Midnight Train (Wandering Parlor Ghost)

East Eden. He had spent most of his day there simply relaxing and doing what he wanted. His mother did try to hunt him down via phone, but all those messages that she thought would help track him down went to a dummy phone the idol carried with him for these occasions. Oh, he’d get every message alright, but he didn’t bother texting back as he thumbed through each one and read them just to see what she was saying. At first they were “worry” messages so to speak, but the longer he didn’t reply the more those text became threats about what she would do to him if he didn’t send her one back.

Some of those threats may have been true, but most of them? Just a bluff to try and get him to answer her or come back. The tactic had worked when he was younger, but now that he was older it was like she was blowing hot air all the place, so he disregarded the messages and waited to see just how clever she would be. There was no gps on this phone, so she couldn’t use her fancy computers to get her way. She tried to get Father involved, but that only lasted a few text before Father sent what appeared to be a corrupt message that he said was an accident, but in the end it wasn’t. The message as jacked up as it was, was a secret code that his Father had taught him a long time ago to get around Mother’s prying eyes. It was kind of amazing she never figured out what it really was, but he supposed it didn’t matter. And in the end she’d probably get angry since the message pretty much told the idol to have fun with whatever he was doing. It was a rather nice aspect of his father who was the lesser pain in the ass the his mother. At least the man was tolerable and had some saving graces despite how things were between them. Regardless, of the old man wisely dropping out of the war, his mother did try to fake that she had Lisa as an ally. After all, it was no secret that the idol favored the lady over his own blood, but see that was the catch. If Lisa really wanted to find him, she wouldn’t have texted. She would just showed up without warning as was her way.

So as elaborate as the lie was, between what he knew of Lis and the fact his mother couldn’t quite get Lisa’s form of texting perfected, the idol brushed this off new tactic off also as continued doing as he pleased until he felt like going back home. He spent the whole day keeping himself busy and when he did decide to walk to the station, the sun had long since set and the crowds were gone for the day. The lady who ran the ticket booth was a bit jumpy when she suddenly had a customer, but relaxed when she found he wasn’t some suspicious person trying to harm her or do anything weird.

While it was true the idol didn’t have a firm grasp on how the outside worked, he was connected to the outside world via internet and so had heard plenty of horror stories that occured at night to people. On top of this his profession kind of gave him enough experience to know how people could get if one wasn’t careful. So on the more reasonable front he could understand the woman’s fear well. People were quite strange at time and could be a lot more terrifying than anything made up. What he didn’t understand was what the lady left him with as a parting gift.

“I hope your travels are safe, sir. Especially with all those spirits out there. I hope they don’t take you to their world. Your pretty face would sorely missed. I mean!! Oh god safe travels! Safe travels!” This was followed by lots of unnecessary arm waving and shutting of the window shutter because apparently she made some horrible mistake?

Yeah. He didn’t get that or even why the woman had mentioned spirits to begin with. Okay yes, spirits of a sort did exist at night in the city, but even so he wasn’t worried about that sort attacking cause if they did...well he’d just have fight back and they could be destroyed. However, the spirits the lady spoke of sound like stuff you read about on the net, in books, and saw on horror shows or movies. You know the see through type that you couldn’t kill from some other plain? Yeah those types of spirits or whatever you wanted to call them. It was the type of fictional nonsense that the idol didn’t buy into, even if he did have his own theories on what said undead really were when applied to the real world.

Despite that odd event, the idol was unbothered as he moved along the very quiet and empty station moving to towards only terminal open at this time of night that resided all the way down this long stretch of station. As he walked at a casual pace, he would dig into his jacket pocket and shifting around the items stored there, he’d pull out his dummy phone, the little bear on the end of the small chain swinging about a bit as he shifted his finger across the screen to pull up the time. It looked like he had some time to spare before the midnight train came, provided it was on time. He suppose he could surf the internet to pass time and take his time getting to the terminal, he could always sprint if he took too long. He didn’t have any people to worry about running into. It was literally himself and the station unless someone was hiding out the bathroom or you counted the ticket booth lady back there. The idea was tempting, but then again….the dummy phone’s internet unfortunately hit the battery pretty badly. He’d have to make a note to actually get a better phone than this one so if he ever got stuck like this again, he’d actually have something to keep him distracted without the worry of a dead battery. Ah well.

