Curiosity's Wake [Bravo]

A red colored hat promptly rested over the face of a figure resting along nature's floor, the rise and fall of their chest steady and slow with their hands resting over on another on the very center of the stomach. There were few voices that traversed along the dirt path of the park on this particular day, the little amount of words springing forth from their topics and unique conversations barely reaching the black haired mage's ears as she simply laid still. It was from what small observation could be gained upon a small glance that one may have assumed that the female was fast asleep underneath the protective shading of the lush tree's cloud of leaves above. It was a rather different circumstance in the early afternoon however, as Shu was merely continuing in the duty she carried forth in her days in the area she found to be her favorite.

She would merely wait and listen.

The many conversations that would take place in Solemn Park were of many origins, birthing an array of stories in the area with a riveting experience here and there. Despite how one may find such an activity to be rather bothersome - sitting in one place too long - Shu was accustomed to it in the fashion of a second nature. This was the very thing that she found to be one of the most interesting in her day besides the experience of meeting new individuals, receiving the opportunity to hear their stories that they had to share while learning from it. Whether they were the saddest tales that ended with utter tragedy to the happiest tales that seemed to offer the fabled happily ever afters, Shu never found the tales of strangers to turn stale.

Each one was always different even if their endings fell into the same category. There was always something to be gained - something to learn - and such an experience was something that had a right of its own to be shared; as long as the one who marched forth in such an experience did not mind in sharing their own struggles. It was in the moment of shifting her legs, placing one over the other as they remained flat on the soft surface of the grass, that Shu's attention was capture by a peculiar chorus of giggles not too far off from her position. From what she could deduce, the giggles definitely belonged to that of small group of girls while the tone seemed to ooze from both excitement and happiness at once - the voices shifting rather slowly as the footsteps scratching against the dirt path beside her figure clarified that they were participating in an afternoon stroll. "Isn't that boy over there cute?", one of them spoke in a rather giddy manner. Another girl's voice piped up with the same giggle mixing into the chorus filling the once serene air that surrounded the environment, a rather amused grin forming behind Shu's red hat covering a large portion of her facial features.

"Yeah. I wonder what he looks like behind that red hat. . ."

Nevertheless, the giggles began to disappear slowly as their voices descended in volume with the passing time. "I never fail to be mistaken for a boy." A chuckle then escaped Shu's form as she fell back into a bout of silence, enough amusement having reached her after the latest conversation that passed her by. However, what caused the young woman to feel a rather strange tinge of wonderment soon after that was the fact that it had fallen silent. Slowly but surely letting her fingers grasp the fabric of her trademark hat, she lifted up the piece of clothing from her face as she curiously turned her head to the side with widened violet orbs.

"Huh. . . Been quite a while since it's been this quiet. It feels strange for it to be this calm and quiet after today's rowdy environment. . ."

Little had she known that it wasn't going to stay terribly quiet for long, but the calming atmosphere was quite the welcoming change of pace to the day.

Demoted due to being too uninvolved socially. Why? Why would the Magic Council commit such an action against an intelligent man like Bravo when he was only in a seat for a couple months? No issues had occurred. Every matter was dealt with, regardless of how much communication Bravo had with the client, so why? Bravo did not care anymore. He still had the power of several mythical gods in his grasp, with a brain that could get him anywhere. Albeit, he was still offered a spot in the Rune Knights after being demoted, which Bravo accepted. The legal guilds did not suit him, anyway. All Bravo wanted to do in life was represent justice, or keep himself neutral from all guilds, in general.

These ordeals had all led Bravo to Solemn Park: a park well-known for its incredible sights and natural offerings. This was the Divinity Blade's place to relax if he ever felt disappointed or depressed deep inside. Bravo was located near a narrow waterfall with only a twenty meter pool for the water to descend. He was watching it while thinking, curious of how peaceful this park could be no matter what the situation. A war could happen here, for all Bravo knew, and until the place would be completely burned to the ground, it would remain silent and pure. This was a heavenly land, now that Bravo thought about it. The gentleman only stared at this waterfall for about five minutes until he looked to his west, and within his field of vision, observed somebody with a large red hat, and a group of girls hanging around that kid. When Bravo focused more on the girls, he saw that their eyes were all directed towards that red hat. What exactly were they doing?

Bravo just turned back to the waterfall for now. Those girls were not a concern to him, and therefore Bravo did not need to get himself involved with them. How ironic. If only Bravo would have justified his case back then, explaining how there were no reasons for him to get socially involved with clients, then he would be given another chance, but no. Now Bravo was a Rune Knight, with a new goal: He was going to surpass both the Rune Knights and Magic Council. He sighed. He could only imagine the looks on the Magic Council's faces in the future when they realized they had removed such a strong legal wizard from one of their seats; a wizard with so much more success than them. Bravo had established plans, at this point, though he would not reveal them just yet. The clear pool of water did not reflect any true eagerness from the young adult's face, anyway.

