Tomoko didn't have much experience with pets, and felt rather nervous when Shino lifted the rodent out of its enclosure and cupped her hand around it. "This is Isamashi," Shino said. The rodent looked up at her with its endlessly black and beady little eyes, its nose twitching as though it was trying to make the decision; Friend or foe? Playmate or predator? What was she supposed to do with this thing? Just look at it? Or... Hm. She felt a little thirsty all of a sudden. Her hand moved automatically towards the water bottle attached to the cage, and she held it up to the hamster's face. Tiny, adorable paws seized either side of the nozzle as an equally tiny tongue lapped up water from the very end of it. After a minute or so, Tomoko was the centre of its attention again and the thirst had passed. Strange. But not nearly as strange as the new feelings washing over her.
Play. Let's play around. Run around in circles, just for fun! Just for freedom! Just for fun! Isamashi ran up and down her arms, the strange feeling of those tiny paws feeling ticklish against her skin. She spun around, revelling in the sensation of freedom. Yes! So free! Free to explore, free to see the rest of the world, free to laugh and smile and eat and sleep whereever and whenever she wanted! It was exhilerating, breathtaking, euphoric -
And Shino was staring at her slack jawed. The sight of him stopped her in her tracks, and Isamashi also stopped, perched atop her head with head tilted as if taking a sudden interest in his owner. Tomoko felt suddenly very embarassed by her behaviour, but at the same time felt... It was like she had just experienced a masterpiece for the very first time. Felt the very soul of the artist lift off the canvas, or through the composition or whatever the medium might have been. "Wh-what? What is it?"
"That's the first time I've seen you smile. Really, genuinely smile."
She touched her face. She was smiling. She was smiling! More than that, she was happy! Happier than she'd been in ages! Shino was her mirror image now as he smiled back at her, and... and her hands flew up to around her eyes, confirming her worst fears. The joy was replaced with an overwhelming fear and dread, though the joy still tried to creep in and keep her from truly realising what was happening. Tomoko spun around, dropping to her knees as her hands covered her eyes. "Don't look at me!" she screamed, prompting Isamashi to run off down her back. No, no, this couldn't be happening! To be caught here, of all places without her glasses! She should have noticed sooner. She should have run out of the room and retrieved her only protection before they snuck in and drove her to the very brink of madness. Only by covering her eyes could she block them out. Only by covering her eyes could she -
"Tomoko! What's wrong?" Shina said, suddenly in front of her and pulling her hands away from her face by the wrists. Her eyes screwed shut to prevent eye contact. It was the only way to keep them both sane. The only way to protect them from her family curse!
"My glasses. You have to find my glasses!" she couldn't very well get them blind, now could she? "Please Shino. Please. Don't make me beg."
Tears were falling down her cheeks, and she felt his hands loosen on her wrists. A minute later she felt something being offered to her, and moments later the glasses were returned to their rightful place. She was herself again. The tears were wiped away and she rose, a little shaky but willing to face Shino again.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Not really. But she did owe him an explanation after her little display, there...
"My family has certain empathic abilities. We can read the emotions of others by making eye contact with them. Unfortunately, we cannot control this power, and it usually drives us... insane. Imagine constantly feeling the conflicting emotions of anyone and everyone you were around. Can you imagine that, Shino? To lose control over your own mind, your own feelings. Walking down the school corridor is like a minefield. Imagine it! The tension from exams, the hormones, the petty rivalries, the despair and the joy I'd be feeling, and it would shift with each step I took."
"You could have used that kind of talent against me, you know. In our gamble?"
Tomoko shook her head. "No. It wouldn't have worked like that. I'd simply feel whatever you were feeling, and it wouldn't have told me anything at all about what you were thinking. I wear these glasses to protect myself from that... and to protect the people around me as well. Sometimes things go the opposite way."
Shino nodded. "I think I know what you mean. When you looked me in the eyes earlier, when you first came in the room after you got dressed... I couldn't help but blush. Then again, it might have been because you were so beautiful, and -" he caught himself, coughed nervously. "I... I think I understand why you hate this so much. I mean, it must feel like you're losing control whenever you use that power. It's a terrible curse."
She hugged him. She didn't know why, but she felt like doing it. Earlier, she had been the one feeling sorry for him but now - now she knew he was feeling the same way for her even with her glasses on. Her father always said that eyes were the windows to the soul and she believed he was talking about their powers. Now she had a better understanding of waht he really meant. Shino understood her now, she felt. Understood why she had such a difficult time interacting with people, understood why she was the way she was, why she was a loner, why she tried to find some avenue of crawling back into the social spotlight... And now the two of them would help each other.
Tomoko had lost her wager. But she felt like she'd won.
Sun Jul 24 22:05:43 2011