Deciding to save battery power in case he really did need to reveal his location for some reason or another or call out for help, the idol would pocket the phone as shoved his hands into his pocket walking with a slight slouch as his eyes scanned the dimly lit place lazily. His other senses would be left on high alert, the silence in the area making him that much more aware of things than a place full of noise. Even so he remained relaxed enough as he moved on to his destination.

Relevant Information:

You know that feeling you get when you think someone is watching you, but can’t really prove it? Yeah well that was a constant feeling the idol carried with him, the paranoia stemming more so from lifestyle than anything else. When one was popular there were the chances of stalkers and while he had been fortunate to only have to deal with one fan that actually attacked him because he - yes he - was so in love with the idol, the feeling of someone following him around was always in the back of his mind. The paranoia only increased, when he was left alone and left to rely on his own skills to keep himself hidden. He always wondered if he wouldn’t slip up or wind up in a situation over his head. It was a healthy sort of paranoia that kept him alert and always aware of what was happening. Always kept him the game and it was the very thing that kept him scanning around the streets when he walked to the subway station.

However, as aware as the idol was, he never noticed the woman who was following. Even while scanning, he never did spot this plain Jane amongst everyone else and once in a spot where it should’ve been obvious he was being followed? The idol never heard the one who followed him; however, as he was messing with his phone, he did sense a presence in the area with him. One that made him uncomfortable, but when he took a glance over his shoulder he never saw anyone and so thought that maybe his surroundings had finally gotten to him.

While he wasn’t creeped out per se, the atmosphere of the subway with, its gloom and concrete everywhere, did have a way of settling a bit uncomfortably within the mind. Now top that with the sounds of only your own footsteps and a mind wandering to places it probably shouldn’t be going and you had quite the mess going on upstairs….and if left alone it could cause panic, but thankfully his logic was enough to strong knock away most of the things cropping up in his head at the moment, keeping panic attacks at bay and allowing him to continue down the path he was on to the terminal with a more or less clear mind.

He might’ve continued uninterrupted, but he found the more he walked the more his paranoia about being watched increased. It built up so badly that after a few more steps the idol was actually stopping in his tracks as he simply listened to his surroundings for a bit not turning. He couldn’t hear anything, but….

He would turn slightly to look the way he came once more and this time around he did spot someone sitting on a bench looking so pale she could’ve been mistaken as a ghost. She didn’t seem harmful and in fact looked like she was playing around with her phone. Huh? Was this what he had sensed? And if so how had she been so quiet in the first place? Yeah, her sudden appearance was odd, but the idol figured if she was all there was to his unease, then he really had nothing to worry about. Relaxing once more, he’d turn away and continue his walk until he finally reached the terminal at the end. Standing before the bench he’d check his phone for time once more and seeing he had time to spare, he would pocket the item once before looking around the station once more mostly out of boredom, but also to see if that woman had moved or was still there. He hadn’t planned to interact with her. He was just double checking where she was at all time. Though...that was kind of hard when she was a good ways away down a gloomy long gloomy pathway. Even narrowing his eyes he could just barely make her out, so....

Sighing inwardly, he would take his eyes off the path that led back to the lady and sit down on the bench for now. Maybe his paranoia was kicking in badly at this point or maybe he was just tired and didn't realize it. Honestly, she was probably just some night traveler like himself so why? Why was he wired up and his gut telling him to watch her? He couldn't say and the more he tried to push the filling away, the more it would tell him to look back the way the woman was. He tried resisting, but...in time, he would turn his head slightly to try and see her out of the corner of his eye. She should still be down there right?

