the human race or something. Honestly, the being didn’t understand what he was getting at with this.

The situation would seemingly worsen as time ticked on as the being listened it would at first give the other a cold glare and then quite unexpectedly it laugh out loud. It was a cold bark of a laugh, but a laugh nonetheless.

“Mmm. Yes the Angels were problematic when trying to get information from them only from the surface; however, if one worked a bit harder they weren’t as useless as they seemed. Vague sure, but what is the point of having humanity fend for themselves if you are just going to give the answers or hold their hands? If their intention was to not give us a choice then by all means, they would've done things their own way instead of leaving us to figure it out,” the words we slightly biting considering Oki personally understood this better than itwould like to admit. It wasn’t sure how others reacted when they were branded by the angel of their choices. Wasn’t sure if others had even attempted to try and get to know the beings or not. However, it did know from experience that it took some work to get information….Dancing around the problem was a statement Oki disagreed with greatly considering it knew the creatures would drop hints if one only tried to understand them. Besides there was more than one player in that game making digging harder if you just focused on the angels alone. Yeah...the ordeal had put it through the wringer for sure.

And what was this? Now he was attacking the group it was with? The being closed its eyes with a sigh.

“It is interesting how you would say that when not moments ago you mentioned the traitor probably not being an amateur. Have you considered the possibility that this one is so good at playing the game that without a fresh pair of eyes you wouldn’t even notice them? I am sure just knowing there is traitor amongst them has everyone on edge and suspecting each other and if everyone suspects each other, how will you find out anything without employing someone else to help see where you cannot anymore? I hardly think introductions were needed if you can’t trust the lot you have to begin with. Sure it might be good to know all the faces, but at what price? As for not knowing much... when does anyone start knowing anything or a lot? If I am not mistaken not that much time has passed since this all unraveled. What did you expect from me? To be filled to the brim with information?” Seriously what was he expecting? He made it sound like the answers could be found so easily.

“Now that is a fascinating question,” the being said as its voice sounding amused despite the frustration it was under. “Let’s examine that, shall we? You say we are stalling on purpose, but is not acting doing something towards said purpose and on that note while you berate me for not having much information. How much do you have? What do you know about this situation?” the being asked wondering if the other would even answer that. Oki wasn't being hostile about this one or anything else it said. It was just confused and frustrated with what the man actually was doing here. And so it actually wanted to know if he had a valid reason for all this scolding. Did he have a reason for it due to knowing something it did not pick up or was this something else? It was a curious case, but one that Oki wondered if Sharaku would actually smooth out….or if they were going to be doomed to take anything said in the wrong light.

“Hngh…” the being would look the other up and down considering him for a moment before shaking its head with the slightest of smiles. “Maybe this isn’t so much a trust matter as pure frustration. Yes we understand you will be you, but honestly I did not expect so much resistance when I came to you with this, but I suppose we still have much to learn about you,” the being would say sounding a bit drained and kind of looking like it too; however, it would continue to stand for now as it looked back at Sharaku with a moody expression.

“No you didn’t call me stupid, but that does not stop the fact that is how you made it sound from our point of view. As for pokes…” the being would look away from the other for a moment. Yeah. The last two years hadn’t been kind to it and while it probably did most of the damage to itself, the being wouldn’t deny that the end results were less than pleasant.... It would look back at the other. “I suppose you can say the last two years have stripped away my will to keep a smile in this world, so I am what I am- a moody mess that you can accept or shun. Up to you there.”

The being words were straightforward and honest, a sign that despite frustrations and what that maybe somewhere deep down underneath the muck Oki still held its trust for the man. It was just not as good as expressing as before. In any case, it wasn't looking to make an enemy out of the other, but at the same time it wasn't going to hold back frustration or anger. It was a bit open with its emotions. A negative trait perhaps, but that was just how it was.

“I can't say what an outsider can expect for I honestly believe one finds reward or despair as they go along the path. As for what I expected from you, I honestly expected some form of support. I am not speaking of emotional support or anything like that, but rather the type that comes from two working off of what they have and from there putting plan into play. As much as I would like to think we can all aid the world alone, I find that burden a bit easier if someone is at your side,” the creature said in deflated tones. Honestly was it wrong to ask for help when faced with something so big? Even without a plan in the begin was it really too much to ask for at least one person to help plan something? Was it wrong in its thinking? Or was it just bad at who it choose to ask such things to?

