Paglikha

Kalu was surprised that Tsu was able to realize why he reacted that way when she asked to do a tongue high-five. Am I really that transparent? Kalu resigned that thought for later, for fear of remembering how his parents had often acted, while in their usual drunken stupor, as if he had never existed.

However, Kalu felt happy for Tsu once she started relaying her past with her family. In his mind, an image of Tsu fitting into a place sequestered away from the rest of the world that attempts to alienate her. It must be nice to fit in somewhere. Kalu wanted to bring that sense of familial bonding to her current virtual life and tried to match Tsu’s tongue.

But Kalu wasn’t able to even get anywhere close to it. It felt as if he was trying to flex a muscle that wasn’t a part of his body and that, although the weight felt real, he had to exert some mental strength in order to lift it. Eventually, he was able to raise it up after realizing that struggling is pointless but rather act as if he’s just trying to normally let his tongue rise. It’s a game, it’ll fill in the details. Once he stretched his tongue out as much as he could, at least before he had to struggle to reach out even more, he simply stated (almost as if he was talking to himself), “I guess trying to struggle as if it is a physical thing doesn’t really work that well in a game all up here”, Kalu tapped the side of his head. It wasn’t nearly as perfect as Tsu’s (which for obvious reasons reminded Kalu of an actual frog), but he was still able to move his tongue quite a fair bit. “Guess you’re the master, then. Ribbit.”

“Yeah, we can go ba-” Kalu was cut off as Tsu placed her lips onto his. Kalu, was to say the least, caught off guard and wasn’t actually able to appreciate the gesture. At this current juncture in time, Kalu was trying to remember the reason why he had gotten in this position, almost as if someone had possessed him and made him say those things. However, what he had said was some of the most honest - and instinctual - words that had ever came out of his mouth. However, Kalu kept on coming to one thought that summed up his entire experience of this evening’s events.

I honestly have no clue what has been going on this entire day. When Tsu finally broke the kiss, she tongue slapped Embers, and if being around Embers for this short amount of time taught him anything, he learned that she was someone you don’t annoy. Kalu stood up and began talking to both Tsu and Embers. “Now let’s settle down. Let’s have a drink in peace and have a good time this evening. There’s no real reason to fight.” Please do not make me have to intervene any further than this. I don’t want to get into the middle of another brawl. Kalu sat back down and requested something from the bartender. “Another glass of wi- A glass of water, please.” Well, it certainly wasn’t bad but no reason to fall into that habit.

@Embers

Tongue high-five? Kalu didn’t want to seem rude but, to him, this situation sounded as if she had just asked for them to start… Kissing. Kalu didn’t understand the context behind her decision or desire to have this tongue high-five, and he certainly did not know if this was something common within her family. “Uh…”, Kalu stammered a bit, as he was trying to find out a way to solve this situation without hurting her feelings.

The first solution that Kalu that popped up in his mind was to pretend that he didn’t have the necessary muscle to move his tongue, but he believed that she might not have bought that seeing how this was a virtual reality. The second solution that Kalu thought of was trying to trick her into believing he didn’t understand what having a tongue high-five entailed. Unable to think of any in a reasonable time, Kalu simply walked over to Tsu and placed his hand on her tongue. “Ribbit.” Please let this work.

Kalu was surprised that Tsu had hugged him, let alone that she had just confessed to him while claiming that Pinball had just accused everyone of only pitying Tsu. I’m obviously missing some context here. What happened when I was asleep? Kalu awkwardly put his arms around Tsu and reciprocated the embrace as he tried to figure out what he’s supposed to do right now. However, his mind went blank. This was nothing that he has ever experienced. Nothing was even close to the ballpark or the same universe that Kalu had experienced up to now. He was just having a dream of being together with Tsu and it happening just moments after waking up was extremely shocking to Kalu. What is going on here?