Solemn Park. This place would be the area in which Bravo discovered his true potential. It was endless. The boy could care less of what the Magic Council thought about him back then because now he was independent. Unless he committed a crime in the Rune Knights, he could not be demoted there. He would still study in exchange for his social life, and become the most intelligent wizard alive. If there is a Heaven, Bravo would surely reach it. This was the dawn of a new beginning, and Bravo, while still being his usual self, would make the most of it. There were no harsh judgments in his way, this time. The Rune Knight tossed a coin into the waterfall, and made a wish. He would obviously not say a thing about that wish until the moment it came true, especially since the wish was quite personal. Even so, it was a sign that Bravo still had faith in an amazing future. Being stripped of his position in the council was not the end of him, surely, but rather a time to go beyond his current limits.

Violet eyes scanned the environment around after all seemed to lay still in the quiet atmosphere, a figure being passed in the careful observation before retracting back. The figure seemed to keep still before the waterfall's gentle wake, the way they kept their stance stiff yet tall as their reflection in the water was all but near complete distortion. Curiosity was bounding within as the young woman arose from her previous position of laying to sit properly on her rear, her hat being placed slowly with care atop its rightful place on her head - her eyes not daring to break away from the man's form. Shu's lips seemed to part slightly as her eyes were widened by the slightest fraction, her back curved slightly as her hands were resting on the tips of her knees. The stranger in the distance seemed to provoke a rather strange form of curiosity within her - his appearance one she hadn't ever recalled seeing before.

But what was even more intriguing was the action he performed next. The stranger seemed to reach for something as he shuffled in his movement, his arm gently sliding upwards as a small coin seemed to be thrown into the ever changing water before him - the smallest spark of light reflecting off of the sun's rays before disappearing. "A wish. . .", the black haired mage deducted after a moment or two of thought with a soft whisper. From the days she had spent here, the act of making a wish seemed to matter little to the people that spent their hours here. All they mainly focused on was their own emotions, stories, friends, family. . . Wishing was a peculiar sight to see - peculiar enough to cause Shu to rise up to her own feet while casually shoving her hands inside her jacket pockets.

Despite it starting off with a mere form of an almost childish curiosity, Shu had grown to be genuinely interested in the figure standing before the waterfall. It was the way the man was standing, the fluid motion to his action, and the unknown motivation behind such an action that piqued her interest. Every person had a story to tell just from a simple greeting by not their words but their body language. From the slightest twitch of a finger to the way they simply stood was a mere insight to who the person truly was, the rest of the plethora of details being left to rest inside of them until one made a discovery. Whether it was big or small, any kind of social interaction provided even the smallest fractions of details that could evolve into a grand story to tell.

Could this meeting - this interaction - be one of them?

With a rather mellow smile and relaxed form, she merely stood a reasonable distance next to the dark blue haired mage - her violet orbs greeting the surface of the rough water as her voice was still the same husky and lightly deep tone. "From all my days that I've been here and observed the people that come by, rarely anyone has been found making wishes here at this waterfall." It was in that moment after she spoke her words that Shu turned her head, her gaze landing on Bravo with a tilt of her head. Gesturing to him with a hand sliding out of her pocket, she kept the same calm smile and spoke softly.

"My apologies for intruding on you, sir. It's just that it's not every day I see someone do this. May I ask for your own name?"

As Bravo pondered thoughts, assuming his life would become the biggest success, his distortion from reality was intruded by a young one next to him. Where had this person come from? From his field of vision, Bravo could assume from the youngster's slim figure that it was a most likely a girl. Her hips were curved in much like other women Bravo had seen elsewhere, while her hair seemed much more nicely conditioned than averages boys Bravo had seen before. Finally, the voice he heard sounded rather feminine. A tom-boy, perhaps. She came in seemingly beginning a conversation from the get-go, which surprised Bravo. She had acted with little to no hesitation, it seemed, despite Bravo being a stranger. Heck, it seemed she felt so welcomed to approach Bravo that not the slightest tone in her voice appeared meagre.

"Bravo Kaizuka." He responded with a lack of emphasis. As stated before, because Bravo had originally discarded his social life- or so he thought- for educational purposes in the past, in the present time, he was not very skillful with conversations. Perhaps the female (or so he assumed was a girl), would lighten the man up enough to be more talkative, should this little talk become progressive. "What is your name?" Bravo replied in a questionable manner. It was only polite to ask for one's name if they had initially requested your own, right? Well, this was what Bravo figured at the time. To the girl, Bravo would always sound dull-toned, though it was clear that he was dull because of depression, disappointment, hatred or grief. This was just a natural affect on his voice.