Oki would close its eyes and shake its head with a light sigh. “Why so morbid?” it would mutter as it took in the words. Sure, it understand sarcasm and all, but seriously that was not what it meant by its words. And now look what he was doing, The being would look up at him with a frown. “I haven’t been classified as human for a long time Sharaku and to be honest, it is not a lack of hope in humans I was pointing out. I was simply pointing out their tendencies. As for a future, I was never sure what sort of future humans had. I simply do my part when it comes to it and let them figure it out. And the supernatural? Well, we can agree that never really helps an already complicated situation…”

Sure, humans did stupid things daily and to a harsher eye it was probably better to just rid the world of them all or let them destroy themselves; however, even if people did silly things or didn’t seem to wizen up over time, the being never lost its hope for them to be able to reach their own paradise one day. And it was this hope for the humans that kept it fighting for them no matter what anyone else said or did.

Oki would let out a small huff at the other’s scowl. “Neither to be honest,” it would respond back in dry tones. While it had laughed, it was not out of humor or anything of that nature that it occured. It had laughed simply because it was quite peeved at the situation, the action just as threatening as a dog barking and growling, except the sound came out as a harsh laugh on the creature’s end. It understood that Sharaku and it did not see eye to eye and as a result they were doomed to butt heads here and there. It was a unfortunate situation due to ways of thinking, but maybe that issued could be resolved…if the other party was patient enough to hold his ground against such a shifting mess such as itself.

As for the next words it heard Oki would surprisingly be quiet as its agitated expression softened slightly. Green orbs would study golden ones for a moment before the being was nodded. “I never saw it from that angle before, Hmmm, well now I can see a bit clearer where you are coming from in regards to the limited information,” Oki would say as it locked that bit information away. It was true. It flared up because it could only see one side of the coin, but now that it saw another it could understand the other a bit better, but would this understanding sway its standing on the matter? Not really. It stood firmly behind what it believed in, but at least with better insight it could adapt its style to try and work with rather than against something that was vastly different than its own way of thinking. Regardless of thinking patterns being different, the explanation seemed to cause the creature to become calmer for the moment. The calm would further take over the more the other elaborated on his own words.

The end result would leave the being giving the other a contemplative look as a gloved hand reached up and rubbed its chin. It looked down for a moment considering what was said.

“So you think by randomly choosing Oki there could be something underneath the choice?” Oki would mutter the question making it seem like something that was not meant to be answered. Although if Sharaku did comment on it, the creature would not mind. Honestly, it hadn’t considered the motives of the one who actually hired it. Much like the angel it served it gave its trust to that party without questioning it. Just like it was conditioned to do. Trust a master and do not ask. Now that someone was actually placing the possibility of foul play before it, the creature took a moment to consider the implications of that.

Green orbs would look up at Sharaku as he continued on. It took note of the tired expression, but for now made no comment on it as it simply listened.

“Insecurity or in my case vagueness. It is a good thing we have come to this square for various reasons. For starters, you are right. I do focus on what I am told and I do not look that far outside of the box when it comes to those who command me. In fact, you are the first to actually tell me upfront the error of my view as in the past most just took the information and went along with it. In that regards, I do apologize for being…what was it you said? Stingy? Mmm. Stingy. However, I get that way when I do not understand where the other is coming from. I…thank you for sharing your views on this. It has given us much to consider that we probably wouldn’t have in the first place,” the being would say in calm tones before it would blink a bit and give the other a small smile.

“Oki can understand that. As for prodding, Oki prefers not to feel attacked when being asked is all. So maybe the problem isn’t so much the prodding as the interpretation of what we hear. We will have to work on adjusting this aspect of ourselves when it comes to you,” the being would say its tone sincere despite it all that had happen up to that point.

“No we cannot draw a verdict from face value or prove anything and to be honest, we were simply asking what you knew,” the being would say to the other. After all, it had given him some information, so why not share a little of what he found out with it? Did he not trust it after all?

“Perhaps it does in one sense, but then again Oki has never really been about simply looking about. We’ve always done best in the middle of a mess. Unorganized and chaotic? Yes, but we find the best treasure there. As for working for what I get, we are still behind that 100%; however, what is more frustrating with that is not understanding what one really wants. As you stated before we have very opposite ways of dealing with situations. I am more direct than I would like to admit and you are on the opposite end. I’ll admit this chat is difficult for us; however, we are not exactly storming away are we?” Oki would give the other a sideways glance. Yes this was frustrating, but at the same time it didn’t feel like running away. Difficult as Sharaku was Oki was determine to find a level ground with him….no matter how agitated it got. It just hoped Sharaku could remain the calmer of the two since it had no barriers on its emotions.