After a few seconds of embracing her, Kalu relaxed his arms and looked Tsu in the eyes. Well, I might as well try to say something inspiring and say the things that first come to mind. ”Obviously, Pinball doesn’t know what he’s talking about. As Embers has said, ‘those who matter don’t care that you’re different.’ Since I’ve been in Aincrad, you’re the only one who hasn’t seen me as a stranger, an acquaintance, a plausible prospect. You’re the first person in my entire life to make me happy, and I want to return those feelings. So of course, I’ll be your Valentine’s. Kalu smiled softly. However his mind jumped all over the place, wondering where did those words come from to what is being someone’s Valentine’s, before remembering that Embers was still there. I hope Embers doesn’t feel awkward or feel like she’s a third wheel. After all, things went from Pin being the third wheel to me passing out and becoming a fourth wheel. Kalu, trying to convey his thanks, nodded to Embers. 

Kalu sighed very audibly and muttered under his breath. ”I should have made it a tree climbing competition.” Kalu took out the potion from his inventory and popped off the cork. He treated the potion like how a child handles medicine. However, he was a man of his word and would fulfill his end of the bet. The things I do… Kalu let a drop touch his tongue and then quickly put the potion in his inventory.

Kalu felt his throat tighten, or was it that there was now less space for air to travel in his throat, and coughed a bit. He stuck out his tongue and saw it flop before him. It wasn’t as long as Tsu’s, but it was still larger than he had expected for it to be. ”Go- Gosh. How do you handle this?” Kalu wheezed slightly trying to find his breath. ”Ribbit.” The pressure in his throat decreased slightly and he was able to breath slightly more than just a few seconds ago. So that's how.

Kalu smiled at Tsu as he caught the ball. She really wants me to drink this potion, doesn’t she? It’ll be embarrassing though. Unless… Is there any bamboo around? However, after a quick look around, he was unable to find any traces of bamboo. However, he was able to find a banana tree with a couple of leaves at the top. “Let’s make a deal”, Kalu said to Tsu as he was talking towards the banana leaves. “If I lose this time, I will drink the potion. If you lose this time, I’ll dedicate a song to you in my shop. It’s a win-win.” For you at least.

Kalu cut down the banana leaves and created something similar to shoes. For the “sole” of the shoe, he realized that just the banana leaf by itself would be too slippery so he tried to sand it down and make it grittier to gain more traction. “Hopefully I won’t fall down anymore.” Kalu tossed the ball into the air and then bumped it over to her side of the field.

However, Kalu never visited his nightmarish past. Rather, he had a glimpse into what may have been his future. It looked as if there were two sides of the room. The left side housed him in his usual nature, but the right side housed someone else. The man on the right side had a face and appearance identical to Kalu’s but it was still different. He was smiling and it appeared that no emotions were forced, as if he was truly happy. Next to him was… Is that Tsu?

Kalu walked over and felt himself gravitating towards the left room. He overheard himself, his current self speak of his regrets during life as he chugged a bottle of beer. He survived SAO, but he lived the rest of the game as a coward who had done zero contributions.

However, Kalu willed himself to move to the right room. The conversation was oddly normal, speaking of everyday life. He found it calming within the current sea of chaos. Is this even possible?

That's when the Tsu in the right room began to address Kalu. Hey Kalu, wake up. You might have had too much to drink didn't you, ribbit?” 

Kalu sat up straight with a deep gasp as if he was being asphyxiated just moments ago. Looking around the room, he wasn't able to see Pinball anywhere. He threw the glass of wine at the far wall and heard the crash as the glass turned into blue crystals. ”I’m- I'm sorry… Maybe you’re right. I’ll stay here though. I just came here to clear my head, not to turn into my... You know. Folks”, Kalu said as he tried his best to reassure Tsu and, in a way, himself. ”How… How have you been? Would you like something to drink?”

He did not know what happened when he was out, and he was unable to tell the difference between Tsu before and Tsu now. At least, not the way he viewed her. A dream is a dream. There’s no way she’d even accept me, Mr. Emotionless.