The ladies in the background still stood in their positions, now staring at the both the female and Bravo whilst they spoke to one another. They were so obvious that it was rather pathetic to even observe them staring, but nevertheless, Bravo simply averted his eyes away from them, and back towards the lady who had decided to initiate this conversation with him. "Come here often?" Bravo added. As he thought before, Solemn Park was, in fact, a beautiful place to view, and relax for as long as one needed. Not only that, but it was due to this park just recently that Bravo quickly made a pursuit towards his seemingly ideal future. Looking at her figure, unless hidden behind clothes, there was no guild insignia present. Meanwhile, Bravo lacked a guild mark, as well. It would be rather cool to see another wizard who was not a part of any guild- legal or dark- in Fiore- if she was a wizard, that is. Bravo had seen regular civilians before, but was never as interested in them as Mages. It was also his duty even as a Rune Knight to scout out wizards who caused trouble, so seeing a legal or dark wizard was quite common.

A simple answer from the fellow surely would expand this conversation, as Bravo felt that he was no longer in any position to talk further for a man of his personality. This person was certainly interested, but what had led her to seeing Bravo? Was he that interesting to observe? Was this person somebody he had seen before? Unexpected events seemed to occur everyday, but this one was definitely intriguing.

The name of the young man beside her was Bravo Kaizuka - a name that she felt she hadn't heard before within. No bells of recognition were ringing in her subconscious nor were the slightest twinges of memories that she clearly carried left were providing any form of hints or clues. Even with the steps laid out before her, there was doubt inside her that such a conclusion couldn't hold the complete and utter truth. Still recovering from an incident that happened not so long ago, the mage's memories were still hazy fragments whenever she tried to recall certain events of her past. There was no set boundary on what she could and could not remember, such a disadvantage causing her conflict within as there only seemed to be questions with no set answers before her. Nevertheless, she did not let such a weakness reveal itself on the surface and continued to keep her easygoing composure.

The hand that was gestured out to Bravo was now lowered back into the safety of the woman's jacket pockets once more, her gaze focused on the man before her still even after the moments that have already passed. His name was a rather unique and interesting combination fit together - one that caused Shu's smile to twitch upward ever-so-slightly as she observed his behavior and language of his body. Listening to the tone of his voice it was clear that it was harboring a dull tone, but there may have been reason for such a trait. It was becoming clearer with the passing time that Bravo was not in a rather happy state judging by the way he stood and his actions before, Shu's deductions leading her to his state being a negative one at the very least if not something similar. His tone and the air of emotion surrounding him only added to the details that helped create and provide for the answer birthed inside the caverns of her mind, and it was no facade.

Upon asking for her name, the woman seemed to open her mouth for a simple second before the same smile graced her features once more. Taking the trademark red hat off of her head, she bowed in a gentlemanly manner as her unkempt hair slid over her shoulders - tickling the surface of her cheeks as it swayed slightly in the gentle breeze of the area. Her right arm holding the hat curved around her stomach as she bowed her head, her voice almost carrying the slightest tinge of amusement as she introduced herself. "My name is simply Shu. It's very nice to meet you, Bravo." Lifting her head up as she finished her introduction, she offered a toothy grin before straightening herself up once more with a soft chuckle.

She never got tired of introducing herself that way.

Unlike Bravo himself, Shu couldn't recall if she even had a set last name much less carried one. That was one of many details lost in the hazy fog that was her memories. Despite how she encouraged herself that the answer would come to her one day - the rest of her memories to follow in their own paces - the thought was still lingering in the back of her mind. Not having gone by unnoticed, the group of girls that were observing Shu before only returned with an even bigger group. They were merely chattering and giggling away which caused Shu to barely even glance their way as she grabbed the hem of her hat, tilting it down slightly as she closed her eyes. Their attempt at hushed whispers only pricked at her ears, a rather awkward smile forming in place of her mellow one as her brows creased.

I suppose I should have expected that.

Nevertheless, it was after the thought that the young mage crossed her arms and kept her attention focused on the troubled man before her as he questioned her. From the manner regarding how he kept his words short, there was a hint on how he may have been one to listen more than he was to speak. Yet it was too early to make such snap judgments. One step needed to be taken at a time at respectable paces, and so Shu casually replied as she turned her gaze to the waterfall before them both. "Yes, I do. I actually come here nearly everyday if or when I can as I don't belong to a guild, nor do I have anywhere else to go really. I'm just a traveler." She didn't mind not belonging to a guild truthfully. For the mage herself, anywhere she went was home enough for her. She had grown used to the traveling she had done alongside a friend of hers, and that alone was truly enough.

