Face-to-Face (Sharaku)

He debated for a second longer as he looked around, his hand going towards a fold in his clothing where he kept his phone unconsciously; however, before his hand could reach the phone the nightmare would find himself interested in someone that stuck out above the rest. Literally. There was a tall grey skin male wandering amongst the crowd in an odd fashion.

He didn’t seem to be trying to interact with the others and on top of that there was a bat following him around. Quite curious, the nightmare stayed where he was observing the wandering grey man contemplating in his mind just what sort of being the other was. He might’ve stayed there for a long while thinking on the matter, but his eyes would drift towards the bat. Was that a pet? Or did the bat just like the tall guy and followed him around? Bats did not do this normally, so what was the deal?

Deal?

Wait…

That conversation over text. The other did mention getting him some bats did he not?

…

Oh hey! This was probably who he was looking for right?

Well he was certainly about to find out. 

Feeling pretty excited, he would maneuver through the crowds until he was within speaking range of the other. He would pause in his steps and open his mouth to speak, but fail to make a sound as nerves seized him. He was okay with sitting in a crowd and taking notes. He was okay with talking over text, but talking to someone face-to-face that was not a book, toy, animal, or machine?

He had never done that before and honestly he wasn’t sure the right way to start this. It made him nervous…..even more so because he wasn’t 100% sure this was the right guy even with the bat there and even if he was sure, how was he to address the guy? He didn’t ask for a name? Uh…

A second went by and then shaking his head the nightmare would make a move as he took a small step towards the other.

“Hey. We were just talking right?” he would ask the taller guy, his voice soft, but more or less calm as he watched the other curiously as he wrung his hands unconsciously due to nerves.

Perhaps he had a made a mistake?

Maybe. The other did respond with silence as he looked over at him something that might’ve made him even more nervous if it wasn’t for the bat deciding to hang off the guy’s arm…or the guy lifting his arm like it was a branch on a tree. How strange. This was not normal behavior for bats. As for normal behavior for people? Well all he had to base that on was the behavior of his parent machine and the rather unique individuals of the dream world. Yes, he had to go out to get books and such for research. He knew what people were and he understood some things of society like the money system and food, but how did people behave? He could not say if what the other did was normal or not. He had not studied the world enough to know yet. Well normal or not. At least the action was comfy for the bat, so that was perhaps okay.

A bit perplex, the nightmare would continue to stare until the other’s voice drew his eyes from the bat back to the other’s golden eyes. The answer given was perhaps an expected one. It was an odd question…and it wasn’t like he had given a description to himself to the other. So how to confirm this?

And what about the energy level here? The one over text seemed friendlier, while this one seemed different. Perhaps colder in some regards? Distant? The nightmare wasn’t sure, but maybe that is how it worked. Text or online versus reality. Perhaps people put up faces there. Hmm. He would dig into that later. For now, he had to deal with this and that other comment too. Well at least the latter unsealed his lips.

“Figment of my imagination?” the nightmare would shift the weight to his left leg as he raised one hand and tapped his lip a bit in thought as he looked up at the sky. “Ummm…No. You are too here normal for my standards to be part of my imagination,” he would say with a nod and a slight smile….though he was not joking. Seriously what was imaginative to him was way more bizarre and out there than a person with…fangs, black claw like nails, giant height, grey skin, and a bat hanging off of him….huh. Interesting creature…

Anyway….

Strange talk aside, the small smile would crumble to a frown of thought. “How do confirm I am not just talking to someone with a random bat? The one I talked to said they would bring me bats….was that you?”

The other would tilt his head one way and the nightmare would tilt his head the opposite way as he blinked at the other’s response. Well maybe he had a point there. “I suppose people would question, but isn’t there a chance they’d might not?” he would ask quite curious of the answer. He may not know people or how they behaved fully, but wasn’t there a chance that they could play along or mimic like animals? Weren’t they animals in a way? “Also you never did answer my question,” he would say. There was no direct answer before so how could one be answering his question?

Speaking of questions and answers…what was this?

“Pose?” he would blink quite confused at this. And even more confused when the other raised his phone towards him. Unsure what to do the nightmare gave the other a confused look as a strange black bird with a skeletal head decided to join them. A creature from another world, but one familiar to the nightmare. As the odd crow made itself comfortable on his head, he felt a vibration from his phone as the other lowered his.