If I had to choose? “I think I’d like to be mixed with an owl. I’ve never seen one, but I’ve always heard that it’s as if they’re always watching over people.” I’ll continue to watch over everyone.

When Kalu and Tsu reached the portion of the beach with a net already set up, he got into a position within the middle of his side of the field. That’s when he heard Tsu’s remarks about not going too hard on her. Wait, what? Looking up, he saw Tsu easily hit the volleyball over the net with her tongue sending it soaring above his head. After trying to back up to stay aligned with the ball, Kalu fell down onto the sand and the volleyball hit his head. “I think you’re the one who has to go easy on me.” Kalu got up and tossed the ball within his hands for a while before bumping it back to Tsu.

Volleyball? That game we sometimes play in gym? Kalu took a sip from his coconut. Wish I had a banana for this to go along with this. “Volleyball? Sure. If I’m not mistaking it for another sport, though, it’s usually a team of six people versus another team of six people, but I can see how only two people can play it. We can do it.” Kalu slurped the rest of his coconut juice and then set the shell down down. Shortly afterwards, the coconut husk dissipated into blue shards, much to Kalu’s disappointment. “I could’ve used that as a container for other foods.” Kalu couldn’t help but smile.

Then he couldn’t help but start laughing at his current situation. They sounded as if he was short of breath, and could probably be mistaken for him choking on something, but once he settled down and could speak normally, he felt a embarrassed and tried to explain himself. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I never thought this kind of thing would happen. This whole sort of situation, it’s both mundane and ridiculous. Words can’t even express how I am right now. I’ve said this before, but thank you.” I probably have one of the most beautiful views in Aincrad right now

“It’s one thing to pretend you have emotions when you don’t have them. It’s another thing when you pretend as if you’re thinking one way when you’re really thinking about the other”, Kalu told Tetsuko as he was patting Tetsuko on the face while en route to the shop. It takes a faker to know a faker. “Also, if I have something on my face, please tell me. I don’t appreciate people staring at me.”

Kalu walked ahead of Tetsuko, putting himself between Spangie and Tetsuko. When they arrived at the cafe, Kalu walked through the gate to be met with an NPC salesman. Well, they’re flavors aren’t so bad. After looking at the menu for a while, he decided to indulge himself just a bit since this would probably be the first and last time he would have a chance to eat a somewhat decent meal rather than his usual stale bread and water. “Yes, may I have three apple danishes, two blueberry tarts, and five parfaits - one of each. He’s paying for it”, Kalu ordered his food to the NPC and pointed to Tetsuko. Plus, it’s not me who’s paying for it.

“Thank you, Embers, but I don't want this to turn into a brawl. I just want to talk-”, Kalu was cut off by Pinball’s yelling. He winced as Pinball made a remark about his parents, and ever so slightly trembled as he tried to stay in the land of present reality. He felt as if he as a hair-breadth away from tipping over the edge into the abyss of his nightmarish past. “You don't know me.”

That was when Tsu arrived at the bar and simply asked if Pinball was fine. Didn't think you’d be here. “Hey”, Kalu said weakly as he was gripping the counter with white knuckles. “Ho- How have you…been?” For the first time in 9 years, Kalu felt his throat close off and felt his hands become cold with sweat. With genuine fear in his voice, knowing full well what was going to happen next, he said, “Not again. Please, no.” He then slumped over the counter and closed his eyes as he teetered off the edge of reality.

Well, that’s good. Kalu said as Tsu’s tongue patted him on the shoulder. A ton of new experiences, indeed. First time I’ve somewhat talked about them for a long time. “Well, I haven’t really been the beach and never really done any real activities except...”, Kalu trailed off when he saw a tree with a couple of coconuts at the top. “Give me just one second.”

It's been a long while since I’ve done this. Kalu put both of his feet onto the tree trunk and checked to see if he was somewhat secure. He then climbed the tree with ease, remembering his experience and where he consciously forgot his footing, his body remembered and then appropriately adjusted before continuing. After reaching the top, he took out his knife and cut the coconuts down. He started moving down the tree until he felt the soft sand beneath his feet.