Without warning, the mage bent down on one knee and outstretched her hand to dip her fingers in the water before quickly retracting them and standing again, glancing to Bravo with a rather optimistic smile before simply waving her left hand - the water seeming to slide off the skin of her fingers with ease and float graciously in the air. An aura bearing the color of purple outlined the droplets of water, the slightest hint of a glow of the same hue decorated in the depths of the young woman's violet orbs. Deciding to continue the conversation once more as she simply stared at the droplets, Shu's voice was slowly swaying between a soft tone to that of an almost childish form of optimism. "Do you come here often to this place, Bravo?" Despite how this display was a start to an attempt in possibly lifting up the mood of the environment - if her deductions proved correct - she casually carried on.

This young girl was quite interesting in Bravo's opinion, though why did she need to take off that hat? Perhaps the mystery Bravo had solved before came in handy- this person really was female. The hair revealed her more feminine form, after all. Bravo had never seen a boy with hair like that, anyway. She was lawful, it seemed, treating him with such kindness. "Likewise." Bravo replied simply. He said nothing to follow this response, though he did mimic the female's grin, which hopefully showed a sign of respect. Bravo sure was bad at looking positive in front of others. This personality of his truly was a curse. Nevertheless, Bravo had a feeling this meeting would be interesting.

Giggling was heard in the background as Bravo finally averted his eyes to those women; his face this time looking much more intimidating. The girls were startled, and backed away a bit. In summary, their actions were too impolite to tolerate, and had to stop- again, in Bravo's opinion. Shu, on the other hand, could always think differently. Once the women seemed to depart, Bravo decided to discuss the matter of this young lady living alone. He found it quite ridiculous to see a girl so young to be lonely in an area so big; an area that could turn out to be a nightmare if crossed at the wrong time. While they were more nice people in these parts of Fiore, there were sure criminals, as well. Some especially would be willing to kidnap this little female, actually, now that Bravo thought about it. To conclude, why did Shu choose to live this way?

"No guild, no shelter, and most importantly...no home." Bravo remarked, "Are you sure you can handle this sort of life?" Bravo definitely would hate to have this sort of lifestyle, though after making his previous, he felt a little guilty inside. Maybe his words could have dug down into the woman's heart too deeply. Regardless of how she lived, somehow, this girl was still smiling, and still held a positive attitude. However, while she seemed to hold good qualities, she was out here, in a scarcely populated park. Not even a small residence seemed nice to her, huh? Bravo could recall living all over the place. He would rent whatever house he could find if sent somewhere far away to take care of a few magical criminals. While these adventures cost him more jewels than the time these criminals would have to spend on bail, Bravo still lived a decent life wherever he went. Simply, he could not help but question Shu every second she stood in front of him.

Bravo came back to reality a second time after Shu asked him if he came here often. "This is my first time here." Bravo confessed, "I like this place. No trouble; only peace." Bravo wished he could come here everyday, but he had a lot more to attend to; his freedom wasn't as big as it used to be. He could always just resign from the Rune Knights, though it would certainly look bad on his record if he did. It would not prove any loyalty to any legal guilds, let alone Fiore. He also enjoyed the towns more than these more environmentally friendly areas, honestly. While he despised crowds, he did not mind seeing different people, which this park seemed to lack. Talonia was for everyone who had spare time on their hands, though in Fiore, the vast majority were often busy. At the very least, after this little conversation, Bravo would assure himself more visits to Solemn Park would be arranged.

"So what do you like doing here?" Bravo asked. This conversation was so awkward; Shu seemingly having a lot to say, while Bravo felt so limited on what to say.

It was within all the passing moments that Shu observed every little detail of Bravo's reactions. It was what she was attuned to and accustomed to in order to analyze the emotions of those around her. By the smile earlier that seemed even the slightest bit awkward, the man before her may have not truly been of a positive emotional state after all. Despite the effort of his posture and the slightest upturn of his lips, it was an almost vivid display of fireworks that the man was trying his best to not fumble before her very eyes.

Such a display had then drastically changed to that of intimidation when the girls were still around, and in that moment Shu kept replaying how quickly he transitioned into the expression. What was different from the attempt of a smile from before was that he did not hesitate to make such a transition towards the civilians chirping amongst themselves - their presence no longer sensed. The black haired mage could only find her own smile twitching upwards just by the slightest amount as she continued to analyze the mystery that was this man before her. There was no doubt within the caverns of her heart that some of what she had chosen to reveal was causing an effect to occur - a thought process to take place that was being carefully executed. It was exactly what she wanted to occur to continue to not only progress the conversation, but to learn more about one another.

After all, one could not gain any status of friendship - even acquaintanceship - by only knowing the name. There was always more each side would know besides the name if they examined the other hard enough, and thought about how they behaved before them.