Digging about the folds of his clothing he would find his own phone and look at the messenger from earlier where he saw a confused version of himself with the bird preparing to land on his head. While this horrible picture might’ve embarrassed some people, the nightmare would tilt his head at it more curious about than embarrassed.

“Huh. Well that is an answer,” the nightmare would begin and then looking back at the other, he would turn his screen to the face the other. “How you make the phone make copies of you?” he asked…Clearly while he tinkered with things he still had some things to learn about how stuff worked on this side of the fence.

He would tilt his head at the question as he thought it over for a second before actually answering. Would he want to know the answer to such a thing? Well… “Of course. I would be very curious if someone approached me in that way.” He would give a few nods at this before giving the other a sheepish look as he scratched his cheek. “But then again. We are very curious about many things, so I am not sure if what I do is a normal reaction or just a Rika reaction.” He would chuckle a bit and then realizing something he would look at the other again. “Speaking of Rika, what is your name?” Might as well ask considering he already given his.

Whether the other gave a name or not, the nightmare would soon find himself chewing on something else as the other’s facial expression went from one strange one to the next. The nightmare wasn’t quite sure of the true meaning of the looks, but he supposed this was what being baffled by something looked liked? Maybe….he would have to ask or look it up some more later….if he remembered to that is. Anyway….

“Well, I could deduce things yes, but I rather not assume. So I ask for clarity in most cases.” He was by no means dumb even if he wasn’t quite sure of this socializing thing. Still, he was one to ask questions when he was uncertain. Would it make him seem slow to catch on? Maybe, but he much rather be sure than assume and make a mistake that could’ve just been avoided if he had asked. Too cautious? Maybe, but he had room to learn.

To learn and be more distracted by things…many things.

So there was the pose thing. Then the bird. Then the bat getting upset. Then a click and strange sounds from the other that calmed the bat and then copies…Oh boy. So many things at once. The nightmare didn’t know what to focus on more leaving him quite confused as he watched it all unfold and then….the phone vibrating brought him to reality again as the question of copies came to the front of his mind giving somewhat of a focus.

“Ummm…Photo app?” he would ask looking back at the phone. Well, this phone was the first one he had ever had. He kind of knew what it was supposed to do, but only really figured out the chat thing because it had popped up. He had his face in the books too much to focus on what exactly all this curious thing did. Hmmm.

He would narrow his eyes at the screen trying to figure out how to go back to the screen he was on before with all the pictures. “Ummm...” He would frown and then hearing a question look up at the other. “Oh. Remember I told you I attract crows? This is one of many types you’ll find around me. Today we have Memy for now. Though your bat no like it? Also how did you calm the bat? Is it your pet? You speak bat?” So many things and questions.

Did it matter that what he did was normal or not? The nightmare would blink. “Isn’t it human nature to conform or try to blend in?” he would ask with a tilt of his head. No one liked to be a the one sticking out right? “Though…to answer your question. To me? No. It does not really matter in the sense that it would change much knowing. I am just curious how I compare to what is considered normal here. Or the standard? Social norm? Whatever you call that.” It would be interesting to see how much he truly stuck out considering what he was and the circumstances he came from. That aside, he would hear the name and nod. “Sharaku..” He would play with the sound for a bit testing it out before nodding and looking back at the other with a smile. “Nice to meet you.” He would say friendly enough as he watched the other.

Watched the other’s expression go blank that is. To what he heard, the nightmare’s smile would fade as he made a light tsk sound with his tongue as he pondered how to answer. “I am going to ask when I am unsure. Yes being clear and direct can avoid some questions, but spell it out?” he would shake his head. “I wouldn’t like that in some cases. No. But for others direct works better.” It depended on the situation to be frank. He wasn’t so clueless that he didn’t understand that not everything could be spelled out. If everything was spelled out it would annoy him because it would undermine his intelligent and ability to solve things based on what was given, so despite wanting to know things and not to assume, the creature was aware that at times he wouldn’t have that luxury at all. Hmm perhaps this was a lesson in not asking so many questions then? Maybe. He would see. Outside of that comment, the other hadn’t flat out told him to stop yet, so maybe this was fine.