Finding a sharp rock at the treeline, he used it to crack open the coconut. He continued to bash the coconuts with the rock until their shells gave way. “Want some?”, Kalu asked Tsu offering one of the coconuts. “The juice is pretty good.”

Interesting, was Kalu’s only response to Tetsuko’s monologue. “Well, I bet you haven’t faced death in the real world, and I’m not talking about a loved one’s death. People die everyday out there, so it wouldn’t be such a small coincidence or tragedy. However, I’ve faced death many, many times. I've even known my executioner at times. An old lady, the people at my former house, and now Kayaba”, Kalu responded to Tetsuko, trying to show him that Tetsuko’s willingness to perform anything, and most likely kill another human being, is moot. Kalu took off his glasses and spoke with his only true emotion coming out in its full colors. A deadpan expression, numbness, nothingness. His voice was more steadfast than ever. He was the definition of emotionless. “Does this look like a face who would have morals against doing anything to survive? Kill chickens with your bare hands, eat from week old garbage found with maggots on it, and so many more? Don’t think I have qualms about doing anything necessary. The only ones is the people I care about. Nothing more.” Not even this guild really matters.

Once Kalu stopped talking, he realized that his daggers was in his hands. He quickly put it back inside of its sheath and stowed it away. Kalu noticed that Spangie had her hand on Tetsuko’s shoulder, almost like she was comforting him. Or wanting to seek comfort herself. Kalu forced a deep breath believing it would help them believe he was calming down. However, he still wore his deadpan expression. “I'll accept that invitation to have a meal with you guys. I guess it would not be any harm.” Kalu put his glasses on. “I don't know this floor too well, so lead the way.”

“Nice to meet you Tetsuko.” Kalu didn’t know how to carry this conversation any further. It’s mostly been wrapped up and he didn’t have anything in particular he wanted to communicate with the other two. Kalu felt like Tetsuko was trying to hide something, the mask, his smile, that he wore on his face said it all, while Spangie was just another little girl that was mistakenly trapped by this game. “Forgive me if I speak weirdly. I can’t truly express my emotions-”, not like I actually experience any emotions, “which inadvertently helped us against that blond.” He took a short pause, simply waiting for a chance to talk about something. He didn’t care much of these players. “Listen to me, if you ever run into that guy, do not hesitate to run away. Never accept a full loss duel and never travel alone. Run to the nearest safe zone and contact someone who can help you.”

“Even then, you helped defuse the situation. Even if you didn’t think you helped much, you still did. Not everyone has to risk their life in order to clear the floors. Sometimes, even buying an item from their shop can help them” Kalu lied to the other man through his teeth. Kalu knew very well the current status of the frontliners was inviolable. They were all experienced in boss raids, they all had the best and most updated gear, they had access to everything. In order to really help them without risking your life, you’d have to become relevant either by being a consumable crafter or a frontliner yourself. Kalu then heard the man behind him mutter something. Something about either taking it as an insult or to let it slide. He wasn’t able to completely discern the context behind that line, but he decided to let it go. After all, it wasn’t his business to monitor anyone. His job was to get stronger so he could, one day, be of some actual use.

Spangie introduced herself after apologizing and then becoming noticeably perkier. “You didn’t make matters worse. Believe it or not, there are probably some players within that crowd who might have thought you were their conscious, the guardian angel on their right shoulder. People have gotten so used to there being Player Killers that they’ve decided to only take precautions to protect themselves, not others. The Guardians of the New Dawn is hoping that we can change that.” Kalu crouched down and played around with the stones on the paved road. One side always breeds more of its counterpart. “My name is Paglikha. Part of the Combat Squad of The Guardians of the New Dawn.” Like a salesman, I’ve sold my ideals for my image and my company’s image. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Kalu gave a wordless nod to the blue-haired man as the blond walked away. He shouted across the square as the victor left, “Likewise. The Guardians of the New Dawn will stop any PKing, unless it is in self-defense.” Kalu looked at where the brunette player died. I don’t buy that it was a creditor/debtor issue. More like a sleep PKer. “Evil runs away from the face of a good-hearted person-”, Don’t portray yourself as some hero. “The Guardians of the New Dawn is a place for all people. We plan on bringing light to the darkness known as Aincrad in any way we can.”