“Perhaps you don’t need to. Oki snapped too soon, so nothing to be sorry for,” the being would say in calm tones before it got on its tippy toes to stretch out stiffness that was settling in. Mid-stretch it would pause and look at Sharaku with an amused glimmer in its eyes.

“We think Oki may be more obvious. Very plain to read,” the being would finish the stretch before relaxing again. It’s words were simple enough. The turmoil it had showed with ease on the surface, making Oki seem the most irrational or insane thing around. Everything from seemingly mad ramblings to actually acting with whatever emotion was in play showed signs of an unstable person…and yet underneath it all was something quite intelligent and stable. It was just no one seemed to have the patient to find the real creature under the beast.

To his words, Oki would be quiet for a moment as it actually turned its back on him and paced a few steps away before turning back to coming back to its original spot.

“…Last time, I did leave much behind when I went out in search of those that disappeared and when I couldn’t find what I desired. I fell into madness. Now you’re here with a different tale, but the same end results. Why should we even care?” Oki began. “Well I cannot guarantee anything in the future; however, I am not asking you to help me because I am trying to use you or the world is crumbling around us. To be honest…all I wanted was to reconnect and not have this mess at all. Wanted to try to pick up the pieces where they were left and fix things, but now I am not so sure if anything can be fixed anymore. Even so I am not running away this time Sharaku. I plan to stay right here, so if you want you can find me again. If helps I can even come for you. However, we won’t be able to do that if the world is gone, now can we?”

The being would pause as it looked up at the sky for a moment before speaking again.

“The old man’s name is Yufosa. He is the leader of the group twelve I told you about before. Each member correlates with a zodiac symbol. So far I’ve only run into three. One was when I briefly visited the rally to see what was up. A boy with pale skin and strange colored eyes wearing a panda outfit was there; however, I did not get his name, but I know he is one of them. The next I met on the other side. One’s name is Enoch and the other is named Shani Naveen. Of what I have seen of both the woman seems a bit ruthless in her methods while the male seems to have more honor. With so many around us assuming they are doing what is right or what they are ordered to do, it is often hard to see things from all angles,” Oki’s eyes would level with Sharaku’s.

“Before you question just how much I trusted you, so here is where it stands. I give you the information out of trust. Even though you are quite capable of doing something else with it, we would hope we are not that bad on judging people. I can understand your want to not be the hero and simply leave this whole fighting business up. It is tiring. Even more so when everyone around you either pulls you in different directions or drains with the drama. I am not here to pull you in a direction or argue. And quite frankly if you were to leave now, I wouldn’t hold a grudge against you. You’re your own person and can do as you please. However, the world we live in and those beyond it are falling apart and I don’t cease to exist Sharaku," A pause for a breathe before speaking again.

"I did not jump for glory or power and while at first it was indeed escape I sought. The longer I spent before that man, the more I realized I accepted the power because I want to survive and see this world survive too; however, that task is hard alone, so here I am before you not as some representative of a group, but as someone who is trying the hardest to live in this world of cruel fates. Sure, I screw up and I don’t expect us to always get along, but…I want to believe that by sticking with at least one person we can pull through this and survive. Besides, you have a different set of eyes that could help us in the long run; however, I cannot force you to do anything or give a reason to do anything. Unfortunately, reason is something you have to discover on your own as you travel…”

“Just a little bit,” Oki said as it raised a gloved hand and used its fingers to show the amount. The space between its index finger and thumb was small, so perhaps despite the comment Oki accepted some of what was said, but just not all of it. It’s hand would drop back to its side as the other asked it a direct question. “Oki tried figuring it out long ago, but we are still not sure which we are more. Human or shadow. So we have come to the agreement that we are simply Oki,” the being would say with a nod. Sure, it was born human, but after what had happened to it, it was never seen as human. It was always viewed as just some creature to be tested and toyed with. Outside of captivity it had adapted to a normal life more or less, but it never could figure out if it was actually human or shadow even when it was surrounded by love and support.

A surprise? Not really. It couldn’t even settle on gender up until it had met him, so why would settling on a species be any different?

The being wouldn’t ponder this too long as it saw the shrug from the other that was quickly followed by some words.

“Mmm. Maybe, but then again, even if Oki is doing its own part, it makes its own path. Even with changing tides, Oki be like rock instead of drift wood. The mass goes around us,” the being would say. Sure leaving humans to their own devices might be dangerous, but unless the supernatural was involved, Oki found it had much on its hands with just itself. So while humanity fought for themselves, Oki fought for itself content to leave the other alone unless heavily threatened. A strange habit, but a habit that somehow worked for it nonetheless. At least, it wasn’t dead yet because of it.