Well the good thing was the odd lady on the phone was indeed there... though how he managed not to notice her was still a baffling matter. He should’ve heard footsteps along with his in this empty place, so did she just step lighter than him, or was his mind wandering a bit too far at the moment? Hmmm...A strange mystery, but one the idol would push away as he turned away from the woman for the moment settling on the thought that she was just someone waiting for the train like himself. Though if the train did come she’d have to run a bit to get to it before the door closed considering she hung back a bit.

Well, whatever. It wasn’t like that was his problem anyway and as long as she didn’t do anything outside of just being well normal, he supposed he could just mediate or something until the train arrived. Maybe even catch a light nap? Well maybe no to latter, he didn’t think he could sleep just yet, but the other options were appealing so maybe he’d just -- What?

The sound of footsteps knocked him out of his thoughts as he blinked a bit before finding himself face-to-face with the lady that had been messing with her phone earlier. As she approached and spoke, the dark haired male would give her a questioning look. She...she had gotten lost trying to find the terminal for the last train of the night? How was that even--? You know what? Never mind that. Let’s just focus on the fact that this lady had asked a question and was now before him, okay? She was a bit odd and her behavior was far from comforting. She was quite flustered for reasons the idol could guess was due to being around himself. An inward sigh at that one. Well that was something he contend with even if it wasn’t the best thing to have to handle most of the time. He figured as long as she didn’t do anything too out of the box, he wouldn’t feel the need to be a complete ass and wall her off.

Those thoughts aside, the idol would give the lady a light nod taking note of her pretty face and smile when she tilted her hat back. While it might’ve eased other’s nerves to see such a face, it kept the idol on edge, even though his outward presentation was rather calm as the questioning look from earlier evaporated and he responded back.

“Yeah. This is the right one,” he would respond back...and leave it just like that. He had answered, so she should be okay now and leave he be right? Isn’t that what folk did when given an answer to a simple question like that? Or was this one the type to be chatty? He wasn’t sure, but played it cool nonetheless his calm blue eyes and expression giving no hint to his inner thoughts as he watched her without a word for the time being. What now?

The Bad:

The young man would give his answer and watch the woman for a bit before casually looking off to the side trying not to be too bothered by her. He had hoped the answer was enough to satisfy her, but it seemed he would be stuck with her. She most certainly wasn’t going anywhere. In fact, he caught her watching him and in turn forced him to look back at her as she decided to look him up and down with a tilt of her head and a smirk. The look made him give her a slightly questioning look, but outside of that his lips would remain sealed.

The look would only deepened, however, at what he heard next. This place was haunted and because of that she got turned around out of nowhere….even though there were no turns or anything tricky about walking in a straight line to the last platform.

……

Haru would blink a few times as he processed that his expression a bit confused at first, but then slowly it would melt into calmness and seriousness once more.

“It would be pretty strange if I actually believed this place was haunted or found it believable that someone could get lost on a straight path,” the idol would say his voice remaining soft and leveled as he watched the lady. Yeah, her story wasn’t that great and to be honest if he was to define anything as “creepy” right now it might’ve been her if her oddness hadn’t over-ruled that factor and made her a puzzling instead. She became even more strange the more she talked.

Wait. What?

“Serial business?” he would ask with a raised eyebrow. That was such an odd thing to be asking. If one seemed like the serial type it was her right now. Honestly why was she poking so much? And that laugh….That didn’t help make matters anymore comfortable, but even so the idol would shake himself mentally as he blinked lightly and his face became serious again. “Where I am going is my own business and you don’t have to worry. I’ll be fine on my own. I’d be more concern about yourself though,” he would say his words remaining level and non-hostile, the last bit coming out a bit gentler than the rest. Even if he didn’t know the lady, he was a bit concerned about how others might take to her strange behavior. Sure he was weathering it more or less okay, but what if someone was hostile or wanted to take advantage of her strangeness? Top that with the fact she was a female and not exactly horrible looking either and he could see a lot of bad scenarios happening for her...especially if she liked to do this random people on the street. During the day, she might be safer, but in situation like this wasn’t it better to be a bit more cautious? Those thoughts aside, the idol’s face would remain blank of his inner thoughts.