Shortly after Kalu gave his speech, the crowd dispersed into their usual routine. Like clockwork. Kalu looked around to see that there was the naïve girl and the guy who helped him fend off the PKer. He turned around to face the blue-haired guy. “Thank you, for what you did back back there. The Guardians of the New Dawn is always open for new members.” Kalu tried to ignore the girl. Not out of any malice, rather a poor attempt to protect her. This world, there will be things that you try to do. When a wall is within your way, do you break it, go over or around it, or whether you just give up.

Eventually, Kalu turned to the girl who squealed and screamed at the victor. It felt out of place to ignore her presence while she, in a very roundabout way, helped deter a greater disaster. That was when Kalu noticed that she was trembling. Is this the first time she has known of a player’s death? He shook his head and sighed before continuing. “I also have to thank you, but you have to be careful. There’s always talk of PKers. Although the vast majority of people are against it, you have to be careful of those who stay hidden in plain sight like him. Wouldn’t want a meaningless loss of life now, do we?”

“And who was the person who told me not to close myself off? I believe her name was Tsu who also has her own problems but tries to ignore them.” Kalu was trying his best to attempt at any humor he could. However, being funny wasn’t his forte especially as his “friends” were more like company within his misery. Kalu didn’t want that to be the case with Tsu. “I’m going to take it”, Kalu said as he snatched the potion out of Tsu’s hands and put it in his inventory, “Just not right now.”

Brace yourself Kalu, you’re going to need it. “The problem with me is I can’t truly experience emotions by myself. I am like the living epitome of the phrase ‘If you’re happy, I’m happy.’ And that’s the truth. My- my mom and dad, they weren’t really good pa- people. Negligent is to say the least, abusive is still an understatement. Without going into lengthy detail, I was on the brink of starvation for the majority of my life and the blame is on them.” Kalu found it weird that when he spoke about his past, his emotions simply faded away. “My ‘depression’, if that’s what you would call it, is more like a numbness. A first nature from how I grew up.”

That’s when Tsu started talking about her experiences. To say the least, Kalu reacted with anger. Not towards Tsu, but towards the world. “No one should have to go through that!” Kalu grabbed her hand. “It’s not pity! I’m not treating you any different! You’re you, nothing changes that. You don’t have to change. Everyone has imperfections, and that’s what makes them unique.” Kalu remembered Axios, Juhmer, his maybe friend, maybe acquaintance, his spot on the Monument of Life, Kalu’s constant hoping Axios wasn’t him. “And please. I beg of you. Don’t think of doing that ever again. The thought of losing someone else, it bothers me. It’s the reason why I joined the guild. To get stronger, sure, but to help other people. If they’re happy, I can be happy too. So for both of our sakes, be happy.” Please, don’t die. You’re the first person to approach me as a friend since the beginning of the game, not as a guildmate.

“I’m- I’m sorry to hear that. No one should have to go through that pain. I’m not going to lie, I had my fair share of issues, but I’ve learned to deal with them by myself. If you want a shoulder to lean on, I’m always there.” Kalu paused for a short second before adding, “Any and all of the guild members will always be there to help you.” There are people around you willing to help you, all you have to do is just ask.

Kalu was sympathizing with Froppy’s situation and was understanding her pain. He had his fair share of abuse, albeit from someone much more closer to home (but at the same time, so much farther from home) so he meant every word he said. When Tsu offered a potion, a couple of thoughts ran through Kalu’s mind. Why and where did Tsu obtain this potion? Personally, Kalu did not want to go through the pain of having to ribbit in order to avoid choking on his tongue. However, Kalu accepted it nonetheless for later usage. “I appreciate the offer. I know for sure I’ll take it, I swear on my life. But… I don’t want to take that potion right now. Trust me, I can understand those pains more than you believe I do. I know this is a selfish request, but I just want to enjoy this moment.”