And there was a question that concerned her lifestyle. It was truthfully a rather confusing matter even to her - how she happened to be a mere wandering traveler across the lands. Yet she was not alone in the midst of it. She had people there to provide her motivation, to give her support, and to place their belief on her with their well wishes. Yet she could understand why Bravo held concern. Not many would choose the lifestyle she had uniquely vowed herself to, for it was a rough one not to be handled lightly or without care. Yet despite the struggles and fears that was how she would grow, and could still grow to this day. It was then with a rather soft smile the young woman kept her calm composure and posture, promptly nodding her head before responding.

"I've made it this far. Why give up now when I've already learned so much, and there's still plenty more things to discover out there? It's with this lifestyle that I can really learn and experience things that others normally couldn't by just staying in one place for so long. However, I will admit. . . I have wondered once what it was like to have a home or a guild."

The truth behind her words was that she could not remember quite a few things, and was as lost as she would make herself out to be. Her memories were but a dark fog in certain portions and sections of herself, acting as barricades to block the pathways as she would be left with nothing but to turn back inside the maze that created her. Despite the rather troubling reality she encountered every single day, Shu still chose to face the days head on with a smile because nothing could be gained with a frown. She couldn't help out other people who were lost if she simply gave in to her own troubles. Even if she found herself to be in scrapes or quarrels for a few times in her days, that certainly didn't stop her then. She was present and standing, ready to move on to another place to observe the folk that wandered about in Fiore. Even if certain portions were dangerous for her. . .

She wouldn't give up.

The young mage kept on smiling as she truly felt a sense of happiness, listening intently to Bravo's reply to the question she had asked earlier on. She didn't provide the slightest hint of surprise that would break her current expression. The observation the man before her offered was nothing short of the truth, and if he were to make his presence more common here, he would certainly find such a place continuing to stay calm and serene. "A first-timer, eh? I agree. It's rarely disturbed if at all and the night tends to be quiet for a general time. The people that come here as well are people that want to enjoy a stroll, spend time with their loved ones, or are simply lost. . ." Despite the slightest hint of her sentence ending in a whisper, the guildless mage kept her smile before finding herself humming in slight curiosity at Bravo's inquiry, not minding on how little he had to speak.

What did she like doing here?

"I simply observe the people that visit this area. I suppose I could describe it as me studying their behavioral patterns, body language, emotional states. . . and I help them if I feel they need it - even if they disagree at first. I also tend to listen in on their conversations in one sense, and see what they have to say about certain things. That's what I like to do here mainly, but I do come here to relax."

Replaying what she described in her head, Shu would not blame Bravo if he thought her an eavesdropper. That's practically what she truthfully sounded like but she didn't use the information she gathered for harmful intentions or purposes. She focused it strictly on assisting others, although she would be ready to provide an explanation if he so chose to question her further on her motives among other topics.

"Change." Bravo replied simply in accordance to Shu's perseverance on her current lifestyle, "This sort of action is only optional, of course, but I personally like to see people change for the greater good. Elders have told me in the past that there are three necessities of life that everyone should have to live fortunately: food, water, and shelter. Of course, this is just my opinion- feel free to do what you like, regardless of what I say." This girl was getting more interesting in Bravo's eyes throughout this conversation. She really seemed pleased with her lifestyle, though nevertheless, it did seem unfortunate. On the contrary, how could she feel this way? Was this really her personality, or was she inspired by someone else who lived- or is still living- like her? It looked as though this meeting was going to be filled with endless curiosity, as far as the Rune Knight was aware.

Their chatting proceeded onwards, constantly making comments about how another lived as aforementioned until the response came up about living life in Solemn Park. This, again, interested Bravo. "I like to believe people would come here to enjoy the atmosphere." He commented, "In cities or towns, things can get quite loud, crowded, or discomforting, generally. Here, however, none of that can happen. This park is very spacious, calm, and everlasting. If I can make a logical guess, I'd say some people would also come here to escape their urban lifestyles for a short period of time." While Bravo had his observations, he listened in on how Shu also made some of her own research on the people who chose to come to this park in the past. Bravo wondered if those women staring at this young female previously were also typical in Solemn Park.

He grinned for a second when Shu mentioned something relevant to what he discussed before- relaxing. Life was never meant to be homebound, in Bravo's opinion. Travelling seemed mandatory, as it seemed everyone needed a friend or companion at least to make the most of life, itself. This led Bravo to a dark thought. If Shu continued to live this way, would she keep coming across matters that she presumed she could handle, or would an event finally arise that could be considered overwhelming for the child? Even Bravo had found himself researching things twice as hard to get a good grasp on certain subjects. Of course, in these instances, he had resources, whereas this girl only had nature. Generally, Bravo had much more to support him in desperate measures- indoor and outdoor activities, than this homeless female. Albeit, he acted as if everything would be okay, nonetheless.