His face might’ve remained pretty calm, but as the lady decided to sit down on the bench, the idol would shift in his position pushing himself to the far end of the bench, so there was a respectful space between himself and her. Regardless of the move, he would give her a curious glance trying not to wince at that odd, yet creepy laugh of hers as he heard the words she spoke.
She was a strange one, yet...she was kind of appealing when she really shouldn’t have been.

He wasn’t sure what it was, but there was just something interesting about her odd behavior that kind of sunk in the longer she stayed around. While it had by no means gotten rid of his caution, the odd air of the lady did make him curious about her. Even more so when she kept mentioning ghost and the supernatural. He would give her a light study before blinking and opening his mouth to speak. This time his soft tones held a hint of amusement to them.

“You’re pretty into that supernatural stuff aren’t ya?” he would begin. “Is there a reason why?”

This lady was odd. If she was looking to get something grand out of someone like Haru, then she had another thing coming. Despite his age, he was much too serious to just play along with things or get a joke at times. It was true he did have a belief system on spirits and what not, but the sort of ghosts the lady had commented on? He simply did not believe in them and in turn didn’t believe said ghosts could turn around someone in this place. Sure the supernatural existed and maybe if she had played the story from a different angle, he would’ve bought it, but nope. She played it from an angle that did not sway him. So instead fun or whatever she was seeking when it came to him, the woman would get slightly raised eyebrows as Haru gave her a perplexed look. Eh? Was she taking offense at his logic? Or was she clowning around her too? A bit uncertain, he would eventually break his seriousness as he gave her a sheepish smile and scratch his cheek a bit.

“Well pardon me for being a skeptic,” he would begin and then he would move his hand to play with a strand of his hair as he tilted his head to the left as he watched her. His face settled into an expression ofmild amusement as he gave her a innocent yet charming smile in face of her theatrics as he continued. “Oho. You are ghost are you? Well then, what is your name then, Ms. Ghost?”

Well, at least she had gotten him to loosen his lips a bit and seemingly relax...though one had to question the latter since he kept a close watch on her. Regardless though, maybe this change in air around the young man would make up for his seriousness...or the fact that he complete missed the pun about cereal, his brain automatically correcting it to a different word.

“A breakfast pun?” he would ask as his left eye narrowed a bit with confused expression that crossed his face for a moment. “That honestly didn’t sound like a pun to me. Besides what did you expect? The two words do sound the same..” Plus there were other things to like: How it was night time; the location they were in; and the fact that there was him and only a strange lady doing strange things to make one feel oh so comfortable that she was not plotting to harm. Yeah. His mind would of course think of food when placed in this situation. How about no? Outside of translation error 404 though, the pun was doomed to die in this place. So yeah...That happened. Anyway…

The topic would move from odd jokes to a more serious topic as the woman seem to lose her earlier umph. He wondered why that was never thinking that he was the root cause of her behavior change, but soon the wandering thought would be knocked away as the woman answered his question. To this, the idol would let out a light hum as he looked away from her and folded his arms in thought.

“True. I guess it does become a different game when they are real,” he would say and then closing his eyes with a light smirk he would continued. “Maybe they did and then disappeared with their riches. Or maybe they didn’t and instead was too scared to go after their dream once they discovered it was a nightmare that was quite real.” His eyes would reopen with amusement dancing in them, but what had him so amused was a mystery and would soon be gone as he blinked and looked over at the other his expression serious again. “Say, are you used to monsters so to speak? You didn’t seem to speak about them with fear.”