Odd habits aside, Oki would tilt its head at the sad smile that was given as it focused on his words. To them, Oki would fold its arms in thought.

“Perhaps, Oki some times wears blinders or maybe we have grown cold over time. When the last event ended, we were focused on a task that in the end broke us. When we came back, we had blocked our heart off so much we did not consider others in the wake of our own pain. Even when getting sense knocked back into us, we did not consider just how much of impact the past had on others. If we had your reaction wouldn’t have been so hard to swallow…” Oki said as it looked down apologetically for that one. The price to be paid for leaping before looking. The price was even heavier when those in control gave you no reason to question them…until Sharaku brought up a point that opened its eyes a bit.

As green orbs drifted back to him the being would nod. “Odd indeed; however, we will keep your words in mind,” the being would say to the other. And indeed it would. While it was still willing to give the one who hired it the benefit of the doubt, the warning would at least cause it to throw a bit of caution against even its current master. Regardless, it would continue the mission given.

“Ah. I see. Well then, Oki will have to learn to adapt to that quality. Bad team player or not, Oki is not trying to force anyone into anything. Even if I ask,” the being said. A truth that may or may not have been obvious from the get go, but the being honestly wasn’t trying to force anyone onto the rocky boat with it. It just reached out to those that it thought it could trust. Unfortunately, the ones that it had given its trust to were few and now that this chaos had started also very scattered.

“I see,” Oki would tell the other as it nodded at the information given. So he did not have much on his end either. Well it guess they were both at the starting square again….at least as far as this side of the coin went.

To his other set of words, the being would watch him with a calm expression as it nodded.

“True, true. I don’t expect the world to be easy on us; however, I still seek to work on what I can face in this world when confused. In this case, it happens to be you. I honestly would like to try and find away to not clash so much against you. Not saying I’ll agree with you all of a sudden, but at least knowing more helps us control ourselves a bit better when it comes to you. As for the rest of the world and the traitor…well….I’ll just have to figure that one out as I go. We are not expecting a golden brick road to be laid out for us. In fact, I expect no map at all. Even so, I have to push forward. As for learning a new skill, Oki is always up for that. Question is…are you my tutor in new thing or is something else?” Oki would say as he looked him up and down. It wasn’t literally expecting him to teach him things step by step, but it still had to wonder. Would the world be the one to tilt it over the edge or would this one do it all by himself? On that note….

“Perhaps one could do that, but they would quickly regret it. Oki bites back if you mess with us too much,” the being said with a small smirk, the first genuine one it had given since encountering Sharaku. The small smirk would settle into a small smile. “Mmm. That is an interesting question. I would say the latter was the most confusing, but the easy to read can get messy in another light.” The being would leave its words at that for now as it rocked back and forth on its heels for a moment before becoming still when the subject changed.

Oki would listened to the words being said before tilting its head one way and then the other to process what had been said. The gesture was an odd trait of the creature, but would not be unusual for this man. “So you question the despair instead of giving fully into it and letting it all collapse. Hmmm…then you are right we have very different perceptions on what we consider quitting,” the being said as it turned slightly to the side and shook its head with a small sad smile. “As for chaos…mmm. Well we can agree there. There has been much fighting…and while I do not know what might have happened if this hadn’t started. Maybe Oki would not have so much head butting if we found old friends before all this. Maybe things would look different…”

The being would fall silent for a moment thinking on that different path for a bit before movement caught its eye. Turning to look back at the other, Oki would find itself craning its neck to look up at the other as he decided to come closer to it standing directly before it. At his words, the being would at first tilt its head to the left with a perplexed look on its face, but then hearing the rest of the words the light frown would disappear as its face became blank as it heard the issued challenge. It would watch Sharaku a bit. It honestly had dread this day; however, the man was right in questioning its abilities. If it couldn't bring down Sharaku, then maybe being hunter wa not the job for it.

Instead of giving an answer out loud, the being would drop slightly as it hopped back to place distance between itself and him.

When it landed it remained in a semi crouch as it looked up at the other its green eyes seeming to glow under the unnatural shadows of its hat as a strange darkness began to leak off of it and drip to the ground in small drops that clinked and shattered softly like fragile crystal; however, Oki did not appear to be phased by this oddness as its eyes remained locked upon its target.