"What are the stereotypes you have discovered?" Bravo asked, "Surely, with everyone you have met or seen here, there is something typical to discuss about the whole population. Perhaps there is someone here that lives similarly to you, am I right?" Bravo sighed. He felt as though he was overwhelming himself with this seemingly talkative approach he unconsciously presented. Bravo was normally not like this, you see, but the girl- despite her age- seemed much more intelligent about the outside world than most he had met. Even the vast majority of urban civilians would probably not know as much about the outside world as this woman. Humanity was becoming lazy, after all. He supposed all of this curiosity, series of questioning, and care would benefit Shu in the end, while Bravo could possibly learn a lesson or two from this meeting, in exchange. Whether there was still much to talk about regarding Solemn Park or not, neither could be predicted too easily. Heck, the information spilled about this place had already surpassed Bravo's expectations from someone who had seen it so well.

Change. . .

That wasn't too particularly common among the individuals that visited the area here in the park. From what could be gathered, most citizens seemed comfortable in the very least with the position in their lives if not struggling internally because of a situation that had arisen on their path. Shu could deny however placing herself in that minority right along with the others there at her side. Regardless, it seemed that the man known as Bravo was providing a form of advice to her to change - to adjust her current lifestyle of a traveler into a state more stable and healthy. It was as he provided with the knowledge he carried that everyone should have to live fortunately with the basic necessities of life at one's disposal, but a thought crossed the young woman's mind upon his words.

Did everyone truly live in such a fortunate environment? Surely there were others out there in the world traveling such as she and her friend Grizz. Surely there were others out there that didn't have anywhere to go, anyone to lean on, or even people to call their own family. They couldn't possibly be the only ones out in Fiore - in Earthland - to be carrying out this lifestyle. That was all up to speculation and hypothesis, however. "True that at some point change is a necessity Bravo, not everyone lives so fortunately. . . I myself can't change just yet, haha. I have someone that I need to look out for, and I need to figure out a few things admittedly - things I can't figure out by staying in one place." Despite the laugh in the midst of her sentence, Shu truly meant the words that slid past her lips within that moment. The slightest taste of a lighthearted atmosphere still lingered as violet eyes gazed up to observe the elder mage at her side, the smile on her lips unwavering as she now rest her hands behind her back. The droplets of water that were once lingering in the air - defying the laws of gravity itself - fell back into the depths of the crashing water in the lake before them.

It was in the passing moments that the topic was shifting to how others besides themselves came here to relax or find a sense of peace. Truthfully, Bravo's own words couldn't be more accurate in regards to how the environment in the cities can become. He understood on how the same lifestyle can grow bland and even uncomfortable. Hence the fact that change was necessary every once in a while - even if for only a small bit of time. From the expansive days that were ahead of everyone, change was a mandatory factor that everyone had in their grasp. One could go far enough to call it a necessity and the people here were definitely rather comparative examples of how change is needed in one's life. Shu was no different and she dared to ponder that even Bravo himself was certainly no different either.

"The people definitely come here for a change of scenery every so often. Even in that circumstance despite whatever origin they're from, they all seek the same thing in such a regard. It's rather fascinating in truth but it's also no different to how you or me need to seek change every now and then. Even if we may be truly comfortable in where we are in our lives, there's always something that we each need now and then."

The black haired mage could only keep up her demeanor and composure that seemed like a second nature while wondering just who exactly Bravo would turn out to be; what he may be like outside of just a visit to this park, what he stood for, or his goals that he worked towards - the very factors of a person that were among the defining. Many other curiosities roamed about inside the caverns of Shu's mind to only provide more and more questions than even the slightest spectacles of answers. The environment he may even return back to may have been more stable than her own and less harmful, but there was no guarantee that it was lively like hers on the same end. There were many calculable things to consider in such a short amount of time that it almost seemed overwhelming, yet it was imperative that the young woman kept her ears open - that she listened.

It was then that a rather interesting question arose from the blue haired mage - a question regarding stereotypes. The very thought of it caused the smile on the young woman's lips to only widen as a knowing chuckle passed her lips. "Oh dear." If only the man knew about the stereotypes that did make themselves frequent here in this place, yet despite it all each individual was unique in their own ways. That did not exclude them from what one would describe as a stereotype or category, however. "I see plenty of people that act quite similarly to one another here indeed. Sometimes there is the rare occasion where I see groups of them together at a time - an example being those girls from earlier." The very sounds and chirps of their voices still caused an underlying shiver to run up the mage's spine, yet she pressed on with a smile despite the chill.