Well it looked like he got her to smile a bit as she pushed her hat back a bit he supposed to see better. The smile was nice to see and seemed to keep the young man in his relaxed state making him appear to be dropping his guard around her. This was an intentional thing he did here. While he didn’t think she was harmful per-se that did not mean he was trusting her or anything like that. Oh no far from it. She was still an oddity and stranger to him, so while he appeared and acted relatively laid-back, internally he was watching her like a hawk. One wrong move from her could switch things easily. Even so, he remained non-hostile for now as he let the conversation continue on.

“I don’t know if it is convenient or not. I just know that I don’t just buy any ghost story. That not to say that spirits aren’t real. I am pretty sure like demons there may be some form of spirit around; however, hauntings from the dead and all that stuff I hear about on TV or the net? I don’t believe it. There is nothing really proving that sort of stuff is real. Besides the dead don’t haunt or move things. If it is doing that, the spirit is something alive,” he would say with a light shrug. Yeah. He had an odd perception on spirits that was founded in religion and other things that pointed to the actuality of unseen being around humans. Living spirits that existed on a different plane than the physical. He could buy that for there was proof those things may actually exist, but the stuff on TV and all the dead haunting stuff? Nope. He just did not buy that stuff at all. Even less so when it came to any form of media. He had to dig in deeper and find proof it was real to believe it. Same went with certain stories heard off the street. He just wasn't that easily convinced.

That business aside though, the topic would move onto the more stranger topic of names and whether or not the woman was a ghost or not. Well, he didn’t think she was a supernatural being strange as she was unless she was one good at fooling, but even so she appeared to be human despite her behavior or way of speech. When she did answer his question and gave a name, he would take it in as he nodded. “Wandering Parlor Ghost, hmm?” he would repeat trying to the name out, his light Japanese accent causing some of the words to come out a bit different, but not so badly that it messed up the name. “That is quite the name. Do you mind me calling you Ms. Ghost for short?” he would ask her and then pondering something else he would ask a different question. “So as far as the rest of your name goes. Does it mean you are a wanderer that likes to haunt parlors or is the name just that? A name?”

He was kind of curious about it all and didn’t seem to mind she had not asked for his name in return...either that or he simply forgot his manners with something interesting in front of him now. Yeah. Probably the latter. The young man was pretty good with introducing himself normally, but he could forget to do that when distracted by something. So whoops there. Ah well. It didn't appear to change much so he just went with it.

That aside though things would move back to jokes and as it did the young man would find him in an odd position. He honestly didn’t know what to do here. The lady seemed to be upset he had missed the whole thing, but how could he have known it was a joke if he wasn’t familiar with said material anyway? Besides her behavior was so odd he couldn’t exactly gauge what was what….and yet....Yet he was the bad guy for it? Oh boyo.

The young man would rub his head a bit as he gave the other a slightly confused look at this. “S-Sorry?” Aha! A stumble. So he wasn’t perfect with his words after all, he just seemed that way as long as the territory he was in was somewhat manageable, but hurt feelings and all that? Yeah, he didn’t know what to do there, so he came off as awkward that was both shown by his uncertain wording and the odd pause that occurred afterwards. Thankfully, the pause wouldn’t last long as the topic changed.

As it did, the young man would nod as he settled back into his seat again seeming comfortable once more.

“Maybe they were. There could be various reasons for them running and it probably was an entertaining show. Too bad we missed it huh?” he would say as he glanced over at her with a small smile seeming to be okay with that odd laugh of hers now that he had heard a few times. Yes, he was making light of a grim situation, but perhaps that was for the better. He knew he for one had some memories he rather not remember associated with the event. Even so, he kept the grim thoughts hidden from his face as he saw the lady's expression soften.

When she answered his last question, he would close his eyes as he gave her a light nod.

“Ah. An experienced one, eh? Well that is good to hear,” he would say as he reopened eyes and gave her a playful wink. He might’ve said more, but at that moment the train decided to arrive causing a pause in their talk as the young man got up from the bench with a light sigh. “Well then. Time to go.”