Kalu felt some tears stream down his face as he finished that last sentence. The smile on his face never wavered though. Even he didn’t know if he was just wearing it to try to assuage Tsu’s fears that there was some underlying issues, or if he was experiencing actual joy in this instant. “I forgot to say this to you since we first started, but thank you for inviting me here.”

Kalu squeezed his eyes shut when he heard a girl yelling at the victor. He looked around to find the source of the sound and saw a blonde girl only a bit shorter than he was. Naïve little girl. People killing people is the same thing as the mobs killing people. You can reason that the killers are both monsters, but they’re both simply following their nature. “It doesn’t matter if they can’t do any damage to a boss. What matters is that they help the frontliners in any shape, way, or form and they help everyone else survive this game. After all, someone in this crowd right here may be the next hero of Aincrad.” I highly doubt it, though. The people here are either waiting for people to save them or are stuck at their progression.

Kalu didn’t care much about the guy in front of him, his main concern was his guild’s reputation. He didn’t want to tarnish it now that he questioned the victor. “Anyways, a creditor killing the debtor doesn’t really do all that much. You’ll have a net loss in Col anyways. If you plan on selling that guys’ items, I doubt you’ll get more than a couple thousand Col. You killed him in cold blood.” Kalu looked around the crowd to look at everyone’s facial expressions. They were all either appalled with the actions or demeanor of the victor, or were nodding in agreement with the victor’s beliefs. There are those who believe that they must stick to their beliefs of getting through this game together, and then there are those who believe that this has turned into the meaning of a dog-eat-dog world. “As a member of the Guardians of the New Dawn, I request to know your name. If not to deal with you now as I have no current intention of fighting and losing another player’s life currently, than to monitor you and ensure you create no more chaos.” Hopefully that pleases Stryder that I’m spreading this guild’s name.

@Tetsuko

Kalu, as usual, was wandering around the explored floors of Aincrad. This time, however, he had begun traveling the third floor. Inside of the the city of Delilah, he breathed in the cool, fresh air. However, Kalu suddenly realized that he doesn’t remember how the old world smelled like, nor how the old world’s air was like. I guess it’s one of those thing.

As Kalu walked into the town square, he heard the sound of weapons clashing against one another. Although his guild, the Guardians of the New Dawn, was supposed to be a sort of mediators since Stryder, Eatos, and Hei all agreed that it was an anti-PK guild, Kalu decided that it would be difficult to stop the duel at his current state, so he simply walked closer to the source of the sounds to observe the fight. I guess I have to fulfill this duty.

Upon finding the combatants, Kalu saw that the brunette’s HP had dropped to zero and simply shattered into blue shards. I wonder if that’s how Axios looked like. Axios, not Juhmer. Recently, Kalu has become disillusioned with the idea that Axios be his real-life friend after all, since he had no way to verify it. Kalu walked into the ring of people that had formed around the combatants and stood in front of the victor, a blonde player. ”What is going on here? I don’t intend to cause trouble, but what was your reasoning for killing that player?”. Kalu spoke with zero urgency and without any apparent care. After all, why would he feel any urgency? He didn’t know the dead player and he cannot feel any emotions for himself. How is he supposed to care about random people? ”That man could have helped us get out of this hell, anyways.”

”I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m perfectly fine”, Kalu lied as he forced a smile. ”I’ve got a minor history of narcolepsy. There is no real trigger topic that causes me to space out or randomly fall asleep. I guess it just happens randomly and I was thinking about that topic.” He forced a laugh which sounded like it came from a robot or voice synthesizer. ”This is who I am.”

However, as Tsu talked, Kalu was surprised. Kalu initially thought of Tsu as someone with no issues. The tide started going out to sea, but Kalu was steadfast in his resolve. ”But it does sound like you have something you want to say. Maybe not about your mom and dad, but my ears are open to any concern you may have.” If I could help you in any way, it’ll be one of my accomplishments.And Kalu believed that he did not have many.