Though what might not have been fine was the other thing that came up.

The nightmare would look at the phone and shake his head. “I know basic things about this phone, but am not sure what all the pictures mean yet. I will be honest, I haven’t sat and studied it fully…” He really hadn’t messed with any of the pictures on it outside of the chat since he got it. He knew how to turn it on and off and understood that odd square at the top had something to do with this thing’s life and when it got low he had to plug it in, but outside of that? He didn’t know much about it at all. Hrmm…He supposed he could just figure it out later….this copy or photo app thing….

He would watch the phone for a bit his shoulders sagging slightly as some of the earlier excitement about the photo app slipped away. He was still curious and perplex by the thing he had not studied much as was clear by the way he observed it; however, perplexed or not he would eventually let the hand holding the phone drop to his side for the time being as he looked up at the other with a slight frown of his own.

“Memy is a normal crow,” he would say before folding his arms as he closed his eyes a bit. “Though I am assuming these type don’t show up here often by your comment.” Huh. With all the strange creatures about no one had seen a skull headed crow? How curious. Anyway…

Golden eyes would reopen as he looked over at the bat. “Memy doesn’t eat the living. It would have to be dead for her to take interest in it, so it doesn’t have to worry.” The nightmare would say giving clarity to perhaps some questions that the bird might’ve brought up.

“You speak bat and keep bats as occasional acquaintances,” the nightmare would nod a bit. “A vampire in a fashion, yes?” That would certainly explain somethings. Unless the other just had a talent to tame bats or something.

The Nightmare would cup a hand under his chin as he bowed his head slightly in thought, the bird on his head balancing easily enough as it watched the area around them with hollow holes for eyes. “Hmm. Perhaps this world is more different than what books and such make it out to be.” He knew the world was a strange place with many things in it, but what all was in it he didn’t know beyond just what he had learned from books and things he had seen in pictures and tv. Anyway, the snort would make him look back at the other once more as he listened to what was said. He would take in the words humming slightly as he let his hand drop to his side once more.

“Then would you say everything is normal and not normal all at once? That it is a matter of perspective – normal that is?” he would ask before pausing and finding another curiosity. “Also, you say you don’t accept social norms, but what are those to you? What do you accept then?” he would ask quite curious of the matter and what the other’s thoughts were on this idea of social norms and other things that were floating about now.

To the question posed somewhere down the path of conversation, the Nightmare would huff slightly at that one as he shook his head. “No, but we try to be anyway.” He would give the other a smile that showed he was only half-serious with that. He did like examining thing, but he was no fool. He knew there was always some loop hole in there to bring up questions or uncertainties.

Speaking of uncertainties, it took the nightmare a moment to figure out just how to react to the next set of words spoken, his face going blank as he studied the other with slightly narrowed eyes. He wasn’t angry or anything. Just contemplating how to process what were in fact just plain words spoken in a blunt way. On one hand, some part of him was a bit agitated at the suggestion. Why didn’t the guy just show him what he wanted versus finding some other way to not do that? However, that part him was small in comparison to the bit of appreciation the other gained from that simple act.

“Ah. Figure it out myself hmm?” he would say considering the phone for a bit before slipping it into the folds of his clothing. “Mmm. I can study it more, but what if I still cannot figure it out after such a study? Would you find me dumb or perhaps help me learn a thing or two?” the nightmare would ask, his tones full of curiosity versus anger or agitation.

He’d give the topic time to go its own way before focusing on the issue that had come up with the bird. To this one he’d chuckle softly.

“Perhaps my perception of normal is different than here. For me, this type of crow is a common sight me. Sometimes, these types gather around me in abundance. Though the ones normal to here, I get those too from time to time, but thought both type common. Perhaps I was wrong there. And well this specie of crow is different in what it eats. It doesn’t follow the regular diet of a more feathered crow.” Even if they were in the same family in some way, it didn’t mean their diet was the same.

Speaking of species, when he asked about the other being a vampire and got the response, the nightmare would grin in fascination revealing a row of sharp teeth. Though whether they were his actual teeth or something he did with his own natural power was a mystery. Either way the nightmare was interested in what was happening.

“Oh? But you not pure vampire are you? You said you like raw meat? You beast too?”