When the train came to a stop and the doors opened he would look over at the other tilting his head a bit to see if she was getting on the train or not. Whether she got up or not, he would eventually move and board the train finding a seat somewhere near the back of the empty train car due to the ability to be able to stretch out easier than on the side seats if need be. Though for now he would just sit in a normal position letting his eyes drift around the empty train cart as he listened to the hums the vehicle made. He wondered if the lady would come and if so if she would join him. If not well he guess, he’d be riding alone after all. Maybe he should've said bye just in case? Ah well. Too late now...

Was it really that odd to be skeptical of the supernatural? It wasn’t like he completely dismissed the idea of spirits, but rather he dismissed the certain ways they were presented. He didn’t see anything wrong with not buying into all of it and having a bit of caution when dealing with those that sought to feed such things to him. Sure their world was full of the supernatural and proof of demons being real was very much in front of them all. Even so that did not change his stance on the matter nor did it make him too eager to suddenly believe whatever was handed to him without examining the matter to see just how valid said thing was when weighed against facts and reality. It was just his way, strange or not. That aside though, it look had he had a different matter at hand.

Handsome face? He would give her light frown at that one not phased in the slightest by what could be considered a compliment. He hadn’t given her permission to give him such a nickname and honestly he would prefer her not to use it since she did not know him well. Even so, outside of the slight frown he did not react too negatively to it as he spoke.

“Haru will do,” he would correct her gently and then continue on. “I wouldn’t necessarily say that. Demons have been around for 1,000 of years. I always knew they existed just never got to see one until five years ago when literally Hell broke loose on Earth. I never doubted they existed. Just like I don’t doubt some form of good spirit exists out there to counter them. Even so, I still don’t see the need to buy everything tossed at me about the supernatural. Foolish or not, I think some caution should be used lest we all get lost in a fantasy world and in turn get bitten for it.” He preferred to stay rooted in reality and adapt to things that way. He wasn’t saying his stance was right, but he wouldn’t budge from it either until evidence came up that proved him wrong. Despite that though, he would give a small sigh as he shook his head lightly. “You don’t have to worry about that. Being leery about it all is one of the perks of being the sort of skeptic I am.” Sure, he’d dismiss the sillier stuff, but keep at it and even he became suspicious of why one stuck to such things.

Supernatural talk aside though, they would move onto the topic of the woman's name instead. She seemed to be fine with Ms. Ghost and even confirmed that she liked to “haunt’ parlors. To what was said, Haru would tilt his head lightly at this. “Oh, is that so? Well then, how many fascinating ones have you found in your travels?” he would ask quite curious of this strange lady and her habits. Sure the topic made for strange talk, but that was okay given the situation. Where ever that led, the conversation would continue on or rather kind of fall into silence for a moment.

While the woman did respond back to his words on the joke, the young man would only give her a light nod in turn, but otherwise had no reason to continue a topic that had pretty much died already. So leaving the sad little pun in its corner for now, the topic would go from small silences to a bit of actual play. Something unexpected in this rather peculiar situation.

“Indeed it is a shame,” he would say with a playful smirk as he looked from the woman to some point across the tracks and ahead of him. While he kept up his good natured air and even seemed to be having fun with the whole matter, inwardly he was not pleased at the memories. Sure, he joked about it now, but he had been there….and had seen people slaughtered and eaten right before his eyes. He had those scarring memories and the nightmares that came with them, but even so, he choose not to let them bog him down and instead used them to give himself strength to push forward in this life. He had been spared from death by the Higher Spirits when so many others had not been, so he would do his best not to make his second chance become a waste. Regardless of the grim thoughts inwardly, he never showed them to the world or the woman with him as he remained quite relaxed on the bench for the time being.

“Well I am glad to hear that.” Haru would say letting out a soft chuckle of amusement. While he had no proof if she could actually hold her own against a demon (and honestly didn’t want anything to happen where such matters had to be tested), he had to give her props for sounding confident in the matter. Maybe it was a sign that despite her strangeness she could indeed hold own if trouble arose. That aside though, conversation would be interrupted a bit by the arrival of the train.