"Let's see. . . I do see the occasional married couple - or just couple in general - walk this road hand-in-hand, whispering sweet nothings to one another. It may seem like the same view every single time, but there's always something different and unique about each couple. Another stereotype I see are the occasional families with their varying number of children on this road, and it's typical to see them bearing picnic baskets of some sort. One more example would be adults or teenagers that walk here alone, but their heads would either be held up high or cast down low. You can easily tell just from that body language alone just what state their life is in, and they walk this road for a change."

It was then in that moment the woman cast her gaze up at the sky for a mere moment before back to Bravo, a soft chuckle passing her lips. Admittedly, she was becoming a tad embarrassed from how she may have been sounding and hoped that she wasn't becoming too much of a bother regarding her chatter. "In any case, that's just a bit I notice." Yet despite it all, she was still smiling.

Bravo found it amusing to see that the female claimed she change could not apply to her just yet. It was ironic, actually. With every meeting, you see, change was bound to occur, whether the "targets" liked it or not; these "targets" being Shu and Bravo. Bravo, in secrecy and within all honesty, did not like how he was talking more than usual. He felt like this woman was sort of forcing him to do so, but it was within reasonable limits, of course. Both she and Bravo had a lot to discuss, which kept Bravo interested, ultimately discarding the thought of presenting his "usual self". Inside, Bravo questioned his current presentation. What if he had presented his usual self to this person in front of him. Would she still be able to cooperate with him just as well as she was, currently? Again, the curiosity in this conversation was undeniably inevitable. Until the two would finally have something else to attend to, questions would certainly fill their minds- perhaps overwhelmingly.

This aside, Bravo wanted to make a comment on the responses Shu held alongside his own statements. He planned to cover them all- or at least attempt to, in a single question. "Don't you think you're changing just by talking with me?" Bravo questioned Shu, "With all due respect, I am a new face, which I bet you will surely take into account later on. In other words, life has already changed for you because of something new, indeed. The only situation in which change doesn't exist is when an identical experience in accordance to another occurs. Stereotypes, for example. None of that changes, but am I a stereotype to you? That is the ultimate question, isn't it?" The last question, of course, was rhetorical. Bravo wanted to leave Shu with something to think about after this conversation. Perhaps he was someone else she could look out for in the future, though Bravo didn't want to ask who the person was that Shu seemingly desired to meet, as well.

It was amazing to see how quickly Bravo could respond to remarks another had made, or were prepared to make when he was around them. Maybe it was specialty as a Rune Knight. Rune Knights were often capable of profiling countless wizards without those same wizards knowing, and within a very short period of time. Of course, guild-less Mages were another story considering they had no special guild to belong to. Bravo always wondered why these Mages decided to make these choices. Shu, in particular, had a reason not to be involved with a guild, though Bravo doubted others had strong reasons. He bet some were simply unprepared, while others were just scared, or shared bad blood with a Mage from a specific guild. Albeit, Bravo assumed those Mages would come to their senses eventually.

Once Bravo had finished pondering thoughts, he had successfully responded to everything Shu had said to him so far- or so he believed. With these new statements he had delivered, Bravo wondered if Shu could make similarly strong responses like she had before. Could he have potentially brought this conversation to an end by giving Shu too much to think about? Bravo was sure other statements were still stuck in the young girl's head. This is what kept the conversation interesting, after all. He also felt limited in other things to say, while with his personality, meant that he was probably bound to head elsewhere soon, even if impolitely. Perhaps he had to work on his social life so he could continue having more interesting chats like this. Bravo was just throwing random comments at this point. It was time to let Shu think.

Despite all that Shu had carried on - from lessons to experience on her own account or others' - there were still events out there she needed to learn from herself. There was always a mystery to expect from each meeting, and at the end there was no telling what experience one would walk away with. It wasn't until afterwards that one would really think about the lesson to be learned if they cared to do so, and it would only be until Shu realized that once this meeting was all over the experience would come to her in due time. Regardless of whatever negative or personal aspects of herself the young woman was letting slip, she presented herself in a presentable fashion in front of Bravo to the reasonable effort of her abilities. She did not want to push too much or give too little; just the right amount was always enough.

It was then that in Bravo's response, Shu tried to straighten herself out not on the exterior but interior. There was the aspect that always caused her violet eyes to brighten in color, their vibrancy and optimism seeming to show even more at the chance to gain experience. The lesson to be learned from this meeting alone was presenting itself right now in Bravo's singular question formed carefully. Her gaze focused on him as she felt her brows raise while her eyes widened, not showing any signs or vocalization of disagreement with his question. The question not only piqued her interest but was definitely going to give her something to ponder over and to think about - maybe even discuss with other people if necessary. "I. . . I hadn't thought about it that way. . . You've definitely given me something to think about, Bravo. It wasn't rather wise of me to put others in stereotypes to begin with. . . We're all different and unique in our own ways, heh." In a way - even if she didn't voice it outright - she was both thanking him and thankful for his question.