Kalu turned his head and watched as Pinball walked to the entrance of the bar after declaring that he didn’t wish to drink with Kalu and Embers. Truth be told, Kalu didn’t really care much for whatever Pinball has been going through. He wasn’t concerned of his current behavior, he rationalized that Pinball might just have been having a bad Valentine’s Day and embarrassed himself. However, Kalu decided it was his business how Pinball acted around Tsu, if either of them had an interest in each other,. Pinball, you could have just not answered. We wouldn’t be in this mess. After all, you affirmed my beliefs.

Turning to Ember, Kalu asked a simple request. ”I know this is a pain, but would you please make sure he doesn’t leave and bring him over here? If he has any issue with Tsu, I want to be one of the first people to know what is wrong. She’s a dear friend to me after what happened at the beach.” And I want to make sure she doesn’t get hurt. Kalu had assumed his deadpan expression once more, but this time with a fire inside of him. He knew he wasn’t strong, but he wanted to protect one of the only people he loved and cared about in his life. I’m a fool who only feels for other people. ”I’ll take that responsibility and pain ten times again. Kalu set his sights on Pinball. Kalu felt as if this was the most serious he has ever been his entire life.

”Well, I would have been content living a completely ordinary life. It’s something I have never had the chance to really experience. This normalcy, it is calming beyond belief.” For a few minutes, Kalu had forgotten about his entire past and his hardships qs he caught the ball and tossed it back to Tsu. Focusing on the now and how fun it was, it couldn’t have been better. For the first time in possibly forever, Kalu had a smile on his face. It wasn’t a facade that he had put up, but his true emotions. ”I haven’t really hung out with friends, so I don’t really know any activities at all. So you’re pretty much teaching me from scratch and I’m just playing by ear. My parents-” Kalu collapsed.

Once again, the memory of his friend and his parents triggered something within him. He dreamt of the Monument of Life in front of hin, and Axios’ name on it. The walls melted into grasslands as he saw his friend die by a boar. Kalu felt like he was drowning. He remembered the time that he almost drowned when his parents tied him to the back of a dingy, when they tried to force him to net fish.

He woke up breaking the surface of the water. Kalu felt like he could cry, but nothing came out. He was still sitting in the water when he talked in a monotonous voice, ”I’m sorry."

Is spicing things up always more fun? Kalu’s smile faltered for a second before he continued to smile back at Tsu. ”I don’t really have a certain quirk like you do. I’m more of the average person.” And saying that I had a less than average past is understating the obvious.

As Tsu slapped the beachball back to Kalu, this time he caught it and held it for a second. He was looking at the beach ball as if he was staring off into space. Do I truly deserve being here? I came to Japan on a charity ticket on top of a visa lottery. ”Do I truly deserve to be alive?”, Kalu muttered under his breath. That question had been something running through his thoughts lately. He realized he was lucky, but that wasn’t truly something that he had decided of his own accord. Before long, however, Kalu tossed the beach ball back to Tsu and said with a smile, ”Don’t worry about me, I just space out sometimes like that.”

”I’ll tell you what Embers, I’ll drink to that! For those who have denied me anything and everything!” Kalu sipped once more from his glass of wine while remembering his parents. However, something strange occurred. He did not have his usual flashback to the Philippines that should have been spurred on by the thought of his parents. Kalu was intrigued for the reason why, but decided that this was a thought for later on.

When Kalu heard that Pin was waiting for someone, he thought about the current rumors going around about Pin and Tsu. They really ought to be at the Valentine’s Day Masquerade Ball, not this dingy old bar. Kalu tapped the counter a couple of times, trying to figure out a wording that would not heavily suggest that they are already in a relationship. ”Pinball, if it’s Tsu you’re talking about, I highly suggest you take this somewhere with more festivities. I’m not sure if you know this, but there’s a masquerade ball going on right now.”