“A cushion will be a welcome change to the bench we were just on,” he would respond back to the woman’s words as he moved onto the train and then settled at the back, his backside appreciating the more giving seats. He noticed she did follow him on the train, but instead of sitting next to him she decided to keep her distance and settle a few seats away leaving a respectful space between himself and her, even left enough room that if they wanted privacy they could indeed have it. Much appreciated to the latter of being smothered. Besides, there was another benefit to having the back seat to himself.

With no one next to him to be concerned about, the idol would slide into the corner so he could use the wall of the train as back support as he moved his body so that he could stretch out his legs along the seat. He would sit in a way to keep the soles of his boot off the seat, but even so could still be comfortable. The ride was going to take a while so he might as well get settled and relaxed. He didn’t think he would be able to take a nap with another there, but that was fine. Outside of keeping him awake, her presence did no harm to him. So relaxing he would continue to recline, his eyes briefly watching the woman before looking away and focusing on some point across from him. He wasn’t ignoring or blocking her with the action. He honestly just had nothing else to say, so unless she started talking again he would remain quiet for now.

Haru did indeed have a strange way of thinking, but did that make his way more right or wrong than another’s? No, it just meant he had lines between what he accepted as fact and what he accepted as fiction. There was nothing wrong with that...though he had to wonder what was on the woman’s mind as she gave him that smirk. Her words only made him more curious.

“I believe in demons because I know without a doubt they are real; however, ghosts in the fashion that they are presented in stories or on TV? I find myself not so inclined to believe in such things without solid proof,” he would begin in his usual calm tones and then tilting his head lightly, he would ask a question of his own. “Interesting. How so?” He wanted to know her thoughts on the matter, considering that laugh seemed like she might be mocking his way of thinking, but would she actually share what she thought? Well that was a mystery for now and would probably remain one unless the woman decided to shed some light on the matter.

In any case, the idol didn’t seem overly flustered or upset with the situation since in the end, he would simply let whatever was being thought about him go. People made judgement calls about each other all the time, so how she saw him mattered not in the end. He would still be him and that was that.

That matter aside, the conversation would move elsewhere. To what he heard, the dark haired male would close his eyes and think on this for a moment. “Make the dream a reality through will power…” he would mutter to himself as he looked at the ground. That was not exactly what she had said, but that was the way he had translated it. Anyway, blue eyes would look back up at the lady.

“Perhaps you are right there,” he would say clearer this round as he gave her a light smile. He could appreciate the ambitious and those who actually went after what they sought. Though outside of that he wasn’t sure if he could agree with Endyimon being one of the last human cities still out there. Yeah, they went through hell and came out of it….but surely there was more than just Endyimon out there. He...could play with that thought later. He had something else that caught his interest a bit more than gloomy wandering thoughts. “That pretty neat that you’ve seen so many parlors, but what do they inspire you to do?” Did she just appreciate what she saw and in turn used that appreciation to make her life brighter? Or was there a more practical use for this inspiration?

Letting that go where it would, he would take in what she said next rather quietly as his eyes studied her. He did not believe that she was a real ghost….but then again, he could not prove she was human either. Even so, he was skeptical of her dead talk and for a moment thought of dismissing it, but then for whatever reason, he would blink once before speaking with his expression neutral and hard to read.

“Like what?” he would ask as he remained chilled in his seat until the train arrived and in turn forced him to get up and board the train. As they board the train and got situated in their seats, Haru did take note out of the corner of his eye that the woman was watching him and from her hum and then the shrug he caught, he supposed the woman had something on her mind; however, the idol would remain quietly staring off at the other side of the train his eyes actually closing like he was going to sleep; however, after a few seconds of silence he would break it showing that despite his appearance he was not sleep at all. His stirring of the air would start with a light hum of his own.

“Mmm. What is on your mind?” he would ask his voice quieter than before, but still audible over the noises of the train.