Black locks shifted as she adjusted her weight from one leg to the other, crossing her arms as violet eyes glanced around in thought. This man before her had successfully responded to almost every statement she made in this conversation so far. It was near impossible to resist the thought provoking statements pricking at her mind, needlessly tempting her thoughts to wander away from the conversation at hand. Change was inevitable, it happened everyday, and there were good examples out there that if you tried to stop change it would still happen one way or another. There was no way around it and that was definitely a factor Shu admitted to. There was no way around her not changing nor was there no way around for everyone else. It was practically a part of life whether one liked it or not. Even when a group of people acted the same, shared similar interests, or even shared the same taste in clothing or appearances. . . they all were unique in their own ways. No story would be the exact same as someone else's.

It was then that the young woman simply smiled and settled her gaze onto the darkening sky that was turning into night, humming for a moment before finishing off with a sigh and a hang of her head. "Wow, I'm still as curious as ever. . . But it's getting late and I don't want to keep you out 'til night, Bravo. I don't want to keep you from anyone or anything any longer than I already have been. And I want to apologize if I did." The mage then adjusted her red hat atop her head for the sake of comfort, neatness, and appearance before appropriately meeting Bravo's eyes with her own. "But before this ends, I just want to say. . . thank you. You've given me a lot to think about and I hope I didn't prove a bore, aha!" Despite how she tried to make the once calm and serene air around them more lighthearted, she still kept calm and smiled.

As he expected. In response to what Bravo had stated earlier, it seemed some hesitation and thinking had finally arose from Shu's lips. Change was inevitable, indeed. Initially, the two were having an interesting, lively conversation, with light questions and easy answers. However, now, with one touching question, the mood became more calm and silent. In his opinion, Bravo thought the change had made the scenery better and worse, simultaneously. It had become better because the two were now on the same page, hence the silent atmosphere. On the contrary, for some reason, Bravo liked the whole debate that once emerged between the girl and himself. If only the world had more intelligent people like this- no, this country- Bravo would become more talkative.

To this day, Bravo studied humanity as if he was an outsider; someone who had yet to live a human life, in this case. To begin, humanity present in Fiore is divided in two; the sane and the insane. The sane commit actions that are for the greater good; regrettable or memorable- it does not matter. The insane, on the other hand, perform acts of misery. Some of the insane enjoy who they have become; someone absorbed by a hellish fate. Others, however, found themselves in the dark due to misunderstandings, fatal errors, or something unfortunate in the past. Which side is better, which side is more deserving of "more humane"- life is unfair, isn't it? This aside, there was still a female before Bravo who seemed to live on, discovering life for herself by literally walking through it- Solemn Park definitely was not her only destination. Perhaps change is so dramatic because people cannot be so at ease with their lives, or genuinely have somebody or something to support them. Perhaps religion is relieving. Albeit, what made this conversation outstanding the entire time, was this female, who was just trying to make the most of her life, regardless of how much fortunate or unfortunate events she ran through. This kind of person was certainly noteworthy in Fiore.

Throughout these moments of observation, Bravo had never been more attentive towards someone before. Bravo was honoured to be considered in someone's life. Maybe this meant his social life was improving, after all. "We are human." Bravo concluded instinctively. Sadly, it was almost nighttime, and Bravo needed to get back to doing some activities at home. He sighed happily when the girl seemed to picture a similar scenario, and apologized for keeping Bravo here so long, though it was actually Bravo who had kept himself here this long. "Well Shu, it has been a pleasure, but I must go." The Rune Knight confessed. This was the first time he had ever addressed someone he just met by name. Alas, this was nothing to be curious about. Shu seemed like a good friend after all of the happy discussions the two shared in a single moment, able to be with each other for so long. The look on his face assured Shu that Bravo had no issue with her, whatsoever. For once, he had fun meeting somebody, and wished to meet them again sometime soon.

With this, Bravo turned his back to Shu, and waved as he walked off. He sighed a final time while doing this, though in its best sense, to this day. Before this conversation began, Bravo thought humanity was only a complicated mystery, though after meeting a single individual, Bravo clarified that, other than dividing humanity into two divisions, at the slightest, it was impossible to give humanity a true definition. Shu had proven to be a tough individual to read, after all, and in this world, there were still approximately seven and half billion other people- wizards or not- to study alongside the guild-less Mage. If he could study this single adventure, however, just for the sake of studying the more complicated human beings, what would he call this piece of research?

"Curiosity's Wake." Bravo thought in his head.

[EXIT]